Hugo

This past weekend, a friend asked me if I'd like to go see a PG-rated movie. Having just seen the new Muppets movie (which I liked, actually), I was not particularly anxious to go see another movie deemed so "tame" by MPAA standards. However, being the amazing friend that I am (if I do say so myself), I alit from my cloud of condescension to go see "Hugo".

As we're sitting through previews beforehand, I'm told that the movie is directed by Martin Scorsese (and co-directed by Johnny Depp). So I readjust my expectations slightly, although still remaining nonplussed. Then, the movie starts.

From the outset, it is evident how Scorsese does such a great job of telling this incredible story, which is adapted from a short story originally written by Brian Selznick. It is fascinating to watch as the main character, Hugo Cabret, crawls, slides, and climbs around the walls of the Paris train station that doubles as his home.

I notice that, all in all, there is not much dialogue throughout the movie. Therefore, the non-verbal communication between characters is magnified. The orphan Hugo wades through a myriad of difficult emotions, and as is understandable, he conveys his emotions through body language and facial expressions more often than words. The old man (George Melies, played by Ben Kingsley), kind of steals the show theatrically as he runs the gamut of emotions throughout the movie.

The (real-life, apparently) character of George Melies is absolutely captivating. After Hugo and his friend (Melies' god-daughter) unearth the truth behind the shopkeeper's secret past (Spoiler Alert!), the next 15 minutes of the movie is a montage of Melies' actual turn-0f-the-century films, restored and brought to life in wonderful 3-D. The prominent film used in the movie, "A Trip to the Moon", can be seen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JDaOOw0MEE

The main component of the movie that made it so enjoyable was the 3-D. Props to the movie industry, as they've improved 3-D glasses so they are no longer cumbersome and annoying to wear. It just makes it easier to focus on what I came to see, instead of paying extra for a ticket just to fiddle with the glasses the whole time and miss key parts of the movie.

As with many of the newer 3-D movies coming out nowadays, "Hugo" made excellent use of the technology featured in this medium. Some movies, like "Toy Story 3", are made more enjoyable by the presence of the 3-D capabilities. However, the truly transcendent 3-D movies, like "Avatar", make the technology seem truly necessary for it to be enjoyed correctly. "Hugo" definitely asserted itself as a transcendent 3-D movie, and the usage was perfect: it propelled the story further, gave life to scenes which would have otherwise been difficult to visualize, and wasn't ever cheesy.

The emotional themes shown throughout "Hugo" made the movie worthwhile: Hugo's search for love and acceptance and purpose following the loss of his father (played by Jude Law, an added bonus); Melies' revitalization as a success, not forgotten although time has not been kind to his art; and the heartwarming forgiveness and mercy that the station patrolman (played by Sacha Baron Cohen, another surprise!) learns through his encounters with the station's florist.

Needless to say, I was amazed by the movie. The combination of the interesting plot, the character development (verbal and non), the historical aspect of George Melies' lifework, and the tasteful, vital use of 3-D technology made "Hugo" one of my favorite movies of the year. Go see it before it's reduced to a 2-dimensional screen!

Behold King Pigskin

In the United States today, sports are a focal point of our culture. Different sports can serve in different roles in our lives. Baseball, like a beloved family dog, is always there for you, never requiring your full attention. Football, like a new sports car, can't be overused so as to dull its sheen, but demands your full attention and works in a strict "weekends only" zone. Hockey (or heck, even soccer) like sushi, is for those with a sense of adventure and a curiosity to experience foreign cultures.

For a small part of December, each of the major four (five with soccer) American sports was active in some respect. The NHL and NFL (and soccer leagues around the globe) are in the middle of their regular seasons, the MLB is working through its winter meetings (featuring blockbuster signings of stars like Albert Pujols), and the NBA has been working its way back into the national stream of consciousness after being mired in a long players' union lockout. So the obvious question is: which sport is America's favorite?

Football - American football, of course - reigns supreme. And it's not even close. This past weekend's games are a testament to the amazing drama that surrounds the NFL, week in and week out. In the Houston television market, this is what a day as a football fan looks like, taking December 11th's schedule as an example:

Noon (CBS) - The Houston Texans (10-3), led by their undrafted rookie quarterback T.J. Yates, go into the Bengals' den and defeat Cincinnati (7-6), led by their own rookie quarterback Andy Dalton (a native Texan), on a last-second touchdown.

3:00 (F0x) - The AFC West-leading Denver Broncos (8-5), behind the leadership of their media-lightning-rod and consummate winner, quarterback Tim Tebow, outlast the Chicago Bears (7-6) in overtime in Denver. Thanks in part to the mile-high conditions, Broncos kicker Matt Prater hits two breathtaking, long field goals: a game-tying 59-yarder and the overtime 51-yarder.

7:30 (NBC) - In the only night game on the NFL schedule, two NFC East rivals meet in Dallas as the New York Giants (7-6) square off against the division-leading Cowboys (7-6). The teams trade blows for the entire game, ultimately ending in Giants defensive lineman Jason Pierre-Paul blocking Cowboys kicker Dan Bailey's potentially game-tying field goal in the game's waning moments. With the win, the Giants move into a tie with the Cowboys atop the NFC East.

Three games, three last-second finishes. Even amid four other major sports going through some pretty big news weeks (the Pujols signing, the drama surrounding New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul as he seeks to be traded), the NFL captures all the headlines. How? The football that is being played on the field is simply...spectacular.

The Mile-High Messiah

Tim Tebow is a lightning rod. With his natural penchant for attracting critics and supporters alike, along with his leadership ability, it's a shame that Tebow can't be elected President in the future (he was born in Makati City, Philippines, to Baptist missionary parents). Outside of the sports media hotbeds of New York and Boston, very few players in any sport attract as much attention, positive or negative, as the Denver Broncos quarterback. The 1st round, 25th-overall 2010 NFL draft pick was viewed by some media personalities (like NBC's Tony Dungy) as being selected too low, and was viewed as drastically overrated by others (like ESPN NFL draft guru Mel Kiper Jr.).

After leading his team to a win this Thursday night over the New York Jets, Tim Tebow is 4-1 as an NFL starter. Given his 34-6 record as the quarterback at the University of Florida, an SEC powerhouse that plays few "easy" games each year, this should seem somewhat logical. However, Tebow finds his skills doubted and his successes undermined seemingly every week both by the media and public opinion.

Broncos coach John Fox and Executive Vice President of Football Operations (and legendary Broncos quarterback) John Elway have inherited Tim Tebow. Neither man was on staff when Tebow was drafted, and both were being skewered weekly in the local media during the Broncos' 1-4 start to the 2011 season. Public opinion can become an unstoppable wave of momentum, and it seems like Fox's hand was forced into benching starter Kyle Orton going into week 7.

On October 11th, the Broncos named Tebow the starting quarterback for their game against the Miami Dolphins, and the public got its wish. However, six days later, the Broncos traded 2010-Pro Bowl wide receiver Brandon Lloyd to the St. Louis Rams...for only a conditional 2012 draft pick.

In addition to stripping Tebow of his most talented and most reliable receiver, the Broncos front office had more thoughts concerning their newly-anointed "savior." Coach Fox took a buzzsaw to the playbook, removing complex pass plays, a staple to any NFL team, adding in numerous multiple-option running plays (usually only used in the collegiate or high school levels), and running a whopping 79% of their plays from the shotgun (as opposed to the "pro-style" formation of having a quarterback under center).

At first glance, this seems awfully nice of Fox: he's trying to put Tebow in the situations in which he excelled most as the Florida Gators' quarterback. However, put in a different light, it might seem that Fox is trying to bring Tebow's flaws to light. By "dumbing down" the playbook to Tebow's collegiate level, Fox is essentially pitting an amateur quarterback against professional defenses.

What do Fox and the Broncos front office stand to gain from showing Tebow as the rookie that he is? If public opinion falters in its support of Tebow, Fox and Elway could then have the freedom to put the team that they want on the field without backlash from their fans. I don't think that either Fox or Elway dislike Tebow as a person, nor do I think that either wants him to fail as a professional. However, the actions that have been taken by the Broncos as they relate to Tebow seem to be much like a father letting his son try something for the first time. He knows that the son isn't equipped to succeed, and that the son will return to the father humbled and hopefully eager to learn from the father's experience.

However, Tebow doesn't seem like the type to be obstinate in his talents. He seems humble and eager already, so why not treat him as such? Mr. Elway and Coach Fox, treat Tebow like an NFL quarterback. Feed him an NFL-style playbook, a little at a time. Force him to learn how to pass in a way that will allow him to succeed for years as your quarterback of the future. As all of America knows from his public "promise" following Florida's loss to the University of Mississippi in 2008, he is willing to play harder than anyone we've ever seen.

The Sing-Off Top 5

The Sing-Off starts off this week's episode with 5 groups remaining, and the week's theme is R&B. With that said, the opening number blended old school with new wave by starting with James Brown, then moving to the Jackson 5, and ultimately finishing with Beyonce's "Crazy in Love." In each episode, these opening songs are such a great part of the show, and this is one of my favorites of the season. Here are my thoughts on each group's performances of the night:

Dartmouth Aires - Ignition (Remix), Midnight Train to Georgia

They have such a great community feel to them, and with their five (or six?) leads that kept passing off the melody, it accomplished that goal of communal song. They've been really reliant on just one lead for the past couple weeks, so it was nice to prove that they're not a one-man show with this song. It was also just so much fun, these guys are the party starters and they made me smile from the first beat. Their old school song was a choral arrangement more than a fun Broadway thing like they usually do. They went back to their bread-and-butter lead, and it really seemed like a concert instead of a competition. These guys bring the crowd up on stage with them emotionally, and it's really a refreshing dynamic.

Urban Method - Knock You Down, It's Your Thing

This song definitely was right in their wheelhouse, but the fact remains that I'm not a fan of their female voices. It was one of their best performances on the show, and the tall dude with the mohawk is their X-factor. For this song they put him on bass....because that's where the dam is leaking the most. But he's good enough to be their lead, so big ups to him for being versatile. Their second song was mostly a pass-it-off song of drum solos between the guys while the ladies screeched in the background. I feel like anything the judges are saying positively about their performance is pure sugar-coating at this point. They deserved to go home this week, just like each of the past 3 weeks. I wonder if they sound much better live?

Vocal Point - Every Little Step, Ain't Too Proud To Beg

Such a departure from their usual sound - but they pulled it off so well! The breakdown in the middle quite possibly was the best 30 seconds of the show to date, between a sick beatboxer, great, guilty-pleasure-dance moves, and then some remix effects on the last chorus. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Their classic R&B choice was a Temptations song, and they busted out their deep voice to lead this one. It wasn't quite tight as it neared the end of the song, and I felt like there were a few pitch issues, but it's near-impossible to not like these guys! Seeing them leave was difficult because they have such star power, but they haven't been as consistent as some of the other groups, so their departure is defensible.

Afro-Blue - We Belong Together, Best of My Love

Taking on Mariah Carey, their groove was flawless throughout the song. Their bass is so fluid and just plain solid, and the guys provide such a great foundation for the female vocals to use as a springboard. The lead was so good, and didn't try to emulate Mariah, which is impossible - but rather, she just did what she could, and it worked. Their old school song was one that I've never heard before, but it seemed to be right in their kitchen. With their lead Danielle, they've got someone who is strong enough to lead their ensemble of girls, but with a vocal tone that sits so well within what the male voices bring. These guys probably won't win it all, but that will be America's fault, and definitely nothing that they've done wrong.

Pentatonix - OMG, Let's Get It On

Having their incredible lead take on Usher is a great comparison, and their arrangement was just. so. good. They have the beat/bass drop out at the right moments, and when they do, they can just go with their super-tight trio. Then, without skipping a beat, the two guys can join back in and bring in a huge momentum boost to the group. It was such a good vocal, and these guys are so far ahead from everybody else that it's not even funny. Then, they take a Marvin Gaye song (a personal favorite) and put just the right amount of their own spin on it...and absolutely murder it. Such a great performance, and there were no tricks to it - just great singing. Also, with Kevin's sticking up for his religious beliefs, I just fall more in love with these guys as a group each week.

Going into the Final Four, here are my power rankings:

1. Pentatonix

2. Dartmouth Aires

3. Afro-Blue

4. Urban Method

Back to The Sing-Off

After quite a lay-off, I decided to blog about today's episode of The Sing-Off. Coming into this episode, I'd say that the power rankings look like this (taking into account the whole season to date):

1. Pentatonix

2. Dartmouth Aires

3. Afro-Blue

4. Vocal Point

5. Delilah

6. Urban Method

To be honest, I think the eliminations have gone pretty much as they should throughout the show. Now, any group except for Urban Method can win it and I don't think it would be an injustice. However, I still think that Pentatonix fits what the judges look for - they're a small, close-knit group with individualized roles for each person. Looking at the past winners (Nota and Committed), Pentatonix seems to fit the mold the most.

The Arcade Fire song to start the show was actually really cool, and I like how the numbers are getting down to the point where everyone can fit on stage without it looking like the kid's cattle race at the rodeo. Here are my thoughts on each group's two performances:

Pentatonix - Their rock song was "Born To Be Wild," and I loved some things about it. The big silence before they started the chorus was a great effect, and they just have the best bass/beatboxer in the whole show and their trio of singers fit well together. However, minus points for hilariously awful fashion. I was nervous about what song they would pick to do for country, since they're so techno/dubsteppy. A Sugarland song had the good high melody that Pentatonix needs for their trio of singers, and then whoa! Out of nowhere they bust out a reggae groove for one of the choruses, and then they come back to their perfect blend for the end. They're gonna win the whole thing.

Dartmouth Aires - After last week's really awesome Queen medley, they did "We're Not Gonna Take It" and it was really great! I liked the back-and-forth between the two leads and the school choir bit right at the end. They used to have trouble deciding who would be their lead, but it seems that the black dude, Michael, has taken that role by storm. If I had a complaint, it seemed, like all of D'Aires' songs, to be really treble-y. Their country song was "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy" and it was very different from what they usually do. However, it wasn't bad - it definitely had a line dance feel to it, and the singing wasn't opera-quality, but what can you expect from some boys from Hanover, New Hampshire?

Afro-Blue - The resident jazz group took on "American Girl" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and their "rock" sound just wasn't very rock-y. I thought the national anthem in the middle was...kind of random, but it sounded good? It was interesting. THEN, they had to do a country song: basically, they were gonna be screwed going into this week. Lady Antebellum was probably one of the best song choices they could pick, and they brought their intelligent arrangement style to this, with their bass being really evident of that. However, I didn't think it was emotional enough to have the girls crying at the end of the song, so that kind of confused me watching them wipe tears away while they're being judged. Guess you just had to be there.

Delilah - An all-girl group has to sing a rock song? I guess if they're not going to do a Heart song, they might as well cover Steven Tyler. "Dream On" is one of my favorite Aerosmith songs, so maybe I'm just more critical of it. The lead girl had some real pitch problems on a couple high notes, but with her Steven Tyler impression, she showed she's definitely got some pipes. It didn't quite fit my expectations. For the country portion, they covered The Band Perry and got back to their strength of slow songs sung with lots of emotion. However, this also brought back more unnerving closeups of Miss Skinhead. Great lead by the other blonde girl - she did a whole heap of justice to the song. It was moving and very well-sung, at least to my ear. I'm so very, very surprised that they got kicked off, and while I think that they shouldn't have gone home this week, their time was coming soon.

Urban Method - The group with a rapper sings...Whitesnake? Whatever, they completely changed it up and made it "modern." If my snark isn't obvious enough, it seemed like a desperate move by a group that feels that their collective backs are against the wall. I didn't like it. Their country song was Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats," and it's obvious at this point that they're relying on the main girl lead's strength to carry them whenever they can't have their rapper take center stage. However, I just really don't think that their girls are strong enough - I didn't like it. I absolutely disagree with their progression to next week.

Vocal Point - The Mormons sing "You Really Got Me" while wearing white, frilly shirts. Sure, just how I predicted it. It started slow, which I actually really liked, and these guys change keys so freaking well. Their lead is like the 5th or 6th out of their 9 to lead a song, and he was just as good as everyone else. Dang boi. Then, what country song would a group of tenors sing? Oh yeah, Rascal Flatts! "Life Is A Highway" was a little too fast for me, but I loved seeing these straitlaced guys wearing black cowboy hats and huge longhorn belt buckles. Again, they change keys as seamlessly as anyone in the whole game - the song was pretty good.

So the power rankings after this week are as follows:

1. Pentatonix

2. Dartmouth Aires

3. Vocal Point

4. Afro-Blue

15. Urban Method (I'm bitter.)

MLB: World Series Preview

With both Championship Series behind us, there remains only one step left on the quest to crown a 2011 baseball champion: the World Series. I went 1-for-2 in my predictions, and really only missed the NLCS prediction because the dang Milwaukee Brewers didn't realize they were supposed to force a 7th game. So really, not my fault - I'll call it a win. But now, thanks to the little team that could and an unrelenting rightfielder, the premiere teams in baseball are set to square away in a 7-game series.

The St. Louis Cardinals have ridden the wave of momentum, all the way from qualifying as the NL's Wild Card team on the final day of the regular season, through knocking off the World Series favorite Philadelphia Phillies, then besting their NL Central rivals, the Milwaukee Brewers, and now set to take on the Texas Rangers.

Those Rangers are an offensive juggernaut that has kind of gotten an easier ride to the Series: after first getting hit in the mouth by the AL Wild Card-winning Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of the ALDS, they cameback to win 3 straight against a team that really seemed eager to get themselves out. After that series, they took on a top-heavy Detroit Tigers team who limped into the ALCS with injuries to some major offensive weapons and then were exposed by a pretty dominant Rangers bullpen. That, and rightfielder Nelson Cruz decided that he wanted to make history, hitting 6 home runs in 6 games and driving in 13 runs.

My thoughts going into the World Series are as follows: the Cardinals have made it this far without having very good production from their starting pitching or reliable weapons on offense. The key for them to come away with the 2011 World Series trophy lies in the hands of ace pitcher Chris Carpenter, stud first baseman Albert Pujols, and NLCS MVP and overall surprise third baseman David Freese. For the Texas Rangers, their lineup has lived up to every expectation: speed and high average at the top of the lineup with Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus, and then an assortment of power hitters scrambled between Mike Napoli, Josh Hamilton, and playoffs-breakout Adrian Beltre. Their starting pitching hasn't been amazing (kind of a major plotline for all teams throughout this year's playoffs), but the bullpen has been great between Mike Adams, Alexi Ogando, and closer Neftali Feliz. The key for this team will continue to be the offense, which can pull the team to a win even if the pitching may not show up in a big way. However, big performances by #1 starter CJ Wilson or some of the other arms in the rotation will do a lot in bringing the city of Dallas its second major sports championship of the year, and the first World Series championship to the Texas Rangers organization.

My Prediction: Party in Dallas! Rangers in 6.

Super Megatron

Calvin Johnson has been out of his mind as a wide receiver for the 5-0 Detroit Lions this year. Nicknamed "Megatron" due to his machine-like performance and consistency, Johnson has been a major reason the Lions are heading into week 6 as one of only two undefeated teams in the NFL. Megatron has been on a record-setting pace to start the year: through 5 games, he has 9 touchdown passes, easily on pace to break Randy Moss's 2007 record of 23 TD grabs. The thought occured to me to statistically compare Johnson's stellar 2011 start to some of the all-time great receiving seasons, as well as comparing his year to that of his peers in the game today.

Here are the statistical numbers of Jerry Rice's 5 best scoring years, Randy Moss's 4 best, Cris Carter's and Terrell Owens' best, as well as some dominant Larry Fitzgerald seasons and Wes Welker's scorching start to this season. (YAC = yards after catch, and YAC wasn't computed as a stat until 1994)

Player	Rec/Game	Yds/gm	TD/gm	YAC/gm
86 Rice	5.375	98.125	0.9375
87 Rice	5.416666667	89.83333333	1.833333333
89 Rice	5.125	92.6875	1.0625
91 Rice	5	75.375	0.875
93 Rice	6.125	93.9375	0.9375
95 Carter	7.625	85.6875	1.0625	27.45
98 Moss	4.3125	82.0625	1.0625	15.5625
00 Moss	4.8125	89.8125	0.9375	18.9375
01 Owens	5.8125	88.25	1	32.55
03 Moss	6.9375	102	1.0625	27.4375
07 Moss	6.125	93.3125	1.4375	18.3125
08 Fitzgerald	6	89.4375	0.75	28.8
09 Fitzgerald	6.0625	68.25	0.8125	18.1875
11 Megatron	5.8	90.2	1.8	16.6
11 Welker	9	148	1	57.6

Now what does this all mean? First, Wes Welker is #1 in every per-game stat shown above, and rightfully so. He's had an amazing year-to-date, and this could be a record-setting year for him as well. However, one of his stats points to a potential setback in Welker's season of greatness: his YAC/game is a whopping 57.6. This leads me to believe that Welker has been relatively lucky in breaking tackles and finding seams downfield after catching the ball, and I would expect that number to drop significantly toward the rest of the pack as the season progresses. So let's all realize that Wes Welker is having a great year, and then move on. Because this blogpost isn't about him.

Now, Megatron has only played in 5 of the Lions' 16 scheduled games this season, so the record books are far from his. But what I'm looking for is: how repeatable are these numbers for the rest of the season? Compared to the rest of the pack (of Hall of Fame NFL receivers...he's in good company), Johnson is right in the middle of the group in terms of receptions and yards per game. As for receiving touchdowns, Calvin trails only 1987 Jerry Rice in TDs/game, and in terms of YAC/game, Johnson is second-to-last.

My take on that set of numbers: Johnson's receptions and yards are consistent with other great receiving years, so they seem to be repeatable for the duration of the season. It would be amazing and unlikely for Megatron to continue hauling in TDs at the rate he is currently at, but there is room for improvement in the disparity of YAC Johnson is currently gaining per game. In addition to this, Detroit's lack of a punishing goal-line running back to finish off drives means that quarterback Matthew Stafford will be looking to Megatron more and more as the season progresses.

Allow me this one last giddy outpouring over these statistics: in 1987, Jerry Rice caught 22 touchdown passes and had 1078 receiving yards...in 12 games played. That season, he had only 65 receptions, which means that ONE out of every THREE passes he caught from Joe Montana that year went for a score. Many people have said this before, but analysis like this proves what the Naked-Eye Test has hypothesized: Jerry Rice is the greatest wide receiver of all time, and in my estimation the greatest football player who ever lived.

Seeing Johnson replicate what Rice did for most of his career, aka own opposing defensive backs, is truly something special. As a Detroit bandwagon jumper and a Calvin Johnson fantasy owner, I am a tiny bit biased in rooting for Megatron to continue his machine-like domination of opponents through the rest of this season. But hey, as a football fan, it's just a lot of fun to see history being made.

Sing-Off Update Round 2, Group 2

On NBC's "The Sing-Off," tonight showed our second look at the second half of a star-studded bracket to see who will be crowned as Season 3's best a cappella group. The opening number really reintroduced me to all of these great leads, and aside from a few specific singers, that's what this side of the bracket has to offer: great lead vocalists. Here's the breakdown of how the night went:

Deltones - Their pop song was "The Edge of Glory" by Lady Gaga, and I really like their musical balance, but I think that for all the studliness they have at the bottom with their strong basses, they're missing a top-end girl voice. But I think that would be just gravy, and their lead did a good enough job to highlight a good ensemble sound. The oldies song they picked was a Supremes song, and it really gave this huge group a chance to show off the female depth on the vocal bench. However, it felt like all the ladies were layered on top of each other too much. Their lead didn't quite knock this one out of the park for me, and hearing the judges skirt around their performance was kind of a giveaway that this wasn't a very good song.

Pentatonix - Last week's surprising group comes out with a Ke$ha bit, and from the first note it's evident that their beatbox is the best in the competition, hands down. The arrangement is definitely different, and while I'm not sure it totally worked, it was commendable for its bravery at the very least. There just wasn't enough of their amazing male lead for my taste. For the '60s song, they definitely sit behind the 8-ball because these guys are so very modern in their style. With that said, their take on Janis Joplin was so soulful and just nice to listen to. I expected their pop song to carry them, and hearing their Joplin cover reinforced that.

The Collective - The pop song they picked is a favorite of mine, "Rocketeer," and I'm really glad they went with the other girl voice since I just really don't love the female lead from last week. While it was a good performance, it seemed a little bit like a group of people singing around a campfire. Their second song was a high-energy group dance song, and it gave each of these solo artists a chance to sing their lungs off. Really, just the last 45-seconds of the song were stellar, but it was fairly good all around.

North Shore - The old-school doo-woppers are really out of their element singing a pop song, and taking on "The Lazy Song" by Bruno Mars really seemed weird. However, each member of this group does exactly what they're required, and they may have the best cohesive chemistry of all the groups. Also, the lead's personality really has a chance to come out when he sings - it's really refreshing. They took on The Righteous Brothers "Unchained Melody" with their oldies song, and it was...amazing. Really just had nothing wrong with it, the lead vocalist was incredible and his range was completely on display. That song was right in their wheelhouse, so they needed to kill it. Thankfully, they did.

Dartmouth Aires - I love these guys! So much fun, and their take on Neon Trees' "Animal" was really great and energetic. They lost it a little bit right at the end, but showing the versatility to have another guy step into the lead spot and absolutely kill it was really a strong statement. Also, their fashion is great - for what that's worth. Their second song was "Pinball Wizard" by The Who, and holy crap it was a great change of pace from hearing Sonos immediately before. They just had such a great combination of layered vocals between their lows and highs, and they went back to the original lead vocalist, so it was incredible. I loved it, and I love these guys. They're in my elite of both sides of the bracket.

Sonos - My least favorite group from last week, they took on Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" and I just didn't really like it. Very boring, and between having one guy singing lead and having the other beat box...that just leaves three girls to split up the bass duties. And it was very lacking. The oldies song that this urban group tried to take on was The Jackson 5's "I Want You Back," and they definitely...made it their own? As always, the three female vocalists are in the alto/soprano range, and their non-beatboxing male isn't a bass. So there really is never a foundation to build on. It was pretty awful to see the judges skewer them and just see them squirm up there. Them getting eliminated really wasn't a hard decision, and I'm tired of hearing about how hard it is to sing without effects pedals.

MLB: Championship Series Preview

One round down, and two to go! The MLB playoffs are proving once again that baseball is fun, although haters may still cling to the suggestion that we do away with the regular season altogether. From my previous posts, I went 3-1 on predicting winners of a series, and then perfectly picked the Tigers winning their series with the Yankees in 5 games. Here are my thoughts for the upcoming championship series.

Matchup: Detroit Tigers (95-67) vs. Texas Rangers (96-66)

Breakdown: The Tigers are fresh off of a fairy tale series win over the Yankees, and they are definitely flying high. Justin Verlander proved to be very good in the series, and the combination of Max Scherzer/Doug Fister provided the extra boost to pull the Tigers over the top. Most of the offense came from a surprising source: midseason pickup Delmon Young, as he had a great power stroke going to right field, hitting two such home runs at Yankee Stadium. The Tigers' power hitters - Young, AL MVP candidate Miguel Cabrera, and Victor Martinez - will need to keep that opposite field power going at the Ballpark in Arlington if they hope to keep with their winning ways. However, they will have to take down the undoubted remaining favorites in the Texas Rangers. The Rangers played the role of the midnight clock perfectly in the division series - turning the World Series hopes of the Cinderella story Tampa Bay Rays into pumpkin pie in three games after getting hit in the mouth by rookie pitcher Matt Moore in Game One. Now, the rested Rangers only need to continue their recent formula for success and they can reach their second consecutive World Series. The Rangers throw out a slew of young strikeout pitchers, and their lineup is filled with power hitters who work opposing pitchers for very tough at-bats consistently. The Rangers would have to hit some pretty serious speed bumps to be ousted from their apparent collision course with the World Series.

Key Players: Again for the Tigers, the key to this series lies in the hands of the secondary starters. Verlander has shown his Cy Young chops off in these playoffs already and will be called upon at every possible chance, but Doug Fister and Max Scherzer will need to have carbon-copies of their division series performances to provide the Tigers with more pitching stability. For the Rangers, I think the studly hitting by Adrian Beltre needs to continue. While the Hall of Fame buzz may be a bit premature, his 3-homer day really shows how amazing he can be when he's locked in. Beltre, along with Josh Hamilton, Michael Young, and Nelson Cruz, needs to bring the wood again when being pitted against some dirty strikeout Tigers pitchers.

My Pick: Rangers in 6

Matchup: St. Louis Cardinals (90-72) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (96-66)

Breakdown: The glass slipper is still firmly on the sole of the St. Louis Cardinals, as their Cinderella wild card run is alive and kicking into the NLCS. However, the prayers of St. Louisans will be upon Albert Pujols and...not much else. And Pujols has been getting some "empty calories" hits, as he hasn't really been performing when it really matters. However, between him, Yadier Molina, and a hopefully-resurgent effort from Matt Holliday, there is definitely the potential to break out for some big games. The Brewers, on the other hand, played well, and more importantly, hit well in their division series win against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ryan Braun was amazing for Milwaukee, and Prince Fielder didn't play that bad himself. Yovani Gallardo pitched well in both Game One and Five, and the Brewers will need him to repeat that in this series. This NL Central matchup in the NLCS is very interesting, especially considering the bad blood shown between the two teams throughout the regular season. The main matchup to watch: hothead Nyjer "T-Plush" Morgan against Chris Carpenter. T-Plush has already spoken out against Carpenter via Twitter, and it will be interesting to see if Carpenter continues to get his goat in this series.

Key Players: The Cardinals need to hit. Plain and simple. The keys in this series will be the Cardinals 3-4-5 hitters: Albert Pujols, Lance Berkman, and Matt Holliday. If they can step up and get some clutch hits, then they can definitely hang with the Brewers. The Brewers' missing component has been starting pitching. Neither Zack Greinke nor Shawn Marcum faired too well in their only starts of the division series, but they will need to show up in a big way to give some defensive support to back the Brewers potent lineup. Also, a dark horse in this series could be both the Brewers' and Cardinals' sub-par defense - they were both among the bottom 10 in the majors for team errors in the regular season.

My Pick: Brewers in 7

Baseball Playoffs - NLDS Preview

After taking a look at the American League side of things, here's my thoughts on the National League Division Series:

Matchup: St. Louis Cardinals (90-72) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (102-60)

Breakdown: The Cardinals are one of the hottest teams in baseball right now after their amazing September run to win the NL wild card. The presence of Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, and a resurgent Lance Berkman in the middle of the lineup is always a threat, and Chris Carpeneter is as reliable of a starter as any team has. However, they will have to take down Goliath in the Phillies. Philadelphia has a very balanced offense, featuring Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard - I mean the weapons are there. And with any semblance of an offense, the murderer's row of pitchers Roy Halladay/Cliff Lee/Cole Hamels/Roy Oswalt will take over and completely dominate.

Key Players: For the Cardinals, they need another starter to step up and match the strong starting pitching of Philly. Therefore, between Kyle Lohse, Jaime Garcia, or Edwin Jackson, someone needs to step in and pitch the game of their life for the Cardinals to really have a chance in this series. On the Phillies side of this, the only question mark really comes in when the stud starters leave the game, so the key players are going to be Brad Lidge, Antonio Bastardo, and Ryan Madson. It will be up to them to finish out these games, unless of course the starters go all 9 innings.

My Pick: Phillies in 3

Matchup: Arizona Diamondbacks (94-68) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (96-66)

Breakdown: After emerging victorious from the NL West, the Diamondbacks are pit against a pretty solid team in the Brewers. Arizona is pretty top-heavy: their ace, Ian Kennedy, is a Cy Young contender, and their stud hitter Justin Upton has been in the MVP race all season. However, the rest of the roster has been nothing if not prone to hot streaks, and a streaky team can definitely fall on its face in the playoffs. Milwaukee has a very balanced team, on the other hand: they can hit for power, they have team speed, and their starting pitching can carry them. Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, and Rickie Weeks provide the fun with home runs, and Yovani Gallardo and Shawn Marcum team with my unashamed man-crush Zack Greinke as a huge reason why the Brewers finished as a top 5 team in strikeouts.

Key Players: The key to Arizona's success will lie in the hands of the secondary guys. The D-Backs have a group of surprising players this year who have the potential to join Upton in carrying this team: Chris Young, Ryan Roberts, Miguel Montero, Paul Goldschmidt, and Aaron Hill. If any combination of these players can show up in this series, they have a great shot at matching the Brewers' firepower. The critical cog in the Brewers machine is centerfielder and lead-off man Nyjer Morgan. If "T-Plush" can get on base, steal some bases, and just be a nuisance to the Diamondbacks' pitchers, that could totally open up the floodgates for Braun, Fielder, and the rest of the Brewers' power bats to take over this series.

My Pick: Brewers in 4

Baseball Playoffs - ALDS Preview

Much like hockey or basketball, the general populace doesn't care about the MLB until it comes to September/October. However, after the excitement of Wednesday night (quite possibly the best night of baseball in my entire life), I think it's safe to say that baseball is back! In case you were living under a rock (or just living regularly anywhere other than Boston, Tampa, St. Louis, or Atlanta), last night featured 4 must-win games to secure the final playoff spot in both the American League and the National League for the start of today's playoffs.

To make a long story short, and to turn great suspense and theater into a dull summary, my beloved Braves completed their month-long choke job at the hands of the hated Phillies in 13 innings, while the Cardinals thwomped my hometown Astros to secure the NL wild card. Overall, not a great night for teams I root for. On the AL side of things, the Red Sox choked away the biggest September 1st lead in MLB history by losing in heartbreaking fashion to the previously-irrelevant Orioles, only to have the Tampa Bay Rays come from 7 runs down in the bottom of the 8th inning to win in 12 innings and punch their ticket to the playoffs.

With those great games as well as the regular season as a whole in the past, we head to October. Here's my thoughts going into the American League Division Series.

Matchup: Tampa Bay Rays (91-71) vs. Texas Rangers (96-66)

Breakdown: The Rays are hot off their sizzling September, and they seem to be playing at their absolute best. If they can play their best baseball for the duration of this series, they can absolutely win it. Between James Shields, David Price, and Jeremy Hellickson, the Rays can really reduce some offenses to rubble. They'll definitely need to do that going up against the buzzsaw known as the Rangers offense: they have 3 players with 30 home runs (Adrian Beltre, Mike Napoli, and Ian Kinsler), and that doesn't include former MVP Josh Hamilton, masher Nelson Cruz, and 34-year old hitting machine Michael Young. Needless to say this series will be strength against strength.

Key Players: For Tampa, their struggles are going to come at the plate. The linchpin for the Rays machine, in my opinion, is BJ Upton. If he can come out hot, steal bases, hit home runs, and be a focal point of the offense, then that will put that team in the best position to succeed. For Texas, the key spot of their team has to be the bullpen. The offense almost always clicks, and the starters are a herd of young, power arms that can stretch into the 7th and 8th innings pretty consistently. Once they reach the final, clutch innings, it's going to be interesting to see if Koji Uehara, Mike Adams, and Neftali Feliz can slam the door shut or if they let this surprising Rays team back into a few games.

My Pick: Rangers in 5

Matchup: Detroit Tigers (95-67) vs. New York Yankees (97-65)

Breakdown: The Tigers are the survivors of a pretty bad AL Central division. No other team out of the Central finished above .500, so their record is a little deceiving since they got to beat up on those rivals so much. However, ace pitcher and Cy Young-in-waiting Justin Verlander is the real deal, and his gaudy pitching stats would undoubtedly still be very impressive even if he was in the cutthroat AL East. Their offense is good enough, featuring MVP candidate Miguel Cabrera. However, the Yankees definitely have the better offense in this series: Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and the gang have been here before - and they know every trick in the book. However, pickings are slim among the pitching staff for quality playoff arms, so the onus is on CC Sabathia to provide ace-type stuff.

Key Players: For the Tigers, the crux to winning the series lies with...Doug Fister. The 6'8'' starter has pitched lights-out since being brought over from Seattle at the trade deadline, and if he can wheel-and-deal like he has, he could provide the necessary third win to go along with Verlander's inevitable two starts in the series. As for the Yankees, there is an all points bulletin out in The Bronx for another ace. The Yankees astronomical payroll has managed to bring....Ivan Nova as the #2 and AJ Burnett/Freddy Garcia/Bartolo Colon as some conglomerate of the rest of the series. If any of these four pitchers can step up to the big-time and provide a bridge to the ageless "one-pitch wonder" Mariano Rivera in the 9th inning, the Yankees can sidestep a potential pothole in Detroit on their road trip to the World Series.

My Pick: Tigers in 5

The Other Half of The Sing-Off Bracket

Another week, another group of 8 a cappella groups going up against each other in a contest replete with bow-ties, sparkly sequined dresses, and more hair product than Conan O'Brien uses in a year's time. Or maybe...a week's time? Regardless, here's the look at this week's performances:

Dartmouth Aires - This season's Beelzebubs! An all-male group of quirky, high-energy Ivy Leaguers, they also feature the best lead on this side of the bracket. I absolutely loved their rendition of "Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder, and they are my favorites of their foursome, easily. They also have a secret weapon: a Janelle Monae look-alike. But seriously...exact doppelganger.

Pentatonix - A quintet that has three all-star-caliber members: their lead has an amazingly solid tone to his voice, their bass is one of the most capable in the show (no barber shop walk-downs for him), and then their beatbox is incredible. He's a former YouTube star (they showed a video of him beatboxing while playing cello), and definitely can handle some cool tempo changes. The other two members are average or maybe above-average, but nothing special.

Messiah's Men - Refugees from Liberia (now based in Minneapolis), their sound is just plain gospel/african. From the first note I wanted to like them so much. With a song like "People Get Ready," there was definitely a chance for this to be a church sermon, but instead it seemed like too much of the same thing. I'm sad to say that I didn't like it that much. I'm not that bummed that they're out.

Sonos - They're definitely a group of musician's musicians, with a really great new-wave type of beatboxer. The chemistry among their sound wasn't incredible, especially because they have a male bass, and then three female voices in the same range - and nothing in between. The judges all pointed this out, and I'm really satisfied with the opinions the judges (Shawn Stockman, Ben Folds, and Sara Bareilles) are giving. I think they're the best panel in all vocal reality shows.

The Collective - Nashville band that seems like a complete aggregate of unique styles. They sang the now-overplayed "Rolling In The Deep," and I didn't like the lead's range - she sounds really good low, but really doesn't have a nice upper register. It seems like a group full of lead singers though, so I wonder why they chose her for the first showing.

Soul'd Out - This season's high school group, which already has me tentative. They chose "Aquarius" from Hair - which I saw on Broadway. Let me just say - this one was a much more PG-rated version. The lead guy at the end during the breakdown has a pretty good voice, but the group is just too young and not comfortable on the stage. I doubt that two of the guys were actually in high school - I still don't grow as much facial hair as they were flossin'. No surprise on the elimination here, however, in two years these guys could be superpowers in a cappella.

North Shore - This year's Jerry Lawson doo-wop quintet, which were some of my favorites from last season. They sang "Run-Around Sue," and I think it was a great song choice. I was surprised by their lead's range; he actually showed off a great voice. The chemistry of the group is obvious, and it really fits the genre. Their uniforms made it seem like they were a bowling league team that sang together on the side. Also, Nick Lachey's Italian impression was...ridiculous. There are no words.

Deltones - A "Voices of Lee"-style, they've got a family feel to their group. Their lead is piercing, and it felt like it was a brief glimpse into her life through her eyes. That's a really special connection to establish with a crowd, and it definitely made the performance pop for me. She had some runs that surprised me, but they still worked. I think she's the second-best lead of the night, just a tad behind the lead from Dartmouth.

The Sing-Off, Round 3

Here's my thoughts on each group's performances in the premiere of NBC's "The Sing-Off":

Yellowjackets - The boys from Rochester University came out with fire! I really enjoyed the groove they had, but their lead vocalists were a bit too shaky. That could be because they went first, but the music major black dude came in and killed the bridge. I kind of want them to be a mix between last season's winners Committed and the fun-loving On The Rocks.

Fannin Family - A group of 8 siblings, their harmonies fit together so well. However, they have the youngest girl (14 years old) singing lead, and I thought she left a little bit to be desired. It's a shame they're voted off so quickly, but give that young'un some time to mature and they could win a later season of this thing.

Afro-Blue - I really like the chemistry running through the entire band. They fit so well, and it's a really deep, complex sound - you can tell that they're music majors. Props to the white girl in the R&B/jazz ensemble at the previously-all-black Howard University. Girls got cajones.

Delilah - Another shot at redemption for some previously-rejected Sing-Off girls. The lead has the best female voice I've heard on the show in recent memory, and as a group they utilized the quiet dynamic that only a small theater provides.

Urban Method - A hip-hop group from Denver, they're definitely the most dark and edgy group that's been on the show to date. I'm not sure how much I liked it.

Cat's Pajamas - They're from Branson, Missouri - which means that they're consummate professional showmen. A group of 5, they're a little smaller, but everyone can really sing, and they have the concept of teamwork. There isn't really a nice bass tone to the group, but they've got the high register down pat. Also, Sara. Bareilles. Is. Awkward. Such a shame that they were sent home early.

Kinfolk 9 - What a name! Los Angeles natives, it seems that they think they've got the secret weapon in their rockin' lead singer (a la Street Corner Symphony from Season 2), but I thought his voice and performance leaves something to be desired. I think that this is a group who could learn a thing or two from Delilah's usage of musical dynamics. I definitely thought they were the weakest of their foursome, and I can't see them outperforming everyone else for very long.

Vocal Point - Mormon alert! The boys from Provo are completely G-rated and family-friendly, but they definitely aren't boring. I love the lead, he had a great energy to him and so did the whole group that just leaves a good taste in your mouth. I loved the self-aware uniform from the guys: white shirts and skinny black ties.

Best of all: this is only half of the performing groups! Next week is apparently all new people, and I'm pumped to see the other side of the bracket! What a good show, this definitely has been worth the wait.

Getting Geeked Up For Glee

Since I heralded FOX's "Glee" as my sleeper pick for best fall show in my last blogpost, I figured that I should take a closer look at some aspects of the show that I think are being overlooked. Here are a few thoughts:

- Chord Overstreet, the actor who played Sam "Troutie Mouth" Evans, is leaving the cast. Not a huge blow to the show, especially after hearing that Kurt's boyfriend, actor Darren Criss, is being promoted to full-time regular. However, given how the finale showed Sam and Mercedes together, it will be interesting to see how this will be weaved into the plot. Overstreet had been given an option to be in a six-episode arc on the show with a chance to come back for the rest of the season. I can't blame him for rejecting that feeble offer - he filled a niche last season as being the "cool" guy after Puck went gaga for his "fat-bottomed girl." Sam brought a baller aspect to the guy-half of the group that Finn just can't pull off (see: Justin Bieber episode).

- Speaking of Finn, I discovered recently how old actor Cory Monteith (who plays Finn) actually is: 29. I understand that this happens fairly often in the acting community, but I thought that this is a little ridiculous. He's almost twice as old as the character he's playing, and he looks like it too! I found this fact to be just a bit unnerving, and I'm curious how it will change the way I look at Finn as he goes into his "senior year" in high school. Right.

- I didn't watch the reality show "The Glee Project," but the Oxygen channel's attempt at bottling the "American Idol" mojo serves as a feeder into Glee. The top two finishers (Damian McGinty and Samuel Larsen) will have a 7-episode stint on the show, while the 3rd and 4th finishers will be on for two episodes each. This will be interesting, considering that these winners could possibly do well enough to earn a permanent spot on the show. Just something to keep in mind.

- Terri Schuester, Will (Matthew Morrison)'s crazy ex-wife, is no longer going to be making random appearances on the show. This, coupled with the second half of Season 2 showing Will and guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury getting close leads me to believe that Season 3 will be a green light for the Will-Emma relationship. This seems like a good thing, since Terri never came off as significant to Will's day-to-day life, and hopefully the main antagonist of the show will remain dynamite villain Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) for a long, long time.

I only recently came back to my Glee crush, and I realize that I approached it with the bar set low. I'm looking forward to the premier this week, as lame as that sounds, and hopefully this season doesn't disappoint a little higher expectations.

Fall TV Season Preview

The dog days of summer having wreaked havoc on the grass here in Houston. Seriously, H-Town has been dryer than Jay London's sense of humor. In addition to being light on rain, this summer has been pretty tame in terms of must-see television. However, there are quite a few televised events that are coming up that qualify (for me) as Must-See TV. Here's a look:

Baseball Playoffs, NFL Season, NCAA Football Season

Thankfully, God has rained sports manna down from heaven for fans across the nation: baseball games that matter, America's favorite sport, and a place for the people of Nebraska to go on Saturdays (namely, Memorial Stadium in Lincoln - the largest city in Nebraska when completely filled). The MLB playoffs are wild and crazy during the division series round, and from there the "Team of Destiny" stories help carry the suspense from game to game. The NFL, through only a week of regular season action, already has regained its stranglehold on Sunday activities. And for the cities and regions with a strong college football presence, fandom is crazier than that of the pro game, the week is spent trash talking with friends and neighbors, and lots of crow promises to be eaten throughout the season.

Jersey Shore
(MTV, in progress)

The 4th season of Jersey Shore is underway, as we observe The Guido Gang's adventures in Florence (or Firenze, for all native Italians scoring at home). So far, I think this season has been the best since the original season, and the language and culture barrier have provided the plot with enough twists and turns to make the show interesting again, which had been lost in seasons 2 and 3.

How I Met Your Mother
(CBS, premieres Sept. 19)

Entering the alleged penultimate season in the series' schedule, the show still seems to be miles away from its ending. It is my (shared, I'm sure) opinion that the final clip of the final episode of the series should be Ted meeting the future mother of his children, but there is nothing that leads me to believe that that can be anytime soon. This is my favorite sitcom on TV right now, and I love the cast top-to-bottom, especially Neil Patrick Harris and Jason Segel.

Glee
(Fox, premieres Sept. 20)

Say what you will about "the gayest show on television," but after recently getting caught up on the dram-com (just made that word up), I reinforced an opinion that I was wavering on: the out-of-this-world soundtrack more than makes up for the ridiculous-at-times plot structure. Look no further than the Justin Bieber episode (actual title - "Comeback") or the "Funeral" episode to see some amazing songs performed by amazing singers. I'm surprised to hear myself recommend this, but Glee is my sleeper pick for best show of a star-studded fall schedule.

Modern Family
(ABC, premieres Sept. 21)

I'm new to the Modern Family bandwagon. I just discovered it about two months ago, and absolutely ripped through the old episodes, all the while laughing like a school girl at the mayhem induced by the complicated family structure. My favorite characters have to be Phil and Mitchell, but really it's the same as choosing your favorite child: you go with the one whose coat-tails you can ride to fame. Or so I'm told.

The Sing-Off

(NBC, premieres Sept. 19)

The Sing-Off, a reality show-adaptation of the ever-popular Glee, has quickly risen in two seasons to be my favorite vocal-centric reality show (there are surprisingly quite a few shows that fit this rather specific category). They've made a great (in my opinion) personnel change in letting go of the Pussycat Dolls' Nicole Scherzinger and bringing in former a cappella groupist and pop darling Sara Bareilles to take over the female presence in the panel. The mix of eccentric personalities (so many faux-hawks!), attire (so many vests!), and choreography (so many jazz hands!) with the strong presence of popular, catchy tunes makes for fun, guilty pleasure TV. Plus, it's practically designed to make you fall in love with the contestants. The Sing-Off is my most-anxiously-awaited show, and I guarantee that if you try it, you won't be disappointed.

Upcoming shows on the horizon:
Mad Men (early 2012), NBA (currently locked out, TBA)

Are You Ready For Some...Soccer?

The Astros are horrible. I don't live close enough to Atlanta to watch Braves games on regional TV. College football hasn't started yet, and I refuse to watch preseason NFL football. And to top it all off, American Ninja Warrior is done for this year (curse the Japanese and their penchant for constructing impossible obstacle courses!). All told, there has definitely been a lull in my sports viewing the past couple weeks. My schedule was wide open. The spirit was willing to watch sports, but the TV Guide schedule was weak.

Enter soccer (still not calling it football, you can't make me.). Now, a few years ago, after reading an article by espn.com's Sports Guy and grantland.com creator Bill Simmons, I tried to get into the English Premier League and pick my own team. In his article, Simmons lists all of the teams in the EPL and scores them against his own criteria. Now, I have only seen a few games and don't care to be as thorough as "Jabaal Abdul-Simmons", but for what it's worth in 2008 I picked Liverpool.

However, I'm willing to take a closer look and reconsider the recipient of my "footy" fandom. So I figure that I'll watch with an open mind for as much of the season as is necessary, and then when I finally do pick a team, seal my decision by buying a jersey. Or a scarf. Because those things are tight.

The things I'm taking into account for my decision: team style of play, having a star player (who's likable, or at least who I like), team talent (I don't want my team to be in danger of relegation...like my 'Stros [Boom goes the dynamite!]), and rivalry. I think those are all pretty self-explanatory.

So far, unfortunately the two teams that I have my eye on are Liverpool and...Everton, the 'Pool's bitter rivals. Since this is such a heated rivalry, especially as of late (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merseyside_derby), I figure that I can't ride the fence on this one. However, my mancrush on US Men's National Team goalie Tim Howard has the Blues (Everton) with the early lead.

Some other star players that I've liked so far: Edin Dzeko (Manchester City), Peter Crouch (Tottenham Hotspur), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), and Tim Howard/Tim Cahill (Everton). Some of the things that I've really enjoyed about watching soccer are the rabid fans (especially the cheers), the high vocabulary used by the English commentators (why John Madden, why?), team scarves (as previously discussed), the collars on the jerseys, and the disdain used to describe a flopping player.

Does my bro-mance with the EPL have the potential to be completely forgotten within hours of the beginning of NCAA football and the NFL? You bet. But I can honestly say I've been pleasantly surprised with what I've seen so far. And that, if all else fails, I am counting down the days to World Cup Brazil 2014!

An Unconventional Rebuilding Strategy

The MLB playoffs are looming. The Astros, my hometown boys, are long gone from the playoff hunt. We've traded away two of our best players in Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn, and are now fielding a team of youngsters hoping to make a splash against big league opponents as the train wreck of a 2011 season winds down for Houston.

With all of that said, there is a positive to be taken from this: I noticed that with all of the new players seeing major league time for the Astros, there seems to be an interesting connection running through several of the players. Their names all start with the letter J.

Now, having been an Astros fan back to the time of the Astrodome, I fondly remember the era of the Killer B's (Bagwell, Biggio, Derek Bell, and in the later years Lance Berkman). So we know that Houston's management has not been against constructing teams loosely-based on player names. Knowing that, take a look at the number of players on the current Astros roster who fit the criteria:

Juan Abreu

Jeff Fulchino

Jordan Lyles

Jason Castro

Jose Altuve

Jimmy Paredes

Jason Bourgeois

Jason Michaels

Jordan Schafer

And that's not all! Check out this fascinating list of players:

J.A. Happ

J.B. Shuck

J.D. Martinez

J.R. Towles

With this trend in mind, I propose we make some more additions to the roster to complete our overhaul this year. Let's trade for Atlanta Braves catcher J.C. Boscan, Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy, Blue Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia, and bring back the ghost of former-San Francisco Giant 1st basemen J.T. Snow's career. Since we're undergoing an ownership change as it is, let's get rapper Jay-Z to chip into the ownership, and we can do this "J" thing right.

Lastly, I feel like a nickname would be fitting, similar to the "Killer B's". After thinking about it, my two thoughts would be the "Flying J's" to continue with the Astros' space theme, or my personal favorite of "The J Crew".

Go 'Stros!

Watch The Throne

When rumors started swirling that two of my favorite rappers (Jay-Z and Kanye West) were getting together for an album-long collaboration, I understandably got very excited. I bought Watch The Throne (WTT) about a week ago, and have been listening to it more or less nonstop since.

Three reasons why I like the album:

1. Kanye's beats are a better background than what a Jay album normally features. Jay-Z can rap over anything and make it sound awesome, but when it's over a thought-provoking, substantial soundtrack like Kanye's, it raises the bar significantly. My favorite beat of the album is "Otis", with honorable mention going to "New Day" and "Who Gon Stop Me".

2. Jay-Z brings better rapping "chops" to the album than what Kanye can consistently fit into a studio release. His ability to convey a lyrical metaphor throughout the entirety of a verse is better than any other rapper out there right now (see his Pledge of Allegiance analogy in "Made in America"). My favorite rapping display from Mr. Carter is on "HAM" (on the deluxe release), and then a very close second is on "N-Words in Paris". "Why I Love You" gets honorable mention.

3. The surprising debut of Frank Ocean! If he's been on something before this, I missed it. I've never heard of him before, but his voice on "No Church In The Wild" and especially "Made In America" is so freaking good. He's just got some really great vocal strength, and his control over his own voice lets his incredible tonal quality shine.

"Otis" is my favorite track. The perfect blend of Jay and 'Ye trading off over the Otis Redding sample of "Try A Little Tenderness" gets happily stuck in my head for hours at a time. It probably already is pushing my Top 25 Most Played list in iTunes, and rightfully so.

Basically, taking the best of both worlds (Kanye's soundtrack and Jay-Z's lyrics) makes for an incredible collaboration. The interludes linking the tracks throughout the album together are such a professional touch, and it really puts this record over the top. Throw in an up-and-comer singer in Frank Ocean, and that's just a nice cherry on top. Two thumbs up for WTT as a whole, and hopefully I can score some tickets to see "The Throne" on their tour!

(As a side note, I've recently discovered an incredible website for decoding some of the more difficult lyrical passages and references in rap: www.rapgenius.com. Self-described as "A Hip-Hop Wikipedia", it's a user-submitted, moderator-regulated discussion on rap lyrics and references, with a dash of humor thrown in. It's been a great sidekick for listening to new lyrics, as well as for going back and listening through the back catalog. Plus, I'm pretty sure it's run by some Ivy League-educated white guys, for what that's worth.)

SEC Rumors

The blog is back! After a prolonged absence, it's making a comeback - just like ugly clothes that you'd never be caught dead in....until they become trendy and retro.

A while ago, was it 6 months ago? maybe almost a full year? there were rumors circling surrounding college football and, more importantly, the Big 12. These rumors were brought on by the vacancies left in the Big 12 due to Nebraska leaving for the Big Ten (now to 12 teams), and Colorado's moving to the Pac-10, along with Utah (now the Pac-12). Right around that time, there was made known the possibility of Texas and most of the Big 12 South (OU, OSU, and Texas Tech) moving to the Pac-12 to become a super-conference of 16 teams. As an A&M fan and student, I was curious why the Ags hadn't been mentioned in the Super Pac conference rumors. Then, news broke that there were talks going on between TAMU and the SEC - so it all made sense. However, none of the big shakeup actually transpired, and the only tangible evidence that anything actually happened was the creation of the Longhorn Sports Network, Texas' own television station.

Arriving at the present, the LHN is about to begin it's first football season on the air, and the Big 12 (-2) will start its awkward schedule of playing each and every school in the conference every year. However, earlier this week my twitter timeline blew up with rumors once again circling that TAMU might move to the SEC. According to texags.com guru Billy Liucci's tweet, if A&M and the SEC agree on a deal within the month, the Ags can be playing in the SEC in 2012! Pretty cool idea, but is it the best thing for the Maroon and White?

My ideal situation is as follows: A&M moves to the SEC and joins the West division. The SEC adds another team (Clemson? Virginia Tech?) to even out the divisions at 7 apiece. Texas, now with its own TV deal in the LHN, goes independent. The Oklahoma, Kansas, and remaining schools from the now-defunct Big 12 regroup and form something resembling the old Big 8 (with more teams like TCU, Boise State, etc.).

What does this mean for Texas? They honestly have a big enough national audience and fan base to keep themselves afloat without conference ties, and can you imagine a yearly rivalry with Notre Dame? How crazy would that be? Also with the independence, you can keep the rivalry games with both OU and A&M, and not fight over the Big 12 South crown with Oklahoma, as has been the case for the past 10 years. Texas' schedule would have some cream puffs, as would be the case in a big-time conference, but would also have yearly games against OU, A&M, and Notre Dame with a possible Ohio State/USC rivalry renewed. Sounds like a win to me.

What does this mean for Texas A&M? Well, it's kind of out of the frying pan and into the fire, honestly. From the Big 12 South (Texas, OU, Ok State, Tech, and Baylor) to the new SEC West (Arkansas, LSU, Bama, Auburn, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State), you go from a bad draw to a worse draw. However, I think that with the Texas recruiting connection, A&M could definitely hang in there with the perennially elite teams in the country, and I could see the Aggies playing up to their competition. Also, in the basketball realm, TAMU could definitely excel after getting out from underneath KU's presence.

All told, I think A&M could adapt to contend in the SEC, Texas could excel as an independent school, and the rest of the Big 12 as we know it might be better off reshaping and melting into other conferences. Will all of this go according to my personal plan? Most likely not. But will something happen? I think so. Now it's just a matter of time.

Everyone's Doing Their Own Brackets

So with March Madness in full swing (the best month of the sports year!), I keep hearing different people doing their own versions of brackets. The bracket itself is such an interesting concept: rank things highest to lowest, square each of them off in pairs with the winner advancing, and eliminate until you're left with an eventual champion. Now with social networking and instant fan feedback, so many radio shows are doing bracket-style gimmicks in their shows. And let me be honest - I love it! It's kind of how my brain works, compare two things, pick the better of the two, and then decide how MUCH better it is than everything else. Simply fascinating.

Two brackets I've really liked recently have been music related: Colin Cowherd (on his radio show, The Herd) did a top music groups bracket, and then the local sports radio show around Houston (The Blitz) did a unique spin on that: worst musical groups, which I enjoyed so much. For instance, one of the second-round matchups squared off the New School boy band Jonas Brothers against the Old School boy band, Hanson. It was amazing! And the final was great too: Insane Clown Posse narrowly being defeated by David Hasselhoff. It definitely made listening to the radio on my lunch break suck that much less.

So with those two music-related brackets as guides, I had an idea: a bracket of the best bands of all time, seeded according to long-term success, and then having matchups set as each band's top 5 songs head-to-head, majority-rules.

That way, a band like Boston, who really only had one great album and then broke up, would be seeded low due to such a short-term lifespan - but then their top 5 hits are a murderer's row against the best of them: More Than A Feeling, Foreplay (Long Time), Smokin', Rock 'n Roll Band...I mean that's tough to beat. So, I like this idea, and I think that my four #1 seeds would be as follows (keeping in mind that these are for long-term success in the music industry): The Rolling Stones, U2, KISS, and Aerosmith.

The Beatles (my favorites to win it all, since I think they're the best band of all time) would land somewhere around a 3 seed? Because they were only a band from 1963-70, yet with that you forget that they put out at least an album a year, sometimes two. So they're not quite Coldplay, with 4 albums over 10 years of being a legitimate chart-topper, but they can be a dark horse and come from nowhere to win it all.

So go ahead and try to tell me this idea sucks, because it doesn't.

Down Goes Selena 2.0!

Okay, this is another American Idol breakdown, but I just think that the scenarios have changed slightly. So look at this as a progress report.

Here are my power rankings, and these are based on where I think they should go realistically (with only slight bias).

1 - James Durbin

2 - Jacob Lusk

3 - Casey Abrams

4 - Pia Toscano

5 - Stefano Langone

6 - Haley Reinhart

7 - Lauren Alaina

8 - Paul McDonald

9 - Scottie McCreery

10 - Thia Megia

11 - Naima Edadapo

First, the judges on the show have started to just fill roles in their post-performance critiques. Randy, as he always has, takes a very musical, note-by-note approach. That's fine, except that what he sometimes thinks are "hot", I don't agree with. Jennifer Lopez has transitioned nicely into the Paula Abdul vacancy, and she's an even bigger star than Abdul was so she has even more influence on these guys. This may sound crazy, but after the audition episodes, I thought that Steven Tyler was going to triumphantly take over the Simon Cowell role of tough-love critic. Then, he decided to take his cues from...Ellen Degeneres? Now he is just pumping these singers so full of inspiration that I'm afraid of an explosion of Care Bear lovey-dovey rainbows every time he opens his mouth.

Do I have a solution? Sure, I'm glad you asked! Randy, keep doing what you're doing - you and I may differ, but your opinion has been proven and it's respected. J.Lo, right on. You know where these people could possibly be headed, and you have good advice. Steven Tyler, please please please be the singer of good music that you are, and give them good advice and point out musical aspects of the songs. Also, keep cursing on camera - it's so funny to play "Is that a cable provider audio error or just Steven being Steven?"

Now to the competition. With Karen (aka Selena/J-Lo 2.0) voted off, there are now two more contestants who I think have no business being in the competition this late - namely Thia and Naima. Both are great singers, but they just don't have the chops to hang with the rest. The next two weeks, in a perfect world, would have the two of them leaving in no particular order.

A couple singers have been surprising to me - or rather, America's response has been surprising to some fairly unique voices. Where Casey seems to be a favorite in the competition, and Paul has been accepted for all of his dance moves and odd voice, I think that Haley has been sending in some absolute gems for a few weeks and has been getting killed for it. She's got that growl in her voice, which I think she uses tastefully, and isn't afraid to move around while she dances which is good. Granted, I know that it sounds differently when you're in the theater with them, so J.Lo saying that it looks awkward may have some merit to it. But I really think she's got a great voice, and where Randy says "what do you want to be? who are you as an artist?" I could construe as saying that she's super-versatile. Think about it, she sang Alicia Keys and then Lee Ann Rimes - in back-to-back weeks. That's why she's so high on my power rankings.

Lauren is legit, she had a bad week and was sick last week so she's not in the top 5 because of that and, honestly, that everyone in the top 5 might be a little better than her. But she could be a Carrie Underwood-type.

I'm pretty sure Scottie has already gotten calls from country producers offering him a job, and you know what? Keep it up bro! He knows what he can do, and he stinkin' does it. Right on.

My roommate told me this after hearing the last episode, and I agree with him. He said that he hopes Paul gets voted off soon, because if he does the fear is that he'll be shoehorned into a major record label-type of act. And I honestly think that he could be great if left to do his own thing without having to appease the American Idol producers.

Pia and Stefano are the two dark horses, who were kind of unheralded but now have proven to be amazing if given the right song. Pia has something about her where she can take on the divas and do them justice. Also, she has such as strong, controlled voice that she can go even higher after holding out a sustained note in the upper register. Listen for it next time, it's pretty remarkable. If Stefano could use last week as a blueprint, I see him becoming a Ne-Yo/Bruno Mars type. And I really like both of those guys.

James, Jacob, and Casey are still my favorites to win it all, and it's just a matter of who gets sick as to who will win. Jacob, though, needs to ease up a little. I like that he goes all the way up to 6th gear on the intensity, but I like to hear the soft and beautiful voice like he did on the last line of his song last week.

And Casey, do you now see why Nirvana has never been done? Yeah. I like the risk, but horrible execution. I won't say anything bad about James, you can't make me.

American Idol, are you serious?

I mean for real! After my boy, Taylor Hicks, won season 5 of American Idol, I swore off the show because I had reached the pinnacle - I had picked a guy in his first audition to win the whole thing. Also attributing to my American Idol sabbatical was the increase in gimmicks and tricks that the show kept throwing out there. It was honestly annoying, and if you don't agree then you must be the one person in the world who thinks that Ryan Seacrest is SO funny, and you probably actually like watching non-Super Bowl commercials. Be honest.

However, I started watching this season. What got me back into it? Honestly, I wanted to see Jennifer Lopez, Randy Jackson, and Steven Tyler ruin the show. I knew that Randy couldn't handle the show by himself, J-Lo would be too....I don't know, harsh? and that Steven Tyler would probably fill his Coca-Cola sponsored cup with LSD and trip out on national TV. So I started watching. And you know what? I like it! I was right, Randy can't carry the load, but he doesn't need too - this group is sharing the load, like the '00 Ravens, or the '04 Pistons, or the '10 San Francisco Giants. They're sharing the ball, and it's really working.

As a side note, I'm pretty sure that Steven Tyler has in his contract somewhere that he can do whatever he wants. And I'm sure that Ryan Seacrest - ever the drama queen - loves it, and caters to it. Seriously, how long until he gets to bring a pet into auditions one year? Or he makes out with a hot girl (or guy? ew jordan...stop) after some face-melting solo.

So here's what I think of the current top 10 (+3). Because it's not the top 13 according to TV Guide...thanks a lot, show riggers. The girls are clearly shallower in depth, so I'll start with them. Lauren Alaina and Hailey Reinhart could win the whole thing, but each would have to surprise me. Hailey KILLED it this week with Alicia Keys' "Fallin'", and Lauren actually sang a song that I didn't like. But like a consummate professional, she made a 4 sound like an 8, and a song choice that should have made her nervous in any other year sent her sailing through to the next round. Thia Megia could be something special, but has yet to prove to me that she's good enough to make into the Hailey-Lauren echelon. Naima is really good, but won't last - and Ashthon is solid, but doesn't do anything special for me...and you need that to separate yourself. Pia sang The Pretenders' "I'll Stand By You" so well this week, and me and my roommate were blown away by it - but it's really the first time I've looked at her twice, so it's too soon to place her. I really like Karen Rodriguez, and I'd say her consistency puts her in a class of her own directly below the Hailey-Lauren line. The girls, however, are weak compared to the guys, and I still think that only Lauren or maybe Hailey can win it all.

As for the guys, unfortunately, it's a two-man race. Stefano is really good, he's got such a powerfully high voice for only being like 5'5'', but his time on the show is dwindling because he doesn't have the depth of range of his peers.

Can I just say that Tim Halperin is good enough to make it ANY other year?! So good, and I really think that a bad song choice led him to an early exit. Plus, he's friends with a guy I knew from high school, so it was cool to see Aaron Mullenix on my TV for the past few weeks.

Scotty, the low-singing baseball pitcher, is Mr. Country this year. He knows his strike zone, and isn't willing to chase. He's like Tony Gwynn, he won't hit many home runs, but every time out you expect him to make solid contact. And you know what? I think it could get him to go really far this season.

I love Paul McDonald, and his quirky voice and fashion sense. First of all, props for going all-black, and the coat tails were very cool. He knows what he can do, and with his raspy voice he can take any song and make it his own without trying too hard. However, I don't think the American public will appreciate him as much as he should be, so I think he's on his last legs here. Shame.

Casey Abrams, if anyone, could catch the two frontrunners. However, the bearded eccentric will have to set the WORLD on fire if he plans on catching them...kind of like he did this week. His personality really shows when he sings, and it's very endearing. He's a mainstay in the show for sure, and he is must-see TV.

Now Jacob Lusk and James Durbin are 1-2 in some order, depending on the day. For me, I think that this week Jacob's Vandross song "A House Is Not A Home" barely edges out James's "You Got Another Thing Coming". Lusk was emotional, and Durbin was playful and energetic, and it's really like a difference between 9.9 and a 9.8 but still. One thing that I think will be interesting to watch will be to see how well Jacob can do the faster songs. He's got the heart-wrenchers down to an art, but can he awkwardly bounce around the stage? Even if he can't, he's still miles in front of 3rd place. And let it be known that Durbin can do almost no wrong in my eyes. So there.

Final prediction: 1st - Lusk, 2nd - Durbin

The Houston Rockets

I never thought I'd say this, but I am beginning to be a fan of none other than the Houston Rockets basketball team in the National Basketball Association. Like, a legitimate fan. For around 12 years now, I've lived in Houston. I have been a die-hard Astros fan for each and every year of that span (dating back to the Carl Everett, Mike Hampton, and Jose Lima days), but have never really followed the Rockets very intently. Sure, I'd cheer for them or watch if the games were on, but I never made it a point to watch.

Well, that sure has changed. I've watched more NBA games this season than I ever have, and have seen nearly every game played by the Rockets this season. As for my fanhood, I'm a fan of the hometown boys, LeBron and the Heatles, and several individual players throughout the league (Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry, to name a few). With the trade deadline recently having passed, and the most exciting part of the NBA season looming on the near horizon, I figured I'd break down some thoughts on the new and (hopefully) improved Houston Rockets.

First, I like Rick Adelman. He's got a good demeanor on the court with the pacing and instructing his players. He seems to fight for his players with the referees without ever going postal and trying to make himself the focal point of the game. In the post-game press conferences and interviews, he seems to have good perspective and makes it easy for the media members to glean quotes from him for their articles and pieces. He's not the best coach in the league, but he only adds to this team and takes nothing away.

Secondly, I'll discuss GM Daryl Morey and the new arrivals/departures from the recent trades. Morey, from everything I've read and heard, seems to be a pioneer in the NBA landscape. He's very statistically-driven (even co-chairing the MIT Sloan Sports Conference, a Mensa-meeting-type feel of sports stats nuts) and seems to never accept the Rockets in their current state. It's that drive to always strive for more that I think will make the team competitive each year for as long as he's here. Will he make some mistakes? Sure, he might trade/release a guy who goes on to have a revitalized career or sign someone who was only a flash in the pan. However, the overall feel of his managerial style shows that he's got a great feel for what Adelman needs as far as tools to make this team win, and his trade moves reflect that.

For instance, trading fan-favorite Shane Battier along with Ish Smith for Hasheem Thabeet and Demarre Carroll and a first-round pick is a very pro-active move that will hopefully serve to give some worthy bench guys some minutes. Battier is an excellent player and a good team guy, but his contract is expiring and I at least would rather move him too soon than too late. Thabeet (who looks like a character straight out of Avatar - don't lie, you see it too!) is still very young, and he could be a serviceable center in the league. I mean, look at what we did with 6'6'' Chuck Hayes! Also, call me crazy but I watched Carroll in college (at Mizzou), and he's not a bad player at all. Think Patrick Patterson but a little more pass-heavy, like Pistons rookie Greg Monroe.

The other Rockets trade sent point guard Aaron Brooks to the Suns for their Slovenian backup Goran Dragic and a pick. Brooks really didn't do a whole lot for me as a fan, but that's probably because I didn't get to see him in his excellence last year and only in his conflict-ridden season this year (storming off the court and receiving a suspension for it). Dragic set the world on fire with an excellent playoff series against the Spurs in 2010, and ever since then I have been a fan of his. He has an excellent motor, isn't afraid to mix it up (as evidenced by a verbal tussle with Sasha Vujacic in last year's playoffs...but seriously Vujacic had it coming. The dude's a whimp.), and loves to drive to the lane and kick it out to a thankful 3-point shooter. Brooks will be missed, but I like the move and what it brings to starter Kyle Lowry.

I'm sorry, did someone say Kyle Lowry?! Well then, I'd love to put my two cents in. I've watched Kyle Lowry snag (and then firmly put his stamp on) the starting point guard job. He's lighting it up from 3, and brings a junkyard-dog feel to the team that I love. For all of Kevin Martin's whiny acting jobs, Lowry matches those performances with a hard and-1 to the basket or an open-court steal and bucket on the break. He has quickly become my favorite Rocket.

Other bright spots obviously include Martin, who was NBA player of the week last week, rookie Patrick Patterson who has been playing like a veteran, and severely-undersized Chuck Hayes (or The Chuckwagon, as FSN announcers Matt Bullard and Bill Worrell affectionately call him) who consistently turns out double-doubles and guards some of the toughest power forwards in the league. I love Luis Scola's offensive game, and he has recently stepped it up with some charge-taking performances on the defensive end too. Courtney Lee quite possibly is the most athletic Rocket, and I love his game on both ends. I've actually had a soft-spot in my heart for him ever since his dagger 3 in the first round of the NCAA tournament a few years ago with Western Kentucky - even though he screwed over my bracket.

Brad Miller has had better times than he's playing right now, and I wish that he'd bring some toughness along with his height to the second-team. I'm not too high on Kevin Martin actually, but like every long-time Laker fan will tell you about Kobe, you don't complain about results.

Where do I see the Rockets going? I hope they can get a playoff spot, and I think it's very possible. However, barring a crazy run or some meteoric collapses from the bottom-half of the playoff brackets I don't foresee the Rockets moving out of the first round. However, the future looks bright for this team, and I will definitely be watching intently to see how the season plays out.

The Fighter

I'm a guy who likes a good quest. They don't necessarily require damsels in distress or large rewards for completion (although hey, that never hurts), but nothing gives you a focus and a determination like a quest of some sort. For example, I just recently completed my mission to listen to every song in my iTunes library start-to-finish at least once. I now hate myself for being determined to leave on every single Sufjan Stevens song even when I don't care for his music (oh come on! some of those titles don't even finish scrolling across the screen before they're over!), and I want to kick Junior-year Jordan in the face for putting on a 100-song playlist of the best classical music compositions....but I stand (sit) before you (my computer screen) as a man who has climbed the mountain of iTunes - triumphant.

A quest that I kind of stumbled into is the Oscar nominees for Best Picture. I had already seen Toy Story 3, Inception, The Social Network, True Grit, and Black Swan and liked, if not loved, all of them, so I figured I'd try my best to see the others before February 27 when they hand out the award. So now came time for me to watch The Fighter, and I was underwhelmed. I find more...jenqui.

Whenever you've got Christian Bale (a heralded actor who is versatile) and Mark Wahlberg (a hunk who's got the lovable Matt Damon-thing to him) in the same movie, there's definitely potential. Especially when I found out that Micky Ward (Wahlberg's character) was from Massachusetts. That could only mean one thing - awesome accents! And while the accents were indeed awesome, this movie featured a different side of Massachusetts from the Boston that all the other movies seem to portay. That's right, apparently Lowell is to Massachusetts what Oklahoma is to Texas, or what the South is to the United States. Everybody was so white trash! (I stole that phrasing from my friend Ian at www.amainnerd.wordpress.com - check him out, he comes up with his own phrases!) So with that as the first initial shock, I was caught on my heels a little for the rest of the movie.

Mark Wahlberg, let's face it, is hit or miss with acting. Even within the movie, he had some incredibly-acted scenes (like when he gave Dicky a piece of his mind as he was leaving the prison's visitation room) and some "Mark Wahlberg Talks To Animals"-esque sections (basically any time he talked to his mother, Alice....calling your mom by her first name is annoying too, so strike two). Don't remember that SNL sketch? Or do you have it set as your home page? Me too.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/37753/saturday-night-live-mark-wahlberg-talks-to-animals

I love it. Now onto Mr. Bale. He really got the mannerisms and quirkiness of Dicky down pat, as seen in the footage at the end of the movie of the two actual brothers. He seemed like a believable junkie, so much so that I couldn't fathom him ever being a legitimate boxer. On that note, let's just all scoff at the idea of Wahlberg fighting at 140...he's 5'10'', there's no way he's a shade under 165 in this movie. However, Bale was tiny, and it was a shock to my system after seeing The Dark Knight again recently. Christian Bale was a really good actor in this movie, and I guess he's legit enough to go crazy on set, but whatever.

The actual boxing scenes were lame. I mean, when he knocked out the Mexican newcomer with a kidney shot, I bet it was a shock to everyone. But in the movie it looked like they told Sanchez (wasn't that his name? Gonzalez maybe? Ramirez? Martinez? Ugh this is getting racist...) to just...stand there. No reaction whatsoever when Mick half-jumps to the side to deliver the final blows. What can I say? I want my boxing matches to be somewhat believable.

While the boxing was lame, there were some keeper scenes. Like when Dicky gets released from prison and shows up in the gym for the first time with his mom and Micky all reunited - that's real tension. I mean just pure, unadulterated AWKWARD. It was incredible, and they really did a good job of letting it just get to the awkward stage and just fester...it made me feel like I needed to do something with my hands, Ricky Bobby-style.

One last thing I noticed was the soundtrack. If they come out with a soundtrack album for this movie, it will be awesome (The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Whitesnake...some really good rock from the time period). However, I felt like the songs were spread in an odd fashion across the movie. Where I'd rather have an epic song as the bottom layer behind a boxing match, there were some upbeat snippets thrown in. Or when Dicky was running from the cops while Micky and the family are enjoying themselves, I would've enjoyed a splicing of a grungy song for the chase while having some light jazz in the background of the dinner - and instead it was Led Zeppelin's peppy rock "Good Times Bad Times". It's the director's prerogative what to put in, but I didn't necessarily agree with it - kind of like The Watchmen's awkward soundtrack.

All in all, the movie was really good, and it told a very unique story of a hometown, family-oriented guy coming out of his fallen-star brother's shadow to achieve greatness. The relationship between Micky and Charlene was too trite for me, so it didn't really add much. The story to this movie might deserve an Oscar, but I don't think the movie itself deserves a shiny trophy.