All of a sudden, as if this were October , 1975, all over again, Bruce Springsteen is everywhere and anywhere. For those of you who don't understand the significance of the October '75 reference, that was when a young Springsteen found himself on the covers of Newsweek and Time magazines. For someone who was not a political leader or had won a Nobel prize, it was quite a feat.
Now, I turn on the TV and Bruce and the band are giving a pre-Super Bowl press conference. The local classic rock radio station is blasting non-stop commercials for tickets to the upcoming Springsteen concert in Glendale, which go on sale Monday morning. There seems to be as much hype for Bruce's halftime performance in tomorrow's big game, as there is for the game itself. And, oh yes, there just happens to be a new CD out by Bruce and the band, titled "Working on a Dream," which, while maybe not quite as good as "Magic" and "The Rising", is still quite a good album. The renaissance of The Boss, starting with "The Rising" and the subsequent tour in 2002, continues, and is still in full force.
Your humble narrator, of course, is totally geeked by all this. I picked up the new album on Wednesday and have listened to it about a dozen times. I highly recommend it. Not only that, I've pulled "Magic" out and listened to that as well, marvelling all over again at its sustained excellence. Mrs. Brucefan and I will be going to the Glendale show in April, and of course, I'm looking forward to the halftime show tomorrow. How many rockers from the 70's are still putting out exciting and relevant new material, and touring all over the world, as well? Go ahead, let's hear some names. The Boss continues to blow me away, even after 34 years of loyal fandom. The man is amazing.
Speaking of tomorrow's game, once again the Cardinals are the underdog, not getting much love or respect from the national pundits. Good, that seems to be the way the Cards like it. Keep that chip squarely on your shoulder, Warner and company, and play like you're pissed off and out to prove something. It's certainly worked so far. Here's hoping the Cinderella story reaches a joyous conclusion. Go Cardinals, shock the world one more time!
And, finally, after several months of being in a sustained poker slump, I played in a no-limit Texas Hold'em tournament last night with 90 or so participants. I made the final table and finished ninth. Overall, I was pleased with my performance, although perhaps a little more aggression on my part may have resulted in a higher finish. I think that's a good sign of my progress as a poker player. While I can appreciate a ninth place final table performance, I'm not quite satisfied and think I could have done better. But it'll do for now.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Boycott Movie Theaters
I am starting a nation-wide boycott of movie theaters. Last weekend, I took my wife and three teenage children to see "Revolutionary Road" at a local theater. The tickets were $9.50 each, we also got two small sodas, a medium popcorn, a package of M&M's, and a package of sour patch kids candy. The total came to $70.00. That is beyond ridiculous.
When did movies become so expensive? And when did we allow ourselves to be so ripped off by the ridiculous prices for drinks/slash food? For the same price I paid for a small soda, I can walk into a Fry's grocery store and buy a twelve-pack. The seats were uncomfortable, the print of the film was far from perfect, and the floor was sticky. This is absurd. We have become a nation of stupid consumers, willingly paying ridiculous prices for two hours of mediocre entertainment. To quote a great movie from the late 70's, "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore!"
I say it's time to act. Despite my life-long love of movies, I will personally not see another movie in a theater until the prices come down. The only way we can expect change is if every single person agrees, and joins my boycott of movie theaters. Believe me, if people stop going to the movies, things will change. If not, a trip to the local movie theater will continue to be a major rip-off.
Join my boycott. Don't go to the movies until things change. Movie-lovers of the world, unite!!
When did movies become so expensive? And when did we allow ourselves to be so ripped off by the ridiculous prices for drinks/slash food? For the same price I paid for a small soda, I can walk into a Fry's grocery store and buy a twelve-pack. The seats were uncomfortable, the print of the film was far from perfect, and the floor was sticky. This is absurd. We have become a nation of stupid consumers, willingly paying ridiculous prices for two hours of mediocre entertainment. To quote a great movie from the late 70's, "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore!"
I say it's time to act. Despite my life-long love of movies, I will personally not see another movie in a theater until the prices come down. The only way we can expect change is if every single person agrees, and joins my boycott of movie theaters. Believe me, if people stop going to the movies, things will change. If not, a trip to the local movie theater will continue to be a major rip-off.
Join my boycott. Don't go to the movies until things change. Movie-lovers of the world, unite!!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
A January to remember
The nation will always remember January, 2009 as the month of Barack Obama's inauguration. 233 years after the nation was created and 146 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, a black man has been sworn in to "preserve, protect and defend" the Constitution of the United States as our 44th President. It was a momentous occasion, highlighted by an excellent speech from our new President, and the sight of two million Americans, braving the freezing temperatures to be part of the moment. The images of the throngs of people, lined all the way up to the Washington Monument and beyond, was stirring. If you've ever walked the Mall, you know that's quite a distance, and it appeared as nothing less than a sea of people.
There's a stirring in this nation today, a feeling that we are embarking on a new course, with a dynamic new leader at the helm. Despite the recession in which we are mired, there is a sense of hope. People feel positive and good today, and speak of a promising future. Optimism prevails, negativity is on hold, and it's an exciting time to be an American.
So, I almost feel shallow and pathetic when I also state that it is an exciting time to be an Arizonan, not just because of Obama and the promise he projects, but because of our professional football team. Yes, something as silly and irreverent as our NFL team, the Cardinals, has all of a sudden given the people of our state pride and joy.
I suppose you really have to live here to understand it. We are the 48th state to have entered the Union, the very last state in the continental U.S., and in many ways we feel like the ugly stepchild. We have no ports, no waterfronts, no beaches, no major rivers other than the Colorado, which is pretty much un-navigable. We deal with ridiculous heat in the summer, and much of our state is made up of barren, open land. We have two major cities, including the fifth largest city in the nation, but when Americans think of great American cities, they name New York, and Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New Orleans, Las Vegas, Boston, Denver, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia. No one really thinks of Phoenix or Tucson, unless they have to be there for some reason or other.
Our football team has been a joke ever since they moved here from St. Louis 21 years ago. In that time, they have made the playoffs once, winning one game in Dallas, and then losing. That was ten years ago. Most seasons, they are 2-6 (or worse) by the midway point. It doesn't matter who the players are, or who the coach is, or what sort of success they've had elsewhere, they have come to Phoenix and they have sucked. Very few Arizonans have ever talked about the Cardinals with anything resembling pride.
Suddenly, all that has changed. I've written previously about this season, how the Cardinals won their division over three other teams with losing records, how they were trounced and blown out by Philadelphia, Minnesota, and New England after they had already clinched their playoff spot, and how the national media called them one of the worst playoff teams ever, with virtually no chance of winning a game in the postseason.
It's become obvious now that the team rallied around all that negativity, took it to heart, looked deep within themselves, and played outstanding football. They upset Atlanta in the first round, then played on the road at Carolina and beat the Panthers, dominating them in an absolutely stunning display. They suddenly found themselves hosting the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship game this past Sunday. Once again, nobody (except Terry Bradshaw, of all people) gave them a chance.
The Cardinals were tremendous in the first half. They dominated Philadelphia on both sides of the ball, and played mistake-free football. Larry Fitzgerald, the one player the Eagles knew they had to stop, scored three (yes, three) touchdowns. Quarterback Kurt Warner was almost perfect, and Edgerrin James broke off ten yard runs like he did six years ago. The score at halftime was 24-6 Cardinals, and the sports world had to be in shock.
The Eagles, however, were far too good to just lay down and quit. They adjusted at halftime, stopped Warner and Fitzgerald, and began to click on offense. Quarterback Donovan McNabb led them on three touchdown drives, and as the game went into the fourth quarter, the Eagles led 25-24. The Phoenix crowd, which had been delirious for most of the game, was stunned. Uh-oh, here it comes, the same old Cardinal choke. Hey, I thought it, we all thought it, we've had 21 years of it.
But that's not what happened. The Cardinals got the ball with ten minutes left, and Warner led them on a methodical drive down the field. Fitzgerald picked up a key first down, and made another sensational catch to give the Cards a third and one. But the key moments of this drive belonged to Tim Hightower, the young back tabbed to take over for Edgerrin James. It was fourth and one, just over the 50 yard line, when coach Ken Whisenhunt elected to go for it. Warner handed off to Hightower, who ran toward the right sideline, got around an Eagles defender who was blocked perfectly by the tight end and made the first down. After Fitzgerald's second catch of the drive gave the Cards a third and one at the twelve yard line, Hightower was given the ball again, and gained four yards to set up a first and goal. And then three plays later, on third and goal, Warner tossed a screen pass to Hightower, who hesitated, allowing his blockers to do their job, and then banged his way into the end zone with just under three minutes left. Warner was perfect on the two point conversion, and it was delirium in Univeristy of Phoenix Stadium.
The Eagles got the ball back and after making two first downs, McNabb missed his next four passes, and it was all over. The Cardinals had to punt with 15 seconds left, but the Eagles never got past the 20 yard line, and the game was over. The Cardinals had shocked the world, they had won the NFC Championship, and were going to the Super Bowl for the first time ever. It was a surreal moment, and I had tears in my eyes. I'm sure I wasn't the only one in Arizona.
It took two days to get over the shock and allow the reality to sink in. It's all anyone is talking about. Six million Arizonans, most of whom couldn't have given a rat's you-know-what about the Cardinals a month ago, are walking around now with goofy smiles on their faces. We are proud of our team, and we are proud of our state, not to mention proud of ourselves. It defines what sports is about: a colossal underdog bucking the odds, believed in only by themselves and a few loyal fans, shocking the world and playing like champions. Some people are saying they have to win the Super Bowl to put the dot on the exclamation point. Maybe, maybe not. Right now, it feels like they are champions already. It's historic and exciting. It's why I love sports so much, along with so many other millions of fans.
Go Cardinals.
There's a stirring in this nation today, a feeling that we are embarking on a new course, with a dynamic new leader at the helm. Despite the recession in which we are mired, there is a sense of hope. People feel positive and good today, and speak of a promising future. Optimism prevails, negativity is on hold, and it's an exciting time to be an American.
So, I almost feel shallow and pathetic when I also state that it is an exciting time to be an Arizonan, not just because of Obama and the promise he projects, but because of our professional football team. Yes, something as silly and irreverent as our NFL team, the Cardinals, has all of a sudden given the people of our state pride and joy.
I suppose you really have to live here to understand it. We are the 48th state to have entered the Union, the very last state in the continental U.S., and in many ways we feel like the ugly stepchild. We have no ports, no waterfronts, no beaches, no major rivers other than the Colorado, which is pretty much un-navigable. We deal with ridiculous heat in the summer, and much of our state is made up of barren, open land. We have two major cities, including the fifth largest city in the nation, but when Americans think of great American cities, they name New York, and Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New Orleans, Las Vegas, Boston, Denver, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia. No one really thinks of Phoenix or Tucson, unless they have to be there for some reason or other.
Our football team has been a joke ever since they moved here from St. Louis 21 years ago. In that time, they have made the playoffs once, winning one game in Dallas, and then losing. That was ten years ago. Most seasons, they are 2-6 (or worse) by the midway point. It doesn't matter who the players are, or who the coach is, or what sort of success they've had elsewhere, they have come to Phoenix and they have sucked. Very few Arizonans have ever talked about the Cardinals with anything resembling pride.
Suddenly, all that has changed. I've written previously about this season, how the Cardinals won their division over three other teams with losing records, how they were trounced and blown out by Philadelphia, Minnesota, and New England after they had already clinched their playoff spot, and how the national media called them one of the worst playoff teams ever, with virtually no chance of winning a game in the postseason.
It's become obvious now that the team rallied around all that negativity, took it to heart, looked deep within themselves, and played outstanding football. They upset Atlanta in the first round, then played on the road at Carolina and beat the Panthers, dominating them in an absolutely stunning display. They suddenly found themselves hosting the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship game this past Sunday. Once again, nobody (except Terry Bradshaw, of all people) gave them a chance.
The Cardinals were tremendous in the first half. They dominated Philadelphia on both sides of the ball, and played mistake-free football. Larry Fitzgerald, the one player the Eagles knew they had to stop, scored three (yes, three) touchdowns. Quarterback Kurt Warner was almost perfect, and Edgerrin James broke off ten yard runs like he did six years ago. The score at halftime was 24-6 Cardinals, and the sports world had to be in shock.
The Eagles, however, were far too good to just lay down and quit. They adjusted at halftime, stopped Warner and Fitzgerald, and began to click on offense. Quarterback Donovan McNabb led them on three touchdown drives, and as the game went into the fourth quarter, the Eagles led 25-24. The Phoenix crowd, which had been delirious for most of the game, was stunned. Uh-oh, here it comes, the same old Cardinal choke. Hey, I thought it, we all thought it, we've had 21 years of it.
But that's not what happened. The Cardinals got the ball with ten minutes left, and Warner led them on a methodical drive down the field. Fitzgerald picked up a key first down, and made another sensational catch to give the Cards a third and one. But the key moments of this drive belonged to Tim Hightower, the young back tabbed to take over for Edgerrin James. It was fourth and one, just over the 50 yard line, when coach Ken Whisenhunt elected to go for it. Warner handed off to Hightower, who ran toward the right sideline, got around an Eagles defender who was blocked perfectly by the tight end and made the first down. After Fitzgerald's second catch of the drive gave the Cards a third and one at the twelve yard line, Hightower was given the ball again, and gained four yards to set up a first and goal. And then three plays later, on third and goal, Warner tossed a screen pass to Hightower, who hesitated, allowing his blockers to do their job, and then banged his way into the end zone with just under three minutes left. Warner was perfect on the two point conversion, and it was delirium in Univeristy of Phoenix Stadium.
The Eagles got the ball back and after making two first downs, McNabb missed his next four passes, and it was all over. The Cardinals had to punt with 15 seconds left, but the Eagles never got past the 20 yard line, and the game was over. The Cardinals had shocked the world, they had won the NFC Championship, and were going to the Super Bowl for the first time ever. It was a surreal moment, and I had tears in my eyes. I'm sure I wasn't the only one in Arizona.
It took two days to get over the shock and allow the reality to sink in. It's all anyone is talking about. Six million Arizonans, most of whom couldn't have given a rat's you-know-what about the Cardinals a month ago, are walking around now with goofy smiles on their faces. We are proud of our team, and we are proud of our state, not to mention proud of ourselves. It defines what sports is about: a colossal underdog bucking the odds, believed in only by themselves and a few loyal fans, shocking the world and playing like champions. Some people are saying they have to win the Super Bowl to put the dot on the exclamation point. Maybe, maybe not. Right now, it feels like they are champions already. It's historic and exciting. It's why I love sports so much, along with so many other millions of fans.
Go Cardinals.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Pinch me, I must be dreaming
The last time I wrote about football, the Jets had choked away their chance to get into the playoffs, and the Cardinals were in free fall. It seemed that as soon as the Cardinals clinched their division, they lost all focus and desire. They were manhandled by Philadelphia on Thanksgiving night, obliterated by the Vikings at home, and embarassed at New England in a snowstorm, 47-7. Despite winning their last regular season game over Seattle to finish 6-0 against their division foes, the Cardinals were generally regarded as the worst of all the playoff teams, and perhaps one of the worst ever. Every so-called expert predicted they would be one and done.
The first round game was at home a week ago today in University of Phoenix Stadium against Atlanta. The Falcons had a fierce running game, led by Michael Turner, the league leader in rushing, and a hot rookie at quarterback, Matt Ryan. And then a funny thing happened. The home crowd was raucous, the Cards found a running game behind Edgerrin James, the defense stifled the Atlanta ground attack and harassed Ryan all day, Kurt Warner played mistake-free football, and both "all-world" wide receivers, Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, scored touchdowns. The Cardinals pulled off the upset and sent Atlanta packing. The Valley, as we call ourselves here in the metro Phoenix area, went nuts.
The euphoria was to be short-lived, however, as next up was the Carolina Panthers. Again, the national experts, like Colin Cowherd, extolled the virtues of the Panthers, and gave the Cards no chance. The Cardinals, after all, had been 0-5 on the East Coast, and had been blown out in every game except one, which incidentally was against Carolina. The experts predicted a blowout. Well, they were right about that part.
Carolina got off to a strong start last night, going down the field on their first possession and scoring with ease. It looked like it was going to be a long night. But, on the next possession, the Cardinals forced a fumble when the ball was stripped out of Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme's hands. Two plays later, Edgerrin James scored, and the game was tied.
Now, if you were told that after that play, one of the teams would intercept the other five times, and race out to a 27-7 halftime lead, you would bet that team was the Panthers, wouldn't you? And you would be wrong. Playing what was probably their best half of football in their entire history, the Cardinals destroyed the Panthers on defense, and dominated them on offense. By the time halftime came, the local fans were booing and the game was pretty much over. The defense held tight in the second half, and other than a meaningless touchdown in the final minute, Carolina was totally blanked. It will probably go down as one of the five or so biggest upsets in NFL playoff history. Final score: 33-13, Arizona.
And that brings us to today. The Philadelphia Eagles beat the big bad New York Giants in Giants Stadium, and so next Sunday, the NFC Conference game will be played in Glendale, AZ, where the home-team Cardinals will host the visiting Eagles in what, I suppose, will be dubbed the Battle of the Birds. Are you kidding me, or what? Two weeks ago, the national media had buried the Cardinals, and now they're hosting the NFC Championship? What in the world?
If you watch the Cardinals on a regular basis, like I have this season, you realize that the inexplicable part is how they managed to get so manhandled in so many games. As they have proven the last two weeks, they are a good team. When Kurt Warner is on, he is a future Hall of Famer, and if he can lead the Cards to a championship this year, he should be a lock for the Hall. Larry Fitzgerald is the best wide receiver in football, and Anquan Boldin (who didn't even play last night) just might be the second best. Edgerrin James is a proven future Hall of Fame running back, who has managed to play his way back into the game plan and be a factor in the two playoff wins so far. But it's the defense which has led the way. Ridiculed and overlooked at the start of the playoffs, they have dominated Atlanta and Carolina, the two best teams from the league's best division, the AFC South. Veterans like Darnel Docket, Antrelle Rolle, and Adrian Wilson have been outstanding. Rookie Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie has gotten better by the game, and he has had two momentum-changing interceptions in the two playoff wins. This is is a team with a chip on their shoulder, angry about the national lack of respect, and playing like they have something to prove. Clearly, they have proven it.
Next week's game is for the Super Bowl. The Cardinals, of course, have never been there. Actually, for that matter, they've never played in a conference championship game. The only championship they have ever won was long before the merger, back in 1947, two cities ago, when they played in Chicago. Ancient history.
The city of Phoenix is going to be jacked up all week. There will be an air of excitement like this town has never experienced, not even when the Diamondbacks won the World Series. This is all new for us, and we are loving every minute of it. I can't wait til next Sunday. Go Cardinals.
The first round game was at home a week ago today in University of Phoenix Stadium against Atlanta. The Falcons had a fierce running game, led by Michael Turner, the league leader in rushing, and a hot rookie at quarterback, Matt Ryan. And then a funny thing happened. The home crowd was raucous, the Cards found a running game behind Edgerrin James, the defense stifled the Atlanta ground attack and harassed Ryan all day, Kurt Warner played mistake-free football, and both "all-world" wide receivers, Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, scored touchdowns. The Cardinals pulled off the upset and sent Atlanta packing. The Valley, as we call ourselves here in the metro Phoenix area, went nuts.
The euphoria was to be short-lived, however, as next up was the Carolina Panthers. Again, the national experts, like Colin Cowherd, extolled the virtues of the Panthers, and gave the Cards no chance. The Cardinals, after all, had been 0-5 on the East Coast, and had been blown out in every game except one, which incidentally was against Carolina. The experts predicted a blowout. Well, they were right about that part.
Carolina got off to a strong start last night, going down the field on their first possession and scoring with ease. It looked like it was going to be a long night. But, on the next possession, the Cardinals forced a fumble when the ball was stripped out of Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme's hands. Two plays later, Edgerrin James scored, and the game was tied.
Now, if you were told that after that play, one of the teams would intercept the other five times, and race out to a 27-7 halftime lead, you would bet that team was the Panthers, wouldn't you? And you would be wrong. Playing what was probably their best half of football in their entire history, the Cardinals destroyed the Panthers on defense, and dominated them on offense. By the time halftime came, the local fans were booing and the game was pretty much over. The defense held tight in the second half, and other than a meaningless touchdown in the final minute, Carolina was totally blanked. It will probably go down as one of the five or so biggest upsets in NFL playoff history. Final score: 33-13, Arizona.
And that brings us to today. The Philadelphia Eagles beat the big bad New York Giants in Giants Stadium, and so next Sunday, the NFC Conference game will be played in Glendale, AZ, where the home-team Cardinals will host the visiting Eagles in what, I suppose, will be dubbed the Battle of the Birds. Are you kidding me, or what? Two weeks ago, the national media had buried the Cardinals, and now they're hosting the NFC Championship? What in the world?
If you watch the Cardinals on a regular basis, like I have this season, you realize that the inexplicable part is how they managed to get so manhandled in so many games. As they have proven the last two weeks, they are a good team. When Kurt Warner is on, he is a future Hall of Famer, and if he can lead the Cards to a championship this year, he should be a lock for the Hall. Larry Fitzgerald is the best wide receiver in football, and Anquan Boldin (who didn't even play last night) just might be the second best. Edgerrin James is a proven future Hall of Fame running back, who has managed to play his way back into the game plan and be a factor in the two playoff wins so far. But it's the defense which has led the way. Ridiculed and overlooked at the start of the playoffs, they have dominated Atlanta and Carolina, the two best teams from the league's best division, the AFC South. Veterans like Darnel Docket, Antrelle Rolle, and Adrian Wilson have been outstanding. Rookie Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie has gotten better by the game, and he has had two momentum-changing interceptions in the two playoff wins. This is is a team with a chip on their shoulder, angry about the national lack of respect, and playing like they have something to prove. Clearly, they have proven it.
Next week's game is for the Super Bowl. The Cardinals, of course, have never been there. Actually, for that matter, they've never played in a conference championship game. The only championship they have ever won was long before the merger, back in 1947, two cities ago, when they played in Chicago. Ancient history.
The city of Phoenix is going to be jacked up all week. There will be an air of excitement like this town has never experienced, not even when the Diamondbacks won the World Series. This is all new for us, and we are loving every minute of it. I can't wait til next Sunday. Go Cardinals.
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