Monthly Archives: January 2015

The Goldbergs Have “The Right Stuff”

Spoiler Alert: The following content is featured in the January 7, 2015 episode of The Goldbergs

At some point or another, we all feel like ‘the new kid on the block.’ Whether we’re a Jonathan, Jordan, Joey, Donnie or Danny (I consider myself a Joey), the world can seem unfair and too big to cope in. That’s where sweet tunes and rad dance moves come into play.

Plus, we can’t forget the cut-off jean jacket and cool black hat.

As the youngest boy in the family, having two older sisters was awesome, stressful, rewarding and chaotic growing up. In fact, it still is awesome-stressful-rewarding-chaotic with the same continuous stream of zings and playful jokes. Truthfully, this sibling dynamic is not all that different than Adam and Barry’s relationship with their older sister Erica. Pranks were plentiful and we always tried try to top each other. All in good fun, of course, we are relentless to get that perfect jest. In the case of the Goldberg household, a cardboard avalanche revealed a secret from Erica’s past that would publicly humiliate her…and strangely possess Adam and Barry.

While a long-lost VHS tape sparked a gathering of Adam and Barry’s friends for a personal showing of Erica’s eternal love for the boy band New Kids on the Block (NKOTB), Murray was shoulders deep in a battle with wife Beverly over the priceless/overvalued (depending on who you ask) works of art drawn and glued together by their children…as in literally every single thing ever made by their three delicious children packed in boxes stacked throughout their garage. It got to the point where parking their one car was no longer an easy guarantee.

We all know Einstein glued jelly beans to a colored piece of paper…

After saving a trunk’s worth of his children’s art for Beverly, accidentally giving it to the trash man, rummaging through a mountain of trash and recovering and framing a random Spanish family’s drawings to pass as original Goldberg masterpieces, Murray finally discovered the truth, thanks to the wisest of them all: Pops. Yes, Beverly had paid the trash people to deliver all of the boxes to a storage unit. After this revelation was disclosed, an argument ensued. Surprisingly, a glaring spelling error melted Murray’s heart to a puddle of babby love. Now understanding (and seeing) Beverly’s point about the art, he succumbed to her outrageous behavior once again and re-stacked their garage from wall-wall and floor-ceiling because he finally saw that priceless writing on the wall/painted paper.

We’ll see how long this moment lasts once spring arrives (March 20th, March 20th!) and that annual cleaning fever hits.

Back to those new kids on the block and speaking of a specific type of fever…

In a golden Goldbergs sequence of events, Adam and Barry (after making fun of Erica’s obsession with NKOTB) hilariously embraced and embodied that famous boy band from the 1980s. They dressed like them, danced like them, sang like them (well, the right lyrics anyways) and thankfully filmed and choreographed a homemade tribute video. It was, quite honestly, the right stuff! Accordingly, Erica found their hidden video and proceeded to make fun of them with a private showing of her own with a VHS video premiere. Payback was served: ’80s style. The table had been tilt back in her favor. But it was only then, with a heart-to-heart exchange of describing their love for that boy band they shouldn’t love, when Erica realized her true place amongst her siblings.

Growing up with two older sisters, it was sometimes difficult to relate to them beyond our perfectly-timed jokes at home and on vacation. However, just as Erica did last night, I had a sister who loved a boy band. It was/is Backstreet Boys. Specifically, Nick Carter. Once when we were in New York, we visited the NBA store and Nick and his brother Aaron were shooting hoops. True story: after getting his autograph, my sister stole his used Powerade bottle. She still has it to this day. So, I understand what that love for a boy band looks like…and possibly even sounds like.

(FYI – Anyone who says that, “I Want it That Way” isn’t a great song is lying!)

Anyways, my sister brought herself to go to a concert (or two) with her goofy younger brother because she knew how important it was to him, all joking aside. Back then, it was The All-American Rejects and Hoobastank in Indianapolis. She even went backstage with me to meet the latter group. They were better known then as Doug, Dan, Chris and Markku. I’m definitely a Doug.

It’s amazing how a show based in 1980-something can so perfectly kick-off the new year in 2015. The Goldbergs: Beverly, Murray, Erica, Barry and Adam.

Which one are you?

Bond’s Summit

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

(AP: Daniel Craig (007) and  Léa Seydoux (Bond Girl)

[AP: Daniel Craig (007) and Léa Seydoux (Bond Girl)]

How about a thousand jumps for joy? (A safe distance from the edge, of course).

007 standing tall atop the Austrian alps with his gorgeous girl by his side reveals a nostalgic return to classic Bond locales, luxury and action. While the details are still obviously unknown for Bond’s 24th movie, the anticipated excitement continues to grow with each new released detail and photograph (cast, locations, car, style). Skyfall undoubtedly generated tremendous buzz and pressure, specifically because it was the famed Broccoli spy franchise literally rising back from the debt dead. The Sam Mendes-directed Skyfall impressed audiences worldwide. And Mendes’ return to his chair with his name on it for Spectre has taken Bond-hype to a new high. Many suspect he will add the necessary 21st century advancements (cars, gadgets, etc.) and storytelling methods/modern twists and turns, while incorporating vintage, fan-favorite Bond humor and wit.

Jimmy’s Daily Planet expects Spectre to be on the same cinematic level as the phenomenal Casino Royale from 2006 starring Daniel Craig seen above, except better!

The sky is the limit for Spectre…literally and figuratively.

The Beautiful Investment

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”
–Wayne Gretzky

Frank Lampard and Steve Gerrard are big signings for Major League Soccer (MLS). Make no mistake about that. However, the seismic shift that will catapult the still youthfully optimistic MLS (turning 20 years-old this year) is, quite literally, youth. This constitutes early 20-somethings born and raised in the United States and (equally and possibly more importantly) early 20-somethings from Europe. The latter are highly-talented players who are groomed in the reserve/youth teams of top clubs for future picking onto the grandest pitches in the world. One of the best at discovering and elevating players through a club’s system is Louis Van Gaal. Ever heard of Xavi Hernández and Andrés Iniesta? How about Thomas Müller and Bastian Schweinsteiger? Yeah, Van Gaal discovered them before they were household names/global stars/World Cup winners. And his track record will continue for years to come, as the aforementioned names are just a few of his stellar sightings. There’s not enough space to get into detail about his successful tenures with some of the top clubs and world-class players, but his instincts for future success is the focus in this post.

Then there’s the modern tactical genius Pep Guardiola. Bayern Munich announced last Friday that Pep had signed the fresh-faced, yet deeply talented 19 year-old German national Joshua Kimmich worth millions. He’s a defensive midfielder who some have reported could be positioned as the future of Bayern’s stout midfield. The point is that there is value in serious investment of youth that requires vision and patience. MLS team have youth teams, but not anywhere close to the level of Europe’s giants. Admittedly, there is a major cultural and financial difference between the U.S. and Europe when it comes to soccer/football. True. But still, until individual MLS teams partner with said European giants who have similar tactical dynamics that includes 1-3 year loans of their youngsters for non-reserve, competitive matches who are not-yet-ready for their first team, the obvious barriers will remain between the United States and its competition (so to speak) across the pond. Most clubs may predictably refrain from moving their players to a foreign country and system from their own, but this is just a suggestion. However, it seems to be the most practical for realistically earning the ear of at least a few future (and unknown) stars.

The next big, truly transformational moment for MLS will be the signing of future household names from here, but especially abroad. Lower the risk for European clubs in these partnerships with the profitable United States soccer market (see Bayern Munich for their insistence/establishment of an American headquarters in NYC) and increase the rewards for MLS teams, fans and investors alike. A majority of these investments will all but certainly be short-term, but it will undeniably take the league to the necessary next level for discovering, training and producing indisputable world-class talent. There is a genuine attraction to living in and playing in the United States. This country is a central piece in the future of global soccer, despite FIFA’s oblivious rejection of a future U.S-hosted World Cup. Plus, it’s clear that David Beckham came here for reasons beyond a substantial paycheck.

U.S. soccer doesn’t have a ceiling, which is an amazing asset to have. The excitement is palpable, particularly during the World Cup. Only time will tell if this hypothesis will ever come to fruition. And to the naysayers out there who openly laugh at this idea, I say why not? The best coaches and clubs view their youth as vitally important future investments. Why not MLS? Dream big for goodness sake! Note that some of these players could be current and/or future members of the USMNT.

If MLS can just get the next Arjen Robben (LOL, sorry about that) young stud (like Julian Green) to turn his head and attention towards the crashing waves of the U.S. for his league play for a couple years before returning back to Bayern Munich, it could be the first wave in something really big on the foreseeable horizon in the United States.

Don’t merely mind the gap…bridge the gap.

Happy Monday!

Before the happy comes the sad.

Yesterday morning, iconic and revolutionary SportsCenter anchor Stuart Scott passed away after a long battle with cancer at the age of 49. This was devastating news to start the day. It hit everybody hard, including fans of SportsCenter from back in the day when it was on channel 11. Generations of sports fans grew up with him and his electrically charged commentary, quick wit and unforgettable catchphrases.

“Boo-Yah!” anyone?

He solidified in people like me that there were adults who felt the same unbridled excitement about sports that I did. It was an unthinkable thrill and reality. There was a place in this world for people like me when it came to my perfectly unhealthy obsession with sports. During countless lazy summer mornings, countless people woke up early/woke up to hear Stuart Scott illuminating the nation with a home run, a dunk or a random Tar Heel reference.

Stuart Scott was inspiring to kids like me who dreamed of being paid to talk about sports on television for a living.

And Stuart Scott was inspiring because of his courageous battle against cancer while maintaining a genuinely positive outlook on life.

He truly was, “as cool as the other side of the pillow.”

RIP Stuart Scott.

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A month and a half ago, the marketing team from Jurassic World released the very first trailer for their 2015 summer blockbuster. Incorporated perfectly into this long-awaited tease was the delicately slow piano rendition of the infamous John Williams Jurassic Park theme song. In a word: sublime. In more words, fans have technological tools at their fingertips that can produce some very memorable results.

So, how did dinosaur fan Jared Pelletier do with his clever video editing?

Bottom line: Jurassic World (no matter how you cut it) looks amazing!

Have a Roaring Good Week!