A new site means a new "column" for me, and it's something I'm going to try and write every week, regardless of what else I post, sports-related. I've got my "Immediate Reactions" for football season, a new feature planned for if/when the Sabres make the playoffs, and this "Sports, Et Cetera," in which I can throw a lot of thoughts at you, and also rattle off some music, movies and books each week.
For the first edition, I'm going to give you some of what I've checked out so far in 2008. These won't always be new releases, because I've had to catch up on a lot of stuff.
BOOKS:
1. "Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big," by Jose Canseco — I know, I know, but my sister got me this book for free, and it's worth checking out because Canseco does dish on steroids in baseball and a number of other interesting other topics. His egotism is mind-numbing, and you can read all 250-plus pages in a couple hours because he writes like a high school essay, but this book was an important moment in baseball's rich history, and it's worth the read.
2. "Far Afield," by S.L. Price — Scott joined me during Sportstalk Saturday a month or two ago to talk about this book, which holds the type of writing that makes me want to quit even trying. It's Price's story of the year he spent overseas, based in France, writing for Sports Illustrated. His family's life as Americans in quite-anti-American Europe and the Middle East is stunning, and he makes cricket, soccer and skiing feel as relevant as any United States sporting event.
3. "I Am Legend," Richard Mathieson — Actually a collection of short stories, so when you get to the end of the title story, don't read the next three chapters thinking they're part of the story. The book is much better than the Will Smith movie, which isn't all that bad anyway.
4. "A Model World and Other Stories," Michael Chabon — Chabon is a master of the short story, and falls in line with the great tradition of writers like Raymond Carver, who can make the most simple human interaction significant.
MOVIES:
1. "No Country For Old Men" (***** out of five)— Oh. my. goodness. A cowboy movie for cool kids. There's a reason "No Country" took tons of Oscar hardware home. Basically follows the story of a villain (Javier Bardem) who's chasing the protagonist (Josh Brolin) carrying a good deal of drug money. There's incredible tension to go with the impeccable dialogue, and the story is so good that I bought the author's latest book, "The Road."
2. "Across the Universe" (***1/2 out of five) — On paper, this movie is a waste of time. Do we really need another take on The Beatles' great story telling? In fact, much of it is predictable. Boy meets girl, they fall in love, she becomes a hippie who joins a revolutionary cult led by a jackass, lots of drug-related imagery until the fairly predictable ending. The problem is that the acting is good, the songs are legendary, and the film as a whole grows on you days afterwards.
3. "The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford) (***1/2 out of five) — For folks who know the story of Jesse James, no great surprises here, and there's a tremendous cast supporting Brad Pitt as James and Casey Affleck as Ford, but this film runs 160 minutes, and takes too long to get to the parts that grab you. Affleck looks genuinely deranged for the duration, and it isn't the feel good movie of the year.
MUSIC:
1. Foo Fighters, "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace" — The Foo Fighters aren't my favorite band, but I feel like they'll go down as the most important radio rock band of our time. Their singles have been instant sing-alongs (i.e. "My Hero," "Everlong," "Learn to Fly"), and both "The Pretender" and "Long Road To Ruin" are no exception.
2. Spoon, "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" — Almost a masterpiece. Saw Spoon during my summer trip to Chicago to see the Cubs, and this record was my favorite to come out in 2007. You've heard "The Underdog" on Saturday Night Live, as well as in sports arenas, but don't be misled — Spoon's got more edge than a radio band.
3. Jason Anderson, "On The Street" — Imagine a new wave Brit pop singer playing Neil Young's guitar while singing lyrics penned by a street poet. Too emotive to be categorized as gritty, but a nice indie record. For fans of: Drive-By Truckers, The Hold Steady, The E-Street Band.
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