The NFL, overexposed?

Look, you didn't ask for my opinion, but here it is...

I've heard a lot of talk about Mark Cuban's Facebook post about the NFL being overexposed and how there might be a drop in popularity due to overexposure.  Here's the thing, though.  If people haven't yet gotten sick of the NFL, it's not likely to happen. 

The NFL's giving higher profile to their Thursday night games this season.  The league knows that two teams that have only had three days to rest and recuperate are not likely to produce high-quality football, but they don't care.  They know that the eyeballs will be there, because the NFL's a habit.  Fantasy football's a habit.  People telling each other who is on their fantasy football teams at the office, on the bus stop, on radio shows (and to complete strangers) is a habit.  We can't help it.  If pro football's on, we're watching it.

Even anticipating football's a habit.  People start to salivate when the schedule is released (in a three-hour TV special, no less), thinking about all those Sundays and Mondays (and Thursdays) huddled in front of a high-def TV with junk food and beer, rooting on their teams during a possibly scintillating, possibly mind-numbing three and a half hours.  The phrase "indisputable visual evidence" is uttered so often that it's a wonder we believe anything life has happened without indisputable visual evidence.  (Oh yeah, that's what Facebook is for, indisputable visual evidence of everything, including apparently virtual reality).

Myself, I try to anticipate what ridiculous rule or rule change might come out of the owner's meetings.  This year, the NFL decided to ban the goalpost dunk, with Rams coach Jeff Fisher fretting that a player's hamstring might tighten up if a game is delayed because a crossbar needs to be adjusted after being displaced.  The NFL doesn't worry about those same players not having enough time to recuperate between Sunday and Thursday, but dunking a football and delaying a game, that could lead to some serious injuries.

Is this all to say that I'm anti-NFL?  No, not really. I'm a sports fan, so I consume a lot of sports media and the NFL dominates.  Maybe I just need to turn all the talk off and show up at game time.  Chicken sounds good.
 

Music Spotlight

Jamestown Revival, "California"

I think their entire debut album Utah is excellent.  This is just a fun listen, and in particular I think the song "Home" might be one of my favorite album-closers.   Here's "California", the second track on Utah:

http://youtu.be/VidjX0j04og







Nickel Creek, "Destination"

I'm really looking forward to A Dotted Line (due out April 1).  I've always thought that Nickel Creek had such a distinct sound and was sad to see them break up several years ago.  I'm not a fan of Chris Thile by himself, but with Sara and Watkins, there's much more of a nice balance.

http://youtu.be/JawK7QcEGKU





Nickel Creek, "The Lighthouse's Tale"

This is a very haunting song from Nickel Creek

http://youtu.be/ARIr6S_0lAQ




Feist, "The Bad In Each Other"


Feist's music sometimes meanders too much for me, but she does have a knockout voice.  This one sounds like it would be the perfect concert opener, with the stomping intro and determined guitar.
From 2011's Metals


http://youtu.be/mV8BrMDtOjY


Feist, "Caught A Long Wind"

This song, also from Metals, is a little more gentle, but is still goosebump-inducing in parts.

http://youtu.be/Q1Ywmjn_1FU


RETRO PICK: 

Phil Collins, "We Fly So Close"

I wasn't a big fan of Both Sides, but this song is absolutely beautiful.  Incredibly melancholy, but like "In The Air Tonight", it's incredible for the mood that it sets.

http://youtu.be/Pzs8Cdrgzw0



And finally...


Yuna, "Falling"

This is my current favorite song.  I've listened to it dozens of times, but I always hear something new.  Her latest album Nocturnal has a jazzy, laid-back vibe, and her voice is accompanied by some just perfect choices instrumentation-wise.  It's a great workout song, great chill-out song, just an overall great song.

http://youtu.be/HGY2MBdv9Y0






 

Enough Said (and other movies)

Enough Said:

Out of the movies that I've seen over the last month and a half, the best by far was Enough Said.  It's the story of Albert and Eva, both of whom are previously divorced.  They meet at a party, hit it off, and begin seeing each other. 

Eva's a masseuse, and one of her clients is Marianne.  Marianne's a poet and a bit of a free spirit, and she and Eva strike up a friendship.  She doesn't have anything good to say about her ex, and Eva's all ears, but things become complicated when Eva figures out that Marianne is Albert's ex-wife.

I have to recommend Enough Said because I felt like it was a realistic romantic comedy.  Eva's a bit oblivious to certain realities (for example, that it might be hurtful to her daughter that Eva's getting really chummy with her daughter's best friend) and starts to see some of Albert's habits as flaws after hanging around with Marianne.  Gandolfini's Albert is very vulnerable.  It's obvious that his habits (however innocuous) annoyed Marianne to no end, and that they just weren't a match, but Eva seems to take her word as gospel and sees flaws that may not even really be flaws. 

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Other films I've recently seen:

The Spectacular Now

This is a solid teen-romance film, and an opposites-attract teen-romance film.  Miles Teller gives a very John Cusack like performance as Sutter, a high-schooler who carries around a flask and is very much about the present (to the detriment of any future he might have).  Sharlene Woodley (The Descendants and the upcoming Divergent movie) as Aimee is a very naïve and innocent girl who falls for Sutter, who continues his self-destructive behavior even after they start dating.  It's easy to dislike Sutter, but throughout there's a sense that there's a decent guy underneath all the trouble.  It's also easy to see why Sutter is the way he is after meeting his father (played by Kyle Chandler).  The struggle for Sutter to change and the suspense of not wanting to see Aimee get hurt makes this a compelling watch.

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Katy Perry:  Part Of Me

I didn't really feel like I learned too much from this documentary, other than that Perry's shows might be sensory overload.  Yes, touring is difficult, and yes, it takes a toll on one's personal life.  It wasn't a shocker that Katy was a bit of a ham as a kid. Altogether, this wasn't a terrible documentary, just not terribly enlightening.

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French Immersion (at UWM's Festival of Films in French)

Goofy film about life in Quebec at a French Immersion school for adults.  Said adults are not allowed to speak English in school or with their host families.  Culture shock leads to most of the humor.  The school is being investigated because of mismanagement, so the school's leadership tries to do everything they can to save it, and one of the new students has political aspirations but needs to hide for a little while.  It's a likable film without too much depth or intensity.

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Dans La Maison (In The House)

This was a second viewing of a film screened for Milwaukee Film Club members last year, and since I knew of the twists and turns this time, it wasn't nearly as entertaining. 

 

The film centers around the budding relationship between Germain, a literature teacher,and one of his students.  Early on, the teacher laments the disappointing quality of his students' work, as they seem incapable of even describing their weekend in an interesting manner.  Along comes Claude Garcia, who tells the story of the happenings in his friend's house as he begins tutoring him in math. 

Germain begins mentoring Claude, as he sees Claude's potential, but begins to offer his opinion on the plot and writing style. Claude, meanwhile, begins to linger in his friend's home and writing on life there.  Eventually, this becomes very complicated for both Germain and Claude and has consequences for both.

My second viewing felt a bit tedious, but I definitely recommend it, as it is a unique experience, both funny and suspenseful.

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