The Bucks Stop Here
OH-NO.
In conference play, particularly in a conference as difficult top to bottom as the Big Ten, a streak of 3-games is either impressive or alarming.
Unfortunately for The Ohio State Buckeyes, the latter has proven true.
What’s wrong with Thad’s group?
After a stinging defeat in East Lansing to Michigan State in a top-5 battle (after an outstanding late second-half comeback) 72-68 in OT, a stunning home loss to Iowa 84-74 and last night’s collapse in The Barn at Minnesota 63-53, the Buckeyes need a new plan. Whatever is currently in place is not good enough and is not working. They can’t score, turnovers are happening in devastating bunches at critical points in games and there’s a lack of awareness and spontaneous creativity from a team with very talented athletes and players.
This is not Ohio State basketball.
Perhaps the most frustrating complaint from Buckeye Nation is that fans know the team is better than what they’ve seen the past three games on the hardwood.
What to do?
Here are a few suggestions for a mid-season comeback and identity resurrection for the 2013/2014 Ohio State Men’s Basketball Team:
- Design plays for C Amir Williams to score a solid 7-10 points a game (baskets and free throws) by establishing a post-presence with him for occasional spurts during the game
- Design and force more isolation plays for Q, Sam Thompson, Aaron Craft and Marc Loving. The athleticism, wingspans and/or quickness of all of them (a difficult 1 v. 1 match-up for most any player in America) could directly result in 2s and 3s or a pass inside for a 2 or a pass outside for a 3-point basket.
- To mask the fact they don’t have a solid 20-25 point scorer and a 10-15 point accomplice every game, the Buckeyes need to make more 3-pointers. Bottom line. Pure and simple. Making lots of 3s is a cornerstone of every successful Thad Matta team. As simplistic as this reads, it would go a long way to restoring overall confidence in the Buckeyes.
- Finally, they need to make steals and turnovers matter. Defense is an obvious strength of Ohio State and they need to maximize this supremacy in every outing with every turnover. They need to punish their opponents with points and momentum shifting dunks (Sam Thompson, anyone?) off of turnovers. Again, it’s become a necessity because of the team’s lack of reliable, quality offense.
Defense wins championships, but you need offense to win games.
The above suggestions would help Ohio State rebound for the second-half of the season. It will not solve all of their problems in the micro, but it’s a start.
Because as everyone’s seen in the last three games, it’s clear the Buckeyes need to go back to the beginning at square one.
Oscar’s Favorite Number This Year? 10
The Oscar nominations were announced early this morning. As is true every year, there are obvious selections in popular categories, as well as obvious snubs (Tom Hanks anyone?).
Two points today:
1. Back in 2006, my family and I saw a Broadway show called “Three Days of Rain” starring Bradley Cooper, Julia Roberts and Paul Rudd. I know what you’re thinking: who was in charge of casting? If only there could have been some quality “name” actors, right?
The story took place in an intimate apartment setting, but featured larger than life personalities. This dynamic pushed the limits of storytelling to a place that left us and the audience in an awe. We were able to escape into this world of, well, rain and a will for the father of Roberts and Rudd’s characters.
The play was great and one I will never forget, especially when Julia Roberts waved to me from her black Escalade passing us by on the street outside the theater!
2. American Hustle and Gravity dominated this morning’s party with an astonishing 10 nominations…each.
Wow.
Having seen Gravity, it’s not surprising this Space thriller and drama with the beautiful and talented Sandra Bullock has garnered a tremendous amount of respect and potential for glory come next month’s golden ceremony. In terms of cinematography, it’s virtually incomparable this year. Admittedly, I have not seen American Hustle yet, but will definitely venture to a theater near me as soon as possible. The latter film features a couple of my favorite actors (plus today’s Lois Lane) and it looks like a fun and wild ride with a top-notch cast.
There are other good movies in Best Picture category, but these two seem to rise above the rest.
Regarding Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress, it’s a bit surreal to see Bradley Cooper and Julia Roberts listed…and in the same year no less. Not surprising, but just surreal that brings a smile to my face and those of my family’s who were in attendance that wonderful night in New York City (it could be argued that Paul Rudd should have received a Best Supporting Actor nod for 2013s Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, but…).
Regardless, talk about “Three Stars of the Future.”
American Hustle is an exciting, elaborate portrayal of political corruption, with some ties to real life events. It features an outstanding cast: Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence and Jeremy Renner. Even though I have not seen it (coupled with the fact I predict I will likely really enjoy it when I do), it does seem to strike the right tone for what has transpired in 2013 (and the past few years before) in politics with our trusted “leaders.”
Conversely, Gravity has more weight to it by the fact that it ties to what most Americans (and people around the world) are facing each day: uncertainty, financial and personal struggles and feelings of isolation for how to continue with heartbreak and such frustrating prospects for improvements in the job market. The plot/story, characters, symbolism and visual imagery is absolutely stunning and provides a powerful narrative that connects with so many viewers all around the world in 2013.
Memorable movies tend to speak to a generation. Or, in Gravity’s case, more than one generation. Both movies represent us in starkly different ways, but which one do we ultimately want to celebrate and remember at this point in history?
If the choice for Best Picture comes down to celebrating an American hustle or a story of personal enlightenment and new-found strength in an environment of the seemingly impossible, the American people and those around the world may want something with a little more gravity to it.
“The Goldbergs” is Television Heaven
“So it does involve treasure.”
Spoiler Alert: This is a recap of The Goldbergs from January 14, 2014.
We all remember being in high school and taking part in college fairs and enjoying the wild circus known as class elections. The latter consisted of our fellow classmates who would state their positions on various issues and makes sensible, reasoned promises like building a two-story winding water slide that splashes into the cafeteria where there would be a free towel and soda waiting for us to quench our thirst before biology.
Then, the kids finally told their parents to stop helping them with their campaigns.
Beverly and Betsy, this means you.
And there may be no better example of maternal love and support of all things motherly on television than the incomparable Beverly Goldberg. Whether this involves scaring her son away from his interest in the University of Hawaii by saying the school is surrounded by sharks or by hanging blown-up, embarrassing pictures of her son in every hallway of his school for everyone (including his blonde crush) to see with an image that’s downright unforgettable.
Beverly Goldberg is “a shoulder-padded, crunchy-haired mother warrior.”
While Barry was enduring the high-stakes game of high school politics (with and without berry bombs), Erica and Adam each had their own crisis to confront.
Erica, a former model student in the classroom (just not in Senegal), was confiding in her unwilling Pops with a pastrami sandwich about how she had been successfully scamming her Mom about all the extracurricular activities she was boasting on her college application. This reveal caused an uncomfortable, but therapeutic, flashback of her days in the Model U.N.
She was studious. She did lots of work. She was a mini-Beverly driven by an unrelenting Type A personality. This ultimately led to a battle between Libya and Senegal that could not be resolved peacefully.
This inner conflict led to Erica resigning from the U.N. (but not on her application, of course) for a much cooler, laid back approach to academics and life in general.
She had checked out, which brings us to Adam and his Dad at the Video Heaven movie store.
Yes, there was a glorious time in the history of Mankind when men, women and children would dare to leave the comfort of their own homes and venture off to a video store where they would walk through a maze of movies (new and old) in search of “the one.” But, the catch was there needed to be a VHS or DVD behind the empty cover box on the shelf. If not, Friday night was a bust. Game over.
All was lost, including one’s very soul…at least until the next day when the shelves were hopefully restocked.
There was always the return bin, but that was the last resort. Most importantly, or at least on the same level as “Be Kind, Rewind,” was the existence of the late fees. Murray Goldberg realized the horrible ramifications for not returning a movie on-time: a bullet through his wallet!
A dejected Adam, who had discovered an Indiana Jones in the return bin, was denied by the clerk because of an outrageous fine to his Dad’s forgetfulness to return the Paul Newman-led movie masterpiece Slap Shot, unleashed a fury on Murray that seemed impossible to resolve.
Incredibly, with the odds against each of the Goldbergs (except for the preoccupied, sandwich eating Pops), each found his and her inspiration and strength in doing the uncomfortable.
Barry decided to start caring about his campaign for Treasurer by publicly denouncing his Mother’s insanity and all mothers’ insanity to great applause, fanfare and an impossible victory, Erica chose peace and reconciliation with the Model U.N. and with her personal struggle with Senegal and what that country represented to her, Beverly took her foot off the pedal of a high school class treasurer’s race along with her battle for parental supremacy with arch rival Betsy, Murray paid his outrageous fine (though the math did add up) and Adam forgave his Dad for a lost night of action, adventure and all-around Harrison Ford greatness.
For Murray, swallowing his pride, admitting he was wrong to someone outside his immediate family and doing something unforgettably nice for his son Adam (for two months anyways) was one heck of a long shot. Some may even argue it symbolized a last second, seemingly impossible slap shot to win the game…
Adam had in his hands an official card to Video Heaven with 50 prepaid rentals. For those of us who remember such cards, it was a moment of pure bliss and awesomeness.
Maybe listening to Toto will bring us to the yellow brick road where it will, in a surreal sense, lead us back to our own Video Heaven.
As a former patron and employee at Blockbuster, this episode rang especially true. The movie store scenes rewound cherished memories of restocking new releases and classics and of manning the computer/register in the front to eager movie watchers of all ages, day and night (plus an Olympian).
It was a great job making people’s cinematic dreams come true!
There’s no place like Blockbuster, there’s no place like Hollywood Video, there’s no place like a video rental store!
A Picture About Nothing?
What Year Is It?
(NY Daily News)
Worlds are colliding!
Yes, that is Jason Alexander (ie-George Costanza) and Jerry Seinfeld walking into Tom’s Restaurant in New York City, which was renamed “Monk’s Cafe” for the sitcom favorite Seinfeld. Not only were they spotted at this Upper West Side eatery, but they did so in classic George and Jerry attire.
For the record: this photograph is real and it’s fantastic!
But why the nostalgic get together with cameras filming inside?
That appears to be question on everyone’s mind. That, and where are Kramer and Elaine!?
Here are a few ideas to ponder…just imagine you’re sitting on a bench on a quintessential New York boardwalk one peaceful afternoon with beautiful white birds ready to part like the Red Sea upon reaching a conclusion with the internal soundtrack of Lionel Richie’s “Hello” playing with precision and purpose:
- It was for an episode of Jerry’s web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
- Jason and Jerry discussed a play that Larry David has reportedly written to bring Seinfeld to Broadway
- Jason and Jerry met to arrange a Seinfeld reunion movie
- Or, perhaps, this was ultimately a get together about nothing.
Except, as fans of the ’90s sitcom know too well, the show was never really a show just about nothing.
Whatever the reason for bringing George and Jerry back together in public, it was well worth it. It’s very likely the meeting had something to do with the recent announcement that Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David are collaborating on an exciting new project.
Jerry and George got some food at their sitcom hangout, they talked a little bit, something amazing happened, yada yada yada, the world will never be the same again.
Jimmy's Daily Planet 