By Rick Morris
One of the most low-key media weeks of the modern Super Bowl era is behind us now as the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers prepare for the ultimate football struggle this Sunday night in Tampa. These two teams took a characteristically low-key approach to the game's grandest stage, leaving us thankfully short of tabloid headlines and trash-talking nonsense to digest. One storyline that has been beaten into the ground is Pittsburgh's success in the Super Bowl era and the complete futility of the Cardinals team going back to the 1940s.
There are many great angles to this game on and off the field, but let's start by examining some of the more offbeat ones:
^ Pittsburgh's only loss in a Super Bowl came IN Arizona 13 years ago in Super Bowl 30 at the hands of Dallas. To this day, Neil O'Donnell's face is on the dartboard of every meth lab in the greater Pittsburgh area ...
^ Al Michaels and John Madden are calling the first Super Bowl on NBC since they regained NFL broadcast rights in 2006. When was their last Super Bowl together? Super Bowl 40, the last NFL game on ABC in February 2006 -- a game that also featured Pittsburgh. In that game, the Steelers beat (or perhaps "beat" is a more appropriate term, what with the big part the refs played in that travesty) the Seahawks -- who were coached by Mike Holmgren. "The Walrus" also lost Super Bowl 32, which was the last Super Bowl on NBC, giving him the unique distinction of losing the last game on two different broadcast networks.
^ This game follows in the footsteps of some true classics. 40 years ago in Super Bowl 3, the Jets and Joe Namath shocked the world. 30 years ago in Super Bowl 13, the Steelers and Cowboys played the second of their 1970s epic battles. 20 years ago in Super Bowl 23, Joe Montana led one of the greatest drives of all time to lead the Niners past the Bengals in the final minute. 10 years ago in Super Bowl 33, the Broncos and Falcons ... well, every rule has its exception, I guess.
^ This is only the fourth time in Super Bowl history that two QBs who have won Super Bowls will go head-to-head, albeit this is the first time that one of them won his ring with another franchise (Kurt Warner with the Rams in Super Bowl 34). The AFC won all three previous games (Pittsburgh over Dallas in Super Bowl 10, Pittsburgh over Dallas in Super Bowl 13 and the Los Angeles Raiders over Washington in Super Bowl 18 -- the first Super Bowl in Tampa). Now, there are many battles between QBs who would ultimately go on to win the big one, but very few that took place when both of them already had. And how about this note? Warner won his previous Super Bowl in St. Louis -- the former home of the Cardinals.
Before the hardcore analysis begins, I want to direct you to some other fine coverage on the Internet:
^ Our own FDH New York Bureau designed some fun prop bets for your Super Bowl party.
^ The great Football Outsiders site checks out some of the Xs and Os.
^ Greg Cosell, one of the best in the biz at dissecting film (along with our good pal The Scout Ken Becks of Gridiron Evaluations!), tells in his Sporting News column about how the two QBs in the game differ -- one is much better before the snap and one is much better after.
^ ESPN's analysts make their picks.
^ Here's NFL.com's Super Bowl home page.
The obvious media hook to this game centers around the fact that the Steelers passed over Ken Whisenhunt for their head coaching job two years ago when Bill Cowher retired. Whisenhunt was the longtime offensive coordinator for Pittsburgh and he was designing the plays (including the sweet flea-flicker) when the Steelers won the Super Bowl three years ago. Many columnists have drawn comparisons this week to the Tampa Bay-Oakland Super Bowl of six years ago when Jon Gruden used his inside knowledge of the Raiders to help his Bucs disembowel them. Given that Gruden's protege Bill Callahan was leading Oakland on that day and Whisenhunt will be facing Mike Tomlin (who was unconnected to the Pittsburgh organization prior to being hired as head coach and who has made some changes, especially on the offensive side of the ball), it's very easy to overstate the advantage that Arizona gets from familiarity. Coach Whiz may be privy to some individual player tendencies and some lingering organizational philosophies that may be of some use, however.
One area of relative continuity is the defensive side of the ball for Pittsburgh, where longtime genius Dick LeBeau continues to design the "Blitzburgh" schemes. When Tomlin (a Tony Dungy protege) took over, he initially made noises about moving the Steelers more towards the Cover 2 scheme, and while Pittsburgh doesn't operate exactly as they did when Bill Cowher was supervising LeBeau, Tomlin was smart enough to back off and allow the necessary continuity. LeBeau's tenure has been so great that Mike Ditka grumbled this week about "idiots" voting for the Hall of Fame who don't give assistant coaches the credence in their voting that they should (incidentally, a stand that I have long held). Again, some of the wrinkles are different, as are some key personnel, but Whisenhunt's familiarity with his former defensive counterpart's philosophies will prove useful.
Now, these Steelers aren't the same as they were in the Super Bowl three years ago in some key regards. They're even better defensively, the top unit in the league this year with NFL Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison having come into his own. But offensively? That's a different story. The experience that Ben Roethlisberger continues to gather has not offset a weakening offensive line (which has lost talent over the past few years -- not least of which the dominating Alan Faneca -- and the great O line coach Russ Grimm, who joined Whisenhunt in Arizona) and a running game that lost super rookie Rashard Mendenhall for the season and stud Willie Parker for parts of it with an injury. With a hobbled Parker and a better-than-expected-but-still-not-great Mewelde Moore manning the position for Pittsburgh, they finished a disappointing 23rd in the league in terms of rushing the ball. The receiving corps has been solid, but Hines Ward's good comeback season has a cloud over it at the moment after suffering a knee injury in the AFC Championship Game.
The Steelers come into this game undeniably battle-tested, having competed against the league's toughest schedule (with out-of-division games against the brutal AFC South and NFC East). Conversely, the Cardinals played many cupcakes en route to winning the pathetic NFC West, another reason that their 9-7 record impressed so few coming into the playoffs. The team was particularly outmatched when they played on the road in the cold, so balmy Tampa will be quite to their liking.
It would be easy for Arizona to take heart in the fact that their worst-in-the-NFL rushing attack wasn't much lower statistically than Pittsburgh's. It would also be grossly misleading, since injuries accounted for most of Pittsburgh's falloff and Parker seems fairly healthy now. Alas, Arizona came by their putrid numbers honestly as Edgerrin James finally showed the effects of the countless "city miles" he racked up during his decade in the league and Tim Hightower proved adequate as a TD vulture back at best. The Cards mysteriously improved their ground attack during the playoffs, and against some really good defenses to boot, but none on a par with Pittsburgh's.
The alpha and omega of Arizona's offense is the passing attack with The Recycled Miracle Kurt Warner at the helm. In displacing Matt Leinart and returning to Pro Bowl status, Warner became the best QB in the league this season statistically against the blitz (bringing back memories of his Greatest Show on Turf days when TV announcers every week would make the point about how his days in the Arena Football League honed his quick passing skills) -- which makes the matchup against LeBeau's attacking unit that much more intriguing. And while Steve Breaston became arguably the league's best #3 WR and Anquan Boldin was another elite option (when he was healthy and not crying about his contract), Larry Fitzgerald was on his way to becoming a bona fide legend at age 25. Rarely have we seen in the recent history of any sport a postseason that yanks a player up from the ranks of All-Star to arguably one of the very best regardless of position (with Henrik Zetterberg's almost unparalleled two-way play in last year's Stanley Cup Playoffs perhaps coming closest to mind), but the humble Fitzgerald has provided just such a historic burst of greatness. The beauty of LeBeau's defense is that it camoflagues a lack of shutdown corners, but the Pittsburgh secondary will find it very hard indeed to double-team Fitzgerald as needed with the threat of Boldin (if sufficiently healthy) and Breaston also evident. And as much as the Steelers have suffered for Grimm's loss, that's how much the Cards' offensive linemen have benefitted.
On the defensive side of the ball, analysts everywhere have been lining up to shake the hand of coordinator Clancy Pendergast for his team's great playoff performances -- when in fact they should be shaking him by the lapels and screaming in his face about how his team could have underachieved so horribly in the regular season (19th in the league in defense). Arizona's run has been especially mysterious because the running game and the defense have both improved so unexpectedly in the postseason. The Cardinals don't have a lot of big names on defense, but they have more than a few players like Adrian Wilson who should be more famous than they are. This is a good unit if they play up to their potential, as they have recently.
But one troubling note for Arizona fans is the fact that the team has been so reliant on causing turnovers in this postseason run. Two weeks ago, I correctly noted that Baltimore could be vulnerable against Pittsburgh because of a similar overreliance defensively on causing turnovers.
Speaking of Baltimore, the Steelers are very fortunate to have had the Super Bowl bye week after that game. The Steelers, Titans and Ravens were arguably the most physical teams in the league this year and Baltimore felt the effects of having to play the other two aforementioned teams in consecutive weeks in the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Steelers have had a chance to heal up a bit this postseason with two playoff bye weeks and an initial playoff game that might as well have been flag football against an exceedingly soft Charger team that melted in the snow.
So what will decide this game? If you love the Xs and Os of football as I do, the battle of Arizona's offense against Pittsburgh's defense will be truly epic. I always note that the winner of a game is determined by who forces their style of play on the other team and this will certainly be the case here. If Arizona can turn this game into a track meet, they will win and it may not even be close. Warner is a legitimate big-game QB (leaving aside the donut hole of his career between the great runs in St. Louis and Arizona) and Roethlisberger turned in one of the absolute worst performances of a winning QB in Super Bowl history three years ago. That scenario is fairly doubtful, however, unless the unlikely resurgence of the Arizona running game can endure against the toughest challenge they have faced yet. But if that can happen, if James and Hightower and the dangerous-in-space J.J. Arrington can keep the Steelers on their heels, then Pittsburgh is in big trouble. Conversely, if Harrison and fellow OLB LaMarr Woodley can apply a lot of pressure without LeBeau having to commit to full-out blitzes, then Arizona's offense will be unable to function effectively.
When Pittsburgh has the ball, Roethlisberger has to be careful to not continue to pad Arizona's impressive recent interception tally. But the Cardinals have to be wary of his ability to make throws when flushed out of the pocket and the difficulty in bringing him to the ground. He is reputed to be at less than 100% physically and if either he or Ward is at subpar capacity, the Steelers will really struggle. The guess here is that both will be functional for what they need to do -- and remember that Ward is more of a possession receiver anyway. Pittsburgh would probably be feeling much more desperate if speedy Santonio Holmes was the one with a gimpy knee. Parker needs to outperform the other RBs Arizona has played against in the playoffs in order to give the passing game an honest chance. I would not be surprised if the Steelers threw in a few gadget plays in order to give the Mad Genius Whisenhunt something to think about -- since he'll surely put in a few for the Arizona offense.
In the end, the unlikelihood of Arizona being able to establish a truly balanced offensive attack looks to be their undoing. Pittsburgh does not have the offensive explosiveness that would indicate that they could win in a blowout (minus big turnovers to be generated by safety Troy Polamalu and company), so this one figures to be close. Can Arizona win? Most definitely, as we have established -- under the right circumstances. Those don't seem exceedingly likely to materialize in my book. The pick here is for a moderately exciting 24-16 win for Pittsburgh with Willie Parker taking home the MVP for chewing up yards and clock time -- helping the defense to mess with the rhythm of Warner's offense. Having said that, my playoff predictions are an uncharacteristically weak 3-5, so take the prediction with more than a few grains of salt. For that matter, three of my five losing predictions have come at the hands of Arizona, as I have been part of the army of skeptics who picked them to lose every week. Now that I have made my unbiased prediction, I will note on an extremely biased personal level that, as a lifelong resident of Cleveland, I sincerely hope that I am as accurate in picking the outcome of this Arizona game as I have been the entire postseason. Go Cardinals! And America, do yourself a favor and stick around for the special episode of "The Office" after the game as it should be outstanding as well.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Super Bowl XLIII Prop Bets
By The FDH NY Bureau (posted by Rick Morris)
Fantasy season over? Hate both teams? No rooting interest other than your box pools? Me too. So do what I do, come up with some absurd angles on this game to bet on with your friends. Here are some I came up with that I might try my luck at this Sunday...
1 - Will the Cardinals score a Defensive TD in the Game? (Y/N)
2 - Will the NBC Broadcasters (Al Michaels/John Madden) have a 'Terrible Towel' in the booth? (has to be visible on camera) (Y/N)
3 - Which #3 (non-starting) Wide Receiver will score first? ARZ: Steve Breaston PIT: Nate Washington
4 - How many Pat Tillman mentions by Al Michaels will be made during the NBC Broadcast? (O/U 3 1/2)
5 - Will Cardinals' TE Leonard Pope have at least one reception? (Y/N)
6 - Which 'TD Vulture' will score first? ARZ: Tim Hightower PIT: Mewelde Moore
7 - Will Cardinals' Kicker Neil Rackers hit at least one 50-yard FG? (Y/N)
8 - Which number will be higher: Kurt Warner INT's or Ben Roethlisberger passing TD's? (a tie is a wash)
9 - Will the Referees blow an obvious call at some point in the Game? (Y/N)
10 - Will Cardinals' backup QB Matt Leinart take at least ONE SNAP in the Game? (includes kneeldowns) (Y/N)
11 - Will there be a safety in the Game? (Y/N)
12 - Will a rushing TD be scored by ANY QB in the Game? (Y/N)
13 - Will the TV cameras catch a Cardinals player arguing with a Cardinals coach? (Y/N)
14 - Will Al Michaels make a reference to Joe Torre's new book during the NBC Broadcast? (Y/N)
15 - Will the same set of numbers win TWO quarters in everyone's box pool? (Y/N)
Fantasy season over? Hate both teams? No rooting interest other than your box pools? Me too. So do what I do, come up with some absurd angles on this game to bet on with your friends. Here are some I came up with that I might try my luck at this Sunday...
1 - Will the Cardinals score a Defensive TD in the Game? (Y/N)
2 - Will the NBC Broadcasters (Al Michaels/John Madden) have a 'Terrible Towel' in the booth? (has to be visible on camera) (Y/N)
3 - Which #3 (non-starting) Wide Receiver will score first? ARZ: Steve Breaston PIT: Nate Washington
4 - How many Pat Tillman mentions by Al Michaels will be made during the NBC Broadcast? (O/U 3 1/2)
5 - Will Cardinals' TE Leonard Pope have at least one reception? (Y/N)
6 - Which 'TD Vulture' will score first? ARZ: Tim Hightower PIT: Mewelde Moore
7 - Will Cardinals' Kicker Neil Rackers hit at least one 50-yard FG? (Y/N)
8 - Which number will be higher: Kurt Warner INT's or Ben Roethlisberger passing TD's? (a tie is a wash)
9 - Will the Referees blow an obvious call at some point in the Game? (Y/N)
10 - Will Cardinals' backup QB Matt Leinart take at least ONE SNAP in the Game? (includes kneeldowns) (Y/N)
11 - Will there be a safety in the Game? (Y/N)
12 - Will a rushing TD be scored by ANY QB in the Game? (Y/N)
13 - Will the TV cameras catch a Cardinals player arguing with a Cardinals coach? (Y/N)
14 - Will Al Michaels make a reference to Joe Torre's new book during the NBC Broadcast? (Y/N)
15 - Will the same set of numbers win TWO quarters in everyone's box pool? (Y/N)
GOP won't always be drunk, lefty media will still be ugly
By Rick Morris
There are two distinct elements in today's politics who are having a hard time getting acclimated to the Age of Obama: Congressional Republicans and those in the left-wing media (described for these purposes not as the mainstream media -- which is actually pretty pinko -- but blogs like Daily Kos and Huffington Post and the MSNBC shows from the likes of those jerks Olbermann and Maddow). Their difficulties bring to mind the saying from the drunk guy: "Yeah, I'm drunk, but I'll wake up in the morning sober. You'll still be ugly!" This analogy fits both parties perfectly.
Make no mistake, the Congressional Republicans are drunk on their own stupidity right now. The decision to oppose the Obama stimulus package on a unanimous basis was idiotic. The leadership is practically begging Obama to portray them as obstructionists who are stuck in the Bush era.
Now, the stimulus package is loaded with a lot of garbage (although the tax provisions are good and the infrastructure repairs are necessary) and did deserve to be voted against -- but for the nimrods in charge should not have made this a party loyalty issue. For once, a couple of squish RINOs could have done the party a favor by casting wimpy unprincipled votes untethered to principle. The measure was going to pass the House almost entirely on Democratic votes, so why the Republicans would make themselves a political target by voting against it 100% instead of 98% or 90% or 85% is beyond me. Actually, no, it's not, now that I think about it. The Republican Party just can't help stepping on its own johnson every time it turns around -- the Bush years and last year's presidential campaign prove this notion to be true. The GOP hasn't had a successful president since the Gipper rode off into the sunset 20 years ago last week and they're begging for more of the same by not being smart and picking their spots in opposing the Obama Administration. Just once, just once, I'd like to see the Republicans try to be as slick as the Democrats instead of merely thinking that they're slick.
But everything in politics is cyclical and even if the dinosaurs still calling the shots in the Republican Party in Congress haven't stepped aside, eventually they'll be gumming their porridge in retirement and some new blood will get a chance. If there's anybody with Reagan or Obama-type skills in that bunch, that will take care of a lot of problems, as impatient as I may be in waiting for that to happen.
The left-wing blogosphere and media structure, though ... now, that's a different story.
Their permanent structural flaws are being laid bare right now in a way that would be unsettling if any of the people involved had the slightest amount of self-awareness. Whether it be that pompous moron Olbermann or that Maoist enforcer Kos or that shrieking menace Huffington, none of them have apparently gotten the memo that their allies now control the entire federal government.
Now, it's true that right-wing media spends time railing against liberals -- and to a large extent -- but not to a complete extent. The only thing that the Maddows of the world can do is rail against the "EEEEVIL CONSERVATIVES!" -- witness their tirades about how none of the (marginalized, irrelevant, powerless) House Republicans voted for Obama's stimulus package. Now, even Helen Keller could tell you what form this is going to take -- blaming everything over the next four years on George W. Bush -- but it's funny that you never hear liberals talking about specific policy ideas. You don't have to agree with Republicans on talk radio or Fox News parroting conservative think tank ideas, but at least they're putting something out there. Democrats don't know how to be FOR ideas in their media platforms. Being affirmatively FOR Obama and the Congress is something they simply can't handle. If you thought right-wing media was disoriented when Bush and his pets in the Republican Congress were in control, you ain't seen nothing yet.
So while Republican drunkenness will wear off someday (it has to, doesn't it?), Democratic media ugliness never will.
There are two distinct elements in today's politics who are having a hard time getting acclimated to the Age of Obama: Congressional Republicans and those in the left-wing media (described for these purposes not as the mainstream media -- which is actually pretty pinko -- but blogs like Daily Kos and Huffington Post and the MSNBC shows from the likes of those jerks Olbermann and Maddow). Their difficulties bring to mind the saying from the drunk guy: "Yeah, I'm drunk, but I'll wake up in the morning sober. You'll still be ugly!" This analogy fits both parties perfectly.
Make no mistake, the Congressional Republicans are drunk on their own stupidity right now. The decision to oppose the Obama stimulus package on a unanimous basis was idiotic. The leadership is practically begging Obama to portray them as obstructionists who are stuck in the Bush era.
Now, the stimulus package is loaded with a lot of garbage (although the tax provisions are good and the infrastructure repairs are necessary) and did deserve to be voted against -- but for the nimrods in charge should not have made this a party loyalty issue. For once, a couple of squish RINOs could have done the party a favor by casting wimpy unprincipled votes untethered to principle. The measure was going to pass the House almost entirely on Democratic votes, so why the Republicans would make themselves a political target by voting against it 100% instead of 98% or 90% or 85% is beyond me. Actually, no, it's not, now that I think about it. The Republican Party just can't help stepping on its own johnson every time it turns around -- the Bush years and last year's presidential campaign prove this notion to be true. The GOP hasn't had a successful president since the Gipper rode off into the sunset 20 years ago last week and they're begging for more of the same by not being smart and picking their spots in opposing the Obama Administration. Just once, just once, I'd like to see the Republicans try to be as slick as the Democrats instead of merely thinking that they're slick.
But everything in politics is cyclical and even if the dinosaurs still calling the shots in the Republican Party in Congress haven't stepped aside, eventually they'll be gumming their porridge in retirement and some new blood will get a chance. If there's anybody with Reagan or Obama-type skills in that bunch, that will take care of a lot of problems, as impatient as I may be in waiting for that to happen.
The left-wing blogosphere and media structure, though ... now, that's a different story.
Their permanent structural flaws are being laid bare right now in a way that would be unsettling if any of the people involved had the slightest amount of self-awareness. Whether it be that pompous moron Olbermann or that Maoist enforcer Kos or that shrieking menace Huffington, none of them have apparently gotten the memo that their allies now control the entire federal government.
Now, it's true that right-wing media spends time railing against liberals -- and to a large extent -- but not to a complete extent. The only thing that the Maddows of the world can do is rail against the "EEEEVIL CONSERVATIVES!" -- witness their tirades about how none of the (marginalized, irrelevant, powerless) House Republicans voted for Obama's stimulus package. Now, even Helen Keller could tell you what form this is going to take -- blaming everything over the next four years on George W. Bush -- but it's funny that you never hear liberals talking about specific policy ideas. You don't have to agree with Republicans on talk radio or Fox News parroting conservative think tank ideas, but at least they're putting something out there. Democrats don't know how to be FOR ideas in their media platforms. Being affirmatively FOR Obama and the Congress is something they simply can't handle. If you thought right-wing media was disoriented when Bush and his pets in the Republican Congress were in control, you ain't seen nothing yet.
So while Republican drunkenness will wear off someday (it has to, doesn't it?), Democratic media ugliness never will.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
FDH Fantasy Newsletter: Volume II, Issue V
By Rick Morris
For the most part, we keep our fantasy content on our fantasy website and fantasy blog and keep this site for content on all subjects. It allows our readers to find specific content more easily that way. However, it has come to our attention that because our new fantasy sports newsletter is published on the older Blogger platform that our readers may be limited in their ability to subscribe to it. There does not appear to be a way to have content on the FantasyDrafthelp.com blog forwarded to an aggregate news reader -- however, we know that we have that ability here. So we will link to that newsletter each week right here when it is published. Here is this week's newsletter.
For the most part, we keep our fantasy content on our fantasy website and fantasy blog and keep this site for content on all subjects. It allows our readers to find specific content more easily that way. However, it has come to our attention that because our new fantasy sports newsletter is published on the older Blogger platform that our readers may be limited in their ability to subscribe to it. There does not appear to be a way to have content on the FantasyDrafthelp.com blog forwarded to an aggregate news reader -- however, we know that we have that ability here. So we will link to that newsletter each week right here when it is published. Here is this week's newsletter.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
FDH Lounge Show #44: postponed to February 4, 2009
By Rick Morris
Tonight's edition of THE FDH LOUNGE on SportsTalkNetwork.com is postponed to next week. It is worth noting that we were going to discuss our upcoming Fantasy NASCAR draft guide among other subjects; that will be released within days, so keep checking FDH for all details.
Tonight's edition of THE FDH LOUNGE on SportsTalkNetwork.com is postponed to next week. It is worth noting that we were going to discuss our upcoming Fantasy NASCAR draft guide among other subjects; that will be released within days, so keep checking FDH for all details.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Can You Say 21-0?!?!
By Sean Trench
The road team this time was the Sacramento Kings. The Kings came into this game with an overall record of 10-35. But on this night, they did not play like a team that had 35 losses. With proficient outside shooters such as Francisco Garcia, Kevin Martin, and Beno Udrih, they kept the Kings in the game all the way to the end. Udrih was a part of the San Antonio Spurs during their championship years. He was the backup to Tony Parker. Oh and I forgot Bobby Brown, you know the legendary R&B singer from the former group New Edition? Who is also Whitney Houston's husband? Oh wait, he is actually a rookie guard from Cal-State Fullerton. Another good outside shooter though. Can you see where I am going with this?
This game was ugly for both teams. Well, the final score read 117-110, Cleveland needed some much-needed help from a reliable source. Mo "The Hitman" Williams scored a career high 43 points on 15-24 shooting, and 7-12 from beyond the arc. At one point, Mo hit eight shots in a row! He was on fire throughout the whole game. Mo also had 8 rebounds and 11 assists as well. If it wasn't for Robin,"aka Mo" the Cavaliers wouldn't have won this game. Batman "aka Lebron" finished with an easy triple-double with 23 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists. It was his third triple-double this season. Fresh off being named NBA Player of The Week, he proved why. There were other good things to take from this game too, however.
The play that Tarence Kinsey gave them tonight off the bench was outstanding! His constant hustle and tenacious defense really gave them a boost. I would like to see him be given more minutes in the near future. J.J. Hickson also gave the Cavs energy and hustle off the bench with 11 points and 8 rebounds. But J.J. was in good position and constantly was moving to create his shots. He is learning more and more with each game. Other than these four players, the Cavs were flat. The highlight of this game though was the shooting performance of Mo Williams and Kevin Martin.
Kevin Martin finished the game with 35 points for the Kings. He was 8-17 shooting and 4-9 from 3 point range. He was also 15-17 from the free-throw line. He constantly was getting to the basket at will and creating his shot. Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown was not happy after the game saying "This was not Cavalier Basketball, we did not bring it defensively tonight." The Kings as a team shot 50% from the field. The Cavaliers pride themselves on keeping teams considerably under that number. John Salmons finished with 21 points, and rookie Jason Thompson had a nice game with 16 points.
Overall I think that Head Coach Kenny Natt has a team that he can work with, to continue to make the Kings better. He was formerly an assistant coach with Cleveland. He will get this team to play defense and bring in the players to do so. This team as it is currently constructed does not play defense at all. The Cavaliers should have beat the Kings tonight by a higher margin. They just didn't have it tonight offensively as a whole. They shot just 47% overall, and 42% from 3 point range. They did have a bright spot however, outrebounding the Kings 49-25.
I think that with the way that Mo Williams played on the West Coast trip, and also tonight, he has earned a spot on the Eastern Conference All-Star team. He has been a catalyst all season long for this team. It will be tough for coaches to choose between Jameer Nelson (Magic), and Devin Harris (Nets), and Williams (Cavs). Also Mike Brown can be the Head Coach of the All-Star team as well, if the Cavaliers keep winning. He would be the second coach to do so. Lenny Wilkins was the last, in 1989.
So the Cavaliers will be back to practice tomorrow with hopefully more good news. Zydrunas Illgauskas was back to practice and is hopeful that he can play Thursday against the Orlando Magic. This game will be another test for Cleveland as they look to keep building on their now 35-8 record. The Magic have excellent outside shooters and an interior force in the middle as well. Orlando is 34-10, so they are right up there with the top three teams in the NBA. The Los Angeles Lakers have the best overall record in the NBA, followed by the Cavaliers, then the Celtics, and the Magic.
Continue to show why Cleveland has the best sports fans in the country. Keep up the support and passion that makes you the reason why Cleveland rocks! Go Cavs and continue to tune into SportsTalkNetwork.com starting with AM Mayhem at 9 AM EST tomorrow to listen to best Cavaliers coverage. Also, look forward to the return of the Vegas Wise Guys featuring Vegas Vic and myself as we broadcast live from the Harry Buffalo in Painesville Township, OH at 3pm. The restaurant is located at 2119 Mentor Ave. So come out and see us!
The road team this time was the Sacramento Kings. The Kings came into this game with an overall record of 10-35. But on this night, they did not play like a team that had 35 losses. With proficient outside shooters such as Francisco Garcia, Kevin Martin, and Beno Udrih, they kept the Kings in the game all the way to the end. Udrih was a part of the San Antonio Spurs during their championship years. He was the backup to Tony Parker. Oh and I forgot Bobby Brown, you know the legendary R&B singer from the former group New Edition? Who is also Whitney Houston's husband? Oh wait, he is actually a rookie guard from Cal-State Fullerton. Another good outside shooter though. Can you see where I am going with this?
This game was ugly for both teams. Well, the final score read 117-110, Cleveland needed some much-needed help from a reliable source. Mo "The Hitman" Williams scored a career high 43 points on 15-24 shooting, and 7-12 from beyond the arc. At one point, Mo hit eight shots in a row! He was on fire throughout the whole game. Mo also had 8 rebounds and 11 assists as well. If it wasn't for Robin,"aka Mo" the Cavaliers wouldn't have won this game. Batman "aka Lebron" finished with an easy triple-double with 23 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists. It was his third triple-double this season. Fresh off being named NBA Player of The Week, he proved why. There were other good things to take from this game too, however.
The play that Tarence Kinsey gave them tonight off the bench was outstanding! His constant hustle and tenacious defense really gave them a boost. I would like to see him be given more minutes in the near future. J.J. Hickson also gave the Cavs energy and hustle off the bench with 11 points and 8 rebounds. But J.J. was in good position and constantly was moving to create his shots. He is learning more and more with each game. Other than these four players, the Cavs were flat. The highlight of this game though was the shooting performance of Mo Williams and Kevin Martin.
Kevin Martin finished the game with 35 points for the Kings. He was 8-17 shooting and 4-9 from 3 point range. He was also 15-17 from the free-throw line. He constantly was getting to the basket at will and creating his shot. Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown was not happy after the game saying "This was not Cavalier Basketball, we did not bring it defensively tonight." The Kings as a team shot 50% from the field. The Cavaliers pride themselves on keeping teams considerably under that number. John Salmons finished with 21 points, and rookie Jason Thompson had a nice game with 16 points.
Overall I think that Head Coach Kenny Natt has a team that he can work with, to continue to make the Kings better. He was formerly an assistant coach with Cleveland. He will get this team to play defense and bring in the players to do so. This team as it is currently constructed does not play defense at all. The Cavaliers should have beat the Kings tonight by a higher margin. They just didn't have it tonight offensively as a whole. They shot just 47% overall, and 42% from 3 point range. They did have a bright spot however, outrebounding the Kings 49-25.
I think that with the way that Mo Williams played on the West Coast trip, and also tonight, he has earned a spot on the Eastern Conference All-Star team. He has been a catalyst all season long for this team. It will be tough for coaches to choose between Jameer Nelson (Magic), and Devin Harris (Nets), and Williams (Cavs). Also Mike Brown can be the Head Coach of the All-Star team as well, if the Cavaliers keep winning. He would be the second coach to do so. Lenny Wilkins was the last, in 1989.
So the Cavaliers will be back to practice tomorrow with hopefully more good news. Zydrunas Illgauskas was back to practice and is hopeful that he can play Thursday against the Orlando Magic. This game will be another test for Cleveland as they look to keep building on their now 35-8 record. The Magic have excellent outside shooters and an interior force in the middle as well. Orlando is 34-10, so they are right up there with the top three teams in the NBA. The Los Angeles Lakers have the best overall record in the NBA, followed by the Cavaliers, then the Celtics, and the Magic.
Continue to show why Cleveland has the best sports fans in the country. Keep up the support and passion that makes you the reason why Cleveland rocks! Go Cavs and continue to tune into SportsTalkNetwork.com starting with AM Mayhem at 9 AM EST tomorrow to listen to best Cavaliers coverage. Also, look forward to the return of the Vegas Wise Guys featuring Vegas Vic and myself as we broadcast live from the Harry Buffalo in Painesville Township, OH at 3pm. The restaurant is located at 2119 Mentor Ave. So come out and see us!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Sportsology: NHL All-Star Game recap
By Rick Morris
Our good pal Russ Cohen from Sportsology attended the All-Star Game festivities this weekend and fed us updates that we posted on our Twitter feed (except for when the Internet in the Bell Centre was on the fritz Sunday night). Here's his great article from Sportsology.info:
The East Won The Game and The Fans Went Home Happy
By Russ Cohen
I had a chance to see the All-Star Game in Florida a few years back and this game had a similar feel to it.
Alex Kovalev is a real crowd pleaser in Montreal and during this weekend he really seized the moment. He had a great time heading into tonight’s game and that may have lead to his terrific All-Star game appearance. "It's a pretty amazing atmosphere, an amazing weekend, with a bunch of guys that you play against or have played with before, and being in the locker and laughs and doing crazy things on the ice,” Kovalev noted.
The game had a decent ebb and flow at the beginning but in the middle it was waning a bit until the game was tied in the third period, which also included a big-time penalty kill by the East. Boston goaltender Tim Thomas (who stopped 19 of 22 shots) stood on his head and he could have been the MVP as well. Vincent Lecavalier (who was a plus 4) still has a job in Tampa, although the hometown fans would love to see him play in their arena on a full-time basis. Who knows if that will ever happen but one thing is for sure, the Tampa captain really enjoyed himself this weekend.“I had a great time,” Lecavalier stated. “It’s going to be nice to get back to Tampa tomorrow and practice with the guys.”
New Jersey’s Zach Parise loved his new, temporary linemates. “I thought it was a great way to end the All-Star game,” Parise said with a smile. “I got to play on a pretty good line with Vinny and Marty. Oh my God, those guys are awesome.”
Evgeni Malkin got a pretty goal that he maneuvered between his legs and that ended up in the back of the net. “Yeah, it was different because the defenseman weren’t playing hard,” Malkin said candidly.
Habs defenseman Andrei Markov talked about winning a 12-11 "defensive struggle." “It was a fun game I think. Both teams deserved to win and we won the shootout,” said Markov.
The East used Kovalev, Lecavalier and Alexander Ovechkin but not Markov. Was the defenseman hoping that he would be called? “Yeah, if they would have told me,” the Canadiens blue liner admitted. “I love pressure..it’s fun…we’ll see. Maybe in the future.”
Our good pal Russ Cohen from Sportsology attended the All-Star Game festivities this weekend and fed us updates that we posted on our Twitter feed (except for when the Internet in the Bell Centre was on the fritz Sunday night). Here's his great article from Sportsology.info:
The East Won The Game and The Fans Went Home Happy
By Russ Cohen
I had a chance to see the All-Star Game in Florida a few years back and this game had a similar feel to it.
Alex Kovalev is a real crowd pleaser in Montreal and during this weekend he really seized the moment. He had a great time heading into tonight’s game and that may have lead to his terrific All-Star game appearance. "It's a pretty amazing atmosphere, an amazing weekend, with a bunch of guys that you play against or have played with before, and being in the locker and laughs and doing crazy things on the ice,” Kovalev noted.
The game had a decent ebb and flow at the beginning but in the middle it was waning a bit until the game was tied in the third period, which also included a big-time penalty kill by the East. Boston goaltender Tim Thomas (who stopped 19 of 22 shots) stood on his head and he could have been the MVP as well. Vincent Lecavalier (who was a plus 4) still has a job in Tampa, although the hometown fans would love to see him play in their arena on a full-time basis. Who knows if that will ever happen but one thing is for sure, the Tampa captain really enjoyed himself this weekend.“I had a great time,” Lecavalier stated. “It’s going to be nice to get back to Tampa tomorrow and practice with the guys.”
New Jersey’s Zach Parise loved his new, temporary linemates. “I thought it was a great way to end the All-Star game,” Parise said with a smile. “I got to play on a pretty good line with Vinny and Marty. Oh my God, those guys are awesome.”
Evgeni Malkin got a pretty goal that he maneuvered between his legs and that ended up in the back of the net. “Yeah, it was different because the defenseman weren’t playing hard,” Malkin said candidly.
Habs defenseman Andrei Markov talked about winning a 12-11 "defensive struggle." “It was a fun game I think. Both teams deserved to win and we won the shootout,” said Markov.
The East used Kovalev, Lecavalier and Alexander Ovechkin but not Markov. Was the defenseman hoping that he would be called? “Yeah, if they would have told me,” the Canadiens blue liner admitted. “I love pressure..it’s fun…we’ll see. Maybe in the future.”
Sunday, January 25, 2009
The NFL youth coaching bubble
By Rick Morris
Right about now, several Super Bowl rings are sitting on the fingers of coaches who are using said digits to scratch themselves on their couches while supremely young coordinators (and in some cases, position coaches) have been promoted to head coach. What gives?
Well, in a copycat league, teams are wildly overreacting to the success of young coaches (Mike Tomlin reaching the Super Bowl in just his second year in charge) and previously inexperienced NFL head coaches (Mike Smith and Tony Sparano finishing 1-2 in the AP Coach of the Year balloting with John Harbaugh as a strong candidate as well).
Now, this is not to say that all of the new hires are mistakes -- chances are that at least half of them, if not the majority of them, are not -- but merely that the methodology is suspect. Look at the Pittsburgh Steelers: they seemingly were not going to consider anybody not in his 30s because their egos needed to be sustained after having the whole world jock them for giving Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher their big breaks at that age and it's worked out for them. Sometimes you can make a decision for questionable reasons and still get away with it, so there's probably only a few of the teams giving in to this trend who will suffer for it. With the collapse on Wall Street in recent months, we have heard much about "bubble mentalities" and how they fuel trends like we saw with the rampant and asinine growth in the subprime mortgage industry. It would probably be appropriate to view this NFL trend as a bubble that is bound to burst at some point.
And it's true that there's a fine line between previously successful coaches and retreads. So a Brian Billick doesn't necessarily deserve the benefit of the doubt over these young guys just because he lifted the Lombardi Trophy as a head coach eight years ago. But when the league appears to be surrendering to groupthink in terms of who should and should not get an opportunity, then you've got to wonder a bit.
Take Tampa Bay for example. Weeks ago, the Bucs decided that Raheem Morris would be the perfect choice to fill the big shoes of Monte Kiffin as defensive coordinator. When some teams subsequently came sniffing around after Morris as a head coaching candidate, the Glazer family then panicked, weeks after the season had ended, and blew out Coach Chucky and GM Bruce Allen to start completely fresh with this youngster. Could it turn out to be a good move? Quite possibly. Do the Glazers deserve the benefit of the doubt, going back to when they prematurely got rid of Tony Dungy? Not at all.
I always believe firmly that teams should do exactly what is right for their own situation regardless of any wider trends in the league. For that reason, as a Browns fan, I am disappointed that the feeble Lerner ownership rushed to hire Eric Mangini as head coach before retaining a new GM (and after mistakenly firing Phil Savage, but that's a whole other rant). But hey, he fit the bill! Young guy in his 30s, albeit with some previous head coaching experience.
I do like the idea in theory of giving talented no-names a chance, because ultimately what matters in that equation is the talent as opposed to the Q rating of the name. But I fear that groupthink on the other extreme will prevail if enough of these young guys fall flat on their faces and that would be even worse. Not to diminish what they did before, but the world doesn't need to see Jerry Glanville or Sam Wyche polluting any NFL sidelines any time soon. Unfortunately, we could be headed for a world like that if NFL owners continue to cling to a youth fetish that would put Michael Jackson to shame.
Right about now, several Super Bowl rings are sitting on the fingers of coaches who are using said digits to scratch themselves on their couches while supremely young coordinators (and in some cases, position coaches) have been promoted to head coach. What gives?
Well, in a copycat league, teams are wildly overreacting to the success of young coaches (Mike Tomlin reaching the Super Bowl in just his second year in charge) and previously inexperienced NFL head coaches (Mike Smith and Tony Sparano finishing 1-2 in the AP Coach of the Year balloting with John Harbaugh as a strong candidate as well).
Now, this is not to say that all of the new hires are mistakes -- chances are that at least half of them, if not the majority of them, are not -- but merely that the methodology is suspect. Look at the Pittsburgh Steelers: they seemingly were not going to consider anybody not in his 30s because their egos needed to be sustained after having the whole world jock them for giving Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher their big breaks at that age and it's worked out for them. Sometimes you can make a decision for questionable reasons and still get away with it, so there's probably only a few of the teams giving in to this trend who will suffer for it. With the collapse on Wall Street in recent months, we have heard much about "bubble mentalities" and how they fuel trends like we saw with the rampant and asinine growth in the subprime mortgage industry. It would probably be appropriate to view this NFL trend as a bubble that is bound to burst at some point.
And it's true that there's a fine line between previously successful coaches and retreads. So a Brian Billick doesn't necessarily deserve the benefit of the doubt over these young guys just because he lifted the Lombardi Trophy as a head coach eight years ago. But when the league appears to be surrendering to groupthink in terms of who should and should not get an opportunity, then you've got to wonder a bit.
Take Tampa Bay for example. Weeks ago, the Bucs decided that Raheem Morris would be the perfect choice to fill the big shoes of Monte Kiffin as defensive coordinator. When some teams subsequently came sniffing around after Morris as a head coaching candidate, the Glazer family then panicked, weeks after the season had ended, and blew out Coach Chucky and GM Bruce Allen to start completely fresh with this youngster. Could it turn out to be a good move? Quite possibly. Do the Glazers deserve the benefit of the doubt, going back to when they prematurely got rid of Tony Dungy? Not at all.
I always believe firmly that teams should do exactly what is right for their own situation regardless of any wider trends in the league. For that reason, as a Browns fan, I am disappointed that the feeble Lerner ownership rushed to hire Eric Mangini as head coach before retaining a new GM (and after mistakenly firing Phil Savage, but that's a whole other rant). But hey, he fit the bill! Young guy in his 30s, albeit with some previous head coaching experience.
I do like the idea in theory of giving talented no-names a chance, because ultimately what matters in that equation is the talent as opposed to the Q rating of the name. But I fear that groupthink on the other extreme will prevail if enough of these young guys fall flat on their faces and that would be even worse. Not to diminish what they did before, but the world doesn't need to see Jerry Glanville or Sam Wyche polluting any NFL sidelines any time soon. Unfortunately, we could be headed for a world like that if NFL owners continue to cling to a youth fetish that would put Michael Jackson to shame.
RIP Dante Lavelli
By Rick Morris
One consequence of the modern age is that more and more old icons are passing away, leaving us with only the memories they brought us. Another such legend passed on this week as Hall of Fame Cleveland Browns wide receiver Dante "Gluefingers" Lavelli succumbed to illness Tuesday night at age 85.
The term "triplets" came into vogue in the 1990s to characterize the Aikman/Smith/Irvin trio in Dallas and later was used the same way to describe the franchise QB/franchise RB/franchise WR combo in Indianapolis. With all due respect to those groups or any others in recent decades, few if any would be better than the one Lavelli inhabited with Otto Graham and Marion Motley. More important on a human level is the fact that Lavelli was known as a man of class and great decency.
This story from legendary Cleveland sportswriter Bob Dolgan paints a very vivid account of his life. And longtime Cleveland broadcaster Les Levine shares his own thoughts here. RIP Dante Lavelli.
One consequence of the modern age is that more and more old icons are passing away, leaving us with only the memories they brought us. Another such legend passed on this week as Hall of Fame Cleveland Browns wide receiver Dante "Gluefingers" Lavelli succumbed to illness Tuesday night at age 85.
The term "triplets" came into vogue in the 1990s to characterize the Aikman/Smith/Irvin trio in Dallas and later was used the same way to describe the franchise QB/franchise RB/franchise WR combo in Indianapolis. With all due respect to those groups or any others in recent decades, few if any would be better than the one Lavelli inhabited with Otto Graham and Marion Motley. More important on a human level is the fact that Lavelli was known as a man of class and great decency.
This story from legendary Cleveland sportswriter Bob Dolgan paints a very vivid account of his life. And longtime Cleveland broadcaster Les Levine shares his own thoughts here. RIP Dante Lavelli.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
FDH Fantasy Newsletter: Volume II, Issue IV
By Rick Morris
For the most part, we keep our fantasy content on our fantasy website and fantasy blog and keep this site for content on all subjects. It allows our readers to find specific content more easily that way. However, it has come to our attention that because our new fantasy sports newsletter is published on the older Blogger platform that our readers may be limited in their ability to subscribe to it. There does not appear to be a way to have content on the FantasyDrafthelp.com blog forwarded to an aggregate news reader -- however, we know that we have that ability here. So we will link to that newsletter each week right here when it is published. Here is this week's newsletter.
For the most part, we keep our fantasy content on our fantasy website and fantasy blog and keep this site for content on all subjects. It allows our readers to find specific content more easily that way. However, it has come to our attention that because our new fantasy sports newsletter is published on the older Blogger platform that our readers may be limited in their ability to subscribe to it. There does not appear to be a way to have content on the FantasyDrafthelp.com blog forwarded to an aggregate news reader -- however, we know that we have that ability here. So we will link to that newsletter each week right here when it is published. Here is this week's newsletter.
Movie review: The Wrestler
By Rick Morris
Believe the hype. THE WRESTLER is every bit the epic movie that the early reviews had indicated. It stands apart as a completely unique film experience, something completely different from anything you have ever seen before or will ever see again. For that reason, it doesn't do justice to the movie to review it in a standard manner, moving from one aspect to another while utilizing segues, so these points will be listed separately.
^ The movie is shot in the style of a documentary (but not a mocumentary like NBC's "The Office" where the characters know that they are on camera), with a camera following around the protagonist Randy "The Ram" Robinson as he battles through daily life almost two decades removed from his fame as an '80s wrestling superstar. While the script is deliberately vague about certain areas (we are led to believe that his daughter, who he abandoned, turned lesbian and we are also led to believe that his career came off the rails in the '90s because his '80s hair metal persona was completely out of favor then), we know that his life has been a long, slow decline to the point where he has few friends or family around him, he works at a supermarket for a sneering, abusive twit of a boss and he is frequently locked out of his trailer home for falling behind on rent. His life is a sad one and would be even sadder were it not for the fact that his travails are self-induced -- for he refuses to put his prior life behind him. He still wrestles on weekends for independent promotions in the Northeast where rabid fans relive their childhoods by cheering him on. When he moves through the curtains and strides to the ring with his entrance music blaring, it's like time has stood still and he's not in a tiny auditorium with a few hundred fans; in his mind, he's back in the Garden with a sold-out crowd going wild for him. Those times are portrayed during the opening credits as a succession of old posters and wrestling magazine features (including, gloriously, several faked-up versions of the old Apter mark mags!) flash by one after another as a means of portraying Randy's prime years.
[This movie opened in the area where I live on January 23 and I saw it immediately. This turned out to be 25 years to the day that Hulk Hogan defeated the Iron Sheik for the WWF Championship at Madison Square Garden and helped kick off the 1980s wrestling boom in earnest. I found this to be an interesting coincidence. While some have wondered if Mickey Rourke's "Ram" character was based on Hogan in any way, it's only possibly true in terms of the respective characters in their heyday, because Hogan isn't living his present life in the same desperate manner. There are aspects of Lex Luger in the character (perhaps more so in the vein of "life after the big time") and some other old icons as well; you would do well to see Randy as a composite of several of them. The wrestling scenes were all shot at actual independent wrestling shows and I was a bit amused at the end to see Randy wrestling for Ring of Honor. This promotion, easily the biggest independent in the country, prides itself on cutting-edge "workrate" that would not be out of place in a Japanese pro ring and never features the kind of cheesy nostalgia that Randy's character embodies. So that was a bit of an inside joke, whether intended or not. Having said that, ROH is a great promotion and I hope that they can capitalize on some of the run they are getting from being featured in this movie.]
^ We may never again witness the blurring of a character and an actor as we do with Rourke and Robinson in this movie. Like "The Ram," Rourke was an '80s icon, only in Hollywood. Like "The Ram," bad luck and bad choices led Rourke to oblivion. Rourke clearly identifies with his character in this movie to an almost scary degree and he portrays him with a fervor that you could not begin to imagine with anyone else. I'm always entertained by Nicolas Cage, but this movie wouldn't be anywhere near what it is with anyone other than Rourke in the lead role. "The Ram's" quest for redemption in the movie parallels what Rourke has achieved in the film world since the screenplay has hit theatres. Every Oscar voter who doesn't cast a ballot for him for "Best Actor" deserves a staplegun shot to the head (speaking of which, props to Rourke for doing his own stunts, including a hardcore match with the insane Necro Butcher that featured staples being used as you've likely never seen before -- as well as some "blading" in a previous match). Additionally, Marisa Tomei puts a creative spin on the "stripper with a heart of gold" role as Randy's kind-of friend -- and you get to see her "performing" in that role. Bonus!
^ Never before has the behind-the-curtain side of pro wrestling been featured as truthfully in a drama. Some documentaries have explored aspects of this, but the viewer really feels present with Randy in the locker room with "the boys," with all the hilarious and mundane circumstances that are present. The fraternity of the workers is a tight-knit group and Randy is treated as almost a deity in any locker room he inhabits. To understand why this part is so accurate, you must understand the subculture of the independent wrestling scene. Pro grapplers in this world come from three groups: those who were once in the big time and are on their way back down (and big-time one-time stars like Randy are a tiny part of the scene), those who are young and hoping to reach the big time some day and those who are career journeymen who will never make it to the "big time." These wrestlers don't see Randy as a broken-down shell of a man who still tries to relive his glory days on the weekends; they see him as somebody who became one of the biggest superstars in the business, somebody who is a living-and-breathing representation of what can happen if you continue to chase your dreams of glory. The reverence that they show him is touching and accurate -- and especially hilarious in the case of his in-ring opponents. Speaking of the wrestlers, one amusing scene from backstage really made me laugh. Each pair of opponents was huddled together, devising a rough blueprint for the flow of their matches, as is often the case at the indy level (where the promoter only tells them who's winning the match -- in the "big time," promotion employees are actively involved in mapping out the matches). As one heel is suggesting to his opponent that he spend the bulk of the match "working the leg," an overly muscled fellow wrestler is standing watching them in amusement. "Don't work the leg," he chastises them. "Everybody does that. Try to mix it up a little bit. Maybe work the neck." Then he hears somebody calling to him from across the room. "What? Oh, OK." He turns back to the two wrestlers. "Never mind, HE'S working the neck!"
[I can attest to how the indy wrestling scene is portrayed from a brief experience as a ring announcer for a friend who was trying to start a promotion (here's a hint to anyone hoping to ever dabble in the biz: if you own your own tux, you are more likely to be sought after as a ring announcer!). His promotion utilized National Guard Armories and other small-time venues and the occasional former big-timer like Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka did pass through. I saw all aspects of life at that level -- from seeing the wrestlers map out their matches backstage to helping mega-heel "Diceman" Ronnie Vegas get some crowd heat by having him chase me around ringside to hearing an obese special education (apparently) youngster bellow (apropos of nothing) at a bad guy, "You're not the Macho Man! You'll never BE the Macho Man!" Ah memories ...]
^ Because the pro wrestling business is such a bizarre industry, this movie will evoke different reactions from different people. Those who don't understand the business will have greater knowledge, if not appreciation, for it. From my experience, I can say that for those of us who have derived entertainment from it over the years, certain moral questions may come into play. The epidemic of early deaths among wrestlers have long led me to wonder if the fans are enablers when it comes to subsidizing some of the difficult lives these performers often lead. Whether intentional or not, Randy's "doing it all for the fans" mantra was strikingly similar to that of Chris Benoit, a tightly-wound perfectionist who lived for the rabid appreciation of his fans -- and subsequently cracked under the strain of his life and murdered his wife and child before hanging himself. Any movie that evokes thoughts of wrestling's sad cases from over the decades is never going to be embraced by the industry's power structure -- which explains quite well why Vince McMahon found it distasteful, as anything that might cause him to look in the mirror is bound to do.
^ I won't ruin the ending of the movie by spelling it out, but suffice to say that it is grim in what it suggests (but does not completely spell out). Having recently suffered a heart attack, Randy decides as his life continues to crumble stronger than ever that he must defy his doctor's orders and wrestle a 20-year anniversary match with his old nemesis "The Ayatollah" (in real life, a talkative car salesman from Arizona!). Only in the ring can he find the respect and admiration that the outside world denies him at every opportunity. A great performance in this match could lead to much bigger things, he is told, and he places everything in life on this possibility. In Hollywood, it's expected to tie up the ending in a nice, neat, shiny, happy bow and this film refuses to do that. In that manner, it stays true to itself and its subject matter. In Randy "The Ram" Robinson's life, glory and ignominy, admiration and humiliation lived side-by-side at various times. The end of the movie represents that reality completely, as the viewer can either be horrified by Randy's recklessness or inspired by the dedication he feels to the business he has loved all his life (without that love being truly reciprocal). In the parlance of the wrestling business, this is a 5-star movie.
Here's the trailer with Bruce Springsteen's original tune that he wrote for the screenplay:
Believe the hype. THE WRESTLER is every bit the epic movie that the early reviews had indicated. It stands apart as a completely unique film experience, something completely different from anything you have ever seen before or will ever see again. For that reason, it doesn't do justice to the movie to review it in a standard manner, moving from one aspect to another while utilizing segues, so these points will be listed separately.
^ The movie is shot in the style of a documentary (but not a mocumentary like NBC's "The Office" where the characters know that they are on camera), with a camera following around the protagonist Randy "The Ram" Robinson as he battles through daily life almost two decades removed from his fame as an '80s wrestling superstar. While the script is deliberately vague about certain areas (we are led to believe that his daughter, who he abandoned, turned lesbian and we are also led to believe that his career came off the rails in the '90s because his '80s hair metal persona was completely out of favor then), we know that his life has been a long, slow decline to the point where he has few friends or family around him, he works at a supermarket for a sneering, abusive twit of a boss and he is frequently locked out of his trailer home for falling behind on rent. His life is a sad one and would be even sadder were it not for the fact that his travails are self-induced -- for he refuses to put his prior life behind him. He still wrestles on weekends for independent promotions in the Northeast where rabid fans relive their childhoods by cheering him on. When he moves through the curtains and strides to the ring with his entrance music blaring, it's like time has stood still and he's not in a tiny auditorium with a few hundred fans; in his mind, he's back in the Garden with a sold-out crowd going wild for him. Those times are portrayed during the opening credits as a succession of old posters and wrestling magazine features (including, gloriously, several faked-up versions of the old Apter mark mags!) flash by one after another as a means of portraying Randy's prime years.
[This movie opened in the area where I live on January 23 and I saw it immediately. This turned out to be 25 years to the day that Hulk Hogan defeated the Iron Sheik for the WWF Championship at Madison Square Garden and helped kick off the 1980s wrestling boom in earnest. I found this to be an interesting coincidence. While some have wondered if Mickey Rourke's "Ram" character was based on Hogan in any way, it's only possibly true in terms of the respective characters in their heyday, because Hogan isn't living his present life in the same desperate manner. There are aspects of Lex Luger in the character (perhaps more so in the vein of "life after the big time") and some other old icons as well; you would do well to see Randy as a composite of several of them. The wrestling scenes were all shot at actual independent wrestling shows and I was a bit amused at the end to see Randy wrestling for Ring of Honor. This promotion, easily the biggest independent in the country, prides itself on cutting-edge "workrate" that would not be out of place in a Japanese pro ring and never features the kind of cheesy nostalgia that Randy's character embodies. So that was a bit of an inside joke, whether intended or not. Having said that, ROH is a great promotion and I hope that they can capitalize on some of the run they are getting from being featured in this movie.]
^ We may never again witness the blurring of a character and an actor as we do with Rourke and Robinson in this movie. Like "The Ram," Rourke was an '80s icon, only in Hollywood. Like "The Ram," bad luck and bad choices led Rourke to oblivion. Rourke clearly identifies with his character in this movie to an almost scary degree and he portrays him with a fervor that you could not begin to imagine with anyone else. I'm always entertained by Nicolas Cage, but this movie wouldn't be anywhere near what it is with anyone other than Rourke in the lead role. "The Ram's" quest for redemption in the movie parallels what Rourke has achieved in the film world since the screenplay has hit theatres. Every Oscar voter who doesn't cast a ballot for him for "Best Actor" deserves a staplegun shot to the head (speaking of which, props to Rourke for doing his own stunts, including a hardcore match with the insane Necro Butcher that featured staples being used as you've likely never seen before -- as well as some "blading" in a previous match). Additionally, Marisa Tomei puts a creative spin on the "stripper with a heart of gold" role as Randy's kind-of friend -- and you get to see her "performing" in that role. Bonus!
^ Never before has the behind-the-curtain side of pro wrestling been featured as truthfully in a drama. Some documentaries have explored aspects of this, but the viewer really feels present with Randy in the locker room with "the boys," with all the hilarious and mundane circumstances that are present. The fraternity of the workers is a tight-knit group and Randy is treated as almost a deity in any locker room he inhabits. To understand why this part is so accurate, you must understand the subculture of the independent wrestling scene. Pro grapplers in this world come from three groups: those who were once in the big time and are on their way back down (and big-time one-time stars like Randy are a tiny part of the scene), those who are young and hoping to reach the big time some day and those who are career journeymen who will never make it to the "big time." These wrestlers don't see Randy as a broken-down shell of a man who still tries to relive his glory days on the weekends; they see him as somebody who became one of the biggest superstars in the business, somebody who is a living-and-breathing representation of what can happen if you continue to chase your dreams of glory. The reverence that they show him is touching and accurate -- and especially hilarious in the case of his in-ring opponents. Speaking of the wrestlers, one amusing scene from backstage really made me laugh. Each pair of opponents was huddled together, devising a rough blueprint for the flow of their matches, as is often the case at the indy level (where the promoter only tells them who's winning the match -- in the "big time," promotion employees are actively involved in mapping out the matches). As one heel is suggesting to his opponent that he spend the bulk of the match "working the leg," an overly muscled fellow wrestler is standing watching them in amusement. "Don't work the leg," he chastises them. "Everybody does that. Try to mix it up a little bit. Maybe work the neck." Then he hears somebody calling to him from across the room. "What? Oh, OK." He turns back to the two wrestlers. "Never mind, HE'S working the neck!"
[I can attest to how the indy wrestling scene is portrayed from a brief experience as a ring announcer for a friend who was trying to start a promotion (here's a hint to anyone hoping to ever dabble in the biz: if you own your own tux, you are more likely to be sought after as a ring announcer!). His promotion utilized National Guard Armories and other small-time venues and the occasional former big-timer like Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka did pass through. I saw all aspects of life at that level -- from seeing the wrestlers map out their matches backstage to helping mega-heel "Diceman" Ronnie Vegas get some crowd heat by having him chase me around ringside to hearing an obese special education (apparently) youngster bellow (apropos of nothing) at a bad guy, "You're not the Macho Man! You'll never BE the Macho Man!" Ah memories ...]
^ Because the pro wrestling business is such a bizarre industry, this movie will evoke different reactions from different people. Those who don't understand the business will have greater knowledge, if not appreciation, for it. From my experience, I can say that for those of us who have derived entertainment from it over the years, certain moral questions may come into play. The epidemic of early deaths among wrestlers have long led me to wonder if the fans are enablers when it comes to subsidizing some of the difficult lives these performers often lead. Whether intentional or not, Randy's "doing it all for the fans" mantra was strikingly similar to that of Chris Benoit, a tightly-wound perfectionist who lived for the rabid appreciation of his fans -- and subsequently cracked under the strain of his life and murdered his wife and child before hanging himself. Any movie that evokes thoughts of wrestling's sad cases from over the decades is never going to be embraced by the industry's power structure -- which explains quite well why Vince McMahon found it distasteful, as anything that might cause him to look in the mirror is bound to do.
^ I won't ruin the ending of the movie by spelling it out, but suffice to say that it is grim in what it suggests (but does not completely spell out). Having recently suffered a heart attack, Randy decides as his life continues to crumble stronger than ever that he must defy his doctor's orders and wrestle a 20-year anniversary match with his old nemesis "The Ayatollah" (in real life, a talkative car salesman from Arizona!). Only in the ring can he find the respect and admiration that the outside world denies him at every opportunity. A great performance in this match could lead to much bigger things, he is told, and he places everything in life on this possibility. In Hollywood, it's expected to tie up the ending in a nice, neat, shiny, happy bow and this film refuses to do that. In that manner, it stays true to itself and its subject matter. In Randy "The Ram" Robinson's life, glory and ignominy, admiration and humiliation lived side-by-side at various times. The end of the movie represents that reality completely, as the viewer can either be horrified by Randy's recklessness or inspired by the dedication he feels to the business he has loved all his life (without that love being truly reciprocal). In the parlance of the wrestling business, this is a 5-star movie.
Here's the trailer with Bruce Springsteen's original tune that he wrote for the screenplay:
Closing Gitmo may sell out U.S. security
By Rick Morris
While I have been vocal about how Republicans should pick their spots in opposing a very popular new president -- especially in light of how little credibility they have with the American people after the last eight years -- some of those spots are already materializing.
New President Obama signaled that he would be as radically pro-abortion as some of us had feared when he wasted little time in re-overturning President Reagan's Mexico City policy which banned the United States from promoting abortion worldwide. The judiciary is going to be radically reshaped during Obama's term(s) in office, which provided somebody like me with all the justification I needed to vote against him. And realistically, there is little of a substantive nature that the GOP can do in this term, but at least they can focus the American people for the next election on what is at stake -- a task that proved impossible when voters were focused on everything else that George Bush had done or not done last time.
Regrettably, the Gitmo closure joins abortion on the list of early Obama decisions, although in all fairness everyone who was paying attention knew that these sops to Democrat interest groups were coming right off the bat. For a president who has decried fixation with ideology, he has proven immediately that he is willing to kiss up to the far left (his original base in the '08 primaries and caucuses) whenever it is deemed necessary.
Let us remember, for the sake of clarity, exactly who these radicals are. When terrorists committed suicide at Gitmo a few years back and Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld correctly proclaimed that they were trying to attain a propaganda victory, the commenters at Huffington Post went ballistic. To these anti-American Americans, the vile animals under lock and key at Gitmo are not killers trying to destroy us all, they are cuddly indigenous peoples scooped up off the street so that Dick Cheney's underlings can strap electrodes to their genitals while they play beer pong. Remind me again who the ideologues are?
Ever since Obama began scootching away from his more idiotic left-wing statements when he clinched the Democratic nomination, I have been able to truthfully maintain the optimistic position that he is smarter than the oafs around him. The Nation Magazine/Jesse Jackson permanent grievance crowd -- which has never set foot in the real world -- they may have been his original base (hello, Pastor Wright!), but they were used by him to get ahead. While he is in many ways your typical academic egghead with ivory tower inclinations, Obama is not completely out of touch with how the real world operates and I have taken some solace from that.
But all along, I knew the limitations of that and I knew that there would be some occasions when the rabid far left would cry "Jump!" and he would follow. My hope has been that these would be areas of limited harm to the future of our country.
And surely Obama knows that the halo that his followers in the American public and the media (especially the jokers at MSNBC) have placed so lovingly on his head will dissipate the moment that the United States suffers another severe terrorist attack. He is aware of this, and as president, he is finally privy to the daily briefings that tell him just how horrible the dangers are right now. So I don't understand the Gitmo move and the renunciation of waterboarding in this light.
For a president constantly preaching pragmatism, one would hope that he would understand that the ultimate pragmatism lies in whatever keeps us safe. I've said previously that I'm ambivalent about waterboarding because I don't feel that I know enough about it and if there was a viable alternative to Gitmo I'd be in favor of it. But you see, I'm PRAGMATIC that way.
On national security measures, in the end, I will only feel confidence if I know that our country's defenses are being constructed by military, national security and geopolitics experts surrounding President Obama -- not some pinko blogger with a domain name like IReallyReallyReallyHateAmericanMilitary.com.
While I have been vocal about how Republicans should pick their spots in opposing a very popular new president -- especially in light of how little credibility they have with the American people after the last eight years -- some of those spots are already materializing.
New President Obama signaled that he would be as radically pro-abortion as some of us had feared when he wasted little time in re-overturning President Reagan's Mexico City policy which banned the United States from promoting abortion worldwide. The judiciary is going to be radically reshaped during Obama's term(s) in office, which provided somebody like me with all the justification I needed to vote against him. And realistically, there is little of a substantive nature that the GOP can do in this term, but at least they can focus the American people for the next election on what is at stake -- a task that proved impossible when voters were focused on everything else that George Bush had done or not done last time.
Regrettably, the Gitmo closure joins abortion on the list of early Obama decisions, although in all fairness everyone who was paying attention knew that these sops to Democrat interest groups were coming right off the bat. For a president who has decried fixation with ideology, he has proven immediately that he is willing to kiss up to the far left (his original base in the '08 primaries and caucuses) whenever it is deemed necessary.
Let us remember, for the sake of clarity, exactly who these radicals are. When terrorists committed suicide at Gitmo a few years back and Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld correctly proclaimed that they were trying to attain a propaganda victory, the commenters at Huffington Post went ballistic. To these anti-American Americans, the vile animals under lock and key at Gitmo are not killers trying to destroy us all, they are cuddly indigenous peoples scooped up off the street so that Dick Cheney's underlings can strap electrodes to their genitals while they play beer pong. Remind me again who the ideologues are?
Ever since Obama began scootching away from his more idiotic left-wing statements when he clinched the Democratic nomination, I have been able to truthfully maintain the optimistic position that he is smarter than the oafs around him. The Nation Magazine/Jesse Jackson permanent grievance crowd -- which has never set foot in the real world -- they may have been his original base (hello, Pastor Wright!), but they were used by him to get ahead. While he is in many ways your typical academic egghead with ivory tower inclinations, Obama is not completely out of touch with how the real world operates and I have taken some solace from that.
But all along, I knew the limitations of that and I knew that there would be some occasions when the rabid far left would cry "Jump!" and he would follow. My hope has been that these would be areas of limited harm to the future of our country.
And surely Obama knows that the halo that his followers in the American public and the media (especially the jokers at MSNBC) have placed so lovingly on his head will dissipate the moment that the United States suffers another severe terrorist attack. He is aware of this, and as president, he is finally privy to the daily briefings that tell him just how horrible the dangers are right now. So I don't understand the Gitmo move and the renunciation of waterboarding in this light.
For a president constantly preaching pragmatism, one would hope that he would understand that the ultimate pragmatism lies in whatever keeps us safe. I've said previously that I'm ambivalent about waterboarding because I don't feel that I know enough about it and if there was a viable alternative to Gitmo I'd be in favor of it. But you see, I'm PRAGMATIC that way.
On national security measures, in the end, I will only feel confidence if I know that our country's defenses are being constructed by military, national security and geopolitics experts surrounding President Obama -- not some pinko blogger with a domain name like IReallyReallyReallyHateAmericanMilitary.com.
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