Random TV Thoughts

[MarcosLoura]

 

Caught an episode of GIRLS on the tele, watched it, enjoyed, decided to watch the next one. Forward two days later and I've binged watched the 2 seasons.

 

I feel my boobs growing by the second.

I tried an episode and just couldn't get into it.  Found the characters to be unlikeable in that "can't stand watching" kind of way and not in the "you're supposed to hate them" kind of way.

 

Ah you're old! Old man. Ah!

[supremebve]

 

 

Did anyone watch the latest 30 for 30?  It was basically the story of Maurice Clarett, who I'm very interested in based on the fact that we are essentially from the exact same place.  I never met him, but my cousin was his running back coach in high school and I had another cousin who was his teammate.  I don't know if I've ever witnessed someone come off as incredibly intelligent as him while talking about his incredibly stupid actions.  The fact that he is probably the only player ever to get suspended for an NCAA violation, except no one ever said what rule he violated is more than a little questionable to me.  His downward spiral from being the workhorse, in every sense of the word, running back on the National Championship team to a horrible criminal is sad as hell to watch.  If there was a way to go back in time to get him to not call the athletic director a liar, and he could have played the rest of his college career, is there any way he wouldn't have been a quality pro?  (by the way, he was an absolute monster if you played NCAA football after that championship season, and if you uploaded his draft class on Madden he was even better.)

I haven't seen it yet but did see an interview with Clarett on ESPN's "First Take" show while I was laid up last week.  He did come across as pretty intelligent but some of it was the "I'm trying to sound smarter with a big vocabulary than I really am" kind of thing.  He honestly didn't have all that much to say in the interview.

 

As for him as a pro?  I don't think he'd have been a superstar or even a star.  He simply wasn't fast enough to be a great back in the NFL.

 

 

To be honest, the crew didn't have much to ask him. Also, it sounded like Maurice didn't want to give away the whole documentary. I think he was just overwhelmed by the moment and seemed to be on the verge of tears when he got on the set. That had to be the first time in a long time he has been on live television where he wasn't getting buried or his name being brought up and dragged through the mud. He was also on the UFC Road to the Octagon show that aired on Fox two weeks ago doing strength and conditioning with a fighter that part of Ohio. He came across well on that too.

 

If you want to talk trying to upgrade your vernacular, Plaxico on First Take the week or so before was a prime example. Then again, it isn't that hard to sound intelligent sitting next to man who firmly believes all football games should be played indoors.

 

I'm not necessarily talking about how he speaks when I was talking about his intelligence.  He comes off as someone who has a lot of intelligence but his base of knowledge is very limited.  He just strikes me as on of those people who you hear about with ridiculous IQs who instead of using their intelligence to make the world better they live in their mother's basement until they are 49.  Intelligence seems to be one of the most overrated gifts a person can be blessed with or at least one of the most squandered.

[Elsalvajeloco]

Well, sports (football and basketball in particularly) have pretty much fucked the student athlete concept up. You play one year of college hoops or two years of college football, and you're hoping to get out of the hood. I mean the system was never much to begin with since someone like Gary Payton has admitted to having people do his work while he was in college. But the system chews you up and spits you out. Everyone can't be as articulate as Arian Foster, but still manage to be beat a system that kept him from being able to afford food in college. The choices are either to make it in the pros or work at a warehouse in your hometown. That's the options because I doubt these schools want to have these guys as coordinators or assistants. At least, the guys with "character issues".

[madsplash]

Yeah man I don't see any appeal at all about "Girls". My girlfriend watches it, I saw a bit and realized it was a whinier, hipster version of sex and the city. No thank you.

[Jrag]

"I think your vaginal walls are beautiful" just bumped Lester the cameraman up my list of favorite Masters of Sex characters.  They are all wonderful, though.  I'm not even sure if I could put together a top 5 at this point.  We've been praising Allison Janney in this thread, but Beau Bridges has been equally great.

 

The finale was pretty damn good.  The show managed to move forward while leaving quite a few things unanswered.  It will be interesting to see what Bill's next move is, but the success of this show isn't really tied to the plot progression at all.  It's an ensemble at heart and it's one of the best on TV.  What did you think, Eva?

 

Jane is still the best.

[Tabe]

 

 

Caught an episode of GIRLS on the tele, watched it, enjoyed, decided to watch the next one. Forward two days later and I've binged watched the 2 seasons.

 

I feel my boobs growing by the second.

I tried an episode and just couldn't get into it.  Found the characters to be unlikeable in that "can't stand watching" kind of way and not in the "you're supposed to hate them" kind of way.

 

Ah you're old! Old man. Ah!

 

And you're a poopy doody head.

[Tabe]

Yeah man I don't see any appeal at all about "Girls". My girlfriend watches it, I saw a bit and realized it was a whinier, hipster version of sex and the city. No thank you.

Thank you.  I couldn't find the right words but you sure did.

[EVA]

"I think your vaginal walls are beautiful" just bumped Lester the cameraman up my list of favorite Masters of Sex characters.  They are all wonderful, though.  I'm not even sure if I could put together a top 5 at this point.  We've been praising Allison Janney in this thread, but Beau Bridges has been equally great.

 

The finale was pretty damn good.  The show managed to move forward while leaving quite a few things unanswered.  It will be interesting to see what Bill's next move is, but the success of this show isn't really tied to the plot progression at all.  It's an ensemble at heart and it's one of the best on TV.  What did you think, Eva?

 

Jane is still the best.

I almost posted that exchange in here on Sunday night. Also liked Lester talking about Elvis's giant swiveling hips, and Bill was like, "......Exactly."

But, yeah, I liked the finale, and overall, it was probably my 2nd favorite show this year, behind BREAKING BAD. I've resisted the temptation to read the book the series is loosely based on, so all I really know about Masters & Johnson is that they eventually get married and, of course, become leaders in the field of sexuality. So I was legit shocked when Bill got fired.

I've been more than a little disappointed, though, to read in interviews with Michelle Ashford that most of the supporting cast is going to be changed out next season, either due to scheduling conflicts or the result of the study leaving Washington U. The actress playing Jane is off for sure because she's doing something on Broadway. Both Janney and Bridges are out as regulars, too, both because of Bill getting fired and their CBS shows being in production. And I deeply fear we're going to lose Teddy Sears' Dr. Langham.

So that's all very depressing.

[Jrag]

NO!  If Jane is gone completely I'm going to set something on fire!  Is that confirmed?

 

Considering the success of this season, I would assume they would try to work around the schedules of the supporting cast.  They pretty much have to find a way to keep these people around.  A show with Bill, Virginia and Libby surrounded by a new supporting cast isn't going to click like the fleshed out ensemble they presented this season.

[EVA]

Ashford said they're trying to work it out to have all those people show up a little bit, but none of them are going to be on as regularly as they were this season as it stands right now.

[Jrag]

Bill getting fired was a shocker, but I didn't even think of the ramifications on the rest of the cast.  Less Dr. Austin Langham is sad, but inevitable considering his place in the story.  It would suck, but I get it.

 

There is so much mileage left in the tank with Lester and Jane, though.  Not as a couple or anything, but just the way they interact with Sheen and Caplan.  Lester and Bill's scenes last week were some of the highlights of the entire season.  I hope at least one of them continues to work for Bill.

 

If this is truly the end for some of these characters I will say this right now... JANE WILL ALWAYS BE THE BEST

[EVA]

I fee like Jane (looking it up....Helene York) will be back down the line. Annaleigh Ashford played Betty the prositute in the first few episodes before leaving because of a Broadway play also, but she's now coming back full-time next season. It's possible Jane could be back full-time in season 3 once her run on...looking it up...Bullets Over Broadway is over.

I think Lester is a no-brainer to stick around. Once you've found a guy who's cool with filming what amounted to pornography in those days, I think you'd want to hang on to him. He could tagalong wherever they end up next and it wouldn't seem as odd as if half the medical staff uprooted and moved with Bill.

The only good thing that could come of no more Dr. Langham is that it frees Teddy Sears up to be Matt Murdoch on the Daredevil show. So go ahead and make that happen, Marvel.

[SovietShooter]

As far the Clarett 30 for 30... I went to Ohio State and graduated a few years before Tressel & Clarett. I had quite a few opportunities to spend time around AD Andy Geiger, and the man couldn't be a bigger prick. Fucking asshole.

My impression was always that Clarett was kind of a one & done type guy because he was all about the cash... "using" OSU just to get to the NFL. In hindsight though, that idea comes from jealousy about "what might have been?" had he stayed.

I think it was a good 30for30, but not one of the best. Maybe the mist brutally honest from the athlete's point of view though....

[supremebve]

As far the Clarett 30 for 30... I went to Ohio State and graduated a few years before Tressel & Clarett. I had quite a few opportunities to spend time around AD Andy Geiger, and the man couldn't be a bigger prick. Fucking asshole.

The fact that Geiger wouldn't actually say why Clarett was suspended is about as suspicious of a suspension that I can remember.  They had no issues throwing Terrelle Pryor, Tressel, and countless others under the bus, but some how they had nothing to say about why Clarett was suspended.  Then all of the stipulations to lift the suspension were also absurd.  How many students can get a 3.5 GPA without using any student resources?  Geiger wanted him gone as soon as Clarett let the world know that Gieger lied to him about going to his friends funeral.  Where was Bobby Bowden or Steve Spurrier when we needed them?

 

Someone pointed out his lack of speed stopping him from being a good pro.  To that I say, my cousin who played with him in high school made it to the NFL as a cornerback Clarett was faster than him in high school.  Clarett ran the 40 at the combine after not playing for over two years and being a pretty bad alcoholic, 4.7 is insane given the circumstances.

[Randy]

One part of the story doesn't make sense to me:  If you were Andy Geiger why would you lie to Clarrett about letting him go to the funeral?  He is your best player and you have him a minimum of two more seasons; why would you risk pissing him off so much over this that he might decide to transfer in the off-season?

[Territorial]

I cleaned out the DVR last night.  Both the recorded shows I have no interest in watching and the list of programs set to record.  Gah, there was a lot of average stuff I don't care if I ever see again.  Think I deleted about 3/4 of the shows on the list.  Good bye Mentalist, Person of Interest, Shield, CSI, almost every Fox and CBS comedy currently on the air, Major Crimes, etc.  How most of you made it onto the DVR, I'll never know.

[Tabe]

Clarett ran a 4.82 at the combine.  After intense workouts - which you think he'd have done before the combine - he got it down to 4.67, still too slow for the NFL.  He was a lot of things as a freshman at Ohio but blazing fast was not one of them.

[supremebve]

One part of the story doesn't make sense to me:  If you were Andy Geiger why would you lie to Clarrett about letting him go to the funeral?  He is your best player and you have him a minimum of two more seasons; why would you risk pissing him off so much over this that he might decide to transfer in the off-season?

His friend was a drug dealer who got shot on the job.  I don't know if you've been paying attention, but the (mostly white, upper class) athletic community seems to think that (the mostly black, lower class) athletes should immediately forget everyone they knew as soon as they leave their neighborhood, which is completely unrealistic.  I understand why they don't want something like that associated with their program, but they have to understand that despite their misgivings some of these guys come from some really troubled backgrounds.  The guy who was killed was Clarrett's friend that he had known his entire life. Based on all the evidence Clarrett did everything he was supposed to do in order to go to the funeral.  Instead Geiger thought he needed to teach someone who lost a close friend a lesson and Clarrett rightfully challenged him.  I guess the answer to your question is that Geiger lied to him because he could, and he knew that no matter what Clarrett did it would hurt Clarrett more than Ohio State.   

[supremebve]

Clarett ran a 4.82 at the combine.  After intense workouts - which you think he'd have done before the combine - he got it down to 4.67, still too slow for the NFL.  He was a lot of things as a freshman at Ohio but blazing fast was not one of them.

I don't think he was blazing fast, but I think speed is overrated skill for a running back as opposed to vision and acceleration which was his biggest strengths and at 230lbs. I think he could have been at least pretty good in the NFL if things would have broke his way.  There have been some pretty good "slow" running backs, Emmitt Smith, Terrell Davis, and Alfred Morris to name a few.  The way he was drinking at the time 4.67 is amazing.  It's all speculation, but I think he would have done OK.

[Tabe]

The fact that Geiger wouldn't actually say why Clarett was suspended is about as suspicious of a suspension that I can remember.  They had no issues throwing Terrelle Pryor, Tressel, and countless others under the bus, but some how they had nothing to say about why Clarett was suspended.  Then all of the stipulations to lift the suspension were also absurd.  How many students can get a 3.5 GPA without using any student resources?  Geiger wanted him gone as soon as Clarett let the world know that Gieger lied to him about going to his friends funeral.  Where was Bobby Bowden or Steve Spurrier when we needed them?

 

I haven't seen the 30 for 30 yet but it's not like there's any mystery why Clarett was suspended.  He took improper benefits, filed a fraudulent theft report and then lied to the NCAA about it:

 

ESPN story from 2003 on Clarett's suspension

[Tabe]

 

Clarett ran a 4.82 at the combine.  After intense workouts - which you think he'd have done before the combine - he got it down to 4.67, still too slow for the NFL.  He was a lot of things as a freshman at Ohio but blazing fast was not one of them.

I don't think he was blazing fast, but I think speed is overrated skill for a running back as opposed to vision and acceleration which was his biggest strengths and at 230lbs. I think he could have been at least pretty good in the NFL if things would have broke his way.  There have been some pretty good "slow" running backs, Emmitt Smith, Terrell Davis, and Alfred Morris to name a few.  The way he was drinking at the time 4.67 is amazing.  It's all speculation, but I think he would have done OK.

 

Completely agree with you that speed is overrated.  Heck, it can be a detriment if the back is getting to the line TOO fast.  And since 90% of your carries are going to be less than 15 yards anyway, it's not like a 4.2 40 time is all that big an asset.

[SovietShooter]

Long story short: Geiger (and all Buckeye supporters, honestly) were worried that if Clarett left AZ to go home, he wouldn't make it back in time for the BCS game. I'm more than sure all the "thugs life" stuff factored into Geiger lying to Clarett to keep him in AZ.

Obviously Clarett going public against Geiger about this pissed Geiger off... so when the (relatively) minor theft/car issue came about, Geiger laid down the hammer to show Clarett how big his dick was. Geiger knew Clarett was thinking about going to NFL as soon as he could, so he intentionally tried to damage his stock. If he accepted his suspension, he would have had to play another year before declaring. If he tried to declare after sitting out a year, it would (and did) lower his draft status. If he tried to transfer, he would have to sit out yet another year, and would be in the same situation as far as draft status.

Geiger did what he did to put the screws to a kid that professionally and publicly embarrassed him. And, it probably planted the seed in Tressel's mind that if any of his guys were in a similar situation, keep it under wraps or it will go nuclear, even if it can be explained with a (relatively) minor punishment.

[Skeeball Wizard]

So I've been binge watching Friday Night Lights on Netflix . Great series so far, but what in the name if holy fuck was with the pipe murder at the beginning of season 2? Not only was it a disappointment as a conclusion of that particular story arc, but it seemed way out of place for the show as well. Please tell me ridiculous bullshit like this isn't a recurring theme in the upcoming.seasons?

[nofuture]

So I've been binge watching Friday Night Lights on Netflix . Great series so far, but what in the name if holy fuck was with the pipe murder at the beginning of season 2? Not only was it a disappointment as a conclusion of that particular story arc, but it seemed way out of place for the show as well. Please tell me ridiculous bullshit like this isn't a recurring theme in the upcoming.seasons?

 

From what I remember, NBC wanted FNL to get a little more soap opera-y in order to get better ratings.

[Craig H]

So I've been binge watching Friday Night Lights on Netflix . Great series so far, but what in the name if holy fuck was with the pipe murder at the beginning of season 2? Not only was it a disappointment as a conclusion of that particular story arc, but it seemed way out of place for the show as well. Please tell me ridiculous bullshit like this isn't a recurring theme in the upcoming.seasons?

 

It is not. Endure this and you will be rewarded handsomely.