Brandon's Good Knowledge Blog
Posted Thursday, May 29, 2008
I have the utmost respect for all radio and television hosts after recording our first podcast. I shouldn’t have to write this, but that doesn’t include Grant Napear and Mike Lamb. Those guys are terrible. Hopefully we’re a little more entertaining. But I have developed a newfound respect for anyone that is paid to talk without stumbling or sounding like an idiot. Hop on over to iTunes and subscribe.
I got a chance to go see the new Indiana Jones and the Awkwardly Long Title after we recorded the podcast on Monday, and it made The Temple of Doom look like the Godfather. It was embarrassing. My wife liked it and said that she was entertained throughout. But she is also psyched for the Sex and the City Movie, so we’ll take that with a grain of salt. I will say that the first 30 minutes of the movie was actually very entertaining because the stunts were things that could actually happen. I know that I’m supposed to suspend disbelief when it comes to an Indiana Jones movie or any fantasy/adventure movie, but that can only go so far. People don’t swing on vines like Tarzan to catch up to a car chase. Refrigerators can’t stack up against a nuclear explosion. People don’t go over three consecutive water falls and survive. The script is absolutely ridiculous. I would recommend seeing it, so you can witness how far Señor Spielbergo and George Lucas have fallen. People don’t want to see a non-stop CGI-fest of stunts that are over-the-top and unbelievable. Stunts and action movies are only effective if the audience believes that there is some danger involved. That is why the Bourne movies are so great because actual cars are running into each other, and stuntmen are actually doing dangerous things. Once again Lucasfilms makes us appreciate the original trilogy even more.
On a positive note Indiana Jones still throws the hardest punches of any movie character, and the hearing that John Williams score again gave me goose bumps.
I would like to officially say that the Spurs’ title hopes are now dead, and the Lakers have basically punched their ticket to the Finals. It’s a shame because Tim Duncan is putting forth one of his best individual performances ever in this series. He is averaging 23 points, 18 boards, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.3 blocks. But Duncan is only one part of a team, and the rest of his team has not stepped up. Tony Parker has posted points, assists and steals numbers almost identical to his season averages. It’s too bad for the Spurs that Manu Ginobili picked the absolute worst time to fall apart. It’s no coincidence that the one game that the Spurs managed to win was game 3. Manu put up 30 points on 15 shots and hit 5 threes with only 1 turnover, and the Spurs dominated the Lakers in game 3. He only scored 24 points combined in the other three games. He has one steal throughout the entire series which a stark contrast to his 1.5 per game average during the regular season. People will point to the Spurs blowing their 20-point lead in game 1 or the non-call at the end of game 4, but the real story is Ginobili doing is best David Copperfield impersonation.
As an aside, people questioned if Duncan had anything left in the tank entering into this year’s playoffs. Meanwhile he is averaging 20 points, 14.5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks per game throughout this playoff run. Maybe the reports of his demise weren’t completely over exaggerated because he does have the lowest field goal percentage in his playoff career this season (45.4%), and he is also only shooting 63.8% from the free throw line (which is the second lowest of his playoff career). I will make one prediction: Duncan is going to have a career night in game 5 to stave off elimination and live to fight another day.
In response to Joey “Are you laughing at me?” Crawford’s no-call at the end of game 4, you either never make that call or you always make that call. There can be no grey area when it comes to a play like that. Don’t swallow your whistle just because it’s the end of the game. I’ll go out on a limb and guess that Crawford would have called the foul if Bones Barry was a superstar along the lines of LeBron and Kobe. The Spurs shouldn’t have been in the position to take that shot because of the question about the shot clock, and they most certainly didn’t deserve to win that game whether it was the right or wrong call.
The thing that frustrates me the most about this particular play is Reggie Miller’s explanation of it. He basically said that Bones should have “sold it” better. Not everyone feels the need to flop around like a fish out of water like you did, Reggie. It’s either a foul or it isn’t, and the player’s ability to “sell it” shouldn’t affect the call. That is part of the reason why referees have a hard time making the correct call because flop artists like Reggie Miller would create the contact thus “selling” the foul.
I also would like to use this forum to voice how much I hate Reggie Miller as a color commentator. He wishes he was half the announcer Steve Kerr was. He kills Marv Albert’s jokes. He rarely makes a cogent point. And the worst part is he loves to hear himself talk, and no one questions it. So I’ll be the voice of reason that says “Reggie, shut up. No one wants to hear your opinion.”
In case anyone hasn’t heard yet Kobe Bryant is ridiculous. This season and this playoff run in particular have now at least put him in the argument of best player ever. I’m well aware that Kobe has a long way to go until he can be mentioned in the same breath as Jordan. He has half as many championships. He just won his first MVP to Jordan’s five. Jordan was named Finals’ MVP six times, and Kobe has yet to win it (until he averages 40 points per game in the Finals this year).
The point I’m trying to make is that Kobe has been adding to his legend with each game during these playoffs. He is averaging 31 points per game this postseason. He is shooting 50% from the field. He is also averaging 6.3 rebounds and 6 assists during this run. He is getting to the basket at will. He is also making his teammates better (the one knock against him earlier in his career). Not to mention he is still every opponent’s worst nightmare at the end of a close game (believe me as a Kings’ fan I was never as scared of Shaq as I was of Kobe). The scariest thing is that Kobe is only 29 years old and has another 5-6 years of his prime. He is still one of the most explosive players in the league; his basketball IQ is through the roof, and he is absolutely fearless.
Who would have thought that after 12 seasons and three rings, Kobe would finally have his coming out party? Just remember that a little good knowledge can go a long way.
Posted on Friday, May 2, 2008
I’m a huge fan of the playoff beard. I think it should be a staple of every sport especially when guys like Baron Davis can pull it off and channel their inner-“Clyde.” It also brings comedy when a guy looks terrible with one (DeShawn Stevenson, I’m talking to you). But Samuel Dalembert really took it up a notch with his playoff mohawk complete with initials shaved into his head. I agree with Sheed when he said that Dalembert should have been fined showing up to the arena like that. Would anyone be intimidated by someone with their own initials shaved into their head? I must say it does steal some of the Pistons’ thunder. They won’t try so hard to make Dalembert look foolish when he has already done most of the heavy lifting.
So this has nothing to do with basketball, but do we need any more evidence that Roger Clemens is the scum of the earth? Not only are his denials of alleged steroid use as transparent as a co-ed’s t-shirt in Panama City, but apparently the Rocket would waste no time in bedding said co-ed. He allegedly carried on an affair with Mindy McCready (I didn’t know who she was either) from the time she was 13. Now it has surfaced that he was also having an affair with Paulette Dean Daly, John Daly’s ex-wife. Someone needs to access his records from the University of Texas because something tells me he didn’t pass every test that he should have. Maybe Brian McNamee is a more credible witness than we first thought. I would put my life savings on the line to bet that Clemens probably thought he was untouchable when all this happened. He probably assumed none of it would ever come forward when he filed that lawsuit against McNamee. I think it is about time that we change it from the “I’m Keith Hernandez” moment to “I’m Roger Clemens.” It’s going to be sad that Clemens’ lasting image will be him acting like a chicken on The Simpsons.
I’d like to point out something very serious in relation to that last paragraph. It is something that has plagued sports’ stars for the past 15 years: The Simpsons’ Curse. This curse has been more potent than any Madden or Sports Illustrated cover. This all started with the episode “Homer at the Bat” which first aired February 20, 1992. To sum up the episode, Mr. Burns wants to win a company softball game against the Shelbyville power plant, so he brings in major leaguers to help him win. But since their appearances in that episode none of the players were the same. Ken Griffey Jr. suffered from countless injuries after his animated counterpart suffered from a grotesquely, swollen jaw. Steve Sax not only had a run-in with the law on this episode, but he also had his two worst seasons ever and soon retired after the episode aired. Wade Boggs only batted .259 in the 1992 season (the worst of his career). Don Mattingly dealt with injuries following the episode and retired the year before the Yankees won the World Series (something they didn’t do his entire career with team). Darryl Strawberry has battled with drug and alcohol addiction. Mike Scioscia hit a career worst .221 and retired at the end of the 1992 season, but he has won the World Series as the manager of the Angels since then. Jose Canseco threw out his arm immediately after the episode and has become a poster-boy for the rampant steroid use in baseball. The aforementioned Roger Clemens is now dealing with the curse in the form of steroid allegations and his extra-marital affairs coming to light. The only player that seemed to come out of this Simpsons’ curse unscathed was Ozzie Smith.
This curse has limited itself to baseball. Athletes from all walks of life have had to deal with The Simpsons’ Curse. Tom Kite couldn’t win a PGA Tour event after his appearance in the 1996 episode “Scenes from a Class Struggle in Springfield.” Yao Ming appeared in a February 2005 episode, and he promptly broke his foot the next season. It has also affected athletes such as Michelle Kwan, Warren Sapp, Randy Johnson, Oscar de la Hoya, Troy Aikman, and Dan Marino. It may sound cruel and in bad taste, but Magic Johnson announced he had HIV in 1991 after appearing in an episode of The Simpsons. It seems that no one is safe from this curse.
On a brighter note the curse seems to make your team good again if they are dreadful before their appearance. At the end of the 1996 episode “You Only Move Twice” Homer’s new boss Hank Scorpio gives him the Denver Broncos as a gift. Homer is upset, and the Broncos are depicted as bumbling and terrible. They went on to win their first of back-to-back Super Bowls in 1997.
Who can I call to get Ron Artest on an episode? It’s win-win either way. The team is bad, so they should become better as a result. I wouldn’t mind Artest gone, and maybe this would facilitate him going away.
American Idol is the signal of the decline of Western Civilization. I have nothing else to say, but I figured I would just bring that up. The one positive thing about it is that it is one of the few crappy reality television shows that my wife doesn’t watch. I should take solace in that, right? Actually when we really analyze it, The Real World was actually the beginning of the end. That show proved you could make a hit show starring “normal” people without spending a lot of money. It was the pre-cursor to all the other crappy reality shows and the reason why schlock like Farmer Wants a Wife gets made.
I’ve voiced my disdain over reality television many times on this blog, and anyone that knows me knows I can’t stand any reality TV. I have many reasons behind this, but more than anything I love seeing actual actors do scripted television. Reality shows have become so prevalent that it’s almost like television is doing us a favor any time a really great scripted show comes along. The sad thing is by this time next year I’ll be saying “Goodbye” to one of my all-time favorite shows (and arguably the best police drama on television), The Shield. This is just great television, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys suspenseful cop shows with huge amounts of humor. Michael Chiklis is absolutely magnetic, and you can’t help but root for him no matter what he does. It will be sorely missed.
There is more to life than just good television and basketball but not much. A little good knowledge about curses and Cletus Van Damme can go a long way.
Posted Thursday, May 1, 2008
There are certain aspects of our society that transcend every race, religion and culture. I am of course referring to America’s love of video games. Zach and I write about our match-ups on NBA 2K all the time on this site. As an aside to that I absolutely have grown to love the Atlanta Hawks in that game. They have athleticism. They have a defensive force in Josh Smith. They have two players in Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby that can absolutely drain from the outside (especially in close games). Acie Law is one of the most fun guys to play with in the game. And they have the unintentional comedy of me forcing up ill-advised shots with Josh Childress just to see that hideous shot of his. Video game culture has permeated every community and financial class in America. The day Madden is released has become a national holiday. Halo 3 and many other big-release games pull down more revenue than most summer movies.
And now Grand Theft Auto IV has been released to the salivating public much to the chagrin of activists and parents everywhere. It looks like it will be the most addictive and fun game ever released and set the bar for every other game that follows. I can’t wait to sink my teeth into more action of stealing cars, shooting gangsters, and contributing to the mayhem of Liberty City. And is that so wrong? I know that what I’m doing in games like that isn’t real. Although I must say I remember playing Grand Theft Auto 3 at Zach’s house when he first got it, and I seem to recall wanting to steal a car and go on a crime spree. I always wanted to see how many stars I could get before getting caught or taken down by the FBI. I wanted to be able to get away with it simply by hiding out in my safe house until it all blew over. Luckily for me, I have an inner-compass that lets me know that this would be wrong and get me arrested, so I never acted on the impulses that became prevalent while playing the game.
My point is with this game or any other it is about being able to do things that you normally wouldn’t, and I hate when people try to blame media such as video games, movies or music for the world’s ills. I know that I can’t throw down a ferocious dunk on Dikembe Mutumbo, but I feel just as satisfied doing it against him on a video game. I can’t step into a boxing ring against Mike Tyson without being pummeled, but I could go toe-to-toe with him as Little Mac. I can’t even dream to play guitar like Tom Morello, but Guitar Hero gives me a chance to feel like I could. If I or any other person wants to take our frustrations with society and life out on some unsuspecting pedestrians, I should be able to do so. The point of any game (video games included) is to escape from reality for a short time, and there isn’t anything wrong with that.
How has a rapper not adopted the name Little Mac? Not only is it a cool name, but also every video game fan would buy his album including me.
There has been some big news coming out of the NBA within the past 24 hours.
Kevin Durant was awarded Rookie of the Year honors. I hate that pick, and many other writers on the site agree that it should go to Al Horford. Can’t certain factors be taken into consideration when giving this award out? Horford is a major component to a playoff team. He is averaging nearly a double-double. He earned his starting role by taking it away from Shelden “Corky” Williams instead of being handed the keys to the team like Durant. He has improved his numbers as the season has progressed, and he is holding his own in a playoff series against the vaunted Boston Celtics. I understand that Durant averaged 20 points per game, but that ceases to be impressive if he had to shoot 42% to do it. There are plenty of one-dimensional scorers in this league, and Durant is just another of many. Rookies that average 10 points and 10 boards and help change the mindset of a franchise don’t come around every year, and the writers should have rewarded that. It’s too bad that Durant won this honor on his name alone. I can’t wait until Greg Oden wins it next year.
In news that seemed to shock no one: Avery Johnson was fired. The Little General just couldn’t seem to close out in a big series. There is no argument the he was absolutely out-coached by Fredo Riley in the 2006 Finals, but Dwayne Wade played at another level in that series. There is also no excuse for a 67-win team to be absolutely dominated by an eighth seed. The Mavs looked disinterested and unprepared when that series started, and that falls completely on the coach. I will say that the Warriors were hitting threes like mid-major facing elimination in that series, but it is still unacceptable. This year’s playoffs were the least disappointing of the three if you put it in proper perspective. Jason Kidd didn’t work on this roster and anyone intelligent basketball fan can identify that. He needs to be on team the runs fast breaks and gets up and down the floor not a team that is constantly in a half-court offense. He needs athletic swingmen and big men to take advantage of his passing ability. Meanwhile he has lost more than a few steps defensively, and the match-up against the Hornets did him no favors. In case you’re wondering, no one can guard Chris Paul right about now, so that was hardly Kidd’s fault. The major area of concern is Josh Howard’s David Copperfield act. He averaged 20 points per game in the regular season and 12 against the Hornets topping out with an 18-point performance in the Mavs’ lone win in the series. Is it Johnson’s fault that the Jason Kidd experiment failed and Howard crapped the bed in the playoffs? Maybe it is and maybe it isn’t, but he shouldn’t have been fired for it. Donnie Nelson took a gamble that didn’t pay off, but all gamblers should know a sucker bet. Nelson didn’t, and the Little General is a victim of circumstance.
On a related topic, it looks like Mike D’Antoni is on his way out in Phoenix. There is no way he should take the fall for the decision that Steve Kerr made. It was a ballsy move on Kerr’s part, and he deserves any credit or blame for the Suns’ shortcomings. The problem that plagued the Suns was the same thing everyone questioned about this team since day one of the season: defense. They just couldn’t get stops when they needed them. D’Antoni did the best he could, considering the situation. Maybe the front office feels like he is to blame for their lack of defense, but the Suns have one and half legitimate defensive players on their roster (Raja Bell and Kurt Thomas) whereas the Spurs have five or six. I hate that teams fire their coaches for failing to win a championship. There have been only eight franchises that have hoisted the trophy since 1980, and your team wouldn’t even sniff the Finals unless Tim Duncan or Shaquille O’Neal was on the roster for the past ten years. A part of me thinks that these owners have completely unrealistic expectations. Obviously everyone’s goal should be to win a championship, but there are 29 other teams trying to do the same thing every season. You would think that would put their goals into perspective, but D’Antoni is another example of owners not accepting that certain teams are just better than others (most of the time coaches can’t change that).
Now that their head-to-head record is even can we just get over our love for Shaq and anoint The Big Fundamental as the greatest big man of the last 15 years? I mentioned it before in passing, but I’d like to really look at the debate. Obviously Shaq has been a force to be reckoned with over the span of his career, but hasn’t Duncan been just as dominant? They both won Rookie of the Year. They both have won three Finals MVP. Duncan won two regular season MVP awards and was top five in voting 9 times, and Shaq was won the MVP once and was top five in voting 8 times. Duncan has been named to the All NBA first team 9 times whereas Shaq has been named 8 times. Shaq has been voted to the All Star team 14 times; Duncan has been an All Star 10 times. Duncan has been named to the All Defensive first team 7 times, and Shaq has never been named to the All Defensive first team. They both have won 4 championships, but Duncan did it in 9 seasons while Shaq needed 13 seasons. Not to mention Duncan could be on his way to a fifth championship this season. Granted Duncan isn’t considered as much of a dominant force, and his individual stats aren’t as staggering. He just wins games and plays more consistently than any other player in the league. Also he has given us the Tim Duncan face that is reminiscent of Kimberly Goodman on the Late Show. Check it out and tell me this isn’t Duncan after a foul call.
You have to know by now that there is more to life than basketball but not much. Hopefully this daily dose that I’m serving up has shown you that a little good knowledge goes a long way.
Posted on Wednesday, April 30, 2008
I have a few thoughts on the some of the recent events from the past few days.
The Lakers look like a force to be reckoned with after their sweep of the Nuggets. But the Nuggets and Lakers in the words of Dennis Green “Are who we thought they were!” We knew the Nuggets can’t defend. We knew that the Lakers have a potent offense. So why is it such a big deal that the Los Angeles Kobes swept the Denver Carmelos? I want to see what they do against the Jazz in round two because that will be their first true test. I predict the Lakers in 6 for the record.
I’m actually more impressed with the Spurs 3-1 lead over the Suns in their series. This was supposed to be the premiere first round match-up. After game 1 every NBA fan was salivating at the thought of what should have been a historic match-up. Instead the Spurs just did what they always do: win. I for one am bored with it. I’m sick of Tim Duncan making everyone that questioned how much he had left in the tank look buffoonish. We get it Big Fundamentals; you are still the best big man of the last ten years. You don’t have to keep dropping 23.8 points, 13 boards, and 2.3 blocks per game in playoff series especially against Shaq. You are the Derek Jeter of basketball. You just go out and win championships and come up big every time your team needs you like always. Meanwhile as a newsflash to anyone who cares: Steve Nash still is a terrible defender. Tony Parker has made him look foolish throughout this series, and I am not surprised in the least.
Since this series has been a flop (along with just about every other one), I will say that the most interesting first round match-up going right now is Celtics-Hawks. Yes Boston absolutely dominated the first two games, and it looked like it was going to be a clean sweep. Unfortunately for the Celtics, the Hawks took the stomach punch and fought back in games 3 and 4 in Atlanta. What no one realized is that Atlanta’s athleticism and fast pace could actually work against Boston’s quicksand approach. Joe Johnson and Josh Smith are playing like franchise guys. Al Horford has only gone out and improved on his regular season stats in points, rebounds and assists. The amazing thing is that when you take out Mike Bibby this team only had 15 games of playoff experience, and that was all from Joe Johnson’s time with the Suns. Their youth and inexperience was thought to be the main concern heading into this series, but it has become their greatest asset. They’re too young and inexperienced to know what they’re up against, and that is keeping them loose. I still don’t think the Hawks can win in Boston, and I think this “scare” will be the worst thing that happened to the East because the Celtics will be even more focused coming out of this series. But it has turned into quite an exciting ride.
The coaching parade has started, and I have an opinion on the proceedings. So I might as well talk about some of the openings/recent occurrences.
New York Knicks- Is anyone surprised that Isiah Thomas lost his job not only as GM but coach? James Dolan should have never given him the contract extension in the first place. As far as the potential candidates, the names that I’ve heard all seem to fit. Mark Jackson couldn’t be a more perfect fit to coach the team. I’ve talked about how badly I wanted the Kings to hire him this past off-season, but there may not be a better person to coach the Knicks. He is a New York native. He played for the Knicks. Just about every Knick fan would get behind the move. There has also been talk of Kenny Smith taking over as the GM. I can’t imagine the damage this would do to basketball on television. This would ruin the NBA on TNT crew. Who could they get to replace The Jet that would compliment Ernie and Chuck? The idea of suffering through Chris Webber or Magic Johnson during the post game show kills me. My vote is for Jalen Rose just in case Ted Turner is reading.
Charlotte Bobcats- It was announced today that Larry Brown is taking on the head coaching job in Charlotte. There is talk about him coming back to his North Carolina roots, but that isn’t the real reason he went to Charlotte. He is addicted to being a head coach. It just seems like he can’t get away from it. I do like him in Charlotte. They are a young team headed in the right direction, and Brown is the strong presence that they need to contend in the atrocious East. He will give this team the identity it needs, but the Bobcats better have a plan for head coach in two seasons after Brown has worn out his welcome or leaves them high and dry.
Miami Heat- On Monday Pat Riley stepped down as the head coach of the Heat, and Erik Spoelstra took over the team with the worst record in the league this season. When looking at the Heat’s potential roster, some might say Spoelstra is in a fantastic position. They are the odds-on favorite to win the draft lottery. They could be rolling out a line-up of Dwayne Wade, Shawn Marion, Michael Beasley, Marcus Banks and Mark Blount with Udonis Haslem and Daquaen Cook coming off the bench. The Heat also will have quite a bit of cap flexibility this off-season. If they can get another quality big man or point guard, they can contend next year in the East. Hopefully Spoelstra is very close with his family just in case Riles decides to pull another Fredo on Spoelstra like he did with Stan Van Gundy.
Chicago Bulls- Word is that Rick Carlisle is the favorite to take over there. I like Carlisle. He won coach of the year honors while coaching the Pistons in 01-02. He was screwed out of that job by the aforementioned Larry Brown, and he was given a raw deal in Indiana after enduring distractions such as the brawl at the Palace, Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson’s antics and numerous other off-court issues. He took the blame for the Pacers’ poor performance in 06-07, but it had more to do with Larry Bird’s front office decisions than Carlisle’s coaching. His teams always play great defense, and that is something that the Bulls were sorely missing last season. He would be a perfect fit with the existing personnel.
For those of you that have been reading my stuff, you know that I was very hard on the Sixers before the season started. I went as far as to say they would be the worst team in the league this season. Well I am as fast to admit I am wrong as I am to admit I am right (ask my wife I tell her when I’m right all the time). This team played great basketball this year, and the fans in Philly should be proud. There was a perfect storm of factors. Andre Igoudala playing inspired basketball in a contract year. Samuel Dalembert started crashing the offensive boards and blocking shots without getting into foul trouble. Billy King was fired (I actually got that one right) before he was able to trade away Andre Miller for pennies on the dollar and placing the team into another rebuilding mode. And Louis Williams had a breakout year. And now they are tied 2-2 in their playoff series against the Pistons. They have some exciting young talent, and I’m glad I was wrong for the sake of the loyal Sixers’ fans.
As a final note, I’m heading to Denver this weekend for a wedding. My buddy Adam is getting married, and I’m in the wedding. This is the first time I’ve taken part in a wedding other than my own. I guarantee it won’t be as stressful as my experience as the groom. Now I get to just have fun and not worry about all the random crap that happens, screwing up my first dance or sweating like Oliver Miller after running from free throw line to half court. Plus now I’ll be open to the good-natured ridicule of Adam. It’s only fair after the way that I ripped him for being unavailable to take pictures because he was attached at the hip of his fiancé. He may try to give me a hard time since I called him S.V. the entire time (think sandy and a female body part) instead of having fun. I’m sure it’s going to be a blast, and the wife and I are heading to Colorado Springs for a little vacation after the wedding. So either way it will be a good trip because the Springs is an awesome town.
This trip better not keep me from seeing Iron Man though. Either way there is more to life than basketball but not much. I’m back giving you a little more good knowledge to help you go a long way.
Posted Tuesday, April 29, 2008
I know what anyone that reads my stuff is thinking: Why try writing Good Knowledge blogs again after a three-month hiatus? Your audience has to be gone. There can’t be anyone out there that even remembers what these are all about. Lord knows Zach has been thinking “Where the hell have these been for those three months?” Well the fact is I just need to get some thoughts out there, so why not drop a little good knowledge? This won’t be following my standard format of talking about The Simpsons, but I will say that Mrs. Good Knowledge and I just watched “Lisa the Vegetarian.” It is one of the few Lisa episodes that I love, and that’s all I will say.
I also fear that I won’t be able to write these as regularly with the myriad technical difficulties I’ve faced recently. My computer decided it was going to do its best Chris Webber impersonation (read: play no defense against viruses, crash and crumble during crunch time, and basically let me down). The funny thing is I was working on an article about Webber’s career being a disappointment when my computer quit on me. It’s almost as if the mere mention of Webber in a document brought out the worst in my computer. Well I better finish this one before my hard drive needs microfracture surgery or calls a permanent time out.
First I would like to congratulate Hedo Turkoglu on his being named Most Improved Player. He deserved it this year. It’s always nice to see a guy realize his potential especially when he is a guy you rooted for early in his career. The fact is Hedo could have found his ceiling much earlier on in his career. Unfortunately his confidence was shot until just recently as a result of Rick Adelman’s unwillingness to allow new players into his rotation. Hedo did all the little things that Peja Stojakovic didn’t do i.e. go to the basket, shoot off the dribble, play in the post, rebound, set up teammates, etc, and he was much younger than Jim Jackson. I will never understand why Adelman decided to go with less versatile, more expensive or older players. I guess we should ask Hedo, Drazen Petrovic (look it up), Gerald Wallace, Kevin Martin up until Bonzi Wells got hurt, and numerous other players that have gone on to post-Adelman greatness.
Speaking of awards, Byron Scott was named the Coach of the Year today. I don’t have a huge problem with it, but he wouldn’t get my vote if I had one. People point to the New Orleans Hornets’ improvement over last season. If that is the only criteria then Doc Rivers is the more deserving candidate. Most people would agree that Rivers isn’t a better coach than Scott. In fact the most prevalent argument against him is that he was the beneficiary of the Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen trades. The same argument can be made against Scott. Stojakovic played in 64 more games this season. David West played in 24 more games this, and he was an All-Star this year. Chris Paul played in 16 more games this, and he is going to finish 1 or 2 in the MVP race. Maybe the award should go to the team trainer. Isn’t this the equivalent of obtaining three All-Star players? Maybe he coached his players up (not likely), maybe he was the reason for their turnaround (maybe), and maybe no other coach could have done as well with this team (I can name 6 or 7), but there reasons that he won this award. First of all the Hornets were a surprise because no one picked them, and writers always love awarding a surprise. Just because most writers didn’t see the writing on the wall doesn’t mean the coach did some miracle work. Secondly I think more than anything Byron Scott got the nod because people want to have a feel-good story coming out of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. There is no reason this should be a factor in any voting. Phil Jackson wouldn’t deserve any extra consideration if a major earthquake left Los Angeles in ruin and displaced a large portion of the population and receives an inordinate amount of media attention. Nor should he get less consideration just because it’s sunny and 80 every day in California (I thought I’d point that out to all the readers that suffer through bitter, cold winters. Sorry but there is a reason people hate Californians, and 92% of it has to do with our fantastic year-round weather. Admit it.
So you may be wondering whom I would vote for this year, and my answer: Jerry Sloan. I know that the Utah Jazz had a losing record on the road. I’m also well aware that they played in a weaker division than the Hornets. Not to mention there wasn’t anyone that was surprised by this team’s success. But why should that work against him? Sloan overcame Andrei Kirilenko’s poutfest this past summer. He actually did coach up Ronnie Brewer. He incorporated Kyle Korver seamlessly into his offense. He changed his coaching style from grind-it-out, pick-and-roll every possession to a more up-tempo style to adapt to his personnel. That shows growth that you don’t normally see after 22 seasons of head coaching experience.
I don’t understand how the league determines suspension-worthy offenses after Jason Kidd’s foul on Jannero Pargo. Ron Artest gets suspended for a Manu Ginobli flop two seasons ago. Kobe gets suspended for slapping someone. Meanwhile Kidd gets Pargo around his head/neck and isn’t playing the ball at all, and he gets no suspension. What is the justification for that? Kidd obviously isn’t more of a superstar than Kobe, so that doesn’t explain it. It happened within the flow of the game, but I’m sure Kidd would have been suspended if Pargo got hurt on the play. Don’t tell me that it’s a playoff foul because it’s never okay to go for someone above the shoulders.
Speaking of above the shoulders, I’m pretty sure Josh Smith could jump over mine. Smith and Mike Bibby put together a mini-dunk contest against the Celtics over the weekend. If you didn’t see any of his dunks just type in Josh Smith and holy crap into a youtube search, and I’m sure something ridiculous will come up.
As is usually the case I have to deviate a little bit from talking all about basketball because it’s my own little tradition to talk about some recent DVD purchases. Mrs. Good Knowledge talked me in to doing some shopping at Wal-Mart a few weekends ago, and I can’t tell you how much I despise Wal-Mart. It always smells like maple syrup, and it feels like no amount of cleaning supplies would sanitize the place (not that they would ever try). I was only talked into the experience with the condition that I could buy any DVD that I wanted. And once I saw The Monster Squad 20th Anniversary Edition, I had no choice. If you look up “guilty pleasure” in my inner dictionary there will be a picture of Weinerschnitzel chili cheese dogs, Justin Timberlake and The Monster Squad. I can remember vividly when our family had a black box to get pirated cable that this movie would play roughly 375 times per week on Cinemax. It was a staple of my formative years. We also ended up purchasing the Michael J. Fox Collection which contains such classics as The Secret to My Success, The Hard Way, For Love or Money and Greedy. I must say I love all of those movies, and I have an even greater appreciation for Michael J. Fox after our Fox-stravaganza this weekend.
After such a long hiatus I had to point out that there is more to life than just basketball, but a little Good Knowledge still goes a long way.
Posted on January 10, 2008
Last Simpsons episode my wife was forced to watch: Boy Scoutz in the Hood. My wife has been excited to see this episode since we started this experiment for a single line of Homer dialogue. It has been the favorite and most used quote from the show in the Gallawa household since I said it to my wife a long time ago. That quote is: “Twenty dollars? But I wanted a peanut.” Don’t ask me why we use it so much. It’s just one of those quotes that gets a lot of play in the Good Knowledge abode. There are some other great quotes and moments throughout the episode. The whole “Springfield, Springfield” musical number is a classic music moment in the history of the show. One of my all-time favorite Homer quotes is his “stupid poetic justice” quote. It’s also a great father-son episode, and that usually makes for great and memorable episodes because they always have a lot of Homer and Bart. Ned Flanders is also very prominent in the father-son episodes. Ned may be the most underrated character in the history of the show. There are a lot of goofy characters that do oddball things in Springfield, but Ned is a great straight man. If you remind yourself that everything Ned does is sincere, it makes his character even more endearing, and it makes Homer an even more hilarious foil. Let us also not forget Homer’s advice in this episode, and it is a top five quote: “Don’t discourage the boy. Weaseling out of things is what separates us from the animals…except the weasel.”
Next week Cloverfield is coming to a theatre near you, and the week after the new Rambo movie is coming out. These movies are exciting for two different reasons, but they have me geeked up nonetheless. This is the twentieth anniversary of Rambo 3 being released in theatres. The online trailer that came out last year was actually pretty good. It didn’t look like it would be that cheesy, and it seemed I would enjoy the movie based on the trailer. I haven’t watched the trailer as many times Stallone super-fan Andy “The Cynic” Eisner, but I think it has the potential to be a pretty good flick. It also has the potential to be absolutely awful and set a new standard in the unintentional comedy department. The first teaser for Cloverfield was released with Transformers last summer. At first it looked like an independent movie about some people throwing their friend a going away party because he is leaving New York. Then explosions start happening outside, and everyone goes out to check on what is happening. Suddenly the head of the Statue of Liberty flies toward them and slides down the street where the apartment is located. That teaser along with everything else about the movie has been very cryptic. But apparently it is a modern day monster movie shot all on digital handheld cameras that are being carried by the people trying to escape the city. The movie is being produced by J.J. Abrams of Lost fame. This could set the bar for movies in 2008.
I’ve always wondered how Abrams has gotten so popular. Lost and Alias are great television, and there is no denying that. But this man was also the guy that brought us Felicity. Yes he created and produced that show that no one watched on the WB. That show was awful. The premise alone would anger the hell out of me. A girl on whim decides she is going to attend a different school to follow a guy that signed her yearbook, and she didn’t even end up with the guy. But if you look at his writing credits, it leaves a lot to be desired. He is the guy who wrote screenplays for such fabulous films as Joy Ride, Armageddon, and Gone Fishin’. Those are some truly awful movies. I didn’t think that there actually was a script for the piece of crap known as Armageddon, but apparently Abrams wrote it. What’s worse is that he actually took credit for it. Gone Fishin’ is one of the worst movies of all time. I feel like I’ll never get the time back that I gave for that crapfest, and that pains me. I’m pretty sure it was one of the main factors Joe Pesci quit acting. It almost made me quit watching movies. And what other ways can you insult Joy Ride that haven’t already been said or written? Abrams apparently deserved another shot because Lost is one of the best shows on television, but I’m going to talk so much smack on Abrams if I ever see him.
One thing I can’t belittle is the casting for Iron Man. I watched the trailer for the sixth time this week, and Robert Downey Jr. is absolutely perfect casting for Tony Stark. The only person better to play the part would have been Ghostface Killah since one of his alter egos is Tony Starks. The funny thing is he was cast to play a bit part in the movie. Downey has the perfect look for Stark. He is arrogant, but he is still likable. He also has some demons just like the character of Tony Stark. Then throw in the fact that they cast Terrence Howard to play Jim Rhodes/War Machine and Jeff Bridges to play the villain, and you’re starting to get a great cast. The other thing that is really cool about this is Samuel L. Jackson has been cast to play Nick Fury. It’s not only cool because Jackson is pretty much the coolest guy on the planet, but also the design of the character in his most recent incarnation has been based on Samuel L. Jackson.
Can I make a request? Can we start dropping the Jr. off Robert Downey’s name? I think he needs to move on from his past, and there is no better way to sound more adult and responsible than dropping the Jr. from your name. What is the rule on this? I understand that he gained his fame while being known as Robert Downey Jr., but you would think he would stop caring about the fame he got from Weird Science, Johnny Be Good and Less Than Zero. It’s time to move on. Hype up your performances in Zodiac and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and use those as the jump off to go by Robert Downey. I’m starting this. I say that you get to drop the Jr. if your father is dead or not as famous as you. I can’t wait until the rest of the world catches up to me dropping the Jr.
If you haven’t seen the video Chris Bosh shot in order to campaign for All Star votes, you need to watch it. It is tremendous. He seems to be a player that just gets it. He is out there having a good time. The video confirms that he knows it’s just a game and it’s meant to be fun. It is really nice to see someone not taking it so seriously. This is just damn ridiculous, and I love it.
Mrs. Good Knowledge just turned on “Make Me a Supermodel.” Her track record for shows she enjoys just keeps getting worse. I actually feel dumber having this show on in the background as I write. Is it wrong to write that I’m ashamed by wife’s taste in television, music and movies? As a result we had a discussion about the movie 27 Dresses. If you haven’t heard of it, Katherine Heigl plays a girl who has been a bridesmaid in 27 weddings and blah blah blah. I put my foot down and told her I would never see that poor excuse for a movie. I want to put an end to this Katherine Heigl phenomenon. Can we just strike every project she has ever worked on from the record (except Knocked Up and My Father the Hero of course)? I’d also like every woman from “Grey’s Anatomy” to not get any more work. Who do I call in Hollywood to let them know no one cares about Heigl, Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh and all the rest of those chicks? I don’t like when someone has name that is a sound you make when come to a realization. In fact I’d like to include the “Desperate Houswives” on my “Just Go Away” list.
There is more to life than basketball and bad television but not much. I just turned “Inside the NBA” back on, and I know now more than ever that a little good knowledge can go a long way.
You can email Brandon at bgallawa@talkhoops.net
Brandon's Profile
Brandon Gallawa graduated from California State University, Sacramento in December 2004 with a degree in Business Management. He was recently married on July 7, 2007 to the love of his life, Erin. He has been a lifelong Sacramento Kings fan, and luckily for him his wife is also a lifelong Kings fan (it could have caused problems if she wasn’t). The first basketball game he attended was at Arco Arena. It was the Denver Nuggets visiting the Kings. It was November 1987; he had just turned 5 years old, and his dad wanted to take him to experience basketball live for the first time. Even though he played with his Transformers toy the entire game, he can still remember to this day that the Kings won. Reggie Theus dropped 34 and added 7 assists, Kenny “The Jet” scored 21 with 6 assists and Otis Thorpe scored 27 points dominating the boards with 15 rebounds. He knew from that moment that basketball would always be a part of his life, and it had to be Kings’ basketball if his dad had anything to say about it.