June 30, 2002
Those who attacked the Ninth Circuit's courageous decision last week should well consider what really happens when we impose religious doctrine on patriotic rituals. This article bears contemplation on that issue, as well as on the recent high court ruling on school vouchers.
(Re latest Kobe Bryant news, click here)
(Re latest Kobe Bryant news, click here)
Brazil 2, Germany 0...one of the tightest WC finals ever, with the Germans dominating the first half, but unable to come close to scoring. Ronaldo scored twice in the final 25 minutes, including one off of a shockingly bad play by Oliver Kahn, Germany's heretofore inpenetrable goalkeeper.
June 29, 2002
A few years back there was a book published called "The Millionaire Next Door", the theme of which was that most of the people in this country who had money were not C.E.O.'s, partners in lawfirms, or celebrities, but were instead average people with ordinary careers who had, for one reason or another, gotten lucky. By that, I mean they had saved money, invested it well, purchased Nissans rather than Mercedes, and had pretty much lived within themselves. But for the most part, those people had owned real property, kept it for years, not as an investment but as a home for their families, and sold it at a huge profit.
Well, its safe to say that I have never lived within my means, my stock portfolio consists mainly of busted tech stocks (ie. Palm), and I drive a sports car well out of my price range. However, I do own a condo, which as luck would have it, is situated in the West San Fernando Valley, in Warner Center, smack dab in the middle of the hottest real estate market in the country. When I put it up for sale last week, at the advice of my broker, I listed it at $204k, which I thought was an absurd price, way over what other units in the area sold for; this is, after all, little more than a single bedroom apartment attached to a collection of freaks that constitute the H.O.A. I thought it would go for $130k, which is more than what my neighbor sold their place for two years ago after they had done significant remodeling (the only remodeling I did was to install fungus in my shower).
Within a day of listing, I got a bid for $196, and after some quibbling, got them to raise it to $198. Ecstatic, but wary of the misfortune that always afflicts me whenever I stare imminent fortune squarely in the eye, I began figuring how much I would have to play with once I got rid of the payoff balance on my note (about $87k) and paying off my remaining debts (incl. my student loans). Then other offers began pouring in, from between $200k and $220k. Jeez, if I hold out any longer, I can eventually sell the place for about what a mansion in the Hollywood Hills would go for. Thinking about that, I realized that I'm never going to be a "millionaire next door", cause the only thing I will ever do with money is burn it, spend it on leggy brunettes and get drunk.
Well, its safe to say that I have never lived within my means, my stock portfolio consists mainly of busted tech stocks (ie. Palm), and I drive a sports car well out of my price range. However, I do own a condo, which as luck would have it, is situated in the West San Fernando Valley, in Warner Center, smack dab in the middle of the hottest real estate market in the country. When I put it up for sale last week, at the advice of my broker, I listed it at $204k, which I thought was an absurd price, way over what other units in the area sold for; this is, after all, little more than a single bedroom apartment attached to a collection of freaks that constitute the H.O.A. I thought it would go for $130k, which is more than what my neighbor sold their place for two years ago after they had done significant remodeling (the only remodeling I did was to install fungus in my shower).
Within a day of listing, I got a bid for $196, and after some quibbling, got them to raise it to $198. Ecstatic, but wary of the misfortune that always afflicts me whenever I stare imminent fortune squarely in the eye, I began figuring how much I would have to play with once I got rid of the payoff balance on my note (about $87k) and paying off my remaining debts (incl. my student loans). Then other offers began pouring in, from between $200k and $220k. Jeez, if I hold out any longer, I can eventually sell the place for about what a mansion in the Hollywood Hills would go for. Thinking about that, I realized that I'm never going to be a "millionaire next door", cause the only thing I will ever do with money is burn it, spend it on leggy brunettes and get drunk.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic, for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Turkey 3, Korea 2, as the Turks scored the fastest goal in W.C. history. Don't worry, I was too hung over from the previous night to get up and watch a consolation game live. After Monday, there will be no more World Cup posts for awhile. I am a man of my word, M.C.
June 28, 2002
Its less than forty-eight hours to the World Cup Final, which I await with great trepidation. I foresee little offensive activity, with Brazil winning 1-0 on a late second half goal. The Germans will be without their most consistent player in the World Cup, and will play for the tie, hoping to win the game on penalty kicks. I’m afraid there will be little excitement. Perhaps the best thing that could happen for those of us who want to see a championship game worthy of the tournament will be if someone scores early, preferably Brazil. That would open things up, and cause both teams to devote more resources to the attack the rest of the game.
Once again, I will venture out to that little piece of Culver City paradise called Joxer Daly’s for the 4:00 a.m. start. I wrote last week about how packed it was for the England v. Brazil quarterfinal game, but what I neglected to point out (in part, b/c I wasn’t there) was that it was almost as jammed for the US v. Germany game the next morning. According to the staff, the place stayed open in the three hours between games, and attracted a different set of fans, most of whom arrived at around 4 in the morning (all of whom paid the $10 cover). I would venture a guess that it will again be crowded, so get there early for the festivities !!!
Once again, I will venture out to that little piece of Culver City paradise called Joxer Daly’s for the 4:00 a.m. start. I wrote last week about how packed it was for the England v. Brazil quarterfinal game, but what I neglected to point out (in part, b/c I wasn’t there) was that it was almost as jammed for the US v. Germany game the next morning. According to the staff, the place stayed open in the three hours between games, and attracted a different set of fans, most of whom arrived at around 4 in the morning (all of whom paid the $10 cover). I would venture a guess that it will again be crowded, so get there early for the festivities !!!
Absolutely the right take about the 9th Circuit's ruling on Wednesday. If Joe Lieberman is the Demo nominee in 2004, I vote for Nader.
June 27, 2002
Just beautiful. The jewel in the crown of the nation's public universities just moved a step closer to having the NCAA impose the "death penalty" on its athletic programs. My favorite sanction against CAL has to be that it was stripped of all its wins in 1999, forever tainting my memory of that magical 3-8 season.
I would like to digress a little now from the usual topics on this board to discuss something which is of extreme importance to me, and has been a peeve of mine since I was twelve years old. That is, how the cultural institutions in our society are able to manufacture beauty where none exists.
The first week of play at Wimbledon began on Monday, and as always on the first day of any Grand Slam tennis tournament, one of the big stories was the utterly predictable defeat of Anna Pornikova, err, Kournikova. I’ve always thought the saga of the Russian lolita was more amusing than sad, since I have no idea why anyone thinks she’s that good-looking to begin with. I understand that beauty is largely a subjective criterion, and that different men might see something extraordinary in even the basest of creatures, but c’mon !! For about five years, the media has hyped this mediocrity, first as a tennis prodigy, later as a groupie for the Red Wings, then as a pin-up girl, and she’s NOTHING. SHE ISN’T ATTRACTIVE. She can do all the calendars she wants, dress up in tight, revealing outfits, get her picture taken by the top photographers, have all her warts air-brushed out later, and she still is a chubby faux-blonde who has no game.
It’s times like this that I feel like the victim of some big media joke, and eventually I’m going to get the punch-line. Every so often, a magazine like People, Vanity Fair, or EW will pretend that Linda Evangelista, Julia Roberts, Christina Ricci, Paris Hilton, Helena Bonham-Carter, or some other femme is hot, and we, the public, are encouraged to go along with it, even if we wonder why so much hype (and money) is being devoted to hatchet-faced women. A few years back, Vanity Fair did a cover story on the next big bombshell in Hollywood: Gretchen Mol (I kid you not). She wasn’t even cute, she hadn’t been in anything of note, and VF was hyping her as if she was one of the Miller Sisters. I’m sorry if I’m beginning to sound insensitive, but Julia Roberts is not now, nor has she ever been, pretty !!!!! She’s a decent enough actress, but so is Angela Lansbury (who actually was quite hot about fifty years ago). At some point, though, “Hollywood” decided that a nice pair of lips, a decent body, and some solid acting chops added up to sex appeal, and imposed it on the rest of society.
Even more ridiculous are supermodels. Just as Jackie Robinson broke the color-line in baseball, Evangelista shattered the ugly barrier in modeling, and paved the way for women such as Naomi Campbell, Heidi Klum, and others to ply their craft. By the way, has anyone seen the new Cover Girl ad with “supermodel” Niki Taylor. I didn’t think you were supposed to notice the make-up. I feel sorry for the tragic accident she was in, and for the way-too-untimely death of her sister, but who knew that she would become the Tony Conigliaro of modeling. Enough said about that; she should try to retire with some semblance of dignity before she becomes indistinguishable from Carol Channing.
Lastly, there is the odd case of Jennifer Aniston. I’m inclined to believe that she must be more attractive in person than she is on TV, where she is the third most attractive actress on Friends. Anyway, if any of you have a selection for the most overrated beautiful woman in the world, click the magic button on the top and let me know.
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The first week of play at Wimbledon began on Monday, and as always on the first day of any Grand Slam tennis tournament, one of the big stories was the utterly predictable defeat of Anna Pornikova, err, Kournikova. I’ve always thought the saga of the Russian lolita was more amusing than sad, since I have no idea why anyone thinks she’s that good-looking to begin with. I understand that beauty is largely a subjective criterion, and that different men might see something extraordinary in even the basest of creatures, but c’mon !! For about five years, the media has hyped this mediocrity, first as a tennis prodigy, later as a groupie for the Red Wings, then as a pin-up girl, and she’s NOTHING. SHE ISN’T ATTRACTIVE. She can do all the calendars she wants, dress up in tight, revealing outfits, get her picture taken by the top photographers, have all her warts air-brushed out later, and she still is a chubby faux-blonde who has no game.
It’s times like this that I feel like the victim of some big media joke, and eventually I’m going to get the punch-line. Every so often, a magazine like People, Vanity Fair, or EW will pretend that Linda Evangelista, Julia Roberts, Christina Ricci, Paris Hilton, Helena Bonham-Carter, or some other femme is hot, and we, the public, are encouraged to go along with it, even if we wonder why so much hype (and money) is being devoted to hatchet-faced women. A few years back, Vanity Fair did a cover story on the next big bombshell in Hollywood: Gretchen Mol (I kid you not). She wasn’t even cute, she hadn’t been in anything of note, and VF was hyping her as if she was one of the Miller Sisters. I’m sorry if I’m beginning to sound insensitive, but Julia Roberts is not now, nor has she ever been, pretty !!!!! She’s a decent enough actress, but so is Angela Lansbury (who actually was quite hot about fifty years ago). At some point, though, “Hollywood” decided that a nice pair of lips, a decent body, and some solid acting chops added up to sex appeal, and imposed it on the rest of society.
Even more ridiculous are supermodels. Just as Jackie Robinson broke the color-line in baseball, Evangelista shattered the ugly barrier in modeling, and paved the way for women such as Naomi Campbell, Heidi Klum, and others to ply their craft. By the way, has anyone seen the new Cover Girl ad with “supermodel” Niki Taylor. I didn’t think you were supposed to notice the make-up. I feel sorry for the tragic accident she was in, and for the way-too-untimely death of her sister, but who knew that she would become the Tony Conigliaro of modeling. Enough said about that; she should try to retire with some semblance of dignity before she becomes indistinguishable from Carol Channing.
Lastly, there is the odd case of Jennifer Aniston. I’m inclined to believe that she must be more attractive in person than she is on TV, where she is the third most attractive actress on Friends. Anyway, if any of you have a selection for the most overrated beautiful woman in the world, click the magic button on the top and let me know.
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June 26, 2002
"(optional deity) Bless the Ninth Circuit." By the way, the two little words in controversy are recent additions to the Pledge, imposed by Congress back in the 1950's, during another era when the government tried to squash our civil liberties, and needed a distraction.
Concerning the Bolton / Hansen et al concert below, one reader sends a link as to who might play in the grand finale...(thanks again to C.A.H.)
How exactly do you you hide $4 billion dollars? In any event, this column, published on Saturday, before the WorldCom debacle, now seems even more prescient.(free registration required)
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Take note that my next long post is being published tonight. Its a "think-piece" about Anna Kournikova !!!!
Damn. Kentucky v. North Carolina in the Final. Oddly enough, the two countries have never played each other in the World Cup.
Same score, but a much better, more competitive game than yesterday morning. Both teams were on the attack throughout, and Turkey had plenty of good chances. For all the talk about how far the U.S. has come in soccer, take note that the Turks were playing in their first tournament since 1954, and did not win a single qualifying game in the 1980's. I mean, they sucked, and I mean Michael Bolton / Hansen / Moby / Dave Matthews Band all-day concert-in-the-park sucked. From what I can gather, their recent international rise stems in large part from the heavy influx of immigration to Germany; many of their players, in fact, are German-born (Senegal, by the way, had more than a few players who had either been born, or raised, in France).
Same score, but a much better, more competitive game than yesterday morning. Both teams were on the attack throughout, and Turkey had plenty of good chances. For all the talk about how far the U.S. has come in soccer, take note that the Turks were playing in their first tournament since 1954, and did not win a single qualifying game in the 1980's. I mean, they sucked, and I mean Michael Bolton / Hansen / Moby / Dave Matthews Band all-day concert-in-the-park sucked. From what I can gather, their recent international rise stems in large part from the heavy influx of immigration to Germany; many of their players, in fact, are German-born (Senegal, by the way, had more than a few players who had either been born, or raised, in France).
June 25, 2002
One of the cool things about doing this is how enthusiastic all of you are about correcting my occasional mistakes or flashes of ignorance. For example, "the Ron" points out that Lena Olin was, in fact, nominated for an Oscar, in Enemies: A Love Story, which I never saw, on account of the fact that I'm a guy.
Now that Korea has been eliminated, can we stop hearing that the World Cup was somehow tainted by their presence in the Final Four. Bad calls are a part of the game, and the calls in their win over Spain were particularly lame, but up until this year, no one ever thought there was a conspiracy led by "Third World" refs to advance a particular team.
In any event, this was a dominant German performance today; 1-0 does not quite express how one-sided this game was. With about ten minutes left, Germany had a 16-4 edge in shots on goal, and completely contained the speed game of the Koreans. Instead of playing it safe, the Germans continued to press the issue at the end, and nearly scored a couple of insurance goals in the final minutes. The goal scorer, Ballack, got hit with his second yellow card in as many games, forcing him to miss the Final. Considering how the U.S. kicked their ass in every respect but on the scoreboard last week, it is a testament to how close we are to making a serious run in 2006 or 2010.
By the way, for about ten minutes in the first half, Adelphia Cable decided to shut down its entire network to provide an Emergency Test. Odds are, nothing was going to happen anyway, but I had just had this notion at the time that they were going to return to the action, and the score would be 2-1 Korea, and the referree would be showing the red card to a whole gang of German players, and the announcers would be screaming that this was "a disgrace", etc.
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In any event, this was a dominant German performance today; 1-0 does not quite express how one-sided this game was. With about ten minutes left, Germany had a 16-4 edge in shots on goal, and completely contained the speed game of the Koreans. Instead of playing it safe, the Germans continued to press the issue at the end, and nearly scored a couple of insurance goals in the final minutes. The goal scorer, Ballack, got hit with his second yellow card in as many games, forcing him to miss the Final. Considering how the U.S. kicked their ass in every respect but on the scoreboard last week, it is a testament to how close we are to making a serious run in 2006 or 2010.
By the way, for about ten minutes in the first half, Adelphia Cable decided to shut down its entire network to provide an Emergency Test. Odds are, nothing was going to happen anyway, but I had just had this notion at the time that they were going to return to the action, and the score would be 2-1 Korea, and the referree would be showing the red card to a whole gang of German players, and the announcers would be screaming that this was "a disgrace", etc.
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June 24, 2002
One of the local throw-aways has a good piece on a hip music club downtown, that I have on good authority is "Moby-Free". Take note of the "shy owner" pictured in the article.
The first of the semi-final games is coming up on the morrow, twixt Korea and Germany. Whoever wins will be the weakest team to make a World Cup Final since, well, ever, with the paranoid believing that the Koreans are only at this stage because of a FIFA-sponsored conspiracy involving the home team. Both teams were out-played in the quarterfinals, but got some favorable calls (Korea got some very favorable calls) from the refs to get through. I'm sorry, but I just have a hard time feeling sorry for either Spain, the U.S., or Italy; each team had plenty of other opportunities, and the fact that only the Americans haven't whined about the bad breaks they got redounds to the prestige of the "Homeland". The attacks that have come from some of the overseas papers, particularly in Spain, have bordered on the racist. Teams like Korea have been screwed so often by lousy officiating and homerism that its about time they caught a break, and one has to feel that much of the criticism now is being aimed at tomorrow morning's officials: if you so much as think of giving a German a red card, or calling offsides, a couple thousand international papers are going to label you a crook and a shill for the Koreans. In any event, the real problem in the quarterfinals wasn't bad officiating, it was the overly-defensive soccer the teams played.
Then again, maybe the Palestinians can just have our Supreme Court choose its next leader. This article rightly skewers the President's phony peace plan.
It's the beginning of the week, so it must be time to visit the old MAILBAG:
Sir Mix-a-lot writes:
The Bush adminstration keeps saying the Arafat can do more to stop terrorism. To me it seems like he has been handcuffed by both Sharon and the US. Even though I realize that Arafat still has some control over his militants, I can't really see what if anything he can do because Sharon and the US don't want to work with him on a diplomatic level. Realistically what can Arafat do?
I don't see why anyone can make excuses for Arafat. A good deal of the suicide bombers come from his organization, and not all of the bombers appeared to be particularly motivated by religion. A few high profile arrests, convictions, and imprisonments of some of these nutcases would have sent a message. The fact that Sharon and his party happen to believe that Arabs are indistinguishable from cockroaches doesn't create an atmosphere conducive to a permanent peace, yet by doing next to nothing to stop terrorism, and in fact financing many of the groups responsible, Arafat has created a situation where it would be impossible for Sharon to not send in the tanks. Which is probably what the General wanted in the first place; I half-expect the old thug to start talking about "hitting the trifecta". But lets not mince words here. If the A.N.C. had allowed its militants to start necklacing Africaaner teenagers, I doubt Mandela would be revered as the secular saint he is today. Anyways, thanks for your correspondence; it felt good not writing about soccer, Alias, and/or pub-crawling.
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Sir Mix-a-lot writes:
The Bush adminstration keeps saying the Arafat can do more to stop terrorism. To me it seems like he has been handcuffed by both Sharon and the US. Even though I realize that Arafat still has some control over his militants, I can't really see what if anything he can do because Sharon and the US don't want to work with him on a diplomatic level. Realistically what can Arafat do?
I don't see why anyone can make excuses for Arafat. A good deal of the suicide bombers come from his organization, and not all of the bombers appeared to be particularly motivated by religion. A few high profile arrests, convictions, and imprisonments of some of these nutcases would have sent a message. The fact that Sharon and his party happen to believe that Arabs are indistinguishable from cockroaches doesn't create an atmosphere conducive to a permanent peace, yet by doing next to nothing to stop terrorism, and in fact financing many of the groups responsible, Arafat has created a situation where it would be impossible for Sharon to not send in the tanks. Which is probably what the General wanted in the first place; I half-expect the old thug to start talking about "hitting the trifecta". But lets not mince words here. If the A.N.C. had allowed its militants to start necklacing Africaaner teenagers, I doubt Mandela would be revered as the secular saint he is today. Anyways, thanks for your correspondence; it felt good not writing about soccer, Alias, and/or pub-crawling.
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June 23, 2002
Here's a provocative take on the World Cup, by a writer who usually pisses me off. (Registration needed)
For those of you who subscribe to the "Smythesworld Premium" package, two more proposed sites: Mundo de Smythe, which will simulcast this site in Spanish; and SmythesworldWatch, a site dedicated to ridiculing and debunking Smythesworld. Take note that none of the additional services are available on basic cable or satellite.
Well, this turned out to be a more interesting weekend than I could have ever anticipated.
Tom Tomorrow has a good idea for a game based on a just-released movie.
Tom Tomorrow has a good idea for a game based on a just-released movie.
June 22, 2002
Here's some food criticism you can use, although I wish she had also reviewed the crappy cardboard product Herr Puck puts out now.
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Slow weekend planned. Probably go watch some band play. Have little to comment on as far as last night's games are concerned: Spain got jobbed even worse than Italy did, losing two clear goals; and Senegal was surprisingly uninspired against Turkey, who won the game in sudden death, and had most of the real scoring chances. One thing to note: if Korea gets to the Finals (a very real possibility, considering how exhausted the Germans were after the US game), they will go from being a home team backed by a very real, and loud, twelfth man, to the road team, since the Finals are in Yokohama, Japan.
June 21, 2002
I apologize to those of you whose only mission in life is to visit Smythe's World and find out about what's going on in my life, not just what my opinions are about the World Cup, Lena Olin, and the Middle East. In any event, your patience is about to be rewarded.
Last night, I ventured down to the happiest place on earth, Irish sports pub Joxer Dalys, to watch England v. Brazil, and was joined by about 125 revelers in what quickly became an overwhelming sea of humanity. For those of you who haven't been there before, I should point out that it is about the size of an ordinary bar; this isn't Yankee Doodles or Champions, with multiple floors and a large billiards and air hockey room in the basement. As a regular (by the way, that's a pretty sad thing to admit), the staff pretty much knows that I'm only going to drink Beamish or Carlsburg while I'm there, so I didn't have to wait in line, but for about 90% of the customers, getting a drink was a major hassle. Oh well, sucks to be them.
Anyway, considering that the crowd last night was larger than Super Bowl Sunday, the bartendresses did a pretty good job--the one quibble I have was that the stout was, well, just a bit too warm. The customers were split down the middle; a surprisingly large pro-Brazil contingent was there, and obviously they went home feeling pretty good about themselves. As an Inglaterra fan, last night's game was one of the more frustrating events I've witnessed there recently; even when Brazil went down a man, they controlled the game, and no one on the English team was a threat to score once Owen was subbed.
GO SENEGAL !!!!
Last night, I ventured down to the happiest place on earth, Irish sports pub Joxer Dalys, to watch England v. Brazil, and was joined by about 125 revelers in what quickly became an overwhelming sea of humanity. For those of you who haven't been there before, I should point out that it is about the size of an ordinary bar; this isn't Yankee Doodles or Champions, with multiple floors and a large billiards and air hockey room in the basement. As a regular (by the way, that's a pretty sad thing to admit), the staff pretty much knows that I'm only going to drink Beamish or Carlsburg while I'm there, so I didn't have to wait in line, but for about 90% of the customers, getting a drink was a major hassle. Oh well, sucks to be them.
Anyway, considering that the crowd last night was larger than Super Bowl Sunday, the bartendresses did a pretty good job--the one quibble I have was that the stout was, well, just a bit too warm. The customers were split down the middle; a surprisingly large pro-Brazil contingent was there, and obviously they went home feeling pretty good about themselves. As an Inglaterra fan, last night's game was one of the more frustrating events I've witnessed there recently; even when Brazil went down a man, they controlled the game, and no one on the English team was a threat to score once Owen was subbed.
GO SENEGAL !!!!
Well, we obviously weren't spanked. The U.S. took the play to the Germans, making most of the chances, but this time it was their opponent who got the inspired game from its goalkeeper. Soooooo close....
After the build-up, a big let-down, as Brazil dominated from the first minute on, and won 2-1. England actually took the lead, due to a defensive blunder allowing Owen an open blast, but the rest of the way Brazilian class showed; even after Ronaldinho was sent off early in the 2nd half, Brazil never looked to be in trouble. And of course, Seaman made his annual miscalculation on a long free kick, costing his team a chance to lose it in O.T. Depression sets in, as I now suspect the U.S. is about to get spanked....
June 20, 2002
After Sunday, I have learned enough not to predict World Cup games. I realized when I was breaking down these match-ups that I may have inadvertantly picked Weber St. to upset NC before the World Cup began; now that this game is actually going to take place tomorrow morning, I can only hope that no one remembered my original post on the subject.
Two questions about events in another part of the world:
1. Why is Arafat being negotiated with, when he has nothing to bring to the table?
2. What on earth does General Sharon have to do before the President realizes that he's a cancer?
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1. Why is Arafat being negotiated with, when he has nothing to bring to the table?
2. What on earth does General Sharon have to do before the President realizes that he's a cancer?
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This excellent piece eviscerates the soccerphobic commentariat (ie. Jim Rome, Matt Cairns, etc.) in the U.S.
I can't believe I'm now debating whether I should stay up the night (on a school night, no less) to watch the U.S. play the Germans, in a game the outcome of which is not really in doubt. In any event, I find this site to be fascinating (apparently, a fellow amateur).
June 19, 2002
For those of you keeping track, the quarterfinal of the World Cup begins tomorrow night, with Kansas playing Kentucky, followed by North Carolina and Weber State in the nightcap. Friday will see Wisconsin and Hawaii square off in the late game, with UCLA and Louisiana Tech trying to settle matters early. If that only looks partially like an NCAA Final Eight, its because this year has seen way too many upsets. Just as in college basketball, unfortunately, form begins to hold right around now. Sorry, but don't expect Weber State or LA Tech to reach the Final Four.
One of the more debated stories in futbol has been the decline of Serie A, the Italian national soccer league. This story perhaps encapsulates everything that is wrong and petty in sports, and provides some enlightenment as to the above issue. I hope Ahn signs to play in a superior league where they still have a dog in the hunt, like England, Germany, or the U.S.
June 18, 2002
A little less conversation, a little more action: Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Ronaldo is the only player in that Nike ad (you know, the one on the tanker) that's still playing in the W.C.
Dept. of corrections: This earlier posting, which I thought sounded too good (or bad, as the case may be) to be true, was in fact not true. Please disregard.
On the post below, my reference to Alias being played "completely straight" referred to the tone of the show, not its perceived sexual preference. Sorry for any confusion, but I thought it went without saying that a TV show cannot have a "sexual preference".
June 17, 2002
Its time to check the mailbag:
A laconic friend writes:
1.There are no liars at Joxer's.
2.Coach Cock WILL be available for the 2006 World Cup.
3.I'm ecstatic that Algore is busy picking up filtered cigarette butts from the gutters and stenciling fishbones with the phrase "No dumping" next to sewer drains than leading our country at this time.
4.Back in May I distinctly remember a certain bespectacled, shiny headed attorney predicting the Lakers would not repeat (or "Threepeat" as you unoriginal Laker fans call it) this season.
5.I'll take Rowan & Martin over Shaq & Kobe anytime.
No liars? Haven't you ever gotten a bill from Christine or Dakota? I'm getting tired of so-called friends falsely impugning my integrity and my wisdom and foresight in predicting that the Lakers would get their trey. Please take the time to review my posts last week, after Games 2 and 3 of the Finals. I'm glad that Hitchcock will be available in 2006, as he might have a choice of several teams to coach, including our neighbors to the south. I will ignore your insult about the President. Quit harassing me.
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Some of you took exception to my comments about Lena Olin, to wit:
About to be jumped? That show jumps everytime she says, "I was working for the people I thought I was fighting against".
or this, from someone whose evil twin is the basis for Laura Bristow:
What have you got against Lena Olin? I'm definitely not a lesbian -- not that there is anything wrong with that -- and yet I find her incredibly sexy. A dark haired Swede -- what a great combination.
BTW, was hanging at a new hotspot called Koi the other night, and Jennifer Garner's love interest from Alias (you know, her "CIA handler") was at the next table. I stared at him all night.
I'm not a lesbian either, although I often think I am a lesbian trapped in a man's body. Seriously, no one is going to understand any of this without some background. One of the best shows on TV right now is an ABC series called Alias. It's stars an impossibly gorgeous actress named Jennifer Garner (Sydney Bristow), and is basically like a James Bond or Indiana Jones movie, except its played completely straight; no bad jokes or puns, no smirks or winks from the hero to leaden the atmosphere, and even the bad guys are three-dimensional. The heroine gets into her fair share of fights, and in a TV-first, every so often gets the crap beat out of her, making the character sort of like a female Jim Rockford. Its largely a no-name cast. This is a good place to go if you want more info on the series; if you are just getting into the show, or if you need an explanation as to what some obscure group or reference (incl. anything to do with "Rambaldi artifacts"), that's where you go, or go to the official website ABC has for the show. As the first writer pointed out, its entirely reasonable to believe that the show already jumped the shark, but then again, its entirely reasonable to tell a 5-year old that there is no Santa Claus.
Anyway, without giving away too many plot twists, Swedish actress Lena Olin was recently cast as a woman very close to our heroine, a character that can be described as a cross between Keyser Soze, Harry Lime, and "Karla" from the Le Carre spy novels. My disappointment with the casting centers around my feeling that the show could have been a bit more creative. Ms. Olin, for those of you who may have forgotten, was a star back in the late-80's-early 90's, and was (I think) nominated for an Oscar. Her career has slowed down in the last ten years, to the point that she now basically plays evil semi-attractive women in every film, similar to her memorable character in Romeo Is Burning. The low point has to be her supporting role in Queen of the Damned; every actress who basically wants to the follow the Karen Black route just needs to do one Anne Rice movie.
Nevertheless, that downturn has more to do with poor choices than a lack of talent; I have no doubt she will pull off the character. But as the other letter reminds us, this show is always on the verge of slipping off the precipice into self-parody. Its pretty much survived without "stars", and although I would have preferred, for purely fetishistic reasons, that they had cast Mimi Rogers in the role, I believe that hiring another talented but non-famous actress would have been a better move. Besides, how do you kill off Lena Olin?
P.S. On your last point, the name of the actor you were stalking at Koi is Michael Vartan. And remember, whatever you do, please do not tell Scott what you really do for a living.
A laconic friend writes:
1.There are no liars at Joxer's.
2.Coach Cock WILL be available for the 2006 World Cup.
3.I'm ecstatic that Algore is busy picking up filtered cigarette butts from the gutters and stenciling fishbones with the phrase "No dumping" next to sewer drains than leading our country at this time.
4.Back in May I distinctly remember a certain bespectacled, shiny headed attorney predicting the Lakers would not repeat (or "Threepeat" as you unoriginal Laker fans call it) this season.
5.I'll take Rowan & Martin over Shaq & Kobe anytime.
No liars? Haven't you ever gotten a bill from Christine or Dakota? I'm getting tired of so-called friends falsely impugning my integrity and my wisdom and foresight in predicting that the Lakers would get their trey. Please take the time to review my posts last week, after Games 2 and 3 of the Finals. I'm glad that Hitchcock will be available in 2006, as he might have a choice of several teams to coach, including our neighbors to the south. I will ignore your insult about the President. Quit harassing me.
~
Some of you took exception to my comments about Lena Olin, to wit:
About to be jumped? That show jumps everytime she says, "I was working for the people I thought I was fighting against".
or this, from someone whose evil twin is the basis for Laura Bristow:
What have you got against Lena Olin? I'm definitely not a lesbian -- not that there is anything wrong with that -- and yet I find her incredibly sexy. A dark haired Swede -- what a great combination.
BTW, was hanging at a new hotspot called Koi the other night, and Jennifer Garner's love interest from Alias (you know, her "CIA handler") was at the next table. I stared at him all night.
I'm not a lesbian either, although I often think I am a lesbian trapped in a man's body. Seriously, no one is going to understand any of this without some background. One of the best shows on TV right now is an ABC series called Alias. It's stars an impossibly gorgeous actress named Jennifer Garner (Sydney Bristow), and is basically like a James Bond or Indiana Jones movie, except its played completely straight; no bad jokes or puns, no smirks or winks from the hero to leaden the atmosphere, and even the bad guys are three-dimensional. The heroine gets into her fair share of fights, and in a TV-first, every so often gets the crap beat out of her, making the character sort of like a female Jim Rockford. Its largely a no-name cast. This is a good place to go if you want more info on the series; if you are just getting into the show, or if you need an explanation as to what some obscure group or reference (incl. anything to do with "Rambaldi artifacts"), that's where you go, or go to the official website ABC has for the show. As the first writer pointed out, its entirely reasonable to believe that the show already jumped the shark, but then again, its entirely reasonable to tell a 5-year old that there is no Santa Claus.
Anyway, without giving away too many plot twists, Swedish actress Lena Olin was recently cast as a woman very close to our heroine, a character that can be described as a cross between Keyser Soze, Harry Lime, and "Karla" from the Le Carre spy novels. My disappointment with the casting centers around my feeling that the show could have been a bit more creative. Ms. Olin, for those of you who may have forgotten, was a star back in the late-80's-early 90's, and was (I think) nominated for an Oscar. Her career has slowed down in the last ten years, to the point that she now basically plays evil semi-attractive women in every film, similar to her memorable character in Romeo Is Burning. The low point has to be her supporting role in Queen of the Damned; every actress who basically wants to the follow the Karen Black route just needs to do one Anne Rice movie.
Nevertheless, that downturn has more to do with poor choices than a lack of talent; I have no doubt she will pull off the character. But as the other letter reminds us, this show is always on the verge of slipping off the precipice into self-parody. Its pretty much survived without "stars", and although I would have preferred, for purely fetishistic reasons, that they had cast Mimi Rogers in the role, I believe that hiring another talented but non-famous actress would have been a better move. Besides, how do you kill off Lena Olin?
P.S. On your last point, the name of the actor you were stalking at Koi is Michael Vartan. And remember, whatever you do, please do not tell Scott what you really do for a living.
June 16, 2002
Predictions:
Mexico 3, U.S. 1: Mexico will dominate possession and pick apart the pathetic U.S. defense; if the U.S. falls behind early, look for an even higher scoring game, with Donovan and O'Brien setting up many good scoring chances, and Mexico getting counterattack after counterattack.
Brazil 4, Belgium 1: Gotta love the Samba !!!
Mexico 3, U.S. 1: Mexico will dominate possession and pick apart the pathetic U.S. defense; if the U.S. falls behind early, look for an even higher scoring game, with Donovan and O'Brien setting up many good scoring chances, and Mexico getting counterattack after counterattack.
Brazil 4, Belgium 1: Gotta love the Samba !!!
As I predicted, England ended up dominating Denmark, and looks set to give Brazil (or Belgium, right...) a good battle in the quarterfinals next Thursday night. As I didn't predict, Paraguay kept the game with Germany close, and Chilavert, the goalkeeper who bears a resemblance to the fat kid at boot camp in Full Metal Jacket, came up big time and time again, until a goal in the final two minutes gave the Germans a well-deserved result. As dull as those two games were, this mornings games were classics. Senegal, the Kent State of soccer, stunned the Swedes in overtime, by scoring a "golden goal", to use the cheesy term FIFA has come up with, then Spain overcame a last-second goal by the Irish to prevail on penalty kicks. Two things about that game bear commentary: one, the Spanish subbed out Raul, their superstar, late in the game to get an extra defender to protect the lead; once the Irish scored to tie the game, Spain was left with almost no attack; and two, this has been repeated almost to the point of cliche, but using penalty kicks to decide a game after only 30 minutes of overtime sucks big time.
June 15, 2002
For those of you may have been caught up in the other RC scandal du jour, here's something that's really outrageous.
June 14, 2002
It now appears that our government can hold a person indefinitely, without either a trial or a chance to confront one's accusers. According to this article, the Justice Department has taken the position that only the executive branch has the power to decide whether someone is a combatant or not, and since trying Mr. Padilla will "compromise" intelligence sources, it is their position that they will not declare him to be a combatant. He will be a prisoner until the "war" on terrorism is over, which will probably be sometime after the 2004 election.
Now that the first round of the World Cup is over, with the U.S. surviving a massive choke to set up a match with Mexico Sunday night, this may be as good a time as any to revisit a "classic" piece of Smythiana.
~
Tonight, its Germany-Paraguay (11:30 p.m.) and England-Denmark (4:30 a.m.). On paper, these matchups don't look very interesting, as neither Paraguay or Denmark have as much talent as their opponents. I believe England is on the verge of exploding offensively, having already played three teams that are superior to Denmark. That would probably set up a quarter-final game with Brazil. For US fans, the Germany game is critical, as the winner will play the US-Mexico winner. Sorry if I'm overdoing the college hoops analogy, but the Germans are starting to remind me of that North Carolina team that made the Final Four three years ago, a team that barely made the tournament (really only making it on reputation), was only seeded 8th, and then upset Stanford in the second round. After that team made the semifinals, it seemed almost inevitable that they would do so, and the weaknesses of that team were forgotten by the same people who were outraged that the Tar Heels even made the tourney. Anyways, I don't see the Germans having any problems scoring against that fat tub of lard in goal for Paraguay.
~
~
Tonight, its Germany-Paraguay (11:30 p.m.) and England-Denmark (4:30 a.m.). On paper, these matchups don't look very interesting, as neither Paraguay or Denmark have as much talent as their opponents. I believe England is on the verge of exploding offensively, having already played three teams that are superior to Denmark. That would probably set up a quarter-final game with Brazil. For US fans, the Germany game is critical, as the winner will play the US-Mexico winner. Sorry if I'm overdoing the college hoops analogy, but the Germans are starting to remind me of that North Carolina team that made the Final Four three years ago, a team that barely made the tournament (really only making it on reputation), was only seeded 8th, and then upset Stanford in the second round. After that team made the semifinals, it seemed almost inevitable that they would do so, and the weaknesses of that team were forgotten by the same people who were outraged that the Tar Heels even made the tourney. Anyways, I don't see the Germans having any problems scoring against that fat tub of lard in goal for Paraguay.
~
Considering that the U.S. was down 3-0 before Korea took the lead against Portugal, in the 70th minute, it is safe to say that for most of the morning I was trying to figure out the most efficient way of spiking my intake of Prozac. Once Korea scored, a team with nothing to play for tried gamely to hold on against one of the most talented teams on the planet, with some of the most dangerous strikers in the history of the sport. And would you believe it, they did !!! KOREA !!!! No more dogmeat jokes, ever !!!!
~
~
June 13, 2002
I thought I would just let this story speak for itself. By the way, I'm not ignoring your correspondence; I intend to put up your letters at the end of the week.
Has any story ever fizzled out as quickly as the pathetic case of Mr. Padilla? With ruthless efficiency, the media, having been cowed into silence for nine months, have finally begun to not simply question, but ridicule, the Administration.
You could also see this phenomenum at work over the coverage of the GAO report on the Clinton "vandalism" report, which at a cost of a cool quarter of a million dollars to the taxpayers, was able to show that there was about $19,000 worth of damage (namely, to buy new "W" keys for typewriters). When Alberto Gonzalez, the President's counsel, protested that the report didn't specify some of the dirty words written on the walls, the reaction was one of eye-rolling contempt. When the story initially broke in January 2001, the media focused on how typical it was for those Arkansas vulgarians to trash the place on the way out, totally consistent with Lewinsky and Marc Rich. By the time the story died, the focus wasn't on the vandalism that was actually discovered, but on the mendacity and pettiness of the Bush Administration in leaking and exaggerating the story. Oh, yeah, I forgot, there's a war going on.
~
You could also see this phenomenum at work over the coverage of the GAO report on the Clinton "vandalism" report, which at a cost of a cool quarter of a million dollars to the taxpayers, was able to show that there was about $19,000 worth of damage (namely, to buy new "W" keys for typewriters). When Alberto Gonzalez, the President's counsel, protested that the report didn't specify some of the dirty words written on the walls, the reaction was one of eye-rolling contempt. When the story initially broke in January 2001, the media focused on how typical it was for those Arkansas vulgarians to trash the place on the way out, totally consistent with Lewinsky and Marc Rich. By the time the story died, the focus wasn't on the vandalism that was actually discovered, but on the mendacity and pettiness of the Bush Administration in leaking and exaggerating the story. Oh, yeah, I forgot, there's a war going on.
~
June 12, 2002
As I predicted months ago, the Lakers breezed to the NBA title. Congrats, team, on the 3peat.
Not much to say about tonight's game. To the surprise of no one, the Nets came out on fire in the first quarter, the crowd cheered, and then the Lakers went to work. The game wasn't in doubt after half-time, a fact acknowledged by Lord Byron in the final minute, when he subbed out Kidd and Martin with his team behind by six. Surely this will be the winter of Sactown's discontent, a team that came within a misdirected tip-out by Vlade and an overtime of beating the Lakers. They will continue to whine about the officiating in Game 4 (where they have a point) and Game 6 (where they don't), and I will admit that they were the best team this year, but it will haunt the Kings forever that they had Game 7 at home, with a nine point second half lead, but couldn't hit free throws, and they couldn't strike to kill the real king.
~
Not much to say about tonight's game. To the surprise of no one, the Nets came out on fire in the first quarter, the crowd cheered, and then the Lakers went to work. The game wasn't in doubt after half-time, a fact acknowledged by Lord Byron in the final minute, when he subbed out Kidd and Martin with his team behind by six. Surely this will be the winter of Sactown's discontent, a team that came within a misdirected tip-out by Vlade and an overtime of beating the Lakers. They will continue to whine about the officiating in Game 4 (where they have a point) and Game 6 (where they don't), and I will admit that they were the best team this year, but it will haunt the Kings forever that they had Game 7 at home, with a nine point second half lead, but couldn't hit free throws, and they couldn't strike to kill the real king.
~
True World Cup fact: the U.S. scored more goals in a 36 minute span of the first half against Portugal than Argentina and France did in six games.
June 11, 2002
Congrats to the Bush Administration, for waiting a month after arresting the "dirty bomb" suspect before publicly announcing its achievement (from Moscow, no less). Good job, boys.
That whole story is starting to smell like a damp carpet. It now appears that in spite of having nothing stronger against Mr. Padilla than the fact that he was in the initial "planning" stages, the Justice Department has no plans to set up a military tribunal or try the S.O.B. in Federal Court. I know I am going to hear that "there's a war going on", but donnez moi une break; under the Ashcroft doctrine, the state could begin detaining patrons inside a tavern, because of the potential threat that they may drive home with a buzz and kill somebody (after all, far more people were killed in D.U.I.'s last year than in suicide airplane hijackings). Yes, Lincoln did suspend habeus corpus during the Civil War (something for which neither history nor his contemporaries treated him kindly), but in that case, our national existence was in peril, a potentiality which is nowhere near close to happening now, no matter what sort of dirty bombs go off.
~
That whole story is starting to smell like a damp carpet. It now appears that in spite of having nothing stronger against Mr. Padilla than the fact that he was in the initial "planning" stages, the Justice Department has no plans to set up a military tribunal or try the S.O.B. in Federal Court. I know I am going to hear that "there's a war going on", but donnez moi une break; under the Ashcroft doctrine, the state could begin detaining patrons inside a tavern, because of the potential threat that they may drive home with a buzz and kill somebody (after all, far more people were killed in D.U.I.'s last year than in suicide airplane hijackings). Yes, Lincoln did suspend habeus corpus during the Civil War (something for which neither history nor his contemporaries treated him kindly), but in that case, our national existence was in peril, a potentiality which is nowhere near close to happening now, no matter what sort of dirty bombs go off.
~
Au revoir, France !!! Not only do they fail to qualify for the second round, not only do they get shut out in all three games, but they finish dead last in their group, which was one of the weakest groups in the tournament. I haven't seen a choke that bad since, well, lets just say Ken Hitchcock should bone up on his French in time for World Cup 2006.
Lets visit the mailbag:
--If I were a GM in the NBA, I would refuse to trade with the Lakers UNLESS they sent Shaq or Kobe packing. Heck, no one else on the Laker team is worth the toilet paper I wipe my ass with. Any GM who'll trade for Horry or Fox is a damn fool. With my luck it would be the Cavs! GM should conspire against the Lakers and never trade with them unless they give up Shaq or Kobe.--
S---m
That is an astute observation. I am of the opinion that if the Lakers win the title this year, history should give it an asterisk, due to the unconscionably corrupt calls in Game 6 of the Sacramento series. Next time, the drinks are on me. Thanks as always for your contributions, dickhead.
~
--If I were a GM in the NBA, I would refuse to trade with the Lakers UNLESS they sent Shaq or Kobe packing. Heck, no one else on the Laker team is worth the toilet paper I wipe my ass with. Any GM who'll trade for Horry or Fox is a damn fool. With my luck it would be the Cavs! GM should conspire against the Lakers and never trade with them unless they give up Shaq or Kobe.--
S---m
That is an astute observation. I am of the opinion that if the Lakers win the title this year, history should give it an asterisk, due to the unconscionably corrupt calls in Game 6 of the Sacramento series. Next time, the drinks are on me. Thanks as always for your contributions, dickhead.
~
June 10, 2002
One of the more bizarre rumors that's been floating about has to do with my supposedly "puking" Saturday night at Joxer's. I don't know how that one got started, but its completely untrue. I did not puke at Joxer's; I would like to think I have too much class than to throw up inside a bar. If anyone says that I threw up on the premises, they are lying.
About a week ago, I e-mailed a few of my more devoted readers, asking for your input on an idea I had to set up two new blogs: SmythesWorld Classic, which would feature "vintage" posts from the archives, republished repetitively, as well as a biographical section called "Smythe Century"; and SmythesWorld East, which would be identical to this site, except everything would be published three hours earlier. I'm still debating the merits of both sites, so if anyone has any suggestions, let me know.
Interesting weekend. Of course, the three-peat is a mere formality at this stage. The Nets almost ran the Lakers off the court at the end of the 3rd quarter and the beginning of the 4th, Kidd was unstoppable, and Kenyon Martin actually contributed, by scoring some key baskets inside and playing SuperThug. And it didn't matter in the end, because Kobe nailed everything when it counted. The U.S. escaped with a draw against the hosts, and now stands on the verge of qualifying for the second round with a tie against Poland. Of course, there were some interesting events in my life as well, but you will have to wait until later today for that.
June 9, 2002
I will be M.I.A. today, due to the pending sale of my condo and move-back to my mom's basement. I guess life is just full of these "passages", where an approaching-middle aged man finally declares his dependence and flies back to the nest. Actually, I hope to sell the place quickly, make a killing, and buy something better in a few months. And of course, the Lakers (and "susan"?) tonight at 5:30, and the U.S. v. South Korea at 11:30.
June 8, 2002
Technically, the series is not over, since the Lakers need to win four games, not just the first two. It is theoretically possible for New Jersey to win four of the next five games, including at least one in Staples. Shaq could break his foot. Cobi (er, Kobe) might get an other case of botulism (by the way, where was St. Ralph when the good people of Sactown tried to poison an opposing player; doesn't that shake the credibility and impartiality of sports?). Those things are all within the realm of possibility; its not like we're talking about traveling faster than the speed of light, or W. trying to act like a leader...
Some of you have told me that a number of links to the left are difficult to reach, or require a subscription. I may also link to stories in my posts that require same. You may have to go through some hoops, but this column is well worth it (by the way, the N.Y. Times does have a registration process to use its site, but its free). In the future, if you need to register, I'll let you know.
June 7, 2002
Some random notes on a long night's journey into day...
--There is nothing more depressing than watching a sunrise...from a bar. Unless you're watching the sunrise from a bar and rooting for Argentina.
--The most disappointing performance of the World Cup so far has to have been that of Jose Luis Chilavert this morning. I try to keep things clean on this site, in large part because all of you know that I'm funny, so I don't have to "work blue", but, god, what a fat fuck. This guy is supposed to be the best goalkeeper on the planet, and he looks like he's been working out with John Daly. Next time, try to stay away from the Shaq Packs...
--One way bars get around the "no drinking after 2 a.m." rule (or is it a law?) is by charging people an admission fee to get in. That way, its no longer a tavern, its a private club, and they can "give" drinks away. Nice trick. Your intrepid correspondent, of course, doesn't need to drink to have fun, especially since he has an 8:30 a.m court appearance, so a Java Junkie I am.
--The games tonight are stiffs (Brazil v. China? Slovenia v. S.Africa?), so I get the whole night to recover. Go Lakers !!!
--There is nothing more depressing than watching a sunrise...from a bar. Unless you're watching the sunrise from a bar and rooting for Argentina.
--The most disappointing performance of the World Cup so far has to have been that of Jose Luis Chilavert this morning. I try to keep things clean on this site, in large part because all of you know that I'm funny, so I don't have to "work blue", but, god, what a fat fuck. This guy is supposed to be the best goalkeeper on the planet, and he looks like he's been working out with John Daly. Next time, try to stay away from the Shaq Packs...
--One way bars get around the "no drinking after 2 a.m." rule (or is it a law?) is by charging people an admission fee to get in. That way, its no longer a tavern, its a private club, and they can "give" drinks away. Nice trick. Your intrepid correspondent, of course, doesn't need to drink to have fun, especially since he has an 8:30 a.m court appearance, so a Java Junkie I am.
--The games tonight are stiffs (Brazil v. China? Slovenia v. S.Africa?), so I get the whole night to recover. Go Lakers !!!
June 6, 2002
My World Cup dedication will face a real challenge tonight as I venture out to see the three games, culminating with the 4:30 a.m. battle between Argentina and England. The upcoming weekend, with two Laker games and the Cup (World and Stanley), is increasingly emerging as a Vegas holiday, except without the speed.
Au revoir, France? Maybe, as the scoreless draw this morning with Uruguay puts them in a situation where they have to win by two or more goals over Denmark next week just to qualify for round 2.
A good article ripping the Administration's inept "war" on terrorism, and why it will probably happen again. By the way, we're coming up on the nine month anniversary of September 11, so any babies born in the next few days can always wonder about the sort of things that would get their parents aroused.
For those of you who are new to blog-reading, a good rule of thumb is to stay away from ones with the word "watch" in their title. Unless, of course, you don't generally concern yourself with accuracy.
June 5, 2002
Perhaps the best sign that the Lakers are going to put the Nets away early in this series was the demoralized attitudes of some of the Lakers after they won Game 1. Let's see, you move a game closer to a third straight title, the Nets are never in a position to take the lead after the four minute mark of the first quarter, the Nets pretty much gave up on doing anything to stop Shaq, and Rick Fox says he's still disappointed? Robert Horry is complaining that the team got complacent after jumping out to the huge lead? Hey, that's the great thing about leading by 23 in the second quarter: you can relax for prolonged stretches of the game, keeping Shaq rested and the bench active, and still not blow the game.
Well, NJ closed the half strong, which is a good omen for them/bad for us in the rest of the series.
At some point tonight (unless its happened already), an event will happen for the first time since Wes Parker did it in Game 4 of the 1966 World Series: a Harvard High man will play in a championship game. I would anticipate, in fact, that Jason Collins will see a lot of time in this series, if only because Todd MacCullough will likely be in constant foul trouble.
At some point tonight (unless its happened already), an event will happen for the first time since Wes Parker did it in Game 4 of the 1966 World Series: a Harvard High man will play in a championship game. I would anticipate, in fact, that Jason Collins will see a lot of time in this series, if only because Todd MacCullough will likely be in constant foul trouble.
Why is it that I have a feeling this story is a hoax. I mean, Nader is pretty repugnant, but I can't believe he's involved with this. If the story is legitimate, why didn't the nation hear about the Green Party candidate's gambling problem during the last election.
I wish I could do this...some blogger managed to post something combining two of my favorite pastimes: basketball and W-bashing. Would that make Dick Cheney the CWeb of politics?
In the event you didn't stay up til 4:00 a.m., the big news this morning was the 3-2 victory by the U.S. over Portugal, one of the favorites to win the World Cup. Perhaps the biggest shock was how easily the Americans scored; offense has never been a strong suit, considering that the U.S. had been shut out in four of its last five World Cup games. The US scored three goals in the first thirty-three minutes, gave one back five minutes before the half, then after a period of sustained Portuguese pressure, allowed an own goal with twenty minutes to play. At that point, I thought we would see a collapse by the American team, and I began to fast forward the tape I was watching, hoping against hope that I wouldn't see a goal being scored at 78 rpm. Instead, nothing. The final minutes of the game revealed masterful ball handling by Kobe (er, Cobi) Jones, bleeding the clock away at the Portuguese end. The Germany-Eire game afterward was even better, with a tying goal being scored by the Irish literally in the last second. And we're still in the first week.
June 4, 2002
Read this article, and comprehend the notion that Gray Davis is not the nation's most heartless governor.
Matt C. writes:
With all the ill informed drivel coming from Storm and your ranting and raving about the one sport this fine country is smart enough never to be interested in, I can only ask what does any of this have to do with the Flyers?
It is understandable that there be some frustration when Smythesworld delves into topics that are of interest to me, but may have marginal interest to individual visitors. Of that, I am sorry, but this is, after all, my blog. As an astute and learned friend requested awhile back, maybe it would be a good idea to start a chatroom dedicated to Smythesworld, where you could go to actually complain with like-minded people. Truth be told, the only reason I even mentioned the Flyers at all in the past was that they remind of a good soccer team, in that they often score as many as one, maybe two goals per game. You're right about Storm, though.
With all the ill informed drivel coming from Storm and your ranting and raving about the one sport this fine country is smart enough never to be interested in, I can only ask what does any of this have to do with the Flyers?
It is understandable that there be some frustration when Smythesworld delves into topics that are of interest to me, but may have marginal interest to individual visitors. Of that, I am sorry, but this is, after all, my blog. As an astute and learned friend requested awhile back, maybe it would be a good idea to start a chatroom dedicated to Smythesworld, where you could go to actually complain with like-minded people. Truth be told, the only reason I even mentioned the Flyers at all in the past was that they remind of a good soccer team, in that they often score as many as one, maybe two goals per game. You're right about Storm, though.
June 3, 2002
For those following the World Cup, an excellent blog can be linked here. So far, the best games have involved the most unlikely match-ups: Paraguay-South Africa, Denmark-Uruguay and especially the epic battle between traditional rivals Brazil and Turkey this morning, a game marred by the single most inept officiating since, well, Games 5 and 6 of the Western Conference championship.
Anything I can post right now on Game 7 would be worthless to the point of banality. Give me a few years....
June 2, 2002
On two recent posts, a fellow Trojan writes:
You know, I have you all figured out. You secretly want and believe that the Lakers are going to win on Sunday. However, your pride won't let you admit it publicly. You have to save face just in case the Lakers lose. So, you post all this crap about the Kings winning and being the better team but I know you don't believe that. You ought to be a man and wear all the purple and yellow regalia that all the other Laker pansies wear. I am willing to bet that sale of Kings jerseys in La La Land will rival the sell of Lakers jersey WHEN the Kings win the championship. Your post is indicative of the wishy-washiness that makes up this town.
On another issue ...Why must we assume that because India and Pakistan have the ability to use nuclear arms that they will actually use them? It upsets me that the media is focused on these countries nuclear capability and have tacitly created this view that "those savages in the Middle East are going to destroy the world ... they don't know the rules of war ... they are not civilized in their approach to war." What the f***?! I mean what makes anyone think that the Pakistanis and Indians WANT the consequences of using nuclear weapons anymore than the rest of the world? Using nuclear weapons isn't the first option for either of these countries. It is baseless it think otherwise.
The United States does not have the right to scold or demonize other countries for having and/or wanting nuclear weapons because the US has led the charge to develop defense technology designed to dominate and destroy more so than to protect and advance peace. For example, even though US representatives signed an agreement with Russia to reduce nuclear arms, the US is in the process developing small-scale nuclear arms for the "common theater". I fear the United States' attempt to create an everyday use nuclear weapon that is good for all occasions more than I do these two bratty nations in the Middle East. Mind you, I am no history scholar but the US is the only country to use nuclear weapons and we are maybe the foremost country helping other democratic nations develop them. The world shouldn't fear an armed conflict between Pakistan and India. The world should fear the United States of America's historic development, use and sale of nuclear technology and weponary. The world should fear the contradictory messages that the United States of America sends when it comes to war, peace and a civilized society.
How can someone be so perceptive about basketball and write such piffle about the Indian subcontinent. Just kidding...your comments about the Lakers are piffle too. More seriously, while I agree whole-heartedly with your questioning the moral credibility of America when it comes to nuclear proliferation, I am less sanguine about the situation as it is developing between India and Pakistan, and what it is the U.S. can (or should) do. The entire reason India and Pakistan have nuclear weapons is each other; even more specifically, it is because of the Kashmir region. I'm just getting up to speed on this issue, but it is my understanding that India governs a significant portion of this area, which is predominantly Muslim (India, of course, is predominantly Hindu), a situation not unlike Israeli control over the West Bank and Gaza. "President" Musharraf (I use quotes because his election had all the credibility of W's) has been rattling his sabres, although he now calls the use of nuclear weapons "unthinkable". It isn't the fact that the U.S. has sufficient moral credibility to be an honest broker; it's the only candidate, short of the EU taking up responsibility.
Good letter, Storm, and inform your friends that its ok to e-mail their political views and honest disagreements with the site.
You know, I have you all figured out. You secretly want and believe that the Lakers are going to win on Sunday. However, your pride won't let you admit it publicly. You have to save face just in case the Lakers lose. So, you post all this crap about the Kings winning and being the better team but I know you don't believe that. You ought to be a man and wear all the purple and yellow regalia that all the other Laker pansies wear. I am willing to bet that sale of Kings jerseys in La La Land will rival the sell of Lakers jersey WHEN the Kings win the championship. Your post is indicative of the wishy-washiness that makes up this town.
On another issue ...Why must we assume that because India and Pakistan have the ability to use nuclear arms that they will actually use them? It upsets me that the media is focused on these countries nuclear capability and have tacitly created this view that "those savages in the Middle East are going to destroy the world ... they don't know the rules of war ... they are not civilized in their approach to war." What the f***?! I mean what makes anyone think that the Pakistanis and Indians WANT the consequences of using nuclear weapons anymore than the rest of the world? Using nuclear weapons isn't the first option for either of these countries. It is baseless it think otherwise.
The United States does not have the right to scold or demonize other countries for having and/or wanting nuclear weapons because the US has led the charge to develop defense technology designed to dominate and destroy more so than to protect and advance peace. For example, even though US representatives signed an agreement with Russia to reduce nuclear arms, the US is in the process developing small-scale nuclear arms for the "common theater". I fear the United States' attempt to create an everyday use nuclear weapon that is good for all occasions more than I do these two bratty nations in the Middle East. Mind you, I am no history scholar but the US is the only country to use nuclear weapons and we are maybe the foremost country helping other democratic nations develop them. The world shouldn't fear an armed conflict between Pakistan and India. The world should fear the United States of America's historic development, use and sale of nuclear technology and weponary. The world should fear the contradictory messages that the United States of America sends when it comes to war, peace and a civilized society.
How can someone be so perceptive about basketball and write such piffle about the Indian subcontinent. Just kidding...your comments about the Lakers are piffle too. More seriously, while I agree whole-heartedly with your questioning the moral credibility of America when it comes to nuclear proliferation, I am less sanguine about the situation as it is developing between India and Pakistan, and what it is the U.S. can (or should) do. The entire reason India and Pakistan have nuclear weapons is each other; even more specifically, it is because of the Kashmir region. I'm just getting up to speed on this issue, but it is my understanding that India governs a significant portion of this area, which is predominantly Muslim (India, of course, is predominantly Hindu), a situation not unlike Israeli control over the West Bank and Gaza. "President" Musharraf (I use quotes because his election had all the credibility of W's) has been rattling his sabres, although he now calls the use of nuclear weapons "unthinkable". It isn't the fact that the U.S. has sufficient moral credibility to be an honest broker; it's the only candidate, short of the EU taking up responsibility.
Good letter, Storm, and inform your friends that its ok to e-mail their political views and honest disagreements with the site.
June 1, 2002
Final May results for the HR Pool here, or at the link below. Congratulations are due Mr. Bolkcom, who appears to be running away from the field. A special note of condemnation to yours truly, who finished last for the month.
It seems the week I decide to focus on non-political issues, below, the world decides to move a step closer to nuclear war. Well, actually, just the section of the world that contain the idiots who run India and Pakistan. If the planet gets blown up as a result of Kashmir, let it not be said that I failed to devote some attention to the issue, in between my posts on the Lakers-Kings and the World Cup.
Game 6 last night may have been the game that elevated this Laker team from the ranks of ordinary championship teams and into an historical elite, alongside the Bulls of the late-90's and the Lakers of the mid-80's (the Celtics of the '60's are in their own group). The team played with passion at both ends of the court, and sent a message that the Kings would have to physically wrest the championship away in Game 7. Perhaps no play better indicated the Lakers' intentions than the wrestling match in the final minute between Bryant and Bibby off the inbounds play. Although it appeared that Kobe gave a nasty elbow to the face of Bibby, in fact the whole sequence of events began when Bibby grabbed Kobe from the side and attempted to pull him out of position. Bryant's subsequent message (incredibly, neither player was called for a foul) alerted the Kings to the fact that at least one player on the Lakers was prepared to do whatever is necessary to win the series.
\Having said that, I am now more certain that the Kings will prevail than I have been before. The Kings have almost nothing beyond the seven-man rotation they use, but what a rotation !! They have been in control of the series since the second quarter of Game 1, and still have not received a significant contribution from Stoyakovic. Although CWeb and Bibby played inspired ball last night, the rest of the team seemed content with the knowledge that Game 7 was a safety net, especially Divac, who seemed resigned early on to the fact that he wasn't going to get his flopping calls. However, I saw nothing last night that would lead me to believe that the Lakers are going to get any significant contributions from Fisher, Shaw, George, etc. (although Fox has had his best two games in the playoffs this week), therefore placing the entire burden of Shaq and Kobe relief on Robert Horry. If the game is close entering the fourth quarter, the Lakers prevail. But I don't see that happening.
\Having said that, I am now more certain that the Kings will prevail than I have been before. The Kings have almost nothing beyond the seven-man rotation they use, but what a rotation !! They have been in control of the series since the second quarter of Game 1, and still have not received a significant contribution from Stoyakovic. Although CWeb and Bibby played inspired ball last night, the rest of the team seemed content with the knowledge that Game 7 was a safety net, especially Divac, who seemed resigned early on to the fact that he wasn't going to get his flopping calls. However, I saw nothing last night that would lead me to believe that the Lakers are going to get any significant contributions from Fisher, Shaw, George, etc. (although Fox has had his best two games in the playoffs this week), therefore placing the entire burden of Shaq and Kobe relief on Robert Horry. If the game is close entering the fourth quarter, the Lakers prevail. But I don't see that happening.
