STARTING FIVE
Another “Rush” that finds itself snubbed. Geddy Lee feels your pain.
1. All is Lost
The Oscar nominations are announced (by a super hero/mythic creature/Formula 1 driver) and there’s absolutely no love for the Coen Brothers’ “Inside Llewyn Davis.” No Best Picture nominee, no Best Actor for Oscar Isaac, and no Best Supporting Actor for John Goodman, who’s phenomenal.
Also, “Rush”, Chris Hemsworth’s vehicle (wink wink), garners no love.
I haven’t seen “American Hustle”, so if you have, please disabuse me of the notion that David O. Russell is simply attempting a paint-by-numbers version of “Goodfellas.” Cuz that’s what it looks like from the trailer.
And weren’t “Argo” and “Milk” enough? Do we need to revisit every iconic late 1970’s scandal or scam? Is someone already working on a screenplay about The Village People? Or “The Who” concert in Cincinnati? I’d actually go see a move about the behind-the-scenes works of WKRP in Cincinnati, but that’s just me.
UPDATE: Grantland’s Mark Lisanti nailed it: Not being nominated for a major Oscar is the most Llewyn Davis thing that could happen to “Inside Llewyn Davis.”
2. Riches to Rags
Anthony Benchett? Benchett??? Get it? The question becomes, Will he get much better or is he Michael Olawakandi?
It is one of singer Tony Bennett’s most popular tunes. You may remember it from “Goodfellas.” “Rags to Riches.”
Then there’s Cleveland Cavalier rookie Anthony Bennett. The No. 1 overall pick in last June’s NBA draft, Bennett went from rags to riches when he signed a deal reportedly worth $22.8 million over four years. Last night in Portland, though, Bennett got his second DNP-CD in as many nights.
Oh, he’s languishing. The should-be-sophomore at UNLV is averaging 2.2 points per game in 10.4 minutes per game. Fellow Cav rookie Matthew Dellavedova, who went undrafted, is averaging 4.5 ppg in 16 mpg. And costs a lot less.
In other No. 1 overall news, center Greg Oden appeared in his first NBA game since 2009 last night, scoring six points and grabbing 2 boards in eight minutes. The Heat, by the way, have seven players who were selected 6th or higher in the NBA draft. Can you name them? Answer after No. 5.
3. Clayton Kashcow
Who? Me!?! $200 mil? Su-weet!
Seven years, $215 million. While you should never give a pitcher a contract beyond four to five years in duration, especially a power pitcher, the Dodgers have to love that Kershaw will only be 26 years old on Opening Day and that he is the ONLY pitcher in the Top 40 all-time in WHIP (No. 18 at 1.092) who is currently throwing and the ONLY pitcher in the Top 200 all-time in ERA (No. 56 at 2.60). The Texan is baseball’s first $200 million pitcher.
The only oddity about Kershaw is that the Dodgers never seen to hit when he’s pitching. They have a case of what’s known in the American League as Verlanderitis.
4. College Hoops Mismatches
Say this for David: he made his shots count.
I scrolled through every last Division I basketball team’s schedule this season (and I invite you to check my math, because I did not double-check it) and here is what I found: There have been, in games between Division I schools and non-Division I schools, FIFTY-TWO games that have been decided by 50 or more points. There have been EIGHTEEN games decided by 60 or more.
Isn’t that obscene?
Here are the ten most ridiculous scores:
104…Southern 116, Champions Bible College 12
It was 44-0 at one point.
84…Utah 128, Evergreen State 44
The Geoducks shot 1 for 27 from behind the arc.
83….San Diego State 118, St. Katherine 35
Firebird coach Scott Mitchell did the team’s laundry that night b/c of game w/Utah next day.
83…CMU 127, Marygrove 44
The Mustangs scored one field goal in the game’s final 10 minutes.
82…Charleston Southern 122, St. Andrews 40
The Knights shot 29.8% from the field.
79…Charleston Southern 130, Johnson U. 51
74…VMI 128, Washington College 54
73….Utah 124, St. Katherine 51
71….Weber State 107, St. Katherine 36
69…Eastern Kentucky 114, Warren Wilson 45
5. Flori-D’oh!
“Don’t shoot! I’m just trying to contact Tony Dungy.”
Good friend and loyal MH reader Greg Auman reports the following. Only 11 days before the movie theater shooting due to texting, he was in that very theater with his son taking in “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” (don’t judge). Anyway, GA is the Tampa Bay Buccaneer beat writer for the Tampa Bay Times and while he was watching the film, news comes down that the Bucs have hired Lovie Smith as their new coach.
“So I’m thinking, I don’t want to take my son out of the last 15 minutes of the movie,” says GA, “but I don’t want to be rude.”
He texted, as discreetly as possible, the sources he needed to text. But it could have ended very tragically. After all, MH can ill afford to lose loyal readers.
Answer: LeBron James, Ray Allen, Chris Bosh, Shane Battier, Dwyane Wade, Michael Beasley and Greg Oden.
Reserves
So, yes, the Heat trailed 43-18 to the Wizards last night after one quarter following four nights off. And they lost. You know what? They don’t care. They’re No. 2 in the East and the closest team behind them is seven games back in the loss column. Miami knows that at worst it will finish second and it’ll just have to win a game at Indianapolis around the time that someone yells, “Gentlemen, start your engines.” They certainly have yet to start theirs.
***
The Lakers fall 121-114 at Phoenix. They’ve now allowed 724 points in their last six games, or more than 120 points per game. Paul Westhead would be so proud.
*****
The Hall
Banned from baseball, Jackson moved on to a critically acclaimed recording career.
Charter Inductees: Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner
1937 (yes, we realized our error): Tris Speaker, CF; Cy Young, P.
1938: Grover Cleveland Alexander, P; Eddie Collins, 2B
1939:
Napoleon “Nap” Lajoie, 2B; 1896-1916, Phillies, A’s, Naps
“The Frenchman” finished 14th all-time in Hits (3,243) and 18th in batting average (.338) and they even named the team he player-managed after him.
Shoeless Joe Jackson, LF; 1908-1920, A’s, Naps, Indians, White Sox
Batted .408 as a rookie and .356 for his career, third-best all-time. Besides, we like Ray Liotta.
The Bank
Balance: $927
Last Night: Took the Heat, minus 5.5, they lost by like 47. Or close to that. Chumps.
Record: 5-6
Tonight: As Brian Fontana once advised Champ Kind, “Why don’t you sit this next one out?”
UPDATE: My high school buddies have a mantra: “You can’t keep us from rockin’!” (Not that anyone was attempting to). Based on that belief and the fact that Idaho State is only giving up 18.5 at home to Southern Utah, a school that lost at home last week by 28 and 34, let’s take the Vandals minus the points for $100.
Remote Patrol
Thunder at Rockets
TNT 9:30 p.m.
“Beardman! Beardman!” Harden is 5th in the NBA in scoring, while Durant is 1st.
It’s not that I don’t understand the James Harden trade. It’s that I don’t want to. You get Durant, Westbrook and James in a room, play your favorite Rev. Al Green song and ask them if they’d rather have people gushing over them three decades from now or if they’d rather have a fourth Maserati. I’ll admit it, I don’t understand the value of Insanely Conspicuous Wealth over Ridiculously Conspicuous Wealth.
The Hall
–Nap Lajoie
American Hustle is no Good Fellas, in that it’s not about the mob at all even though the mob does play a part at some point. It’s a pretty good movie, it’s incredibly well-acted, but it’s REALLY long and sort of tedious. It touches on some really good themes, but never really fleshes them out. So the “payoff” isn’t really all that rewarding. But the acting is just killer.
American Hustle was a ‘tour de farce’. Fearless acting. Today’s Oscar noms prove that there’s nothing more cunning than a con with bad hair. I have to believe Amy Adam’s wardrobe (or lack thereof) will also garner some kind of special recognition.
I’ve been missing G.A.’s witticisms here on MH. Glad to hear he is alive and well!
Last, SI throws a star-studded Anniversary party to celebrate 50 years worth of Swimsuit issues, and there’s nary a word on MH? I admit I’ve lost a little faith in the universe.
Alive! Just busy. Did see “American Hustle” — and best I can recall, didn’t text during, which again explains my being alive.
Hustle is good, not great. Paints the 70s well, but not dramatically better than, say, Boogie Nights did. Amy Adams is outstanding, but I like her in nearly anything. I thought Lawrence’s performance has been overplayed a bit.