by John Walters

Starting Five

 

Nip/Tuck*

*The judges will not accept “Breast In Show”

 

Gabriella Papadakis experiences a costume malfunction with her dress for the second time this week, according to @KurtBrowning

The clasp at the back of her halter snapped.

Bad luck and a distraction for the experienced French pair. pic.twitter.com/F6quTbadWu

— CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) February 19, 2018

Ice dancing became the most popular sport at the PyeongChang Olympics Sunday evening as French skater Gabriella Papadakis went Janet Jackson on the arena.

The Frenchies finished second in the short program with the free skate still to come tomorrow. Expect more safety pins between now and then.

2. Post Up And Dribble

In Los Angeles, LeBron James silenced Laura Ingraham and a slew of doubters (while still not solving the mystery of who vandalized his front gate) to lead the LeBronians to a 148-145 All-Star Game win over the Steph-ONs. We only read one account of the contest, but though 293 points were scored, it’s being described as a game in which defense reared its head. LeBron even played center in the fourth quarter to counter Joel Embiid. 

Our favorite (only? final?) moment of All-Star Weekend was when the dude here on the left (from Migos) blatantly traveled and the commentator praised his “EuroStep” as a girl (a GIRL knew!) on the opposing side pantomimed a traveling call to no avail. At that moment we became the roadside Native American (who wasn’t even a true Native American!) in that early Seventies anti-littering campaign commercial.

3. May The Fourth Be With You!

Lindsey Jacobellis in the SnowCross final? 4th place. Mikaela Schiffrin in the final of the Giant Slalom, her premier event? 4th place. Lindsey Vonn in the women’s Super-G? Sixth place. Nathan Chen in the men’s figure skating final? Fifth place.

Has it been a disastrous Olympics for the USA thus far, or is it simply that no one wants to visit the White House? After  a little more than one week, Team USA is in sixth place in the medals standings with 10 overall (5 gold). Ahead of them are Norway, Germany, Canada, Netherlands, and Olympics Athletes from Russia, a country that is not technically here.

There are still a few days to go, and the women’s hockey team is assured of a medal, but the last time the U.S. finished outside the top five in the Winter Olympics medals count was 1988 in Calgary.

4. Black By Popular Demand

In its opening weekend, Black Panther earns $192 million, almost doubling the record for the highest box-office ever for an opening weekend for a film by a black director (Ryan Cooler).

Meanwhile, unrelated, if you have yet to see The Florida Project, while it’s somewhat depressing, there’s no better lead and supporting actress performances you’ll see this year than the one by total unknowns Bria Vinaite, 24, and Brooklynn Prince, 7. Vinaite was a total unknown who was discovered via her Instagram posts. She had never appeared in anything and took three weeks of acting classes before filming began. She’s a natural.

5. The Kids Are Alright

Victims? No. Survivors? Maybe. Heroes? Definitely. The teens from Parkland’s Stoneman High are giving the adults in Washington a lesson in public mandate. The students are speaking up, telling lawmakers that “thoughts and prayers” are “pathetic.” Good for them. It would be nice to to think that their 17 classmates did not die in vain.

Music 101 

Draw The Line

An Aerosmith hard-rocker from 1977 that failed to gain steady air play. We received the eponymous album as a Christmas present as an 11 year-old and played the grooves off it.

Remote Patrol

Oklahoma at Kansas

9 p.m. ESPN

Trae Young is the most watchable player in college hoops—if not the best—and Allen Fieldhouse its most appealing venue. And they’re both ranked. Young still leads the nation in scoring and assists.