Well, we're halfway through the CBS tribute to Johnny Cash and I don't think it could be much worse. For starters, let's not forget that the country music business completely turned its back on JC for the last 20 years of his life. That alone probably has him spinning in his grave.
First up was Brad Paisley with the most vanilla version of "Folsom Prison Blues" ever performed. Paisley's aw-shucks performance kind of sums up everything that is wrong with music today (country or not).
The duet between Jerry Lee Lewis and Kid Rock (Kid Rock...are you kidding me?!) sounded awful. As an aside, is there a reason that Kid Rock performs at every tribute/award show special? He's like the kid in the high school choir that cannot sing, but the teacher let's him in anyway because no one wants to hurt his feelings. Wasn't he a rapper at one point? When did he begin to believe that he could sing?
I'm not even going to say how bad U2 and Montgomer Jentry were. If there is anything beneficial out of this special, the poor performances show just how powerful JC was and remains. He had pipes and used them so well. And, he never gave a cardboard, stiff performance like the ones we're witnessing tonight.
The one saving grace so far has been Martina McBride. Her rendition of "I Still Miss Someone" blew away the other groups/singers.
Wow...let's hope it gets better.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Friday, July 29, 2005
Larry Brown: Enough Already!
Now that the Larry Brown saga is finally over, can I be the first to say: "Enough Already!" Although Isiah Thomas and the New York Knicks may think that Brown is the savior they need to get back to NBA prominence, the whole mess smells rotten.
Can anyone honestly say that there wasn't tampering going on? Under contract with the Pistons (a healthy multi-million dollar one at that), Brown mysteriously materializes as Thomas' main target to take over the pitiful New York franchise. Then, in short order, Brown gets the Pistons to fire him, thus ensuring that he collects on his contract AND enable him to take the Knicks job.
The NBA should carefully investigate the timing and money behind the Brown/Pistons/Knicks shenanigans. Even the timing of the whole Cleveland front office proposal seems off -- merely to get the Knicks to act and anger Piston executives enough to consider dumping Brown.
I say: Follow the money...Brown changed his reputation over the last couple years in Detroit and is now considered a basketball "savior" -- a much more respected moniker than his former reputation as a hoops "vagabond." However, the shady dealings of late cause me to wonder if this isn't all based on the $10-12 million a year Brown is getting from the Knicks.
Can anyone honestly say that there wasn't tampering going on? Under contract with the Pistons (a healthy multi-million dollar one at that), Brown mysteriously materializes as Thomas' main target to take over the pitiful New York franchise. Then, in short order, Brown gets the Pistons to fire him, thus ensuring that he collects on his contract AND enable him to take the Knicks job.
The NBA should carefully investigate the timing and money behind the Brown/Pistons/Knicks shenanigans. Even the timing of the whole Cleveland front office proposal seems off -- merely to get the Knicks to act and anger Piston executives enough to consider dumping Brown.
I say: Follow the money...Brown changed his reputation over the last couple years in Detroit and is now considered a basketball "savior" -- a much more respected moniker than his former reputation as a hoops "vagabond." However, the shady dealings of late cause me to wonder if this isn't all based on the $10-12 million a year Brown is getting from the Knicks.
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Reality Show Hall of Fame Blooper
Reality TV provides some hilarious (unscripted) moments. One took place last night on the new show "So You Think You Can Dance."
[Editorial note: My wife wanted to watch the show, so I joined in precisely because I'm not a reality TV snob. However, for the record, it wouldn't have been my first choice to spend two hours]
Near the end of the show, one of the young, Britany Spears-looking dancers found out that she performed well enough to go to Hollywood for the next round.
Lauren Sanchez, reality TV's latest perky host, stood by as the contestant celebrated with a much older, balding, and thick around the middle guy. They jumped up and down, hugged, and acted as if they'd just won the lottery.
Sanchez blathered on for a bit and asked several irrelevant questions as the young woman stood there arm-in-arm with the man. As a new father myself, I sat there thinking, "Isn't it nice that this dad is showing so much pride in his daughter and supporting her dream?"
Sanchez must have been thinking along similar lines. As the interview ended and the two started jumping up and down again, she said something like, "It sure is nice to see your dad so happy for you."
Suddenly, aghast, the Spears-wannabee tells Sanchez, "This is my fiancee." Stunned -- along with the rest of America and certainly my wife and I -- Sanchez blurts, "Ohh, my bad" and cuts out of the picture.
I haven't laughed so hard in a long time.
[Editorial note: My wife wanted to watch the show, so I joined in precisely because I'm not a reality TV snob. However, for the record, it wouldn't have been my first choice to spend two hours]
Near the end of the show, one of the young, Britany Spears-looking dancers found out that she performed well enough to go to Hollywood for the next round.
Lauren Sanchez, reality TV's latest perky host, stood by as the contestant celebrated with a much older, balding, and thick around the middle guy. They jumped up and down, hugged, and acted as if they'd just won the lottery.
Sanchez blathered on for a bit and asked several irrelevant questions as the young woman stood there arm-in-arm with the man. As a new father myself, I sat there thinking, "Isn't it nice that this dad is showing so much pride in his daughter and supporting her dream?"
Sanchez must have been thinking along similar lines. As the interview ended and the two started jumping up and down again, she said something like, "It sure is nice to see your dad so happy for you."
Suddenly, aghast, the Spears-wannabee tells Sanchez, "This is my fiancee." Stunned -- along with the rest of America and certainly my wife and I -- Sanchez blurts, "Ohh, my bad" and cuts out of the picture.
I haven't laughed so hard in a long time.
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Paul M. Deamer
Assistant Manager, Sales & Publicity
607.722.5857, ext 313
PDeamer@haworthpress.com
Marie Spencer
Book Review Coordinator
607.722.5857, ext. 365
MSpencer@haworthpress.com
HAWORTH SHOOTS AND SCORES WITH NEW RELEASE: "BASKETBALL IN AMERICA"
TAMPA, May 25, 2005 - Basketball in America: From the Playgrounds to Jordan's Game and Beyond is much more than a book about the game of basketball. It is a pioneering analysis of its cultural impact from the 1970s to today. It will entertain and inform anyone who treasures basketball and the role the game plays in the American consciousness.
The popularity of basketball is undeniable, and the subject allows for such a broad range of interpretations in popular culture, cutting across economic, racial, and social boundaries, and its major stars cross over into other forms of popular entertainment more than any other professional sport. This book examines the entire scope of modern basketball history, from the playgrounds, where people first learn the fundamentals, to the college and professional levels.
Bob Batchelor, editor of the collection, and noted contributors study the influence of basketball on American culture from the 1970s to the present day. This analysis of the game is the first of its kind to delve into the importance of the impact of basketball on the American way of life.
"Fascinating...must reading for anyone interested in the interconnection between basketball and popular culture," said David K. Wiggins, Professor and Director, School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism at George Mason University. The book, "describes how basketball has been woven into American society and establishes a connection with hip-hop, black style, and celebrity culture."
Robert Bradley, President of the Association for Professional Basketball Research said, "This book not only contains fine writing by some of America's best basketball writers and historians, but it also takes a poignant look at basketball's effect on America's youth."
Basketball has come a long way since the days of peach baskets at the YMCA. The game impacts just about every American, whether or not an avid sports fan. NBA stars have become cultural icons, appearing everywhere from lunchboxes to major motion pictures. Basketball players have become heroes, trendsetters, and national figures. Many people across the globe, who may have never even seen a single minute of professional basketball, still know the names and faces of stars like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal.
The contributors to Basketball in America are a diverse mix of writers, former players, journalists, coaches, scholars, and sports enthusiasts who all share an affinity for the game of basketball.
The book is available in hardbound at $44.95 (ISBN: 0-7890-1612-5) and softbound at $29.95 (ISBN: 0-7890-1613-3).
About Haworth
Haworth Press has been a publisher of scholarly and professional journals since 1975. Haworth publishes over 200 journals and over 80 original books per year. Haworth Press has received six prestigious "Outstanding Academic Title" designations from Choice Magazine!
About Bob Batchelor
An award-winning business writer and historian, Bob Batchelor is a Public Relations Instructor in the School of Mass Communications at the University of South Florida. He is the author of The 1900s and co-author (with Thomas Heinrich, Baruch College/CUNY) of Kleenex, Kotex, and Huggies: Kimberly-Clark and the Consumer Revolution in American Business. Batchelor has published more than 350 articles and essays in magazines, Web sites, and reference works, including The American Prospect Online, Dictionary of American History, and History News Network. Trained at the University of Pittsburgh and Kent State University, he has taught history and writing at Cleveland State University and Neumann College. As a historical consultant, Batchelor has worked with numerous Fortune 500 companies, including BellSouth, International Paper, Kimberly-Clark, and Accenture. For more information about the editor, see www.bobbatchelor.com.
Contact:
Paul M. Deamer
Assistant Manager, Sales & Publicity
607.722.5857, ext 313
PDeamer@haworthpress.com
Marie Spencer
Book Review Coordinator
607.722.5857, ext. 365
MSpencer@haworthpress.com
HAWORTH SHOOTS AND SCORES WITH NEW RELEASE: "BASKETBALL IN AMERICA"
TAMPA, May 25, 2005 - Basketball in America: From the Playgrounds to Jordan's Game and Beyond is much more than a book about the game of basketball. It is a pioneering analysis of its cultural impact from the 1970s to today. It will entertain and inform anyone who treasures basketball and the role the game plays in the American consciousness.
The popularity of basketball is undeniable, and the subject allows for such a broad range of interpretations in popular culture, cutting across economic, racial, and social boundaries, and its major stars cross over into other forms of popular entertainment more than any other professional sport. This book examines the entire scope of modern basketball history, from the playgrounds, where people first learn the fundamentals, to the college and professional levels.
Bob Batchelor, editor of the collection, and noted contributors study the influence of basketball on American culture from the 1970s to the present day. This analysis of the game is the first of its kind to delve into the importance of the impact of basketball on the American way of life.
"Fascinating...must reading for anyone interested in the interconnection between basketball and popular culture," said David K. Wiggins, Professor and Director, School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism at George Mason University. The book, "describes how basketball has been woven into American society and establishes a connection with hip-hop, black style, and celebrity culture."
Robert Bradley, President of the Association for Professional Basketball Research said, "This book not only contains fine writing by some of America's best basketball writers and historians, but it also takes a poignant look at basketball's effect on America's youth."
Basketball has come a long way since the days of peach baskets at the YMCA. The game impacts just about every American, whether or not an avid sports fan. NBA stars have become cultural icons, appearing everywhere from lunchboxes to major motion pictures. Basketball players have become heroes, trendsetters, and national figures. Many people across the globe, who may have never even seen a single minute of professional basketball, still know the names and faces of stars like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal.
The contributors to Basketball in America are a diverse mix of writers, former players, journalists, coaches, scholars, and sports enthusiasts who all share an affinity for the game of basketball.
The book is available in hardbound at $44.95 (ISBN: 0-7890-1612-5) and softbound at $29.95 (ISBN: 0-7890-1613-3).
About Haworth
Haworth Press has been a publisher of scholarly and professional journals since 1975. Haworth publishes over 200 journals and over 80 original books per year. Haworth Press has received six prestigious "Outstanding Academic Title" designations from Choice Magazine!
About Bob Batchelor
An award-winning business writer and historian, Bob Batchelor is a Public Relations Instructor in the School of Mass Communications at the University of South Florida. He is the author of The 1900s and co-author (with Thomas Heinrich, Baruch College/CUNY) of Kleenex, Kotex, and Huggies: Kimberly-Clark and the Consumer Revolution in American Business. Batchelor has published more than 350 articles and essays in magazines, Web sites, and reference works, including The American Prospect Online, Dictionary of American History, and History News Network. Trained at the University of Pittsburgh and Kent State University, he has taught history and writing at Cleveland State University and Neumann College. As a historical consultant, Batchelor has worked with numerous Fortune 500 companies, including BellSouth, International Paper, Kimberly-Clark, and Accenture. For more information about the editor, see www.bobbatchelor.com.
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