Euro 2012 in “Panoramic” view?
Hopefully not ”eventful” for more than the one reason yaknow?
This may be one of the greatest Panorama‘s in recent time but that may well be a lie and an overstatement but it did tick the boxes which are needed to grab my attention whenever watching Panorama because I don’t want to bad mouth the work or journalism put into each edition of the long-running BBC documentary series for a second but facts are the facts. The sad fact is that my attention span is limited and the things that grab said attention are even more limited but not to say that it can’t be done but all I mean to say is that it is rare that I find something in an episode of Panorama that I find interesting for as much as I strive to know a bit about everything, I can’t and I doubt that any person can admit to knowing everything. With Panorama it highlighted the racism and behaviour of “the locals” of the countries hosting this year’s European Championship, Poland and the Ukraine in a joint-host nation role of “Europe’s own football World Cup” so this hosting malarky better be a good idea by both FIFA and Poland & Ukraine as I don’t know how to say it but if I wasn’t already hesitant of travelling overseas for a football fixture after watching “Euro 2012: Stadiums of Hate” I’ve well and truly been put off doing so now and in particular this scene.
Someone get Dan Walker on ‘Jeremy Kyle’ because I want a “cheap and cheerful” DNA Test to check if he’s a Vulcan (Spock’s race in Star Trek) as that “man” did a “Vulcan Mind Meld” and clearly went on to read my fudgin’ mind Monday night!
No disrespect to Panorama but the whole edition was amazingly summarized by ‘Football Focus‘ presenter and all-round “don” of a man Dan Walker through his Twitter account shortly following the edition of Panorama in something that I can only assume was overlooked by the majority that chose to watch it. I think that is the downfall of ‘Panorama’ and the Internet in general as sometimes people can’t realise that of course it is “the worst” that is highlighted because it’s “the worst” that people are there to watch but the true question is how often will “the worst” happen, as fact is under what conditions will it be allowed to even happen as unfortunately being in the country in the month of June will mean heightened security, concentrated security, the specialised conditions of the country in said month as it may deter those that may otherwise have a chance of the same thing during a domestic match. I think what I will take away from Dan Walker that night in particular was this tweet as it is true and only highlights that people will generally highlight the bad issues that either sell papers or get people watching the news but it doesn’t mean that it is a definite outlook for the upcoming event, it was a view followed by this tweet and I even tweeted him a response on his stance of the whole thing. All in all I just think that though Sol Campbell (something I tweeted about with his reaction) has every right to his reservations of fans even bothering to go and follow England to Poland & the Ukraine this Summer (I think it’s more directed to England supporters from an ethnic background but either/or) I can’t help but think “I have other things I could spend at least £1000 on” so I’ll watch it with friends & family in an act that would be more than enough as even if I had never suffered the stroke but fact is that I did and I have to be a bit more “selective” with my “aeronautical travel“. All this same it bought this tweet out of me as football is the only European sport that seems to find itself in the dark ages when people discuss sexism, racism, and the equality of rules. Well either way Gary “G.Nev” Neville has already voiced (not for the first time, human-highlight reel of the gab) his displeasure of the fan support upon England qualifying for major tournaments, either way don’t worry “G.Nev” as I’ve never said England will go too deep into each tournament. *excuse the bleakness but 1966… REALLY?!?!?!?!*
Sooooooooooo… No Internet from Sunday, how will this work out?
If Sky are all “Believe in Better”, then how come to do a routine check over a faulty set-top box costs £60? “Better” seems a bit of a con!
It’s sad to admit it but in our family home it feels like being back in the dark ages and I know people will think that I’m overreacting but facts are facts that from depending on something to then flip to an existence without said item is never easy as though doable it is still not at all easy to do to the point that you fellow-reader find me “at the beginning of it all” as I’m sat inside the Starbucks in Richmond but the one next to the Santander, not the one opposite the train station. I made a promise to myself and that promise was to submit a blog entry every Friday so as much as this post started on the Wednesday (23rd May) I hope of internet back in the house by Friday nonetheless (coincidence, be’ave the eagerness of my blogging coincides with Sky “pulling their finger out”). It’s one of those “the phone outlet and the power outlet aren’t next to eachother in our living room so with a bit of wire work and not the “Man on Wire” way means that my uncle/my mum’s brother unfortunately tripped on the wire and at the plug of the power supply said wire snapped and though I thought “my friend Dan could quickly solder it” that was further from the truth as apparently it could start a fire if not done properly as the wire came undone at the crucial part of the plug with relays blah-blah-blah, I would love the internet back but not enough to potentially start a fire. I suppose God works in crazy ways as the set-top box to our Sky Television has been working funny for a while now as we can’t record or anything and my mum was all “I’m not paying a maintenance charge” in an act that is just horrible anyway as we’re paying for the service as a whole so isn’t that enough? That Rupert Murdoch isn’t out to make friends.
When you love a programme for four years after you first watched it after your first day of work but you’ve left that job since. Had another job since then, then had a stroke and have even gone on to write a book… I digress from my point. My point is that a lot has happened since that faithful Sunday afternoon but I still love that programme in a sense I’ve not had since Friends ended in ’04!
In this time of internet darkness I’ve found myself watching a bit more television than I’ve been known to and so I stumbled across my favourite US sitcom ‘How I Met Your Mother‘ and more specifically Season 2, Episode 4 called ‘Ted Mosby: Architect‘ in an episode where main character Ted has his first argument with his girlfriend Robin and she admits to their mutual friend Lily that she doesn’t know how to deal with a boyfriend’s “how was work?” part of the day as she’s used to being single so when the bad times get repetitive, Lily suggests she “practice the alphabet backwards“, “in case [she gets] pulled over for a DUI“, that sounds fair enough. But then it had me thinking about citizenship tests and how they can be seen as unfair as I’m sure most UK Nationals don’t know the answers themselves. Both are acts of testing people to the extreme but how can it be seen as ok if even in the natural cases where someone is “as sober as a vicar/nun” how can they recite the alphabet backwards? When living in the UK all their lives with no other place seen as home to be able to answer those citizenship questions in an act that only seems to highlight how much a person loves a country more than most nationals do and makes the BNP look silly really. I know their argument is “British Nationals first” but I think like how I was about the “Same Sex Marriage Issue” maybe it’s one of those “I see the argument, but is there a compromise? Yes British Nationals but No to ‘whites’!”.
*In a Star Trek voice* “Damn it Jim I’m a sports follower, not a world affairs follower”. Well either way these tests are most likely only put there to “weed out the weak” so I need to curb my enthusiasm.
Quirky, Quick, Quins!
So this is what I’ve been resorted to on the eve of “regular service”, I’ve drafted that blog while I was in Starbucks yesterday so this one is on my phone, the pictures and a bit of editing came during a trip to said Starbucks later in the day but for the time being this phone has the WordPress app so lets try it out!
True story, a couple of reps came into my primary school when I was 7 or 8 years old… I’ve never looked back.
Basically put this Saturday marks the Aviva Premiership Final between Harlequins & Leicester Tigers, after the 25-23 Quins win over 4th place Northampton and then the 24-15 Tigers win over 3rd place Saracens. That means a Premiership Final between 1st (Quins) and 2nd (Tigers), but only back in December Quins were undefeated unfortunately losing that distinction against fierce London rival Saracens at Big Game 4 at Twickenham Stadium but subsequently losing just another 3 times in 2012. Then to think that back on 12 April 2009 in the Heineken Cup Match against Irish side Leinster marked the “Bloodgate” incident in which subsequently meant a three year ban for then-director of rugby Dean Richards, the same Dean Richards that overlooked the turn around of relegation the Harlequins had to bare back at the end of the 2004/05 season. To then mention the false hope that came to the club after they won the inaugural Challenge Cup (Rugby Union’s equivalent of the UEFA Cup/Europa League) in 2001 and then again in 2004.
With such promise how could a rugby club have spawned so much adversity for itself for it is the same club that produced “rugby legends” like Will Carling, Keith Wood & Jason Leonard and that is but to name a few. I have been seen as a “fair weather fan” or “not a true fan” but I can’t help but just think as much again that no better example of how sport is a microcosm of life for to ask any rugby club let alone person to overcome adversity but true to the “Mighty Quins” way when in a corner they subsequently fought out of it, just the tonic or any person needs. The Quins did that without a second thought and this weekend marks an era and a club that even if they lose will always have my respect and for that I will never be any more happy if they win, to a “crackin’ final day” ey?
The aftermath of the 2011/2012 Premier League Season… Hmm.
So this was the best ever season in Premier League history… Until next season then yeah?
So where were we in this story of the Premier League before that faithful last day of the season? Mercenary Shibby won the league in the end; Tottenham were able to do enough to join them, Manchester United and Arsenal in the 2012/13 Champions League by finishing 4th in the league; Newcastle, Chelsea and Everton made 5th, 6th and 7th to have those Europa League places but then for that drop down the final table to 18th, 19th and 20th in that relegation battle in which Bolton, Blackburn and Wolves filled those spots respectively. That’s basically the last chapter of the “2011/12 Barclays Premier League story book”, but people on this planet don’t watch football to “skip to the end“, “the journey is the destination” so to watch some of those events in between as I eluded to in last week’s blog. After the dust settled Manchester United basically lost the 2011/12 Premier League title as I refuse to write or ever mention that City won it because if it was based solely on head-to-head results then yes City beat United twice.
Manchester United played Mercenary Shibby four times in the 2011/12 season, first up was the FA Community Shield match at Wembley Stadium on the 7th August in a match United won 2-3; next up was the Premier League 1-6 home loss on 23rd October 2011 and that was a match I will never forget… mainly because it was a match that coincided with my first sporting passion at “the home of English Football” and yes my adopted NFL team for the evening (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) lost to the Chicago Bears 24-18 as it was a game I was fortunate enough to go to as it marked the 2nd time in the 5 times the NFL annually hold regular season matches at Wembley Stadium; the next match was the 2-3 away win in the FA Cup Third Round tie in a match that City had their captain Vincent Kompany sent off so maybe that had a big part to play; the last match was United losing 1-0 in the reverse fixture of that 1-6 beating. So records has it as City won two and United won two but Mercenary Shibby won their two in the league but that meant at least a six point lead in the title race, but it didn’t as it all boiled down to an eight goal difference between the two teams as both finished on 89 points so that sucked as more United lost it than City winning it.
I actually have friends that have flown out to watch them. THAT’S devotion. Not my level of devotion but devotion none the less!
Well long story short the 2011/12 football season ends in the age old tradition of the Champions League Final between Chelsea and Bayern Munich in a match that reunites Munich winger Arjen Robben with the West London club as he used to play for them between 2004-07 in a small little footnote in the match that will decide if Chelsea will join City, United, and Arsenal next season as Tottenham are “on the bubble” of missing out at due to the special 2005-06 Liverpool season that highlighted the rules for the Champions League winner, so we’ll see if it’s Chelsea or Tottenham next season.
I don’t know if I should be happy or sad, last day of the season.
WHEN football becomes “just a game”, I normally “lose my rag” at that reply from people, not on the 17th March!
For a fact I’m getting faster and faster at typing, editing, making less mistakes and then publishing blog entries, if The Daily Telegraph want to sign me up as Henry Winter is an inspiration of mine *ahem* But people need to have people in their “day-to-day” as inspirations, does he know who I’am? Today marks the last day of the 2011/12 Barclays Premier League Season in a season that marked 20 years of the Premier League that meant to make a list of the best players and (UK-Only)best goals of the era; Fabrice Muamba collapsed during an FA Cup Quarter-Final match vs. Tottenham due to a heart condition; Mick McCarthy’s six-year tenure at Wolverhampton Wanderers came to an end as the midlands club found themselves “in the mire” going into the Holiday Season but the club gave him the two-months afterall which was nice of them *sarcasm detected* and as any supporter of the Premier League knows it means expect a managerial sacking, shame no Premier League calibre manager wanted the job, so Wolves had to hire internally and went for assistant manager (but a history as the club’s youth, reserve and first team coach) Terry Connor (more on that later). Thierry Henry returned to the Premier League after a five-year absence due to moving to Barcelona back in 2007, but then he moved to New York Red Bull in 2010 and then went on loan Arsenal (the team where he made his name as arguably the greatest player of the Premier League-era) and to think I actually watched his first goal back for the club, it was in the FA Cup Third Round match against Leeds, I wasn’t there but I watched it on television, gotta love ticket prices, Paul Scholes retired a Manchester United legend just to come back out of it, read into that what you like but came back during the FA Cup Third Round match vs. Mercenary City and United won 1-0 so “meh”.
Tevez: “I get to say no to being subbed on vs. Bayern Munich in the Champions League group stages, AWOL back to Argentina on an unpaid argument with the manager to basically play golf and then return five-months later and say that he treated me like a dog? Then score a goal as part of a hat-trick in the 6-1 win vs. Norwich and celebrate by mimicking a golf swing? Where do I sign?”
These besides other events since 13 August 2011 mean that Wolves & Blackburn were relegated with Bolton or QPR to follow; for Tottenham & Newcastle to fight for the last Champions League position (include Arsenal if talking automatic Champions League places) in fixtures that mean one of them will join “Mercenary City”, Manchester United; with Tottenham in the drivers seat for that 4th place, it means Newcastle will join Chelsea, and Everton in the Europa League next season; and “the main event” of Manchester United or Manchester City to be crowned the champions of the 2011/12 season. In a season that meant a “Manchester Derby that counted for more than most” it’s lame that United lost but the reaction of my friend Suzanne on Mercenary City’s season is quite harsh as though it went into a talk about how Manchester United always “buy the league” I stood tough with “always been a mix of academy/those trained from a young age with those players purchased (in a banter way, we all know I’m not “the typical football supporter”), but long story short that times like that are the epitome of “don’t say I’m not passionate about football, because it’s still in there somewhere” in a situation where I would congratulate them if they won it any other way I would. But the way City have been in the hunt for this year’s title is just disgusting and it means I will never applaud them because for all fans and the club before 2007 have my respect, Manchester City have my respect, to be in the second-from-bottom division in English Football far back as little as the 1998-99 season (Old Division Two). But “Mercenary City” never will! Simple.
The power of (radio) music, nostalgia?
What a weird and freaky occurrence, both Jason Biggs & Mena Suvari are in both the music video for Teenage Dirtbag (which was for the film ‘Loser’) and American Pie: The Reunion/American Reunion
I took a very thoughtful act for granted before today, whenever I was in the car with my sister it never mattered where we were as if we said we liked a certain song on the radio she would leave the engine on and we would wait in the car until either the name of the song was disclosed or if a certain lyric could be recited so we could use it for when we got back home to then go and search for the song on “no specific search engine” once we got home as that was the power of radio music. Music that makes it onto the radio not for a lack of effort or an immense effort but is merely seen as “radio friendly” and I can’t lie that at 26 years of age the passion I once had for radio music has died somehow, it’s still alive but it has to be seen as on an IV drip keeping it “still in the game”. To think that BBC Radio 1 made a run-down of *spoiler alert: If you don’t know and want to read this first, then DON’T click the link, simplez* The Top 100 (or was it 150? meh) best selling tracks of the 21st century during a typical “May Day” Bank Holiday Monday over my best mate’s was a surprise “trip down memory lane” for as much as playing FIFA 12 was the focal point of the afternoon we had the radio on in the background and then between matches we would just listen to said run-down so to listen to ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ by Wheatus ”threw both of us off” as the instant thought was “was that in the 21st century?” a trip onto Wikipedia when I got home said so, July 2000, “knock me down and call me Gertrude” as it felt a lot older than the rest of the chart but that’s how quickly time goes. Long story short it was when I finally got home and looked online that I found out that ‘Evergreen’ by Will Young was the “‘#1 biggest selling single track of the 21st century”, so of course the backlash from a lot a lot of people on Twitter wasn’t great but then it’s not a fix or a pre-arranged agreement between fans, the UK “only has itself to blame”.
Is it ‘American Reunion’ or ‘American Pie: The Reunion’? STOOPID HOLLYWOOD!
Talking about nostalgia and just thinking “really?!?!?! Wow” had to be the fact I chose to watch American Reunion, the 4th and to be honest “Lethal Weapon 4″esque film in the sense that “it wasn’t at all necessary but it does put a bow on the tale” as it highlighted the transition of the gang’s “high school hijinx” into “adult responsibility” in something that though not needed to further a successful franchise (that even squeezed out a straight-to-DVD franchise) those were never my “cup of tea” so when I heard about this “reunion” a lot of me didn’t want to watch it as a la “the first memory is the best memory, don’t relive it, it’ll tarnish it”. But in trying to “turn-over a new leaf” in not thinking as much as I’ve been known to and going to watch those films that I’m not required to as much as the norm so I just went “meh, why not, Orange Wednesday afterall and I get to watch it with a good friend for half the price, that’ll do”. Hand on my heart I think it was the best of the American Pie movies and I’ll explain why. It highlighted the story of the average transition from “teenage carefree-to-adult responsibility” as well as any film tackling this very difficult subject can attempt to. I have to admit that it still has “the old American Pie humour” but to be honest if a true human-being it’s easy to assume people and you in particular can “detach” from it and see it’s all relevant and for a bigger purpose.
This week has taught me nostalgia is a good thing, for a glimpse, lets not dwell though ey?
Obama: “Same-sex couples should be able to get married”, hmm
Soooooooooo… Who wants that can of worms, how about you elephant in the room?
Before all the messages come flooding in with “what makes you a spokesman?”, “the divine right to comment on how a Christian should live?”, “what makes you an expert on the subject?” as I’ll be honest I don’t argue that I’am but what I’am is an opinionated young-man that can’t believe Obama said what he said (maybe out of context but I wish I cared enough to look, but that’s a word of the wise so not to say my word, just that I heard it and I believe it but “always check sources before commenting” but technically I’m commenting on those people commenting on Twitter about Barack Obama’s comments, follow? And those that know me personally can hopefully see the joke in my choice of colour-scheme but I’m not being serious as everyone has a right to an opinion) I can’t help but think that though I’m not deeply religious I can see the argument against “Same Sex Marriages” as since this stroke I’ve had time and reason to look a bit deeper into Christianity than I ever did. I can’t help but still be on the fence with some things but otherwise I’m seeing “their point of view” but it took “a friend of a friend” to highlight this reaction to Barack Obama’s comments earlier today as they responded to said friend’s facebook status with the ever true “I’d prefer that civil partnerships were extended to heterosexuals and was given the same legal status as marriage” and I couldn’t agree any more, due to the degree of seriousness I had to edit as to be honest in this life-time of PC gone mad how knows even with the best intentions at heart.
I’m normally as liberal as they come but this time it feels different, sorry, sue me. Great organisation otherwise! – If you needed help to notice that this is actress Jane Lynch (Glee) then you are in need of “help” my-friend. Not only Glee, amazing actress!
I may not have marched the streets of London or written into the government on issues but I see myself as a rather liberal man so I don’t want to get into a “I can prove it” debate because I can’t but I don’t really care to do so but what I can do is just highlight that on most issues I seem to lean towards a more liberal position of the pendulum that as a point I might not vote in candidates at one certain end of the spectrum, but another thing this opinionated friend (I’m not being sarcastic, I really appreciate opinionated people) highlighted that voting based on party is “so 20th century”. But to hear the reaction of a lot-a lot of people about this issue makes me think that though Christianity seems to be held in higher regard with Republicans than Democrats in “The States” is this an example of one of those moments when Obama said something that of course the majority of people are going to agree for they’re either not “Hardcore Christians” or are in fact “Atheist“. Which I have to be honest though as it’s not good to generalise but “prove me wrong” and anyway I’m putting myself into this generalisation but I’m not a “Hardcore Christian” and I’m not an “Atheist” but I just believe in “live and let live” in a sort of “Agnostic Theist” vibe to life.
I’m sure she’ll say “I’m only doing my job”, but I now understand when people think more of you for “just doing your job”… Thank You Hope Powell!
So to hear from the reaction that most people are in favour of Same-sex Marriage and tackling other injustices given to those “different” from “the norm” which I think is a STUPID ARGUMENT AS YOU ASK HOPE POWELL IF SHE WANTED TO ATTEMPT TO BE THE ENGLAND & TEAM GB MANAGER OF THE WOMENS TEAM LITTLE OVER 10 YEARS AGO! I think it would a better world if the government and people generally in the world voiced as much as they already have on the subject of “legalising same sex marriage” on instead making “civil partnership” equal to it. There’s that theory on How I Met Your Mother in S5, Ep13 ‘Jenkins’ about reaching and settling so in my conquest to liken “serious things” to “pop-culture” could it be seen that “marriage” is meant to be “reached for” but due to modern-law it’s “civil-partnership” if you’re in a same-sex relationship but that route can be seen as the “settlement”? For a while it was an ok arrangement but then society realised the short-comings of a “civil-partnership” in contrast to “marriage” thus it began the argument? So as sad as it has become I think though to an “Atheist” it’s ok to bring “marriage” down a peg or two, hopefully I’m not the only one that thinks it’s the wrong thing to do so as it’s not a “I hate gay people” thing, it’s a “the sanctity of marriage & religious law” way though I don’t love the idea of marriage I feel that it’s wrong for people to have an opinion if they are not in fact religious. I’m not deeply or at least enough weight in that opinion than those “on the inside” i.e. gays and church-goers so it’s not my place to comment, what I can suggest is for the government to raise “civil-partnership” to the level of “marriage” so there’s not an “extreme religion-like problem” on the horizon as in actuality it’s sullying The Word that has existed for at least 2012 years but I’m glad this opinion has at least been printed before as I thought I could be seen as a “pariah“.
With that said I’ll probably be littered with “you don’t know what you’re on about!” & “have you got a death wish?”, well no, but I do have an overly active brain and my life-long quest to run the 100m at London 2012 is out of the question so “meh”.
May Day Bank Holiday Weekend means…
Better than Scrabble? Nah!
Well up until now I had a thought about how it involved a Maypole or something, blah, blah, blah so after looking up on Wikipedia about it (Wikipedia entries are good for the rough estimate, don’t bet your house on it) I can’t help but smile as I got the “gist”, when people mention “pagan ritual” I switch off from hearing about paganism not because I’m deeply religious but because history is fantastic to look at but I refuse to dwell on it. But personally it meant that I went to go and visit former Wolfson co-patient Nikki as she was back in hospital and she was free either Thursday or Friday and as a twenty-something I chose the Thursday and I “trekked” to Russell Square and I know my family would threat over the fact I went on my own but to be honest another thing I will refuse to do is to rely on people unless I really need to. Did anyone know that the visit to Russell Square tube station meant 175 steps? (well according to the signs in the tube station, but in actuality there’s 177) some say foolishly elected the stairs instead of the elevators but to that statement I say “VIKING WARRIOR!” (a term that comes to mind whenever achieving something of small measure but still something worth celebrating in a “jokey fashion”) but in my defence I’ve never really been “an elevator person” but I will admit that I ached a bit afterwards but such is life.
BBC’s Sherlock MAY sue!
Made my way to University College London’s ‘National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery‘ and it was just like going back to just under 18months ago as a hospital environment and a hospital routine but it was nice being able to talk to Nikki about it and I could relate. I know I may seem more self-centred than usual considering how I went to go and visit her in hospital but I never like talking about other people in a bad way and this time is no different but what I will say is that she’s fine and the prognosis is apparently better than what she heard while a patient at The Wolfson (funnily the hospital had a lecture theatre called ‘Wolfson‘, coincidence?) and if the recovery she’s made since entering the Wolfson is any indication then “the sky is a blue one”, God-willing. It was great seeing her again and catching up on how watching ‘Mamma Mia‘ will forever be linked to her (jokingly) and just how it’s good she has new reason to be positive of things as though labelled “Mr Positivity” I can’t help but think “It better have rubbed off”.
The first row, no. The second row, yes. That is all.
Today is the 4th of May 2012 in a day known for “Star Wars Day” as it has the moniker “May The 4th Be With You” (geddit?) but I’ve been more of a “dark side” follower myself as I prefer “May The 6th Be With You” (i.e. Sith) and so that warranted me watching ‘Chasing Amy‘ in what I labelled as “The polar-opposite of Wayne Rooney“. (DISCLAIMER: Swearing and people choosing to watch this YouTube video need to realise that because it’s not true it makes it funny as it is the way that some black people feel) I believe that one scene in particular maybe seen as “crude and vulgar” but the level of my existence is that “if it is a necessary evil“, this scene is pivotal to the film and to be honest sorry if people are offended and don’t laugh but I can because Hooper X took it “too far” but as he explains later in the scene that as a black homosexual it is merely the orders of the comic book publishers as it makes his comic book ‘White Hating C**n’ more marketable *sigh*. I’ll end this blog on a Facebook status from one of my best friends Liz for my inner-geek (the one I mentioned on Wednesday) smiled.
So Any Real Surprise From ‘Avengers Assemble’/'The Avengers’?
I don’t know if it’s because I’m 26 but I won’t mistake 6 U.S. superheroes in 2012 with 2 British spies in 1965!
Just arrived back to my humble abode from watching ‘Avengers Assemble’ with my sister in Staines, I can’t help but feel underly-overwhelmed from it as the fact has to be that all it appeared to be was a “Summer Blockbuster“, though not a bad thing it has to be known that for someone such as me I like the deeper films but I’ve learnt to “take my foot off of the gas”. To just be able to sit down through the running time and just enjoy it for what it was for though nice to tax the brain it needs to switch off every now and again because for this instance I like comic books & superheroes after-all (without buying said comic books but I’ve been known to allude to the level of my “geekiness” in the past. There’s ‘And So It Begins, ‘My Review of ‘Green Lantern’‘, ‘Yesterday Was A First For Methinks… Prove Me Wrong‘, and of course ‘First blog of the NFL postseason, The FA Cup, and of course Titus Bramble at it AGAIN?!?!?!‘, not may then). As much as I embrace my “inner geek” I can still be found guilty of distancing myself from it time-to-time but for watching Avengers Assemble (Originally called ‘The Avengers’ but Hollywood thought the UK would get it mixed up with 1960′s TV Series starring Patrick Macnee and made stars of Honor Blackman & Diana Rigg, that’s a bit harsh but just shrugged it off and watched it anyway) I fully embraced it. But it premiered on the 19th April at Westfield in London (There was a competition on Cineworld’s Twitter meaning that I could have gone and seriously “geeked it up”) but I had the patience to not attend a midnight showing on 26th April but then even not rush to the cinema for the 27th April release date, so in an effort to be sensible I waited for the amazing Orange Wednesday and went with my sister in a move to avoid any disappointment for this man.
Lame UK-only alternative name… ASSEMBLE!
I went and I’ll be honest with you reader that for the first time since I was a young teenager I entered a cinema screening without a shred of expectation as Hollywood has a history of letting me down to the point that I have to find the tricks of following production companies, producers, directors or actors/actresses in order to find the formula of a successful but relaxing film as I overthink and this was a chance for me to stop that for those 2 hours and 23 minutes. Even with people in my past referring to it as “Best film in years” I was happy I chose to shut the world out and make the call myself as to make myself my personal film reviewer as sometimes these “Summer Blockbusters” require it as that hype and hyperbole can carry its success and so some people read more into a film than me or not enough when reviewing a film and expect too much or not enough. So as I entered with “a blank canvas of emotion” I liked how they got all of the main characters involved as though seemly easy it has to be realised as anything but as they really are six very different characters from different worlds with maybe only Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) the only linked characters before the “Avengers Assemble”(d). One bit that seriously doesn’t ruin the film so please forgive me in saying this “spoiler” to a small scene that doesn’t actually do anything to the story so just see it as a “before they were famous” moment as Thor strikes Captain America’s shield and it makes such a noise all I could think was “For Whom The Bell Tolls“.
But since coming back home I have been told via Facebook that in the “Marvel Universe” “[Captain America's] shield did that because it is made out of vibranium and adamantium the vibranium made it go BOOOOONG [as Thor struck it]“, told by fellow “comic book geek” Edd, so it must be true!
All in all I liked ‘Avengers Assemble’ but I won’t lie when I admit I have seen better Hollywood films but to exclude those films and narrow the search to only “mainstream comic book movies” it has to be the best I’ve ever seen and I will buy the DVD for sure but I can’t help but think that a bit of that geeky-side may be slipping out or actually not enough of it is as my reaction to it even surprised me as I think I said it, “underly-overwhelmed”.
p.s. Cobie Smulders became “type-casted” as ‘Robin Scherbatsky‘ of How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM) fame in my opinion so I’m relegated to seeing the woman Ted stole a blue French horn for EVERY waking moment now, sorry.
“Burning That Midnight Oil”
These images are unoriginal, just change it to whichever year it is... Boring!
So tonight is the highlight of the NFL (off) season, at 8pm ET/1pm BST it means it is the NFL Draft that is the culmination of the college American Footballer’s (NCAA) career in that event I’ve even written about in my book and how it mentioned to throw out the story of Tim Tebow as he became the biggest talking point. To mention that since Tebow has been traded to the New York Jets since his draft in the 2010 season. To think that roughly 3 or 4 months now there has been talk of a sure-fire #1 and #2 pick of the 2012 Draft, that means Andrew Luck to the Indianapolis Colts with the #1 and then Robert Griffin III (RG:III) to the Washington Redskins after they traded up from #6 to nab the St Louis Rams’ #2, a solid 3 or 4 months so much so that “from #3 its anyone’s guess”. The number of mock drafts is just insane, that is the level of interest and passion people have for something that could be done in a maximum of 4 hours but instead will take 4 days. Well this year I will try to stay up but to be honest I think I’ll fall asleep by #16 even though “my Packers” have the #28 pick in something I’ve always seen as bittersweet when being able to boast a successful team with a solid season, they pick later in the draft and so all the spotlight on that end of players is nothing like that of Luck, RGIII, Kalil, Richardson, Claiborne etc. aww well.
The man looks like a freak! It's ok, in NFL-terms that's a good thing. Google "NFL Freak", trust me!
So I will try my best to stay up and watch this but my friend Gordon has made a mock draft and my man-crush on Mike Mayock and his mock draft is apparent and I swear by his word (well more than the average NFL Analyst) and so I just think that this will be a night of a lot of coffee but I’m going to try my best to manage this, not even thinking of my bed but to highlight that when the regular season is on it’s not as big a problem as to admit that my body-clock of adjusting to UK Time at the moment for there is no NFL season at the moment and my MLB love has taken a knock and my Bruins got knocked out of the Stanley Cup last night (2-1 loss vs. the Washington Capitals). But one thing that has to be apparent is that Penn State have/had a Defensive End (DE) called Jack Crawford, an Englishman born and raised that only moved to the US when he turned 16 to try his hand at basketball, but was then spotted for American Football and heck he never even knew the rules of it so to join Penn State, learn those rules, and be that level of good to even be considered for NFL Draft, so dare I say it but I’ll be on the look out specifically for Mr. Crawford. Well 00:48 here now so better scoot, but all the best everyone as a cool (though he supports Liverpool, what’s that about?) is having a BBQ on Saturday, so you know the summer is upon us so yay!
So the NFL Draft is underway and Andrew Luck is the #1 pick… Are there going to be any surprises? We’ll see!
But one edit and it’s the #10 pick now, only another 18 until the Packers!
