by John Walters

Starting Five

1.Bengalzi

We were all wrong about Vontaze Burfict. And yet we were all right about Vontaze Burfict. Tremendous and temperamental. He won the game for the Bengals. And then he lost it for them.

2. Get Shorty

“Friendship is the booze that they serve you.” So said Lester Bangs to budding Rolling Stone journalist William Miller. As for budding RS writer Sean Penn, who conducted a seven-hour interview with fugitive drug lord El Chapo this autumn, there were far more powerful intoxicants at his disposal.

And then El Chapo got caught. Did Penn play any role in the apprehension? I doubt it. Either way, he’ll play himself in the movie.

3. Thanks A Lottery

If you bought a Powerball ticket early last week only to be one of the millions who did not win on Wednesday night…and then if you bought more only to be one of the millions who did not win on Saturday night….don’t fear. There’s still time to buy a ticket for Wednesday’s drawing and be one of the millions who do not win that, too.

The prize is now estimated to be worth $1.3 billion. That’s about twice the figure of the largest previous lottery jackpot in U.S. history, three years ago. Some total unknown is about to bank more money (before taxes) than all but the eight highest-grossing films of all time.

4. What’s Ursine?

The Revenant, a movie whose title no one knows the meaning of, wins Best Picture, Drama and Best Actor, Drama (Leo) at the Golden Globes. Lady GaGa wins for Best Recycling of Madonna, America Ferrara and Eva Longoria win for Best Presenter Banter (“Well said, Selma” “Thanks, Charo”), Jim Carrey wins for being “Jim Carrey, two-time Golden Globe Winner, and those of us who don’t have Amazon Prime lose for not knowing anything about Mozart in the Jungle.

Leo gave a terrific speech—shout-out to Indigenous Peoples! You like that?!?—and host Ricky Gervais had a terrific line about Caitlyn Jenner: “She didn’t do a lot for women drivers.”

Finally, are we all love Jennifer Lawrence and Amy Schumer’s BFF act yet?

5. The Fall of Ziggy Stardust

It was only Friday that MH put David Bowie in the item below, as he turned 69. And it was only yesterday that we saw a TV ad for his new album, Blackstar, which was released Friday. But the rock-and-fashion icon had been battling cancer, quietly, for 18 months.

In an era when the biggest rockers were part of bands, Bowie (and Elton John) stood out as solo acts. He always was most comfortable not belonging to any group. Bowie always transcended borders, race, gender and genre.

He even transcended David Bowie, as one of his greatest musical contributions were his vocals on a Queen song, Under Pressure. ( <– with Annie Lennox in that video; prit-tee, prit-tee good). But then he could do a duet with Bing Crosby and be just as awe-inspiring.

Five essential Bowie tracks: 1) Heroes 2) Changes 3) Rebel Rebel 4) Space Oddity 5) Modern Love.

Okay, a few more: 6) Fame 7) Suffragette City 8) Ziggy Stardust 9) Golden Years 10) Young Americans 11) Blue Jean

Music 101

Good Girls Don’t

Say hello to two-hit wonder The Knack. The Los Angeles band’s debut hit, My Sharona, climbed higher up the charts, reaching No. 1 and remaining there for six weeks in 1979. Very few acts can say that. And very few people are named Sharona. This follow-up reached No. 11, but it is solid. In 1979 The Knack and The Cars owned “modern rock.”

Remote Patrol

Clemson vs. Alabama

College Football National Championship Game

ESPN 8:30 p.m.

After the games of October 10 I posited that 2015 Alabama was 2014 Ohio State: one loss in September means the coaches have the players’ attention, and the rest of the season is a scorched-earth campaign. Clemson is no pushover, and DeShaun Watson is a terrific quarterback, but the Crimson Tide is more akin to a 30-foot wave. Rollin’ Arizona.