Monday Morning Falcons Hangover

"It's not the losses, Honey... it's the yardage." Wait... what?

Who Makes Football Fun?

That is more of a loaded question than “what” makes football fun, is it not? I mean, asking “who” makes us be very specific, and sometimes, specificity can lead to arguments, and arguments can lead to hurt feelings, and hurt feelings can lead to the kind of lunacy we find in, say, modern political discourse. While I try to avoid that scenario today, it’s actually kind of interesting to think about who makes football fun.

Of course, the players, coaches, and other fans make football fun; there would be no football without them. But ask yourself, after watching the game on Sunday afternoon, what do you wait for next? Whether your team had a day of thrilling victory or sobering defeat on the field, as a football fan, our enjoyment does not end there. We all want to get online as soon as the game as over to read the AP recap, or head to our local city’s major newspaper website to read the instant analysis of our favorite columnists or beat writers. Or, if we’re patient, we wait with bated breath for Monday morning to roll around, and go to SI.com, or Yahoo Sports to read the best two national football writers working today: Peter King and Michael Silver.

Dare I say it? The sports writers covering football, our local beat guys, our favorite hometown columnists, and the best of the best national football writers; they are who makes football fun. Without a D. Orlando Ledbetter, Jeff Schultz, Mark Bradley, Peter King, or Mike Silver, football would not be nearly as fun, nearly as obsessive, and nearly as great as it is. There is a reason why there are wings in all of the various sports Halls of Fame for the writers covering the sport being honored: sports writers are our most tangible link to the players, coaches, GMs, and owners of the sport we love. They provide us with an insider’s knowledge of our team; they break stories on injured players, they take us into the locker room after victory and defeat, and the very best of them use their job to speak for us.

For me, football does not just exist on the gridiron; the fun does not end when the game is over. Football exists in the ink stains I used to get on my fingers every day reading about the Falcons or the Bulldogs. I would routinely skip lunch in middle school and high school to go to the library to read the Atlanta-Journal Constitution; read what was happening with my teams (in the mid-90’s, nothing good for the Falcons or Dawgs, let me tell ya!). There was an Internet, but I was not yet plugged in. Papers and magazines were the tools the young boy I used to be used to keep up with the sports he loved, and though I love the instant information brought to me whenever I want it by the information super highway (haven’t heard that expression in awhile), I miss the ink stains. I miss turning the high gloss pages of Sports Illustrated to see what came next.

We have traded the tangible for the instant, and a part of me misses the smell of a newspaper, or the feel of those glossy pages of Sports Illustrated. Now we have Twitter and an even more instant form of instant: little 140-character bon mots of the most breaking of breaking news, or what micro-beer Peter King liked that he drank in San Francisco. Either way, this is an interesting time for those of us that devour every piece of information we can about the sport we love.

For me, my favorite part about Twitter is the ability to talk to the guys who help make football fun. Even if I disagree with them, or they me (I can be excitable at times), it has brought me a whole new level of respect for what Mike Silver, DOL, and Jeff Schultz do; the effort and the energy they expend covering the sport we all love, while being as accessible as they can, in a way they probably never expected to have to be, to all the nutjobs and passionate fans out here in cyberspace.

So if you can, take a moment to get on Twitter or send a response to you local beat writer and columnists, to Peter King or Mike Silver or a favorite national writer you enjoy reading, and thank them for making football fun. I am sure they will appreciate it.

Seven Things I Know

1. Adding another 7 days to the bargaining table between the NFL and NFLPA guarantees nothing. However, it does succeed in giving fans hope.

2. I would sincerely advise the NFL and NFLPA to not abuse that hope, and to get this deal done.

3. Try as some players and writers might to make the connection, this labor issue with the NFL and NFLPA is nothing like what is going on Wisconsin.

4. While the NFLPA allows the employees (players) of a private business entity (NFL) to collectively bargain, the people up in arms in Wisconsin are government employees. Their pay and benefits come not from revenue; it comes from TAXES.

5. Revenue comes from a business venture in which a product is sold. Those are private funds. The government takes your taxes, public funds, and is supposed to use that money to yes, pay teachers, but to also pay civil servants, build and maintain public infrastructure, and ensure the peace & tranquility of the region it governs. If the government spends taxes poorly and creates a deficit, teacher’s salaries & benefits should take a hit just like the salary of an employee in the private sector would if profits are down for the year prior. That is economic common sense. Yes, the teachers didn’t create the budget shortfall in Wisconsin, but maybe if they were better teachers, their students wouldn’t have grown up to be such poor public servants.

6. The idea of unionized government workers scares the bejesus out of me. Government workers with protected jobs who basically answer to no one? Does anyone else see a problem with that? It is one thing when a union offers the same protection to a lazy factory worker as they do the best worker on the line, but a union that protects dirty cops, or a union that protects bad teachers from ever being held accountable? Should that not scare everyone? This is not about ideology, please do not try and make it about that; it is about economics and common sense.

7. I am not anti-Union; neither am I anti-corporation. I am pro-common sense. Unions for autoworkers, electricians, and plumbers make sense. I have no problem with unions like that, providing their power is kept in balance with the power of the corporations with which they collectively bargain. Unions for government workers, who exist off of tax money? That does not make a lick of sense, nor does it exactly fit the ideals set forth in the US Constitution of a small, unobtrusive government. As we are seeing, their power is way out of balance, causing severe problems in a state needing economic relief. So, just to be clear, not the same as the NFL labor situation.

Today in History

On 06 March 1836, after an epic thirteen day siege by 3000 Mexican troops under the command of President General Antonio López de Santa Anna, the 187 men defending the Alamo Mission finally fall in battle. Amongst their number were Texan hero William Travis; Jim Bowie, who popularized the Bowie Knife; and of course, the great frontiersman and former Congressman, Davy Crockett.

On this final day of battle, Santa Anna had his men advance on the mission with orders to take no prisoners. The fighting was fierce, and even after the last man had fallen, the Mexican soldiers, frustrated by the long siege and caught up in bloodlust, continued to fire rounds into and bayoneted the dead bodies.

In part because of the brutal way in which the dead at the Alamo were treated, “Remember the Alamo” became the rallying cry at the short, yet ferocious Battle of San Jacinto on 21 April, in which the small force led by Sam Houston overwhelmed the Mexican Army, capturing Santa Anna, and ensuring Texas’ freedom from Mexico.

Film Real

On Sunday, I came to the realization that if I were about to die and could choose one film to see before I shuffled off my mortal coil, that movie would be Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Raiders is by no means my favorite film, though it is in my personal top-10 list. It is, however, a perfect film. What do I mean by perfect? Well, the film is perfect in that everything in it works. The writing, the acting, the outrageous stunts, the pacing (editing), the direction, the story, the musical score, the dialogue, the locations, and the set designs… everything works. It is a perfect film.

There are other perfect films in the world, other films with no flaws. Another Spielberg film, E.T. is one such film. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is another. The Godfather, Part II, Ben-Hur, Ghostbusters, and The Blues Brothers are yet more examples. Another one of my top-10 films, The Adventures of Robin Hood, is another example of a perfect film.

To understand how rare a perfect film is, my favorite film of all time, The Lord of the Rings (I consider all three extended versions of the films to be one film, to rule them all, if you will), while outstanding, is not a perfect film. I have issues with some of the licenses Jackson, Boyens, & Walsh took with characterizations of certain characters; how they translated them from page to screen. One particular, crucial moment from the first part failed to live up to my personal expectations, and that was how Jackson portrayed the elven kingdom of Lothlorien. I also believe the Council of Elrond could have been fleshed out a bit more.

But with Raiders, I have no squabbles, no notes, no, “I would have done this, or that.” It is a perfect film. I cannot think of one change I would make that they have not made already (removing the distracting mirrored glare from the glass separating the real Harrison Ford from the very real, very agitated king cobra in the Well of the Souls scene). Take a moment to think on Raiders of the Lost Ark a bit. Remember how you felt as a kid watching that film? Now think about how you feel now, thirty years (YES, thirty years!) later. For me, the experience is largely the same (as it also is with E.T. or Errol Flynn’s Robin Hood). I do not perceive the film in a different way, I do not think of it as nostalgic fluff, as I do many of the films I loved in my youth (Return of the Jedi, anyone?).

The film just works, on every level, at every age. If I am lucky enough to have a child, a son or daughter, I will make damn sure they are introduced to Indiana Jones and experience Raiders of the Lost Ark just as I did. Maybe they will also grab a jump rope, go outside, and pretend to swing over bottomless pits with their “whip,” or search the forests for buried artifacts (found a few arrowheads in my time), as I spent so much time doing as a five-year old kid. I can only hope.

Film is at its best when it inspires, amazes, thrills, scares, enlightens, or brings joy to us, in any combination. A perfect film, like Raiders of the Lost Ark, does all of that, and more. The flick is thirty years old this summer.

Damn, I am old. Speaking of which…

Smart Quote

It’s not the years, Honey… it’s the mileage.

Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) to Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), written by Lawrence Kasdan for Raiders of the Lost Ark

As someone who is 30 years old, who has lived a tramp’s life, including five years in the Marine Corps that gifted me with two knee injuries & accompanying surgeries and complications therein, I so empathize with the good Dr. Jones.

Hey, Check This Out!

Here is one of the best and most memorable scenes from Raiders of the Lost Ark. I am sorry the quality isn’t quite so good, but it’s still funny as hell.

Do not forget to follow me on Twitter at @UGABugKiller. Thanks!

Wednesday Football Two-A-Days

Arthur Blank Could Find Bon Jovi is Good Medicine

There is a confirmed report from ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen that rock legend Jon Bon Jovi is interested in purchasing a 15% stake in the Atlanta Falcons for 150 million dollars.

This story has big implications for Falcons fans as it shows majority owner Arthur Blank is looking for outside capital to build the outdoor stadium he longs for (and the revenue that would be the team’s alone, not shared with the state), and that he is beginning to understand that he may have to build the stadium himself, like Bob Kraft did in New England.

Unfortunately, what should have been seen as welcome news to the Atlanta sports media was instead given a snarky, uninformed, and just plain ignorant rebuke by noted Atlanta Journal-Constitution sports columnist Mark Bradley. Mr. Bradley goes as far in his ignorance as to compare Bon Jovi, who made over 100 million dollars last year with his eponymous band, to one-hit-wonder rapper Vanilla Ice, who now flips houses on the DIY Network. To Mr. Bradley, because he has, “never met anyone” who enjoys Bon Jovi’s string of top-10 hits and platinum-selling records, this of course must mean that Bon Jovi is a, “dull celebrity” who “may be the one musician in the world in which I have the least interest.”

Mr. Bradley goes out of his way to insult a prospective owner for the Falcons who could bring much-needed money into the franchise to help secure its place amongst the NFL elite as well as help the team learn how to market itself better, you know, considering that Mr. Bon Jovi has done an outstanding job in marketing himself, his band, and his music for a quarter century. Quick people, name me bands from the 1980s that have stayed as relevant (meaning they’re still together, still selling albums, and still selling out venues world-wide) as Bon Jovi has. I’ll wait as you try and figure it out.

What disappoints me the most after having read Mr. Bradley’s column is that it is sloppy. Instead of offering any real journalism or substance, such as information about Jon Bon Jovi the successful sports team owner, we’re instead treated to Mark Bradley wishing Jack White could buy a piece of the Falcons. Not once did Mr. Bradley mention that Bon Jovi was a principle owner of the Philadelphia Soul Arena League franchise, which won the league’s championship in 2008. He doesn’t mention the fact that Bon Jovi oversees and controls almost all aspects of his music; how it is produced, marketed, and sold, and that is unfortunate.

What’s most amazing to me is Bon Jovi’s marketing acumen, keeping his band relevant for over two decades. Yet, instead of reading about that, we read how Mr. Bradley may be the one person in the world who didn’t hate that the Black-Eyed Peas murdered Sweet Child of Mine (a crime against humanity, by the way) during the Super Bowl. That fact alone calls into question Mr. Bradley’s ability to critique Bon Jovi and his music.

Bon Jovi was never known as a wild partier, like frontmen from other bands of the 80s and 90s. He doesn’t have a lurid-drug-filled past. He’s respected in the music industry, and although the Arena League folded due to the recession and bad economy, he ran his team well, and was respected in that field by the other owners, too. Instead of offering his readers any of that pertinent information, Mr. Bradley rambles on about missing the days of MC Hammer on the Falcons sideline. He even goes as far as to wonder why perpetual dumpster fire and public relations disaster Kanye West couldn’t be interested in buying a stake in the Falcons.

I guess to Mark Bradley, a man who can still make 100 million dollars a year selling out stadiums the world over two decades after his band’s big debut, who has run a sports team of his own, who is a savvy marketer, and who never does anything to embarrass himself, his family, his friends, or his business associates (the way Kanye West routinely does) isn’t good enough to buy into the Falcons because well, Mark Bradley simply doesn’t care for his music.

The fact is, for all of the reasons I outlined (and Mark Bradley did not), the Atlanta Falcons organization and fans should be ECSTATIC to have Mr. Bon Jovi join Arthur Blank as an owner, and maybe one day, as a majority owner (NFL league rules stipulate a stake of 30% to be a majority owner). Here’s hoping the sale goes through quickly.

I’ll be honest, I expected far better from Mark Bradley, who I’ve read since I first learned to read. As a columnist it's fine to let your readers know that you don't like Bon Jovi's music. We read because of the opinions. But after making that qualifying statement, Falcons fans should have been able to read about how this deal would be good, or bad, for the team, not continued piling-on by Mr. Bradley and his lack of caring for Bon Jovi's music.

Everyone is allowed a mulligan every once in awhile, because we all make mistakes, fallible humans that we are.

Mr. Bradley, I’d call for a mulligan on that column if I were you. No harm, no foul. But you have to call for it.

2010 Bulldogs’ Leading Rusher in Trouble… AGAIN

Bulldog running back Washaun Ealey has been suspended indefinitely from the football team and all team activities by head coach Mark Richt for missing punishment runs, as reported Tuesday on AJC.com by Tim Tucker, the Georgia beat writer.

This is not the first time Ealey has been in Richt’s dog house in the last 12 months, as he sustained a suspended driver’s license, was explicitly told by coaches to not drive, and then was involved in a hit-and-run accident on a parked car in which he was the driver. To go with his severe lack of discipline off the field, Ealey’s career on the field has suffered as well, as his ill timed fumbles against South Carolina and Mississippi State directly helped to contribute to those back-breaking losses in the worst Bulldog football season in 15 years.

Ealey was seen as the heir-presumptive to the exciting Knowshon Moreno during the last half of the 2009 season, ending with a performance for the ages in an upset win on the road at the hated soon-to-be ACC Champion Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. But since that great day, Ealey has caused nothing but consternation for his coaches and Bulldog fans, and it appears as his time in Athens may be coming to an end. There is a persistent rumor circulating on campus that Ealey will transfer to Georgia Southern to finish his eligibility, of which he has two years left.

As Mark Richt is trying to save his job and create an new air of accountability in his program that has been lacking for years, this Bulldog fan hopes Coach Richt helps facilitate the knuckle-headed Ealey’s way out of town and down to Statesboro.

Today in History

On 09 February 1964, The Beatles made their famous first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. The boys from Liverpool played their hits All My Lovin’, ‘Till There Was You, and She Loves You to a studio audience filled with screaming teenaged girls, and a television audience of 73 million people, which at the time set the record for most people watching a single program.

This appearance is considered culturally significant as it launched the British Invasion of the American rock and roll scene, forever changing the landscape of popular music in America… and the world. Other acts would follow The Beatles across the pond, including The Rolling Stones, The Animals, and Dusty Springfield. Music, and life, would never be the same.

TV Dinner

There is a show all of y’all need to watch if you’re not. It’s on FX and it’s called Justified. It is just about the coolest thing on television since Battlestar Galactica and The Wire finished their runs.

Justified is based on an Elmore Leonard short story and stars Deadwood bad ass Timothy Olyphant as bad ass US Marshall Raylan Givens, sent to his home state of Kentucky after shooting a Miami hitman. The first season of the show was top-notch, featuring an outstanding supporting role created by Walton Goggins, a vet from The Shield. Goggins played Raylan’s childhood friend now enemy Boyd Crowder, and the first episode doesn’t end their relationship in quite the way you’d expect it to. Besides two great performances from Olyphant and Goggins, Justified doesn’t play by the same rules as all of the other police procedurals on television do. First off, the show is set in rural Kentucky, not New York, Chicago, or L.A. The setting is country, as are the people, which bring interesting twists to what could be tired issues facing our “heroes.” The show has action for sure, as Raylan is known for his quick draw, and quicker trigger finger, but there is a great undercurrent of dark humor running through the show’s writing, much like in Dexter, the show I recommended last week.

Now, if you’ve never seen the show, the second season starts today, so I recommend DVRing the first couple of episodes while you catch up on the first season, which is out now on DVD and BluRay.

If you’re a fan cracker-jack action littered with snappy dialogue and great performances all-around, Justified is the show for you. See it. Season Pass it. Give it a shot. You won’t be sorry you did.

Smart Quote

This one’s for you, Mark Bradley.

When you have a song, that becomes part of people's lives, forever marking memories, it's nothing short of magic. It's the closest thing to immortality we'll ever know.

Jon Bon Jovi

Hey, Check This Out!

Also in honor of Mr. Bradley, here’s Barney Stinson showing us what song leads off his “Get Psyched Mix.”

Hey, Check This Out! (Bonus Edition)

And because that little taste of Bon Jovi is nowhere near enough (except for Mr. Bradley), here’s the full music video. Man… I miss the 80s! (btdubs, might have to watch advertisement)