Saturday, May 12, 2007 I’d like to begin by thanking everyone who provided feedback on the first column. The response was overwhelmingly positive and was much appreciated. Complacency is a killer, however, so here we go… Last week in sports I touched on the New England and the extremely hefty expectations that have been heaped upon them. As a follow-up, I acknowledge my own failure to factor in the gullible nature of some of New England’s players into their potential success this upcoming season. Teddy Bruschi, one of the teams veteran leaders and an NFL darling, showed that gullibility is a trait he does not possess. The child in the front is pleased to have convinced Bruschi to contort his fingers in such a manner. That hand gesture, for those unaware, has been deemed “The Shocker,” and understandably so considering its purpose. In an attempt to keep this column appropriate for the entire family, I’ll leave any inquiring minds free to Google the term. You know what makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside? Watching Bruce Bowen knee Steve Nash right in the family jewels and get away with it. An ESPN analyst claimed that Bowen, heralded as one of if not THE best defender playing the game right now, has earned the right to execute plays that way. Yeah… I suspect that Nash will have the last laugh if the Suns win the series as I expect they will but even still, the NBA certainly isn’t what it used to be. The players can’t wear chains or sweats on the sideline when they’re not suiting up, but once that jersey is on and they’re on the court, sterilizing a grown man is completely acceptable. Amazing. What do you think would have happened if Rasheed Wallace were the perpetrator? In other news, Philadelphia sportswriter Mark Eckel has reported that Donovan McNabb is upset at the reports which claim he is upset at the reports which suggest he is upset. Eckel has also reported that by the time you read this, Terrell Owens will be an Eagle. The Obscure Movie Recommendation for this week is “Drugstore Cowboy.” Drugstore Cowboy is focused around a “family” of drug addicts who get their kicks by robbing drugstores of their prescription medicines when, well, they themselves are none too ill. The junkie lifestyle is not glorified in this movie; it is gritty, and it is real. There is humor, there is action, there is drama, and there is substance. I may be somewhat biased as he is one of my favorite actors, but Matt Dillon does a fantastic job as Bob, the “head” addict. Yes, “Drugstore Cowboy” gave us insight into druggy lifestyle a decade before high school freshmen the world over anointed “Requiem For A Dream” the greatest movie ever made. I open myself up to extreme ridicule for this one, but there is some big news in music this week: Linkin Park’s long awaited follow-up to Meteora, Minutes to Midnight, dropped on Tuesday the 15th. I don’t often encounter a record that I’ll pay for but if I find there’s potential for me to enjoy it (for more than two weeks that is) I’ll support the artist and shell out the $15. Minutes to Midnight has been anything but a disappointment thus far. It has been lambasted for its change of pace from Hybrid Theory and Meteora, and it truly dumbfounds me. The sound is classic Linkin Park. You hear the tracks, and you know who you’re listening to. Metallica, God bless them, put out the same stuff for decades and they‘ll be enshrined in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. I’d rather artists branch out and try something different than stick with a proven formula record after record. Yes, I am aware that Linkin Park is “pop music” and no, I don’t care. There is another issue, and perhaps only one for me because I’m not a “music connoisseur“: Why is so much importance placed on the categorization of music? Most “punk artists” are now “sellouts.” To borrow a line from Full Metal Jacket, “pop music” is for sailors and you know what. Music, much like clothing and the like, has become a status symbol. Here’s a noble idea: Listen to what sounds good to you and you can’t go wrong. MPL Radio hit the airwaves this week with a tremendous amount of support from the members of the MPL. Did anyone other than those involved in the first edition see this coming? It could very well be that I’m just not “in the loop” of the MPL community, but this feature came as a very pleasant surprise to me. The idea on principle alone is fantastic and innovative. I’ve sifted through quite a few Madden communities since the game went online for the Playstation 2 for the 03 version, and I’ve seen only one that has had a radio show; the highly regarded Madden Nation. We already knew that the MPL brand is quality in itself, but that is some fine company to keep. Perhaps more importantly, the host and co-host seem to complement each other quite well at this point. Obviously with this weeks show being their first there are a few kinks to work out, but in time these two could develop a fine chemistry with one another. V2 has a voice for radio. He is outspoken, right or wrong, and confident in what he’s saying. That is a good thing for two reasons. First, the host of any radio show must have confidence and a ability to get discussion started, controversial as it may be. Second, his confidence overflows into the very foundation of MPL Radio: Madden. Does he really think the division is “his?” Granted it is a good thing to be confident in your ability to win, but one would imagine that having the three time champ with a stacked squad in his division would be a bit humbling. When you host a radio show for such a small community as the MPL that seems to have been starving for one, you are in the spotlight. As such, I have a feeling V2’s sentiments will lead to a good deal of entertainment throughout the season. Here’s my attempt to start the entertainment with V2. For those who haven’t listened to the show yet, V2 predicted that my Falcons and I would finish this shortened summer season with a 2-8 mark. That prediction absolutely floored me so now, from one MPL Feature contributor to another, I extend my hand to take advantage of MPL Radio in the MPL’s first ever Song Bet. What I’m betting is that not only will I exceed two wins, but I will at least quadruple that mark. This is no knock on my opponents; I have a very tough division along with a tough inter-divisional schedule, but I am feeling good about this Falcons squad. If I win 8 games or more, V2 sings a song of my choosing on MPL Radio (a song most likely praising my awesomeness) and if I don’t, I sing one of his choosing. I can only speak on my behalf, but I have a horrible singing voice. That could provide some great entertainment, so what do you say V2? V2 is not alone on MPL Radio, of course. Blu Pun is analogous to Cranky Kong (is that a fair analogy for a Nintendo fan?) cracking his cane over the head of the overzealous Donkey. He assumes the role of the village patriarch, calm and wise. If I could offer one criticism of the first weeks show it is that the assessment of teams and predictions of who will win and who will lose were dependant upon the teams themselves. As we all know, the team is a factor, but the coaches ultimately determine who wins and who loses. Pun has been in the league for a while so he can bring some coaching assessment to the table on a weekly basis; that’s what people want to hear. Finally, I believe that The Hotseat is going to see a drastic improvement. With due respect to Houtz and Enan, how hot was “The Hotseat” when conducted through text messaging of some form? The participants had an opportunity to think their answers through and be diplomatic. For some that’s fine, but for others it was glaringly obvious that it was insincere. A real-time Hotseat promises to provide some nice message board fodder. This past winter, a buddy of mine saw his car get slammed by a snow plow in the parking lot of the apartment complex he’s living in. To avoid any insurance fiasco, as many do, the complex and my friend settled the finances independently. The estimate the body shop gave was just under $2000. Neither myself nor most of my friends are too passionate about cars, and this incident seemed to be purely cosmetic. Needless to say, my friend took that check and put it toward a nice, big screen high definition television. Flash forward about six months, and it’s inspection time. On top of needing new tires and a few other issues, the damage this plow did, apparently, was not purely cosmetic. Apparently there is a major safety hazard concerning the way the plow hit the car, especially in one of the front headlights. Again, I don’t know a thing about cars and won’t pretend to, but I do know money. As such, I know how painful it must be to have to shell out over $3000 to get a car to pass inspection. There is a lesson to be learned here: It is alright to laugh at the misfortune of others when they bring it upon themselves. That is why I am such a wonderful friend.