Tag Archive: jeremy lin

Cleaning Up Like Danny Tanner

February 24, 2012 Adam Thomas

Hey, I’m a cartoon now! Sweet!

1.) Here is all you need to know about how obnoxious ESPN’s coverage of Jeremy Lin has gotten: Last night the Knicks played the Heat and you know what?  I was rooting for the Heat to win! Goodness, it hurts to write that, but it’s true!  I would’ve rather had Lebron James destroy those fools and put a (albeit brief) stop to all the Jeremy Lin madness.

Look, I get it, it’s rare that something like this happens. But on Saturday morning, I turned on ESPN and they had an interview with Lin talking about how he was crying cause he kept getting cut by NBA teams. OK, that’s fine.  BUT then I turned on ESPN on Tuesday morning AND THEY WERE PLAYING THE EXACT SAME INTERVIEW!  Gah!  That is madness and it certainly deserved an all caps sentence.  Simmons has had THREE PODCASTS where he talks about Jeremy Lin.  And in every one, he always says “I mean, he’s going to end up like J.J. Barea…” just have that in one podcast. Case closed.

2.) Moving on, Stefanie and I just bought our first house, and you know what I did not expect?  Buying a house has turned me into freaking Danny Tanner! I’m walking around with disinfectant wipes, Windex and bleach non stop scrubbing all sorts of surfaces in my house! And this is funny cause I have never really been a clean person (just ask any of my former roommates), but all of a sudden, I’m like Bob Saget.

3.) We watched Drive last Friday in HD and let me tell you something, that movie was awesome.  By far the best movie I’ve seen in the past year. That is until I watched The Tree of Life on Wednesday.  Now it’s a tossup between those two.

Look, I know people are either going to love or hate the Tree of Life, but that’s how it is with all Terrence Malick movies. I remember once in Asheville, a group of us got together to watch his movie “The New World” and we all hated it.  I watched it alone two years later and now love it, but it’s certainly an acquired taste. If you don’t like voice-over, his movies probably ain’t for you.

What I will say about The Tree of Life is that no movie has ever made me think about the vastness of the universe and life and death more. It really is a spiritual movie more than anything else, and I really, really enjoyed it. Drive is just awesome cause of the visuals and the faux 80’s synthed out soundtrack that plays throughout every scene. If you like cheesy 80’s synth pop like me and Dennis Reynolds, OR you like Grand Theft Auto, then I suggest checking it out.

4.) Apparently Jay-Z and Kanye West played one of their songs ten times in a row at a concert. That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard of being done at a concert in my life. And people have the gall to call those two conceited!

It did, however, remind me of an awesome burn that my friend Big B told me about: once upon a time, he and one of his buddies were leaving a bar and they decided to pump a juke box full of quarters and put that song “D.A.N.C.E” by Justice on about ten times in a row and then high tailed it out of there. Can you imagine listening to that song ten times in a row?  Oh my goodness that sounds like torture!  The only song I can think of that I’d like to listen to ten times in a row is “Starship Trooper” by Yes.  That was sarcasm. That’d be about 100 minutes of non-stop spritely music.

5.) While we’re on music, check out my cousin Chris’ awesome blog Live philly concerts where he goes around recording live performances of bands and posts them to the blog. He has literally been to more concerts in the past month than I have been to in my entire life! And the video quality is incredible considering he is filming it on his phone (I think) in a throng of fans. If you’re looking for some hip new bands, go check it out.  Good stuff.

6.) ALSO, while we’re on music, check out my buddy Sam’s band, Fort Lean. They were recently named a buzz worthy band by MTV. You close personal friends of mine might know Sam as a member of the multi-platinum selling rap group Insurrection. AKA, the rap band we formed when we were Counselors in Training up at Simon’s Rock College of Bard’s Young Writers Workshop back in 2004. All I’ve got to say is “GAME ON!” If you check out the link above, Sam is the one on the far left with the big hair.  He’s also the drummer and tears it up on their tracks.

What’s odd is that we haven’t talked in like 6 years and yet here I am plugging his band.  But that is the beauty (and the horror) of Facebook.

7.) Let’s see, what else.  Oh yes, I also recommend checking out King of New York, this crazy early 90’s movie where Christopher Walken plays a drug kingpin just released from jail. It’s pretty ridiculous (Lawrence Fishburn plays his part juuust a bit over the top) but it does have Walken playing a drug kingpin, and it is well worth it for this one scene where (SPOILERS!) he shoots a rival drug kingpin and then says, “If any of you…are getting tired…of getting ripped off by guys like that…you come with me. I’m at the Plaza Hotel….You’re welcome.  YOU’RE ALL WELCOME!…..To join.”

I don’t know if that quote did the brilliance of the scene justice, as Walken inter-splices the quote with random gun shots into the guy and, well, you all know how weirdly he enunciates things.  But just youtube it.

8.) The Sixers…yeesh, what can you say?  They are terrible. Looking at the top 8 teams in the East, there is only one that I think they can probably beat in a series, and that is Boston. Miami: no chance. Bulls: No. Orlando: No. Indiana: No. Atlanta: No. New York: No. Boston: Maybe. Yuck. They have really fallen off.

I’ve said it once, but this is the first time this season: They need to trade Iggy for a proven scorer. Then give Turner his minutes and I don’t think we will lose TOO much. Obviously, Iggy is better than Turner at this point but I think it’s a move that has to be made.

9.) It’s funny how when Stanford Routt was a Raider, he was garbage but now that they cut him and the Chiefs signed him, he is a shutdown corner. Look, I watched the guy all last year, he is doo-doo.

10.) I watched Tiger Woods in match play yesterday and man is his putting atrocious.  As my brother’s fiance, Jen, always says, “Drive for show, putt for dough.”

11.) The Rock is returning to Raw on Monday Night and he had better have his “A” game with him.  If he plugs twitter (which he will) or Facebook (which he will), I may have to side with John Cena in their feud, something I never thought possible.  See, the Rock I know and love would never do that.

The Rock I know and love wears leather fanny packs, gaudy gold watches, gold rimmed sun glasses, Hawaiian shirts, short khaki shorts and polished crocodile loafers with no socks to the ring to cut his promos (which involve being booed and giving people Rolex’s and pictures of the Rock as gifts).

The Rock I know and love is no more.  This new Rock plugs twitter and stars in Mystery Island 2 (Probably not the right name). So I hope that he cuts a great promo on Monday, cause rooting for Cena at Wrestlemania is something that I never wanted to do. But it’s something I may be forced to accept. Come on Rocky!  Please don’t mention twitter.

That’s all I got.  Until next time…

4 Comments

Moonshining Envelopes

February 17, 2012 Adam Thomas

1.) If you haven’t watched that show “Moonshiners” yet, do yourself a favor and check it out.  HILARIOUS. Here is all you need to know: It’s a show about moonshiners in Appalachia who set up hidden stills to brew moonshine and they’re named things like “Popcorn” and “Tickle.” Tickle, by the way, is almost always going to do something hysterical. And yes, it is seems like moonshine fumes and drinking mash liquor for his entire life has turned his brain to mush.  Go figure.

2.) I still haven’t watched that Full Metal Jousting show that my cousin recommended, but I promise to do so soon. Especially since I am immersed in “A Storm of Swords” the third book in George R.R. Martin’s “Song of Ice and Fire” series.

By the way, can I just beg any future fantasy writers out there to leave songs and lyrics and poems and that nonsense out of your books?  They are annoying and all I do is skip over them. Tolkien pulls that crap too with all the little hobbits singing their songs.

3.) I’ve been watching a lot of Sopranos episodes lately, and I have to say, my favorite part is when the mobsters hand each other envelopes brimming with cash, and then the recipient slyly tucks it into his inside jacket pocket.

I think having someone come up to me, give me a hug, slap me lightly on the cheek and hand me a big old envelope full of cash while saying something like, “Go buy yourself something nice” or “Here’s a little something for a rainy day” is now on my bucket list. It doesn’t have to be real, it could be Monopoly money for all I care, I just want it to happen.

4.) I just got a new old TV from my rents (and by “just” I mean I got it about a month ago) and it has a duel VCR/DVD player built in–we’re talking high-tec stuff. This allowed me to watch the original cartoon Transformers movie for the 1,000th time and you know what I forgot?  At the beginning, the narrator states, “the year is 2005.” Why didn’t they set it a little further into the future?  I mean, the movie was made in 1986.  Were the creators really banking on Transformers and Decepticons being built in 19 years?  I think ANY science fiction movie has to set the year that it takes place at least 100 years in the future.

5.) It pains me to say this, but I think the Sixers have peaked.  They got off to a hot start because of the shortened season/little roster turnover but now teams are catching up to them.  I once thought that they could get out of the first round, but I am starting to have my doubts especially because…

6.) LINSANITY!  I had to mention it.  Quite frankly, I am very happy that I do not have ESPN right now (I just moved and Comcast is transferring today) cause I am guessing that is ALL that they are talking about. But in spite of all that, it really is a neat story. Even if the media blows everything up for about a week and then forgets about it in a month. Plus, he seems like a nice guy.

7.) Yeesh, I don’t know how I feel about the new Springsteen song. I mean it’s OK, but it sounds like he is trying TOO hard to sound like Bruce.  Take this lyric for instance: “We’re the eyes, the eyes with the will to see.”

I mean, isn’t that just eyes?  Don’t all eyes have the WILL to see?  Some may not have the ABILITY to see, but I’m pretty sure all eyes want to see.  That’s what they do. They’re EYES!

And yes, I know that he is trying to say that we have the will to see all the atrocities in the world and help out and not turn a blind eye and yada yada yada, but it still falls a little flat for me.  I’m hoping the album picks up after that (and since it has “Land of Hope and Dreams” on it’s track list, I’m sure it will.)

8.) Ok, we like to avoid politics here at Theheadrush, but that story about Mitt Romney strapping his dog to the top of his car DURING A 12 HOUR ROAD TRIP is just too incredibly, INCREDIBLY stupid to be ignored. How…HOW could you think that was a good idea? And that’s not even the best part. The dog goes to the bathroom (I guess it wasn’t scared S-less…BADUMP-TING!) and so Romney pulls over at a gas station, borrows a hose, hoses down the dog and then sticks him back up in the crate on top of the car. Wow.

Then, when interviewed about it, Romney said something like “I guess PETA doesn’t like me wanting my dog to have fresh air.” No. No they don’t. Not when it’s for 12 hours straight attached to the roof of a car traveling about 70 mph.

No wonder this robot is having trouble closing out the nomination.

9.) Plug time!  My co-worker Christy has a blog called Scrink, Bring me Up, and it covers everything from movies to music to books, to Guantanamo Bay!  You should go check it out, not only for the awesome content, but also for the chance to win a FREE KINDLE TOUCH!  But that’s not all, she is also giving away A VEGGIE TALES DVD!  Holy crap.  A chance to win a Kindle and Bob the Tomato?  Double it.

10.) I reached ten!  I did it!

Let me just say that if the WWE doesn’t get The Funkasaurus back on TV ASAP, I may have to boycott.  Also, Bret the Hitman Hart is going to be at a Blue Rocks game this summer.  You will see me in the box seats, screaming like a banshee trying to get him to give me his greasy glasses.

Till next time!

6 Comments

Linsanity, Dwight Howardness, and Whitnecity

February 14, 2012 Randy Neil

What are you doing ESPN? Linsanity is turning into a huge ordeal and you’re going to ruin this poor kid’s career.

Sure, it’s incredible that a rookie is coming in and averaging 20+ points a game in his debut. It’s in New York. It’s big. I dig all of that. He’s saying all of the right things, doing all of the right things, and New York is winning. That’s nice.

But why does every story on ESPN New York have the word “Lin” in it? I know there’s a lull in sports stories, but that kind of overexposure is going to doom him. You can’t have him outshine Carmelo, but the media is almost intentionally doing this to create conflict. This is another one of those, “Let the media dictate the future” kinda things.

And to Floyd Mayweather: Please, shut the hell up. Mayweather Tweeted that the only reason Jeremy Lin is getting this kind of exposure is because he’s Asian. That could be it…. oooooorrrr it could be the fact that he’s the first rookie in league history to debut with 20+ points and 7+ assists in his first 4 games. How about you stop being racist?

Remember that time you told Manny Pacquiao to “make some sushi rolls and cook some rice?” You can’t even be racist correctly! Sushi rolls for the Philippines?

Either way, Jeremy Lin is an amazing spectacle and it’s definitely going to be interesting to see how Melo likes being shown up, but let it unfold! Don’t create it.

On the flip side of things, I don’t think Dwight Howard is getting enough attention for his temper tantrums and hissy fits. People hate on Lebron James all day, but Dwight Howard may be the antithesis of a team player.

His teammates on the Magic have openly complained that Howard repeatedly stating his intentions to leave has affected their play. Most of their scoring averages are down, assists are down, and Stan Van Gundy has lost all control of that locker room.

To make Dwight’s demands even more laughable, Howard vocalized his desire to be a “closer” for the Magic, right after a 4th quarter comeback the night before that involved zero, count em, zero points from Howard himself. They went on a 16-0 run and Howard didn’t see the ball once.

What did you expect big fellah? No one is going to feel empathy for you and you’ve isolated yourself in the locker room. How are people supposed to take you seriously?

I’ll be blown away if Dwight stays on the Magic before the trade deadline. It’s just sour milk right now. Barring a cinematic-esque change of character, the Magic are going to be left in the dust and fall to the same perils the Cavs are facing now.

One last note. I’ve seen a lot of “Who cares about Whitney Houston when soldiers are dying everywhere??” stories and posts. This could stem from a lot of things, but mainly I think it’s because of the perception that a woman with so much potential wasted it on a drug addiction and it’s getting attention.

Whitney Houston won a lot of Grammys, had a lot of success, and made a bunch of money. I wouldn’t necessarily say she “wasted” her talent. Seems to me she did everything a talented woman was supposed to do. I didn’t see people lining up when she was 47 asking her to make another hit. Just let the woman die in peace, yeesh.

2 Comments