STARTING FIVE
1. The LeBron Playlist
Editor’s Note: This was undertaken on Friday morning, before the SI.com piece came out. Was intended for the gang at the real job, but the news got in the way. Still, you have to credit the MH staff for their prescient thoughts, no?
1. “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” by The Clash
“This indecision’s buggin’ me/Indecision me molesta”
2. “Let’s Stay Together” by the Rev. Al Green
“Loving you whether, whether/Times are good or bad, happy or sad”
3. “The Heat of the Moment” by Asia*
“What were the things you wanted for yourself/Teenage ambitions you remember well”
Asia, an early 1980s supergroup, were the 2010-14 Miami Heat of rock bands. Four All-Star musicians who came together from different bands to produce two blockbuster albums.
4. “Get Back” by The Beatles
“Get back, Jo Jo!”
5. “Miami”by Will Smith
“I only came for two days a playin’/But every time I come I always wind up stayin’”
6. “Cleveland Rocks“ by Ian Hunter
“All the little kids growing up on the skids/Going Cleveland rocks, Cleveland rocks
7. “Price Tag” by Jessie J
“Ain’t about the (uh) cha-ching cha-ching/Ain’t about the (yeah) ba-bling ba-bling”
8. “Our Lips Are Sealed” by The Go Go’s
(dedicated to “sources”)
“Pay no mind to what they say/Doesn’t matter anyway”
9. “The Life of Riley“ by Lightning Seeds
“So here’s your life/We’ll find a way/We’re sailing blind/But it’s certain, nothing’s certain”
10. “All Apologies” by Nirvana
(for Dan Gilbert)
“I’ll take all the blame/Aqua sea foam shame”
11. “Don’t Phunk With My Heart” by The Black Eyed Peas
(suggested by Cavs fans parked outside LeBron’s Akron estate)
“Crazy is what crazy do/Crazy in love, I’m a crazy fool”
12. “Changes In Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” by Jimmy Buffett
“Nothing remains quite the same”
13. Kyrie Eleison by Mister Mister
“Kyrie Eleison/Where I’m going will you follow?”
14. “Back Where You Belong” by 38 Special
(for Chris Broussard)
“I heard you’re asking how I’m feeling/I guess I’ll play it day by day”
15. “My City Was Gone” by The Pretenders
“I went back to Ohio/But my city was gone”
16. “Miami Vice Theme“ by Jan Hammer
17. “Live Your Life” by T.I. featuring Rihanna
(dedicated to ‘bron’s and D-Wade’s week in Las Vegas)
“Just live your life (Oh!) ay ay ay/Aint’ got no time for haters”
18. “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) by Beyonce
“Cause I cried my tears for three good years/You can’t be mad at me”
19. “The Power of Love” by Huey Lewis and the News
(dedicated to double-double dealing power forwards)
“It can be cruel sometimes/But it might just save your life
20. “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
“Moats and boats and waterfalls/Alleyways and payphone calls/I been everywhere with you”
21. “Cry” by Godley and Creme
(the best ending of a “Miami Vice” episode, and decades ahead of its time)
“You make me wanna cry/You don’t know how to ease my pain”
22. “Black and Yellow” by Wiz Khalifa
(sub in “Wine” wherever you hear “Black”)
“Repping my town when you see me/You know everything wine and yellow wine and yellow”
23. “Dirty Money-Coming Home” by P. Diddy featuring Skylar Grey
“And though my kingdom awaits/And they’ve forgiven my mistakes”
2. Forced Friendship
“Olive Garden it is!”
Whoever pitched this concept to Seth Meyers deserves either a raise or a promotion. Great idea, and then adding Keith Morrison for this edition is an inspired choice. Or is it? Here’s the first installment, with Lester Holt.
3. Lance. A Lot
If you’re following the Tour de France –most of us are not– defending champion Chris Froome dropped out after a Stage 4 crash and a Stage 5 across cobble-stoned streets in the rain that was the strangest idea since that World Cup qualifier played in a blizzard. Meanwhile, John Richardson over at Esquire has penned a pretty spectacular of a one-time seven-time Tour de France champion titled “Lance Armstrong in Purgatory.”
Turns out Armstrong, 42, spends most of his time golfing these days. Because isn’t that what you do when you’re middle-aged and bored?
4. Take a Hike
You know what? I’ll just be in the car.
I like to think of hiking, to turn a phrase about golfing sideways, as “a good walk soiled.” Our friends at Travel + Leisure (actually, I do not know anyone there) compiled this list of a dozen of the “World’s Scariest Hikes.” No. 4, the Mount Huashan Trail in China, will blow your mind better than Paul Carr ever could.
5. Oh, Boy!
Seriously, though, how lucky is Linklater that Coltrane didn’t die, like, 6 years into filming? Though I suppose Coltrane is even more fortunate.
Get ready for the film hit of the summer, if not the year. Richard Linklater, the Texas-based cinema auteur behind Slacker, Dazed and Confused and the Before Sunrise trilogy, may just have released his masterpiece: Boyhood. The film, starring Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette as the parents and Ellar Coltrane as Mason, their son, was shot over a 12-year period and, as the title suggests, examines his childhood and adolescence.
The critics are like, more obsessed with it than Randall “Pink” Floyd was with hanging out with his friends and scoring Aerosmith tickets. I’m sure Roger Ebert would have thumb-upped it, which is somewhat funny since a movie about Ebert’s own life, Life Itself, is also currently in limited release and garnering nearly as gushing reviews. But not as gushing.
Boyhood, not to be confused with Boyz ‘n the Hood –but why would you?– is the highest-rated film this year on Metacritic.com (99) and did even better at Rotten Tomatoes, scoring a perfect 100%. Every reviewer I’ve come across absolutely is in absolute thrall with this film –it’s the ultimate coming-of-age film that actually is made in real time. How do you top that?
Where in the World?
Yesterday: Norilsk, Russia, the world’s northernmost city (69 degrees 20) of more than 100,000 residents
Hint: A favorite of both The Sports Guy and Men in Blazers
I 1st saw & fell in love with the Tour de France in 1984. Back then & for the next 15 years or so, all American TV viewers got to see was 1-2 hour taped coverage on Saturdays & Sundays, scored musically by one of the then TDF broadcast’s hosts, John Tesh (although we viewers did not learn that fact until after Tesh moved onto Entertainment Tonight & a musical career). It was on CBS Sports Spectacular; the CBS version of Wide World of Sports. They had me at the sunflowers…
I have watched every year since. Remarkably, those 1st 15 years, I barely understood what I was watching, had NO idea it was truly a “team” event or that luck, team strength, & “tactics” determined all & yet, I loved it. I still love it, even though I am also enraged & disgusted with not just the existence & history of doping & other performance enhancements in this sport going back pretty much to its inception over a HUNDRED YEARS ago, but the handling of it – ignoring, condoning, mandating the use, all while PUBLICLY professing ignorance. And worst – the completely unequal, unjust blame dumping/punishment. I either think or know for a fact that every TDF winner since at least 1993-2008 either used EPO, blood doped or used some other drug. That’s just the way it was. No one else’s Tour wins have been striped except LA, even those of the guys who have since ADMITTED they doped at the time. The previous guy to win multiple times in a row, Miguel Indurain is considered a hero in Spain. Seemed like a real nice guy, one of the best Time Trialers ever, but he could NOT have gotten his Ichabod Crane ass over a speedbump let alone the Alps or Pyrenees without EPO &/or blood doping. The guy who won in 1996, Riis, was revealed to have doped, he admitted, is still considered a winner & for the past decade, has either been an owner or manager of 1 of the top Tour teams. He is currently the manager of Tinkoff-Saxo, Contador’s team. He was previously the owner/manager of the CSC team in 2006, when most of the favorites, including his GC guy, Ivan Basso, were linked to Operation Puerto (Spanish doping quagmire) & were THROWN OUT of the race the day before it started. That was the year Floyd Landis “won”. Then there are the other Euro team managers/owners that have been involved in the sport for over 40 years, like that old hypocrite Lefevere of the Omega Pharma team. This year’s Stage 5 muddy morass is CLEANER than that guy, but there he is, more powerful than ever.
Enough of that for now. Sorry. ‘It’s a heartache, nothing but a heartache.’ At LEAST this year it’s keeping me from going INSANE over The INDECISION. 🙂
LeBron. Disappointed but not surprised since Riley’s bombastic-Gilbertesque semi-tirade calling out LBJ (really, just to him) not to be gutless & run through the 1st door. After that, I knew things were shaky in South Beach.
CanNOT imagine exchanging Miami for Cleveland. Because he’s HOMESICK? Hell, his athletic career will only last another 7-9 years, he’d have the remaining 40-50 YEARS to live large in O-hi-O! Sure, sure, commendable he wants to bring a CHAMPIONSHIP to the denizens of the town GOD HATES & the environs. Tears all ’round. Look, you know I love LeBron – “I AM SUSIE B, I AM YOUR FAN, I WILL BE YOUR FAN FOREVER, WHEREVER YOU TAKE YOUR DAMN TALENTS, EVEN GOD-HATING CLEVELAND”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LR4j8iWu-OI
BUT. This is about POWER. He did not have enough in Miami apparently. You really think LeBron James will listen to a coach who has NO NBA experience in any capacity? His power in the Cleveland Cavaliers will be ABSOLUTE. And how does THAT always turn out?
LeBron James is still the King, but I think less of him today. (Power mongering could have waited till he retired and BOUGHT the friggin team).
And I TOTALLY disagree with you! Unless the Cavs get rid of EVERYONE on that team but MAYBE Kyrie & Wiggins, not even the King can get them far into playoffs, if there at all. And the Cavs have SUCH a history of doing the right things in building & managing a championship team, right?
At least the hostage situation on Sports Center is over. Poor Brian. LEE JENKINS?! I barely remember anything he’s written all year & I subscribe to the mag & read the site every freakin weekday! Poor Brian. On the other hand – it was ESPN that was behind ‘The Decision’. Payback’s a bitch.
“Apres moi, le deluge”.
(Overheard as King James abdicates his Miamian throne).
Think any of his flunkies will educate LeBron of what happened in France AFTER Louis 15th? (When’s the next CBA?) Which leads me back to FRANCE & the Tour. Didn’t think I could tie them together, did ya? Alright, I’ll leave you in peace for rest of today.