Catching Up
For some reason, I just haven't had enough time lately to post on all the important things that have been happening. Perhaps it's my day job, which has been very demanding of late. That and I've actually made time to read a couple good books; and you know how that takes so much more time and effort than, say, watching clips on youtube. Anyway, here's some important information that I have neglected to discuss.
A week ago, we saw Wycliffe Gordon for the second time this year. Exodus to Jazz brought him to town, and he played in a club setting. Thanks to Dan & Randy, who are charter members, we sat about four feet away from Wycliffe, and Marcus Printup on the trumpet, and Grey Mayfield on the alto and flute. Great show. Wycliffe may be the most underappreciated musical genius on the planet. He makes that trombone into a virtuoso solo instrument. At one point he soloed on his mouthpiece alone. No horn; no valves; no nothing. The guy is unbelievable, and I just can't figure out why he hasn't become a superstar.
In other entertainment news, the best movie of the year has come out on DVD. That would be the Celtics championship video. It features the usual season summary, with extended focus on the playoffs, and the Lakers rivalry, and then the finals. Great stuff. Beyond that, there are a few other documentary pieces, and most fun of all, the entire fourth quarters of game seven against the Cavs (Bron and Pierce lighting it up), and game six against the Pistons, with the Cs coming from ten down to clinch on the road. I'm feeling spoiled right now. I mean ever since 2003, when Cuse had their miraculous run through the NCAA tournament, it's been unbelievable. The Sox in 2004; then repeating last fall. And followed immediately by the Celtics' first championship in over twenty years. Things were pretty barren all through the 90s, but these past five years -- amazing.
Along those lines, I read an interesting factoid in Emperors and Idiots. Now G-Man criticizes me, and all Sox fans by implication, for living in the past, and being obsessed with the 86 years, and all that. But really G, it's just that we're students of history. And here's a great example of why. I've always hated on Steinbrenner; perhaps for his free-spending ways; perhaps for the success the Yankees have had since he took over; and also perhaps for the boorish way he publicly criticizes his own people. But I read in Emperors and Idiots, that after game seven of the 2004 ALCS, when the Sox were celebrating on the diamond in Yankee stadium, and their fans were hanging around down by the visiting dugout, long after the game had ended, perhaps an hour or so after the last Yankee fans had left the stadium, some of the Yankee personnel went to Steinbrenner and complained about this unduly lengthy celebration. They suggested that the lights should be shut off, and the Sox and their fans sent home. Steinbrenner said no. He told his people to keep the lights on for as long as the celebration lasted. "They've earned it." A pretty generous act by a guy whose team had just lost a 3-0 series lead for the first time in baseball history, including the last two games at home. Perhaps I've been unfair to the guy; and maybe if he was my team's owner, I'd see him differently.
Lastly, I've been remiss in not recognizing Danny for the best word of the past month: vituperate. I encourage all my readers to look for similarly challenging vocabulary in the future. Maybe we give a word of the month award. Extra credit for six syllables.
A week ago, we saw Wycliffe Gordon for the second time this year. Exodus to Jazz brought him to town, and he played in a club setting. Thanks to Dan & Randy, who are charter members, we sat about four feet away from Wycliffe, and Marcus Printup on the trumpet, and Grey Mayfield on the alto and flute. Great show. Wycliffe may be the most underappreciated musical genius on the planet. He makes that trombone into a virtuoso solo instrument. At one point he soloed on his mouthpiece alone. No horn; no valves; no nothing. The guy is unbelievable, and I just can't figure out why he hasn't become a superstar.
In other entertainment news, the best movie of the year has come out on DVD. That would be the Celtics championship video. It features the usual season summary, with extended focus on the playoffs, and the Lakers rivalry, and then the finals. Great stuff. Beyond that, there are a few other documentary pieces, and most fun of all, the entire fourth quarters of game seven against the Cavs (Bron and Pierce lighting it up), and game six against the Pistons, with the Cs coming from ten down to clinch on the road. I'm feeling spoiled right now. I mean ever since 2003, when Cuse had their miraculous run through the NCAA tournament, it's been unbelievable. The Sox in 2004; then repeating last fall. And followed immediately by the Celtics' first championship in over twenty years. Things were pretty barren all through the 90s, but these past five years -- amazing.
Along those lines, I read an interesting factoid in Emperors and Idiots. Now G-Man criticizes me, and all Sox fans by implication, for living in the past, and being obsessed with the 86 years, and all that. But really G, it's just that we're students of history. And here's a great example of why. I've always hated on Steinbrenner; perhaps for his free-spending ways; perhaps for the success the Yankees have had since he took over; and also perhaps for the boorish way he publicly criticizes his own people. But I read in Emperors and Idiots, that after game seven of the 2004 ALCS, when the Sox were celebrating on the diamond in Yankee stadium, and their fans were hanging around down by the visiting dugout, long after the game had ended, perhaps an hour or so after the last Yankee fans had left the stadium, some of the Yankee personnel went to Steinbrenner and complained about this unduly lengthy celebration. They suggested that the lights should be shut off, and the Sox and their fans sent home. Steinbrenner said no. He told his people to keep the lights on for as long as the celebration lasted. "They've earned it." A pretty generous act by a guy whose team had just lost a 3-0 series lead for the first time in baseball history, including the last two games at home. Perhaps I've been unfair to the guy; and maybe if he was my team's owner, I'd see him differently.
Lastly, I've been remiss in not recognizing Danny for the best word of the past month: vituperate. I encourage all my readers to look for similarly challenging vocabulary in the future. Maybe we give a word of the month award. Extra credit for six syllables.
posted by pops | 5:28 PM
2 Comments:
Berg,
Back from the 'heartland' of MO/AR. A road trip that included St. Louis, Fort Smith, AR and Kansas City, MO. After spending time in a old industrial (GM/Bud), a military/agriculture and a rural agriculture community I am skeptical whether the electorate will over turn their cultural values for their economic, health and education interests. I can see an opening but any candidate the coastal states like they will likely distrust.
At a weekly Rotary lunch in Lathrop, MO (pop.2,092)the 12 attendees discussed the distrust of congress over the bailout and the food pantry for local families who do not have food. I was welcome but I felt like I visiting a foreign country. The GOP has successful divided the country along cultural lines. It sad.
This past weekend was the very well chronicled closing of the 'Stadium'. It reinforced my reasons for being a Yankee fan. The events may have been a little over the top but 85 years of history, that is baseball, passed a milestone. The celebration of the history, tradition and pride of the most storied and successful franchise in professional sports was tasteful and compelling. The visiting networks and players were all welcome and glowing of the Yankees for their contribution to baseball. The Yankees naturally recounted all of the Yankees success but included the heartbreaks as well which included the collapse against the redsox in the ALCS.
You may agree, without the Yankees MLB would not be the sport we all love to follow 6 months a year. Any great sport has a team the other teams judge themselves against with envy and hate. Without the Yankees there would not have been the 'curse' and so on. You get my drift.
Later,
G-man
G,
I'll respond to this in a future posting, but I agree with your sentiment that a rivalry is measured, in large part, by the strength of one's rival.
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