Tonight is yet another UFC PPV with the Main Event featuring a rematch for the Light Heavyweight Championship between Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Champion Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida. I'm going to provide yet another preview/prediction post for tonight's UFC card.
Lightweights: Sam Stout vs. Jeremy Stephens - I think Stephens was in one of the Ultimate Fighter seasons which is the only excuse I could give for this fight making it to the televised portion of this PPV. Sam Stout has taken one good stand up battle with Spencer Fisher and turned it into about three or four televised bouts which I don't understand. This fight will end in the first and both guys will stand up with one another and I won't give a damn about it regardless.
Winner: Stout by 1st Round TKO (Strikes)
Middleweights: Alan Belcher vs. Patrick Cote - Belcher is known for thinking that he is a lot better at MMA than he actually is and using his Muay Thai to annihilate his opponent's legs during fights. He also wears traditional Muay Thai shorts which have a slit on both sides and thus shows off WAY TOO MUCH of Belcher's upper thighs during fights. These facts usually take away from the fact that he really does have talent and is one very controversial decision at UFC 100 away from entering this fight with a four fight win streak. Cote, on the other hand, has taken his Ultimate Fighter Finals appearance and cashed it in for a Championship shot that he underwhelmed in. His October 2008 fight with Anderson Silva was boring and the only interesting thing in the fight was that Cote tore his ACL on a kick in the fight which is why he hasn't fought since. I think Cote shows some cage rust and Belcher puts his name in the discussion for a possible title shot after another win.
Winner: Belcher by 2nd Round TKO (Strikes)
Heavyweights: Matt Mitrione vs. Kimbo Slice - These 2 men don't like each other. These 2 men were prominent characters in The Ultimate Fighter Season 10. These 2 men totally want to hurt each other. These details are supposed to make me believe as a fan that this fight is PPV viable. I don't buy it. The beauty of Slice is that if you put him on free TV then the Ad dollars come in and people will watch the fight without a doubt. But if you throw Slice in a grudge match with some reality show villain in Mitrione on PPV, then you're asking too much of the people and they will save their money. This is not a PPV caliber match and these men will not engage in a toe to toe battle, but rather there will be a lot of sloppy scrambles and lack of conditioning. In the end, the popular fighter will win a controversial decision, whether or not he deserves it.
Winner: Slice by Split Decision
Welterweights: Josh Koscheck vs. Paul Daley - This fight is a believable grudge match that I can not wait to see. Koscheck has great wrestling ability, but he has an even greater chip on his shoulder. Koscheck understands what the fans want and he is constantly trying to prove that his stand up game is elite. Koscheck will not take this fight to the ground more than once or twice but he will be throwing bombs the entire time. Daley understands how to sell a fight and how to use the immortal skill of shit-talking to get under his opponent's skin. Through his outlandish statements, Daley has riled Koscheck up to the point where I believe that Koscheck wants to legitimately hurt Daley and vice versa. There will be blood in this fight and if Koscheck fights an intelligent fight, then he can possibly garner a future championship rematch with Georges St. Pierre.
Winner: Koscheck by Unanimous Decision (29-28)
Light Heavyweight Championship: Challenger Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs. Champion Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida - The first fight was marred in controversy and a lack of action. Machida was legitimately taken out of his game by Rua who used an effective and slightly yawn-inducing leg and body kick strategy. Machida suffered enough damage that his conditioning was taken away from him due to the fact that his ribs had suffered such a vicious attack from Rua's shins. Rua really did win their first fight, and he will not win the second. When a challenger comes up with a great plan to defeat a champion, they face the conundrum of whether to try the same strategy in the rematch or do they go a different way and risk what has already worked before? I don't know if Rua is going to handle this conundrum well and Machida has more than enough talent and inspiration to dominate this fight. I feel like "The Dragon" will be unleashed and a career-defining performance is coming tonight.
Winner: Machida by dominant 3rd Round TKO (Strikes)
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
What to do when a favorite show "jumps the shark"
In case you don't know, when a television series "jumps the shark", it means that you understand that this show will never be as good as it once was and it will continue to decline until it is finally taken off the air. Over the last two television seasons (a season runs from September to May), I have personally faced these "jump the shark" conclusions on two of my favorite television shows, The Office (US) and How I Met Your Mother. These shows continue to make me laugh currently and I still watch one of them constantly (The Office is something I only keep tabs on) but they just do not provide the same excitement that they once did when I first began watching these shows. So in order to help with the transition of letting go of a television series, I've provided some ideas that will make the heartbreak of losing a show less painful.
Find a new series: For the case of these two shows I have found younger models that provide the same dynamics that once were strong in the original shows. The Office has been replaced by its own sorta spin-off, Parks and Recreation. The difference between the shows is that the love stories in Parks and Recreation are not run down and therefore boring and the jokes and gags are much more fresh and just plain funnier. I can only laugh at Dwight's idiosyncrasies and Michael's inane ability to not understand how to act properly in a normal social situation for so long. After a while the characters need to give me something else or risk becoming stale and The Office characters have become stale. Parks and Recreation benefits from offering a tried and true format with fresh characters. Time will tell whether or not Parks and Recreation will be able to stay fresh. How I Met Your Mother has been replaced by Community. The multiple friend and multiple storyline dynamic between the two shows is similar and there is a "will they or won't they" storyline that is key to a show being able to suck in viewers on Community. What has made How I Met Your Mother stale is the fact that the show is leading up to this moment of when Ted (the main character) meets the titular mother and so every filler episode that does not fill in the mystery of the mother feels like a slap in the face of the viewer who is following this story intently. Throw on top of that the failed Barney/Robin relationship and that show jumped the shark by a great deal. Community offers irreverent humor that is heavily placed on pop culture references and subtle gags that need to be caught as opposed to being given to someone (you know, like Friends did for its entire run... HOW WAS THAT SHOW POPULAR?!). The caveat with Community is how can they keep the show going after two or three seasons? Won't these people transfer or move on with their lives after two years of community college? It is up to the writers to not turn viewers off when they face that crossroad.
Only watch the big episodes: The Office offered Jim and Pam's (the main love story of the show) wedding and child birth this year to its viewers and I watched both of those episodes as they aired. Watching these big episodes that offer a huge jump in the storyline help because it is nice to know that the show is still moving on without your loyal viewership and it also helps remind you why you left the show in the first place. I thought Jim and Pam's wedding was the perfect series finale for The Office... sadly there were still another 20 episodes to go in the current season.
Buy the DVD's/ Have the seasons on your Netflix account: Having the reminders of a show's past glory is paramount to being able to move on. It would be like the equivalent of the cliche shoe box of pictures and notes from a past relationship that one has just to remember the good times that were had between these two people. I love to watch the second disc of the first season of How I Met Your Mother on DVD often because it is truly inspired television show writing. It is a stretch of 8 episodes that make you stop what you are doing so that you can experience it as a whole as opposed to watching an episode and then coming back to it and watching another episode two days later. Knowing why you fell in love with a show also helps you realize why it is that you have given up on the show. You can feel the subtle differences in effort, writing, delivery of lines, chemistry from the later seasons to the earlier ones and knowing those differences helps you understand why the break-up is necessary.
Sadly, television series very rarely go out at the right time (examples of shows that did go out at the right time: The Office (UK), Extras, Chappelle's Show) and so you have to deal with that time when a show gets up there in age and must be put down for its own good. It is a tough thing to watch but you have to remember why you fell in love with the show in the first place and focus on the good times the show provided, because in the end that is all that matters.
Find a new series: For the case of these two shows I have found younger models that provide the same dynamics that once were strong in the original shows. The Office has been replaced by its own sorta spin-off, Parks and Recreation. The difference between the shows is that the love stories in Parks and Recreation are not run down and therefore boring and the jokes and gags are much more fresh and just plain funnier. I can only laugh at Dwight's idiosyncrasies and Michael's inane ability to not understand how to act properly in a normal social situation for so long. After a while the characters need to give me something else or risk becoming stale and The Office characters have become stale. Parks and Recreation benefits from offering a tried and true format with fresh characters. Time will tell whether or not Parks and Recreation will be able to stay fresh. How I Met Your Mother has been replaced by Community. The multiple friend and multiple storyline dynamic between the two shows is similar and there is a "will they or won't they" storyline that is key to a show being able to suck in viewers on Community. What has made How I Met Your Mother stale is the fact that the show is leading up to this moment of when Ted (the main character) meets the titular mother and so every filler episode that does not fill in the mystery of the mother feels like a slap in the face of the viewer who is following this story intently. Throw on top of that the failed Barney/Robin relationship and that show jumped the shark by a great deal. Community offers irreverent humor that is heavily placed on pop culture references and subtle gags that need to be caught as opposed to being given to someone (you know, like Friends did for its entire run... HOW WAS THAT SHOW POPULAR?!). The caveat with Community is how can they keep the show going after two or three seasons? Won't these people transfer or move on with their lives after two years of community college? It is up to the writers to not turn viewers off when they face that crossroad.
Only watch the big episodes: The Office offered Jim and Pam's (the main love story of the show) wedding and child birth this year to its viewers and I watched both of those episodes as they aired. Watching these big episodes that offer a huge jump in the storyline help because it is nice to know that the show is still moving on without your loyal viewership and it also helps remind you why you left the show in the first place. I thought Jim and Pam's wedding was the perfect series finale for The Office... sadly there were still another 20 episodes to go in the current season.
Buy the DVD's/ Have the seasons on your Netflix account: Having the reminders of a show's past glory is paramount to being able to move on. It would be like the equivalent of the cliche shoe box of pictures and notes from a past relationship that one has just to remember the good times that were had between these two people. I love to watch the second disc of the first season of How I Met Your Mother on DVD often because it is truly inspired television show writing. It is a stretch of 8 episodes that make you stop what you are doing so that you can experience it as a whole as opposed to watching an episode and then coming back to it and watching another episode two days later. Knowing why you fell in love with a show also helps you realize why it is that you have given up on the show. You can feel the subtle differences in effort, writing, delivery of lines, chemistry from the later seasons to the earlier ones and knowing those differences helps you understand why the break-up is necessary.
Sadly, television series very rarely go out at the right time (examples of shows that did go out at the right time: The Office (UK), Extras, Chappelle's Show) and so you have to deal with that time when a show gets up there in age and must be put down for its own good. It is a tough thing to watch but you have to remember why you fell in love with the show in the first place and focus on the good times the show provided, because in the end that is all that matters.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Why the Stanley Cup Playoffs are better than the NBA Playoffs
It's not that I don't like the NBA or what it offers. I'm a fan of the Portland Trail Blazers and of course I'm checking in on their games and seeing how they're going. But if I have to choose between watching a Trail Blazers game or watching my favorite hockey team, the Chicago Blackhawks, play then I'm going hockey every time during the playoffs. To me, the Stanley Cup Playoffs are infinitely better than the NBA Playoffs due to these three reasons (three is a good number so that is why I'm going with three).
1) The Playoff Beard: There is no greater tradition in sports than that of hockey players growing out their beard until they are eliminated from the playoffs. By the time the Stanley Cup Finals begin, all you see are a bunch of mangy, unkempt beards that look incredibly manly. You also get to learn more about the players, such as "how does NHL player x grow facial hair? Is it spotty is some places? How quickly does their facial hair grow? Can they grow a full, bushy beard?" I mean, there is so much to learn by a man's beard!!!
2) The Competition: The NHL has not been immune to dynasties (see Red Wings, Detroit) but there is still plenty to be excited about if your team even gets into the playoffs. For example, if we look at the NBA this year, there are really only three or four true title contenders and only one of them, The Cleveland Cavaliers featuring LeBron James (They are no longer "the LeBron's" but rather the Cavaliers featuring LeBron) that everyone agrees will win the title. In the NHL, all eight series started off 1-1 and there are two upsets that are about to occur in the East. While in the West there are three series that are at 2-2 and hopefully there will be a fourth in the West when Chicago beats Nashville tonight. The NBA has all four series in the East headed for either a sweep or five game resolution with no upsets. The West is the exception with three series at 1-1 although only one of the two games in those series was exciting and the other was a blowout (except for the battle between Denver and Utah that was exciting in both games and has white people all sorts of riled up in their mountainous suburbs). In the NHL every team has a chance of beating another in a series and it truly messes up people's picks for who will win the Stanley Cup. You also see games that go into overtime with regularity and there is nothing more exciting than overtime playoff hockey where the next goal wins the game and possibly the series. The intensity in those games is palpable and the body checks and fights are twice as exciting to watch. The Stanley Cup Playoffs feel like a life and death affair in every game, as opposed to every seventh game in the NBA.
3) The trophy: There is no greater trophy in sports than the Stanley Cup. The MLB, NFL, and NBA can not come close to the trophy tradition of the NHL. Watching each member of the winning team pick up the trophy and skate around the rink hoisting it above their head and showing everyone in the building that they have finally climbed to the NHL mountaintop is a great moment to watch and one that I look forward to every year (granted that it doesn't involve the Red Wings, Penguins or Blues because those teams can eat a bag of dicks). Plus, you get your name etched into the trophy for eternity and people will know your name as the name of a champion every time they look at the cup. Finally, each player on the team gets to spend a day during the off season with the cup in their hometown and do whatever they want to do with it. Do you hear that kind of stuff regarding the Larry O'Brien trophy? Did you even know that the NBA trophy was called the Larry O'Brien trophy? Exactly. Stanley Cup for the win!
So there are three reasons that I have presented. I am fully aware of the rebuttals that will be posted such as "Hockey is a Canadian sport and Canada sucks so therefore hockey sucks." Or "No one cares about hockey which means it can't be better." Well, I don't care. The NHL playoffs are the best playoffs in the spring and in professional sports in my humble opinion.
1) The Playoff Beard: There is no greater tradition in sports than that of hockey players growing out their beard until they are eliminated from the playoffs. By the time the Stanley Cup Finals begin, all you see are a bunch of mangy, unkempt beards that look incredibly manly. You also get to learn more about the players, such as "how does NHL player x grow facial hair? Is it spotty is some places? How quickly does their facial hair grow? Can they grow a full, bushy beard?" I mean, there is so much to learn by a man's beard!!!
2) The Competition: The NHL has not been immune to dynasties (see Red Wings, Detroit) but there is still plenty to be excited about if your team even gets into the playoffs. For example, if we look at the NBA this year, there are really only three or four true title contenders and only one of them, The Cleveland Cavaliers featuring LeBron James (They are no longer "the LeBron's" but rather the Cavaliers featuring LeBron) that everyone agrees will win the title. In the NHL, all eight series started off 1-1 and there are two upsets that are about to occur in the East. While in the West there are three series that are at 2-2 and hopefully there will be a fourth in the West when Chicago beats Nashville tonight. The NBA has all four series in the East headed for either a sweep or five game resolution with no upsets. The West is the exception with three series at 1-1 although only one of the two games in those series was exciting and the other was a blowout (except for the battle between Denver and Utah that was exciting in both games and has white people all sorts of riled up in their mountainous suburbs). In the NHL every team has a chance of beating another in a series and it truly messes up people's picks for who will win the Stanley Cup. You also see games that go into overtime with regularity and there is nothing more exciting than overtime playoff hockey where the next goal wins the game and possibly the series. The intensity in those games is palpable and the body checks and fights are twice as exciting to watch. The Stanley Cup Playoffs feel like a life and death affair in every game, as opposed to every seventh game in the NBA.
3) The trophy: There is no greater trophy in sports than the Stanley Cup. The MLB, NFL, and NBA can not come close to the trophy tradition of the NHL. Watching each member of the winning team pick up the trophy and skate around the rink hoisting it above their head and showing everyone in the building that they have finally climbed to the NHL mountaintop is a great moment to watch and one that I look forward to every year (granted that it doesn't involve the Red Wings, Penguins or Blues because those teams can eat a bag of dicks). Plus, you get your name etched into the trophy for eternity and people will know your name as the name of a champion every time they look at the cup. Finally, each player on the team gets to spend a day during the off season with the cup in their hometown and do whatever they want to do with it. Do you hear that kind of stuff regarding the Larry O'Brien trophy? Did you even know that the NBA trophy was called the Larry O'Brien trophy? Exactly. Stanley Cup for the win!
So there are three reasons that I have presented. I am fully aware of the rebuttals that will be posted such as "Hockey is a Canadian sport and Canada sucks so therefore hockey sucks." Or "No one cares about hockey which means it can't be better." Well, I don't care. The NHL playoffs are the best playoffs in the spring and in professional sports in my humble opinion.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
What to Make of Strikeforce: Nashville
So it has been awhile since I have made a blog post. Sorry about that. Just didn't have much to say. But watching the latest CBS Saturday Night Fights involving the main event of Dan Henderson vs. Jake Shields brought a lot of inspiration. There are three areas I want to hit, the fights, the brawl, and the stupid Canadian that floods my ears with nonsense and hurts my eyes with his presence on my television, Mauro Ranallo.
The Fights:
CBS and Strikeforce drew up a great televised card by showing some of their biggest names who own title belts. Gegard Mousasi, the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion, was one of those names and he was being touted as a man who would dominate the sport for years to come since he is only 24 years old. What I liked about him in the previous three fights that I had seen out of him was the fact that he looked like he was bored out of his mind in each of them before and during the fights, then all of a sudden he'd throw 10 to 20 punches in three seconds and knock a guy out. The unassuming, sleepy act intrigued me. He fought Muhammad "King Mo" Lawal, a huge black man from Texas who won an NCAA title in wrestling for Oklahoma State. He entered the fight 6-0 with 5 KO's, all of them basically from taking a guy down and then beating said guy into a bloody mess. All signs pointed to Mousasi punching this guy and dominating the stand-up part of the fight and retaining his belt. What everyone forgot though was how affective a great double leg takedown can be, and whether Mousasi even had takedown defense. Needless to say, Mousasi spent the entire fight breathing heavy and looking at this tremendous black man rain down fists of anger. Mousasi looked like he'd rather be in bed taking a nap than fighting and "King Mo" wrestled his way to a victory. The fight went 25 minutes and there were very few highlights (Those highlights being "King Mo's" entrance in which he danced with a bunch of white girls while wearing a cape and crown, "King Mo" thanking the haters for booing him after the fight, and the fact that his nickname is "King Mo"). So far, this night was off to a bad start.
The next fight was for the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship and it involved Champion Gilbert Melendez against Challenger Shinya Aoki. Aoki had never fought in the U.S. but he posed a 23-4-1 record and many MMA critics considered him to be a top 3 Lightweight in the world and the favorite in the match-up against a talented but young Melendez. Then the words "submission specialist" are uttered by the incomparable Gus Johnson and alarm bells begin to ring in my head. That is when I realized that the viewing audience was headed for another "technical battle" which is impressive and boring all in one. Aoki preceded to get owned in the stand-up by a guy who isn't in the top ten in his weight class in that facet of the game and then Aoki continued to flop to the ground and try to draw Melendez into a grappling battle which Melendez intelligently refused. Aoki did a fantastic job of making sure that nobody in the U.S. will ever take time out of their life to watch him fight because he straight up looked like a chump who wanted no part of throwing blows with Melendez, which to his credit, tried to engage Aoki throughout the fight. Melendez was easily the most impressive fighter of the night as he retained his title after five rounds (sense a theme for the fights?).
The main event of the evening featured the legend Dan Henderson vs. Champion Jake Shields. Henderson is known for his power and the fact that he loves to throw punches that will take your head off. He holds his right hand cocked and loaded for entire fights just waiting to throw it and land on his opponent's chin. Jake Shields, on the other hand, is a technical fighter (uh oh) who is a world class wrestler (Uh Oh.) and only has 3 KO's in 29 fights (UH OH!). Those same alarm bells were ringing when I saw Shields was fighting after the last live fight he had against Jason "Mayhem" Miller when he basically laid on top of Miller for 25 minutes, took his victory, and went home. Well the first round showed Henderson almost knock Shields out twice and I was finally excited. Johnson began to raise his volume and I began to feel an exciting finish was finally going to happen. To Shields' credit, he survived the two tremendous right hands he took on the chin and he showed that he could take a punch and has heart. In the second round, Shields took Henderson down and quickly mounted him. Shields showed why he is so feared on the ground and it was impressive to see, but boring to watch. For the last four rounds, Shields would mount Henderson and throw punches that were reminiscent of how elementary school children play patty cake with one another. He seriously got zero torque on his punches while in a completely dominant position and he proceeded to win the fight via decision that he could have easily stopped if he had any power in his hands (which he showed he didn't). I'll always say this when it comes to MMA, good fighters can win fights, great fighters finish them. Georges St. Pierre and Jake Shields are the worst "good fighters" to watch, in my opinion, and they make for boring fights. Shields retained his belt via decision after five rounds (again!).
The Brawl:
The best part of the entire night was during Shields' post fight interview in the ring. Johnson is talking to Shields when Miller walks in and interrupts Shields during his interview. Let's pause here. Now setting up future main events with face-offs after a fighter wins is an MMA standard. It piques the fans desire to see a fight between the two guys facing off and it adds a nice period to a night of fights. Usually after the winner of a fight is done talking, he will then be approached by a challenger who will congratulate the winner on his win, express a desire to be the next opponent, and then a handshake and face-off ensues, followed by another handshake. But Miller is one who loves to draw attention and "shock" people, so he ignored proper etiquette of the face-off and proceeded to disrespect Shields.
So we continue with Melendez (training partner and friend of Shields) stepping in and telling Miller to back up and pushing him. Words are exchanged, Miller shoves him back, then Shields shoves Miller, and then Nick and Nate Diaz (fighters, training partners of Shields, and resident thugs from the mean streets of Stockton, CA...) jump Miller and a brawl ensues. There are about ten men who are taking shots at Miller and Miller is holding his own all by himself. Finally the brawl is broken up and no significant damage appears to have been caused. Let's recap what Strikeforce wanted from Miller's appearance in the ring and compare it to what happened. Strikeforce wanted a proper face-off that had good sportsmanship, a little bit of hostility, maybe some words exchanged, and then Johnson to tie a bow on the night with his fantastic mic skills. What ensued was Miller being an attention seeking dumbass, Melendez, the Diaz brothers, and Shields proving how truly ghetto they are, and the most exciting fight of the night that only lasted about 20 seconds. It is insane to me that the only time I was actually enthralled by what I was watching was during a poor attempt at what should be an easy MMA face-off that turned into a night out on the streets of Stockton. I could see this in Eugene if I party with a football player, I expect more from an MMA telecast. The night of fights sucked and I haven't even gotten to the worst part...
The Main Reason Canada Sucks:
Mauro Ranallo is the guy that no one invited to the party who shows up anyway. Mauro Ranallo is the man at work who sits by you at lunch everyday and talks about the personal details of his life with you, and all you want to do is eat your sandwich and not be around him. Mauro Ranallo is the guy who runs into you at the bar, proceeds to accept rounds of drinks from others but has no money to reciprocate those drinks (or so he says), then asks for a ride home in your car and then pukes all over the backseat. I do not like Mauro Ranallo. He is the worst MMA announcer and I don't understand how he ever got a job announcing MMA fights (for Pride or CBS). He makes Joe Rogan sound like an intelligent human being. He constantly steps on the toes of the best announcer in sports, Johnson, and speaks for 30 to 40 seconds at a time about fights that happened in Japan over three to four years ago that no one watched or cared about. He offers history on the fighters that are as relevant as what brand of toothpaste that the fighters use before entering the ring. His voice is annoying and sounds fake. He wears stupid looking glasses. The worst part about Ranallo, he thinks he is the best MMA announcer in the world. In his head, his opinion matters and people listen to what he has to say and they take it to heart. When the people who watch and listen to him fall asleep that night, they will remember his fantastic knowledge of when random Japanese fighter X was beaten by the random participant who is involved in the current fight back in 2005. Ranallo is the most important man on the telecast in Ranallo's mind. Case in point, after the brawl Shields was brought to the announcing booth for an impromptu one on one interview with Johnson that they didn't get to have in the ring. While Johnson and Shields are speaking, Ranallo begins to enter the camera shot from the left, tapping Shields on the shoulder as he is speaking and trying to enter the interview from the other side. Shields has his back to him and will not respond because he is answering Johnson's question in this ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEW! Finally Shields then leaves and Johnson throws Ranallo a question so that he won't throw a fit. What does Ranallo do? He says "Excuse me Gus, but I'd like to say a few words on what just happened". Basically Ranallo gives Johnson a big "Fuck You, Gus, it's my turn to talk" and proceeds to spit out some dumb opinion about how the brawl and Miller's antics were despicable. First off, NOBODY ASKED YOU FOR YOUR OPINION RANALLO!!!!!! Second, when Johnson asks a question, you answer it. He is the best and you are not. ANSWER THE QUESTION! Third, he is trying to steal a shot from Johnson on live television and thus creating an awkward moment after an awkward brawl. GET OUT OF THE SHOT!!! Basically, Strikeforce took two steps back with this event because the fights were boring and they refuse to not have Ranallo pollute my television screen with his dumb comments and looks on his dumb face.
The Fights:
CBS and Strikeforce drew up a great televised card by showing some of their biggest names who own title belts. Gegard Mousasi, the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion, was one of those names and he was being touted as a man who would dominate the sport for years to come since he is only 24 years old. What I liked about him in the previous three fights that I had seen out of him was the fact that he looked like he was bored out of his mind in each of them before and during the fights, then all of a sudden he'd throw 10 to 20 punches in three seconds and knock a guy out. The unassuming, sleepy act intrigued me. He fought Muhammad "King Mo" Lawal, a huge black man from Texas who won an NCAA title in wrestling for Oklahoma State. He entered the fight 6-0 with 5 KO's, all of them basically from taking a guy down and then beating said guy into a bloody mess. All signs pointed to Mousasi punching this guy and dominating the stand-up part of the fight and retaining his belt. What everyone forgot though was how affective a great double leg takedown can be, and whether Mousasi even had takedown defense. Needless to say, Mousasi spent the entire fight breathing heavy and looking at this tremendous black man rain down fists of anger. Mousasi looked like he'd rather be in bed taking a nap than fighting and "King Mo" wrestled his way to a victory. The fight went 25 minutes and there were very few highlights (Those highlights being "King Mo's" entrance in which he danced with a bunch of white girls while wearing a cape and crown, "King Mo" thanking the haters for booing him after the fight, and the fact that his nickname is "King Mo"). So far, this night was off to a bad start.
The next fight was for the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship and it involved Champion Gilbert Melendez against Challenger Shinya Aoki. Aoki had never fought in the U.S. but he posed a 23-4-1 record and many MMA critics considered him to be a top 3 Lightweight in the world and the favorite in the match-up against a talented but young Melendez. Then the words "submission specialist" are uttered by the incomparable Gus Johnson and alarm bells begin to ring in my head. That is when I realized that the viewing audience was headed for another "technical battle" which is impressive and boring all in one. Aoki preceded to get owned in the stand-up by a guy who isn't in the top ten in his weight class in that facet of the game and then Aoki continued to flop to the ground and try to draw Melendez into a grappling battle which Melendez intelligently refused. Aoki did a fantastic job of making sure that nobody in the U.S. will ever take time out of their life to watch him fight because he straight up looked like a chump who wanted no part of throwing blows with Melendez, which to his credit, tried to engage Aoki throughout the fight. Melendez was easily the most impressive fighter of the night as he retained his title after five rounds (sense a theme for the fights?).
The main event of the evening featured the legend Dan Henderson vs. Champion Jake Shields. Henderson is known for his power and the fact that he loves to throw punches that will take your head off. He holds his right hand cocked and loaded for entire fights just waiting to throw it and land on his opponent's chin. Jake Shields, on the other hand, is a technical fighter (uh oh) who is a world class wrestler (Uh Oh.) and only has 3 KO's in 29 fights (UH OH!). Those same alarm bells were ringing when I saw Shields was fighting after the last live fight he had against Jason "Mayhem" Miller when he basically laid on top of Miller for 25 minutes, took his victory, and went home. Well the first round showed Henderson almost knock Shields out twice and I was finally excited. Johnson began to raise his volume and I began to feel an exciting finish was finally going to happen. To Shields' credit, he survived the two tremendous right hands he took on the chin and he showed that he could take a punch and has heart. In the second round, Shields took Henderson down and quickly mounted him. Shields showed why he is so feared on the ground and it was impressive to see, but boring to watch. For the last four rounds, Shields would mount Henderson and throw punches that were reminiscent of how elementary school children play patty cake with one another. He seriously got zero torque on his punches while in a completely dominant position and he proceeded to win the fight via decision that he could have easily stopped if he had any power in his hands (which he showed he didn't). I'll always say this when it comes to MMA, good fighters can win fights, great fighters finish them. Georges St. Pierre and Jake Shields are the worst "good fighters" to watch, in my opinion, and they make for boring fights. Shields retained his belt via decision after five rounds (again!).
The Brawl:
The best part of the entire night was during Shields' post fight interview in the ring. Johnson is talking to Shields when Miller walks in and interrupts Shields during his interview. Let's pause here. Now setting up future main events with face-offs after a fighter wins is an MMA standard. It piques the fans desire to see a fight between the two guys facing off and it adds a nice period to a night of fights. Usually after the winner of a fight is done talking, he will then be approached by a challenger who will congratulate the winner on his win, express a desire to be the next opponent, and then a handshake and face-off ensues, followed by another handshake. But Miller is one who loves to draw attention and "shock" people, so he ignored proper etiquette of the face-off and proceeded to disrespect Shields.
So we continue with Melendez (training partner and friend of Shields) stepping in and telling Miller to back up and pushing him. Words are exchanged, Miller shoves him back, then Shields shoves Miller, and then Nick and Nate Diaz (fighters, training partners of Shields, and resident thugs from the mean streets of Stockton, CA...) jump Miller and a brawl ensues. There are about ten men who are taking shots at Miller and Miller is holding his own all by himself. Finally the brawl is broken up and no significant damage appears to have been caused. Let's recap what Strikeforce wanted from Miller's appearance in the ring and compare it to what happened. Strikeforce wanted a proper face-off that had good sportsmanship, a little bit of hostility, maybe some words exchanged, and then Johnson to tie a bow on the night with his fantastic mic skills. What ensued was Miller being an attention seeking dumbass, Melendez, the Diaz brothers, and Shields proving how truly ghetto they are, and the most exciting fight of the night that only lasted about 20 seconds. It is insane to me that the only time I was actually enthralled by what I was watching was during a poor attempt at what should be an easy MMA face-off that turned into a night out on the streets of Stockton. I could see this in Eugene if I party with a football player, I expect more from an MMA telecast. The night of fights sucked and I haven't even gotten to the worst part...
The Main Reason Canada Sucks:
Mauro Ranallo is the guy that no one invited to the party who shows up anyway. Mauro Ranallo is the man at work who sits by you at lunch everyday and talks about the personal details of his life with you, and all you want to do is eat your sandwich and not be around him. Mauro Ranallo is the guy who runs into you at the bar, proceeds to accept rounds of drinks from others but has no money to reciprocate those drinks (or so he says), then asks for a ride home in your car and then pukes all over the backseat. I do not like Mauro Ranallo. He is the worst MMA announcer and I don't understand how he ever got a job announcing MMA fights (for Pride or CBS). He makes Joe Rogan sound like an intelligent human being. He constantly steps on the toes of the best announcer in sports, Johnson, and speaks for 30 to 40 seconds at a time about fights that happened in Japan over three to four years ago that no one watched or cared about. He offers history on the fighters that are as relevant as what brand of toothpaste that the fighters use before entering the ring. His voice is annoying and sounds fake. He wears stupid looking glasses. The worst part about Ranallo, he thinks he is the best MMA announcer in the world. In his head, his opinion matters and people listen to what he has to say and they take it to heart. When the people who watch and listen to him fall asleep that night, they will remember his fantastic knowledge of when random Japanese fighter X was beaten by the random participant who is involved in the current fight back in 2005. Ranallo is the most important man on the telecast in Ranallo's mind. Case in point, after the brawl Shields was brought to the announcing booth for an impromptu one on one interview with Johnson that they didn't get to have in the ring. While Johnson and Shields are speaking, Ranallo begins to enter the camera shot from the left, tapping Shields on the shoulder as he is speaking and trying to enter the interview from the other side. Shields has his back to him and will not respond because he is answering Johnson's question in this ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEW! Finally Shields then leaves and Johnson throws Ranallo a question so that he won't throw a fit. What does Ranallo do? He says "Excuse me Gus, but I'd like to say a few words on what just happened". Basically Ranallo gives Johnson a big "Fuck You, Gus, it's my turn to talk" and proceeds to spit out some dumb opinion about how the brawl and Miller's antics were despicable. First off, NOBODY ASKED YOU FOR YOUR OPINION RANALLO!!!!!! Second, when Johnson asks a question, you answer it. He is the best and you are not. ANSWER THE QUESTION! Third, he is trying to steal a shot from Johnson on live television and thus creating an awkward moment after an awkward brawl. GET OUT OF THE SHOT!!! Basically, Strikeforce took two steps back with this event because the fights were boring and they refuse to not have Ranallo pollute my television screen with his dumb comments and looks on his dumb face.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
UFC 112 Preview
I'm a huge fan of Mixed Martial Arts, mostly due to the fact that I wrestled all through high school and MMA and wrestling go hand in hand. When a big Pay Per View fight comes up, I do whatever I can to watch it. Tonight is UFC 112: Invincible, which features two Championship matches. I will offer my opinion on who will win the fights that will be shown on PPV and add a little commentary.
Middleweight: Kendall Grove (185) vs. Mark Munoz (185)- These are two men who have been touted as talented fighters but they have rarely lived up to the billing. Grove has tremendous length and reach and he offers a great Muay Thai game. Munoz is a short, stocky middleweight who can take down almost anyone with his wrestling pedigree. Classic match-up of different styles that looks good on paper but will probably end up boring the crowd.
Winner: Grove by Split Decision
Lightweight: Rafael dos Anjos (156) vs. Terry Etim (154)- Dos Anjos and Etim are two guys that are not really in the discussion for being a top contender in the Lightweight division, but with a win over each other, they could be another one to two wins away from challenging for the title. So yeah, this fight has very little significance. Etim has a four fight win streak and I see him continuing his roll.
Winner: Etim by Unanimous Decision
Welterweight: Matt Hughes (170) vs. Renzo Gracie (171)- Two big names going at it in this one (Hughes being a UFC staple and Gracie having a famous last name in the world of MMA). Hughes is younger, more decorated, and much more disliked by me. He is a passively-aggressive cocky guy which is the kind of guy that I hate. He'll look you in the eyes and smile as he mutters comment after comment of how much better than you he thinks he is. I hate Matt Hughes and have never understood his appeal as a fighter, but he'll dominate Gracie in this one.
Winner: Hughes by TKO (Ground and Pound) in the 1st
Lightweight Championship: Champion B.J. Penn (155) vs. Challenger Frankie Edgar (154)- Edgar is the next challenger set up for Penn and he is being billed as the prototypical underdog. Edgar has a nice wrestling background, he is from New Jersey (The butthole of America) and he has been fighting since he was young. This kid is being hyped up by everyone in the UFC as a great fighter who could be the one to finally end Penn's dominance. But I don't believe them. Penn is nicknamed "The Prodigy" because no one really understands how he does what he does in the cage. This guy has a bit of a pot belly, he is balding, and no one is really sure if he is a dick or a nice guy. But he gets in the cage and destroys people with his fists, and then he smothers them with submissions that involve all four of his limbs. I don't get how he is as good as he is, all I know is that I would not bet against him in a Lightweight fight.
Winner: Penn by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in the 5th
Middleweight Championship: Anderson Silva (185) vs. Demian Maia (184)- Two very talented Brazilians are going to battle it out for the Middleweight title and it is going to be a disappointment. First, Maia was knocked out by Nate Marquardt in less than 30 seconds. Marquardt recently lost to Chael Sonnen (University of Oregon Alum!) and Maia submitted Sonnen in the first round. Basically, there is no clear #1 contender in this weight class, which means Silva will not be challenged. Second, Maia is renowned for his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu ability, but that doesn't make for an exciting fight. Take into account that Silva is the best stand-up fighter in the world of MMA and that just screams that Maia will be running away from Silva or constantly looking for take downs and failing. Third, Silva never takes unnecessary risks in his fights and he will not chase and engage Maia if Maia decides to be extremely cautious and wait for a take down opportunity. These three points that I have made lead me to believe that this fight will not be entertaining, but I would watch Silva fight anyone at this point. He is at that level to me where his fights are must see TV.
Winner: Silva by a disappointing Unanimous Decision
So by the end of this PPV, the people will want either Penn-St. Pierre III or St. Pierre-Silva or even Silva-Machida/Rua (Whoever wins their rematch). These fights will and should happen, but only at opportune times for the UFC. So look for a superfight to happen in either the 4th of July part of the year, or at the end of the year PPV that always has a good amount of solid fights. And if I had to pick an upset in the big three fights, I would pick Edgar over Penn, but that is a huge longshot that I wouldn't touch. That's my preview and I can't wait to see the fights.
Middleweight: Kendall Grove (185) vs. Mark Munoz (185)- These are two men who have been touted as talented fighters but they have rarely lived up to the billing. Grove has tremendous length and reach and he offers a great Muay Thai game. Munoz is a short, stocky middleweight who can take down almost anyone with his wrestling pedigree. Classic match-up of different styles that looks good on paper but will probably end up boring the crowd.
Winner: Grove by Split Decision
Lightweight: Rafael dos Anjos (156) vs. Terry Etim (154)- Dos Anjos and Etim are two guys that are not really in the discussion for being a top contender in the Lightweight division, but with a win over each other, they could be another one to two wins away from challenging for the title. So yeah, this fight has very little significance. Etim has a four fight win streak and I see him continuing his roll.
Winner: Etim by Unanimous Decision
Welterweight: Matt Hughes (170) vs. Renzo Gracie (171)- Two big names going at it in this one (Hughes being a UFC staple and Gracie having a famous last name in the world of MMA). Hughes is younger, more decorated, and much more disliked by me. He is a passively-aggressive cocky guy which is the kind of guy that I hate. He'll look you in the eyes and smile as he mutters comment after comment of how much better than you he thinks he is. I hate Matt Hughes and have never understood his appeal as a fighter, but he'll dominate Gracie in this one.
Winner: Hughes by TKO (Ground and Pound) in the 1st
Lightweight Championship: Champion B.J. Penn (155) vs. Challenger Frankie Edgar (154)- Edgar is the next challenger set up for Penn and he is being billed as the prototypical underdog. Edgar has a nice wrestling background, he is from New Jersey (The butthole of America) and he has been fighting since he was young. This kid is being hyped up by everyone in the UFC as a great fighter who could be the one to finally end Penn's dominance. But I don't believe them. Penn is nicknamed "The Prodigy" because no one really understands how he does what he does in the cage. This guy has a bit of a pot belly, he is balding, and no one is really sure if he is a dick or a nice guy. But he gets in the cage and destroys people with his fists, and then he smothers them with submissions that involve all four of his limbs. I don't get how he is as good as he is, all I know is that I would not bet against him in a Lightweight fight.
Winner: Penn by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in the 5th
Middleweight Championship: Anderson Silva (185) vs. Demian Maia (184)- Two very talented Brazilians are going to battle it out for the Middleweight title and it is going to be a disappointment. First, Maia was knocked out by Nate Marquardt in less than 30 seconds. Marquardt recently lost to Chael Sonnen (University of Oregon Alum!) and Maia submitted Sonnen in the first round. Basically, there is no clear #1 contender in this weight class, which means Silva will not be challenged. Second, Maia is renowned for his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu ability, but that doesn't make for an exciting fight. Take into account that Silva is the best stand-up fighter in the world of MMA and that just screams that Maia will be running away from Silva or constantly looking for take downs and failing. Third, Silva never takes unnecessary risks in his fights and he will not chase and engage Maia if Maia decides to be extremely cautious and wait for a take down opportunity. These three points that I have made lead me to believe that this fight will not be entertaining, but I would watch Silva fight anyone at this point. He is at that level to me where his fights are must see TV.
Winner: Silva by a disappointing Unanimous Decision
So by the end of this PPV, the people will want either Penn-St. Pierre III or St. Pierre-Silva or even Silva-Machida/Rua (Whoever wins their rematch). These fights will and should happen, but only at opportune times for the UFC. So look for a superfight to happen in either the 4th of July part of the year, or at the end of the year PPV that always has a good amount of solid fights. And if I had to pick an upset in the big three fights, I would pick Edgar over Penn, but that is a huge longshot that I wouldn't touch. That's my preview and I can't wait to see the fights.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
What is the Rush?
So right now Justin Bieber is topping the charts by singing love songs and Miley Cyrus stars in a newly released film called "The Last Song" (Or for those who grew up in the late 90's/early 00's, it is Cyrus' version of "Crossroads"). Young Hollywood continues to rule and the tween market is one that every executive want to enter because there is a lot of money to be made. Just look at the Disney Channel now as opposed to five or ten years ago. We've moved from the Mickey Mouse Club to Hannah Montana and The Wizards of Waverly Place. The tween market is driving the need for young stars and that is a very dangerous trend.
Almost a month ago, Corey Haim died at the age of 38. He was one of Young Hollywood's biggest stars in the 80's, starring in movies such as "The Lost Boys" and "Lucas". He had a promising acting career ahead of him until he got into drugs and that haunted him until he died. Then we take a look at Lindsey Lohan, someone who has been reported to make less for an appearance than MTV's Jersey Shore Alum, Snooki. This is the same Lohan that starred in the popular "Mean Girls" and was a media darling while I was in High School, and now she is having trouble just living life. These two young actors are just examples of the many young actors and musicians who had trouble growing up because of their stardom at one point or another. Young Hollywood looks like Professional Wrestling with the commonality of deaths before the age of 40. That's scary.
I can't figure out why parents would allow their children to enter a place like Hollywood before they are old enough to drive or vote. There is so much evidence that you have to be ready for the psychological damage that Hollywood will inflict upon you and there is no way that kids like Cyrus or Bieber are ready from the come down when they are not popular anymore. I know for a fact that if my kid had any sort of talent and came up to me at the age of 12 asking me to go to Hollywood I would tell them that I wanted them to live longer than me, so hell no. Being a young star in Hollywood is almost a death sentence for the performer. It's staggering to see the deaths of kids who don't know how to transition into being an adult.
Almost a month ago, Corey Haim died at the age of 38. He was one of Young Hollywood's biggest stars in the 80's, starring in movies such as "The Lost Boys" and "Lucas". He had a promising acting career ahead of him until he got into drugs and that haunted him until he died. Then we take a look at Lindsey Lohan, someone who has been reported to make less for an appearance than MTV's Jersey Shore Alum, Snooki. This is the same Lohan that starred in the popular "Mean Girls" and was a media darling while I was in High School, and now she is having trouble just living life. These two young actors are just examples of the many young actors and musicians who had trouble growing up because of their stardom at one point or another. Young Hollywood looks like Professional Wrestling with the commonality of deaths before the age of 40. That's scary.
I can't figure out why parents would allow their children to enter a place like Hollywood before they are old enough to drive or vote. There is so much evidence that you have to be ready for the psychological damage that Hollywood will inflict upon you and there is no way that kids like Cyrus or Bieber are ready from the come down when they are not popular anymore. I know for a fact that if my kid had any sort of talent and came up to me at the age of 12 asking me to go to Hollywood I would tell them that I wanted them to live longer than me, so hell no. Being a young star in Hollywood is almost a death sentence for the performer. It's staggering to see the deaths of kids who don't know how to transition into being an adult.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Tiger Woods' Masters Press Conference
People always hear the adage "Take everything on a case by case basis" when there are issues in sports that have to be dealt with. You hear Head Coaches, Athletic Directors, and General Managers utter this phrase when someone on their team has been arrested or accused of some crime outside of the playing field. It is a common way of viewing people who have transgressed and caused a firestorm of media to pay extra close attention to one individual. So by employing the "case by case basis" view, I'm going to decipher Woods' Press Conference.
Overall, I think Tiger did a fantastic job of keeping his cool, answering a majority of the questions asked to him, and most importantly, gaining some fans back. The point that everyone seems to forget about the world of sports or any bigwig in Hollywood is that no one has to answer your questions. Yes, it is beneficial for an athlete or famous actor or musician to answer questions about their life and give the facade that you as a fan actually know this person, but in reality, these famous human beings could just tell you to "Fuck Off" and there would be very little one person could do about it. So the fact that Tiger noticed that The Masters was the one place that he could begin to make some of that money back that he lost during the backlash of this scandal was very smart on his part.
As for Tiger's actual performance in the Press Conference, he stayed calm and matter of fact, he unleashed a couple of subtle jokes, and he kept private what he wanted to. When he stated that the reason he was in rehab was "personal" or when he answered that he was "very excited to be at The Masters" in response to whether his wife would be there to support him, Tiger was issuing a very subtle "Fuck Off" to the media and those who have been hounding him since this scandal began. I loved the fact that he did that because I would have done the same thing (actually I probably would have been more blunt about avoiding a subject by telling the reporter "It's none of your F@$&%# business"). What Tiger did that impressed me the most was he showed everybody that he actually is human and does understand how to play the media game. Of course it took a bevy of bimbos and a very public domestic dispute and car crash to teach Tiger how to play the media game, but hey, everyone learns in different ways. Tiger has now earned the privilege of playing Professional Golf again because of this interview and that is all any sports fan really wants.
Oh yeah, there is the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship tonight. I'll take Duke over Butler because Duke is going to own the offensive boards. Then I'm not going to watch ESPN for the next three days as Dick Vitale and the rest of the crew there fawn over Coach K and his ability to win with a starting lineup consisting of three white kids. Spare me.
P.S. I have Uconn over Stanford in the Women's title game... No one cares.
Overall, I think Tiger did a fantastic job of keeping his cool, answering a majority of the questions asked to him, and most importantly, gaining some fans back. The point that everyone seems to forget about the world of sports or any bigwig in Hollywood is that no one has to answer your questions. Yes, it is beneficial for an athlete or famous actor or musician to answer questions about their life and give the facade that you as a fan actually know this person, but in reality, these famous human beings could just tell you to "Fuck Off" and there would be very little one person could do about it. So the fact that Tiger noticed that The Masters was the one place that he could begin to make some of that money back that he lost during the backlash of this scandal was very smart on his part.
As for Tiger's actual performance in the Press Conference, he stayed calm and matter of fact, he unleashed a couple of subtle jokes, and he kept private what he wanted to. When he stated that the reason he was in rehab was "personal" or when he answered that he was "very excited to be at The Masters" in response to whether his wife would be there to support him, Tiger was issuing a very subtle "Fuck Off" to the media and those who have been hounding him since this scandal began. I loved the fact that he did that because I would have done the same thing (actually I probably would have been more blunt about avoiding a subject by telling the reporter "It's none of your F@$&%# business"). What Tiger did that impressed me the most was he showed everybody that he actually is human and does understand how to play the media game. Of course it took a bevy of bimbos and a very public domestic dispute and car crash to teach Tiger how to play the media game, but hey, everyone learns in different ways. Tiger has now earned the privilege of playing Professional Golf again because of this interview and that is all any sports fan really wants.
Oh yeah, there is the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship tonight. I'll take Duke over Butler because Duke is going to own the offensive boards. Then I'm not going to watch ESPN for the next three days as Dick Vitale and the rest of the crew there fawn over Coach K and his ability to win with a starting lineup consisting of three white kids. Spare me.
P.S. I have Uconn over Stanford in the Women's title game... No one cares.
Friday, April 2, 2010
The Apex of Pop Music Occurred in 1982
As I listen to Ke$ha and Lady Gaga on the radio, I can't help but think about how far pop music has fallen. Not only are the stories that artists are telling in their music mundane and monotonous, but the talent just is not there either. Listening to some random broad "sing" about "brushing her teeth with a bottle of Jack" or hearing a "woman?" utter nonsensical gibberish (maybe it is hebrew and I am being insensitive) about a "Bad Romance" really saddens me. I just feel like neither of these singers are really offering a piece of themselves with their music or trying to share their talent, but rather they are just capitalizing on the general public's ability to accept anything as valid as long as it makes them dance as opposed to think or feel.
Then I think about the greatest Pop album of all time: "Thriller" by Michael Jackson. That man was on the top of his game with that album, perfecting the art of hit-making and creating timeless pieces of music. Stories ranged from a scary night where random monsters scour the streets, to a denial of paternity, to a song about not acting like an idiot and fighting for no reason, to a song about a pretty young thing. That album had single after single and each of them involved a great vocal performance that aimed to be timeless as opposed to being proper for the time being. I hate the fact that the apex of Pop Music occurred six years before I was born, especially because of what I have to deal with on Pop radio today.
I believe that my sister said it best when she spoke about Lady Gaga's music and portrayal of her music: "I just don't care for her 'art'". There are many people that like Lady Gaga and Ke$ha and for that, one must respect that they are doing something right. But I sincerely doubt that people will look at "The Fame" and "Animal" in thirty years with the same reverence that people look at "Thriller" with. Pop Music is a fleeting one night stand today, but "Thriller" is a marriage that sticks with people until death. The Pop Acts of today are like candy, they are great for the moment you enjoy them, but they are also unhealthy and sooner than later, you'll receive diabetes because you ingested them too often. So I am just waiting for the general public to finally get musical diabetes and move on from where we are now because it truly holds no merit in my eyes.
Then I think about the greatest Pop album of all time: "Thriller" by Michael Jackson. That man was on the top of his game with that album, perfecting the art of hit-making and creating timeless pieces of music. Stories ranged from a scary night where random monsters scour the streets, to a denial of paternity, to a song about not acting like an idiot and fighting for no reason, to a song about a pretty young thing. That album had single after single and each of them involved a great vocal performance that aimed to be timeless as opposed to being proper for the time being. I hate the fact that the apex of Pop Music occurred six years before I was born, especially because of what I have to deal with on Pop radio today.
I believe that my sister said it best when she spoke about Lady Gaga's music and portrayal of her music: "I just don't care for her 'art'". There are many people that like Lady Gaga and Ke$ha and for that, one must respect that they are doing something right. But I sincerely doubt that people will look at "The Fame" and "Animal" in thirty years with the same reverence that people look at "Thriller" with. Pop Music is a fleeting one night stand today, but "Thriller" is a marriage that sticks with people until death. The Pop Acts of today are like candy, they are great for the moment you enjoy them, but they are also unhealthy and sooner than later, you'll receive diabetes because you ingested them too often. So I am just waiting for the general public to finally get musical diabetes and move on from where we are now because it truly holds no merit in my eyes.
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