by John Walters
Happy Birthday (34), Adriana Lima, a Brazilian beauty with the capital of Peru as a surname.
Starting Five
1. Head Games
I’m just wondering, Susie B., if LeBron had been wearing the headband, might all of this have turned out differently?
2. OITNBeyotches!
It’s nice to see a different Taylor S. (Schilling) on the cover of the Rolling Stone. With her Orange Is The New Black-ish co-star, Laura Prepon. Although aren’t most of the cast members of OITNB African-American? Where them women at? Did they escape with Richard Matt and David Sweat?
Meanwhile, perfect timing on that Rachel Dolezal story, eh?
3. The Molly Trolley
Seidel became the first Notre Dame woman to win an NCAA individual track championship
A bizarre race in the women’s 10,000 meter final at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene last night. With four laps remaining defending champ Emma Bates of Boise State, who was at the head of the pack, put in her kick. Bates opened up a 40 meter, or nearly eight-second, lead.
Then she bonked. Within one lap Bates, whose coach had advised her to run a killer lap with four to go, lost the lead to Molly Seidel of Notre Dame, who never relinquished it. Seidel, a junior from Hartland, Wis., would break the tape in 33.18:37, winning by seven seconds herself.
One of my closest friends in the world ran XC for Notre Dame (he was a teammate of Nicholas Sparks) and was infamous for punching anyone who cut him off in the back. He made XC and track a contact sport. Today, I offer this item up to him in tribute.
*Because I didn’t want to write the 5 millionth Little Richard-related hed for this first name.
4. Stepping Down…
When Murdoch does one day expire, I expect his last word to be “Rosebud.”
Twitter CEO Dick Costolo (TWTR stock rises 3% on the news this morning), effective July 1, and FOX CEO and founder Rupert Murdoch, whose age requires carbon dating (he’s 84). On the day Costolo announced he’d be returning to Casterly Rock, Twitter announced it would put no limit on Direct Messages, which will facilitate the exchanges between myself and Mr. Murdoch.
In an age when Mark Zuckerberg took Facebook to a 400% jump since its low of $18-ish and Reed Hastings was able to lead Netflix to a leap of 1,000% since its low of $60-ish, Twitter’s stock price has actually fallen.
5. Tennessee, Anyone?
Opening Act, Don Draper, who will teach the world to sing in perfect harmony….
The 14th annual Bonnaroo Music & Arts fest began yesterday in Manchester, Tenn. I’d go but at this age the only time I want to wait in line for a Port-a-John is if I’m wearing a bib number and running shorts.
Headliners: Alabama Shakes, Kendrick Lamar, Tears for Fears (for m-m-my generation), Mumford and Sons, My Morning Jacket, Florence and the Machine, Robert Plant and the curtain closer will be Billy Joel. Is there anyone out there still excited to see Billy Joel? I like his songs, but I’ve got to say, “Man, what are you doing here?”
Music 101
When Will I See You Again
Hoooh/Hahhhh/Hahhhhh/Hoooooh/Precious Moments
You can’t do 70s Philly soul, as it was known, any better than The Three Degrees did this. I grew up on a diet of performances such as this on the Mike Douglas Show, so you have no right to judge me, okay? This song actually climbed to No. 2 on the Billboard chart and hit No. 1 on the adult contemporary chart. Somewhere between the Supremes and En Vogue….
Remote Patrol
USA vs. Sweden
ESPN 8 p.m.
Sweden’s Jessica Landstrom, performing an illegal move
The U.S. Women, for all the adulation they receive (you’re welcome, says Brandi Chastain) last won the quadrennial World Cup in 1999. Tonight they face Sweden, who have just as many Maxim cover-ready performers on their roster and are ranked fifth in the world (USA is No. 2 behind Germany).
“It’s a heartache
Nothing but a heartache
Hits you when it’s too late
Hits you when you’re down
It’s a fool’s game
Nothing but a fools game
Standing (by my sofa)
Feeling like a clown”
Yeah, been belting out some Bonnie Tyler for the past 12 hours (even in my dreams). Sigh. And yep, the 1ST thing I thought, once Sweet Pea was up & around – “the headband could have saved him!” 😉
Game 4 was awful (for LBJ/Cavs fans). Oh, it wasn’t ALL terrible – it started great & the 3rd quarter looked like we were clawing completely back in it but just like every other Finals game so far, the second LeBron sat to get some rest, the Cavs couldn’t keep it together. Whether the Warriors were playing that much better (finally) or the Cavs just couldn’t keep playing at their previous intense level due to exhaustion is up for debate. Both teams did change their starting line-ups : the Dubs started The Iguana & Fatigue started for the Cavs & unfortunately, he never sat his sorry ass down.
As for “SIGNS” – the only ones I ‘saw’ said “DANGER AHEAD!” & “ROAD OUT”. Maybe it’s NOT our destiny to win it all this year. Maybe this is just preparation for next season where, motivated by this “so close, so close” experience, we crush any & all in our way to Ultimate Victory (ala 2014 Spurs). And at LEAST, unlike LAST year’s pathetic Game 4 where every Heat player except LeBron GAVE UP on not just that game but the series before friggin half-time, I still have hope.
However, it is apparent to all that the smothering/frenzied defense which is what allowed the Cavs to outplay the Warriors in the previous 3 games just takes too much out of the 7 Cavs who play – nobody available to relieve them. Especially LeBron. Even before the foul/fall/head injury, he was playing with lower energy that before. Sure, some of his lower scoring & overall lesser impact was the way the Warriors defended him, but he just looked exhausted to me. (IF he had scored his “now regular Finals 40”, the game would have gone to OT!)
Without Mozilla, I shudder to think what the score could have been as the other Cavs players did not have great scoring nights. Especially JR. Man, I thought he’d really come up big in one of these Finals games & at least so far, not much. TT is still ‘Hoovering’ up the glass on rebounds & even though Steph finally played more like himself, I thought Delly still did a pretty good job on him. And this may sound snarky, but Steph is still not playing at an MVP level, I don’t think! Compared to LeBron? On one leg with a seeping head wound, Sweet Pea scored almost as many points as Steph! Plus, when Curry sits down, his team barely seems affected (at least for 5-10 minutes at a time).
Well, just like LeBron & the rest of the Cavs, I’ll try to “recover” & get ready for Sunday. And keep an eye out for “SIGNS” –
” Signs, signs, everywhere there’s signs
Frackin’ up the scenery, breakin’ my mind”
Lima Time!
If U2 promised to show, would they spell it Bonoroo for one year? If Duran Duran committed, maybe LeBonnaroo? If one of the Mumfords jumps at a speaker and cuts the back of his head …
LeBronaroo!