Animated; written and directed by Andrew Stanton
**** (four stars out of four)
Perfect animation, raw emotion, bitter satire, and charming eloquence are perfectly woven together to create the film of the year. Andrew Stanton’s main character, Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class (WALL*E), provides a peak into the intricacies of true love, a bold curiousness, and Stoogian slapstick humor that keep things just light enough, while Stanton depicts the haunting dystopia that is the future earth. Kids giggled, Kubrick fans marveled, and most importantly, people left the theatre questioning themselves.
An unconventional setting for a children’s film, the movie begins by painting a picture of what has become of planet earth. Taken over by pollution, caused undoubtedly by bulk consumerism (represented by lone corporate giant Buy N Large, who also plays the role of world government), the earth has been reduced to skyscraping stacks of garbage cubes, neatly compacted by the film’s protagonist, WALL*E. Seven hundred years prior, humans had left the planet courtesy of BNL’s spaceship, Axiom, for what was intended to be a five year cruise through space, while millions of WALL*Es cleaned earth. The last one standing, accompanied by his good-natured cockroach companion, goes about his droning, repetitive daily routine, before heading back to his robot bachelor pad, where he hordes various items he finds intriguing (a lighter, a Rubik’s cube, and plastic utensils). His prized possession is a tape (which he watches daily) of the film Hello, Dolly!, which serves as his courting instruction manual, and teaches him one of the purest forms of emotional expression, holding hands.
As loneliness is taking its toll, WALL*E then meets his eventual love interest, EVE (Extraterrestrial Vegetative Evaluator). Although she tries numerous times to blow him to smithereens, WALL*E is immediately smitten. Stanton brilliantly characterizes the film’s heroine as she goes from ruthless robot, to warm, caring soul, through nothing but interaction with our hero. EVE comes to earth with a directive, and is programmed above all else, to find flora and return it to her Axiom superior. From there, the film follows the journey of WALL*E and EVE, as they slowly become a futuristic version of an outlaw couple (ala Badland’s Kit and Holly) in their effort to bring humanity back ‘home’.
Pixar’s latest (and most compelling) creation is littered with scathing social commentary as humans on Axiom are presented in a way that is jaw-dropping and perhaps not too far-fetched. Swallowed by technological comforts, humans are overcome with laziness and obesity to the point that they have lost the ability to walk, and are rather transported by hovering, space-aged Lay-Z-Boys. Stanton offers a glimmer of hope in two human characters on Axiom, John and Mary. United by WALL*E, they eventually look up from their computer screens for the first time, only to discover the wonder and mystique of the stars, and then, each other. One of the most honest, and unique love stories since Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, WALL*E reminds us that love is man’s (or robot’s) directive. -Raj Sagar
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
#44
So Virginia basketball has struggled this year...I have plenty of commentary on this year's team, but I'll save that for another time. For now, here is a little career wrap on a player I've had the pleasure of watching for the last two years.
It is the most important muscle in the human body. It is a symbol for a love of the game, a passion to overcome and a desire to achieve. It is what pushes a 5 foot 11 and a half inch guard to become one of the greatest players in Virginia history. And anyone who's seen him play will tell you, Sean Singletary wears his on his sleeve.
As a young child in Philadelphia, Singletary was first turned onto the game by his mother. As a seven year old, he tried out for a ten and under team, and was quickly discouraged by his small stature.
“After the first day, I didn’t want to play with those guys anymore,” Singletary said. “The fact that everyone was so much bigger than I was almost discouraged me from playing. When I came home and told my mom what happened, she sat me down and told me that if it was something I loved doing, I had to work hard to make up for my size. Ever since then it has kind of been a chip on my shoulder, and I had loved the game of basketball.”
Growing up, Singletary had a lot of inspiration for the kind of basketball he plays. He idolized a number of ‘small guards’ who seemed to always leave everything they had on the court.
“Guys like Damon Stoudamire, Allen Iverson, and Isaiah Thomas are guys I definitely pattern my game after. Even though they were undersized, you can always count on them to give 100% as long as they are on the court.”
Throughout his youth, Singletary has always seen basketball as an escape from the harsh realities of life in urban Philadelphia.
“Growing up I saw a lot of drugs and violence around me in Philly,” Singletary said. “Just recently I lost another one of my close friends to all the bad things that I was around there. I always saw basketball as a way to get away from it all.”
After finishing a stellar senior season in which he averaged 23 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals, at the William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia, Singletary narrowed his college choices down to Virginia and Kansas. In order to stay closer to home, Singletary chose Virginia, and had an immediate impact for the Cavaliers.
During his freshman season, Singletary ranked first among ACC freshman in assists and steals, second in minutes played, and third in scoring. Averaging 10.5 points, 3.9 assists, and 3.0 rebounds during his rookie campaign, Sean established the fact that he was a well-rounded player.
“It’s not promised that every day the ball is going to go in the basket, Singletary said. “You have to be able to do other things to help your team. I feel like contributing in areas other than scoring is just as important. If you can rebound a little harder, or distribute a little better, or put a little more pressure on the man you’re covering, then you are contribute just as much as if you were the one scoring.”
Throughout his career at Virginia, Singletary has shown a passion for the game that is nearly unmatched. Besides the fact that he has been a tremendous scorer for Virginia, Singletary also has truly brought a lot to the team as a leader.
"There are many occasions, in practice or in games, during a time out or in a huddle, when Sean will say or do things that inspire the team and inspire me as his coach,” Virginia coach Dave Leitao said. “Those things go far beyond any basket that he's ever made. It is amazing that he has been playing virtually for two years in pain, and still has been able to play at an extremely high level. The things he does verbally or by his actions can inspire a whole team or a whole gym, and have inspired this whole program."
After his freshman season, Singletary’s leadership was rewarded by being named team captain, a title he has held for the past three seasons.
“It is an honor to be held in such a high esteem,” Singletary said. “To be held in such high regard both by your teammates and coaches, at such a big time program is an incredible honor. I use that opportunity to try and set an example by the way I approach the game.”
Singletary’s junior season proved to be one for the ages. In the newly opened John Paul Jones Arena, Singletary led the Cavaliers to an astounding 16-1 home record, a share of the ACC regular season title, and a trip as a #5 seed, to the NCAA tournament.
“Making the tournament meant so much to me,” Singletary said. “It was something that Virginia hadn’t done in a while, and being a part of that was incredible. We all grew so much as a team from the beginning of the season, and it was great to see all the hard work pay off in a trip to the big dance.”
In addition to all the hard work, goes a great deal of emotion. The truly great competitors in the sport are satisfied with nothing short of perfection. Despite the fact that the Cavaliers exceeded all expectations, and had a phenomenal season, for Singletary, losing in the second round of the NCAA tournament was devastating. After missed last second attempt against Tennessee, Singletary fell to the ground, and began to cry, showing exactly how much he had vested in the team’s success.
Perhaps the greatest memory in Sean Singletary’s career at Virginia was in a game against Duke last season. In front of a sold out home crowd, with time running down in overtime, Singletary hit a one-handed floating fade-away over Duke’s Josh McRoberts to give the Cavaliers the win.
During that junior season, Singletary was a third-team All-America selection by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, and was named first-team All ACC for the second year in a row.
Although he averaged 19.0 points per game during that season, his contributions in other areas were equally impressive. Defense and rebounding are aspects of basketball that are often referred to as determined purely by desire, especially in the case of a player who is often tagged as undersized. Coaches everywhere will tell you that those two things are simply a matter of ‘who wants it more?’ In Singletary’s case, that was never a question.
"Sean’s desire, determination and his heart to me are greater than any other individual player I've been around in 24 years,” Leitao said. “Through adversity, through injury, through all kinds of other things he's maintained himself as one of the best players this University has ever seen."
It is the most important muscle in the human body. It is a symbol for a love of the game, a passion to overcome and a desire to achieve. It is what pushes a 5 foot 11 and a half inch guard to become one of the greatest players in Virginia history. And anyone who's seen him play will tell you, Sean Singletary wears his on his sleeve.
As a young child in Philadelphia, Singletary was first turned onto the game by his mother. As a seven year old, he tried out for a ten and under team, and was quickly discouraged by his small stature.
“After the first day, I didn’t want to play with those guys anymore,” Singletary said. “The fact that everyone was so much bigger than I was almost discouraged me from playing. When I came home and told my mom what happened, she sat me down and told me that if it was something I loved doing, I had to work hard to make up for my size. Ever since then it has kind of been a chip on my shoulder, and I had loved the game of basketball.”
Growing up, Singletary had a lot of inspiration for the kind of basketball he plays. He idolized a number of ‘small guards’ who seemed to always leave everything they had on the court.
“Guys like Damon Stoudamire, Allen Iverson, and Isaiah Thomas are guys I definitely pattern my game after. Even though they were undersized, you can always count on them to give 100% as long as they are on the court.”
Throughout his youth, Singletary has always seen basketball as an escape from the harsh realities of life in urban Philadelphia.
“Growing up I saw a lot of drugs and violence around me in Philly,” Singletary said. “Just recently I lost another one of my close friends to all the bad things that I was around there. I always saw basketball as a way to get away from it all.”
After finishing a stellar senior season in which he averaged 23 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals, at the William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia, Singletary narrowed his college choices down to Virginia and Kansas. In order to stay closer to home, Singletary chose Virginia, and had an immediate impact for the Cavaliers.
During his freshman season, Singletary ranked first among ACC freshman in assists and steals, second in minutes played, and third in scoring. Averaging 10.5 points, 3.9 assists, and 3.0 rebounds during his rookie campaign, Sean established the fact that he was a well-rounded player.
“It’s not promised that every day the ball is going to go in the basket, Singletary said. “You have to be able to do other things to help your team. I feel like contributing in areas other than scoring is just as important. If you can rebound a little harder, or distribute a little better, or put a little more pressure on the man you’re covering, then you are contribute just as much as if you were the one scoring.”
Throughout his career at Virginia, Singletary has shown a passion for the game that is nearly unmatched. Besides the fact that he has been a tremendous scorer for Virginia, Singletary also has truly brought a lot to the team as a leader.
"There are many occasions, in practice or in games, during a time out or in a huddle, when Sean will say or do things that inspire the team and inspire me as his coach,” Virginia coach Dave Leitao said. “Those things go far beyond any basket that he's ever made. It is amazing that he has been playing virtually for two years in pain, and still has been able to play at an extremely high level. The things he does verbally or by his actions can inspire a whole team or a whole gym, and have inspired this whole program."
After his freshman season, Singletary’s leadership was rewarded by being named team captain, a title he has held for the past three seasons.
“It is an honor to be held in such a high esteem,” Singletary said. “To be held in such high regard both by your teammates and coaches, at such a big time program is an incredible honor. I use that opportunity to try and set an example by the way I approach the game.”
Singletary’s junior season proved to be one for the ages. In the newly opened John Paul Jones Arena, Singletary led the Cavaliers to an astounding 16-1 home record, a share of the ACC regular season title, and a trip as a #5 seed, to the NCAA tournament.
“Making the tournament meant so much to me,” Singletary said. “It was something that Virginia hadn’t done in a while, and being a part of that was incredible. We all grew so much as a team from the beginning of the season, and it was great to see all the hard work pay off in a trip to the big dance.”
In addition to all the hard work, goes a great deal of emotion. The truly great competitors in the sport are satisfied with nothing short of perfection. Despite the fact that the Cavaliers exceeded all expectations, and had a phenomenal season, for Singletary, losing in the second round of the NCAA tournament was devastating. After missed last second attempt against Tennessee, Singletary fell to the ground, and began to cry, showing exactly how much he had vested in the team’s success.
Perhaps the greatest memory in Sean Singletary’s career at Virginia was in a game against Duke last season. In front of a sold out home crowd, with time running down in overtime, Singletary hit a one-handed floating fade-away over Duke’s Josh McRoberts to give the Cavaliers the win.
During that junior season, Singletary was a third-team All-America selection by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, and was named first-team All ACC for the second year in a row.
Although he averaged 19.0 points per game during that season, his contributions in other areas were equally impressive. Defense and rebounding are aspects of basketball that are often referred to as determined purely by desire, especially in the case of a player who is often tagged as undersized. Coaches everywhere will tell you that those two things are simply a matter of ‘who wants it more?’ In Singletary’s case, that was never a question.
"Sean’s desire, determination and his heart to me are greater than any other individual player I've been around in 24 years,” Leitao said. “Through adversity, through injury, through all kinds of other things he's maintained himself as one of the best players this University has ever seen."
Friday, January 11, 2008
Chicken Dinners and Pickin Winners
I'd say that pretty much is the story of my life...but anyways here goes...
New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys
Fresh from his romantic vacation to Cabo, Tony Romo will be ready to lead Dallas to the NFC title game. My biggest reason for picking Dallas in this game is the lack of Jeremy Shockey for the Giants. Every time these two teams meet, Shockey absolutely abuses safety Roy Williams (last time they met Shockey had by far his best game of the year with 12 catches for 129 yds and a TD). What I don't understand is why Dallas continues to insist on leaving Shockey one on one with the feared horse-collarer. No disrespect to Mr. Williams, who is still a great play-making safety, but Shockey in street clothes will be a huge plus for Dallas. Additionally there has been question as to whether "The Player" will be healthy enough to go for Dallas. All negativity about TO aside, he is one of the best competitors in the game and you can be assured that he will play, and he will produce against a suspect Giants secondary. On the other side, the Giants are led by the boyish Eli Manning. Coming off an almost flawless performance in Tampa Bay, baby Manning now has a chance to hush his legions of nay-sayers. However, Eli has shown time and time again, that with a little pressure, he will falter. For some odd reason, the Bucs didn't blitz him as much as they could have, and Eli was able to stand back, make smart throws, and pick them apart. Expect Dallas to send all-pro LB Demarcus Ware time and time again, and for Eli to never find his rhythm.
Dallas 31 NY 23
Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers
Matt Hasselbeck may take this ball in this game, and he may score, but he certainly is not going to win. Brett Favre has the chance to finally end his career the way he always wanted. He is in position to culminate his season of rebirth in a Super Bowl title, and then ride off into the sunset as the best signal caller ever (after taking a number of records away from the great Marino this year). Combine Favre's newly found success with upstart running back Ryan Grant and you have a pretty potent offense. Donald Driver may be the most underrated receiver in the league as he never drops the ball, even on the 100 mph fastball Favre throws on the 3-yard slant routes Driver specializes in. The Green Bay D has been solid all season behind phenomal pass rush from pro-bowl defensive end Aaron Kampman and brilliant coverage all season from a secondary that includes former Heisman trophy winner Charles Woodson and Al Harris. Seattle has done their job all season and won what is arguably the worst division in football (they get to play San Fran and St. Louis twice!!) It's hard to believe Shaun Alexander was once an MVP as he ran for an unimpressive 704 yards and 4 TDs this year. Seattle's defense will have to be what keeps them in this game. They are very capable as they have been great all year. Patrick Kerney has proven to be one of the best free agent acquisitions of the off-season as he leads the defense with 14.5 sacks and five forced fumbles. I see Seattle struggling to establish the run, but Hasselbeck having a solid game. A few plays by the D Seattle will keep it close but Favre and Co. at Lambeau will be too much.
Green Bay 27 Seattle 23
Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots
I thought briefly about being trendy like a lot of other NFL pundits (can I call myself that?) and picking the Jags. Key word in that sentence: briefly. This New England team is just too good. Offensively and defensively they are the best collection of football players I have ever seen. Behind a pretty good quarterback who's accolades I'm not even going to bother listing...(fine I will...NFL MVP, AP Offensive Player of the year, record 50 TD passes in a season, Pro Bowl starter) and a blue-collar crew of LBs on defense, the Pats should have no problem with a very good Jacksonville team. Any other year, the Jags would give the Pats a run. The Jags don't have the explosive passing game that will be necessary to keep pace with Bellicheck's brood. They do what all good teams do. They run the ball, and they stop the run (and they do both very well). Against these Pats however, that just won't be enough. I see Brady connecting with King Dactyl Randy Moss twice and Wes Welker having another productive outing. Kudos to Jack Del Rio, David Garrard, Fred Taylor and Co. for having a great season, but guess what guys, this just wasn't the year to have it.
Patriots 37 Jaguars 14
San Diego Chargers at Indianapolis Colts
I don't any possible way that the 6'5 230 pound, quarterback with a laser rocket arm doesn't lead his team to what will prove to be a historic match-up with the spy-gate squad in the AFC title game. Manning and the Colts will be too much for the San Diego with a hobbled (at best) Antonio Gates. Even though no word has been given on whether or not he will play, if he does, toe injuries tend to nag and linger, and thus his performance will have to be affected. That being said, the Colts and Defensive player of the year and human missle Bob Sanders will be able to key on one of the best offensive players the game has ever seen. Ladanian Tomlinson is the Chargers last hope, but the load should be too much to handle. Yes I am aware that the Bolts did win the regular-season match up between these teams but let's take a few things into consideration...1) Peyton Manning threw six interceptions (chances of him throwing four this weekend 1 in 1,302.)2) Dallas Clark didn't play. Clark is one of Manning's favorite targets and with him off the field, the middle of the field wasn't as open as he would have liked. 3) Antonio Gates played and was 100% and although he only had 26 yards receiving, his presence on the field is enough to change how a defesne plays. 4)All that being said, the Chargers won...by TWO POINTS. Norv Turner will be outcoached and the Chargers will be outplayed.
Indianapolis 37 San Diego 17
New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys
Fresh from his romantic vacation to Cabo, Tony Romo will be ready to lead Dallas to the NFC title game. My biggest reason for picking Dallas in this game is the lack of Jeremy Shockey for the Giants. Every time these two teams meet, Shockey absolutely abuses safety Roy Williams (last time they met Shockey had by far his best game of the year with 12 catches for 129 yds and a TD). What I don't understand is why Dallas continues to insist on leaving Shockey one on one with the feared horse-collarer. No disrespect to Mr. Williams, who is still a great play-making safety, but Shockey in street clothes will be a huge plus for Dallas. Additionally there has been question as to whether "The Player" will be healthy enough to go for Dallas. All negativity about TO aside, he is one of the best competitors in the game and you can be assured that he will play, and he will produce against a suspect Giants secondary. On the other side, the Giants are led by the boyish Eli Manning. Coming off an almost flawless performance in Tampa Bay, baby Manning now has a chance to hush his legions of nay-sayers. However, Eli has shown time and time again, that with a little pressure, he will falter. For some odd reason, the Bucs didn't blitz him as much as they could have, and Eli was able to stand back, make smart throws, and pick them apart. Expect Dallas to send all-pro LB Demarcus Ware time and time again, and for Eli to never find his rhythm.
Dallas 31 NY 23
Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers
Matt Hasselbeck may take this ball in this game, and he may score, but he certainly is not going to win. Brett Favre has the chance to finally end his career the way he always wanted. He is in position to culminate his season of rebirth in a Super Bowl title, and then ride off into the sunset as the best signal caller ever (after taking a number of records away from the great Marino this year). Combine Favre's newly found success with upstart running back Ryan Grant and you have a pretty potent offense. Donald Driver may be the most underrated receiver in the league as he never drops the ball, even on the 100 mph fastball Favre throws on the 3-yard slant routes Driver specializes in. The Green Bay D has been solid all season behind phenomal pass rush from pro-bowl defensive end Aaron Kampman and brilliant coverage all season from a secondary that includes former Heisman trophy winner Charles Woodson and Al Harris. Seattle has done their job all season and won what is arguably the worst division in football (they get to play San Fran and St. Louis twice!!) It's hard to believe Shaun Alexander was once an MVP as he ran for an unimpressive 704 yards and 4 TDs this year. Seattle's defense will have to be what keeps them in this game. They are very capable as they have been great all year. Patrick Kerney has proven to be one of the best free agent acquisitions of the off-season as he leads the defense with 14.5 sacks and five forced fumbles. I see Seattle struggling to establish the run, but Hasselbeck having a solid game. A few plays by the D Seattle will keep it close but Favre and Co. at Lambeau will be too much.
Green Bay 27 Seattle 23
Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots
I thought briefly about being trendy like a lot of other NFL pundits (can I call myself that?) and picking the Jags. Key word in that sentence: briefly. This New England team is just too good. Offensively and defensively they are the best collection of football players I have ever seen. Behind a pretty good quarterback who's accolades I'm not even going to bother listing...(fine I will...NFL MVP, AP Offensive Player of the year, record 50 TD passes in a season, Pro Bowl starter) and a blue-collar crew of LBs on defense, the Pats should have no problem with a very good Jacksonville team. Any other year, the Jags would give the Pats a run. The Jags don't have the explosive passing game that will be necessary to keep pace with Bellicheck's brood. They do what all good teams do. They run the ball, and they stop the run (and they do both very well). Against these Pats however, that just won't be enough. I see Brady connecting with King Dactyl Randy Moss twice and Wes Welker having another productive outing. Kudos to Jack Del Rio, David Garrard, Fred Taylor and Co. for having a great season, but guess what guys, this just wasn't the year to have it.
Patriots 37 Jaguars 14
San Diego Chargers at Indianapolis Colts
I don't any possible way that the 6'5 230 pound, quarterback with a laser rocket arm doesn't lead his team to what will prove to be a historic match-up with the spy-gate squad in the AFC title game. Manning and the Colts will be too much for the San Diego with a hobbled (at best) Antonio Gates. Even though no word has been given on whether or not he will play, if he does, toe injuries tend to nag and linger, and thus his performance will have to be affected. That being said, the Colts and Defensive player of the year and human missle Bob Sanders will be able to key on one of the best offensive players the game has ever seen. Ladanian Tomlinson is the Chargers last hope, but the load should be too much to handle. Yes I am aware that the Bolts did win the regular-season match up between these teams but let's take a few things into consideration...1) Peyton Manning threw six interceptions (chances of him throwing four this weekend 1 in 1,302.)2) Dallas Clark didn't play. Clark is one of Manning's favorite targets and with him off the field, the middle of the field wasn't as open as he would have liked. 3) Antonio Gates played and was 100% and although he only had 26 yards receiving, his presence on the field is enough to change how a defesne plays. 4)All that being said, the Chargers won...by TWO POINTS. Norv Turner will be outcoached and the Chargers will be outplayed.
Indianapolis 37 San Diego 17
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Yayyy Skinsss!!!! :)
Let me preface this fine piece by saying, over the last couple of weeks, the general feeling of those loyal, die hard, Skins fans has been exemplified by their completely heterosexual away messages (see headline as example).
With that being said, it's time for a Cowboys fan to do something I haven't done since I was born. Here you go Skins fans, I am finally giving your sorry organization something you will hold dearly for the rest of your lives: props.
Rewind to week 14. Going into the Chicago game, the Skins were sitting at a stellar 5-7, including a dogfight with Miami (yes, they played into overtime against the Dolphins) Arizona, the Jets, and Bills (which they had lost after their HOF [possibly an Alzheimer's patient] coach tried calling 8 timeouts to ice the Bills kicker, only to draw an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty reducing the game winning kick from 51 yards to a chip shot 36 yarder). They has also endured a 45 point drubbing by the Pats (a loss is acceptable but 45 points !!?!), and had recently let Terrell Owens get in the end zone FOUR times in a loss to arch-rival Dallas.
So here they sat, the hapless Redskins. Even though they had done very little worthy of praise all throughout the season, Skins fanatics stuck by their side. Unconditionally optimistic, fans everywhere of the Burgundy and gold didn't rule out the post-season. They argued, even though those games against the bottom feeders of the NFL were so close, a win is a win, and we got the job done. The odds of going undefeated to end the season were definitely small, but the motto of the Redskin faithful still held strong, "we still have a chance".
The most important part of the rest of their season would be their focus. You'd think focus would be a seemingly easy task when you are getting paid millions of dollars to do your job, and know your entire lively hood relies on it right? However, the focus of Redskin Nation was shaken in the worst possible way. On November 27, Sean Michael Maurice Taylor, standout safety, new father, and recently righted member of society was tragically gunned down in his home in Miami. The fans who thought the world of him, the players who bled, cried and fought hard with him, the coaches who molded him, and his family who loved him all mourned his death to the greatest extreme. Never mind the fact that the franchise had just lost one of the most explosive players in the league (led the league in interceptions when he passed away) and has just experienced a huge set back in terms of developing their defense, they still had to FOCUS on the task at hand which was to finish this season.
Back to week 14..... Heavy hearted, the Skins were playing inspired football against the Bears. In a must-win, the Skins were thrown another curve ball that would have a huge effect on the rest of their season. In the second quarter, starting quarterback Jason Campbell went down with a dislocated left knee cap which would most likely shelve him for the remainder of the season. Ice cold off the bench comes Todd Collins, who had been a backup in the league and seen no meaningful PT for the last TEN years. Collins, doing his best Tom Brady impersonation, went 15 of 20 for 224 and 2 TDs as he and the Skins went on to beat the Bears.
Since then, Collins has been nothing short of magnificent. "In Todd We Trust" had become the slogan of the Skins playoff campaign. Starting the next three games (under intense pressure no less, as these games were virtually must-win for the Skins playoff chances) Collins was highly efficient and threw 3 TDs and no picks in three huge wins. The first of those coming on the road at division rival New York who was also scrapping for the post-season. After that it was on the road again against a hungry, Minnesota team who need a win just as badly as the Skins. Finally came Dallas, who, due mostly indifference, but also to the fact that Skins were determined, got whacked.
Now the Skins wild ride has come to a brief halt as they have reached their short term goal. They earned themselves a spot in the post-season in form of a trip to Seattle this weekend. Whether they continue their story-book second half and pull off a win against the same team that knocked them out of the playoffs two years ago, and then go to Dallas and wipe the ever-lasting smile off Tony Romo's face, by knocking off the king of the conference Cowboys thus adding to arguably the most intense rivalry in sports, and then put on their long underwear and and go beat the rejuvenated, gun slinging Hall Of Famer while overcoming the greatest home field advantage in sports, before conquering the best team in NFL history behind Todd Collin's six touchdown passes and Reed Doughty's three interceptions of the best QB ever is yet to be seen.
To this point however, the Redskins have been living a dream. Whether it's destiny, a new focus, or just purely putting together the pieces they had all along, the Redskins have been taking care of business. And for that... I applaud them.
With that being said, it's time for a Cowboys fan to do something I haven't done since I was born. Here you go Skins fans, I am finally giving your sorry organization something you will hold dearly for the rest of your lives: props.
Rewind to week 14. Going into the Chicago game, the Skins were sitting at a stellar 5-7, including a dogfight with Miami (yes, they played into overtime against the Dolphins) Arizona, the Jets, and Bills (which they had lost after their HOF [possibly an Alzheimer's patient] coach tried calling 8 timeouts to ice the Bills kicker, only to draw an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty reducing the game winning kick from 51 yards to a chip shot 36 yarder). They has also endured a 45 point drubbing by the Pats (a loss is acceptable but 45 points !!?!), and had recently let Terrell Owens get in the end zone FOUR times in a loss to arch-rival Dallas.
So here they sat, the hapless Redskins. Even though they had done very little worthy of praise all throughout the season, Skins fanatics stuck by their side. Unconditionally optimistic, fans everywhere of the Burgundy and gold didn't rule out the post-season. They argued, even though those games against the bottom feeders of the NFL were so close, a win is a win, and we got the job done. The odds of going undefeated to end the season were definitely small, but the motto of the Redskin faithful still held strong, "we still have a chance".
The most important part of the rest of their season would be their focus. You'd think focus would be a seemingly easy task when you are getting paid millions of dollars to do your job, and know your entire lively hood relies on it right? However, the focus of Redskin Nation was shaken in the worst possible way. On November 27, Sean Michael Maurice Taylor, standout safety, new father, and recently righted member of society was tragically gunned down in his home in Miami. The fans who thought the world of him, the players who bled, cried and fought hard with him, the coaches who molded him, and his family who loved him all mourned his death to the greatest extreme. Never mind the fact that the franchise had just lost one of the most explosive players in the league (led the league in interceptions when he passed away) and has just experienced a huge set back in terms of developing their defense, they still had to FOCUS on the task at hand which was to finish this season.
Back to week 14..... Heavy hearted, the Skins were playing inspired football against the Bears. In a must-win, the Skins were thrown another curve ball that would have a huge effect on the rest of their season. In the second quarter, starting quarterback Jason Campbell went down with a dislocated left knee cap which would most likely shelve him for the remainder of the season. Ice cold off the bench comes Todd Collins, who had been a backup in the league and seen no meaningful PT for the last TEN years. Collins, doing his best Tom Brady impersonation, went 15 of 20 for 224 and 2 TDs as he and the Skins went on to beat the Bears.
Since then, Collins has been nothing short of magnificent. "In Todd We Trust" had become the slogan of the Skins playoff campaign. Starting the next three games (under intense pressure no less, as these games were virtually must-win for the Skins playoff chances) Collins was highly efficient and threw 3 TDs and no picks in three huge wins. The first of those coming on the road at division rival New York who was also scrapping for the post-season. After that it was on the road again against a hungry, Minnesota team who need a win just as badly as the Skins. Finally came Dallas, who, due mostly indifference, but also to the fact that Skins were determined, got whacked.
Now the Skins wild ride has come to a brief halt as they have reached their short term goal. They earned themselves a spot in the post-season in form of a trip to Seattle this weekend. Whether they continue their story-book second half and pull off a win against the same team that knocked them out of the playoffs two years ago, and then go to Dallas and wipe the ever-lasting smile off Tony Romo's face, by knocking off the king of the conference Cowboys thus adding to arguably the most intense rivalry in sports, and then put on their long underwear and and go beat the rejuvenated, gun slinging Hall Of Famer while overcoming the greatest home field advantage in sports, before conquering the best team in NFL history behind Todd Collin's six touchdown passes and Reed Doughty's three interceptions of the best QB ever is yet to be seen.
To this point however, the Redskins have been living a dream. Whether it's destiny, a new focus, or just purely putting together the pieces they had all along, the Redskins have been taking care of business. And for that... I applaud them.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
THROW IT DOWN BIG MAN!!!
Chamberlain, Russell, Jabbar, Malone, Ewing, Olajuwon, Shaq, Duncan, KG...?
I think David Stern should put up a "Help Wanted" sign in the front offices somwhere. The NBA is desperately in need of big men to carry the torch. Other than the fading Tim Duncan and KG, there a only a few guys who have the potential to be in the same breath as the giants who set the standard...
1) Dwight Howard is the best player...ever? Imagine the perfect combination of strength, speed, and leaping ability coupled with a basketball IQ that increases exponentially with ever game he plays. He is a 6'11, 265 pound monster. Here he is in his FOURTH pro season (out of high school no less), averaging 23 and 15, and controlling the game at both ends of the court. As a defender he needs some work, but still has the ability to play with a certain amount of nonchalance and challenge almost every shot that goes up in the paint. The thing that is so impressive about Howard is that he only has seemed to scratch the surface of what his athleticism allows him to do. Too add some minutia, if there are any of you INSANE people left who think the Magic made the wrong decision in taking Howard over Okafor, allow me to refer you back to their meeting earlier this month. Okafor put in a solid effort with 16 and 12. Howard contributed 33 and 18 (and 4 blocks to Okafor's 0) for his Magic, who won the game. If he continues his pace (Malone averaged 25 and 10 for his career), I would go as far as to say that with a mean streak, an altered free throw stroke (61% for his career), and a bit of a touch from 17 feet (which I feel he can easily develop), it wouldn't be a stretch to say that Dwight Howard would among the game's elites.
2)For those of you loyal NBA fans (are there any left?) who escaped your "I only want to see you when you have gifts for me" relatives and watched the Christmas day Lakers game, you saw the coming out party of the Lakers budding star, Andrew Bynum. To the delight of Jack Nicholson and Lakers fans everywhere (because they are everywhere for some reason), Bynum showed toughness and a strong post-presence (something that they've recently relied on the likes of Kwame Brown and Mark Madsen for, and thus lacked). In what was the best game of his young career, Bynum shot 11 of 13 for 28 points and grabbed 12 boards (8 of them offensive). It's this kind of pure efficiency (63 FG% on the year) out of post-players that the NBA lacks across the board. It is a lot easier for guys to be able to come up and shoot the ball well or be a creative slasher, but in the contemporary NBA (aside from Tim Duncan), to be able to craft the majority of your game with your back to the basket is almost a lost art. Bynum is just now starting to realize how to use his 7 foot frame, and as he puts on weight, his game will do nothing but expand. So you think that because he is playing running mate to the black (not meant racially) hole that is Kobe Bryant, the kid will never be able to develop right? Wrong. Kobe's propensity to pass the ball aside, this kid already has the swagger it will take to succeed at the highest level. Already this season he has been known to call for the ball in late game situations. When you are on the court with the arguably the best scorer in the history of the game (Kobe became the youngest player to score 20,000 points last week), and can still demand the rock, it's saying you have marbles, if nothing else. Also, as of late, Kobe has started to stray away from his super ball-hog mentality (that was responsible for getting handled by Detroit in the 2004 finals, and dismantling what had the potential to be the greatest dynasty in NBA history). His awareness has increased a ton as he now PASSES the ball when he gets triple team. The beneficiary? Bynum (who is second in the league in dunks).
As we sift through the Brendan Haywoods, Anderson Varejaos, Andrew Boguts and Udonis Haslems of the NBA, we search desperately for the game's next dominant big man. For now, Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum, you have clowns to the left of you, jokers to the right, and we're Stuck in the Middle with You.
Stay tuned for the next edition in which we'll discuss Dactyl-to-be Chris Bosh and the semi-proven Yao Ming.
Musical Score:
Stealer's Wheel-Stuck in the Middle With You
I think David Stern should put up a "Help Wanted" sign in the front offices somwhere. The NBA is desperately in need of big men to carry the torch. Other than the fading Tim Duncan and KG, there a only a few guys who have the potential to be in the same breath as the giants who set the standard...
1) Dwight Howard is the best player...ever? Imagine the perfect combination of strength, speed, and leaping ability coupled with a basketball IQ that increases exponentially with ever game he plays. He is a 6'11, 265 pound monster. Here he is in his FOURTH pro season (out of high school no less), averaging 23 and 15, and controlling the game at both ends of the court. As a defender he needs some work, but still has the ability to play with a certain amount of nonchalance and challenge almost every shot that goes up in the paint. The thing that is so impressive about Howard is that he only has seemed to scratch the surface of what his athleticism allows him to do. Too add some minutia, if there are any of you INSANE people left who think the Magic made the wrong decision in taking Howard over Okafor, allow me to refer you back to their meeting earlier this month. Okafor put in a solid effort with 16 and 12. Howard contributed 33 and 18 (and 4 blocks to Okafor's 0) for his Magic, who won the game. If he continues his pace (Malone averaged 25 and 10 for his career), I would go as far as to say that with a mean streak, an altered free throw stroke (61% for his career), and a bit of a touch from 17 feet (which I feel he can easily develop), it wouldn't be a stretch to say that Dwight Howard would among the game's elites.
2)For those of you loyal NBA fans (are there any left?) who escaped your "I only want to see you when you have gifts for me" relatives and watched the Christmas day Lakers game, you saw the coming out party of the Lakers budding star, Andrew Bynum. To the delight of Jack Nicholson and Lakers fans everywhere (because they are everywhere for some reason), Bynum showed toughness and a strong post-presence (something that they've recently relied on the likes of Kwame Brown and Mark Madsen for, and thus lacked). In what was the best game of his young career, Bynum shot 11 of 13 for 28 points and grabbed 12 boards (8 of them offensive). It's this kind of pure efficiency (63 FG% on the year) out of post-players that the NBA lacks across the board. It is a lot easier for guys to be able to come up and shoot the ball well or be a creative slasher, but in the contemporary NBA (aside from Tim Duncan), to be able to craft the majority of your game with your back to the basket is almost a lost art. Bynum is just now starting to realize how to use his 7 foot frame, and as he puts on weight, his game will do nothing but expand. So you think that because he is playing running mate to the black (not meant racially) hole that is Kobe Bryant, the kid will never be able to develop right? Wrong. Kobe's propensity to pass the ball aside, this kid already has the swagger it will take to succeed at the highest level. Already this season he has been known to call for the ball in late game situations. When you are on the court with the arguably the best scorer in the history of the game (Kobe became the youngest player to score 20,000 points last week), and can still demand the rock, it's saying you have marbles, if nothing else. Also, as of late, Kobe has started to stray away from his super ball-hog mentality (that was responsible for getting handled by Detroit in the 2004 finals, and dismantling what had the potential to be the greatest dynasty in NBA history). His awareness has increased a ton as he now PASSES the ball when he gets triple team. The beneficiary? Bynum (who is second in the league in dunks).
As we sift through the Brendan Haywoods, Anderson Varejaos, Andrew Boguts and Udonis Haslems of the NBA, we search desperately for the game's next dominant big man. For now, Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum, you have clowns to the left of you, jokers to the right, and we're Stuck in the Middle with You.
Stay tuned for the next edition in which we'll discuss Dactyl-to-be Chris Bosh and the semi-proven Yao Ming.
Musical Score:
Stealer's Wheel-Stuck in the Middle With You
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Three's Company
For those of you who desperately want to read something by me, or want to know what happened in the Viriginia Basketball game tonight...(yes I know there are only four of you)
Released 11/27/07 Courtesy Virginia Athletics Media Relations
By: Raj Sagar, Virginia Athletics Media Relations
Three. It isn’t just a hot spot on The Corner, it’s what Cavalier basketball lives and dies by. Tuesday night against the 1-3-1 zone defense of the Northwestern Wildcats, Virginia lived. Hosting their leg of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, the Cavaliers shot their way to a 94-52 victory.
Virginia set the tone early as on their first score, senior guard Sean Singletary drove to the basket, and swung the ball into the corner for junior guard Mamadi Diane, who drilled the three-pointer. Finishing the first half with seven assists, Singletary digressed from him normal go-to-scorer role, and became more of a distributing point guard for Virginia. Singletary finished the game with a career high 10 assists.
“Sean’s always been an unselfish player,” sophomore guard Calvin Baker said. “We fortunately were making shots today and that got his assists up.”
The Cavaliers started the game on fire as eight of their first nine field goals were from behind the arc. Six different Cavaliers got in the act and connected from deep during that stretch.
With three minutes left in the first half, Singletary exemplified Virginia’s philosophy perfectly. After soaring for a defensive rebound, Singletary pushed the ball up for Virginia. When Northwestern failed to step out on him, Singletary pulled up from a foot behind the arc, and nailed it.
Virginia kept their hot touch throughout the first half as they shot 60 percent on 12 of 20 from behind the arc, and finished the game at 50 percent on 16 of 32 from long range.
Patience was key to Virginia’s success from long range as they repeatedly worked the ball around on offense, and found the open man. The Cavaliers rarely forced a shot and instead always worked to get a good look at the basket. The guards showed their unselfishness as they often made the extra pass to set up a better shot.
“We took 32 [three point attempts] because 32 was the number that presented itself because they played a lot of zone,” Virginia coach Dave Leitao said. “We shot 50 percent while taking that many, and as long as we are taking them in rhythm, I will continue to encourage the guys shoot it.”
Diane finished the game with 22 points on six of nine shooting from three point land while Baker was a perfect four for four from deep with 16 points.
Virginia now has eight days off before they face Big-East powerhouse Syracuse next Wednesday night at John Paul Jones Arena.
Released 11/27/07 Courtesy Virginia Athletics Media Relations
By: Raj Sagar, Virginia Athletics Media Relations
Three. It isn’t just a hot spot on The Corner, it’s what Cavalier basketball lives and dies by. Tuesday night against the 1-3-1 zone defense of the Northwestern Wildcats, Virginia lived. Hosting their leg of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, the Cavaliers shot their way to a 94-52 victory.
Virginia set the tone early as on their first score, senior guard Sean Singletary drove to the basket, and swung the ball into the corner for junior guard Mamadi Diane, who drilled the three-pointer. Finishing the first half with seven assists, Singletary digressed from him normal go-to-scorer role, and became more of a distributing point guard for Virginia. Singletary finished the game with a career high 10 assists.
“Sean’s always been an unselfish player,” sophomore guard Calvin Baker said. “We fortunately were making shots today and that got his assists up.”
The Cavaliers started the game on fire as eight of their first nine field goals were from behind the arc. Six different Cavaliers got in the act and connected from deep during that stretch.
With three minutes left in the first half, Singletary exemplified Virginia’s philosophy perfectly. After soaring for a defensive rebound, Singletary pushed the ball up for Virginia. When Northwestern failed to step out on him, Singletary pulled up from a foot behind the arc, and nailed it.
Virginia kept their hot touch throughout the first half as they shot 60 percent on 12 of 20 from behind the arc, and finished the game at 50 percent on 16 of 32 from long range.
Patience was key to Virginia’s success from long range as they repeatedly worked the ball around on offense, and found the open man. The Cavaliers rarely forced a shot and instead always worked to get a good look at the basket. The guards showed their unselfishness as they often made the extra pass to set up a better shot.
“We took 32 [three point attempts] because 32 was the number that presented itself because they played a lot of zone,” Virginia coach Dave Leitao said. “We shot 50 percent while taking that many, and as long as we are taking them in rhythm, I will continue to encourage the guys shoot it.”
Diane finished the game with 22 points on six of nine shooting from three point land while Baker was a perfect four for four from deep with 16 points.
Virginia now has eight days off before they face Big-East powerhouse Syracuse next Wednesday night at John Paul Jones Arena.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Packin it In...
By 4 O'clock yesterday, after putting down one last slice of turkey, I was drained...of the desire to ever eat again (or at least for the next hour) and to ever pick games again. Favre and the Packers decided to do the exact opposite of everything I said, and go ahead and prove they were an elite team, both in the NFC, and the NFL.
My pick would have been pretty accurate, except that I failed to realize that time and time again, in big games, on national TV, the three time MVP brings his A-game...add the fact that it was Thanksgiving, and you have the perfect recipe for home cooked Gulfport domination.
Thursday afternoon Favre was stellar. He made all the right decisions and put passes between the numbers all day. Distributing like Steve Nash, Favre was able to hit eight different receivers en route to a 31 of 41, 381 yard day, with three TDs. Throw in a 100 yard performance from Ryan Grant (yeah that is GBs running back), and the Lions had no chance. "10 wins" Kitna and his Pterodactyls (Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams) did make a late run to make it seem closer than it was, but it was too little too late as the Pack took this one 37-26.
By 7:30 yesterday evening, I was hungry again...to get back to picking winners. Tony Romo and the Cowboys did in fact roll over the Jets, although I wasn't completely satisfied with their W. Romo looked average, making a few questionable decisions, and the Cowboys line struggled a little with the Jets pass rush (by struggled I mean did just fine, but didn't look outright dominant). For the first time this year, Romo seemed a little flustered and shuffled in the pocket with no real place to go. The Cowboys did succeed on the ground with 174 yds rushing and TO was kept happy with a TD catch late in the fourth (6th straight game with at least 1 TD). Wade Phillips now has a week to simulate the match-up with the Packers over and over again on Madden to see what the team needs to do next Thursday night at Texas Stadium, on NFL Network (WHYYY!?!?).
Speaking of NFL Network, did you catch the Colts game on it last night?...neither did anyone else. Manning made a ton of iffy (at best) throws, but luckily for him, the Falcon's DBs have hands like...[insert awful joke number 3]. My day was made when I saw the headline on ESPN this morning "Colts Cruise in Atlanta" (reference previous article "turkey day picks" and yeah, it'd better be a crappy day if this was my highlight). In any event, Manning did throw three first half TDs and Addai found the endzone, and the Colts did in fact cruise.
Two for three isn't bad (above 50%, thus I am still worth more than flipping a coin, or the average non-football-watching-fake-human), and it is just good enough for me to keep wasting my time (and that of the three of you who read this nonsense) writing these. So as I start my journey into game-picking mediocrity, I leave you with this...
"Hah, sicka than your average"...
Musical score of this article
Notorious B.I.G-Hypnotize
My pick would have been pretty accurate, except that I failed to realize that time and time again, in big games, on national TV, the three time MVP brings his A-game...add the fact that it was Thanksgiving, and you have the perfect recipe for home cooked Gulfport domination.
Thursday afternoon Favre was stellar. He made all the right decisions and put passes between the numbers all day. Distributing like Steve Nash, Favre was able to hit eight different receivers en route to a 31 of 41, 381 yard day, with three TDs. Throw in a 100 yard performance from Ryan Grant (yeah that is GBs running back), and the Lions had no chance. "10 wins" Kitna and his Pterodactyls (Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams) did make a late run to make it seem closer than it was, but it was too little too late as the Pack took this one 37-26.
By 7:30 yesterday evening, I was hungry again...to get back to picking winners. Tony Romo and the Cowboys did in fact roll over the Jets, although I wasn't completely satisfied with their W. Romo looked average, making a few questionable decisions, and the Cowboys line struggled a little with the Jets pass rush (by struggled I mean did just fine, but didn't look outright dominant). For the first time this year, Romo seemed a little flustered and shuffled in the pocket with no real place to go. The Cowboys did succeed on the ground with 174 yds rushing and TO was kept happy with a TD catch late in the fourth (6th straight game with at least 1 TD). Wade Phillips now has a week to simulate the match-up with the Packers over and over again on Madden to see what the team needs to do next Thursday night at Texas Stadium, on NFL Network (WHYYY!?!?).
Speaking of NFL Network, did you catch the Colts game on it last night?...neither did anyone else. Manning made a ton of iffy (at best) throws, but luckily for him, the Falcon's DBs have hands like...[insert awful joke number 3]. My day was made when I saw the headline on ESPN this morning "Colts Cruise in Atlanta" (reference previous article "turkey day picks" and yeah, it'd better be a crappy day if this was my highlight). In any event, Manning did throw three first half TDs and Addai found the endzone, and the Colts did in fact cruise.
Two for three isn't bad (above 50%, thus I am still worth more than flipping a coin, or the average non-football-watching-fake-human), and it is just good enough for me to keep wasting my time (and that of the three of you who read this nonsense) writing these. So as I start my journey into game-picking mediocrity, I leave you with this...
"Hah, sicka than your average"...
Musical score of this article
Notorious B.I.G-Hypnotize
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