STARTING FIVE
1. The Iker Sanction
This is Sara Carbonero. As WAGs (Wives And Girlfriends) go, she is even more notorious right now than Shakira or Irina Shayk. Carbonero, a Spanish TV presenter, is also the girlfriend of and baby mama for Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas.
Four years ago Casillas helped lead Spain to a World Cup triumph, pitching a shutout in the final against Holland. Last Friday, again versus the Dutch, Casillas allowed five goals, two of them very careless.
Casillas was in goal for Real Madrid when they won the Champions League final last month, 3-1, but it was a late come-from-behind win (none of Real Madrid’s goals were scored before stoppage or extra time) and in that Casillas misplayed a ball that led to Atletico Madrid’s lone goal. The world’s most famous soccer teammate, Cristiano Ronaldo (Shayk’s boyfriend), has expressed unhappiness in the past with Casillas spilling team secrets to his reporter babe. And I imagine his national team teammates are a little wary of her as well right now.
Casillas went all Joe Namath on Carbonero after she interviewed him following the 2010 triumph, but relax: they were already dating.
The pressure is all on Casillas when Spain meets Chile in Maracana this afternoon ( 3 p.m., ESPN). A Spanish defeat bounces them from the tournament after only two games. Expect the partisan southern hemisphere crowd to be pro-Chile. Should be fun.
2. Oh, Lorde
Centerfielder Lorenzo Cain has gone 5 for 7 in the first two games at Comerica and he caught this ball on Monday night.
Nine games ago the Kansas City Royals were in last place in the American League Central.
This morning, after nine consecutive victories, K.C. is all “Crystal, Maybach, Diamonds on your time piece/Jet planes, Islands, Tigers on a gold leash” after last night’s 11-4 thrashing of Detroit. And it was a serious thrash.
The Royals scored 10 earned runs on reigning A.L. Cy Young winner Max Scherzer after putting up ssven earned runs on 2011 Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander on Monday night in an 11-8 win. As hot as the Royals (38-32) are, Detroit, well, the Tigers stink right now, having gone 9-20 in their past 29 games. That’s with Victor Martinez, who leads the A.L. in hitting, and Miguel Cabrera in the lineup.
3. Guidry-esque
Guidry overwhelmed hitters with his slider, while Tanaka’s weapon of choice is the splitter.
Your faithful scribe is old enough to recall when, in the summer of 1978, 2nd-year New York Yankee starter Ron Guidry, a.k.a. Louisiana Lightnin’, a.k.a. Gator, a.k.a. Few Ever Wore a Mustache with more Panache, started out 13-0 en route to an historic season in which he led baseball in wins (25-3), ERA (1.74) and shutouts (9).
I mention this because the comparison between Guidry and Yankee rookie Masahiro Tanaka are only going to become more vocal. Last night, on the 36th anniversary of Gator striking out a career-high 18 California Angels, Tanaka moved to 11-1 and struck out 10 in a 3-1 defeat of the first-place Blue Jays (and it makes no sense that New York has defeated Toronto 14 consecutive times in the Bronx).
This was a valuable card to possess in Middletown, N.J., in the summer of ’78.
The Japanese import leads all of baseball in Wins (11) and leads the American League in ERA (1.99) and suddenly seems a viable contender for both Rookie of the Year and Cy Young. Yankee brass is just relieved he’s being compared to Guidry and not former Japanese imports Hideki Irabu and Kei Igawa.
As you know, Tanaka went 24-0 last season with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, which means that his only loss in the past two years has come to the Chicago Cubs…because baseball.
4. Double Tornado >>> Triple Rainbow
This two-udder storm slammed down in Nebraska, killing a five year-old
Nature is massive when it wants to be. This rare double tornado touched down in northern Nebraska on Sunday night, virtually demolishing the town of Pilger.
5. And That’s the Double Truth, Ruth
Lee wanted Robert DeNiro to play Sal, but Bobby turned him down. Danny Aiello was nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
I’ll have more on this in the days ahead, but June 30 will mark the 25th anniversary of the release of “Do The Right Thing”, which is not only an American classic but just may be the most honest film about NYC ever made (I moved here two weeks later; DTRT served as an orientation film for me; while the Big Apple is far from perfect in 2014, it is almost 180 degrees opposite of the racist dystopia depicted, accurately, in this film).
Two incredible nuggets: 1) People forget that not only did “Do The Right Thing” not win Best Picture, but it was not even nominated. Even more incredible, and proof that we live in a better country today than we did then, the Best Picture Oscar went to “Driving Miss Daisy”, a film of which no one has ever said, “I’m going to DVR that tonight.”
And, really, could you make a movie that was any more different than DTRT?
2) When Barack Obama met Spike Lee, he thanked him. Seems POTUS’ first date with FLOTUS was to see this film, after which they went for ice cream and discussed it.
Remote Patrol
Crazy Heart
CMT 8 p.m.
Even better than The Dude: Bridges in “Crazy Heart.”
I love Jeff Bridges in this role as a down-and-out country crooner (he won Best Actor and even wrote the songs, which are fantastic) and some day an indie movie house will show this on a double bill with “The Fabulous Baker Boys” (in which he’s a down and out lounge act piano player). Maggie Gyllenhaal is fabulous, too, and Colin Farrell is wonderfully likeable as a character whom you are predisposed to dislike before meeting him. Also, scenic and credible depictions of Santa Fe and the American southwest.
Are double truths truthier than single truths? If so, I would jump the line and go straight to triple truths.
And before you criticize “Driving Miss Daisy”, do I need to remind you that Director Bruce Beresford went on to co-create and produce MTV’s blockbuster “Pimp My Ride” series?
Art begets art. (Especially when Morgan Freeman is in the driver’s seat.)