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Today’s Topic: Win one for Cox….or…come one Braves, do it one more time
Mood Music: Golden Age by TV on the Radio
Folks, I’m a Braves fan. Hard to believe, I know. and folks, it’s so very hard to explain what that means, because the Braves, in my lifetime have been like 2 warring siblings that are so different, it’s almost impossible to believe they are related. That’s the Braves (in the 80s) and the Braves (in the 90s)….and amazingly we’ve just been through another decade (which is stunning honestly) that displayed both the best (early 00s) and the worst (mid to late 00s). At the head of a lot of those ups (mainly the ups) and downs, was Bobby Cox…..and folks, he’s retiring after this season……and as the actor who was US president for most of the 80s uttered in the 1940 film, “Knute Rockne: All-American”…..it’s time for the Braves to “Win one for the Gipper”.
I know, I know…..sappy at best…..and for those of you that know me, I have had plenty of criticism for baseball’s all-time most ejected manager, but no one can argue that Bobby Cox helped usher in the “Golden Age” of Braves’ baseball….and a run that we will most likely never see again (from any team, in any sport, not just the Braves). But when you hear about the legacy of Bobby Cox’s Braves…..it’s one of mixed emotions. His run has been compared to that of the Buffalo Bills, overlooked by the run of the 90′s Yankees teams (led by former Brave player and manager Joe Torre, which was annoying in itself), screwed by the addition of the “wild card”, and a minor asterisk attached to a comment about the streak of 14 straight division titles. Folks….come with me for a second while I talk a little shit about these so-called sports authorities:
The Buffalo Bills…..and I repeat myself…..the Buffalo Bills? Someone please explain to me how the Braves (who won a Championship in 1995) can even remotely be compared to a team that really shouldn’t have even been on the field in 3 of the 4 Super Bowls over their consecutive streak (losing 37-24, 52-17, and 30-13 in those 3 games….god). The fact is: (and all of you NFL over MLB fans will disagree…but, you know what I say…..blow it out your ass(es)……it is a “HELLUVA” lot harder to even get the opportunity to play in a World Series, much less win, than make it and possibly win a Super Bowl. Period. You can argue if you’d like, but having to win 1, 5 game series, and 2, 7 game series, is astronomically harder than winning 3 or 4 football games. Seriously, I mean the Panthers with Jake Delhomme at the helm even made a Super Bowl. Just had to say it didn’t I (and for another day, that guy really cried a lot at his exit press conference didn’t he? Jeez).
The Yankees of the 90s…..well, I don’t like to talk about those guys….because I genuinely loathe everything Yankee, but let’s just say that Steinbrenner’s “non-stop spending” finally “paid” off in the 90′s….unfortunately it was at the “expense” of the Braves.
I’m going on a tangent here for a second so bare with me……how can you, realistically, view baseball historically (as far as the champions, greatest teams, etc….) when it has been so skewed because of the teams like New York that can literally buy a championship? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I know the Braves’ payroll isn’t the lowest in baseball by any means, but I believe that you can directly relate the Yankee’s run to the fact that they spent the most money.
(for those that are wondering….these are the “Mermaids….Florida Marlins cheerleaders you could say….so why the pic? Cause they were more deserving of a playoff spot in 97′ and 03′ than the baseball team)
The Wild Card. What can I say about this travesty. I know, most people love the “wild card” team in baseball. What a great idea. It gives more teams the chance to make the playoffs. Yeah, it does. Undeservedly. Let me give you a little insight into what the “wild card” has cost the Braves over the course of their divisional run….shall I?
From the “Wild Card”s inception in 1995, it directly affected the Braves post season hopes consistenly from 97′ to 05′.
97′ – the Marlins…..in the Braves’ division…..won the World Series….never would’ve happened if the Wild Card didn’t exist…..the Braves finished 9 games ahead of the Marlins in the regular season….9…..and lost the NLCS to the Marlins, 4 to 2……which is utter bullshit
00′ – the Subway Series….blow it out your ass…..again, the Mets win the Wild Card, forcing the Braves to play the Cardinals in the divisional series….and I remember looking out the window during Game 1 of that NLDS and seeing a cardinal land on the patio at Ellen’s apartment…..I knew the Braves were screwed
02′ – Braves lost to the Giants, yep, the Wild Card team
03′- gem of a year here, the aforementioned Marlins do it again (this time after finishing a mere 10 games behind the Braves in the regular season) and on top of that forced the Braves to play the Cubs (during the one year they actually had Wood and Prior healthy) in a 5 game series…..when was the last time the Cubs won a playoff series? Yowsa.
04′ – Braves lost to the Astros, yep, the Wild Card team, and a team that finished 13 games behind the Cardinals in the regular season
05′ – Braves lost again to the Astros, and yes, they were the Wild Card team
Sorry for the detour…but I just had to get that off my chest…..it’s always annoyed me….Major League Baseball has always (well, until the effin’ wild card) been predicated on the importance of the regular season. That’s why, originally, there were 3 series, an NLCS, ALCS, and World Series. The 4 best teams….by record…..battled it out. If there’s a wild card, why not shorten the damn season? Is there really a need to play 162 games, win your division by 13 over the next best team, only to turn around and lose the 1st playoff series to said team in less than 2 weeks. It’s ridiculous. The Braves and Marlins of the 97′ and 03′ seasons are prime examples of why the Wild Card sucks.
Where was I?…..whoooo…..oh yeah, this season….Bobby Cox….and the resurgent Braves……it’s going to be fun folks……Heyward slamming the ball (might have the fastest bat I’ve ever seen….and he’s 20)….Hanson, Jurrjens, and Hudson lighting it up on the mound, McCann hopefully continuing his streak of All-Star seasons at catcher….plenty to be excited about…..but I tend to view this season like this (and I’ll stop after this, I promise):
It’s like a Grand farewell tour for the Braves this season. Cox’s last season….well, we’d all like to see him go out on a winning note….with a middle finger to all the critics and a “blow it out your ass” to the Phillies. Billy Wagner, who’s potentially closing in on the end of his career….can he give us one last surge and lead the NL in saves? If last night was any indication, he’s on the right track….I like Wagner…I just do, Troy Glaus…..this guy’s seemingly been around forever….and had some injury issues…..can he swing that tree trunk for one more great season and smash 30 plus homers one more time?……and finally, Chipper Jones, he says he’d retire if he has another season like last year…..here’s hoping that doesn’t happen….for many, many years……
so how will it play out? If I had my choice (although not sure who I’d be willing to concede the division to)…..I’d have to say it would be nice to see the Braves make the playoffs as the Wild Card…..beat the division winner (the Marlins, I guess, if fate would allow)….and play the Yankees 1 more time in the World Series……and give all of us a chance to hold up our middle fingers (aimed directly in the direction of Jeter/Rivera/Teixiera/Steinbrenner (just take your pick) and utter…..blow it out your ass Yankees….as Bobby Cox makes a victory lap……..here’s hoping!
I’ll talk at you all again later.
“up your happy ending understanding”
Today’s Topic: Lost Discussion…..the Package
Mood Music: Jigsaw Falling into Place by Radiohead
and it begins……this final season of Lost has had it’s share of ups and downs, but after last night’s episode….”the Package”…..I am officially more than just “on board” for what appears to be one helluva ride during these last 8 episodes.
It is all finally coming together…well, sorta….but as we slowly watch each piece of this “million plus” piece puzzle slowly drop into place…..I can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia washing over me as we inch ever closer to the last episode of “the greatest TV show of all-time”…..yes, I said it, so deal with it.
I was nervous at the beginning of this season. There’s so much pressure on the creators/producers/writers/etc…of this show to make it perfect. I mean, they’ve been given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to end their show on their terms….which is awesome…until you consider the ramifications of it ending poorly (that just means that they made a conscious decision to end the show after Season 6, and it didn’t give them enough time…..because I find it hard to believe that the guys that created Seasons 1 to 5 of such an unbelievably phenomenal show would just shit the bed on the ending)….so the next question would be….why’d you end it so quickly if you needed more time? and I pondered that over the first 5 or so episodes in Season 6. I was even questioning it a little bit after the (possibly) Top 5 all-time Lost episode, last week, Ab Aeterno. Folks, I play the devil’s advocate waaaaay too often when it comes to things that I love……it’s hard to sit back and just enjoy something without hoping for perfection (in the back of my mind)…so when a show comes along like Lost…..that has truly remained the only beacon of anything resembling perfection on TV today….I am critical when I feel like it might be going the wrong way. My friends tell me to be patient….that Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse haven’t let us down in 5 Seasons (unless you count that minor rough patch during Season 3…but we’re not gonna go there today)…so trust that they know what they are doing….and it will be great. Well, I had a hard time listening to and trusting those friends……until this week’s episode, “the Package”…….let’s delve in….shall we:
The Package finally left me with the gut feeling that all is right in the Lost world. I watched it fuzzed up on Tuesday (late BDay celebration….Happy Birthdays to me, Brooke, Jenks, and soon Margo….thanks for the buzz…damn bowling alley beer) and then again early Wednesday morning when I couldn’t sleep….this time sober….and something just clicked.
Maybe it was the way everything seems to be eerily tying together between the “sideways world” and the “island world”…..like, Mikhail showing up with 2 eyes (and eventually losing his eye to a gunshot by Jin), or Sayid helping Jin to escape his “chains” by giving him a knife or Zoe breaking out a map of the island (in Room 23 on Hydra Island no less…damn that’s just a cruel ass room) that is signed by Jin (which means what exactly????) orrrrr….maybe it’s the minor mirror glances that have happened with each character like they can almost sense their alternate reality self somehow…but just not quite…….or
Maybe it was the way Jack has completely turned into a man that can sense his destiny. I’m calling it now…..Jack is going to help Sun and Jin get on that plane….along with Sawyer, Kate, Miles, Hurley, Lapidus, and maybe some more folks…..but Jack is going to stay behind….because although he hasn’t said it….I think deep down he’s beginning to realize that it might be his destiny to actually replace Jacob as the island’s protector…..which brings us to another fascinating plotline……the “so-called” war…
We’ve known a war was coming….but how effin’ incredible was the scene between MIB as Locke and Widmore? MIB quotes Widmore by saying that a war is coming and then basically tells Widmore to buckle up because it’s “here”……and what makes the scene even cooler was that they were standing on either side of the “temporary” sonic fence…just glaring at each other. Widmore says that he only knew the MIB as whispers, mystery, and noises in the jungle. Sweet…..maybe thats’s all the crap we’ve heard over the years in the jungle….but why does the sonic fence work against the MIB….and why, like Sawyer asked can’t he just turn into smoke and pop over on the Hydra island?….Locke as MIB is still one mysteriously interesting character.
I loved how Sun wouldn’t take his hand when he offered to take her to Jin, yet when Jack offered later..she took his hand…..completely trusting him (which, let’s admit….had to make Jack feel pretty good.)
SO this war….it looks like Jack is wanting to gather those that are willing, get them on the Ajira plane and get them home (and like I said earlier, I don’t think he’s planning on riding)…..MIB is planning on battling Widmore to the death so that he can get his group of folks (the Oceanic 6) off the island (and he, unlike Jack, wants off….period)….Widmore is planning on eradicating the MIB…so that he can pursue scientific exploration on the island again (of course it’s for his own selfish, greedy purpose I’m sure)
You all still with me?
SO that brings us to Desmond. Good old Mr. Hume. Wow. I think a lot of us saw it coming, but how frackin’ great was the scene in which he’s starting to come around as his head lies on the dock and Sayid (a little recon) is in the water. I’m pretty sure Desmond was starting to recognize Sayid but Sayid just really doesn’t give a shit….because obviously, being claimed or whatever by smokey….leaves you unable to feel anything….fear, pain, etc…
but what role does Desmond play? Remember that Desmond was in a monastery when he was younger….there was a picture of the priest and Eloise Hawking on the priest’s desk……Penny Widmore just happened to show up to buy some wine….at the exact same time Desmond was leaving the Monastery due to it (not really being his thing)…..I might be going out on a limb, but I’ve got a hunch that Widmore has been pulling Desmond’s strings all along to get him to the island….for his own selfish reasons….because not only is Desmond Hume “the package”…..he’s also some kind of “key” to the lifespan of the island…..almost like he’s the failsafe key…..and just when you think the island is doomed….he’s back to start pressing some more buttons….because, like Widmore said, “the island wasn’t done with him yet”….yowsa.
Let me know what you all thought….
I’ll talk at you all again later.
