I plan to take advantage of this pulpit periodically to get my pop culture opinions in front of an audience. A series of unrelated commentaries that have taken place in my head since arriving in Abu Dhabi:
2011 Music - TV On The Radio's Nine Types Of Light currently sits as my favorite album so far in 2011. From the first time I heard Wolf Like Me, I have consistently found most of their song compositions to be interesting, Rain Machine's voice to be compelling and their baselines to be air guitar-y. The newest release is another winner.
The No. 2 slot currently goes to The Strokes' Angles, but there are tons of albums I'm interested in coming out in the next several months.
Here are my Top 5 songs of 2011 so far:
1) Machu Picchu - The Strokes
2) Baltimore - Tennis
3) You - TV On The Radio
4) Still Sound - Toro y Moi
5) Royal Blue - Cold War Kids
NHL TV Deal With NBC/Versus - Certainly the NHL occupies a much better spot in the collective conscious of the sports-loving population than it did a few year ago (after the 2005 lockout). The rule changes helped make the game more exciting, especially getting rid of the two-line pass, and the league has more stars now. Now, the type of person who watches some sports is much more likely to be tuning into the NHL playoffs now than in 2007.
I'm sure this positive trend is a major reason why the NHL chose to re-up with NBC/Versus. ESPN made what was reported very close to a matching bid. It wouldn't shock me if there was more to the details than just the NHL picking NBC over ESPN's equal bid, but the NHL is framing it as their choice to continue with a partner they like.
I generally enjoy the Versus/NBC coverage - for me it's nowhere near as distractingly awful as most sports-broadcasting efforts. But I really feel like the exposure ESPN would provide, as compared to any other channels, is just too big to pass up. The NHL currently has two stars that have broken into the sports consciousness - Ovi and Crosby. A ton more should be there.
My uncle Steve is probably a 75-percentile fan in terms of the amount of attention he gives to sports in his life. I don't believe he could tell you much about Jonathan Toews or Steven Stamkos, and I think there are many knowledgeable-to-very-knowledgeable fans just like him.
That's what happens when ESPN nearly ignores you these days - that's the level of control they have. I have a very strong dislike for ESPN in the 21st century, because I think they have shat on their original brand (and core sports fans, in the process) in their endless, mind-numbing attempts to reach new audiences and create star personalities. They have no tact anymore. Still, I'd prefer to see daily NHL highlights on Sportscenter and have 21st-century weasel Matthew Berry running through his favored fantasy hockey players.
Without a presence on ESPN, it's damn difficult for hockey to be much of a water cooler topic. I think the NHL really underestimated how much that's worth by re-upping with NBC.
World War Z - On my 12-hour plane ride to move to Abu Dhabi, I read the last 2/3s of Max Brook's World War Z. It's a zombie post-apocalypse book that doesn't break entirely new ground, but I think most people who enjoy AMC's The Walking Dead would find it interesting (although I don't have any clue how the movie they're making it into will work, because it's like 100 short stories). For me, the "suddenly redefining your entire existence" angle felt personally relevant. My situation made me enjoy the book a lot more, and I have a feeling I will probably always remember that I read this book on that flight, just as I vividly recall starting Glamorama while taking off for Vegas for the first time.
Go Penguins!
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