by John Walters
Just Stop
We watched about 15 minutes of last night’s ESPN Sports Comeback special. Our thoughts about Mike Greenberg’s hosting job reminds us of something Rust Cohle once told those two detectives in the interrogation room: “Start asking the right f***ing questions.”
Greenberg might’ve wanted to ask NBA commissioner Adam Silver what the NBA will do when a player does test positive (Is that player quarantined for 14 days, at least?). Or why the NBA is so gung-ho on resuming play as 18 states report a rise in coronavirus cases and there’s still no vaccine? Or how the players are going to enjoy being separated from their families for up to two months and, worse, in Orlando. In August? Please.
Mostly, he should’ve just asked why the NBA can’t just play it smart and WAIT? This season, no matter how the NBA might attempt to put a bow on it with a contrived mini-playoff, is lost. And if the NBA continues to forge ahead with this plan, next season is compromised because the players will have practically no break as they commence what will be a shortened season.
We said it way back in early March: cancel everything and wait for a vaccine. At least in terms of sports and non-essential activities.
And I’m frankly embarrassed for ESPN. I guess rights-holders are always gonna be cheerleaders, but they’ve mostly steered away from asking the difficult and honest questions in favor of a “We Want Sports Back!” approach the past three months.
Happy Trails
From TheDiscoverer.com, a list of 10 “Insane Hikes Around The World.” We’d have added 5th Avenue between 59th and 48th Street during the height of Christmas tourist season, but no matter. In the words of Fleetwood Mac, “You can go your own way.”
The Treasure of the Negros Hermanos
Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods could have been something fantastic. It is not. It’s good, but it falls short in numerous ways. Here are a few things we did not like:
- Any college film class instructor would’ve advised Spike to refrain from the contrived allusions to classic Hollywood films. In the last 45 minutes of the film Spike references The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (a VietCong gangster says “We don’t need no stinkin’ badges”) and The Bridge On The River Kwai (“Madness! Madness!”).
- It’s by now accepted that Spike is gonna Spike his films with less-than-subtle messaging about civil rights and his own damn self. So there’s a breakaway shot of the world’s greatest ever intermediate hurdler, Edwin Moses, primarily because like Spike Moses is a Morehouse alum. There’s lots of stuff like this throughout the movie and it disrupts it.
- I don’t know who scouted the locations or decided to hit Vietnam in what appears to be autumn, but much of the film did not appear jungle-like. There were brown leaves on the jungle floor and no dense undergrowth. Maybe we’ve all seen too many Vietnam films, but it just didn’t look like the Vietnam, in the wilderness, that you know.
- The move to keep the same actors who are in their late sixties or older playing their younger selves in late 1960s Vietnam was curious. You see a forever young Chadwick Boseman (who is incredibly charismatic and maybe the best part of this film) engaging with the four soldiers in his charge who could be his grandfather’s age. Odd.
The premise of the film is solid. The execution of it, particularly in the second half, feels like something I’d be watching on TNT that stars Steve Zahn and takes you away to Hawaii (“The Perfect Getaway”) or the Sahara (“Sahara”).
Could’ve been an epic film. Alas, it was Spiked.
Bubba Vs. Chuba
Oklahoma State football coach/Guy who should be asking you if you also want him to check your oil Mike Gundy got into some trouble of late with the nation’s leading rusher, Chuba Hubbard. You see, Chuba (“Chew-buh”) plays for Gundy. And he’s Canadian. And he’s black.
And “OAN” stands for One America Network, which is a nasty little cable news channels thats smaller and more racist than Fox News. Yes, it is possible.
The two men are vowing to hug it out and go forward. But that’s because it’s too late for Hubbard to do much else at this point and Gundy will say what he needs to in order to keep the nation’s leading rusher happy.
I did not watch the show last night (my cable was out for more than 6 hours yesterday & when it came back, all the channel & show names were missing for several more hours, so I didn’t know this show would be airing). But unless the parameters have changed (quite possible) for the “NBA Return” – players can have their families WITH them in a closed off section of one of the Disney World resorts. And only 22 teams start & more than half will be eliminated within a month. Plus, you’re worried about “no break” between the end of this mini-season & the next? Well, I THINK next season is supposed to be delayed (possibly to start Xmas Day, but maybe they’ve changed that idea since I read about it 3-4 weeks ago) AND the teams have ALREADY HAD A FOUR MONTH BREAK! Plus, only 4 teams will be there for most of the time. So I’m not going to clutching my pearls & worrying about these professional athletes that normally play 82 games plus up to an additional 28 Playoff games every year. Getting soft in your ‘old age’, jdubs? 🙂
It’s been evident at least since Trump stole the WH, of Gundy’s political leanings. And unless he goes on a public racist rant, I guess he can’t be fired for his choice in cable channels or T-shirts. However, WHY would PARENTS keep sending their sons to this heinous jerk? And WHY would players want to play there? Maybe if OKL St was the ONLY chance for a Div 1 scholarship? But here’s the thing – if you SIGN up knowing what kind of person a Head Coach is & that he STANDS for MOST of what you are against, what does that MAKE YOU?
Susie B.,
“If you SIGN up knowing what kind of person a Head Coach is & that he STANDS for MOST of what you are against, what does that MAKE YOU” if you get him and the organization than stands behind him to change? To, in less than 12 hours, have both the coach and OS acknowledge that change is happening and you are committed to paying attention to that change and backing the needs and rights of your African American athletes and community? I think that makes you brave, honorable and dedicated. You took on the problem instead of shying away from it or pretending it didn’t exist.
The current & hundreds of former players at OK St did NOT come there to “change” Mike Gundy or the “culture” at the school. They might have been “dedicated” but it was NOT for social justice.
Also, perhaps hanging ‘around’ jdubs for lo these many years has had an effect, but call me SKEPTICAL that Mike Gundy will truly change his thinking & beliefs. People usually only change when it’s their idea & they are really motivated. Neither is the case here. It’s EASY to mouth some words when your job is on the line (because he has has been FORCED TO FINALLY PAY ATTENTION) but we’ll see.
Also, WHERE was all the ranting & protesting when Gundy announced back in April of his ADMIRATION for OAN? That he also believed COVID was a “HOAX”. That the players should all be forced back to start practice right then to “run money through the state of Oklahoma”?
And finally, if ANYBODY really believes avid viewer of OAN Mike Gundy did NOT know that the POS “channel” called the BLM movement a “farce” then they deserve to be “shocked” when Gundy goes back to revealing his true character.
You didn’t answer the first question, Susie. b
What if a player tests positive? Well, my last reading about their plan was 3-4 weeks ago & I think it said such players would be quarantined for the 14 days. Plus, ALL the players, coaches & other personnel are to be tested every other day.
Of course, now that Flat-earther Irving has shoehorned in his two cents that the “Return” should NOT happen at all, who knows. The fact that he would not be playing anyway (season-ending surgery in early March) & that the majority of players all VOTED for the return only a few weeks ago apparently does not prevent him from trying to shut it all down now. I read one of his statements yesterday & NOW he’s suddenly concerned for the players’ health? Really – where was that concern back in March & April? Also, someone explain to me how MILLIONAIRE NBA players, who have access to the best medical care IN THE FREAKIN WORLD, are being “KEPT IN THE DARK” about their health!
If the majority of players all VOTE that they don’t want to play because of the risk, fine. If they decide they want to devote all their time to “social justice” at this time, fine. Just DON’T LIE ABOUT YOUR TRUE MOTIVES. And realize you forfeit not just the rest of this year’s income but next year’s too as the current contract apparently becomes null & void due to the “force majeure” clause which will be invoked by the owners.
Who’s administering the tests? Why should anyone trust the results? It’s like asking the Republican party to count all the votes.