Take a little old school media, mix it up with some new school technology and watch it take off into the blogosphere.
Everybody has their own take on the sports world. But, few have the perspective of more than 40 years of following sports like the bible and another 30 years of insight into the world of sports television.
I propose to you this hybrid view of sports that few can offer. Its an uncensored no holds bar opinion on the athletes who play the game, the media that covers the game and the fans who root for the game.
As sports has changed from a game to a business, someone needs to keep things in perspective. This blog will not only provide the checks and balances needed but offer solutions to problems that arise.
PROMOTIONAL RELEASE
Not a blog for the sports purists. "The Voice From The Couch" looks inside the games people play and will make you laugh, cry or want to throw something at your computer screen.
Tired of sports TV becoming one endless promo after another ? Wonder when the high cost of player salaries will hit the ceiling ? Fed up with leagues, corporations and networks controlling your teams?
Its time you had a voice. And "The Voice From The Couch" will be that voice. Each blog will look at what's wrong or what's right with sports. Is there something you've observed or want to get off your chest and you don't have an outlet to vent ? Let "The Voice From The Couch" vent for you.
Its time for the fans to take control back of the games we love. Let "The Voice From The Couch" be your voice from the couch.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Elevator Pitch #1
"What Makes Something Funny? "
Humor is such an important part of our lives. It can relieve stress and make coping with adversity a little easier. But, why do we laugh at certain things? What makes something funny to one person and not funny to another ?
It is important to explore the genesis of humor and I'm proposing we do it from a unique and ethnic angle. Jewish humor has been the cornerstone for most of the media we have been exposed to for the last century. Names like Milton Berle, Groucho Marx, Woody Allen, Mel Brooks, Jerry Seinfeld and Adam Sandler have been among the most influential writers, directors and performers in Hollywood and on the TV screen.
My idea is to explore this brand of humor at all age levels. Will a group of Jewish senior citizens share the same ethnic funny bone as a young group of Yeshiva students ? Why is humor, specifically Jewish humor, important as a therapeutic source of coping ? And how has ethnicity shaped some of the great comic minds of our time ?
I hope to find the answers in heart warming reflections from those who have laughed and cried over the years in a must see documentary.
PROMOTIONAL RELEASE
JMS Communications announces it has begun production on a new documentary entitled, "Oy Vey: What Makes Being Jewish so Funny?"
The video will be produced in conjunction with a web site (TBA) that will allow viewers to interactively view samples of all interviews and vignettes.
The documentary will focus on various ways Jewish humor assimilates itself into our everyday life. One aspect of the film will focus on the Catskill Mountains, long considered the birthplace of Jewish humor, where young and established Jewish comedians perfected their craft in front of a mostly Jewish audience.
We will follow a noted Jewish motivational speaker who will share her insights into how humor has become a therapeutic tool in coping and relieving stress and anxiety.
The film reflects upon the life of a former vaudeville comedian who would later become a successful CEO of a large corporation.
And looks back on the career of a noted Jewish comedian and how they used their ethnicity to further their career.
This film is scheduled for release on or about May 2011.
Humor is such an important part of our lives. It can relieve stress and make coping with adversity a little easier. But, why do we laugh at certain things? What makes something funny to one person and not funny to another ?
It is important to explore the genesis of humor and I'm proposing we do it from a unique and ethnic angle. Jewish humor has been the cornerstone for most of the media we have been exposed to for the last century. Names like Milton Berle, Groucho Marx, Woody Allen, Mel Brooks, Jerry Seinfeld and Adam Sandler have been among the most influential writers, directors and performers in Hollywood and on the TV screen.
My idea is to explore this brand of humor at all age levels. Will a group of Jewish senior citizens share the same ethnic funny bone as a young group of Yeshiva students ? Why is humor, specifically Jewish humor, important as a therapeutic source of coping ? And how has ethnicity shaped some of the great comic minds of our time ?
I hope to find the answers in heart warming reflections from those who have laughed and cried over the years in a must see documentary.
PROMOTIONAL RELEASE
JMS Communications announces it has begun production on a new documentary entitled, "Oy Vey: What Makes Being Jewish so Funny?"
The video will be produced in conjunction with a web site (TBA) that will allow viewers to interactively view samples of all interviews and vignettes.
The documentary will focus on various ways Jewish humor assimilates itself into our everyday life. One aspect of the film will focus on the Catskill Mountains, long considered the birthplace of Jewish humor, where young and established Jewish comedians perfected their craft in front of a mostly Jewish audience.
We will follow a noted Jewish motivational speaker who will share her insights into how humor has become a therapeutic tool in coping and relieving stress and anxiety.
The film reflects upon the life of a former vaudeville comedian who would later become a successful CEO of a large corporation.
And looks back on the career of a noted Jewish comedian and how they used their ethnicity to further their career.
This film is scheduled for release on or about May 2011.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Tale of Two Bosses
If Charles Dickens was alive today and writing George Steinbrenner's obit, he might describe him as, "He was the best of owners, he was the worst of owners." Before Bruce Springsteen became "The Boss", George Steinbrenner was "The Boss".
It was almost by accident that Steinbrenner got the opportunity to purchase the Yankees in 1973. Two years before, he was part of a group that was on the verge of buying the Cleveland Indians, Steinbrenner's home town team. That deal fell apart when Indians owner Vernon Stouffer, allegedly feeling the effects of a drinking lunch decided minutes before the scheduled press conference that the $8.6 million dollar sale price was too low.
As hard as it is to believe now, when Steinbrenner purchased the Yankees from CBS in 1972 for $10 million dollars, New York was a National League city. The Miracle Mets had won the World Series in 1969 and made another miraculous run to the Series in 1973.
Steinbrenner learned early on that the best way to take back the city was to take control of the tabloid newspapers. He used the front and back pages of the Daily News and the New York Post to put attention on himself and the Yankees. Think about how owners today utilize the media to gain attention. Mark Cuban, Jerry Jones, Dan Snyder, the Maloof Brothers are all part of the Steinbrenner legacy.
Not only did he bring attention to the team but he wasn't afraid to put his money where his mouth was. Besides turning the Yankees from a $10 million dollar investment into a $1.6 billion dollar dynasty, Steinbrenner should be given a plaque from the MLB Players Assosciation. His signings of free agent pitcher Jim "Catfish" Hunter and outfielder Reggie Jackson signified the beginnings of baseball's million dollar salaries. When both players helped lead the Yankees to World Series victories in 1977 and 1978, George's spending sprees would continue. But, names like Dave Winfield, Rickey Henderson, Steve Sax and Ed Whitson proved that all the money in the world could not just buy a championship.
And Steinbrenner was making enemies as well as friends. He had broken promises made to former Yankees President Mike Burke and General Manager Gabe Paul, both of whom were forced to leave the organization. His fingerprints were all over every aspect of the team. Before every home game,he used to inspect the bathrooms at Yankee Stadium to make sure they were up to his standards. He would fire any worker who did not live up to his expectations. He would drive Public Relation Directors crazy. I used to work with Marty Appel, George's first Yankees P.R. Director. Appel would tell stories about phone calls in the middle of the night and all sorts of crazy requests and demands coming down from The Boss. I used to laugh at his stories, but, he was quick to say, "It wasn't funny at the time. I was in constant fear of losing my job or losing my health." Appel was the first of the group. More were to follow. One got fired for screwing up lunch and another was let go for being on vacation over Christmas when a big free agent was signed. Add to that 13 General Managers and 22 Managerial changes over a 37 year span.
This was the face of George that the baseball world saw from 1973-2005. The impulsive, intimidating and controlling boss. The one who when he was suspended from baseball in 1990 was the constant target of jeers and taunts from the Yankee faithful in the Bronx. The one who while he was in baseball exile was forced to allow Gene Michaels and Buck Showalter to try to restore the Pinstripe Tradition.
Without the Boss strong arming them, Michaels and Showalter drafted the likes of Mariano Rivera, Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte and a shortstop named Derek Jeter. These five players would become the core of the team we know today. A team that was won 5 World Championships since 1996. A team that once Steinbrenner returned to baseball took full advantage of the new technology and wiser free agent signings to become a dynasty.
For it was in his later years that a more benevolent side of Steinbrenner began to appear. We are all seeing the stories about how Steinbrenner paid for fired employees kids to go to college. He was there for Darryl Strawberry when he was diagnosed with cancer. This is the other side of Steinbrenner that attempts to balance out his contemptuous side.
In the past week, we have witnessed nothing but an outpouring of love for the man. An entire generation of Yankee fans never really knew the real Boss. It was interesting to hear at Saturday's Old Timers Game the difference of expression from the Yankees of the 70's and 80's and the Yankees of today.
But, one thing should not be lost. Whether a Yankee fan or a Yankee hater. George Steinbrenner was the kind of owner you wanted to own your team. He loved his team but he loved to win even more. He would do whatever was possible at whatever the cost to win. Think about the men or organizations that own your favorite team. Can any of them make that same claim ?
It was almost by accident that Steinbrenner got the opportunity to purchase the Yankees in 1973. Two years before, he was part of a group that was on the verge of buying the Cleveland Indians, Steinbrenner's home town team. That deal fell apart when Indians owner Vernon Stouffer, allegedly feeling the effects of a drinking lunch decided minutes before the scheduled press conference that the $8.6 million dollar sale price was too low.
As hard as it is to believe now, when Steinbrenner purchased the Yankees from CBS in 1972 for $10 million dollars, New York was a National League city. The Miracle Mets had won the World Series in 1969 and made another miraculous run to the Series in 1973.
Steinbrenner learned early on that the best way to take back the city was to take control of the tabloid newspapers. He used the front and back pages of the Daily News and the New York Post to put attention on himself and the Yankees. Think about how owners today utilize the media to gain attention. Mark Cuban, Jerry Jones, Dan Snyder, the Maloof Brothers are all part of the Steinbrenner legacy.
Not only did he bring attention to the team but he wasn't afraid to put his money where his mouth was. Besides turning the Yankees from a $10 million dollar investment into a $1.6 billion dollar dynasty, Steinbrenner should be given a plaque from the MLB Players Assosciation. His signings of free agent pitcher Jim "Catfish" Hunter and outfielder Reggie Jackson signified the beginnings of baseball's million dollar salaries. When both players helped lead the Yankees to World Series victories in 1977 and 1978, George's spending sprees would continue. But, names like Dave Winfield, Rickey Henderson, Steve Sax and Ed Whitson proved that all the money in the world could not just buy a championship.
And Steinbrenner was making enemies as well as friends. He had broken promises made to former Yankees President Mike Burke and General Manager Gabe Paul, both of whom were forced to leave the organization. His fingerprints were all over every aspect of the team. Before every home game,he used to inspect the bathrooms at Yankee Stadium to make sure they were up to his standards. He would fire any worker who did not live up to his expectations. He would drive Public Relation Directors crazy. I used to work with Marty Appel, George's first Yankees P.R. Director. Appel would tell stories about phone calls in the middle of the night and all sorts of crazy requests and demands coming down from The Boss. I used to laugh at his stories, but, he was quick to say, "It wasn't funny at the time. I was in constant fear of losing my job or losing my health." Appel was the first of the group. More were to follow. One got fired for screwing up lunch and another was let go for being on vacation over Christmas when a big free agent was signed. Add to that 13 General Managers and 22 Managerial changes over a 37 year span.
This was the face of George that the baseball world saw from 1973-2005. The impulsive, intimidating and controlling boss. The one who when he was suspended from baseball in 1990 was the constant target of jeers and taunts from the Yankee faithful in the Bronx. The one who while he was in baseball exile was forced to allow Gene Michaels and Buck Showalter to try to restore the Pinstripe Tradition.
Without the Boss strong arming them, Michaels and Showalter drafted the likes of Mariano Rivera, Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte and a shortstop named Derek Jeter. These five players would become the core of the team we know today. A team that was won 5 World Championships since 1996. A team that once Steinbrenner returned to baseball took full advantage of the new technology and wiser free agent signings to become a dynasty.
For it was in his later years that a more benevolent side of Steinbrenner began to appear. We are all seeing the stories about how Steinbrenner paid for fired employees kids to go to college. He was there for Darryl Strawberry when he was diagnosed with cancer. This is the other side of Steinbrenner that attempts to balance out his contemptuous side.
In the past week, we have witnessed nothing but an outpouring of love for the man. An entire generation of Yankee fans never really knew the real Boss. It was interesting to hear at Saturday's Old Timers Game the difference of expression from the Yankees of the 70's and 80's and the Yankees of today.
But, one thing should not be lost. Whether a Yankee fan or a Yankee hater. George Steinbrenner was the kind of owner you wanted to own your team. He loved his team but he loved to win even more. He would do whatever was possible at whatever the cost to win. Think about the men or organizations that own your favorite team. Can any of them make that same claim ?
Monday, July 12, 2010
Welcome Back Carlos
Thursday night when the New York Mets open up the second half of their season in San Francisco a familiar face will be patrolling center field. Carlos Beltran, arguably one of the games best players
will make his season debut following knee surgery.
Beltran's return while good news for the team will result in a lot of re-shuffling for the Mets outfield. The current center fielder, Angel Pagan, was probably the teams best player in the first half of the season. He has the highest batting average on the team, hitting .315.
So the problem seems to be how to find time for both Beltran and Pagan and figure out who to sit between the other two outfielders. Left fielder Jason Bay and right fielder Jeff Francoeur have struggled throughout the first half. Last year Bay was an All-Star belting 36 home runs for the Red Sox. Bay homered every 15 times at bat and earned an 18 million dollar a season free agent contract with the Mets. So far this season, Bay has 6 home runs, hitting two in one game, twice. He has homered every 52 times at bat. He has been a major disappointment and has heard more than his share of boos from the Mets faithful.
Jeff Francoeur, is batting a paltry .253 and after starting the season red hot, he has just 3 home runs since June 1st. What Francoeur does have is a cannon for a right arm and has thrown out 8 runners on the bases. He is also a very popular player in the clubhouse.
So which outfielder will lose the playing time ? At first, it appears to be Francoeur. It seems that he and Pagan will platoon in right to start things off. Beltran will need rest coming off of surgery, so he won't play every day getting one or two days off each week. Bay will need to start hitting if he wants to play. It would be tough to sit down a player making 18 million dollars but Bay was benched for his own bobblehead doll day on Sunday.
Carlos Beltran will be a welcome addition to the team but there are three other players who will need to produce to get their playing time.
will make his season debut following knee surgery.
Beltran's return while good news for the team will result in a lot of re-shuffling for the Mets outfield. The current center fielder, Angel Pagan, was probably the teams best player in the first half of the season. He has the highest batting average on the team, hitting .315.
So the problem seems to be how to find time for both Beltran and Pagan and figure out who to sit between the other two outfielders. Left fielder Jason Bay and right fielder Jeff Francoeur have struggled throughout the first half. Last year Bay was an All-Star belting 36 home runs for the Red Sox. Bay homered every 15 times at bat and earned an 18 million dollar a season free agent contract with the Mets. So far this season, Bay has 6 home runs, hitting two in one game, twice. He has homered every 52 times at bat. He has been a major disappointment and has heard more than his share of boos from the Mets faithful.
Jeff Francoeur, is batting a paltry .253 and after starting the season red hot, he has just 3 home runs since June 1st. What Francoeur does have is a cannon for a right arm and has thrown out 8 runners on the bases. He is also a very popular player in the clubhouse.
So which outfielder will lose the playing time ? At first, it appears to be Francoeur. It seems that he and Pagan will platoon in right to start things off. Beltran will need rest coming off of surgery, so he won't play every day getting one or two days off each week. Bay will need to start hitting if he wants to play. It would be tough to sit down a player making 18 million dollars but Bay was benched for his own bobblehead doll day on Sunday.
Carlos Beltran will be a welcome addition to the team but there are three other players who will need to produce to get their playing time.
Midterm Proposal
I guess the original premise for what I wanted to write about centered around my Capstone documentary on Jewish humor. While my original plan was to keep things light and humorous, my research has taken me to a different level and has given me pause for thought. In our Devils Advocate lesson we were taught to question things from another point of view and I think that is what I am proposing to do for my final writing assignment.
I want to propose a paper on the appropriateness of humor, specifically ethnic humor. Is it OK for a Jewish person to tell a Jewish joke? Is it the same thing as an African-American using the "N" word? We all know how inappropriate it is for a non-Jew or a white person to go in this direction.
I saw that in April, National Security adviser James Jones decided to open his remarks at the 25th Anniversary Gala of the Washington Institute for Near Mid-East Policy with a joke.
I want to propose a paper on the appropriateness of humor, specifically ethnic humor. Is it OK for a Jewish person to tell a Jewish joke? Is it the same thing as an African-American using the "N" word? We all know how inappropriate it is for a non-Jew or a white person to go in this direction.
I saw that in April, National Security adviser James Jones decided to open his remarks at the 25th Anniversary Gala of the Washington Institute for Near Mid-East Policy with a joke.
A Taliban militant gets lost and is wandering around the desert looking for water. He finally arrives at a store run by a Jew and asks for water.
The Jewish vendor tells him he doesn't have any water but can gladly sell him a tie. The Taliban begins to curse and yell at the Jewish store owner. The Jew, unmoved, offers the rude militant an idea: Beyond the hill, there is a restaurant; they can sell you water.
The Taliban keeps cursing and finally leaves toward the hill. An hour later he's back at the tie store. He walks in and tells the merchant: "Your brother tells me I need a tie to get into the restaurant."
So is this joke offensive or inappropriate ? There are different strokes for different folks but it did get me to thinking how humor is used and when it used are subjects that may be worth looking into.
While comedians such as Don Rickles , Chris Rock and George Lopez have all integrated their routines with ethnic humor, what would Dane Cook sound like doing Chris Rock's act ? We only have to look at Michael Richard's on You Tube to understand how that would go over. What would it sound like for Denis Leary to do Woody Allen's act or Sarah Silverman doing George Lopez?
I see it amongst my friends. We will sit around at a wedding or at an event and try to figure out who is Jewish and who is not. That same conversation taking place amongst a group of non-Jews might have a completely different connotation. That leads to another question worth exploring, is ethnic humor a defense mechanism against antisemitism. It's almost as if you are saying, "you can't hurt me with words because I have already said it."
I know I have been writing a lot about sports in my blogs, it's part of my niche but not the sole voice I am attempting to put out there. It's my passion and it's what I know so I am comfortable writing about it. Now it is time to take that passion into a new direction and do something that may force me to stretch a bit.
The one constant I have tried to maintain throughout this process has been to tell a story. Whether its a sarcastic look at the U.S. approach to soccer, a memorable experience at an outdoor concert or a look into my fascination with Jewish humor, I have always tried to weave into story form. Even my rants on the Knicks and Isiah Thomas have been attempts at story telling.
I think this unexpected turn in my research will provide me an opportunity for some very poignant and possibly humorous story-telling. I will plan on interviewing rabbis, writers and others about the proper usages of humor. By getting their unique take on the discussion, I hope to be able to construct an essay on the "Appropriateness of Humor".
The Wrong Man For The Wrong Job
Lebronamania has come and gone and like the vuvuzela horns of the World Cup it has left a sour note on our senses.
New Yorkers have had to come to grips with the fact that Lebron would prefer eating crabs at Joe's Stone Crabs than steak at Peter Luger's.....
He would rather hit the surf than hail a cab.......
And he was more willing to party on South Beach than the neon lights on Broadway.
As a 24 year-old NBA superstar he earned that right. In last weeks post, I talked about how important a talent like Lebron James could be for the future of the New York Knicks franchise. Well, it didn't happen. There's no sour gripes here, really. In that aforementioned blog, I also chronicled the demise of this one proud franchise and the uphill climb it faced toward righting itself.
It was just three weeks ago, after once again being denied a lottery pick in the NBA draft because of a bad trade, the Knicks had rid themselves of the last piece of destruction known as the Isiah Thomas era. The franchise and its fans looked to the free agent signing period with hope that change was coming.
The signing of free agent Amar'e Stoudemire signaled the Knicks were ready to get back into the game and the next piece of that puzzle would be to get Lebron James. New York had two meetings with Lebron and his people and as the clock slowly ticked toward Decision Day, the Knicks decided one more face-t0-face would be necessary.
The Knick brass huddled together to think who best to act as its emissary to right the ship of the fallen franchise. Should it be General Manager Donnie Walsh ? Coach Mike DiAntoni ? Super fan Spike Lee ? You can just picture Knicks owner James Dolan, hand in chin rubbing his beard, thinking, thinking. Then, all of a sudden a light bulb pops up over his head. Lets send Isiah !!
You could almost hear the jaws dropping onto the table. Abbott has picked Costello, McCain has picked Palin and Dolan has picked Thomas. So Isiah gets on the planes and flies to Akron to meet with one of Lebron's representatives. You can only imagine how that conversation might have gone down.
Isiah says,"Draft picks, we don't need draft picks, Lebron can tell us to trade for any player in the league, injured or not....."
"Lebron can bring in any relative he wants to work in our corporate offices and if he gets in any trouble, Dolan will pay all his legal fees..."
"And if the Knick fans run him out of the Garden, he can always come back a few years later as a team recruiter."
What a sales pitch ? You think Lebron's people stopped laughing long enough to even listen to it? Isiah Thomas is the antithesis of King Midas, everything Isiah touches, turns to ----, you figure it out !!
So Knick fans don't feel bad that Lebron is not coming to New York. I'm sure it was tough turning down the offer after Isiah Thomas himself presented it. Maybe Lebron knows the same thing the fans have known for years but are unable to do anything about. The fact that Isiah is still allowed to exert any kind of authority with the franchise he has embarrassed and destroyed is as much about the owner enabling him as it is on him.
Every time I think the Wilpons are about to become the worst ownership group in New York, Jim Dolan comes along to show us why, when it comes to incompetence there is no one in the city his equal.
New Yorkers have had to come to grips with the fact that Lebron would prefer eating crabs at Joe's Stone Crabs than steak at Peter Luger's.....
He would rather hit the surf than hail a cab.......
And he was more willing to party on South Beach than the neon lights on Broadway.
As a 24 year-old NBA superstar he earned that right. In last weeks post, I talked about how important a talent like Lebron James could be for the future of the New York Knicks franchise. Well, it didn't happen. There's no sour gripes here, really. In that aforementioned blog, I also chronicled the demise of this one proud franchise and the uphill climb it faced toward righting itself.
It was just three weeks ago, after once again being denied a lottery pick in the NBA draft because of a bad trade, the Knicks had rid themselves of the last piece of destruction known as the Isiah Thomas era. The franchise and its fans looked to the free agent signing period with hope that change was coming.
The signing of free agent Amar'e Stoudemire signaled the Knicks were ready to get back into the game and the next piece of that puzzle would be to get Lebron James. New York had two meetings with Lebron and his people and as the clock slowly ticked toward Decision Day, the Knicks decided one more face-t0-face would be necessary.
The Knick brass huddled together to think who best to act as its emissary to right the ship of the fallen franchise. Should it be General Manager Donnie Walsh ? Coach Mike DiAntoni ? Super fan Spike Lee ? You can just picture Knicks owner James Dolan, hand in chin rubbing his beard, thinking, thinking. Then, all of a sudden a light bulb pops up over his head. Lets send Isiah !!
You could almost hear the jaws dropping onto the table. Abbott has picked Costello, McCain has picked Palin and Dolan has picked Thomas. So Isiah gets on the planes and flies to Akron to meet with one of Lebron's representatives. You can only imagine how that conversation might have gone down.
Isiah says,"Draft picks, we don't need draft picks, Lebron can tell us to trade for any player in the league, injured or not....."
"Lebron can bring in any relative he wants to work in our corporate offices and if he gets in any trouble, Dolan will pay all his legal fees..."
"And if the Knick fans run him out of the Garden, he can always come back a few years later as a team recruiter."
What a sales pitch ? You think Lebron's people stopped laughing long enough to even listen to it? Isiah Thomas is the antithesis of King Midas, everything Isiah touches, turns to ----, you figure it out !!
So Knick fans don't feel bad that Lebron is not coming to New York. I'm sure it was tough turning down the offer after Isiah Thomas himself presented it. Maybe Lebron knows the same thing the fans have known for years but are unable to do anything about. The fact that Isiah is still allowed to exert any kind of authority with the franchise he has embarrassed and destroyed is as much about the owner enabling him as it is on him.
Every time I think the Wilpons are about to become the worst ownership group in New York, Jim Dolan comes along to show us why, when it comes to incompetence there is no one in the city his equal.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
All Mashed-Up
As I was reading this weeks lecture about research, I was curious about Professor Kalm's use of the word mash-up. My only exposure to that expression before this lecture was earlier this year on an episode of "Glee" they did mash-ups of different song genres. They did a mix song of "Young Girl" by Gary Puckett with the Police's "Don't Stand So Close To Me". I did a Google search which produced the musical definition I was familiar with, a web application that combines data from two sources and produces new information, and a marketing strategy. No where was the term used to describe Adrienne's attributes like the Professor did.
So I find myself trying hard not to be the old fuddy duddy, not understanding this new tecno-babble, but, I am a bit lost. Are we saying, that a person, with varying interests, captain of the equestrian team and a drug researcher is considered a mash-up of who they are as a person ? I just don't understand how her love for animals makes her a contradiction ? Is it because she doesn't take it to extremes like a PETA member that makes it a contradiction ?
If I am a sports fanatic, what is the mash-up for me ? If this is a key element in my finding my voice, maybe my confusion is part of the reason I haven't found it yet. If I am the only one confused here, I apologize for not getting it. Curious to hear other interpretations.
So I find myself trying hard not to be the old fuddy duddy, not understanding this new tecno-babble, but, I am a bit lost. Are we saying, that a person, with varying interests, captain of the equestrian team and a drug researcher is considered a mash-up of who they are as a person ? I just don't understand how her love for animals makes her a contradiction ? Is it because she doesn't take it to extremes like a PETA member that makes it a contradiction ?
If I am a sports fanatic, what is the mash-up for me ? If this is a key element in my finding my voice, maybe my confusion is part of the reason I haven't found it yet. If I am the only one confused here, I apologize for not getting it. Curious to hear other interpretations.
The Outdoor Concert
I had to search way back in my memory banks for the last time I was there. It was the summer of 1968. I was a camper at a sleep away camp in the Berkshire Mountains. I remember how I used to love to go to camp. The bus trip up the New York State Thruway and how quickly the concrete and metal buildings turned into beautiful green mountains and a serenity not always felt in the hustle and bustle of the city. Besides the days filled with playing sports and the nights filled with planning raids to the girls side, the camp would once a week take us on a field trip. On this particular night, I was going to see my very first rock concert at a place called Tanglewood. It is hard to say how into music I was back then. The Beatles were still huge and I remember being a big fan of WABC-AM which back then played Top 40 tunes like the Beach Boys, Supremes and Stones. It was the station that gave us Cousin Brucie, Dan Ingram and Ron Lundy. We all boarded the bus for the 30 minute drive into Lenox Massachusetts. Of the little things I do remember from the night, was how loud the music was and how great the light show was. I later learned that it was the Joshua Light Show,made famous at the Fillmore East and Fillmore West, one of the very first rock concert clubs in New York and San Francisco. The first performer was Richie Havens, followed by the Guess Who, Arlo Guthrie, BB King, and Jefferson Airplane.
The memory of that pre-Woodstock rock fest was fresh on my mind as I re-entered the grounds of Tanglewood this past July 4th to hear James Taylor and Carole King. I say hear, because I knew we would be sitting out on the lawn. I had seen the show a few weeks earlier at Mohegan Sun so I knew this experience would be a different one. We were there with a group of college friends, a Big Chill weekend with people we have known for more than 30 years. There were 8 divorces between the group and coincidentally each person only had one kid. My wife and I are the lynch-pins of this group since ours is the only marriage to last.
There must be a member of my wife's family I never met who was a chef in the military, because my wife always cooks enough for a small army. There were only eight of us, but as we unloaded our coolers filled with food the look on our friends faces turned from amazement to amusement. Four appetizers made their way to our blanket not including the cheese and crackers provided by someone else. Five bottles of wine, which wasn't enough, met up with a bottle of Patron and we proceeded to re-enact a scene out of the movie "Tom Jones". The main courses were equally extravagant as seared tuna, skirt steak and sliced turkey made the rounds from person to person. Finally, as if a boxing match was about to break out, bells filled the lawn signaling 15 minutes until the concert would begin.
Sure enough, 15 minutes later, the sounds of "Home to Carolina" could be heard followed by "So Far Away". Since you could not see the stage or the TV screens from where we were sitting, it was fun to just people watch and have conversation. The cute 6 year-old in the white dress sitting with her family singing and dancing to every song was a hit. But, to me, it was the reflections back to another time and the memories jarred from another song. "It's Too Late" reminded me of a summer job I had in 1970 as a counselor at a day camp in Queens. "Shower the People" jogged a memory of a personal training called "Lifespring" I did with many of the people I was at the concert with. And of course, "You've Got A Friend", hearing the entire crowd singing every word and individuals swaying together as one.
It was such a wonderful experience that the 15 mile return trip that turned into a 25 mile one hour journey thanks to local cops closing off roads and making two way streets one way, couldn't slow down the festivities. It was a night to remember and think about the memories shared with good friends.
The memory of that pre-Woodstock rock fest was fresh on my mind as I re-entered the grounds of Tanglewood this past July 4th to hear James Taylor and Carole King. I say hear, because I knew we would be sitting out on the lawn. I had seen the show a few weeks earlier at Mohegan Sun so I knew this experience would be a different one. We were there with a group of college friends, a Big Chill weekend with people we have known for more than 30 years. There were 8 divorces between the group and coincidentally each person only had one kid. My wife and I are the lynch-pins of this group since ours is the only marriage to last.
There must be a member of my wife's family I never met who was a chef in the military, because my wife always cooks enough for a small army. There were only eight of us, but as we unloaded our coolers filled with food the look on our friends faces turned from amazement to amusement. Four appetizers made their way to our blanket not including the cheese and crackers provided by someone else. Five bottles of wine, which wasn't enough, met up with a bottle of Patron and we proceeded to re-enact a scene out of the movie "Tom Jones". The main courses were equally extravagant as seared tuna, skirt steak and sliced turkey made the rounds from person to person. Finally, as if a boxing match was about to break out, bells filled the lawn signaling 15 minutes until the concert would begin.
Sure enough, 15 minutes later, the sounds of "Home to Carolina" could be heard followed by "So Far Away". Since you could not see the stage or the TV screens from where we were sitting, it was fun to just people watch and have conversation. The cute 6 year-old in the white dress sitting with her family singing and dancing to every song was a hit. But, to me, it was the reflections back to another time and the memories jarred from another song. "It's Too Late" reminded me of a summer job I had in 1970 as a counselor at a day camp in Queens. "Shower the People" jogged a memory of a personal training called "Lifespring" I did with many of the people I was at the concert with. And of course, "You've Got A Friend", hearing the entire crowd singing every word and individuals swaying together as one.
It was such a wonderful experience that the 15 mile return trip that turned into a 25 mile one hour journey thanks to local cops closing off roads and making two way streets one way, couldn't slow down the festivities. It was a night to remember and think about the memories shared with good friends.
Research-The City Game
It has always been known as "The City Game". From the concrete playgrounds of the outer boroughs to the sound of sneakers squeaking on a gym floor, the game of basketball has been the New York City game. When I was younger, my friends and I would be out on the courts dribbling, running, jumping and shooting for hours at a time. We would only stop for the occasional ice cream from the Mister Softee truck or an egg roll from the Chow Chow Cup truck. We played until it got too dark to play or there was no air left in the ball. In the months between October and April, after I would leave the gym, I would rush home to my radio or television to listen or watch that nights New York Knicks NBA game. Remember, this was before SportsCenter. Cable TV in the early 70's consisted of Manhattan Cable which was only available in certain parts of the city. My apartment in Queens was not one of them. So for home games, it was the radio with the voice of Marv Albert painting the picture, and on the road, it was WOR-TV with Bob Wolf calling the games. The next day it was the rush to the corner candy store to buy the Post or the Daily News to read about the game and see who scored the most points. Back then, Willis, Clyde, Dollar Bill, Cazzie and Debusschere were known to every New Yorker not just the die hard fans. The Knicks were the darlings of the Big Apple and no sport in town was more important than basketball. It is where Madison Square Garden became the World's Most Famous Arena and the start of basketball crowds chanting Dee-Fense when the opponent held the ball.
As the Knicks were winning their second World Championship in four years in 1973, a new league was trying to take advantage of "The City's Game". The American Basketball Association (ABA), was born in 1967 and in 1968 formed a franchise called the New York Nets. The Nets played out on Long Island in places like Commack and Hempstead. But, in the beginning the city game didn't catch on in the suburbs. On Christmas Day 1968, only 257 people showed up to watch the Nets play the Houston Rockets. But, in 1973, a kid from Roosevelt, Long Island, returned home and turned the Nets into Showtime on the Island. Julius Erving, Dr. J, electrified crowds and began selling out the Nets new home at the Nassau Coliseum. Led by the Doctor, the Nets won the last two ABA Championships in 1973-1974 and 1974-1975. The Metropolitan Area had two great basketball champions and no hoops fan in the country would believe these to be the last two New York Championships won in the last 35 years.
Once the Nets along with three other A.B.A. teams merged into the N.B.A., once Roy Boe decided it would be cheaper to sell Julius Erving and once the team eventually moved to New Jersey, the Nets became irrelevant to the New York sports fan. Even though, since the 1976 merger, both the Knicks and Nets have played in two NBA Championship series each without either winning, the town as always been a Knicks town.
After losing the NBA Championship to the San Antonio Spurs in 1999, change began to envelop the World's Most Famous Arena. Cablevision, which owned Madison Square Garden and the New York Knicks named James Dolan to be Chairman of MSG. The 2000-2001 is the last season the Knicks have had a winning record or won a playoff game. And in 2003, Dolan anointed , Isiah Thomas to be President of Basketball Operations. Under Isiah, the Knicks became one of the worst teams in basketball. He traded for guard Stephon Marbury in a deal that cost the team a lottery pick in 2004 and 2010. Marbury never became the super star Isiah thought he would be and finished his career in new York by testifying against Thomas in a sexual harrassment suit brought on by a female Garden executive. Thomas would also trade for the Bulls Eddie Curry, a trade that may go down as the worst trade in NBA history. Curry has played just 69 games the past three seasons due to injury. The Knicks gave the Bulls three players and two draft picks, both of which turned out to be lottery picks in two successive seasons. Curry himself was involved in his own sexual harrassment suit when he was accused of soliciting gay sex from a limo driver. (source-N.Y. Post 1/12/09) This is what the Knicks organization has been trying to cleanse itself from for the past two seasons. The draft pick lost in this years draft is the last of the stentch left over from the Isiah years. But, the damage it has caused this one proud franchise has left it vulnerable to attack from across the Hudson.
Ironically, Stephon Marbury is the connection. Before being traded to the Knicks from Pheonix, Marbury was the Nets lone all-star in the 2000-2001 season. After that season, the Nets traded him to the Suns for point guard Jason Kidd. Kidd's arrival immediately turned the Nets fortunes around. The team won its Divsion for the first time ever , and then went to its first NBA Championship Finals where they were swept by the Lakers. They followed that up with their second straight trip to the Finals a year later, this time losing in 6 games to the Spurs. But, despite their success, the team has never found a home in New Jersey. In 2004, a real estate developer named Bruce Ratner purchased the team with the sole purpose being to move the team to his new real estate project in Brooklyn. He wanted to make the Nets part of "The City Game". Lack of funding and local resident disputes kept delaying the project but this past March, a Supreme Court ruling in favor of the project was handed down and the ground breaking has begun. After a two year stay in Newark, the Nets will move to Brooklyn in the 2013 season. Ratner, earlier this season was forced to sell majority interest in the team to a Russian billionaire who may yet set the stage for the biggest basketball battle New York has ever seen.
Mikhail Prokhorov is a self made Russian entrepreneur. He is Forbes magazines 39th richest man in the world. Prokhorov likes the limelight and is positioning himself to be New York's next George Steinbrenner. He has already fired his first salvo at the Knicks, erecting a huge billboard facing Madison Square Garden with a picture of himself and minority owner Jay-Z as the blueprint for greatness. I hope by now you understand why all the banter over this years crop of NBA free agents has taken added significance in New York. The Nets are two years removed from moving into a brand new building at the Brooklyn Naval Yards. Brooklyn is New York's most populus borough and of the 2.6 million people living there, 4% are Russian. (source-2008 U.S. Census)
The Knicks have a two year window to re-assert their dominance and re-gain a hungry city's basketball appetite. With Amare Stoudamire already committed, the Knicks have enough money to spend on one more free agent super star. Once Eddie Curry's (yes him again) contract expires at the end of next season, they will be able to sign one more premiere player. So these next two signatures could prove to be the most important signings in team history. The Nets can sign one of this years top players but benefitted from having two first round draft picks in this years draft. Add those players to an all-star point guard in Devin Harris and a solid young center like Brook Lopez and its not so clear cut which local team is the most attractive to fans.
Prokhorov is a fresh new face looking to make a splash with money to burn. Dolan has the money to spend but the reputation as the worst owner in New York. The window of opportunity has never been greater for the Nets to push the Knicks off their pedestal. Which team will emerge as the face of "The City's Game" ? Only time will tell. But, it sure looks like basketball will once again be relevant in New York.
As the Knicks were winning their second World Championship in four years in 1973, a new league was trying to take advantage of "The City's Game". The American Basketball Association (ABA), was born in 1967 and in 1968 formed a franchise called the New York Nets. The Nets played out on Long Island in places like Commack and Hempstead. But, in the beginning the city game didn't catch on in the suburbs. On Christmas Day 1968, only 257 people showed up to watch the Nets play the Houston Rockets. But, in 1973, a kid from Roosevelt, Long Island, returned home and turned the Nets into Showtime on the Island. Julius Erving, Dr. J, electrified crowds and began selling out the Nets new home at the Nassau Coliseum. Led by the Doctor, the Nets won the last two ABA Championships in 1973-1974 and 1974-1975. The Metropolitan Area had two great basketball champions and no hoops fan in the country would believe these to be the last two New York Championships won in the last 35 years.
Once the Nets along with three other A.B.A. teams merged into the N.B.A., once Roy Boe decided it would be cheaper to sell Julius Erving and once the team eventually moved to New Jersey, the Nets became irrelevant to the New York sports fan. Even though, since the 1976 merger, both the Knicks and Nets have played in two NBA Championship series each without either winning, the town as always been a Knicks town.
After losing the NBA Championship to the San Antonio Spurs in 1999, change began to envelop the World's Most Famous Arena. Cablevision, which owned Madison Square Garden and the New York Knicks named James Dolan to be Chairman of MSG. The 2000-2001 is the last season the Knicks have had a winning record or won a playoff game. And in 2003, Dolan anointed , Isiah Thomas to be President of Basketball Operations. Under Isiah, the Knicks became one of the worst teams in basketball. He traded for guard Stephon Marbury in a deal that cost the team a lottery pick in 2004 and 2010. Marbury never became the super star Isiah thought he would be and finished his career in new York by testifying against Thomas in a sexual harrassment suit brought on by a female Garden executive. Thomas would also trade for the Bulls Eddie Curry, a trade that may go down as the worst trade in NBA history. Curry has played just 69 games the past three seasons due to injury. The Knicks gave the Bulls three players and two draft picks, both of which turned out to be lottery picks in two successive seasons. Curry himself was involved in his own sexual harrassment suit when he was accused of soliciting gay sex from a limo driver. (source-N.Y. Post 1/12/09) This is what the Knicks organization has been trying to cleanse itself from for the past two seasons. The draft pick lost in this years draft is the last of the stentch left over from the Isiah years. But, the damage it has caused this one proud franchise has left it vulnerable to attack from across the Hudson.
Ironically, Stephon Marbury is the connection. Before being traded to the Knicks from Pheonix, Marbury was the Nets lone all-star in the 2000-2001 season. After that season, the Nets traded him to the Suns for point guard Jason Kidd. Kidd's arrival immediately turned the Nets fortunes around. The team won its Divsion for the first time ever , and then went to its first NBA Championship Finals where they were swept by the Lakers. They followed that up with their second straight trip to the Finals a year later, this time losing in 6 games to the Spurs. But, despite their success, the team has never found a home in New Jersey. In 2004, a real estate developer named Bruce Ratner purchased the team with the sole purpose being to move the team to his new real estate project in Brooklyn. He wanted to make the Nets part of "The City Game". Lack of funding and local resident disputes kept delaying the project but this past March, a Supreme Court ruling in favor of the project was handed down and the ground breaking has begun. After a two year stay in Newark, the Nets will move to Brooklyn in the 2013 season. Ratner, earlier this season was forced to sell majority interest in the team to a Russian billionaire who may yet set the stage for the biggest basketball battle New York has ever seen.
Mikhail Prokhorov is a self made Russian entrepreneur. He is Forbes magazines 39th richest man in the world. Prokhorov likes the limelight and is positioning himself to be New York's next George Steinbrenner. He has already fired his first salvo at the Knicks, erecting a huge billboard facing Madison Square Garden with a picture of himself and minority owner Jay-Z as the blueprint for greatness. I hope by now you understand why all the banter over this years crop of NBA free agents has taken added significance in New York. The Nets are two years removed from moving into a brand new building at the Brooklyn Naval Yards. Brooklyn is New York's most populus borough and of the 2.6 million people living there, 4% are Russian. (source-2008 U.S. Census)
The Knicks have a two year window to re-assert their dominance and re-gain a hungry city's basketball appetite. With Amare Stoudamire already committed, the Knicks have enough money to spend on one more free agent super star. Once Eddie Curry's (yes him again) contract expires at the end of next season, they will be able to sign one more premiere player. So these next two signatures could prove to be the most important signings in team history. The Nets can sign one of this years top players but benefitted from having two first round draft picks in this years draft. Add those players to an all-star point guard in Devin Harris and a solid young center like Brook Lopez and its not so clear cut which local team is the most attractive to fans.
Prokhorov is a fresh new face looking to make a splash with money to burn. Dolan has the money to spend but the reputation as the worst owner in New York. The window of opportunity has never been greater for the Nets to push the Knicks off their pedestal. Which team will emerge as the face of "The City's Game" ? Only time will tell. But, it sure looks like basketball will once again be relevant in New York.
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