How bad are things down at UVa?

So bad that the University of Virginia is retiring Sean Singletary's number 44. Yes, THE Sean Singletary.

As someone who used to live in Charlottesville back when UVa basketball was good, I can hardly believe my eyes and ears. Singletary is/was a nice player who is currently on an NBA roster. But come on, Wahoos. Sean Singletary?

Have things in the 'Ville gotten so desperate that the school must celebrate mediocrity?

Located smack dab in the middle of prime recruiting country, with a wonderful basketball tradition, there is simply no excuse for UVa to be so (usually) middle of the pack or certainly (sometimes) bad. Virginia and Washington, DC produce dozens of Division I players each year. Virginia should get there share and then some. Maybe Coach Dave Leitao should hit the recruiting trail harder. There is a lot to sell in Charlottesville. A beautiful campus, an elite school, great central location, the ACC.

Absolutely no excuse for UVa to not be at or near the top of the ACC standings each year.

Sean Singletary?

The Nominees and Winners of the 2008 'Pent Awards

So let's get on with it, shall we?

The nominees for the 2008 'Pent Awards are as follows (5 nominees are listed in no particular order within each category)...

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Best Picture:

"The Wrestler" -- A tearjerker about death and life. Beautifully shot with handhelds.
"Wall-E" -- Very little dialogue and thus will be watched by kids and parents for generations to come. Will this be the film 2008 is remembered for?
"The Dark Knight" -- Too long. Too dark. Too depressing. But I loved it!
"W." -- Another film that history will treat kindly.
"Doubt" -- The last film that John Patrick Shanley directed was "Joe Versus the Volcano." This one is better.


Best Actor:

Sean Penn in "Milk" -- Too much physicality but still a wonderful piece of work by the best actor of his generation.
Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler" -- He could have been Sean Penn. But being Mickey Rourke, at least today, can't be all bad.
Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Doubt" -- A great performance in a great film.
Richard Jenkins in "The Visitor" -- The desperation of a life unlived has rarely been presented in such a way.
Robert Downey Jr. in "Iron Man" -- A raise of the eyebrow here, a smirk there. And you have a grand performance writ large.


Best Actress:

Meryl Streep in "Doubt" -- The finest actor in the world.
Tina Fey in "Baby Mama" -- Comedy is difficult acting and she pulls it off effortlessly. The future is hers!
Scarlett Johansson in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" -- In a year with few bravura performances for women, Johansson gets a nomination from The 'Pent. I'll bet she's excited!
Frances McDormand in "Burn After Reading" -- She can do no wrong. A very enjoyable flick. Her role was less showy than Pitt's, and, I thought, funnier. ("...sense of humor!"...)
Kat Dennings in "Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist" -- Some people just look intelligent. She may not be leading lady pretty but should do well in the coming years.


Best Supporting Actor:

Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight" -- The role that all other actors will be judged against this year.
Richard Dreyfuss in "W." -- As Vice President Cheney I thought Dreyfuss was terrifically sly.
Ralph Fiennes in "In Bruges" -- Thankfully getting away from the wimpy roles, Fiennes hit like a sledgehammer in this one.
David Kross in "The Reader" -- The best thing about a "should have been better" film.
Haaz Sleiman in "The Visitor" -- The film featured three of the best performances of the year, and they are all nominated for 'Pents.


Best Supporting Actress:

Gwyneth Paltrow in "Iron Man" -- I had a surprisingly wonderful time at this summer sleeper.
Viola Davis in "Doubt" -- Holds her own with Streep in the most gripping scene of the year.
Marisa Tomei in "The Wrestler" -- It sucks to get old. Especially when you're a stripper with a heart of gold.
Danai Jekesai Gurira in "The Visitor" -- For my money, the sexiest role of the year.
Ari Graynor in "Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist" -- Funny and not too over the top. Just wonderful.


Best Screenplay:

"Doubt" -- Allowed the great cast to shine. And remember: the title of the movie is the key to understanding the film.
"Wall-E" -- Brilliant screenplays don't have to be all spoken word. I would love to get my hands on the original treatment.
"The Visitor" -- Surprises abound.
"Frost/Nixon" -- Handicapped by the weakness of the lead character but still fascinates.
"The Wrestler" -- You wanna cry? You're in your forties and afraid of dying? See this piece of art.


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In the interest of full disclosure, I have not seen "Revolutionary Road", "Wendy and Lucy", "Happy-Go-Lucky", "Rachel Getting Married", or "The Class". Each of these films is considered outstanding by many knowledgeable film lovers, but they have not made their way to Portland (or I simply missed them and will see them on DVD soon). My regrets.


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Here at The 'Pent Awards we only give out statues in six categories, leaving Best Documentary Short to that OTHER awards show.

And the winners are....

Best Picture: "Doubt"
Best Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman
Best Actress: Meryl Streep
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger
Best Supporting Actress: Danai Jekasai Gurira
Best Screenplay: "The Wrestler"

Note on this week's Sports Illustrated: When will they learn?

"Sports Illustrated" remains one of the country's best weeklies largely due to its excellent crop of writers and editors. But every once in a while I read a quote or line that gives me pause.

This week, Selena Roberts wrote a back-of-the-issue article about Notah Begay, a PGA tour pro who also happens to be an American Indian. The tone of the piece is that Begay is giving back to his community and the world at large by doing service work, such as a soccer program for schoolchildren in New Mexico.

In the fourth paragraph, Roberts quotes Begay: "I haven't seen a credit-card bill or mortgage payment in God knows how long because I have people who take care of that." The golfer is trying to impart to the reader how wonderful his life is, which is why he is doing so much for the community.

When will they ever learn? For a professional athlete to BRAG that they don't see their own credit card statements strikes me as incredibly immature and selfish and small minded. Part of adulthood is knowing where your own money is going. You need to know if your mortage is being paid or not. Too many times athletes, especially those from impoverished backgrounds, have been led to bankruptcy by agents and hangers on who divert their earnings.

How is it possible that a seemingly intelligent man like Begay can, after so many examples in recent times, boast about not knowing where his money is being spent? This is irresponsible behavior and he should be taken to task for it.

Grow up, Mr. Begay, and learn just when and where your PGA winnings are being spent. You want to be a true role model? Act like one.

Where's Mine?

$18 billion in Wall Street bonuses this year. The President is right in calling it shameful, but wishing the problem away won't make a bit of difference. There must be laws passed, or at least proposed and examined, to reign in excessive corporate bonuses and stock option packages. Something must be done.

The only problem being that...well...the people getting the bonuses are the ones who run the frigging country in the first place.

I have no idea what to do. Do you?

Great Column From The Boston Globe's Dan Shaughnessy

Here.

And some of the comments make it look like some folks took it seriously. Wow. No Fan Left Behind.

"Will Dick Vitale Please Shutup!" : Thoughts on Wake Beating Duke Tonight, 70-68

1) Dick Vitale saying that a slumping Jon Scheyer of Duke was "due" for a good game gives a non-player like myself hope: maybe I'M due for a big game, too! Should Coach K need an unproductive white shooting guard with a long streak of unproductivity, I'm available. Hey Dick, when someone is not really all that good to begin with, they aren't "DUE." They just aren't real good. God, what he does not know about the game of basketball is a lot. The former coach and professional irritant has been living off a few good seasons at the University of Detroit for thirty years now. As for his time with the Pistons, well: We Celtics fans say, "Thanks again for Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, and even ML Carr!" It has been said many times, many ways, but I think that the time has come for this guy to go. His passion for the game is without question. He just is not very good at his job. (And to make a point, clearly I am being too hard on JAGG [Just another good guy] Scheyer.)

2) I have spotted what looks to be a weakness in Wake's game: They lack a quality shooter besides Jeff Teague, as Wake went just 2 of 10 from three point range tonight. Duke put up 22 threes (making only 4), as this is a huge part of their offense, but Wake simply does not rely on the perimeter game (outside of their game breaking point guard Teague). It would seem to make sense for opponents to slow the game down and play a 1-3-1 zone or maybe even box-and-1 on Wake and Teague. Williams at the two guard is not an effective outside shooter, and no one on the bench appears capable of knocking it down from the perimeter. Aminu is the only other shooter, but it appears as if the young man's range does not extend out to twenty feet yet (given time and a shooting coach to correct his release, which features too much wrist, Aminu's shot should be fine). Backup point guard Smith is effective when pushing the ball but not when the game is slowed to halfcourt situations.

3) Wake is all about tempo: The faster the game, the better they play. Though Wake was outscored in the second half tonight by Duke 40-37, they held a decent sized lead and were more than happy to run with the Blue Devils. The Demon Deacons turned the ball over only 11 times tonight, a terrific number considering that 138 points were scored total. The team's number one priority should always be getting the defensive rebound and pushing the uptempo game. Wake will not lose again if they continue to score 70 points or more each time out. The only way to beat the Deacons is to hold the score in the low 60s at minimum.

4) Wake can beat the opposition in so many ways, as seen on the game winning out of bounds play in which Johnson scored on a layup. The Dukies were more concerned about defending a jump shot with less than three seconds on the clock and overreacted to ball fakes by the inbounder. Johnson cut to an undefended hoop and scored over the much smaller Nolan Smith. It is hard to defend against five men at the college level when all can score. Wake is an elite team in that they can beat you in so many ways, reminiscent of the great Houston "Phi Slamma Jamma" teams of the early 1980s. Wake has their star in Teague but there are always a number of other options. Freshman small forward Aminu is a terrific second option. Pick your poison as to who would be number three: there are several Wake players who didn't even get into the game who would be starting on most other BCS teams in the country. They are deep and talented and they seem to remain hungry.

5) The Nolan Smith experiment should be considered a failure to this point, and Greg Paulus should be reinstalled at the point by Coach K. Smith is clearly a better athlete and more talented than Paulus, but he contributed very little tonight, with six points on just 1-5 shooting from the field. Count me among the many who felt the quickness and scoring expected to be contributed by Smith would help make Duke a better team than last year's tourney flameouts. This has not happened, and Paulus three point shooting would be most welcome. Paulus did see 17 minutes of action tonight, but Coach K needs to bump up his minutes and sit Smith.

6) As I have mentioned before, I do not see Duke getting out of the first weekend of the tournament. Big men Lance Thomas and Greg Zoubek have been complete busts in their careers in Durham. Nothing I have seen to date gives me hope that they will become sizable contributors. Without an inside game, Duke relies ENTIRELY on outside shooting, with a few fast break points and easy buckets from steals. That is no formula for success come tournament time.

7) Without their 20-24 (83%) performance from the line, Duke would have been out of the game early. Though the game winning basket was not scored until less than a second was left on the clock, Wake was much the better team tonight. Coach Gaudio's squad appears to have regained their frontrunner status in the ACC and in the nation.

8) With all my criticism of Duke, the play of Gerald Henderson has been a revelation this season and he may be deserving of All America status. Watching a high school game four years ago featuring Henderson and his then teammate Wayne Ellington, I felt that Henderson had the better prospects for long term growth as compared to his more hyped friend. That has born out, as Ellington is simply a standstill shooter with a slow release (There are a lot of those guys around). But Henderson is playing like a potential lottery pick. He shoots the ball with form and range, handles and passes the ball well for a two guard, and has athletic ability to burn. Expect him to have a long and productive career at the next level, while Ellington is the next Aaron Afflalo.

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Other musings...

A) Gary Williams appears to be the latest victim of "Massimino-itus", the mysterious malady afflicting first time NCAA champions who fall in love with themselves after winning the title and come to believe in subsequent years that they are incapable of making a mistake. Williams has been feuding lately with officials in his athletic department about this and that. Bottom line: Maryland has done next to nothing since their title in 2002. I do not expect the talented Williams to survive this latest episode of hubris. He was one of my favorite in the long line of talented coaches at Boston College when I was a kid, but lately the man has become completely full of himself. It's time to go, Gary. Rollie is waiting for you somewhere on a golf course in Florida.

B) Speaking of Massimino-itus, Jim Boeheim may have some work to do up at Syracuse just to get his team an at-large big to the NCAAs should their slide continue. The Cuse lost to Providence tonight, 100-94, making them 17-5 overall. With three losses in a row and four losses in five, Cuse is staring at a seven game losing streak, what with WV, Villanova, UConn and the Georgetown rematch coming up. While I had high hopes for this team, one can't ignore the recent stretch of bad play and lack of execution by the Orange. After a 17-1 start, they may struggle simply to make the tournament. Did I overrate their talent? Is Coach Boeheim simply tired and ready to retire? Not sure of either answer, though I have always had a soft spot in my heart for this school's basketball program.

C) Not to worry, Pitt and Big East fans: Pittsburgh's loss tonight to a solid Villanova team does not affect their chances for a number one seed. Nova is good, especially at home, and Pitt has five winnable games before their date with UConn on Big Monday 2/16/09. They will be fine.

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Enjoy "30 Rock" tomorrow night, sports fans!

Prosecuting Alberto Gonzalez: A Good Idea?

The New York Times certainly seems to think so.

"Smug self assurance" is the word they use when describing the man.

"A criminal" is one phrase that comes to my mind.

Adieu, Mr. Updike

If you are a Red Sox fan and you haven't read the late John Updike's famous "The New Yorker" piece from 1960 concerning the last game Ted Williams ever played at Fenway, then here it is.

"News Quiz Time!" -- The 'Pent's Greatest Hits: One of my alltime favorite posts

If you have ten minutes or so.... Read This.

It's a post I did on November 29th of 2006. Cracks me up because my state of mind at the time was so different than it is today.

I don't have the energy or the manic intensity to do another News Quiz today.

Maybe later in the week.

OU vs OSU last night: Impressions on Bedlam

Though an ice storm in the Midwest may have kept many of the expected sellout crowd home, last night's men's college basketball matchup between the fifth ranked Oklahoma Sooners and Oklahoma State Cowboys met all expectations. OU won the game 89 - 81 behind the magnificence of Blake Griffin and an explosive and balanced offense that shot 58% on the night. The Sooners led early, grabbing a nine point halftime lead, and, though the homestanding Cowboys made several game charges late in the game, led throughout. A highly entertaining game that featured intensity and hot shooting from both teams, the contest was marred by several cheap shots by the Cowboys in their attempt to rattle Blake Griffin.

Griffin's teammates, most notably point guard Austin Johnson previously little used swingman Jaun Pattillo, and freshman star on the rise Willie Warren were the other double figure scores for OU. The Sooners outrebounded OSU 37 to 16, though OU did turn the ball over 23 times to the Cowboy pressure.

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Griffin showed why he will undoubtedly be the number one pick in this summer's NBA Draft. There is no one else in the country with his blend of size, power, athletic ability, and personality.

The player Griffin reminds me of most is Tim Duncan. Duncan may be a more pure center, with the requisite passing and shotblocking skills, but they both play under control at all times, with minimal wasted effort. Griffin has been the subject of season long abuse, yet only responds physically when it seems called for. Possessing an NBA inside game in terms of scoring, rebounding, and interior passing, Griffin still needs to better read a double team (or even triple team) and find the open man. Blake plays on a perimeter oriented team, as it appears that there are few cutters to the basket available whenever he is doubled. At the next level, double teams are welcomed by the truly great players, as they are always opportunities for assists to cutters. Griffin will soon learn that. Overall, last night Griffin enhanced his standing with the many NBA scouts courtside. A sprained ankle suffered over the weekend proved no detriment to his play, surely a good sign for his toughness.

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Coach Jeff Capel of the Sooners showed why he is the most likely candidate to replace Coach K at Duke whenever the Hall of Famer decides to retire. With Johnny Dawkins doing good work at Duke, Mike Brey having a decent season at Notre Dame, and other explayers and excoaches of the Duke program scattered around the country, now is the time to speculate about the future of Duke basketball. Coach K is only 61, yet health problems have led the media and fans to wonder how long he will stay.

Rest easy, Duke fans. Whenever Coach K decides he no longer has the desire to coach at the highest level, Jeff Capel will be ready to take over.

A Question of Priorities: Jason Varitek and Starbury

These two athletes have very different reputations amongst the media and fans of our sporting world, but right now they appear to be in the same boat: aging ex-stars who must decide how much they value winning a title over making yet another payday.

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Varitek is a Red Sox legend and has been one of the mainstays on two World Series winners. He is the second best catcher in the history of the franchise, behind only Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk. That said, he is 37 years old (ancient by even modern catching standards) and was simply awful swinging the bat last year. Tek carries with him a reputation as a skillled handler of pitchers, and wears the captain's "C" on his jersey for the Sox, no small achievement that.

Without any other good options, it would appear that Varitek must decide on the Sox latest reported offer of a one year deal for short money with a second option year. Two thousand eight was the final year of a lucrative, 4 year $40m deal Tek signed when he was still one of the best backstops in the game, so has had plenty in the bank. Right now, at this late stage of his career, he appears to no longer be starter quality on a contending team. For him to sign for less than half what he made last year would take an admission that his skills have deteriorated badly, something few athletes do willingly.

Yet the Sox have apparently offered him a deal, because they also have nowhere else to go. Shame on them for allowing the catching position to hold them hostage this offseason. In my opinion, they should have pulled the trigger on a deal, possibly overpaying by dealing Clay Bucholz, a long time ago. They have enough pitching. What they don't have is a quality, veteran starter behind the plate.

At this late juncture, it appears their best bet is to hope that young and gifted Josh Bard becomes a decent answer. Bard hit well early on in his time with San Diego before having a poor season last year. Yet there is a big difference between a young player like Bard having a down year and an aging veteran like Varitek doing the same. Tek's career appears just about over while Bard's is just beginning.

I would bet on Bard over Tek having better numbers at the plate this season and think he should be the starter going into spring training. For those who believe in the whole "Tek lowers the team ERA all by himself" argument, I offer a dissenting view: a player's primary value comes from their offensive production. Therefore if a player can't offer any offense, he shouldn't be playing. At this stage of his career, considering his age and his position and his build, well, Tek is done.
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Now, Stephon Marbury. If I have to.

Starbury made some noise yesterday by telling a New York paper that the New York Knicks management will not meet his demands for a salary buyout so that he can join the Boston Celtics because the Knicks don't want him to win a title.

What a bunch of bunk! The Knicks are finally falling into the "well run" group of NBA teams, behind General Manager Donnie Walsh and Head Coach Mike D'antoni, and would never let their personal distaste with Starbury ruin their chances of getting out from under his sizable contract. If Starbury really wanted a title, he would simply accept a buyout of one dollar from New York. The man has made a ton of money in his time. What he has never done is win.

Starbury once again has proven himself immature and self centered to the extreme, and Boston would do well to look in another direction for bench help in the team's quest for an 18th title. With the talented Rajon Rondo starting and doing well, though with no real backup, the C's are set for now barring injury at this important position. They should play the hand they were dealt and not sign Starbury.

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So there you have it: I don't want Jason Varitek back as catcher on the Red Sox. And I don't want Stephon Marbury's antics destroying the chemistry on the Celtics.

Addition by doing nothing. Sometimes the best moves you make are the ones you do not make.

Thrilling, Tempting Misery

My first bout with the type of delusional thinking known as auditory hallucination occurred following a suicide attempt in the early 1990s when I was in my mid-twenties.

Born into a family rife with depression and alcoholism it is not surprising that I would leave an unfulfilling yet promising job in Virginia to move back home to my parent's house in New Hampshire in 1991. Before I had quitting, I had grown increasingly depressed and despondent regarding my station in lfe. Trying things anew back in my home state felt like the right thing to do. But soon after returning to the town where I was raised I lost all interest in pursuing work, socializing, or doing anything remotely constructive. Life was unbearable. I dreaded the future as much as the present. Attempts at therapy, supported by my parents, proved embarrassing failures as I felt no hope of anyone or anything pulling me out of my self induced funk.

Ultimately, after months of contemplation, I decided to take my own life. Using an industrial size bottle of aspirin bought in a fit of rage at a local pharmacy I injested four hundred pills over two hours while sitting on the bed in my room late one night. Soon I felt weak and tired. And fell asleep, though waking after only two hours of unconsciousness. Realizing the need to vomit, I put on my shoes and went outside so as not to wake my sleeping parents with the sounds of my retching. Suffering from an upset stomach I stumbled about on foot through the side streets of my parent's neighborhood, vomiting every few steps. In this way I was able to extract involuntarily much of the poison in my system acquired from the aspirin bottle.

The next morning, realizing I was ill and in need of medical attention, I asked my mother, who had slept in the adjacent bedroom with no knowledge of my activities, to take me to a hospital. We arrived at Catholic Medical Center in Manchester. I was led to the Emergency Department and given a charcoal like substance to absorb the poison remaining in my stomach. Within minutes I was vomiting again. The ER staff seemed relieved at the sight of me throwing up. I would learn later that they considered the vomiting a good sign, that my body was rejecting the harmful chemicals contained in the aspirin.

For the following three days I was a patient in the Intensive Care Unit. My doctor, a woman of great charm and kindness, seemed genuinely concerned about my welfare, making me feel welcome despite my embarrassment over the overdose. The doctor asked if I would like to stay at CMC in a unit I might find more suitable to my needs. I quickly agreed, glad for the attention.

The psych unit, a locked ward on the third floor of CMC, felt comfortable and safe. I was led by a cheerful and friendly staff member to a room near the nurse's station. Though not luxurious, the accomodations seemed better than any apartment or dorm room I had ever occupied. Soon after being left alone in the room I lay down on one of the two beds in order to take stock of my situation. Having made a genuinely sincere attempt to commit suicide I did not feel lucky to be alive, as one would expect after such a close call, for it was my view that I was a worthless, flawed, and unlovable person who had no hope for a happy life.

Soon after, the voices began.

The first voice I heard came through the near wall, coming apparently from the room directly behind the headboard of my bed. A male with a deep and commanding voice that instantly intimidated me loudly exclaimed "Why do we have to spend the time on HIM? He is so boring and weird. Nothing he does will be interesting to study." The reply came from another male with a sense of authority attached to him: "Because it's our job! We do what we're told, regardless of the worth or worthlessness of the subject. Let's just see what he does." It was clear that I was to be studied by these two men for the duration of my stay in the psych unit. But how could they see me? There were no cameras in the room, at least that I could see. I quickly came to the conclusion that the sprinkler head directly over my bed must contain some sort of video camera and microphone capable of transmitting pictures and sounds to the researchers next door.

In the beginning the voices were with me only in the hours I spent in my room. For two days I was largely left alone by the nurses, who would pop their heads in every fifteen minutes or so while doing their "safety checks." I was free to think and consider my plight. The voices continued to discuss how boring, strange, ugly, worthless, and unappealing I was: "Loser." "Freak." "Strange beyond belief." "Pathetic." The cruelty was astonishing. And so blatant, with no regard for how hearing their taunts would effect me, a suicidal patient in a locked psych ward. I wondered if my hearing was possibly so exceptional that neither of the researchers realized the walls were thin enough to allow me to overhear them.

I did not wish to be a bother to the nursing staff that fed me and gave me whatever medications had been prescribed. They treated me well, with both compassion and support. Thus I never voiced any complaints about the ongoing study and the awful things being said about me by the two researchers.

Soon the voices would follow me to other parts of the psych ward. After a bit of prompting by one of my favorite nurses that I should interact with the other patients I decided to take a journal I was working on into the day room of the unit. There was not much activity going on so I opened my book and began attempting to write some poetry. Immediately I could hear the same male voices from my room discussing how perfectly awful my poems were. "See how he wallows in self pity? Can you believe how bad his prose is? I understand now why people despise him; he's awful." Shocked that the folks watching me would be so blatant in allowing me to hear their views in such an open and public space I looked around for more cameras. No sprinklers were in view overhead, yet the voices continued their abuse. "Loser." "Incompetent." "No one loves him." The only possible conclusion was that the cameras and microphones had been made so perfectly small that they could fit into the spaces in between the tiles of the ceiling.

Instead of considering the implausibility of what was occurring, my belief at the time was a sureness that what I was experiencing was reality. How does one go about the process of not trusting ones own senses to inform them of what is real and what is not? I was unable to make the leap in questioning the plausibility in what seemed to be happening to me; what I heard was therefore true. The researchers were people with incredible new technology studying me in an attempt to understand why people try to commit suicide. The fact that they were unhappy in their assignment and that I was such a dull subject simply made the goings on more plausible: most people are unhappy in their work and I was without question a waste of human flesh. Everything seemed to make sense.

Claiming to be feeling better and more hopeful in my subsequent meetings with doctors and nursing staff, I told no one about being a subject of the study. After all, it most likely was supposed to be secret. The hospital could be expected to work out the kinks and not allow future participants to overhear the comments being made about them. I was a bit of a guinea pig and a little proud of myself for being the subject of such intense observation. Though the researchers clearly hated me, any attention was better than the alternative.

The day of my anticipated discharge I was interviewed by a psychiatrist who was not on staff at the hospital but, I was informed, was to be be assigned to me upon my release. He seemed a decent sort, though unexciting and uninspiring. I told him of my depression and suicide attempt and as the session appeared to be winding down it occurred to me to ask about the study being done. When I explained to the incredulous doctor about the two researchers watching my every move through hidden cameras, he claimed to have no knowledge of it. When I persisted he offered to speak to a doctor more familiar with the unit. Upon returning, my assigned doctor told me there was no study. That no one was watching me.

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It would be nice to say that that was the end of things. That my delusions were over once I had proof of their illegitimacy. But that is not the case. I would suffer from these hallucinations periodically throughout the rest of the 1990's and into this decade. Having been free of them for some time now, I very much hope they are gone for good.

Advice for Televising Sports: Give Us More

As someone who spends more time than may be healthy watching sports, often with the sound down, I have become very annoyed with the crawl at the bottom of the screen endlessly listing the scores of other games. How many times in an hour do I need to know who is ahead in the American - Holy Cross game?

Why not include stats of the game I am watching? Why not, for example, include the leading scorers and rebounders for each team, the shooting percentages of each squad, which team has more rebounds, how many timeouts are left for each, etc? After all, the coaches are following these stats very closely. Why can't we as viewers do the same?

I predict the network that includes these stats in their ongoing crawl will find very enthusiastic feedback from their viewers.

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In the same light of giving the viewer more, I think that to keep the viewer from changing channels during commercials, which seems to be the main problem with advertising on television, keeping the crawl running during timeouts, while the commercials are being run on the top three quarters of the screen, would be a very good idea indeed.

This idea was tried out by at least one network, CNN, during the inauguration festivities this week, and I as a viewer was more inclined to leave the channel where it was, as opposed to searching out something new.

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Food for thought.

2009 Sundance Film Festival: Movies to Watch for in the Coming Year

From The New York Times online edition: An article detailing the biggest hits at this year's 25th anniversary edition of Sundance.

Oscar Nominations Announced This Morning: What Do I Think About Them?

Glad you asked...

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Here's some thoughts on the films nominated for Best Picture (I will have my own "Pent Award nominations coming soon...) --

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" --A movie so bad I found myself giggling. This will go down as one of the worst pictures ever to be nominated for Best Picture.

"Frost/Nixon" -- Opens in Portland tomorrow. I'll see it next week, and am certainly looking forward to the experience.

"Milk" -- Very good but not great. Sean Penn's mannered, fey performance makes Harvey Milk out to be a flamer, when it reality he was anything but. I thoroughly enjoyed the film, but there are others in my mind clearly more deserving of a BP nomination.

"The Reader" -- A decent flick, but BP? Come on, the last hour was complete drivel. Had they edited out the ending, the picture may have come out much better, but, again, this movie did not deserve its nomination.

"Slumdog Millionaire" -- A good/bad time at the movies. Certainly worth a look, as the last half hour is tremendously exciting for the two leads, but the first hour and a half can be tedious.

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Other nominations that raised The 'Pent's eyebrow...

Brad Pitt for Best Actor in "Button" -- He barely spoke any lines longer than a few mumbled words. A dreadful performance by a 46 year old who should act his damn age.

Penelope Cruz for Best Supporting Actress in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" -- She played a loudmouthed exwife; a decent job in a thankless role. How she got a nomination over her three costars I'll never understand. Even the Woodman should have been nominated for directing before Ms. Cruz.

Best Cinematography for "The Reader" -- Again, a nice picture, but I do not recall anything wonderful or enchanting about Berlin in this drama.

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And in a parting shot to The Academy; just how did the Boss not get nominated for Best Song? That was awful.

Caroline Kennedy withdraws name from consideration for NY Senate post...thankfully.

Apparently the Bush's are not the only political family to possess an incredible amount of arrogance.

Ms. Kennedy's fiasco of a bid shows that being a Senator, for all of the joking around in our country, is a tough job only available to those who badly want it.

Good Stuff From the Boston Globe's Touching All the Bases Blog...

...Here.

How Could This Happen? -- The Presidential Oath Taking Screwup

In the big story of the day, besides First Brother In Law Craig Robinson's soon to be famous yawn during President Obama's inaugural activities, the President and Chief Justice Roberts each stepped on the other's toes by screwing up a 35 word oath required to be taken by the incoming President.

President Obama interrupted Justice Roberts opening line, then Justice Roberts moved the word "faithfully" around to the end of the oath. How embarrassing yet human for our country that the two most important members of the government could not get through this simple procedure without screwing it up. Shocking errors by both men caused me to cringe on my couch. Not a great way to start the new administration.

Today is the first day of President Obama's administration...

...and if you don't have goose pimples...well...you simply have no soul and I feel sorry for you.

(Enjoy the view from your wheelchair, Mr. Former Vice President Dick Cheney!)

This is a day all progressive Americans will remember for the rest of their lives...so make the best of it. Do something nice for a stranger. Promise to be better to your significant other or children. Promise to be a better son, daughter, aunt, uncle, employee, citizen, etc. Just a great day to be alive.

Enjoy, America!

Funny Quotes from President Bush...

...As compiled by Slate.

What a Pussy...

Here...

(Pretty much par for the course for "Rambo")

Three Questions for a Sunday Morning Concerning Yesterday's College Basketball Orgy

1) Do players today wear the number 23 in honor of LeBron or MJ?

I am not sure, sitting here in The 'Pent; location, a cold and snowy building in Portland, Maine. Haven't spoken to enough kids to know. Of course, LeBron wears his number in deference to the second greatest basketball player ever (if you think MJ is better than Bill Russell, you don't know your history). But young guys all over seem to be wearing #23 in increasing numbers, as opposed to when MJ was playing, when the number was taboo due to aura of greatness required by the wearer.

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2) Why don't more balding basketball players in college shave their heads?

After all, going bald IS the reason that MJ shaved his a few years into his NBA career: not for style but to hide his increasingly empty dome. The best (or worst) case of this is Duke's Gerald Henderson, an electrifying junior swingman for the once beaten Blue Devils. The young man can certainly play and is, in my opinion, headed for the NBA lottery if he can develop some more consistency in his jumper. But the dude is going bald! Shave it off, Gerald! You are a beautiful young black male who is losing his hair. No shame in that. Be like Mike, young fella!

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3) If Wake Forest wins the NCAA title, would they, with their forty four hundred current undergraduate students, be the smallest school ever to win the crown?

No. Holy Cross, current enrollment of about 2,800 undergraduates, won the title behind Bob Cousy in 1947.

Other small schools to win the title include Villanova in 1985, with 6,300 current undergrads, and LaSalle in 1954, with 4,700 current undergrads. No figures were available on their enrollment at time of winning the title.

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Enjoy the playoff games today, sports fans...

"Blood in the Cage" by L Jon Wertheim-- A Sledgehammer of a Book

"Blood in the Cage", by former Sports Illustrated writer L Jon Wertheim, is a wonderful read about a sport that I have, basically, zero knowledge of. Like a lot of old school sports fans, I have always looked on in horror whenever seeing highlights of Ultimate Fighting Championship style bouts. But having devoured about half of this fine book, I am beginning to see the light. UFC is the ultimate in combat. There is no eye gouging or fishhooking (pulling someone's mouth apart) or biting. Other than that, anything goes.

Which if you think about it is what combat is all about. I see from the pictures included in "Blood" that noted UFC coach Pat Miletich has been employed by the military in teaching his techniques to soldiers, which seems a very good idea indeed. Because if al-Qaeda operatives get into it with our troops, I don't want GI's claiming "no hairpulling" or some such thing.

It appears as if Ultimate Fighting has taken a lot of the most talented potential boxers and turned them into mixed martial artists. The new wave of sport is here, and it is represented by the UFC.

Go read "Blood in the Cage" if you disagree. You may become a convert like me.

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YouTube video of a 60 Minutes piece on Mixed Martial Artists. Good stuff.

Terrific ESPN piece on Miletich' gym in Iowa.

Let's Make This Perfectly Clear...

...The reason that the US Airways pilot landed in the Hudson river on Thursday was because if he had landed on land, he would have certainly done major damage to a residential section of whatever neighborhood he landed in in either New Jersey or New York. The river landing was the only choice if he couldn't make it back to the airport. The pilot did the right thing. The only thing, really. Anyone who questions his decisions or actions is wrongheaded.

Out on a Limb: Early March Madness Predictions

Projected National Champion: Wake Forest

The best team in the country at this early point is quite clear. And the fact that that team is Wake Forest is as surprising to me as it may be to the Wake players and coaches themselves.

Sitting here in The 'Pent watching a Wake beatdown of a solid and to date undefeated Clemson squad, on the road to boot, has me thinking that Dino Guadio's team's best game is better than anyone else's. Name me another team with at least a half dozen first round draft picks. You can't. In fact, I think Wake is the most talented college team since the North Carolina national champs of four years back, who featured Marvin Williams, Sean May, Rashard McCants, and Ray Felton, all first rounders. Wake has seven or more potential NBA first rounders: Jeff Teague, James Johnson, Al-Farouq Aminu, Tony Woods, Chas McFarland, LD Williams, and Harvey Hale all look like locks for The League to me. And Teague may be the second pick in this year's draft behind Oklahoma's Blake Griffin. Johnson and Aminu appear to be lottery bound whenever they choose to go pro. Yes, this year's Wake Forest team is young and talented, with a slew of big, athletic bodies oozing with basketball savvy.

While being the best team does not mean you will win the whole shooting match (witness last year's UCLA squad), Wake appears to be the best combination of ability, depth, and desire in the country. If they play well, there may be no stopping them come March Madness.

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The Rest of the Final Four:

North Carolina -- Though I would classify the Tar Heels as a mild disappointment to date because of their two losses, they seem to be playing close to their ability on most occasions. With the exception of the inexplicable loss to a middling Boston College team, UNC has played decently; the problem being that they just are not as good as we thought. I am a big believer in NBA talent being the key to winning the NCAA Final Four. And UNC has only two sure fire quality NBA players; Tyler Hansbrough and Ed Davis. Psycho T is a possibility for a second straight POY award nationally, and while he may not make it into the NBA lottery following this his senior year, I am confident he will be a quality pro. Davis fairly oozes talent and basketball IQ. At 6 10, he has the size and game to become a slightly bigger version of Sam Perkins, who was one of the great collegiate players of his generation (he degenerated into a 3 point specialist in the NBA, to his discredit), but Davis is still young and stuck behind some older players. UNC Coach Roy Williams would be well served in giving 25 to 30 minutes a night to his rising star. And potential losses during the year due to Davis lack of experience would be more than made up for by making UNC more of a threat come tourney time. The backcourt has been a major disappointment, as Wayne Ellington has shot the ball poorly and has never developed any other ways to help his team, and point guard Ty Lawson, while possessing a terrific assist/to ratio has been badly outplayed by both Jeff Teague and Tyrese Rice in UNC's two losses. Lawson is a fine player, but does not look like he is NBA starter quality. In short, UNC is a terrific college team, but does not possess the talent to be the juggernaut many expected. They can, no doubt, reach the Final Four for the second year in a row, but in a showdown with Wake Forest, I would pick Wake to cut down the nets at Ford Field in Detroit.

Pitt and UConn -- The Big East is too good this year to not get anyone to Detroit. Pittsburgh and the University of Connecticut are similar to UNC in that they are very good but flawed teams that could easily win four straight come tournament time, especially since they will likely be among the top 8 seeds and thus have an easy time the first weekend. I love UConn's talent and depth, but Coach Calhoun has yet to settle on a rotation. This could hurt them could NCAA time. Look for the Hall of Famer Calhoun to try to cut down his rotation in the coming weeks. Price, Walker, and Dyson are a gifted backcourt, but none of them has taken this team by the throat and delivered in crunch time, as Wake's Teague seems to do. Thabeet is a game changer at center but is still prone to silly fouls and becoming a disappearing act now and again. As for Pitt, from what I have seen they are yet another tough as nails Panther squad that physically beats up their opponents, but may not be able to contend with the iron teams come tourney time. Pitt has a history of winning their first and second round games, but faltering come Sweet 16 time. This year, they may have the best team in school history. I would like them more if they would play well yet still lose a close game soon, as this winning streak is almost certain to play havoc on the kids minds should it continue. They are good enough to get to a Final Four, but probably not good enough to win it all.

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The Rest of the Elite 8:

Georgetown, Syracuse, and Louisville of the Big East -- The meat of the Big East schedule is still to come, but these three teams, along with the previously mentioned Pitt Panthers and UConn Huskies, prove that the Big East may have the best conference top half in NCAA history. In 1985, the then young Big East put three teams in the Final Four; St. Johns, Georgetown, and national champ Villanova. A repeat performance could easily happen this year, with a talented but occasionally wild Syracuse team the most likely of the three to make it to Ford Field. I like the Cuse triple threat coming from talented point guard Jonny Flynn, midrange player Paul Harris, and tough as nails center Arinze Onuaku. With other nice players like Devendorf and Rautins, the Cuse have their best team since the 03 national champions. Look for them to do well in the tournament. Georgetown was handled easily today by Duke at Cameron Indoor, but on a neutral floor I like John Thompson III's squad more than Duke, as the Hoyas are athletic and can score in a variety of ways from a variety of sources. Freshman Greg Monroe could have a breakout tournament as he tries to parlay his success into NBA millions. He is a Chris Bosh play alike with slightly less explosiveness but better passing ability. Louisville is talented everywhere but the point. If they had Flynn at lead guard (instead of Boeheim having him) I'd pick Louisville for the Final Four. But, alas, they don't. What they do have are potential NBAers at the 2 guard in Edgar Sosa and Terrence Williams, small forward in Earl Clark, and big man Samardo Samuels. They may have the second most NBA quality talent in the nation, next to Wake Forest. For that, they get a spot in the projected Elite 8.

Oklahoma -- Due almost entirely of the play of their best two players, big man Blake Griffin and swingman Willie Warren, I think that the Sooners can win three games. Jeff Capel is a young coach proving he belongs among the nation's elite, and in Griffin, Oklahoma has the first pick in the draft. That alone may be enough to get Oklahoma further along in the NCAAs than they have been in quite some time.

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The Rest of the Sweet 16:

Arizona State -- Paul Pierce playalike James Harden looks like a surefire top 5 NBA pick, and his supporting cast is good as well. The best Arizona State team in decades.

USC -- Very talented at at the wings, with DeRozan and Gibson playing well thus far. Tim Floyd has never proven himself in the tournament. This is his chance.

UCLA -- Darren Collison would have been a likely lottery pick had he come out after his sophomore season. Now, he is a JAGG (just another good guy) playing on a team that could just as easily lose in the first round as make a run. They rely almost exclusively on jump shots, and freshman J'rue Holiday has, to these eyes, been a disappointment. They missed their chance to win the school's 12th title last year, and won't be a threat in 09.

Texas -- A disappointment in losing 3 of their last 6 games, yet Texas still has multiple players who can score, defend, rebound, and pass. Basically, if they get hot and if Damion James plays like he is capable, they are a candidate to go far. Rick Barnes is a proven tourney tested coach, as well.

Duke -- Another school as likely to lose in the first round as win two or three. Strictly a jump shooting team, and that will kill them in the tournament. Don't believe the current high ranking, as home court refereeing did in Georgetown today. Also, would someone please tell Gerald Henderson to shave his balding dome? The guy is a future millionaire, but looks like some 30-something rec center playing with that receding hairline. Shave it, kid! Remember MJ did the same thing. There's no shame in going bald, just in looking like a dork.

Tennessee, Ohio State, and Notre Dame -- Notre Dame is the third school I've picked to make a run that could just as easily lose early. They have no obvious NBA talent (and that includes Harangody) and little big time athletic talent. Coach Mike Brey also has yet to make an impact in the NCAAs. I have yet to see much of OSU or UT, yet know they have several very talented players and a playing style conducive to decent tourney runs.

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thanks for reading.....

AG nominee Holder: "We don't want to criminalize policy differences."

Here in the New York Times online edition is the bombshell of the day from Washington: It appears as though President Elect Obama will not be going after President Bush and his minions full bore in pursuit of prosecuting possible war crimes.

Will there be indictments? It's hard to believe there won't be. But Holder hedged his bets and sounded like a guy trying to please his future boss without offending Republicans.

I believe that prosecuting Bush and his fellow torturers is something that should be a secondary concern for the incoming administration. It is my sense that just getting the country back on track by ending the war in Iraq, fixing the economy, ending the use of torture, closing Gitmo are the priorities for Obama's first 100 days.

"The Executioner's Song" -- One of the great American books

I am reminded of my otherworldly experience reading this astonishingly great book over fifteen years ago because today, January 17th 2009, is the 32nd anniversary of the execution of convicted killer Gary Gilmore in Utah.

Norman Mailer wrote "Song", with the assistance of his researcher Lawrence Schiller, about Gilmore, the first person put to death in the United States in a decade.

I can't praise "Song" highly enough, and hope to have time in the near future to reread this classic. If you haven't read it, you should!

"Last Chance Harvey" -- A Wonderful Time at the Movies

For anyone interested in a terrific date movie, a nice commentary on the inherent hopefulness of the human condition, or lonely and in need of a pick me up, I heartily recommend seeing Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson in the newly released "Last Chance Harvey."

A movie about the love we all deserve but only seldom have the chance to obtain, this one is a winner. Dustin Hoffman is terrific as a man who slowly comes to the realization that he may have come to the end of the line, both professionally and romantically. And Emma Thompson is her usual radiant self as a similar lost soul who desires love and happiness but is unsure of how to go about it. Kudos to writer/director Joel Hopkins.

I left the theater feeling good about myself and the human condition. What more can you ask for of a film? Heartily recommended to one and all!

Basketball Coach's Wife Insures That Her Husband is a National Laughinstock

Brought to you by the good folks at Deadspin:

Ole Miss Head Basketball Coach Andy Kennedy had a dustup a few months ago with a cab driver in Ohio. And now, as a result of the incident, the coach's wife is suing the cab driver because the she claims her husband isn't.....er.......servicing her properly.

My God, how ridiculous the whole thing is. I tell you, Ole Miss and their basketball program are now a nationwide joke, thanks to the antics of the head coach and his wife. He may not make it through the season.

Red Sox Can't be Happy About This: Big Papi wants to play in WBC!

This can't be good for Boston. The Sox most important player is coming off his worst year in Boston due to a serious wrist injury, and wants to put additional stress on his wrist by playing for the Dominican Republic team.

Not a good idea in my book, but the man may never have another chance to play for his country.

Expect the Detroit Lions to Take This Man First in the NFL Draft in the Springtime

USC's Mark Sanchez declared for the draft yesterday. He is, in my opinion, the best quarterback available and therefore likely to be the first player taken by the desperate Lions. Good luck to him and to Detriot, which has a bevy of picks due to the Roy Williams heist of the Cowboys. They can be much better next year, and really, how could they not be at 0-16 in 2008?

How Much Do You Love the Movies?

If you haven't seen a good percentage of the movies listed below, you just don't love the movies as much as you claim to:

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AFI's Top 100 Films of All Time. With links to all the AFI Top 100 lists on wikipedia.

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It's fun to see what you may have missed, and in this age of NetFlix, there is no excuse for not having gotten through much of the lists.

Me? I've even seen many of the musicals! That's how much I love the movies....

Left Field in Fenway Park: Can We Be Honest Here?

The truth is the for all the hype down through the years, left field in Fenway is just about the easiest space of outfield grass to play in all the major leagues. Due to its incredibly short distance and the Green Monster giving fairly consistent bounces, there is less ground to cover in left in Fenway than in other MLB stadiums.

Center and right field in Fenway are completely different stories. There is quite a bit of ground to cover for centerfielders and rightfielders, with intricate and confusing infrastructure to be dealt with. It seems that Red Sox management has long been aware of this predicament, as many great fielders have patrolled center and right for the Olde Towne Team for decades. Fred Lynn, Johnny Damon, Darren Lewis, Dwight Evans and the current man in right, JD Drew are the first names that come to mind as doing terrific defensive work for the Sox over my lifetime.

The reason for this post is the continued assertion that left field in Fenway Park is a tough place to play, especially with former Red Sox' Jim Rice being named Tuesday to the Baseball Hall of Fame. That assertion could not be further from the truth. Just look at the list of left fielders from World War II to current times that have played there: Ted Williams, who was reputed to be an indifferent defensive player at best, often practicing his swing while manning the outfield; Yaz, who was admittedly a great fielder but never had the cannon arm required to man the much tougher and more expansive right field; Jim Rice, who was another indifferent fielder with a pop gun arm; Mike Greenwell, who really was lousy in left but could certainly rake; and Manny Ramirez... Enough said about Manny's defense.

Looking at those names, two things are obvious: They all could really hit the fucking cover off the ball. And they all would have made lousy rightfielders, except for maybe Yaz whenever Dewey was resting.

So can we please put to rest all the talk that left field is a tough place to play? The Sox administration has always placed a premium on hitting at that position, with defense an afterthought. The current left fielder, Jason Bay, is another in a long line of good to great hitters with little to no defensive value. Bay has no speed or arm to speak of, but should be a valuable member of the 09 team due to his outstanding offensive skills. Good for him.

Jim Rice may now be a Hall of Famer on his way to Cooperstown for the induction ceremony this summer, but he should be thankful he patrolled left field in Fenway Park for his entire career, as the media could build up his nonexistent "skill" in playing the Monster. He was a butcher in left who could hit like no other player on the club, as were all Red Sox left fielders. End of story.

Baseball Hall of Fame: Rice in, Bert Blyleven not in

Where is the justice?

Blyleven is one of the most underrated starting pitchers in the history of the game, and deserves to get in. Here's a fine piece from SI.com about why the man should be in the Hall.

Jim Rice's Hall of Fame Chances

Today is the day that former Boston Red Sox slugger Jim Rice will hear if he is elected to the HOF in Cooperstown. It is likely that he will be elected in his final year of eligibility, along with sure fire lock Rickey Henderson.

But to me, and it pains me to say this, Jim Rice is not a Hall of Famer.

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I have been a Red Sox fan since 1975, when the young Sox lost the best World Series ever played to the Cincinnati Reds in seven games. Since that time I have lived and died with the team, enduring so many good times and quite a few bad ones. But Jim Rice, for all his fearsome slugging, was never someone I thought too highly of. He may have won one MVP award, in 1978, but he was noted for being a bad teammate and non-leader at at time when the Sox desperately needed a leader to help out Carlton Fisk, who unquestionably prior to his departure in 1980 for the Chicago White Sox, was the most important presence in the clubhouse. No, according to everything I read in the Boston media, Rice was content to put up good to great numbers each season and not do much else to help the club. He certainly was not a plus defender, and never a great baserunner, either.

The two lasting images of Rice I conjure up whenever I think of him are, first, on Yaz Day in 1983, when Yaz was pulled in the late innings to thunderous applause out of left field and Rice inserted in his place. A very nice memory of Rice that fits nicely along the touching tribute to Boston legend Carl Yastrzemski.

The second image is more lasting and more recent. In the middle of the so called "Morgan Magic" era in the late 1980's, Rice was pulled for a pinch hitter by manager Joe Morgan. Rice was offended and would up getting involved in a shoving match with Morgan out of camera range. This selfish act is what I recall more than anything. Rice was all about Rice, and cared little about the team or fans.

I have looked at the numbers and clearly even Rice's supporters know that he is in the low end of Hall of Fame caliber players. The fact that he was a selfish and arrogant guy during his time at Fenway pushes him out of the range of HOF type talent in my eyes.

This Weekend's NFL Games: Be Careful What You Wish For, G'ints Fans

I remember like it was yesterday: Plaxico Burress shot himself and became a national joke. Sports fans looked at New York lofty record and decided he would not be missed.

My thought at the time was: Be careful what you wish for.

The absence of Burress left the G'ints without a deep threat nor a red zone receiver who could out leap and out muscle defenders. And it would prove costly. Yesterday's loss to the hated Eagles ended New York's hopes of back to back Super Bowl wins and reinforces the notion that last season was just a bit of a fluke.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers are now the clear cut favorites to win what would be a record sixth Super Bowl. Big Ben Roethlisberger played well yesterday and the Steelers scored enough points to take the pressure off their defense, which is clearly the best in football.

Who has the second best defense? Only the team that Pittsburgh must beat next Sunday: the Baltimore Ravens. Yet picking rookie game manager Joe Flacco, despite his awe inspiring right arm, to beat Big Ben is not something I am prepared to do. Any thinking fan must look at the matchup and give the decided edge to the home standing Steelers. Expect a narrow but decisive win for Ben, James Harrison and the rest of the Pittsburgh team.

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Though the two best remaining teams come from out of the AFC, the biggest story is the rise of the heretofore deplorable Arizona Cardinals. Winning their first home playoff game in many decades last week, I don't expect too many of us thought the Cardinals had a fighting chance against the homestanding Carolina Panthers. But fight is what Arizona did, led by the incredible Larry Fitzgerald and an explosive offense. Dominating the game from start to finish, the Cardinals will now host the NFC Championship Game in their beautiful stadium. Good for them. I expect the Cardinals and the ultra talented offense to beat Philly and move on to their very first Super Bowl, where they will be the sacrificial lamb to the Steelers lion.

Big Things Brewin' at Wake and the 'Cuse

Two major surprises in at this halfway point in the college basketball season are undefeated Wake Forest of the Atlantic Coast Conference and Syracuse, once beaten member of the Big East. Both teams appear deep and extremely talented, and can be considered along with the usual candidates UCLA, UNC, Duke, and Pitt and several others to be serious candidates to cut down the nets at this year's Final Four in Detroit.

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Wake Forest tonight beat the supposed frontrunner for the NCAA title, North Carolina, in a terrificly entertaining game played at Lawrence Joel in Winston-Salem, NC, 92-89. If second year Head Coach Dino Gaudio had not taken the air out of Wake's attack with about four minutes to play, Wake probably would have won easily. Instead, the Tar Heels, largely behind the shooting of disappearing act Wayne Ellington, made a game of it, one that Wake had led throughout.

Lead guard Jeff Teague may be the best unknown player in the country. At about 6-5 and with terrific range on his jumper, Teague was able to penetrate at will, scoring a career high 31 points and looking like a first team All American. Teague completely outplayed the Tar Heels point man, Ty Lawson, which not only helps Teague's draft status but hurt Lawson's chances at being a first rounder.

Wake has plenty of size, depth, and scoring. And with a player as outstanding as Teague, they have the requisite star for a deep NCAA tourney run. Watch out for them.

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Syracuse, at 16-1 and with five double figure scorers, appears to have their best team since the 2003 National Champions. Which means that Head Coach Jim Boeheim will not go down as the latest casualty of Rollie Massimino Disease, an affliction which suffered by successful coaches who fall in love with themselves after winning their first and only national championship. (Fans of the college game will remember that Coach Mass never again led any quality teams in his coaching career following the miracle run of 1985.)

With Jonny Flynn serving as the catalyst and Paul Harris the heart and soul, Syracuse has talent aplenty, and looks to be both good enough and deep enough to make a long run come tournament time. Big man Arinze Onuaku is exactly the type of center every coach in the country wants: he plays hard, rebound and defends, and stays out of foul trouble. Shooters Devendorf and Rautins are nice players, as well, and the addition by subtraction of Dont'e Greene has played out nicely for this years Orange.

Having always been a 'Cuse fan, especially loving The Pearl and Derrick Coleman, I am glad to have the Orange back among the power elite of the college game. Good for them and good for us as fans.

Movie Pitch for "Pistol Pete Maravich"

This would be new type of sports movie, a bit of a musical / dramady showcasing the college years of famed NBA and LSU basketball player Pete Maravich, known far and wide as, simply, The Pistol.

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Anyone who has seen the YouTube videos of Pistol in his college days knows that this guy was a born showman. Anyone who watched him play back in the day knew they were seeing a historically significant figure in the sports world.

The fact that he lived a fascinating, and in the end tragic, existance only adds to the drama, though I believe the best story involves his college years. which were marked by wonderful entertainment but few victories. The wonderful written biography, "Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich", from Mark Kriegel, would seem to be rich territory for a Hollywood studio to mine.

If Jim Caviezel, fine actor and noted basketball player, had a son, he would be the appropriate age to play a college age Pistol. The young man's relationship with his authoritarian father and coach, Press, would be the subject matter of the film, but for my money, the great stuff (this is where the musical comes in) would be Pete's pre game and in game demonstrations of basketball flair. Just watch some of the videos here on YouTube.

Am I the only one who thinks that Pistol Pete Maravich would make a fascinating movie?

It would begin in a high school gym, somewhere in South Carolina, where the Pistol went to school. He was beloved by basketball aficianados, both white and black, for the sheer joy and self expression he played with. The intensity and stifling love showered on Pete by his father and mentor, Press, had yet to take a toll. Press was Head Coach at Clemson, a weak sister school in the ACC, but both dad and boy would move on to the Deep South and Louisiana State University. Pistol was a basketball legend before he ever played in college, and his pre game theatrics in the layup line and pre game passing drills would make an incredible visual. Though he never played on very good teams in college, Pete was the show, and I believe that a film devoted to his artistry, with additional meat thrown in via the dogged determination of his father to make Pete the best basketball player ever and in turn creating a shell of a man once Pete hit adulthood.

But the heart of the film would be music videos of the man doing his thing on the court. I think even non-sports fans would fall in love with the Pistol.

"Valkyrie" -- Terrific Entertainment!

The new Tom Cruise vehicle, "Valkyrie", long rumered to be a film in trouble, is absolutely terrific. Helmed by longtime stalwart director Bryan Singer, the movie has Cruise being Cruise, and a smartly plotted and well acted film does exactly what it intends to do: entertain the audience as well as inform them about a little known slice of World War II history.

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Running almost exactly two hours in length, "Valkyrie" is paced like a well formed thriller, with no shots being fired between the opening scene and some of the final. Instead, we get talented actors doing their uniform best to provide believable actions and motivations to historically accurate characters. Based on actual events, the movie tells the almost forgotten tale of a group of German officers and politicians determined to end Hitler's reign in the summer of 1944, fully one year prior to the actual end of combat in Europe.

One interesting point to be considered is whether history and the United States were better served by the failure of the plot versus its success. As the German resistance likely choice for Chancellor was an individual who, in the film at least, bears a striking resemblance to famed Red-baiter Senator Joseph McCarthy, is seems that director Singer feels that Germany would have fallen into the hands of Communist Russia had total victory not been achieved by the Allies the following year. Yes, it appears that despite Tom Cruise' best efforts, history shows that the failure of the attempt on Hitler's life via Operation Valkyrie was a blessing in disguise (and in the form of millions of addition deaths during the remainder of the war) for the Allies.

Nice try Tommy.

"Law and Order" -- The Best Drama on Television

NBC's "Law and Order" has been consistently good to great throughout its long run on NBC, and this year may be the show's highest quality yet.

This week's episode was fascinating, exploring the world of child slavery. Though I think the ending of the episode could have been handled differently, the episode was interesting and compassionate in its treatment of a serious and understudied issue.

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The cast has always been very good, and it's my belief that this season's crew may be the best yet.

"The Reader" -- A Miss Due To Poor Editing

If I had my druthers, a terrific first half love story featuring the enchanting Kate Winslet and newcomer David Kross would make up the bulk of this film, and the tasteless and dry second half would mostly be given the heave ho.

The Weinstein brothers, who exec-produced this mishmash, have long been known to be unafraid of taking a hacksaw to films they deem to be lacking. And a hacksaw is exactly what "The Reader" could use. Take out the last handful of scenes, and leave the viewer with the taste of Winslet's passing as the final statement to the viewer, and this one could have been very good.

What might have been a terrific and tender hearted coming of age love story between a bright, precocious boy of fifteen and a possible ex-war criminal female in post World War II Germany becomes weighted down with some ridiculous posturing by the seemingly ever tearful Ralph Fiennes (does the man ever laugh?). It is certainly a long time since his breakthrough role as the chillingly cold hearted Nazi commandant in Speilberg's now classic "Schindler's List." Why does Mr. Fiennes continue to play wimps and bores? I found the younger version of the man/boy much more engaging, before he became an adult blaming his sorry life on the lonely women who slept with him years before out of boredom and simple lust. The scenes with Fiennes character's daughter and the wealthy concentration camp survivor should have been exorcised altogether, as they go nowhere and are simply a waste of the viewers' time and energy.

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Reviews for this one have been generally mildly positive, a for the perfomance of Ms. Winslet alone, I recommend it.

Red Sox Signings

Love the Baldelli singing.

Not so much the Smoltz deal.

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Rocco came basically for free. He can make a couple of million through incentive clauses. The man, when healthy, can play and has always hit. He will be a good fourth or fifth outfielder, as the Sox believe his health problems do not preclude him from playing quite a bit this season.

As for John Smoltz, $5m is a lot of scratch for a guy who, at best, will be healthy near midseason. Smoltzie missed almost all of 2008 due to a shoulder injury and the subsequent major surgery. I feel like Theo is hedging his bets with the Penny and Smoltz singings, hoping one of the two comes through with a big year.

Me? I like Bowden and Masterson a lot. Both would make good fifth starters. These things have a way of working themselves out, and, hey, it ain't my money, so what's the worry?

We all want another World Series win for Boston, and singing talent helps in the pursuit of that goal. I just hope that spending a good chunk of available and limited resources on a 41 year old coming off season ending arm surgery does not prevent the Sox from getting what they really need: a catcher who can rake.

The catcher question remains problem number one to be fixed prior to next month's spring training debut for the 2009 Boston Red Sox.

VP Cheney adds to his "legacy" (snort)

Vice President for two more weeks Dick Cheney says "no one" saw the current financial crisis coming.

That is simply laughable. A bald faced lie by a bald headed lier.

The man truly has no shame and no soul. Plenty of financial experts knew that the financial crisis was coming as soon as the housing market hit a down cycle, as it inevitably does. How can the VP of the United States claim with any credibility otherwise?

The answer is: The man simply has no credibility. He lost that a long time ago.

For shame, Cheney. For shame.

Boston College Fires Football Coach

And the big question is: Did Coach Jags violate the terms of his contract or not?

We do not know that since his contract is public. Oftentimes, a contract for a college coach will include a provision stating that said coach must ask permission before interviewing for another job. It appears that whether or not there was such a provision in Jags contract, he clearly did NOT ask Athletic Director DeFelippo permission to interview with the New York Jets about their head coaching position.

I do not have a problem with the highly successful Coach Jags interviewing for a more prestigious and lucrative opportunity in the NFL. He is a guy who wants to move up the food chain.

What I do have a problem with is the BC Athletic Director firing the guy for wanting to do what is best for his own career and family. You know that the BC AD had the backing of the Boston College administration on this, or he would not have fired the guy. And DeFelippo better have a pretty good backup plan in place. It is an awful time to be firing a head coach, with recruiting season in full swing.

When all is said and done, BC football will be fine, as they always are. It has historically been the best football program in the Northeast, at least for the last three decades. I just hope they don't have to go through a dry spell for three or four years while they try and find the perfect coach. If that happens, then only Gene DeFelippo can be held responsible.

New York Times Op-Ed on How to Deal With...

...Senator (?) Burris of Illinois.

I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Dellinger. The Senate lacks the legal authority to deny the governor of Illinois his choice in filling the Senate seat.

As I have posted, I do not think that Governor Blagojevich will be found guilty of anything, as the Justice Department moved in and arrested him before he had actually committed any crimes, at least that can be proven. In addition, Governor Blagojevich has acted within his authority in appointing Mr. Burris to the Senate.

The US Senate should allow Mr. Burris in.

BC 85 - UNC 78 : Biggest Regular Season Win Ever For Eagles?

It does not get much bigger of better for fans of the Boston College Eagles basketball program...

...And we here in The 'Pent missed most of the last two minutes due to a technical glitch by New England Sports Network. Talk about incredibly bad timing by NESN.

But regardless of what we did or did not see on the television set here in Apartment 404, the BC Eagles may have just won themselves a spot in this week's national rankings with a 85 - 78 record and a win over top ranked and previously undefeated North Carolina.

Great games from both senior point guard Tyrese Rice with 25 points, who did not turn the ball over excessively and also hit some big free throws at the end, and junior forward Rakim Sanders with 7 rebounds and 22 points and who made what will be one of the most talked about plays of the entire college basketball season by blocking a breakaway by UNC guard Wayne Ellington deep into the second half that seemed to spark to BC to the win.

Al Skinner, coach of the Eagles is always underrated, as he rarely gets big name recruits and has a wonderful talent for getting the utmost out of his team's abilities each and every season. This year is no exception, and BC may knocking on the door of the ACC elite teams UNC, Duke, and Wake Forest with their 13-2 record.

Great win. Just wish we here in The 'Pent had seen the end of it.

Required Sunday Reading, As Always

By Frank Rich of the New York Times on the Bush legacy of self deception.

In the NFL Playoffs the Running Game is Paramount

Yesterday's pair of thrillers proved one thing that football fans should never forget: You have to run to win in the playoffs.

The Arizona Cardinals ran well in the decisive third quarter of their 30-24 victory over the favored Atlanta Falcons, and the upstart San Diego Chargers ran the ball effectively in their shocking 23-17 overtime win over the Indianapolis Colts and league MVP, quarterback Peyton Manning, in the nightcap.

As well as running the ball effectively, both victors stopped the other team's running game, especially at key moments in the games. For the Chargers, their dynamic mighty mite of an all around running back, Darren Sproles rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns, including the game winner in OT. Sproles wound up with 328 all purpose yards for the day. And for the Cardinals, forgotten former standout Edgarrin James had one of his best efforts in his time in the desert, rushing for 73 yards on 16 carries and coming through with several timely first down carries. James is but a shell of his former self, but can still have flashes of brilliance from time to time.

Defensively, the victorious Cardinals held Atlanta's Michael Turner so just 42 yards on 18 carries, a key element in their win as Turner's terrific season took much of the pressure off of poised rookie quarterback Matt Ryan. Yesterday was one of the few games that Ryan was called on to win basically by himself, and he came up short despite throwing for a pair of touchdowns. Atlanta has been balanced all season and yesterday, without getting the required yards from Turner, they had to hand the game to rookie Ryan, and paying for it with a season ending loss.

The Chargers defense held Indianapolis Joseph Addai to only 44 yards on 16 carries. Though the Colts rely less on their running game than have the Falcons, in the game yesterday they could get nothing going on the ground and were forced to have Manning throw the ball 42 times, with the result being a crushing overtime loss to their hated rivals, the Chargers.

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The lesson to be learned is that, though Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have won the last two NFL MVP awards, neither will end the season with a Super Bowl ring largely due to lack of balance on offense and an inability to stop their opponents running game when crunch time presents itself. And today's participants should well heed the lessons from yesterday's games: establishing and stopping the running game is the absolute key to playoff football.

Notre Dame: Fraudulent Team of the Young College Basketball Season

Losing to a simply terrible St. John's team this afternoon on the road clinches it for me: Notre Dame, which was ranked in the top ten in all polls this week, is the biggest fraud on the national collegiate scene.

They are a bunch of unathletic jump shooters who rely on two men for most of their offense, McAlarney and Harangody. Both are good college players but neither are stars and neither is an NBA player, which is crucial to have if a team wants to make a long postseason run come March Madness.

I have a feeling that today's loss is the first of many for an overrated Irish squad. Wouldn't be surprised if they went close to .500 in Big East play this season.

Buying Books: Give Me Amazon Or Give Me Death

How did we, the nation's great mass of bookbuyers, survive before Amazon.com came along?

I had the opportunity this afternoon to go into a large local bookselling chain and browse. Not because I wanted to but because I had purchased a book online and needed to exchange it. Instead of paying to ship it back to the seller, I decided to take the time to actually walk into a bookstore, something I do very little of in the age of the computer. And it brought back quite a few memories, most of them bad.

Unruly crowds of post-holiday shoppers, store clerks with blank stares on their faces trying to help too many customers at a time, and bookshelves that were a huge mess. It seems that holiday time greatly depletes the shelves of a bookstore, as I found a lot of older titles and very few of the new ones I coveted, as well as many titles in the wrong section or in disrepair. Kind of an unsettling experience overall.

The ease of Amazon is matched only by its cheapness. Books can be found for, usually, one third lower price than in a bookstore. Today, I was forced to pay full price for the only title in the entire store I thought I wanted. Not fun.

For this book lover, waiting a week to get a book if fine, since it's so much cheaper to buy from Amazon, as well as easier to look through their many hundreds of thousands of titles.

Me, I'll take Amazon.com every time over the big box chain bookstores.

The Importance of Rest

My alma mater, Miami University located in Oxford,Ohio, on Tuesday hired a new head football coach, Mike Haywood. Miami has a wonderful tradition of winning in its football program and there are high hopes that the ex-Notre Dame offensive coordinator can return the school to its usual lofty perch atop the Mid American Conference standings.

Miami is known as "The Cradle of Coaches" because the school has produced so many historically famous head coaches, such as Woody Hayes, Ara Parseghian, Bo Schembechler, John Pont, John Harbaugh and many others. Hopefully the inexperienced Haywood will build on this tradition, though it seems unusual that the school's athletic director, Brad Bates, would hire someone with absolutely no ties to the Oxford campus with so many other names to choose from.

In his initial press conference Haywood seemed a bit stiff, reserved, and humorless. To tell you the truth, I am not excited, as word got out that Coach Haywood had his play calling duties taken away during the past season by Notre Dame Head Coach Charlie Weis. That cannot be an endorsement of his abilities, though I do recall New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton having his play calling duties rescinded in his last coordinator job in the NFL, and Payton has been very successful with the Saints.

The one comment by Coach Haywood that struck me the most during his introduction was his claim that he had been getting four hours of sleep in recent weeks preparing for both Notre Dame's bowl game in Hawaii and taking over the Miami program. Four hours of sleep does not seem like very much, and I have two thoughts on this.

The first is that if four hours of sleep is all a person needs in order to be rested and alert, then good for them. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Jon Gruden is among a small percentage of folks who only require a few hours of bedtime a night. I recall a story in Sports Illustrated a few years back noting that as a young man, Gruden's parents brought him to doctors and specialists in an attempt to find out why the young man was only resting three or four hours each night. Some people apparently can get enough rest in this short amount of time that they can wake up refreshed and alert, as one is supposed to be in the morning.

But if this is the case with Coach Haywood, why did he seem to brag about his recent lack of sleep? His comment about getting only four hours seemed to be a bit of a boast about how hard he was working. In my view this is not leadership but sadism. Any human needs the proper amount of sleep to be alert and awake the following day. If Coach Haywood was similar to Coach Gruden, they why did he seem to brag about working so hard? If he always gets four hours a night, then why made it sound like this was an exception and not the rule. If Coach Haywood normally sleeps four hours, then he would not have made the comment at the press conference.

The reason I am concerned about this is that getting the proper amount of rest, exercise, food, and relaxation is vital if a human being is to perform at peak levels. Coach Bob Stoops well knows this, as his staff at the University of Oklahoma, currently in preparations for the national championship game versus the University of Florida next week, is known for working shorter hours than most programs and allowing his staff benefits such as Family Days, where assistants and Coach Stoops bring in their loved ones to the football offices for picnics and the like. A great idea by Coach Stoops, and I wish more programs were as forward thinking as Oklahoma as their success speaks for itself.

Another example of a leader who stressed receiving the proper amount of rest in order to be at his decision making best is General George Marshall, who was in charge of the United States military during World War II. General Marshall took daily walks and horserides, all in the hopes that when he had to make a tough call, his senses would be at their most alert and that his mind would be fresh. Sound strategy for any leader, including Miami Head Coach Mike Haywood.

No, bragging about getting only four hours of sleep per night in your first day on the job seems ridiculous. When the season starts, is Coach Haywood going to get one or two hours a night and walk around like a zombie the next day? Is this how he reacts to the pressure and stress of becoming a head coach, by not maintaining his personal health? If so, we Miami alums are in for more losing seasons ahead.