The Summer of Lists

Well I was working o a post about how great the Cubs are were playing in June but that doesn’t seem like a good idea in the midst of the current mauling they’re taking from the Brewers. So instead I’m going to do like every other media outlet and do a list. Or rather write about a list. They’re all the rage these days “AFI Top 100 Films” “Sports Center’s Top 50…” (I could care less what SC thinks the top 50 anything is, so I don’t actually know what their list is about) and USA Today’s Top 25 NFL players of the last 25 years.

 

But the list that got my attention was one compiled by the Dallas Morning News‘ Tim MacMahon; the Top 25 Cowboys of the last 25 years. Cowboys fans (myself included) are a rabid (and from the looks of the comments poor readers) lot who like to argue about… well everything. I spent my whole life in Indiana and have heard less arguments about the Colts the whole time, then I have about T.O. in the last year; its the nature of the beast.

 

So Mr. MacMahon created his list, and with it a lot of controversy. Leaving Danny White off was a mistake. Period. 3 NFC championship games and a Pro Bowl but him ahead of every QB but Aikman. How you leave a guy off who still holds club records is boggling. Luckily he came to his senses and replaced Russel Maryland with Danny. What Maryland was doing on there is a whole other question.

 

 

I Hear Alaska’s Beautiful This Time of Year

Sen Gravel,

You helped end the Vietnam War when you filibustered the draft reauthorization; and for that you deserve your place in history.  But is this how you really want to be remembered?  To be honest you seem less interested in running for president and more interested in telling the other candidates to get off your lawn.  What’s the plan; do you really think your sanctimonious holier then thou act is going to get you elected?  Even if you were elected you’ll have effectively burned bridges with every Democratic leader in Congress; how do you expect to enact an agenda?

Having an anti-war voice in the debate is important; but you don’t seem very interested in debate.  Do you really think these tatics will work?  I don’t.

Do You Not Get How This Works?

Well if anything has come from Paris Hilton’s time in jail its that she’s catching up on her interviews.  Though I’m not sure if she’s really going to get much more from it considering this quote:

“I am behind glass and I want to give my dad a big hug and they won’t even let me do that,” she said. “I’m not a criminal, I’m not dangerous. … It’s hard but I’m stronger every day.”

Yes, yes you are; why else would be in prison?  Do you not get that?

My Extended Review of the Finale of The Sopranos

To paraphrase Denny Green, the finale was who I thought it was. The ambivalence that David Chase had always showed for Tony’s behavior pretty well meant we’d never see a true climax to the series. Tony wasn’t going to pay for his sins, at least in a conventional sense; or rise above them and renounce the Life. Nor was he going to be made a hero and eclipse the five families to become the godfather of the east coast. Tony was going to continue on as is, dealing with a dysfunctional family, trying to hold onto his grip over his organization as his closest allies die; and battling his tendency to act like Livia. For all the money and power and moments of pure evil; Tony has to live his life like the rest of us.

Except at the end Chase weaseled out on that. The cold close was a choose your own adventure ending allowing the viewer to imagine if any of the perceived threats we saw were real. Its been said that Tony was killed at that moment, because as Bobby told him on the lake in the season opener “you never see it coming.” Others believe Tony and the family enjoy their meal and live their lives as before. Either theory is completely reasonable given the way the show ended.

As usual the writing and acting were superb, there may never be a better collection of character actors again on TV; but the failure of Chase to commit to the idea that Tony existence is his punishment will eat at me as I view this episode. To leave open the possibility of Tony being killed is to let Tony off the hook for his misdeeds; a long life of the constant pressures of being boss of a family where Paulie and Patsy are his number 2 and 3 men is his punishment, this is his purgatory.

My Review of the Finale of The Sopranos

WTF?