Enlightening Ignorance

From the start of these Olympics all the talk has been about Michael Phelps and the “amazing” feat he was trying to accomplish by winning eight gold medals in just one Olympics games. Well, Phelps did win all eight; and it is amazing; and I’m sure we’ll hear so much about that in the next few weeks that Phelps may start penetrating our dreams. So I’m going to talk about Usain Bolt and his equally amazing accomplishment, that may get barely 1/3 of the attention that Phelps gets.

Look closely at that picture above…..look at that margin of victory………and yes that is a 100m race. These are the fastest men in the world, and Bolt jogged and celebrated for the last 15 to 20 meters, all while setting what may perhaps be one of the most unbreakable individual records in the history of competitive sports. 9.69s; are you kidding me? Do you remember when Maurice Greene set the record at 9.79s in 1999? Track enthusiast were sure that was unbreakable. What about when Asafa Powell broke that record in 2007 by clocking 9.74s? Once again everyone was in aww. Well, when Bolt ran 9.72s earlier this year, in only his second 100m race, the red carpets were beginning to roll for him, but 9.69s…….are you kidding me! I’m trying to emphasize here how unbelievable this is. Not to mention the fact that he didn’t even run the whole race at full speed. Once he looked to his right and realized Asafa was nowhere to be found he slowed up and started celebrating. If this dude had ran that race like everyone else behind him, he could have easily ran about 9.58; unquestionably.

PLEASE LET THIS DUDE BE CLEAN!!!!!!!

In the wake of a number of doping scandals, this sport has loss a lot of support in the past few years, and this could be just the thing to give it some much needed resuscitation. It’s crazy how easy he made this look. A .20 seconds margin of victory in the 100m race is something that hasn’t been done since Jesse Owens in his prime. I just hope it has all to do with the fact that he is an uncommon 6′5″ sprinter with a huge stride. Being a Caribbean man myself, I’m glad to see Bold representing the Caribbean with this gold medal, but I would hate to find out that he was all juiced-up in the process. I personally don’t believe he is, but in today’s sports, you have to wonder. After what we’ve seen thus far it may be foolish to say this record will never be broken, but unless Bolt decides to actually run full speed for an entire race, I don’t know if anyone else will be able to top it.

This story is actually more developed now than the video above demonstrates, and if your not familiar with it, you should look it up on CNN.com. 

This story is very upsetting to me. I can’t find a crevice within myself deep enough to understand the mind set of Casey Anthony (mother of Caylee). How do you report your child missing an entire month after she goes missing. Then tell nothing but lies to the police and everyone else trying to find the little girl. It’s sickening the way this woman seems to have the least bit of interest in finding her child. It hurts my heart to say this, but I believe Casey knows exactly where her daughter is, and I pray for the contrary, but I don’t believe she is as safe as her mother wants us to believe. A concerned mother interested in finding her missing child would not do what this woman has been doing for the past few weeks. I really hope they find that little girl safe, but it doesn’t seem like her mother is the least bit concerned about where she is.

She complains that the media is twisting everything she is saying to make it seem as though she is responsible for her child’s disappearance, but it seems like she doesn’t realized that if she had told the truth in the beginning, or even starts telling the truth now, there would be nothing for the media to misconstrue. She is actually refusing tho cooperate with police. I for one am very aware of the short comings of American media, but I don’t think the media are to blame in this case; Casey Anthony is. People can formulate their own opinions based on the details that are being presented, and right now Casey Anthony is digging her own grave in the face of public or even private opinion. Like I said, if your not familiar with this story you should look it up, it’s devastating. Casey Anthony has created such a huge web of treachery that the process of trying to get one shred of truth out of her can overshadow the fact that there is an innocent little girl that’s unaccounted for. I really hope that at the end of all of this I will be proven wrong about Casey………. as she claims. As foolish as it is, I hope she really is lying to protect that little girl……..as she claims. Pray for Caylee, because she didn’t choose to be born to this woman.

I saw on CNN yesterday that people are boycotting this film. Apparently the fact that the word “retarded” is used repeatedly is offending a lot of people, which I can completely understand; but the truth is, the context in which the word was used in this film does not compare to what was done in The Ringer. As a matter of fact, it doesn’t even come close to being as offensive to the mentally handicapped as The Ringer.

For those of you who’ve never seen The Ringer, it’s about a guy (Johnny Knoxville); down on his luck; who pretends to be “retarded” so he can rig the special Olympics……enough said. That film did nothing but use the behavior of the mentally disabled as a source of comedy. Shamefull………funny………but shamefull!!!!!

Tropic Thunder is a very entertaining movie, depending on your humor. Robert Downey Jr by far gives the most memorable performance, due to his melodramatic but hilarious portrayal of a black man. Jack Black’s character is not very different than the majority of his other roles. I’ve always enjoyed Ben Stiller movies (with the exception of Zoolander), despite the fact that there’s much similarity in the way he portrays the characters in all of his leading roles. A few characters have dialogue that is over exaggerated to give the illusion of being funny, Tom Cruises’ cameo in particular. Some creative cinematography cloaks a lot of crass action scenes but the film still manages to be the best Ben Stiller has done as a director. Otherwise, I don’t think this film is intended to be taken seriously as anything other than eccentric comedy. So if you enjoy over-the-top and pervasive comedy films, then you will enjoy Tropic Thunder.

Released: Aug 2008

Run time: 1hr 47mins

Rated: R

At the end of the Brett Favre drama that took complete media control of this off-season; many sports fans and critics alike, were considering Aaron Rodgers to be the biggest victim of it all. I really don’t see it that way. In my opinion, there has been no casualties in all this; everyone got what they wanted. Favreis playing (without having to compete for the starting spot), Green Bay is able to move forward with their new franchise QB, Rodgers is finally the top man in Green Bay, and the fans can’t be victims until we see what Rodgers can do week after week.

Now I’m not trivializing the fact that he has extremely big shoes to fill, but his role for the past three years should put him in position for success . Rodgers should know the Green Bay offense in his sleep by now, not to mention the fact that he has been mentored by Favre for the last three years. Now managing the offense, reading defenses, pocket presence, QB to WR chemistry, and a host of other details can only come with in-game experience; which he has a shortage of. Nevertheless, Green Bay drafted him with their first pick in the 2005 draft (24th overall, second QB selected behind #1 overall Alex Smith) for a reason. Rodgers has the potential to be a top tier QB in this league with time.

I heard on ESPN today that he’s getting a little frustrated by the comments that some of the fans have been making (some foul mouth kids in particular) lately. I’ve even heard ESPN analysts  say things like “his biggest task may be getting the Green Bay fans behind him,” which I also think is ridiculous. Rodgers biggest task is going to be running the Green Bay offense and winning football games. Sports fans are simple creatures by nature (and I say this as an avid sports fan myself) who are predisposed to front running. If he wins games, Green Bay fans will bum rush his band wagon. All he should be focus on his his game. Personally I won’t even mind if he struggles a bit in his first few games; that’s to be expected of a first time starter (unless their name is Roethlisberger or Brady), but ultimately I think he will have a decent season this year. They have one of the toughest schedules this year but I believe he can win anywhere from 8 to 11 games. With 8 gamese being acceptable for a first time starter but a failure to the Green bay fan still faithful to Favre. 10 or 11 games would be a stretch depending on his development, while less than 8 games would be a failure by even my standards; and I’m giving him a larger margin of error than most. More than likely the Vikings will top them in the division though. Basically, I think people need to give this dude a break until about week 5.

This deal won’t be finalized until sometime later this week or early next, but I like what the Rockets are trying to do here. After seeing them win 22 straight games last year; the last ……… without Yao; it’s obvious that this team is not very far away from championship contention. I’m sure there’s plenty of people out there who still think that Ron Artest is a ticking time bomb who is going to come into Houston and find some way to be disruptive; but I’m not one of them.

I honestly don’t think Artest is the same man he was when he ignited that brawl in Detroit back in 2004. He’s had three productive and problem free seasons since then. I believe this man realizes that he has no strikes left, and any infraction from this point on, could result in him inevitably being black-balled in the NBA. If nothing else motivates him to behave it should be the fact that he has millions to lose, and we all know how professional athletes feel about their money. Otherwise, I’m not worried about his behavior. Fact of the matter is, he’s a very good basketball player. Last season he averaged better than 20 pts, 5 boards, and 3 helpers, with the Kings. He and Kevin Martin were the two most consistent players on that roster for the last two seasons, and he thrived in a leadership role while he was there. I know towards the end of last season he and coach Maurice Cheeks were having difficulty getting along, and for that reason this is a good move for him.

The western conference will be just as good next season, and the improvement the Rockets will experience because of the addition of Artest will be a big reason for that. If McGrady and Yao can play a full season together without injury, and Artest is added to the mix, this team could easily become the second best team in the west; behind the Lakers (with Bynum). Yes, I do believe they will become better than Phoenix, Utah, New Orleans, and as much as it hurts to say it…..San Antonio. Artest has proven to be one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, and his scoring ability will take pressure off Battier; who’s just as good defensively but not as good offensively. Artest and Battier on the same team could be a nightmare for the likes of Kobe, Lebron, Carmello, Wade, and the other premier perimeter scorers of the league. I hope Houston makes this trade, this will just add to the excitement that next season will bring.

Try to imagine for a moment, waking up to a world that is no longer safe to exist in. A world where your chances of surviving a full 24 hours is less likely than being gutted, cooked, and feasted on by starving cannibals. A world where all humanity has either perished, or transformed into a desperately dark entity forced into making survival the ultimate priority. Well; that world is the backdrop of Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer Prize winner masterpiece. I thought McCarthy was a magician of creating emotionally gripping fiction after reading “All the Pretty Horses,” and this novel vindicated that thought. McCarthy’s unique style of story telling definitely throws him into any discussion involving the literary powerhouses of fiction.

The Road is a somber tale of a father and son fighting to survive in a post apocalyptic-like situation. With limited food supply and the constant threat of being cannibalized, or falling victim to the wrath of mother nature; they navigate an ash covered country in hopes of making it to the coast where they hope relief is available. McCarthy has an uncanny ability to pull readers so deep into his fiction that identical emotions are shared by reader and character, in the face of tragic and devastating life experiences. Heart wrenching scenes are a staple of the McCarthy story and this novel has an excess of them. You will read this novel in anticipation of the-end-game from beginning to end. If you are not familiar with Cormac McCarthy’s work this novel will make you an instant fanatic. After No Country for Old Men took home the Oscar for Best Picture in 2008, we have the film representation of this novel to look forward to in the fall, and I have no doubt that this novel will make an equally magnificent film. Read this book!

In this highly underrated film; the classic western tragedy of the American outlaw Jesse James, is resurrected through some of the finest attributes of modern day film making. I was absolutely stunned to see a Brad Pitt film, in this stage of his career, receive so little publicity, and subsequently do so bad in the box office. From what I understand it opened up in less than 10 theaters in the US and grossed less than $4M worldwide. Which is unbelievable because this is one of the best films of 2007; consisting of extremely strong performances and extraordinary cinematography. 

The plot highlights the peculiar and somewhat baffling relationship between Jesse James (Pitt) and Robert Ford ( Casey Affleck). Being one of the most talented actors of this generation, Pitt probes his bag of tricks and delivers  a psychologically dysfunctional, and emotionally unstable portrayal of Jesse James. While Casey Affleck gives a much deserved Oscar nominated performance through his characterization of Robert Ford. I was very surprised to see Casey Affleck flourish in a role that required more than average acting skill. I’ve only see one or two other Jesse James films and this is easily the best Robert Ford portrayal. Due to the set up of the story, I would even go as far as suggesting that Ford is the main character of this film, while Jesse James is a secondary;although Affleck was nominated for Best Actor in A Supporting Role.

This film may not be packed full of the gun fighting and horse chasing of the classic holywood western, but  its emotional appeal allows it to be a very entertaining nevertheless. By emotional appeal, I’m referring to the films ability to invoke a sense of sympathy towards violent and coarse men, who would just be written off as murdering, thieving, violent criminals by the rational human being. If you are a movie buff who can appreciate a good long film, lacking explosions, blood and guts, but rich in content and strong is substance, then you should definitely give this film a try. You won’t be disappointed.

Released: Sept 2007

Runtime: 2hrs 40mins

Rated: R

I want to start by saying that I am unquestionably one of the biggest Hopkins fans alive. He is one of the most fundamentally sound boxers to ever step in a ring. I have followed his career ever since I saw him dismantle Antwun Echols with one hand, back in 2000. Fights where people criticized him for “playing it safe,” and “never taking chances”; I saw as strategically brilliant boxing exhibitions.

However, I didn’t think the Calzaghe fight was a good fight for him, and I don’t think this October’s Pavlik fight is a good one for him either. I didn’t like the Calzaghe fight because I knew Calzaghe’s punch volume would be a problem for him, at this point in his career and life. Not to mention the fact that Joe Calzaghe is easily one of the top 3 boxers in the world right now. Bernard has always been a counter puncher that uses his opponents mistakes against them, and Calzaghe make very few mistakes.

 I don’t like the Pavlik fight because although Kelly Pavlik is not the prettiest boxer, he has improved considerably in the last two years. He has both wins over Jermaine Talyor and the ass whooping he put on Edison Miranda to prove that. At first sight it’s conceivable that Hopkins can out fox him, and keep him off balance just enough to win a close decision, right? The 30 year old Hopkins definitely could, but I’m not so sure the Hopkins of today can. I was very surprised at the boxing fundamentals Pavlik showed in his second win over Taylor. I didn’t realize he could so effectively use his jab to neutralize his opponents offense. Also very important is the fact that Pavlik has sledge hammer like punching power. Bernard has the habit of sometimes waiting too long for his opponent to make a mistake, and as a result ends up throwing and landing very few punches per round. Pavlik has shown that not only can he let his hands go when he want to, but he can also take a punch or two. In all honesty, Hopkins won’t hurt him, and even thought I have never seen Bernard hurt, he has probably never faced anyone with Pavliks power; the closest probably being Felix Trinidad.

Like I said, I love Hopkins, and because of that I hate the fact that he’s doing this to his career at this point. Especially since he had gone undefeated in over a decade before he lost to Taylor. Although he may feel he has plenty of boxing left in him, the reality is, he’s no longer in the prime of his career. Kelly Pavlik on the other hand, is a young heavy hitting middle weight who has never lost a fight, and is in his prime. I can’t see myself ever pulling for anyone other than Hopkins in a Hopkins fight, so I’ll be watching this one with my fingers crossed. As a man with nothing left to prove in this sport, and based on the talent level of these last two opponents, I think Bernard needs to realize it might be time to call it quits. I wish him luck thought!!

This novel will assuredly serve as a representation of 21st century American literature at it’s finest. By winning the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2004; Edward P. Jones has joined the short, but nonetheless distinguished list of African American authors to win the Pulitzer for fiction.

This novel is a very thoughtful and meticulous exploration of a usually neglected aspect of slavery in America; the black slave owner. Being an African American man myself, with a less than modest knowledge of American Slavery; it was not until after reading this novel that I realized; many freed slaves actually developed the means to acquire slaves themselves, and sometimes did. A fact that seems to not play a major role in the history books regarding American slavery in the 18th and 19th century.

Best known for his short story collections, Jones uses many different character points of view to tell a poignant tale of the devastation caused by slavery, as well as the incomparable triumph experience by those who conquered it. He manages to simultaneously depict the struggles of both freed blacks and slaves, as they tried to survive in a time where few laws protected what little rights they had. I highly recommend this novel for anyone looking for a story elaborate enough in detail as to arose emotions that will last long after the final words are read.

 The ESPN coverage of this soap opera was getting a bit annoying by the beginning of this week. However, it was when I clicked over to CNN.com and saw the Favre trade as the feature story on the opening page when I realized the impact of this story not only in the sports sector of American media but on the broader scale of “national news”. I can’t speak for anyone else but I can’t remember the last time I saw a sport story as the feature on CNN.com, unless it involved an athlete facing felony charges. The Patriots loss to the Giants in this past Super Bowl didn’t even make the cut. So I figured I should weight in on the issue.

I love Brett Favre but he should be ashamed of himself on this one. First off; he needs to understand that being one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the game does not mean the world, time, or even the packers will stop and wait for him to make decisions. I think the Packer brass put it best, ”we’ve moved on.” For the past two or three off seasons this man has had that team playing a guessing game as to whether or not he’s going to actually retire. Wasn’t it just two weeks before the packers training camp opened up in 2007 that he decided he would return for that season? The fact that he told the Packers he would not compete with Rodgers for the starting spot after his March retirement tells me everything I need to know about Favre. He really thinks his legacy as a Green Bay Packer is the greatest there ever was; even more so than Curly Lambeu’s or Vince Lombardi’s. How else could he think this team would just bend to the demands he made.

What we have to consider is the fact that despite his phenomenal season last year; his 2006 and 2005 seasons were terrible. Some may even say that his success last year could be credited more to the level of talent around him. A level of talent that may not exist with the Jets. The fact of the matter is; the NFC North is a very winnable conference for the packers while the Jets have to see New England twice. Which suggests that with the overall strength of the AFC; the Jets may find themselves in a very tight wild card race.  I really hate to say this becasue I like Brett Favre, but I think the culmination of this Favre era in New York will be best described by the teary eyed picture above. This Jets team will not be going to the Super Bowl in the next 3 to 4 years, and lets be honest. Does Favre really have 3 to 4 years left in him? I personally doubt that. He should have taken that $25M the Packers were offering him to stay in Mississippi.