I’ve been away doing other things for a little while, which means I couldn’t really post on here, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t updating the blog in my head.
- A friend asked the other day if I’m worried that Obama has only a 6 point lead in a year in which the Democrats have every conceivable advantage entering the election. My answer: not really. Neither candidate has started campaigning very hard yet, and Obama has more money that he’s going to pour into a 50-state strategy, which will not only make him competitive in states unavailable to Gore or Kerry, but also will help down-ticket candidates in local races. That doesn’t mean that I definitely think Obama will win; it just means that this is a promising scenario for him at this point in the election season.
- Unless one is rooting for Beckham and Donovan in LA, being an MLS fan is like rooting for a Triple A baseball team. Jozy Altidore, the best thing the Red Bulls had going for them, just signed with Valencia in La Liga, as any clear-thinking young star would do. MLS’s product is pretty good, but it’s hard to stick with a sport where building around good players is virtually impossible to do because of the economic disparity between MLS and the Euro leagues.
- I just finished all of the SYTYCD episodes I missed, and I’m fairly pleased with this year’s Top 10, especially since Comfort snuck back in past Jessica. Neither is stellar, but I like Comfort better.
I’m wondering, though, about the drawing of dances from a hat. Dave Scott, hip hop star, and Desmond Richardson, ballet/contemporary star, grace the show with their presences, and we’re supposed to believe that each one was coincidentally paired with the best dancers to suit their styles? Scott got Josh, Twitch, and Comfort, two b-boys and a b-girl, and Richardson got Will and Katee, the two most flawless technical dancers this season. It made for great television, but I’m skeptical about the ‘chance’ that goes with the hat draw.
If I hear Mary Murphy ask herself another yes-or-no question and then answer it with a faux-profound (‘profauxnd?’ ‘faux-found?’) voice, am I going to stab myself in the eye? Yes I am! What can I say!?!
- I’ve never been a huge Olympic guy (secret: I’m not that patriotic), though I do enjoy basketball enough to tune in for that. This year, I’m especially down on the upcoming games. Despite winning two of the six events at the Olympic trials in Philly, Sean Golden was passed up for the team in favor of Morgan Hamm (who has no chance at the all-around and – HELLO! – tested positive for steroids last month), Kevin Tan (who is great on the rings and nothing else), Sasha Artemev (who is the only American who can handle pommel horse, but who also is widely known to be a headcase and ends up falling off the horse at least as often as he gives a brilliant performance), and David Durante (whose performance at the trials was clearly inferior to Golden’s).
With the exception of the Hamm brothers, none of the members of the team seem particularly loathable, some seem downright likeable, and many deserve the honor they’ve received. But I’m having a hard time seeing myself rooting for the US in this event, especially in vault and floor, where Golden had the best chance of earning the team a medal. I’m still not sure why Golden was passed over, but I’m increasingly certain that it had nothing to do with his talent.
