[For anyone who likes sports and geography and the tears of triumph/tragedy and NBC puff pieces and Britishy things generally speaking, we now present a disorganized list of things about the upcoming London Olympics.]
* I love how the Olympics creates a bubble where we can all can set aside the bigger problems of the world for a couple of weeks and just play games together. I want to gobble all of it.
* Beginning on a serious note, there are always a few countries in transition - civil war, border dispute, nations not recognized for one reason or another. But this doesn't stop the athletes from participating, bringing a bit of exposure and glory to their homelands. They wear plain uniforms, carry the five-ring Olympic flag, and if they win they hear the Olympic hymn in place of a national anthem. What a brave and lonely thing to do.
* The USA is sending more women athletes than men. While we're praising our own girls, let's also notice that every country participating in the games is sending women to compete this year. And it'll be a female fencing champion carrying the Stars and Stripes in the opening ceremony Friday night.
* Thanks in part to the popularity of THE HUNGER GAMES and Pixar's BRAVE, expect the archery competition to receive unprecedented attention. It'll be hotter than curling.
* Did you know the London Olympics is Michael Phelps FOURTH Olympics?!? He debuted as an infant in Sydney (2000), won medals in Athens (2004), destroyed everyone in Beijing (2008), and now in London he's poised to become the most decorated athlete in modern Olympic history (and maybe all Olympic history, I didn't find the records for the ancient victors). Who holds the 'winningest' record currently? This gymnast. This is starting to feel a bit like a 'girl power' games. *pumps fist victoriously*
* I've taken a poll of several Great Brits, asking what events they would most like to win. All of them (repeat: all of them) responded with some amount of despair about how they won't win anything (except maybe "queuing up on time"). I did eventually coax some confessions of hope in the areas of sailing, rowing, and cycling (note that it was a Brit who just won the Tour de France last week). I was surprised at the lack of enthusiasm for tennis, given Andy Murray's second place finish at Wimbledon a few weeks ago. I'm convinced it's all a psychological trick, since everyone knows the host nation always brings its A+ game. Let's all take a moment and hug a Brit today. I feel like they could use it.
* I think the Spanish are sneaky good at many more things than we give them credit for. Their basketball team gave us a heart attack during the gold medal game in Beijing. And then there's the the phenomenal success of their soccer and tennis players. Watch this space - at least in terms of developing athletes, the Spanish are doing something right. (Note: Sad to hear Rafael Nadal pulled out of the tennis competition, but this makes me ENTHUSED about cheering for Andy Murray. ANDY MURRAY!!)
* While we're on the subject of basketball, I predict here in the States we'll generally re-warm to LeBron a bit over the next couple of weeks - especially since Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh will be out of sight and out of mind (or, more accurately, Stateside nursing injuries along with 37 other players who should have been on our All Star team). One last basketball note: I loved this story on Luol Deng of the Chicago Bulls and his relationship with team Britain.
* Equestrian sports (aka LOOK AT THE PRETTY HORSIES!) are co-ed, as well as co-species. One of Britain's best known riders is a member of the royal family: Queen Elizabeth' granddaughter Zara. One of the USA's best known horses is partially owned by presidential candidate Mitt Romney's wife.
* Olympic mascots are creepy. They will always be creepy. That's the end of it.
* The Olympic soccer tournament is for kids under age 23 (though they allow a handful of older veterans on the team as well). The USA men did not qualify, but even if they did, I'm not sure it would have mattered. For Brazil, the Olympic soccer gold is something of a White Whale, forever taunting and eluding them. While many European countries seem to approach the Olympic tournament as little more than a novel training ground for their teams of the future, Brazil is likely to take it very seriously (and don't forget, Brazil is next up to host the Olympics in 2016... not that I'm still bitter about Chicago losing out or anything). I'll be rooting for team Great Britain and their funny uniforms, but if that starts to go south, it might be fun to see Spain continue it's tiki-taka reign of global domination.
* But don't forget, the USA Women's soccer team DID qualify (and won their opener on Wednesday 4-2 over France). After finishing second in the World Cup last year, they'll be crushed if they don't win their 3rd straight gold. Also, I predict every guy will crush hard on Alex Morgan (aka, the one with the pink headband). Also also, the British ladies won their opening game, getting that first pesky win out of the way for the host nation in the very first event. Watch 'em roll, world. *hugs Britain* *sings the 'Soft Kitty' song from BIG BANG THEORY*
* You think the USA Men's Basketball team has high expectations? Consider the women's team: "The Americans have not lost an Olympic game since 1992. Over the past 16 years the U.S. women have rolled up a 72-1 record in international competition, including four consecutive Olympic gold medals (1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008) and three World Championships (1998, 2002 and 2010). They went 8-0 in Beijing, where they outscored opponents by an average margin of 35.8 points." Yikes.
* The opening ceremonies are Friday starting at 7:30pm EST on NBC (tape delayed, due to the time zone difference). The theme is "Isles of Wonder", inspired by Shakespeare's play THE TEMPEST and promises to have everything you've come to love about Britain up to and including a sing-along with Paul McCartney and a cameo from Lord Voldemort. I've given the matter a lot of thought and I've decided I'd like to see Manchester United Manager, Sir Alex Ferguson as the torch lighter. It would be hilarious, and he could double as Lord Voldemort if the program starts to run long. Either way, be warned: If David Tennant isn't somehow involved, I'll be crushed and start questioning everything I've ever labelled as FACT.
* There are approximately 30,000 more games I haven't had time to appropriately research. For example, I think everyone should probably know about our track and field team including LoLo (hear that Black Eyed Peas? Her name is LOLO. With all due respect to FloJo, LoLo is more in your demographic). Also there is the ever popular gymnastics (both women's and men's). And swimming and diving and volleyball and handball and in 2016 they're adding GOLF.
* Click HERE for the full schedule. Or HERE. Or HERE if you prefer.
* Click HERE to stream things.
Now stock up on those delicious new Starbucks Refreshers and prepare to watch things happening in Greenwich Mean Time. GO WORLD!
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
CHEATSHEET: EURO2012 Knockouts!
Won't someone watch EURO2012 with me? Please?? I feel like a lonely little American hoarding all the fun for myself. I don't really have a rooting interest. I don't even get to watch most of the games live (I stream the games here after work, and they're free OnDemand on Comcast right now, too). But I'm ALL IN on the EUROs. Here's a little context to help you enjoy the show:
THE KNOCKOUT STAGE
Good news! The Group Stage is over, which is admittedly kind of a relief to American sports fans not used to this sort of point system. The tournament now advances into a more recognizable bracket format. If you lose, you go home. If you win, you move on. Simple as that.
THE TEAMS STILL STANDING + THE SCHEDULE
Czech Republic vs Portugal
Thursday June 21st, 1:30 EST on ESPN
* The way I understand it, the Czechs have rather overachieved so far, so feel free to cheer for them as an underdog. One of their greatest assess is goalie Petr Cech, who plays for Chelsea, a London based team in the English Premier League. Chelsea just won the European championship a few weeks ago (I would liken this to the NCAA Football National Championship, if NCAA Football had a tournament instead of bowl games; please leave comments below if you have a better analogy).
On the subject of Petr Cech - you'll recognize him by his helmet. A few years ago, he suffered a scary head injury during a game and now he wears a helmet when he plays. He's a tough, tough cookie.
* I've said it before, I'll say it again: The Portuguese are a beautiful, beautiful people. Watch this game if nothing else for the eye candy. Portugal's best player Ronaldo is one of the two best players in the entire world (depending on who you ask). He's something of a villain, but I've discovered that when it comes to soccer, I tend to like the villains better than the heroes. Soccer is just kind of a douchy sport, so why not fully embrace the douchiness?
Portugal should be favored, Ronaldo should be the 'hero' - and if he isn't, they'll work him over LeBron James style. He's been a similar disappointment in national tournament situations thus far in his career, though pundits seem to agree he's more Kobe than LeBron.
Germany vs Greece
Friday June 22nd, 1:30 EST on ESPN
* For anyone who enjoys watching CNBC, CNN, or CSPAN, this is the match-up for you. Welcome to the EuroZone! This match is really happening. Repeat, this match is really happening. It seems to me to have near Archduke Ferdinand potential if it goes ugly early. Seriously - this match is actually happening.
* Germany more or less WALKED through the so-called 'Group of Death' (nickname given at every tournament to the group that seems to have the best teams in it, much like the toughest bracket in NCAA Basketball). Germany beat everyone while Greece squeezed its way through the easiest of the four groups. Expect flops, expect hard fouls. The first half will be must-see TV, but I wouldn't be surprised if the final score is 5-0 in favor of the very efficient Deutsch. But then again, you just never know (see: Greece's EURO2004 victory).
Spain vs France
Saturday June 23, 1:30 EST on ESPN
* Repeat after me: Tiki-Taka. Say it outloud, it's fun. Tiki-Taka. You will hear these syllables over and over again during this game. Tiki-Taka is the style of soccer the Spanish play, much like we'd reference a "West Coast Offense" in football or a "Triangle Offense" in basketball - at least, I think that's what it means - it may just be Spanish for 'boring'.
The Tiki-Taka Spanish make tiny little pass after tiny little pass, lulling competitors and spectators alike into a stupor before striking. Like a snake. And then winning. Like a snake. I can't decide if like the Spanish or not. They're also kind of beautiful. Like the Portuguese. And they're rather short, which makes them fun-sized. Roger Bennett from the Men In Blazers podcast jokingly refers to them as smurfs, which is especially smurf-fastic when they wear their blue uniforms.
* The French are a stylish bunch. I've enjoyed their uniforms, a dark blue with almost antiquey-distressed looking gold letters and numbers. I don't really know what else to say about them. I think this game will be awesome to watch, so long as the French don't let the Spanish sit on the ball the whole time. Blargh. Ooo, and also the drama of Fernando Torres. That is all you need to know about this game.
England vs Italy
Sunday June 24, 1:30 EST on ESPN
* I recently came to the realization that team England may be national soccer's equivalent of the Chicago Cubs. They have ludicrously passionate fanbase that always expects to lose - but they also always have astronomical aspirations - but then they get angry when they underachieve - but then, if they do happen to win by some miracle they go absolutely bonkers. At the moment, we're enjoying the bonkers. Cubs fans, you tell me: what comes next? Do they win a couple more before they collapse, or just hurry up and get it over with?
One thing in England's favor was that they came in with rather low expectations. New team captain, new coach, several star players out injured, and their best player suspended the first two games due to kicking a dude during qualifying. So far, the stars have aligned for team England. We'll see how they do against the Italians.
* I actually read somewhere in the days leading up to the EUROs that the Italians considered pulling out of the tournament before it started due to match fixing scandals in Italy tainting the team. It kind of set Italy up as a villain in the tournament, though the player I watch the most, Mario Balotelli, actually plays in England (and for all I know other players on the team do as well).
I think of it like this: Much the way college football has several different conferences (the SEC, Big 10, PAC-However-Many, etc), each European country has its own soccer league. The most famous is probably the English Premier League, but Spain, Germany, and Italy all have exceptional teams as well. The best few teams from each league play in a tournament called the Champions League each year to determine the best team in Europe (this year it came down to Germany's Bayern Munich and England's Chelsea, with Chelsea winning). Just as the SEC recruits players from all over the United States, these soccer teams recruit players from all over the world. Therefore, I'm not quite clear on how the Italian league's match fixing impacts these Italian players, but I digress.
AND IF YOU'RE STILL ON THE FENCE...
A few more tid-bits submitted in a last-ditch effort to get you to watch these games with me.
* Fans in the stadium keep throwing flares on the field. Can you imagine what would happen if a fan threw a lit flare on a field here in the States? CHAOS WOULD ENSUE! In the EUROs? The players don't seem to care that they're running around in a cloud of white smoke. I've never seen anything like it. It's so rock star, like they're playing around dry ice. The first flare I saw was during a driving rain storm. Serious question to the fan who threw that flare: How determined do you have to be to throw a lit flare on a soaking wet field during a driving rain storm? WHAT ARE YOU HOPING TO ACHIEVE!?
* Also, soccer played in driving rain is awesome even without the addition of a flare. It's not like gridiron football where the field turns into a lumpy, muddy quagmire - it becomes a giant green slip-n-slide. So far these EUROs have had several rain games and I'd love to see more.
* Soccer fans sing and cheer like no other fans in any sport ever. They're so organized, so passionate and so creative, it's like a show within a show. If you watch an American sporting event, the only song you're likely to hear is "Bulllllll, S*******, Bullllll, S*******." (Note: Most of those *'s were meant to be "i's".)
* In the knockout/bracket stage of the competition there are no ties. Repeat: From this point on there will be no ties.
* The intro-animation, where we fly over Europe and see the crests of all the countries with the dramatic music is very cool and geographically educational. And we go in and out of the broadcast to the mystic sounds of Cold Play. Good production value over-all. ESPN has come a long way in their soccer coverage.
* Again, Greece vs Germany is actually happening. Maybe instead of flares they'll throw Euros (the currency) on the field.
The tournament goes through July 1st; it's not too late to jump aboard. Please?
THE KNOCKOUT STAGE
Good news! The Group Stage is over, which is admittedly kind of a relief to American sports fans not used to this sort of point system. The tournament now advances into a more recognizable bracket format. If you lose, you go home. If you win, you move on. Simple as that.
THE TEAMS STILL STANDING + THE SCHEDULE
Czech Republic vs Portugal
Thursday June 21st, 1:30 EST on ESPN
* The way I understand it, the Czechs have rather overachieved so far, so feel free to cheer for them as an underdog. One of their greatest assess is goalie Petr Cech, who plays for Chelsea, a London based team in the English Premier League. Chelsea just won the European championship a few weeks ago (I would liken this to the NCAA Football National Championship, if NCAA Football had a tournament instead of bowl games; please leave comments below if you have a better analogy).
On the subject of Petr Cech - you'll recognize him by his helmet. A few years ago, he suffered a scary head injury during a game and now he wears a helmet when he plays. He's a tough, tough cookie.
* I've said it before, I'll say it again: The Portuguese are a beautiful, beautiful people. Watch this game if nothing else for the eye candy. Portugal's best player Ronaldo is one of the two best players in the entire world (depending on who you ask). He's something of a villain, but I've discovered that when it comes to soccer, I tend to like the villains better than the heroes. Soccer is just kind of a douchy sport, so why not fully embrace the douchiness?
Portugal should be favored, Ronaldo should be the 'hero' - and if he isn't, they'll work him over LeBron James style. He's been a similar disappointment in national tournament situations thus far in his career, though pundits seem to agree he's more Kobe than LeBron.
Germany vs Greece
Friday June 22nd, 1:30 EST on ESPN
* For anyone who enjoys watching CNBC, CNN, or CSPAN, this is the match-up for you. Welcome to the EuroZone! This match is really happening. Repeat, this match is really happening. It seems to me to have near Archduke Ferdinand potential if it goes ugly early. Seriously - this match is actually happening.
* Germany more or less WALKED through the so-called 'Group of Death' (nickname given at every tournament to the group that seems to have the best teams in it, much like the toughest bracket in NCAA Basketball). Germany beat everyone while Greece squeezed its way through the easiest of the four groups. Expect flops, expect hard fouls. The first half will be must-see TV, but I wouldn't be surprised if the final score is 5-0 in favor of the very efficient Deutsch. But then again, you just never know (see: Greece's EURO2004 victory).
Spain vs France
Saturday June 23, 1:30 EST on ESPN
* Repeat after me: Tiki-Taka. Say it outloud, it's fun. Tiki-Taka. You will hear these syllables over and over again during this game. Tiki-Taka is the style of soccer the Spanish play, much like we'd reference a "West Coast Offense" in football or a "Triangle Offense" in basketball - at least, I think that's what it means - it may just be Spanish for 'boring'.
The Tiki-Taka Spanish make tiny little pass after tiny little pass, lulling competitors and spectators alike into a stupor before striking. Like a snake. And then winning. Like a snake. I can't decide if like the Spanish or not. They're also kind of beautiful. Like the Portuguese. And they're rather short, which makes them fun-sized. Roger Bennett from the Men In Blazers podcast jokingly refers to them as smurfs, which is especially smurf-fastic when they wear their blue uniforms.
* The French are a stylish bunch. I've enjoyed their uniforms, a dark blue with almost antiquey-distressed looking gold letters and numbers. I don't really know what else to say about them. I think this game will be awesome to watch, so long as the French don't let the Spanish sit on the ball the whole time. Blargh. Ooo, and also the drama of Fernando Torres. That is all you need to know about this game.
England vs Italy
Sunday June 24, 1:30 EST on ESPN
* I recently came to the realization that team England may be national soccer's equivalent of the Chicago Cubs. They have ludicrously passionate fanbase that always expects to lose - but they also always have astronomical aspirations - but then they get angry when they underachieve - but then, if they do happen to win by some miracle they go absolutely bonkers. At the moment, we're enjoying the bonkers. Cubs fans, you tell me: what comes next? Do they win a couple more before they collapse, or just hurry up and get it over with?
One thing in England's favor was that they came in with rather low expectations. New team captain, new coach, several star players out injured, and their best player suspended the first two games due to kicking a dude during qualifying. So far, the stars have aligned for team England. We'll see how they do against the Italians.
* I actually read somewhere in the days leading up to the EUROs that the Italians considered pulling out of the tournament before it started due to match fixing scandals in Italy tainting the team. It kind of set Italy up as a villain in the tournament, though the player I watch the most, Mario Balotelli, actually plays in England (and for all I know other players on the team do as well).
I think of it like this: Much the way college football has several different conferences (the SEC, Big 10, PAC-However-Many, etc), each European country has its own soccer league. The most famous is probably the English Premier League, but Spain, Germany, and Italy all have exceptional teams as well. The best few teams from each league play in a tournament called the Champions League each year to determine the best team in Europe (this year it came down to Germany's Bayern Munich and England's Chelsea, with Chelsea winning). Just as the SEC recruits players from all over the United States, these soccer teams recruit players from all over the world. Therefore, I'm not quite clear on how the Italian league's match fixing impacts these Italian players, but I digress.
AND IF YOU'RE STILL ON THE FENCE...
A few more tid-bits submitted in a last-ditch effort to get you to watch these games with me.
* Fans in the stadium keep throwing flares on the field. Can you imagine what would happen if a fan threw a lit flare on a field here in the States? CHAOS WOULD ENSUE! In the EUROs? The players don't seem to care that they're running around in a cloud of white smoke. I've never seen anything like it. It's so rock star, like they're playing around dry ice. The first flare I saw was during a driving rain storm. Serious question to the fan who threw that flare: How determined do you have to be to throw a lit flare on a soaking wet field during a driving rain storm? WHAT ARE YOU HOPING TO ACHIEVE!?
* Also, soccer played in driving rain is awesome even without the addition of a flare. It's not like gridiron football where the field turns into a lumpy, muddy quagmire - it becomes a giant green slip-n-slide. So far these EUROs have had several rain games and I'd love to see more.
* Soccer fans sing and cheer like no other fans in any sport ever. They're so organized, so passionate and so creative, it's like a show within a show. If you watch an American sporting event, the only song you're likely to hear is "Bulllllll, S*******, Bullllll, S*******." (Note: Most of those *'s were meant to be "i's".)
* In the knockout/bracket stage of the competition there are no ties. Repeat: From this point on there will be no ties.
* The intro-animation, where we fly over Europe and see the crests of all the countries with the dramatic music is very cool and geographically educational. And we go in and out of the broadcast to the mystic sounds of Cold Play. Good production value over-all. ESPN has come a long way in their soccer coverage.
* Again, Greece vs Germany is actually happening. Maybe instead of flares they'll throw Euros (the currency) on the field.
The tournament goes through July 1st; it's not too late to jump aboard. Please?
Friday, June 8, 2012
CINDER and the Triumphant Return of PROJECT CINDERELLA!
Holy mackerel, I almost forgot about Project Cinderella! My writing buddy Em Lord mentioned in passing that she was reading CINDER by Marissa Meyer, and I kind of shrugged at first, until I remembered that Em has impeccable taste and I shouldn't be so snobby about seemingly 'girly' stories.
I read it. I liked it. It followed me around for several reasons we'll get in to later. But I must ask you: If the main character of this story had not been named "Cinder" would you still have identified this as a Cinderella story?
THE BASICS
In an earlier Project Cinderella post, I broke down your Basic Cinderella story. Let's go through the checklist for CINDER:
* Kind young woman oppressed/abused by family (not blood related) -- CHECK.
* Charming Prince, looking for a wife, hosts a party -- SORT OF CHECK (It's more complicated than that, but there is a fancy dance, and the Prince's rapidly concluding bachelorhood is a factor.)
* Step-family cruelly prevents Cindy from attending the ball -- CHECK.
* Fairy Godmother, pumpkin, mice, rags-to-riches transformation including beautiful gown -- NOPE (though Cinder does work on an old orange car, probably better identified as a lemon)
* Fairytale magic that expires at midnight -- NOPE
* A trademark Cinderella abandoned shoe -- NOT REALLY
* And, last but not least, the Happily Ever After -- (CINDER is the first of a 4-part series, but I'm guessing we'll get there eventually.)
On the surface it does have some of the basic Cinderella elements, but the Cinderella stuff is rather secondary to a bigger world. In the original fairytale, the story all revolves around Cindy - we feel sorry for her, we root for her, we want her to improve her circumstances. We don't usually think a lot about what else is going on in the rest of the Kingdom. CINDER shows us a much richer world through a wide-angle lens, and it's the richness of the world building that keeps you turning pages, even when the plot is easily predictable.
THE SPECIFICS
CINDER is an example of an okay idea brilliantly executed. It wasn't the what, it was the how. I knew what was going to happen. The "plot twist" is a little too obvious, if I'm honest - almost to the point of eye-roll. But the amazing thing is that it doesn't matter. You know exactly what's going to happen, and you still can't put it down. Time and time again we see examples of this and I never cease to be impressed by it. It's not the what, it's the how.
And now for a few definitions:
* A person is a human.
* An android is a robot.
* A cyborg is a human with robot parts.
The character Cinder is a cyborg. As a result I spent the whole time thinking: "Gosh it's awful that she's has to suffer being part machine, geez it would be awesome to be part machine." Because of her machine integration, she's has access to all of this extra-sensory information. She gets a little warning light when someone is lying to her. She can access the internets just using her retina without anyone realizing what she's doing. And, to top it all off, she's a gifted mechanic, so she can fix her robot pieces if she breaks.
This is where the "shoe" element comes in. One of her robot parts is her foot, and it does seem to become occasionally detached from her body - but, she never leaves it behind for anyone to find (and thank goodness, I don't think I could have handled that level of cheese, good job by you Marissa Meyer!). Well... I guess she kind of leaves it behind (in an out of sight out of mind way) when she gets a better one. So maybe I'm speaking too soon?
Cinder lives in a futuristic world where humans have fought a fourth World War and there are mean people living on the moon. We as readers get to experience some of the history of this world, painting with much broader brushstrokes than we usually get in a Cinderella kingdom. The story has an Eastern flavor, taking place in New Beijing with a lot of colorful bits of culture sprinkled in (see the Prince's coronation ceremony and all the traditions built in). And, best of all, we get a better appreciation for the Prince because we understand his role in ruling his country AND where his country fits in with the rest of the world.
BIGGER WORLD, BIGGER STAKES
When I wrote about Cinderella before, I noted that while the story has evolved over the years, the character of Cindy has not. The biggest changes have been with developing the character of the Prince. CINDER did an excellent job defining Prince Kai's wants and motives in the scope of his royal responsibilities.
* His country is being ravaged by an awful plague.
* His father has just caught the plague.
* There is no cure for the plague.
* He will soon be the Emperor.
* AND, if that wasn't enough, he spends the whole book teetering on the brink of war with the mean people who live on the moon (who caused the plague in the first place).
The story is told in 3rd person, bouncing between three different points of view - probably 70% Cinder, 29% Prince Kai, and 1% the Doctor guy, who I guess is the equivalent of the Fairy Godmother in that he seems to have all the answers (and at the end he does facilitate a sort of transformation for our Cindy). The ~29% Kai gives us the keys to his motives - we know what he wants, we know why he wants it. We love him for it. We understand what is at stake for him. It's nice, actually - I would contend that the Prince character grows and changes more than Cinder does.
Cinder's character is pretty much the same at the end as she was at the beginning. She's learned a lot of new facts about herself and about the world, but they didn't really change her character. She was always brave, always kind, always mentally tough - and I think she knew all of that about herself. Deeper in the story, she makes different decisions based on the facts at hand, but nothing fundamental about who she is has changed. The Prince, on the other hand, is forced into a lot of iffy situations that test him - at the end of it all, he's proven a few things to his people, his enemies, and himself. He has a better handle on who he is and what he can handle than he did when the story first started. His character shows more development, more growth.
The characters are good, but not great.
There's nothing wrong with the plot, but it at times walks the edge of corny in its predictability.
The strength of this book is in the world building - you want to stare at it like something visual, drink in the sights of Asian inspired Sci-Fi - the jade and pink blossoms and archaic paper fans. It's tactile, the metal and the silk and the hovercrafts and the netscreens. And did I mention the mean people who live on the moon? Yeah, they're shiny and they can do mind magic. I just want to stare at it. It would make a phenomenal graphic novel. Or Pixar movie.
BUT...
I would contend this is a David and Goliath story disguised as a Cinderella story.
Change the name of the main character from Cinder to Jennifer or Sarah. Take the shoe off the cover (which really, the shoe has nothing to do with anything anyway). Properly title her "step-mother" as her "guardian" or "foster mother" (and same with the "step-sisters").
All that stuff strikes me as mere marketing semantics - things that make readers say "ooo, Cinderella, I know what that means!" There's nothing wrong with that, but this story doesn't strike me as a true Cinderella retelling.
Cinder is a David, called upon to serve the crown with her mechanic abilities (much the way David was called upon to serve with his music). She ends up in a show-down with the leader of the mean moon people (her Goliath). There is no make-over transformation, but there are a few miracles. That's the big difference - Cinder stays Cinder, both inside and out. No magic dress, no glass slipper, nothing beautiful expires at midnight. At least, not yet.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
On LeBron James, Heroes, Villains, and Literacy
I've gotten used to giggling at LeBron James. I love when he misses free throws in clutch moments *giggle*. I secretly enjoy that he wears glasses that don't seem to have any lenses *giggle*. I even giggled along with the rest of the haters when I heard he was reading HUNGER GAMES during the downtime before tip-off. There was something hilariously childlike about it, playing perfectly into the cartoony narrative his life has become.
LeBron has ridden the full roller coaster of a superstardom. He's been a beloved hero, one of the best basketball players in the world. He's been an almost universally reviled villain, both for announcing to Cleveland he was dumping them and taking his talents to South Beach on national television - and then making things even worse by stating how easy it would be for Miami to win championships (not one, not two, not three...).
Yes, LeBron stabbed his home state of Ohio in the back, humiliating them on national TV during "The Decision."
Yes, LeBron (and friends) put on a remarkable display of hubris during the Miami Heat welcome party.
Yes, the whole thing seems cloaked in a haze of collusion and smells of stinky fish.
(Note to self: Find a more Zusakian way to describe this smell; no one describes unpleasant smells better than Markus Zusak.)
But that's all in the past and by now kind of beside the point.
The greatest sin LeBron James has ever committed is not living up to his potential.
Sports is just another branch of the entertainment industry. We love to build up our heroes, watch them fall apart, and then build them up again. It's the way a sports story is supposed to go, your typical hero's narrative arc. Just look at what happened to Tiger Woods last weekend. Just watch what happens to Peyton Manning this fall.
(Ugh, please oh please oh please let this work out for Peyton. *clears throat*)
Cowardice disgusts us. Tentativeness is frustrating. Having the talent and potential to be the best and falling short is forgivable - but making a pedestrian attempt at realizing greatness is not. When someone is born with a gift, he/she is expected to do everything possible to use it to its fullest. Anything less is a tragic waste. Even 'meets expectations' kind of sounds like failure.
I read a fascinating article in Sports Illustrated about Kobe Bryant and his father "Jelly Bean Bryant." The article seems to be saying that it is impossible to be both happy and great, and those blessed with tremendous talents must at some point make a choice.
In the weeks leading up to The Decision (when LeBron dumped Cleveland and took his talents to South Beach), "Sports Guy" Bill Simmons said that LeBron should sign with the New York Knicks because if he won in New York he'd become immortal. Instead, LeBron went to Miami to be on a team with his friends.
Happiness over greatness.
We say "Michael Jordan never would have buddied up with his rival."
We say "Kobe would demand to take the clutch shot, and make or miss, it would be on him."
Perception creates reality. Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant have chosen to be great - but do we think either of them are happy? Does happiness negate the drive to be great? Does it mean that you're satisfied with 'good enough'? LeBron seems always to exist in the general neighborhood of great, but he never quite crosses the border. They say he lacks that 'killer instinct' that all the great ones have. Our perception tells us that it's a choice. Maybe it is.
If I had a child, and that young impressionable child were in the market for a role model, would LeBron be a bad choice? He's made mistakes, true. He's shown remarkable immaturity at times, true.
When I saw him on TV reading MOCKINGJAY during his pre-game warm-ups, I giggled... but my heart softened toward him just a bit.
To me that moment was real.
Unplanned and unplugged.
And I couldn't stop thinking about that picture.
I'm used to seeing athletes focus before games by blaring music through huge noise cancellation headphones.
I'm not used to seeing athletes shut out the world behind the pages of a paperback bestseller. Why his copy of MOCKINGJAY is paperback when the other two books were hardback I don't understand, but there you go. As far as I know, LeBron has the corner on the NBA reader market.
I say: Good for him.
It's not unusual for athletes to have hobbies that help expand their "brand" - they put out rap albums, appear in cameos in movies or in commercials, or put their names on fashion lines (like shoes). But it always revolves around their identities as athletes, as though they have no time or inclination toward developing further dimensions to their personalities.
It was cool to see one of the premier athletes in the world reading. Not for a photo-op, not with an agenda - but reading because he wanted to. I giggled, but I was also intrigued. The ESPN guys discussed how reading has become a part of his routine - they even gave us a list of what LeBron has been reading lately (my personal favorite: WHO MOVED MY CHEESE). There is something truly endearing about seeing him with a book in his hands with the cover clearly identifiable for everyone to see (as opposed to using some techy e-reader, on which for all we know he could be reading one of those Shades of Gray books).
Something about that image makes me want him to turn things around. Somehow it tells me that if I had a kid in the market for a hero, he might not be that bad.
Maybe he can (in time) be forgiven for whatever sketchy circumstances surrounded his leaving Cleveland. Maybe we can rally around him and Team USA in the Olympics and cheer together when/if he leads the team to gold. Maybe - just maybe - he could be the one guy to figure out how to balance greatness and happiness. Is it wrong to root for that, just a little? Is it wrong to want to see if it can be done, even if the guy who gets there upsets a lot of people along the way?
The narrative on LeBron James is starting to shift. However, the narrative on the Miami Heat is not.
In my perfect world, the Heat lose and the Celtics move on to the finals. LeBron has several weeks off to rest and regroup. And then he completely owns the 2012 Olympics. I feel like that would be the perfect way to claim his place of 'greatest' - that's what the Olympics are for. That's one time when we can all wrap ourselves in the stars and stripes and enjoy the ride together.
Then, in my perfect world, the powers that be would blow up the Heat (whose original construction was about as glorious as the Borg from Star Trek). LeBron would go somewhere else, ANYWHERE ELSE, and be reborn into what he was supposed to be all along. Then, when/if he does finally cross that line into greatness, we'll all be able to feel good about it. Any maybe, just maybe, we'll be able to prove false the idea that greatness and happiness have to be mutually exclusive.
I hope it's false.
Against all odds that little blue copy of MOCKINGJAY made me hope.
LeBron has ridden the full roller coaster of a superstardom. He's been a beloved hero, one of the best basketball players in the world. He's been an almost universally reviled villain, both for announcing to Cleveland he was dumping them and taking his talents to South Beach on national television - and then making things even worse by stating how easy it would be for Miami to win championships (not one, not two, not three...).
Yes, LeBron stabbed his home state of Ohio in the back, humiliating them on national TV during "The Decision."
Yes, LeBron (and friends) put on a remarkable display of hubris during the Miami Heat welcome party.
Yes, the whole thing seems cloaked in a haze of collusion and smells of stinky fish.
(Note to self: Find a more Zusakian way to describe this smell; no one describes unpleasant smells better than Markus Zusak.)
But that's all in the past and by now kind of beside the point.
The greatest sin LeBron James has ever committed is not living up to his potential.
Sports is just another branch of the entertainment industry. We love to build up our heroes, watch them fall apart, and then build them up again. It's the way a sports story is supposed to go, your typical hero's narrative arc. Just look at what happened to Tiger Woods last weekend. Just watch what happens to Peyton Manning this fall.
(Ugh, please oh please oh please let this work out for Peyton. *clears throat*)
Cowardice disgusts us. Tentativeness is frustrating. Having the talent and potential to be the best and falling short is forgivable - but making a pedestrian attempt at realizing greatness is not. When someone is born with a gift, he/she is expected to do everything possible to use it to its fullest. Anything less is a tragic waste. Even 'meets expectations' kind of sounds like failure.
I read a fascinating article in Sports Illustrated about Kobe Bryant and his father "Jelly Bean Bryant." The article seems to be saying that it is impossible to be both happy and great, and those blessed with tremendous talents must at some point make a choice.
In the weeks leading up to The Decision (when LeBron dumped Cleveland and took his talents to South Beach), "Sports Guy" Bill Simmons said that LeBron should sign with the New York Knicks because if he won in New York he'd become immortal. Instead, LeBron went to Miami to be on a team with his friends.
Happiness over greatness.
We say "Michael Jordan never would have buddied up with his rival."
We say "Kobe would demand to take the clutch shot, and make or miss, it would be on him."
Perception creates reality. Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant have chosen to be great - but do we think either of them are happy? Does happiness negate the drive to be great? Does it mean that you're satisfied with 'good enough'? LeBron seems always to exist in the general neighborhood of great, but he never quite crosses the border. They say he lacks that 'killer instinct' that all the great ones have. Our perception tells us that it's a choice. Maybe it is.
If I had a child, and that young impressionable child were in the market for a role model, would LeBron be a bad choice? He's made mistakes, true. He's shown remarkable immaturity at times, true.
When I saw him on TV reading MOCKINGJAY during his pre-game warm-ups, I giggled... but my heart softened toward him just a bit.
To me that moment was real.
Unplanned and unplugged.
And I couldn't stop thinking about that picture.
I'm used to seeing athletes focus before games by blaring music through huge noise cancellation headphones.
I'm not used to seeing athletes shut out the world behind the pages of a paperback bestseller. Why his copy of MOCKINGJAY is paperback when the other two books were hardback I don't understand, but there you go. As far as I know, LeBron has the corner on the NBA reader market.
I say: Good for him.
It's not unusual for athletes to have hobbies that help expand their "brand" - they put out rap albums, appear in cameos in movies or in commercials, or put their names on fashion lines (like shoes). But it always revolves around their identities as athletes, as though they have no time or inclination toward developing further dimensions to their personalities.
It was cool to see one of the premier athletes in the world reading. Not for a photo-op, not with an agenda - but reading because he wanted to. I giggled, but I was also intrigued. The ESPN guys discussed how reading has become a part of his routine - they even gave us a list of what LeBron has been reading lately (my personal favorite: WHO MOVED MY CHEESE). There is something truly endearing about seeing him with a book in his hands with the cover clearly identifiable for everyone to see (as opposed to using some techy e-reader, on which for all we know he could be reading one of those Shades of Gray books).
Something about that image makes me want him to turn things around. Somehow it tells me that if I had a kid in the market for a hero, he might not be that bad.
Maybe he can (in time) be forgiven for whatever sketchy circumstances surrounded his leaving Cleveland. Maybe we can rally around him and Team USA in the Olympics and cheer together when/if he leads the team to gold. Maybe - just maybe - he could be the one guy to figure out how to balance greatness and happiness. Is it wrong to root for that, just a little? Is it wrong to want to see if it can be done, even if the guy who gets there upsets a lot of people along the way?
The narrative on LeBron James is starting to shift. However, the narrative on the Miami Heat is not.
In my perfect world, the Heat lose and the Celtics move on to the finals. LeBron has several weeks off to rest and regroup. And then he completely owns the 2012 Olympics. I feel like that would be the perfect way to claim his place of 'greatest' - that's what the Olympics are for. That's one time when we can all wrap ourselves in the stars and stripes and enjoy the ride together.
Then, in my perfect world, the powers that be would blow up the Heat (whose original construction was about as glorious as the Borg from Star Trek). LeBron would go somewhere else, ANYWHERE ELSE, and be reborn into what he was supposed to be all along. Then, when/if he does finally cross that line into greatness, we'll all be able to feel good about it. Any maybe, just maybe, we'll be able to prove false the idea that greatness and happiness have to be mutually exclusive.
I hope it's false.
Against all odds that little blue copy of MOCKINGJAY made me hope.
Monday, May 28, 2012
CHEATSHEET: Please Give EURO2012 a Chance
Passion is contagious. Sure, there has to be a 'patient zero' to get the ball rolling, but if you spend time with someone who is really passionate about something, it's hard not to develop at least a little appreciation for whatever it is.
I fell in love with Harry Potter because I caught the passion from my little brother.
I fell in love with college basketball because I caught the passion from my parents.
And I fell in love with international soccer when I lived in London during the EURO2004 tournament.
In summer of 2004, Team England went deep into the tournament, losing in the 'final four' in overtime penalty kicks (that's when I first learned who David Beckham was - he's the one who kicked the turf instead of the ball). No one I spoke to that summer wanted to talk about anything other than the EUROs. Luckily for me, the English were patient enough to share their passion with me, to explain it to me so I could be excited about it, too.
After watching the various soccer tournaments over the last eight years, I think I've figured out why Americans haven't embraced this particular brand of "football":
1. The best players don't play in America. They play in Europe, which means the important games tend to happen between noon and 4pm EST, when most Americans are at work, or at ungodly hours of the morning on weekends, also not overly helpful. ESPN airs games live anyway, and also stores several of the games on their ESPN3 website so you can stream them later.
2. The best players aren't Americans. However, a handful of Americans have started trickling in to the limelight. Landon Donovan and Tim Howard have both been popular players for Everton (a team in Liverpool). And Texas's Clint Dempsey was quietly the 4th highest scorer in the English Premier League this season for Fulham (that's kind of like having the 4th most touchdowns in the SEC, not too shabby).
3. Your average American has never had someone explain the context of how some of these tournaments work (thus, the complaints about games ending in ties).
Number Three is what I'm going to try to work on here. America, we dig the Olympics, right? We like watching the best in the world, and we like watching nations compete against each other. But now hear this:
The Olympic soccer tournament will feature the world's JV teams.
The real world-class players will be playing in EURO2012 instead.
You can watch any and all of these games here.
Repeat, you can watch any and all of these games and they will be streamable at your convenience. America, we are running out of excuses.
A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE RULES:
The EURO tournament is held every 4 years, like the Olympics or the World Cup. Each country in Europe selects its best players for their team (think the USA Basketball Dream Team). In the years between tournaments, all of the national teams in Europe compete in various qualifier games until only the best 16 teams remain. These 16 teams are divided into 4 groups (Group A, B, C, and D).
GROUP STAGE
This is when the tournament turns into something of a chess match. Each win is worth three points. Each tie is worth one point. The two top scoring teams from each group advance to the next round. If teams have the same number of points, they use 'who scored the most goals over the course of the group stage' as the tie-breaker. Note: Sometimes you want the tie for strategic reasons, depending on how the math works out. It can be a fun way to screw your opposition.
KNOCKOUT STAGE
After the group stage, it turns into a format more recognizable to Americans: single elimination brackets, much like the NCAA tournament. No more ties. At this stage, they'll go to overtime and possibly shootouts, much like hockey to determine a winner. They'll keep going through the bracket until a single winner is crowned. By the way, the World Cup works the same way, except they have more groups during the Group Stage.
A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE TEAMS:
Maybe you are an American of Italian heritage and want to support Italy. Maybe you had an awesome vacation in Germany once and want to support der Deutsch. Maybe you're a huge fan of those Dragon Tattoo books and want to cheer on Sweden. Maybe you go by uniform (the Dutch wear bright orange uniforms, and Croatia wears a groovy checkerboard style). I'll probably follow team England (even tho they're kind of seen as haphazard villains), and hope against hope Cinderella Team Ireland has a good showing, Quidditch World Cup style.
GROUP A
Czech Republic - Goalie Petr Cech plays for European Champion team Chelsea (which plays its home games in London).
Greece - Won EURO2004, same year as Athens Olympics.
Poland - Host nation.
Russia
GROUP B **GROUP OF DEATH** (the hardest group to win)
Denmark
Germany
Netherlands - Best player is Robin van Persie, most goals in English Premier League this year - came in 2nd in 2010 World Cup.
Portugal - Best player is Cristiano Ronaldo. Generally speaking, the Portuguese are a beautiful people.
GROUP C
Croatia
Ireland - Cinderella team, great fanbase, Captain Robbie Keane plays in America for the LA Galaxy.
Italy - Mario Balotelli, he once set off fireworks in his own bathroom.
Spain - They won EURO2008, probably favorite to win it all again this year.
GROUP D
England - New coach and new captain, kind of scrambling to put itself together. Best player Wayne Rooney is suspended for the first two games due to an altercation during qualifying games.
France
Sweden
Ukraine - Other host nation.
Games begin June 8th. The tournament concludes July 1st. Choose your favorite European Nation and give it a chance. There are no commercial breaks. You know exactly when the matches will start and end. It's all shockingly convenient. I'm telling you, my fellow Americans, we are out of excuses. Catch EURO fever, you won't be sorry. Unless you get attached to a team and then see them lose in heartbreaking fashion. Then that will suck. But it will still be worth it.
I fell in love with Harry Potter because I caught the passion from my little brother.
I fell in love with college basketball because I caught the passion from my parents.
And I fell in love with international soccer when I lived in London during the EURO2004 tournament.
In summer of 2004, Team England went deep into the tournament, losing in the 'final four' in overtime penalty kicks (that's when I first learned who David Beckham was - he's the one who kicked the turf instead of the ball). No one I spoke to that summer wanted to talk about anything other than the EUROs. Luckily for me, the English were patient enough to share their passion with me, to explain it to me so I could be excited about it, too.
After watching the various soccer tournaments over the last eight years, I think I've figured out why Americans haven't embraced this particular brand of "football":
1. The best players don't play in America. They play in Europe, which means the important games tend to happen between noon and 4pm EST, when most Americans are at work, or at ungodly hours of the morning on weekends, also not overly helpful. ESPN airs games live anyway, and also stores several of the games on their ESPN3 website so you can stream them later.
2. The best players aren't Americans. However, a handful of Americans have started trickling in to the limelight. Landon Donovan and Tim Howard have both been popular players for Everton (a team in Liverpool). And Texas's Clint Dempsey was quietly the 4th highest scorer in the English Premier League this season for Fulham (that's kind of like having the 4th most touchdowns in the SEC, not too shabby).
3. Your average American has never had someone explain the context of how some of these tournaments work (thus, the complaints about games ending in ties).
Number Three is what I'm going to try to work on here. America, we dig the Olympics, right? We like watching the best in the world, and we like watching nations compete against each other. But now hear this:
The Olympic soccer tournament will feature the world's JV teams.
The real world-class players will be playing in EURO2012 instead.
You can watch any and all of these games here.
Repeat, you can watch any and all of these games and they will be streamable at your convenience. America, we are running out of excuses.
A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE RULES:
The EURO tournament is held every 4 years, like the Olympics or the World Cup. Each country in Europe selects its best players for their team (think the USA Basketball Dream Team). In the years between tournaments, all of the national teams in Europe compete in various qualifier games until only the best 16 teams remain. These 16 teams are divided into 4 groups (Group A, B, C, and D).
GROUP STAGE
This is when the tournament turns into something of a chess match. Each win is worth three points. Each tie is worth one point. The two top scoring teams from each group advance to the next round. If teams have the same number of points, they use 'who scored the most goals over the course of the group stage' as the tie-breaker. Note: Sometimes you want the tie for strategic reasons, depending on how the math works out. It can be a fun way to screw your opposition.
KNOCKOUT STAGE
After the group stage, it turns into a format more recognizable to Americans: single elimination brackets, much like the NCAA tournament. No more ties. At this stage, they'll go to overtime and possibly shootouts, much like hockey to determine a winner. They'll keep going through the bracket until a single winner is crowned. By the way, the World Cup works the same way, except they have more groups during the Group Stage.
A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE TEAMS:
Maybe you are an American of Italian heritage and want to support Italy. Maybe you had an awesome vacation in Germany once and want to support der Deutsch. Maybe you're a huge fan of those Dragon Tattoo books and want to cheer on Sweden. Maybe you go by uniform (the Dutch wear bright orange uniforms, and Croatia wears a groovy checkerboard style). I'll probably follow team England (even tho they're kind of seen as haphazard villains), and hope against hope Cinderella Team Ireland has a good showing, Quidditch World Cup style.
GROUP A
Czech Republic - Goalie Petr Cech plays for European Champion team Chelsea (which plays its home games in London).
Greece - Won EURO2004, same year as Athens Olympics.
Poland - Host nation.
Russia
GROUP B **GROUP OF DEATH** (the hardest group to win)
Denmark
Germany
Netherlands - Best player is Robin van Persie, most goals in English Premier League this year - came in 2nd in 2010 World Cup.
Portugal - Best player is Cristiano Ronaldo. Generally speaking, the Portuguese are a beautiful people.
GROUP C
Croatia
Ireland - Cinderella team, great fanbase, Captain Robbie Keane plays in America for the LA Galaxy.
Italy - Mario Balotelli, he once set off fireworks in his own bathroom.
Spain - They won EURO2008, probably favorite to win it all again this year.
GROUP D
England - New coach and new captain, kind of scrambling to put itself together. Best player Wayne Rooney is suspended for the first two games due to an altercation during qualifying games.
France
Sweden
Ukraine - Other host nation.
Games begin June 8th. The tournament concludes July 1st. Choose your favorite European Nation and give it a chance. There are no commercial breaks. You know exactly when the matches will start and end. It's all shockingly convenient. I'm telling you, my fellow Americans, we are out of excuses. Catch EURO fever, you won't be sorry. Unless you get attached to a team and then see them lose in heartbreaking fashion. Then that will suck. But it will still be worth it.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
GIVEAWAY: Signed Copies of Divergent and Insurgent
I haven't finished INSURGENT yet, but here were my thoughts on DIVERGENT from last year (with minimal spoilers). It's one of my favorite books, and Veronica is one of my favorite authors. These books were signed at Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville (a Chicago suburb), where more than 200 people lined up to see Miss Veronica, an even balance between middle school/high school aged kids and old people like me. Veronica read to us from chapter eight of INSURGENT, took several questions, and then probably signed her name until around midnight to accommodate the line.
Veronica appeared last week on the TV show WINDY CITY LIVE (which, here in Chicago took Oprah's old timeslot). In this clip, she provides a little insight into the story and answers questions kind of like she did at Anderson's. This is my attempt at giving you the full book signing experience.
So go ahead and comment below, must be at least 13 years old to win, contest open internationally. Random number generator will select one winner from everyone who comments (including both Blogger and Facebook). Good luck!
Friday, May 4, 2012
Get to Know Your Indiana Pacers
[Click here for Part 1 - "It's Okay to be a Pacer Fan Again"]
And now, let's make a love connection. They're more fundamentals than flash. They have one of the deepest benches in the league. They're a 3rd quarter team with a system that seems to be coming together for them at the best possible time (at least, if you believe Charles Barkley). Introducing your 2012 Indiana Pacers!
[Cue the Dating Game music]
#1 Dahntay Jones [Age 31, Guard, Duke]
* Pacer since 2009
* Says if he wasn't an NBA player, he'd probably be an investment banker.
* Al Harrington (former Pacer currently playing for the Golden State Warriors) is his cousin.
* Involved in with several charities (mostly around Memphis, where he played 2003-2007).
#2 Darren Collison [Age 24, Point Guard, UCLA]
* Pacer since 2010.
* Parents both elite track and field athletes.
* Mother represented Guyana at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.
* Majored in History at UCLA.
#3 George Hill [Age 25, Guard, IUPUI]
* Pacer since the lockout ended Dec 2011.
* Grew up in Indianapolis (Broad Ripple High School).
* Senior year of high school, he led the state of Indiana in scoring.
* First player from IUPUI selected in the NBA Draft.
* Likes to play video games, his favorite being Rock Band where he prefers to be on drums. (MORE COWBELL, GEORGE!)
#6 Lance Stephenson [Age 21, Guard, Cincinnati]
* Pacer since 2010.
* Former Big East Rookie of the Year
* Graduated high school as the all-time leading scorer in the history of the state of New York.
#12 AJ Price [Age 25, Guard, UCONN]
* Pacer since 2009.
* College pretty much sucked for this guy.
* Missed the 2004-2005 season at UCONN after being diagnosed with a life-threatening Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM), which led to bleeding in his brain. Underwent radiosurgery treatment and finally received full medical clearance to play again after 14 months of recovery.
* In 2006, he got in trouble for trying to sell stolen laptops and was suspended a year for violating the university code of conduct.
* Then, he tore his ACL.
* Finally, he played for UCONN until 2009 and accumulated several collegiate awards.
* Kudos to this guy for fighting back and turning things around.
#17 Louis Amundson [Age 29, Center, UNLV]
* "The ponytail guy"
* Went undrafted, worked his way through the "D" League (Development League), signed multiple short-term contracts and cut multiple times before landing on the Pacers in 2011.
* In college was a Mountain West All Academic and studied English and Philosophy.
* Currently working on a degree in Finance.
#21 David West [Age 31, Forward, Xavier]
* Pacer since the lockout ended in Dec 2011.
* Grew up a Spurs fan, favorite players were Tim Duncan and David Robinson.
* Originally drafted by New Orleans, and remains very active in New Orleans charities.
* Judges a yearly essay contest for schools during Black History Month.
* Avid boxing fan and conditions using boxing drills during the off-season.
* Unless wikipedia is lying, he plays the tuba and enjoys making mixtapes for his teammates. I choose to believe it's true.
#24 Paul George [Age 22, Guard, Fresno State]
* Pacer since 2010.
* Parents names are Paul and Paulette.
* According to his official bio, he "enjoys listening to music, playing video games, hanging out with friends, and bowling."
* Says his favorite athlete is Kobe Bryant because he works harder than anyone else to be the best.
#28 Leandro Barbosa [Age 29, Guard, Brazil]
* Pacer since he was traded from Toronto mid-season 2012 (he's BRAND NEW!).
* From Brazil. The country.
* Was the youngest player on the Brazilian National Team (at age 19) when they competed in the World Championships in Indianapolis.
* 4th Brazilian ever to play in the NBA.
#29 Jeff Pendergraph [Age 25, Forward, Arizona State]
* Pacer since 2011.
* Majored in Economics in college.
* Plays the piano.
#33 Danny Granger [Age 29, Forward, New Mexico]
* Pacer since 2005. Poor guy.
* Majored in Civil Engineering. In my imagination, he and Andrew Luck will set up weekly meetings in a secret library somewhere and proceed to think great thoughts, discuss intellectual things, and generally solve all of the world's problems. Or at least build LEGO things together.
* Played for team USA in the FIBA World Championship and won a Gold Medal.
* Made the NBA All Star Team in 2009.
#44 Kyrylo Fesenko [Age 25, Center, Ukraine]
* Pacer since 2011.
* From Ukraine.
* Nickname is "Fes"
* Enjoys reading fantasy novels and playing video games. Anyone else notice there are a lot of gamers on this roster? Are the Pacers the NBA equivalent of the BIG BANG THEORY?
#50 Tyler Hansbrough [Age 26, Forward, North Carolina]
* Pacer since 2009.
* Won an NCAA Championship with North Carolina in 2009.
* When he was in college, he was revered in an almost Tebow-esque way. You may remember him from his copious amounts of face time on ESPN.
* ACC's all time leading scorer (ranks 12th in NCAA history)
* Has a really impressive basketball resume with lots and lots of numbers on it. I'd tell you more, but statistics make me sneeze.
#55 Roy Hibbert [Age 25, Center, Georgetown]
* Pacer since 2008.
* Father is Jamaican.
* Made the NBA All Star Team in 2012.
* If Wikipedia is telling the truth, he's a a big Pokemon fan and teammates used to fire him up by saying "Power up, big fella." I really, really hope it's true.
* Was taken on at Georgetown as a "project" - read the details here. Awesome article.
* Appeared on a couple of episodes of PARKS AND RECREATION during the 2011 NBA Lockout.
Coach Frank Vogel [Age 38, Kentucky]
* Head Coach since mid-season 2010/2011.
* 2nd youngest coach in the NBA.
* Graduated from Kentucky with a degree in biology.
* Played Division III basketball for Junita college in Huntington, Pennsylvania before transferring to Kentucky.
* Was featured on David Letterman's 'Stupid Human Tricks' at age 13 where he got a basketball to spin on a toothbrush while he was brushing his teeth. (I'm furious that I could not find this clip on YouTube. COME ON, LETTERMAN!).
Pacers next game will be Saturday May 5th, 2pm EST on ESPN.
And now, let's make a love connection. They're more fundamentals than flash. They have one of the deepest benches in the league. They're a 3rd quarter team with a system that seems to be coming together for them at the best possible time (at least, if you believe Charles Barkley). Introducing your 2012 Indiana Pacers!
[Cue the Dating Game music]
#1 Dahntay Jones [Age 31, Guard, Duke]
* Pacer since 2009
* Says if he wasn't an NBA player, he'd probably be an investment banker.
* Al Harrington (former Pacer currently playing for the Golden State Warriors) is his cousin.
* Involved in with several charities (mostly around Memphis, where he played 2003-2007).
#2 Darren Collison [Age 24, Point Guard, UCLA]
* Pacer since 2010.
* Parents both elite track and field athletes.
* Mother represented Guyana at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.
* Majored in History at UCLA.
#3 George Hill [Age 25, Guard, IUPUI]
* Pacer since the lockout ended Dec 2011.
* Grew up in Indianapolis (Broad Ripple High School).
* Senior year of high school, he led the state of Indiana in scoring.
* First player from IUPUI selected in the NBA Draft.
* Likes to play video games, his favorite being Rock Band where he prefers to be on drums. (MORE COWBELL, GEORGE!)
#6 Lance Stephenson [Age 21, Guard, Cincinnati]
* Pacer since 2010.
* Former Big East Rookie of the Year
* Graduated high school as the all-time leading scorer in the history of the state of New York.
#12 AJ Price [Age 25, Guard, UCONN]
* Pacer since 2009.
* College pretty much sucked for this guy.
* Missed the 2004-2005 season at UCONN after being diagnosed with a life-threatening Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM), which led to bleeding in his brain. Underwent radiosurgery treatment and finally received full medical clearance to play again after 14 months of recovery.
* In 2006, he got in trouble for trying to sell stolen laptops and was suspended a year for violating the university code of conduct.
* Then, he tore his ACL.
* Finally, he played for UCONN until 2009 and accumulated several collegiate awards.
* Kudos to this guy for fighting back and turning things around.
#17 Louis Amundson [Age 29, Center, UNLV]
* "The ponytail guy"
* Went undrafted, worked his way through the "D" League (Development League), signed multiple short-term contracts and cut multiple times before landing on the Pacers in 2011.
* In college was a Mountain West All Academic and studied English and Philosophy.
* Currently working on a degree in Finance.
#21 David West [Age 31, Forward, Xavier]
* Pacer since the lockout ended in Dec 2011.
* Grew up a Spurs fan, favorite players were Tim Duncan and David Robinson.
* Originally drafted by New Orleans, and remains very active in New Orleans charities.
* Judges a yearly essay contest for schools during Black History Month.
* Avid boxing fan and conditions using boxing drills during the off-season.
* Unless wikipedia is lying, he plays the tuba and enjoys making mixtapes for his teammates. I choose to believe it's true.
#24 Paul George [Age 22, Guard, Fresno State]
* Pacer since 2010.
* Parents names are Paul and Paulette.
* According to his official bio, he "enjoys listening to music, playing video games, hanging out with friends, and bowling."
* Says his favorite athlete is Kobe Bryant because he works harder than anyone else to be the best.
#28 Leandro Barbosa [Age 29, Guard, Brazil]
* Pacer since he was traded from Toronto mid-season 2012 (he's BRAND NEW!).
* From Brazil. The country.
* Was the youngest player on the Brazilian National Team (at age 19) when they competed in the World Championships in Indianapolis.
* 4th Brazilian ever to play in the NBA.
#29 Jeff Pendergraph [Age 25, Forward, Arizona State]
* Pacer since 2011.
* Majored in Economics in college.
* Plays the piano.
#33 Danny Granger [Age 29, Forward, New Mexico]
* Pacer since 2005. Poor guy.
* Majored in Civil Engineering. In my imagination, he and Andrew Luck will set up weekly meetings in a secret library somewhere and proceed to think great thoughts, discuss intellectual things, and generally solve all of the world's problems. Or at least build LEGO things together.
* Played for team USA in the FIBA World Championship and won a Gold Medal.
* Made the NBA All Star Team in 2009.
#44 Kyrylo Fesenko [Age 25, Center, Ukraine]
* Pacer since 2011.
* From Ukraine.
* Nickname is "Fes"
* Enjoys reading fantasy novels and playing video games. Anyone else notice there are a lot of gamers on this roster? Are the Pacers the NBA equivalent of the BIG BANG THEORY?
#50 Tyler Hansbrough [Age 26, Forward, North Carolina]
* Pacer since 2009.
* Won an NCAA Championship with North Carolina in 2009.
* When he was in college, he was revered in an almost Tebow-esque way. You may remember him from his copious amounts of face time on ESPN.
* ACC's all time leading scorer (ranks 12th in NCAA history)
* Has a really impressive basketball resume with lots and lots of numbers on it. I'd tell you more, but statistics make me sneeze.
#55 Roy Hibbert [Age 25, Center, Georgetown]
* Pacer since 2008.
* Father is Jamaican.
* Made the NBA All Star Team in 2012.
* If Wikipedia is telling the truth, he's a a big Pokemon fan and teammates used to fire him up by saying "Power up, big fella." I really, really hope it's true.
* Was taken on at Georgetown as a "project" - read the details here. Awesome article.
* Appeared on a couple of episodes of PARKS AND RECREATION during the 2011 NBA Lockout.
Coach Frank Vogel [Age 38, Kentucky]
* Head Coach since mid-season 2010/2011.
* 2nd youngest coach in the NBA.
* Graduated from Kentucky with a degree in biology.
* Played Division III basketball for Junita college in Huntington, Pennsylvania before transferring to Kentucky.
* Was featured on David Letterman's 'Stupid Human Tricks' at age 13 where he got a basketball to spin on a toothbrush while he was brushing his teeth. (I'm furious that I could not find this clip on YouTube. COME ON, LETTERMAN!).
Pacers next game will be Saturday May 5th, 2pm EST on ESPN.
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