Sports After the Imminent Apocalypse

I actually hadn’t even heard of The Hunger Games until I saw a trailer for the film on a movie blog.  Turns out, the critically acclaimed book trilogy has just about as big of a following as Twilight.  After talking to a few classmates and hearing their reviews of the books, I went to the library and checked the first book of the series out.  It actually took me a while to get into it, but after about the first 60 pages or so, I found myself hardly able to do anything but read.  Suzanne Collin’s well-constructed story kept me eager to know what happened next in the storyline.  I thought for a while about what I wanted to write about for this blog post, and as I was reading the third and final book of the series, Mockingjay, I thought it would be nice to take a look back at depictions of sports in post-apocalyptic worlds.

Everyone at some point and time has thought about how cool it would be to play Tlatchtli with the Mayans, it seemed fun enough on “The Road to El Dorado.”  After watching “Gladiator,” I honestly wanted to enter the ring myself (even though I know I wouldn’t last too long).  Dating back to thousands of years ago, sports have always been an important part of culture.  They continue to be so today.  But what if the unthinkable happened?  A couple of natural disasters, nuclear war, maybe even that Rapture finally happens and all of humanity is lost.  All of a sudden, we are blasted into a post-apocalyptic world.  How would the surviving humans entertain themselves?  Well, according to movies and books it would be through sports.  Here’s a look at a few examples:

According to Hollywood, the world's end will provide neat opportunities to learn all sorts of fun, new sports.

“Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome”

Hopefully the world never comes to this.  Honestly, not Mel Gibson’s best movie.  The idea was good enough, though; who wouldn’t want to watch a movie starring Mel Gibson about fighting to the death in an enclosed trap of doom in a crazy place in Australia run by Tina Turner?  It sounds awesome.  Just bad execution is all…

“Zombieland”

Interestingly enough this was one of the first movies I saw after getting home from the mission.  I laughed so hard at basically every scene featuring Woody Harrelson.  Now, this movie obviously depicts a post-apocalyptic world.  It’s sport?  In one scene, we learn that our old friend Woody has turned protecting himself into his own sport, zombie killing.  Who hasn’t dreamt about that?  Or played it?  Maybe it’s just because I watched this movie having no preconceived opinions about it (I literally had heard nothing about it) but it turned out to be my new favorite zombie movie.

“Blood of Heroes”

Don’t feel out of the loop if you never saw this movie, a Rutger Hauer “gem” released in 1989.  It’s pretty bad.  In this one there aren’t any crazy monsters or anything, just a crazy idea of a sport.  Apparently, the idea wasn’t too crazy for large groups of people in Germany, Ireland and Australia who decided to form their own leagues to play jugger, the sport popularized by the movie.  What is it with all of these post-apocalyptic movies and fighting to the death?  Wouldn’t they try to be re-populating the world?  Oh well…

“Waterworld”

In this one, Kevin Costner is a web-footed freak who makes Michael Phelps look like an old grandma.  Though it isn’t actually about swimming, Costner does a lot of it.  It also has a lot of harpooning and paper hunting, other popular sports that apparently will catch on post-doomsday.

Anyway, I have just been thinking a lot about this kind of stuff lately.  Apparently I’m not the only one who has become completely consumed by the “Hunger Games” series.  All over facebook my online friends had ‘liked’ the books and even some of them had recently posted comments about it.  It’ll be interesting to watch the movie adaptation that comes out next spring.  

OK, this post has nothing to do with sports.  But it’s still media related, so I am writing it anyway. 

I was talking about TV the other day with one of my classmates, and she was naming off her favorite shows and characters, etc.  I couldn’t help but notice that all of her favorites were so different than mine.  I didn’t disagree with them or argue about her ridiculous interests because, in the end, they were her interests and I had no right to tell her she was wrong.  I just listened to what she had to say and just nodded my head as if I were agreeing with her.  I wanted to write this post in response to that conversation and, in effect, recommend some TV shows to all of you.  These are my Top 5 TV characters currently on air:

5.) Tracy Jordan, “30 Rock”

I would say that Alec Baldwin is the best actor on that show, but Tracy Morgan doesn’t even need to act a whole lot to be the best and funniest character.  He is what made that show funny, right from the pilot episode where he was pantless running alongside the interstate and screaming “I am a Jedi!”  Other characters you gotta love on “30 Rock” are played by Tina Fey, Jack McBrayer, and Jane Krakowski. 

4.) Troy Barnes, “Community”

You really could group him in with the entire cast because everybody is funny on that show (maybe with the exception of Chevy Chase, which is odd to say).  That being said, Abed and Troy are the lifeblood of the show, and the funnier of the two I would say is Troy, played by Donald Glover.   It’ll be interesting to see what they do with the show after the recent dissing they received from NBC…

3.) Cam Tucker, “Modern Family”

In my opinion, people who like the show “Will and Grace” are either really, really gay or just don’t have a very advanced sense of humor.  I hated that show and was reluctant to hear, after coming back two years of being in South America, that one of the most popular TV shows around dealt predominantly with a gay couple.  I thought, “Great…another ‘Will and Grace.’”  My first “Modern Family” experience was the episode where they celebrated Lily’s birthday.  Cam, wanting to provide his adopted daughter with a great party, donned a clown outfit and a British accent.  TV hadn’t made me laugh so hard in a long time (and not just because I hadn’t watched it for two years).  I quickly grew to love Cam’s character and tune in primarily because of him.

2.)  Dwight Schrute, “The Office”

Before, when Steve Carell character Michael Scott dominated all the attention on the show, Dwight Schrute was sort of an afterthought.  Played by Rainn Wilson, the character served as the number two of the show, literally seeing as how the title he held for so long in the make-believe office was “Assistant to the Regional Manager.”  Dwight was such a great bonus for so long though that, after Michael left the show, his devoted fans continued to tune in, allowing the show to relinquish its spot on NBC’s prestigious 9 o’clock spot on Thursday nights.  He still doesn’t necessarily dominate the spotlight from the rest of the cast, though the majority of the big laughs derive from the nerdy, butt-cut wearing salesman.

1.)Tom Haverford, “Parks and Recreation”

My brother would say that Tom isn’t even the funniest character on that show; he loves Ron Swanson, the ultra-man that heads the Parks and Recreation office in the fictional town set in Indiana.  Tom, played by Aziz Anzari is, for lack of better descriptive words, different.  There has never been a character like him.  And to find something original like that nowadays is refreshing.  Honestly, I thought he was a little annoying at first, and it took a while to get used to him.  But after going back and watching the first few seasons and understanding more of the background of the show, I get him now.  That being said I really do think that the whole ensemble of characters on this show would qualify: Leslie Knope, Ron Swanson, Tom Haverford, April Ludgate, Andy Dwyer, and Chris Traeger are all reasons why I watch this show every week.

Basically, there is a wealth of good shows out there.  I really feel like after "Friends" there was a definite down period in broadcasting, that there wasn't ever anything good to watch.  Even "SNL" was bumming me out with so many of its cast members leaving only to be replaced by talentless actors.  Things have changed in recent years, though.  DVR queues haven't been this full in a long time! 

3 Things Not Happening in 2011-2012

Sacramento Kings guard Jimmer Fredette will not participate in the 3-point shootout the day before the 2012 NBA All-Star game.  Let’s face it: everybody loves Jimmer.  We especially love him when he sinks three pointers.  Now we won’t get to see him make it rain, stepping even further behind the regulation ark to shoot his signature shot.  Sorry 32, but you won’t get to teach anybody how to Jimmer this year.

There won’t be any breakout teams in 2011-2012.  The 2010-2011 season was a great year for breakouts in the NBA.  While some teams started the season expecting to excel, there were a few teams, like the Portland Trailblazers, that surprised us.  Others, such as the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Memphis Grizzlies, went on to excel in the playoffs.  All that talk of Utah, Sacramento, Minnesota, Charlotte and Indiana taking large steps of improvement officially has gone out the window.

LeBron won’t start his Jordan-esque run of NBA titles.  Sorry Bron Bron, but we won’t be seeing that poster of you flashing numerous championship rings anytime soon.  I really will miss the pre-game ritual of James tossing that chalky cloud of smoke up into the air.  But hey, look on the bright side: now nobody can claim that the Heat completely and utterly collapsed in the 2012 Finals.  Perhaps in the meantime you can take your talents to Panathinaikos and help them win.

 

Honestly, the real tragedy isn’t that these guys aren’t going to be able to improve their stardom or wow us with their athletic play.  It’s not terribly upsetting that they might have to actually worry financially like the rest of humanity.  The worst thing about the NBA lockout is that thousands of employees, from those people you try to avoid as you sneak down into the lower section of the arena to grab a seat you “could have sworn was ‘G15’” to the guys selling overpriced sodas, are now out of work.  As I look around Energy Solutions Arena, I think about all the merchants that are losing out big time because there aren’t going to be 20,000 plus fans 80 times this year walking through downtown SLC.  The economy in this country is a bust right now, and things like this are not helping at all.  Put this down as another reason why baseball is so much better than basketball.  Maybe the 2012-2013 season will make up for it, but with the litigation clock now ticking, let’s not get our hopes up. 

"CONSIDER ME DISAPPOINTED."

          -Colin McGrath

PENN Without the Teller

THE PENN STATE TRAGEDY 

With only one loss and more than half of the season already over, the Penn State football team had every reason to celebrate.   Though they were faced with three consecutive upcoming games against conference rivals, all ranked at the time, they looked ahead with the kind of confidence that only the third-best defense in the country could exude.  ‘Happy’ Valley was just that.  But a 40 count indictment released on Nov. 4 alluding to sexual abuse and child molestation claims against one of Penn State’s own has devastated this proud and beautiful community.

Without a doubt, it will be nearly impossible for the defendants of former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky to find jurors that haven’t already presumed his guilt.  Everyone is aware of what he is being accused of because of the extreme amount of national coverage this scandal has generated as well as the impact it is having in the community.  You would seriously have to be living under a rock…better make that under a mountain to not have heard this story. He hasn’t exactly helped his case, either, failing miserably to sound innocent in an interview with NBC news correspondent Bob Costas.

It’s crazy to think how similar this situation is with that of Michael Jackson.  Both guys admitted to doing things they shouldn’t have; one slept in beds with boys while the other showered with boys.  You could also say that this situation is similar to what happened to the Catholic Church.  Both the church and Penn State apparently kept their respective situations hush-hush, when an immediate phone call to the police to quell what was happening was the obvious thing to do.  You could even say that they didn’t do anything just to salvage their brand name.  A whole load of good that did them…

The purpose of this post is to basically just mirror what Jon Stewart and all the other reporters and analysts have said the past week or so, which is that it is not OK to just stand by and watch as lives are ruined.  I think of how all the children who have been raped, molested, etc. in places other than a university locker room must feel when hearing this.  They were attacked in places where hope of someone helping was non-existent.  Those kids literally had nobody to defend them from their attackers.  How awful must the Penn State victims feel to know that there was somebody that could have easily stopped this?  To know that there were people that could have possibly saved them.  How hard would it have been to pick up a phone and call the cops?  I’ve never met Jerry Sandusky, but I can tell you right now that it would not have been that hard to stop him from hurting those kids. 

            

Obviously nobody knows EVERYTHING that went on.  The whole story is marred by denial now, and will probably only get worse as the trial proceeds.  All I can say is that hindsight is 20/20.  And that at least if this kind of thing were to happen again, maybe those who would have stayed silent and done nothing now know that that is not an option.  Silence will not help those kids.  

"THE SANDLOT" WINS OUT

After voting ended on a two week-long poll that asked all of you what your favorite baseball movie was of all time, the results showed that "The Sandlot" was the favorite among 'fullcourtpressing' readers.  I'd like to spend a few moments taking a look at what makes this movie great.

What is it that makes a movie memorable?  Obviously when a movie has easy-to-memorize quotes and scenes it becomes something that we keep in our minds for a long period of time.  "The Sandlot" is one of those movies that is so good that, after watching it, we keep it in our minds forever.  If all baseball movies were Beatles songs, this one would be "Hey Jude."  Though it isn't my personal favorite baseball movie, I recognize its awesomeness and can easily understand when other people say that it is the best ever.

There are three scenes in particular that EVERYONE who has seen this movie can remember (proof that it is a memorable classic).

1.  "Wendy the Lifeguard" Scene



Every little kid who has ever gone to a public pool KNOWS that reason number one for going was not just to swim and it definitely was not to get exercise.  A major reason for going was for the lifeguards.  I know, I know, all you girls will say that because of that all boys are pervs.  But you know what, girls?  Tell me you don't go to the pool or beach dreaming about the hunky lifeguards.  There is a reason you go tanning on the beach, even when your backyard gets hit with the same amount of sun.  Anyway, I love the realism in this movie.  There are even some scenes that play on childhood situations that have been done a million times before and since that for some reason are just more entertaining in this film.  Even my brother, a movie lover and self-acclaimed film expert) says that this movie blows "Stand By Me" out of the water.

2.  FOR-EVER



One of the funniest things about this scene is that later on in the movie you realize just how far from the truth the kid's story really was.  Also, "For-ever..." is probably the most quotable line from this movie.  Honestly, it is hard not to stretch that word out every time I use it.

3.  Babe Ruth's nicknames



Baseball players have the best nicknames in all of sports.  It's a fact.  Look it up.  Babe Ruth, because he is arguably the most well-known baseball player of all time, happens to have a ton of nicknames.  I love this scene because it shows how a simple nickname, or like twenty of them for that matter, can help a man's popularity endure for lifetimes.

So there you have it.  The best baseball movie ever, "The Sandlot."

Be sure to follow fullcourtpressing and keep checking it out!  Next topic will be the crushing effect that one man, Jerry Sandusky, can give an entire community.

THE WARRING SPIRIT: hip hop's effect on sports, both positive and negative

If you are from anywhere outside of here or here, you’ve probably had the same thing happen to you once or twice.  You are sitting in a dimly lit Wendy’s dining room, merely trying to enjoy your junior bacon cheeseburger, when a group of teenagers walk in.  Their styles, not only what they are wearing but how they carry themselves, would make your grandparents shudder.  As you are finishing your cheeseburger, they flirt with the underage girl behind the counter while they place their order.  You realize that you are the only other person in the dining room and, though there are plenty of empty tables, naturally they sit at the table right next to yours.  You wonder to yourself, “I wonder what kind of advice Bill Cosby would give these kids.”  You finish your burger, stand up and leave, all the while avoiding eye contact so as not to get jumped.  Leaving the restaurant, you tell yourself that you would have handled them if they made a move.  You get in your car and drive off…crisis averted. 

Those teenagers represented hip hop culture just like a group of skateboarding kids represent the punk or grunge scenes.  That situation has played out in front of me dozens of times (though not always at Wendy’s) and the thing that I remember vividly is the apparel, the clothes that these teenagers seem to always wear.  From head (Yankee hats) to toe (Jordan shoes) hip hop culture has blended with sports teams, adopted them as part of its own culture and changed the attitude of sports in general. 

Its history is not well documented, and its origin has been heatedly debated many times.  Like most other pop culture sensations, hip-hop seemed to come out of nowhere overnight.  Its sound, criticized by the majority of the public eye, provided a certain voice that blended perfectly with the funky beats that were popular at the time.  Soon, hip-hop would even help to tear down the confinements set by disco music and become a driving force in American culture.  In addition to becoming one of the most provocative, controversial and moving styles of art, it also became of the most influential genres of modern music.  Today, how we dress, talk, dance and even the way we play sports is affected by hip-hop music.  Like just about everything else in life, I believe that there are good and bad effects from this.  How do professional sports benefit from hip hop influences?  Also, what is the negative effect that rap causes sports?  Let’s take a look…

THE GOOD

When hip hop artists started rapping about sports in their songs way back in the ‘80s, sports would never be the same.  For example, in the documentary “Straight Outta L.A.”, produced by ESPN, rapper/director Ice Cube talks about the good that the clashing cultures brought.  The Los Angeles Raiders at the time needed a home, a loyal fan base that would love them and allow them to stay in that area.  The racially diverse area of Los Angeles likewise needed the Raiders.   The football team not only gave them an identity, it gave them something to rally for, and it allowed them to come together. 

In an article written for ESPN.com’s Page 2, Vincent Thomas claims that he actually misses hip hop sports teams.  What great memories they provided over the years!  It’s easy to root for teams like the ‘80s Raiders and the Fab Five and for players such as Lawrence Taylor and Allen Iverson.  Maybe the fact that they had been so heavily embraced by hip hop culture helped their popularity.

You could also say that another good effect brought by the unifying of hip hop culture and sports was that it helped the growing genre gain spotlight.  Nowadays, nearly every time an athlete is interviewed after a game, you can hear music from artists such as Nelly or 50 Cent being played by teammates in surrounding lockers.  At almost every type of sporting event, rap music (edited of course) can be heard before, during, and after games.  At baseball games the PA operators who play walk-up music for individual players, intended to “pump the athletes up,” tend to use rap and hip hop’s Latin twin, reggaeton.  Rap’s exposure in sports not only gives players a certain swagger or identity, but also allows athletes everywhere to get their adrenaline flowing.  Evidence of this was never more apparent than when rapper and Green Bay Packer fan Lil’ Wayne, in response to the inspiring Pittsburg Steelers anthem “Black and Yellow,” released a different version of the song to inspire the Packers just before the two teams met to play Super Bowl XLV in 2011.  Rap music has inspired countless teams, and it appears that it will continue to do so as long as the bass-heavy beats exist. 

Perhaps the greatest success story of the hip hop/sports merger is rapper Jay Z, the current principle owner of the New Jersey Nets.  He has proven that the two worlds can collide for their mutual benefit, especially for how he provided hip hop with a model of financial efficiency and business attitude.

THE BAD

By late 2007, there had already been a number of incidents in the world of sports that had given the decadent lifestyle of hip hop sports stars a bad image.  Many athletes throughout all sports had been arrested for various crimes; some had even lost their careers due to time spent in jail.  In November of that year, Sean Taylor, star safety for the Washington Redskins, was shot at his home in South Florida by an armed robber.  Taylor died later that night due to massive blood loss from his femoral artery.  In the weeks, months, and even years that followed, public outcry from fans has called for an end to the stupidity displayed by many prominent American athletes.  The edge that hip hop culture had given the world of sports was now just rough and dangerous.  Many sports figures, once role models, were now the model for violence and reckless behavior.  They had become a punch line, the object of ridicule for morning talk show banter.  When a new star began to excel, the question had become, “How long will this guy last before we find out how he really is?”

One cause of this may be the endless streaming of videos, music, and other media brought about by the advances of technology.  Before such advances, music was not only harder to come by but harder to play inside clubhouses and locker rooms.  Also, it is impossible to think that all athletes before the youtube era were angels.  They may have acted poorly as well, though the media’s inability to cover them compared to today’s standards makes it hard to know for sure exactly how athletes back then behaved.  That being said, it is impossible to disagree that the hip hop and sports infusion has produced certain negative effects, resulting in numerous lives being endangered.  Some people just take it too far. 

In the end, you can decide.  Is hip hop good for sports?  There isn’t a poll question that goes along with this post, just something to ponder.  If you want my opinion, I love sports and I love hip hop.  I think that rap music is a useful tool that can help pump our adrenaline.  But I also would say that sports figures should be role models as long as they are in the public spotlight.  There are many good role models out there, but for every one good person there seem to be ten bad examples.  Sex scandals, drug charges, you can go on and on with the stuff that they do.  It’s obvious that there are far too many athletes that have lost their grip of reality, and it’s this bloggers opinion that the root of that problem can be the thug mentality drilled into their brains by the music they grew up listening to.

Baseball Movies

I could have made the title "The Greatest Baseball Movies of All Time," but I figured that there are probably too many of those lists out there, so I just wanted to show a few clips of some classic baseball movies and recommend some to all of you.  I haven't seen every baseball movie there is, so if I forget one, let me know.  I've put these movies in order of how important I would say it is to watch them.

1. ENTERTAINING- MOVIES THAT ARE RELATIVELY FUN TO WATCH

MAJOR LEAGUE

Major League is sort of a phenomenon. I’ve come to understand a few things about this movie just recently.  By watching the film, you are almost forced to like Charlie Sheen.  Plus, you have to love that horribly racist, stereotype-driven representation of a Latino baseball player (Pedro Cerrano.)  All in all, it’s a great movie. 

THE ROOKIE

Dennis Quaid as Jimmy Morris.  It's probably the least realistic true story ever adapted to a movie.  I think they would have done a better job casting Randy Quaid.  I mean, honestly, if they were going to make a movie about my life, they wouldn’t cast Antonio Banderas.  Or would they?

FEVER PITCH

Let’s not kid ourselves, here.  ‘Fever Pitch’ was a pretty good movie that talked about baseball, but it was not really a baseball movie.  But what it didn’t have in the typical, dramatic baseball sequences, it definitely hit the nail on the head with its depiction of how a baseball fan thinks and acts.  The social aspect of baseball fandom is the general theme here.  Just look at the scene where Ben and Lindsey (Drew Barrymore) get in a fight after he accuses her of jinxing the Red Sox because she made him go to her work party instead of attending a pivotal game.  Come on, who hasn’t seen that scenario played out at least once in their own lives?

ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD

One of my favorite Disney movies ever, it had everything thing that a young kid like me could want.  Baseball, Doc Brown, angels, the homeless Turtle Dove lady from ‘Home Alone,’ Tony Danza, orphans…the list goes on and on.

2. MEANINGFUL- IF YOU DEEM YOURSELF MOVIE LITERATE, YOU KNOW THESE

A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN

Tom Hanks is one of the best actors ever.  Just ask Bill Simmons, there aren’t too many in his league.  For me, probably the best moment in any baseball movie is the “No Crying in Baseball” speech.  Consider this movie meaningful for its portrayal of the role of women in America during World War II.

THE SANDLOT

What was it that made ‘The Sandlot’ so good?  I don’t just think of the unforgettable lines or the timeless stories that it tells, I also think of the similarity between my love for baseball and for how much these children love the game as well.  It's meaningful for how it portrays adolescent life in America in the '60s and '70s.

3. THE KEVIN COSTNERS-THE GREATEST BASEBALL ACTOR AT HIS BEST

BULL DURHAM

I am actually not the biggest ‘Bull Durham’ fan, mostly because I hate Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins.  However, I like to think that this movie is pretty socially significant.  I remember watching and thinking, “Man, those minor league ballplayers sure don’t get much.”  But after seeing the inside of a few minor league stadiums such as Triple-A Zephyr Field in New Orleans and even “lowly” Single-A Brent Brown Ballpark, I've come to wonder how much conditions have changed over the years…

FIELD OF DREAMS

Obviously you have to think about the famous speech by James Earl Jones, the whispering voice, and the awkward fight with the annoying, red-headed brother-in-law.  I love this movie mostly for the end scene; no movie catches me more off guard with a tear-jerking moment quite like ‘Field of Dreams.’

FOR LOVE OF THE GAME

I really do love this movie.  Sometimes when I have to do things that I don’t particularly want to do, such as taking a test or reading a textbook, I find myself “clearing the mechanism.”  You gotta love how much this movie portrays Yankee fans for what they really are: rude scumbags that can't differentiate between winning and pride.  Some people might call this strictly a romance movie, maybe even a chick flick.  I call those people idiots. 

4. VERY IMPORTANT-I DON’T CARE IF YOU HAVE TO ILLEGALLY DOWNLOAD IT, WATCH IT RIGHT NOW.

THE NATURAL

It’s my opinion that ‘The Natural’ isn’t just the best baseball movie, it might be the best sports movie ever made.  There are a few reasons why:  

Easy to reenact pivotal scenes: Even grown-up, professional players dream of hitting the ball so hard that they don’t just break a few lights, they bust the entire electrical system of a stadium.
Romance: Who knew Glenn Close could be so attractive?
Tear-jerking moment: When Roy Hobbs is reunited with his son.
Music: Say what you want about Randy Newman, but the guy aced this one.
Realistic: So the New York Knights aren’t a real team, who cares?  I love how almost all the actors sort of represented players that were playing in the actual era.
Good enemy: Many other baseball movies seem to have borrowed the theme of ‘The Natural,’ where the evil owner is out to sink the team.  See: ‘Major League’
Foxy Ladies: Barbara Hershey, Glenn Close, and Kim Basinger…
Cool Superstition: The “Wonderboy” symbol has been etched onto more wooden bats than people realize.

I could go on and on, but all I need to say is that ‘The Natural’ is the perfect baseball movie.   

HONARABLE MENTION:

Bang the Drum Slowly, Eight Men Out, Rookie of the Year, Little Big League, Summer Catch, The Bad News Bears

TO BE DETERMINED:

Moneyball