Sunday, May 23, 2010

Robin of the Hood

Sitting here watching the Suns try and snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, watching Robin Lopez reminded me that we went and saw "Robin Hood" last night.  I put the name in quotes only because when I left, I double checked to make sure that was the movie I went too, because I was pretty sure I was watching a remake of Braveheart.  Doing a quick double glance at my ticket, I was assured we were watching Robin Hood.  I guess it was the "Beginning of Robin Hood", but that wasn't exactly made clear to me before or during the movie, only after.  It kind of reminds me of Dumb & Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd.  This gem of a movie came out AFTER the original Dumb & Dumber was release, because I'm sure most of you, like myself, were dying to know where these 2 knuckleheads came from.  Just me?  Oh ok...

I've always envisioned Robin Hood, or Robin Longstride as we knew him in this glorious movie, as being a bow & arrow craftsman and at the beginning of the movie, he didn't disappoint.  But it went quickly downhill after that...  I'm trying to remember how much sword all previous versions of Robin Hoods wielded during the course of a movie, and I'm pretty sure from the cute Disney Fox to Kevin Costner, there wasn't much sword involved at all.  I'm not sure what the deal was here, but I was at one point begging for him to pull the bow & arrow back out as a sword didn't suit Crowe all that well in this role.  I'm not sure about all of you, but when I go and watch a movie like this that I've seen different renditions of throughout my life, there's certain key actions & settings I'm looking to pick up on to gain familiarity with the previous characters.  Robin hood and a sword confused me like the first time I saw a football bat.  Yes you read that right, and no I really have never seen one, but it sounds screwed up doesn't it?

It took me over an hour to have my suspicions of who Little John was to be confirmed.  Only because some dillweed asked him at one point, "Why do they call you Little John?"  Horrible character building movie when you're familiar with a bunch of characters.  Fryar Tuck was easy, he's always the short fat guy with the funny hairdo and the robe.  Maid Marion, or Marion Loxley, confused me a bit, but the name there was obviously a giveaway.  The always profound Sheriff of Nottingham finally showed himself 2/3 of the way through the movie, announcing who he was.  What a joke role that was.  Why even have him?  He was a wuss.

And who is this headhunter guy they found?  Never even heard of him before!  Isn't the Sheriff supposed to be looking for Robin Hood?  And when did the passive French get so involved?!  I feel like I'm taking crazy pills here!  Did anyone even see Sherwood Forest?  Was that the forest those creepy kids were roaming around in all movie long?  Speaking of creepy, the mask that kid was wearing made it seem like a bad rendition of The Village or something.  The only "Robin Hood" moment I saw was when they cut the troops off taking the grain away from Nottingham.  That lasted all of about 3 minutes.  What happened to robbing from the rich and giving to the poor?  At least Nottingham was able to make more corn after the Children of the Corn took all of their grain.

Had I known that this was the "beginning story" of Robin Hood, maybe I would have understood a little better, but that was a major downfall of this movie.  It was so confusing and ho-hum, at one point I looked across and my lovely date was sitting comfortably sawing logs.  I think I may have joined her at one point for a few minutes.  Pretty sure I blacked out at one point.  Not sure if it was from the movie, or my butter/oil flavoring induced coma.  I do enjoy that stuff...

When I came to, I kept looking for Mel Gibson to make a cameo appearance in a flashback or something of Braveheart.  All Russell was missing was the awesome face paint.  This movie left me longing for the days of Disney and Robin "the fox" Hood, and Balloo's brother as Little John.  The lion and the snake made a lovely combo of the the evil side.  And how could you not like the rooster singing "Oodelaly, oodelaly, golly what a day" with the whistle?  Come on!  That's Robin Hood!  Rescue Maid Marion, don't come to some town and assume the ID of her dead husband.  That's just lame! 

Robin of the Hood, or whatever the sheriff called him at the end of the movie, left a lot to be desired.  Maybe they left it open for the Robin Hood we all know & love, but if they make another one, it had better be him pillaging the rich and giving to the needy in the beautiful Sherwood Forest.  No more fighting on the cliffs of Dover.  Should have seen Iron Man 2....

Friday, May 7, 2010

How Dare We!

Arizona has come under a lot of scrutiny lately. Ever since this immigration bill was passed, you'd think we are trying to start World War 3. We have people from all aspects of the nation chiming in with their opinions and it's quickly spiraling out of control. Most of the news has been around the "How dare AZ do this!" crowd. I initially promised myself in my 28 years on earth that I would not get in a politically charged debate, but I guess everyone has their breaking point. I am already tired of hearing the people that are against this bill, but can't state what the bill even says.

Let's start with some AZ residents. Plenty of people oppose this bill, but if you don't live in AZ, do you really know what might happen if this bill were in effect? I'll start with the "in crowd" in AZ. Since the NBA Playoffs are in the front of most Suns fans, let's talk about the Suns' principal owner Robert Sarver. He said that Arizona’s harsh new illegal immigration law calls into question “our basic principles of equal rights and protection.” To show his support the Suns wore their famous, or infamous, "Los Suns" jerseys on Cinco de Mayo. Ok Mr. Sarver, I always had an inkling you were about the Suns being a business instead of a sport, and this just solidifies it for me.

First of all, sports and politics should never mix. Are you kidding me Sarver? Equal rights and protection? So you're telling me that the person sneaking across the border ILLEGALLY, and my large 6'6" frame born in the fabulous city of Seattle, WA deserve equal rights and protection? You just stated out loud that someone breaking the law of the United States of America is equal to a loyal, upstanding citizen as myself. What do you think is going to happen here exactly Mr. Sarver? Are police going to just start walking down sidewalks & streets in AZ looking for anyone that is of Hispanic descent and demanding to see their paperwork and checking to see that they are legal immigrants? If that's the case, then maybe they should set up some sort of "checkpoints" all over the state and make all races show some sort of proof of residency. But let's get real, I believe officers of the city/county/state have plenty of better things to do than stop every Hispanic in their way asking for proof of residency.

I think the outspoken people who are against this don't even realize all of the costs that are incurred by these illegals sneaking across the border. Steve Nash, I think you are the greatest point guard the Suns have ever had. You are probably in the top 3 of best point guards of all time, but why are you against this? Because you're liberal? Seriously, let's hear a reason. Oh wait here's what he has to say:

"I think it's fantastic," Nash said after Tuesday's practice. "I think the law is very misguided. I think it's, unfortunately, to the detriment of our society and our civil liberties. I think it's very important for us to stand up for things we believe in. As a team and as an organization, we have a lot of love and support for all of our fans. The league is very multicultural. We have players from all over the world, and our Latino community here is very strong and important to us."

The league is very multicultural? Let me ask you this Nash: How many Hispanic players are there in the league? Name more than 5 players. After you do that, name those who are here illegally. To the second half of his statement, are you worried that there aren't going to be enough Suns fans if every illegal Mexican was deported? Don't worry Steve, US Airways Arena will have no trouble filling up for a great NBA game, and we'll save some money in the process. Jerseys will still probably sell, unless you keep wearing the "Los Suns" jerseys.

For the next quote I found, as far as sports icons go, Alvin Gentry I think said it best when asked about it: "I'm not trying to duck it," Gentry said. "I don't know enough about it to really comment on it. I would think that if it had anything to do with racial profiling, then obviously as an African-American I would not be for anything that had any hint of racial profiling."

Amen, brother. I think most of us as Americans can agree we aren't for racial profiling. That doesn't do anyone any good. Does SB1070 state anywhere that the state of Arizona is going to do any racial profiling? I think not. Do I want officers in this great city/county/state to spot all Hispanics and pull them over on a sidewalk/street/freeway/trail/whatever and make sure they're legit? Of course not. I just want justice where justice is due like any good upstanding citizen should.

What do you think happens when an illegal sneaks into the country and tries to start his/her new life? Do you think they go and find a full time job with benefits? Do you think they try to legally purchase a vehicle and get themselves transportation to their new full time job with benefits? Do you think they purchase automotive insurance to protect themselves in case of a problem? Do you think they apply for and get a Social Security Card so they can be in the system and have to pay taxes like you and I do? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you and I probably never got along to begin with. They don't do any of the above. What does that mean for us upstanding LEGAL citizens of the united states? In as few words as possible: higher health insurance, higher auto insurance, higher taxes. Again, if you are for any of the 3 previously mentioned items, you and I probably never got along to begin with.

How about we ask some immigrants who actually did it the right way? Do you know someone who came to the U.S. from a foreign country legally? If so, ask them how sympathetic they are about people sneaking across the border illegally who get caught and deported. It doesn't matter if you're Hispanic, German, Irish, Scottish, or Canadian, because I know Canadians are trying to sneak across the border daily due to harsh weather conditions up north. That's a joke. A recent report from Glenn Beck interviewing immigrants who came here legally shows that they show no sympathy towards illegal immigrants getting deported. People doing it right have to go through a long, rigorous process that may take months or even years to complete so they don't have to worry about being "caught" and sent back to where they came from.

Imagine working 4+ years for your college degree and spending thousands of dollars to earn that degree, then hearing that the guy you sat next to at an Applebee's one night was telling his buddies how he hacked the computer systems at the local university and instantly made himself a graduate and printed himself off a diploma to put in a frame. Shoot, we don't want to rock the boat! That guy deserves everything the person spending 4+ years and an absurd amount of money deserves! He hacked the system, he must be a genius! He didn't need 4+ years and a ton of money! B.S. I say....

Obama, your health care plan speaks for itself. Not to mention your popularity rating. When was the last time you were in AZ? Have you ever been a resident here? I don't think you know what's best for this state, let alone for this country. I can't wait to see what your popularity rating is after year 2. I don't care who you are, if you're not a resident of AZ, you shouldn't even be allowed to voice your opinion via the media. Why do I pay twice the amount of auto insurance for Maricopa County than anywhere else in the state? Yes, because there's more claims per capita than anywhere else. Why would that be?

Back to sports for a bit. A few days ago, the Arizona Diamondbacks were in Chicago for a series against the Cubs. This one I didn't suspect, but it happened. Some witty fan said: Outside Wrigley, Connie Andersen, dressed in Cubs gear, said of the Arizona law, “This is a speedy path to Nazi Germany fascism.” Signs were also present comparing Arizona's new law to the Nazi's back in the day. Wait, are we putting illegal immigrants in concentration camps? Are we putting them in gas chambers? Are we executing them whenever and wherever we feel it is necessary. Oh wait, we're trying to secretly take over Mexico, I forgot. WRONG!

I saw a news cast just last evening showing what happens to illegal immigrants. The section just happened to be on illegal Guatemalans that were being deported back to Guatemala. The news channel I was watching happened to get on the plane that sends deported Guatemalans back to their country. The news reporter got permission to board the flight, that's right the flight, back to Guatemala City. They had a camera on the flight and it appeared to be a U.S. Airways flight from Phoenix to New York City. There was a stewardess and everything. The reporter was interviewing individuals being deported. The one they focused on happened to be a business owner in New York City who became involved in a fight at a bar one evening and got arrested for the altercation. Upon further review, they found out this person was here illegally. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. Back to the motherland! By the way, they said the flight cost over $600 per passenger on a plane that's equivalent to a 737 that was full. This flight also ran to Guatemala 4 times a week. How much is that? I have no idea how many seats are on a 737. Please, someone get that number for me. Then multiply it by 4. Then multiply it by $600. Then multiply that by 52 to see how much it costs us to deport one small section of illegal immigrants each year. Who do you think pays for this? Guatemala? Hardly... But we don't want to upset rights here in the wonderful state of AZ in the country of opportunity!

Not to get too off track, let's take it to the next level. During game 2 of the Phoenix Suns' infamous "Los Suns" jerseys, the amazing Al Sharpton decides to lead a march against the new AZ law. Al Sharpton? What has this guy done? Watch this. Let's let an African American tell us what Hispanics that are here illegally should be entitled too. Come on, man! Lead your march right on out of town. Tell me you're not in this for TV time. Get real Sharpton.

My point is this, read the immigration law that has been passed by the state of Arizona. If you have ever lived in AZ or are living in AZ currently I would love to hear your thoughts. If you haven't, I don't care if you're from Chicago or live in the White House, don't tell me, an AZ resident, that this law is wrong. Don't tell me I'm a Nazi for believing that this bill is the right thing. You have no idea. If you think we're going to start racial profiling, then get a grip. We have better things to worry about then Hispanics walking down the sidewalk and wondering if they are legal or not. Stay tuned for Part 2 if this gets any better or worse...

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Is There Something On My Face?

So I'm watching the great "rivalry" of the Suns & Spurs on TNT, although I have to agree with Alvin Gentry when he says "This ain't no rivalry until we win some.  Rivalries are when they win some and we win some."  Well said because as we all know, the Spurs have just owned us the last 5 or 6 years in the playoffs.  Not really much of a give & take relationship from what I've seen.  Although I must admit, I do like our chances this year.  The Spurs are definitely a different team from a couple years ago even.  No "Big Shot Bob" Robert Horry, worst nickname ever given.  What is he, Sideshow Bob's cousin?  Silent Bob's brother?  Needless to say, I hated that guy.  He's caused the Suns nothing but grief and is a cheap, dirty player.  Gone are also the days of the grisly Bruce Bowen who also was a very easy to hate individual.  He definitely knew how to get under the skin.

What is left for the Spurs though is what they are referring to as the "Big 3".  This includes the wonderful trio of Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, and Manu Ginobili.  Tim Duncan might be the biggest whiner in basketball currently.  If he puts up a shot and it doesn't go in, and sometimes even if it does go in, those gigantic eyeballs look like they're going to pop out of his head and his hands go up in the air like "What?!"  I know he's a good player, but come on man, just because you missed doesn't mean you got fouled.  Just shut your mouth and let the refs do the reffing.  Sound fair?  Not a good combo to be the most boring  basketball player of all time and also the whiniest.  Reason #58 why I can't stand the Spurs.

Tony Parker is actually a decent guy.  There's really nothing I don't like about him.  He plays hard nosed, straight up basketball and will take you to the hole every time.  He's not a dirty player, doesn't complain, and is actually pretty entertaining to watch.  Parker, I wish you were on my team.  Stay strong homey.  Much love.  Just get away from the Spurs when you get the chance, because you're a good apple in a bucket of bad crab apples.

That brings me to the subject of this blog.  I don't know if you've been watching the Suns/Spurs series at all, but if you haven't you're missing out on this treat.  Manu Ginobili.  Yes you love to hate him, but he's very similar to Parker in that he normally just plays hard nosed basketball (no pun intended).  Speaking of nose, Ginobili has got one that won't quit.  Unfortunately, he broke it in the previous round of the playoffs and was supposed to wear a mask to protect it from being injured any further.  Instead, he opted out and decided to go the route of the splint.  Now I'm no expert, but that thing on his face reminds me of the furthest thing from a splint.  Haven't seen it?  Click here.  I'm pretty sure if that's a splint, then it's sponsored by Kotex, because I figured he had that on his face to stop the bleeding.  Turns out, it's meant to protect his face.  He has it taped on with what appears to be a half roll of scotch tape.  Ginobili, you truly have no shame.  I would wear a face mask in a heartbeat over the maxi pad look.

I can just see the conversation in the training room now before the first game he played after the injury.  The head trainer comes in "Ok Manu, try this face mask on.  I know it'll be a little uncomfortable, but it's the best we can do until we get one made that will fit your face perfectly."

Manu puts on the face mask and in his Eastern European voice says, "This is way too uncomfortable, what else have you got over there?"

Head trainer: "Uh....  Well I have this splint, but...  I don't even want to show it to you, just try the facemask for a while.  Let it grow on you."

Ginobili: "Let me see the splint, there's no way my nose will fit in this mask.  I can barely breathe, plus it won't help with any bleeding I may incur during a game."

Trainer: "Ok, fine.  But don't say I didn't warn you.  Have you no shame?"

Maybe I'm the only one that is likening that thing to a "sanitary napkin" as the old timers call it, but I'm just wishing the front of it said "Brought to you by 'Tampax'" because any company that rented that space would make a killing with all of the close ups they do in the course of an NBA game.  If I had to take a second guess, I would bet money that Ginobili wore it just to spite the Suns in hopes that it would distract them.  Your average guy feels a little awkward when he's staring these certain feminine products down eye to eye, or eye to nose if you will.  More power to you Manu.  Just knock it off with the European flop already and you'd be a pretty fun guy to watch as well.  Did you go to the Vlade Divac school of flop?  It's cheap and weak.

That leaves me with one last gem to discuss in my Spurs rant.  The always constipated looking Gregg Popovich.  Granted, he obviously knows what he's doing because he's won a few NBA titles in his day, but he is like the Adolf Hitler of the NBA.  The most hated and feared coach to face in the course of the post season.  I don't think his mom hugged him enough when he was young, because the guy never looks like he's having fun.  Of course it'd be tough for me to have fun if I was constipated all the time I guess.  But how about a smile or a handshake?  After the Suns' beat-down of the Spurs in Game 1, Popovich wasn't even kind enough to go shake the hand of his once assistant Gentry.  He just gave him a quick wave like I would wave at the guy in the office who I want to do everything to avoid talking to, but I don't want to act like I'm ignoring him at the same time.  You know who you are weirdo.  Well, maybe you don't.  Popovich, you are nothing short of a mess.  It seems to be a miracle if your hair is halfway combed.

This is quite a good game going on tonight, and I hope you take the time to watch.  This could definitely be the year the "rivalry" begins.  If nothing else, check out maxi pad man.  You'll be glad you did.