Posted in Basketball, College, March Madness, Sports
Tagged basketball, BBN, college, Kentucky, March Madness, Sports, there will be blood, UK Wildcats, We are UK
I was in the mood for basketball this morning, but the UK-Florida game wasn’t slated to start on CBS until noon ET.
Then I discovered Prayer for a Perfect Season.
The notes said the HBO documentary follows the St. Patrick’s High School basketball team in their quest for the 2010-2011 national championship. St. Patrick’s is located in nearby Elizabeth, New Jersey, so I gave it a look.
Imagine my surprise when the star of the St. Patrick’s Celtics team was none other than –
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
I should say Michael Gilchrist, because he went by that moniker as a high school senior. It wasn’t until he began his collegiate career at the University of Kentucky that he added the ‘Kidd’ in memory of his uncle, who died during the filming.
On the day he signed his UK national letter of intent, in fact.
The documentary cameras capture Gilchrist, his St. Pat’s teammates and their families in moments both high and low.
And while I may have watched Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in his NCAA Championship season at Kentucky last year, I feel like I know him a lot better today.
And appreciate him even more.
Posted in Basketball, Commentary, Life, March Madness, Movies, Sports
Tagged basketball, CBS Sports, collegiate career, documentary, Elizabeth New Jersey, HBO, March Madness, Michael Gilchrist, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Movies, national championship, national letter of intent, Prayer for a Perfect Season, Sports, St. Patrick's Celtics, St. Patrick's High School, the rest of the story, University of Kentucky Wildcats
Why is golf the only sport with an official clap?
I spent a couple of hours this afternoon watching the AT&T Pro-Am Tourney — yes, I enjoy watching golf on TV — and every time I heard the audience applaud at a shot in the fairway or on the green, their polite approval was oddly soothing.
And it made me wonder: why doesn’t football or baseball or basketball have a signature clap?
True, many teams have organized cheers — and cheerleaders for that matter — but you’d think these staples of the American sports calendar would have claps that were as instantly recognizable as the ‘golf clap.’
But then again, maybe pro golfers are wondering why they don’t have cheerleaders.
Posted in Commentary, Entertainment, Humor, Life, Sports, Television, TV
Tagged applause, AT&T Pro-Am Tournament, audience, baseball, basketball, cheerleaders, cheers, commentary, football, golf, golf clap, Humor, life, Sports, sports calendar, Television, TV
My history as a good luck charm in the sporting world is well-documented.
I’ve logged assists for Kansas City, Boston and New York baseball and football teams in their successful bids for World Series and Super Bowl championships.
And although my stay today in San Francisco’s Union Square neighborhood is a scant 12 hours in length, I fear it has made the outcome of Sunday’s game a foregone conclusion.
I haven’t followed pro football at all this year. In fact, the only game I have viewed was San Francisco’s win over the Patriots in early January.
Now I find myself in the City by the Bay mere hours before the Super Bowl. I’m not sure anything the teams throw at each other will affect my good luck one-two punch.
Sorry, Baltimore. I know not what I do.
Posted in Commentary, Humor, Life, Sports
Tagged Baltimore Ravens, baseball, Boston Red Sox, City by the Bay, commentary, Fog City, good luck charm, Humor, Kansas City Chiefs, life, New England Patriots, New York Yankees, one-two punch, pro football, San Francisco, sporting world, Sports, Super Bowl, Union Square, World Series
Last night I attended the “Garden of Laughs” benefit at Madison Square Garden. The draw?
Ray Romano
In truth, there were six comedians on the bill — Adam Ferrara, Darrell Hammond, Robert Klein, Brian Regan, Wanda Sykes and Romano — with the ever classy Bob Costas as MC. And lots of surprise celebrities from sports, TV and film serving as presenters between comedy sets.
It was an especially great time to be a local.
With that lineup, it’s no surprise that the comedy was top notch. But what did surprise me was my favorite set of the night. Not Ray…not last night. No, Robert Klein — who appeared at the mid-point of the show — killed it.
KILLED.
Klein’s not typically one of my favorites, but I had a hard time catching my breath, I was laughing so hard. As Bob Costas so accurately put it,
“The Master.”
Proceeds from the “Garden of Laughs” benefit the Garden of Dreams Foundation, which has conducted events and programs for more than 215,000 children and their families, including those facing homelessness, extreme poverty, illness and foster care.
Posted in Humor, Sports, Movies, Television, Entertainment, Celebrities, Comedy, Life, Commentary
Tagged Movies, comedy, celebrities, entertainment, Humor, Sports, life, TV, commentary, Madison Square Garden, Ray Romano, Garden of Laughs, Garden of Dreams, Adam Ferrara, Darrell Hammond, Robert Klein, Brian Regan, Wanda Sykes, Bob Costas, comedy set
I have thoroughly enjoyed our guessing game.
Have you?
For those of you just joining us, I posted this picture in yesterday’s Egg and asked for guesses as to the building’s identity.
The entries have shown range and creativity — everything from a pig to a museum, a ship to a stomach ulcer.
So close, and yet so far.
Actually, the photo depicts one of the shooting arenas at the Royal Artillery Barracks at Woolwich in the Royal Borough of Greenwich in London.
Now, before you say, “No fair! I would have never seen that,” the shooting events at the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics were held here. So you might have spied it on NBC’s Olympics coverage.
And if you did, you would no doubt remember. I mean, how cool is that?
Posted in Humor, Sports, Travel, Education, Design, Olympics, History
Tagged Travel, NBC, history, Humor, Sports, Olympics, design, London, contest entry, architecture, guessing game, Royal Artillery Barracks, Summer Olympics, Paralympis, Olympics coverage
I finally saw Bring It On the Musical tonight.
I’ve been waiting for over three years to see it…perhaps that’s why I was a little disappointed.
No, it was more than that.
The musical is merely inspired by the cult-classic film. It borrows characters and story lines from the sequel, eliminates favorites and creates still more.
The school uniforms help if you get confused.
The musical also has a completely different tone. It is very light on comedy. Gone is the snark that made the original film so much fun to watch. And somebody in the writers room loves earnest ballads. I found myself groaning when yet another heartfelt musical number interrupted the dialogue.
But once they got into the heart of the competition, Bring It On really entertains. If you like watching cheerleading competitions on ESPN, these are just as intense and high-flying…
Plus everyone is singing their lungs out!
Posted in Broadway, Commentary, Entertainment, Humor, Sports
Tagged ballad, Bring It On movie, Bring It On: The Musical, Broadway, cheerleading uniforms, cult film, dance, dialogue, entertainment, ESPN, musical comedy, New York City, singing, snark, Sports, story line, writers room
Dear ESPN:
This note is for the team calling today’s ATP World Tour Finals, but it’s becoming an epidemic in the coverage of professional tennis –
The flip flop
The announcers start the match making strong, definitive statements about the fitness/world standings/chances of each player in the match in progress. But the moment that the momentum switches — no matter the reason, no matter how unexpected — the TV personalities abandon every previous statement, and run to the other side.
Political candidates look steadfast and true in comparison.
Every original statement is changed. Every prediction overturned. And since TV announcers always work in teams of two or three, they work together to rewrite history. So, by the end of the match, it appears they knew all along that ______________ would defeat _____________.
Gee whiz — didn’t you?
Posted in Celebrities, Commentary, Entertainment, Humor, Life, Sports, Television, TV
Tagged ATP World Tour Finals, celebrities, entertainment, ESPN, flip flop, Humor, life, professional tennis, Sports, Television, television announcers, tennis, tennis match, tennis racket, tennis world standings, TV
If you were a bartender, would you use your real name with customers? Or would you maybe use a ‘cool’ nickname like…
Skywalker
I met a bartender this very evening who made that choice…in a hotel bar in Chicago.
He wasn’t 13 years old, which seems more appropriate to me for such a nickname (and perception of what is cool).
No, he was a 13-year old who grew up to be a middle-aged man who thinks a Stars Wars character nickname is still cool at his age.
Which is…interesting.
Of course, he might have named himself after former University of Kentucky basketball great Kenny “Sky” Walker…but I doubt it.
Now, that would be cool.
Posted in Basketball, Commentary, Humor, Life, Movies, Travel
Tagged bartender, basketball, Chicago, commentary, drinks, food, hotel bar, Humor, Kenny Walker, life, nicknames, Skywalker, Sports, Star Wars movie, Travel, University of Kentucky basketball, what is cool
Blowing bubbles and picking fights
Have you ever heard of Jeff Goodman?
Me either…until about 15 minutes ago.
It’s the spirit of college sports.
Sure, we start with a Number 1 seed for the tournament, and Number 1 seeds for each of the regions. But the games that truly inspire us — that have made this championship the tradition it is today — are those David-and-Goliath victories.
The Cinderella teams. The lower-seed overachievers. The bubble teams who prove they belong.
Which brings me back to Jeff Goodman, a CBS sportswriter based in Boston who seems to have forgotten all that. If it is that difficult for you to watch, Mr. Goodman, simply look the other way.
The rest of us enjoy the view.
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Posted in Sports, Life, Commentary, March Madness, Basketball
Tagged basketball, Boston, Sports, college basketball, March Madness, Final Four, inspiration, commentary, David and Goliath, NCAA Championship, the most wonderful time of the year, CBS Sports, Jeff Goodman, college sports, basketball team, road to the Final Four, spirit, Number 1 seed, Cinderella story, overachiever, bubble teams, CBS sportswriter