The men of the national football league dominate the sport of football.
They are the best in the world at the sport and exert said dominance every Sunday afternoon.Often, in sports, the gauntlet of challenges gets thrown down between sports of choice.
Just last year, there were talks of a foot race between Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson, and Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt. So, what if these challenges were actually to take place? What if athletes from other sports decided to give football a try?
Here is a roster of what non-football athletes would put up the best challenge amongst the ranks of Tom Brady, Chris Johnson and the rest of the NFL.
Offense:
Quarterback: Roy Halladay, (6’6, 230 LBS) starting pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies. Halladay has an incredible ability to put the ball exactly where he wants to and has a rocket for an arm.--two attributes any quarterback would love to have.
Runningback: Nate Robinson, (5’9,180 LBS) Guard, Boston Celtics. Robinson has quick footwork, and incredible hops. In football, Robinson would look similar to Darren Sproles of the San Diego Chargers, and would not be featured as an every down back.
Runningback: Kobe Bryant, (6’6, 205) Guard, Los Angeles Lakers. While critics might point out that Bryant may be a little big for the running back position, there is no doubt he is an incredible athlete and he can do amazing things with his feet.
Fullback: Albert Pujols, (6’3 230) First baseman, St. Louis Cardinals. Pujols is just the right size for a full back, and has the body to be a physical blocker and the power to run with his head down if he needs to.
Wide Receiver: Lebron James, (6’8 250) Arguably the best athlete in the world right now, James is fast physical, and can jump through the roof. He would make a perfect receiver.
Wide Receiver: Usain Bolt, (6’4 198) He is the fastest man in the world. Nobody is going to be able to cover the fastest man in the world.
Tight End: Dwight Howard (6’11, 265), Center, Orlando Magic Howard is super athletic, strong and has a ridiculous leaping ability; not only would he be effective blocker, but also route runner and pass catcher.
Offensive line: Prince Fielder (5’11, 268) 1st baseman, Milwaukee Brewers, David Ortiz (6’4, 230) First baseman, Boston Red Sox, Roy Nelson (6’3, 263) MMA Heavywight fighter, Quinton Aaron, the actor who played Michael Oher in The Blind Side, and Pablo Sandoval (5’11, 230) 3rd Baseman, San Franciso Giants.
Defense:
Defensive End: Dwight Howard, let’s be honest he could play both ways.
Defensive Tackle: Brock Lesnar (6’3,265) MMA Heavyweight Champion. Lesnar is an absolute beast of a human, who has the strength and quickness to play tackle.
Defensive Tackle: Frank Mir (6’3, 252), MMA Heavyweight fighter. Mir is a tough, strong physical force who can deliver punches and take them.
Defensive end: Ron Artest, (6’7, 250) Forward, Los Angeles Lakers. Artest is mean and loves contact and delivering blows, in a no contact sport. He would be a force to be reckoned with in the NFL.
Linebacker: Jon “Bones” Jones, (6’4, 206). MMA light heavyweight figher. Jones loves contact and delivers suffering blows to his opponents, just like a linebacker should.
Linebacker: Mark Texiera, (6’3 220) 1st baseman, New York Yankees. Texiera has power and speed, and focused eyes for reading a quarterback.
Linebacker: Sidney Crosby (5’11,200) Center, Pittsburgh Penguins. He may be small, but the man can pack a punch, and is incredibly agile.
Cornerback: Dwayne Wade (6’4, 220) Guard, Miami Heat. Wade is almost perfect size for the corner position, and has good speed and great ball handling skills, and hops. He’s the perfect corner.
Cornerback: Chris Paul (6’0, 200) Guard, New Orleans Hornets. He’s the same as Wade, just smaller.
Cornerback: Tyson Gay, (5’11, 165) Sprinter, USA. Though he may not be ideal size, he once beat Usain Bolt, so rest assured he will never get beat deep.
Safety: Jordan Tootoo, (5’9, 197) Right Wing, Nashville Predators.
Though he may not be huge, Tootoo is quick on his feet and one of the most punishing hitters in the NHL, which is just what a safety needs to be coming over the top.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Immune to the Fever
Justin Bieber is somewhat talented.
By somewhat, I mean that his level of talent does not surpass in anyway the talent of any young pop fluff singer in the music business today.
Teenage girls and even some older women throughout America are obsessing over the young pop singer, who sings sappy love songs in an incredibly high pitched voice for a 16 year old adolescent male.
Sadly, this is the standard that teenage girls have begun to hold males to. Unbelievable.
Bieber has somehow hypnotized girls all throughout America with his droopy bright eyes and urban fashion sense.
These followers of Bieber have diagnosed themselves with “ Bieber Fever.”
Many females seem to think that this Bieber jokester is going to last forever, however, most of the fever patients seem to forget their medical history.
In the 1990s there were many boy bands that “took over America” for a period of about…2 years.
There was the Backstreet Boys, who had a couple of hit songs and managed to swindle millions of dollars out of musically blind females, selling out stadiums across the country to obsessive teenage girls.
However, after a short, uni-single come back in 2007, nobody ever heard of them again. FAD.
Then there was N*SYNC, big as, if not bigger than the Backstreet Boys.
While together the band sold out stadiums, sold millions of records and released numerous singles. N*SYNC made millions of dollars as well, many people thought they could go on forever. However, they were disbanded by 2000. FAD.
Justin Bieber is so similar to his unsubstantial 90s predecessors, that it is obvious that he is right on his way to being a has been.
There is no way someone like Beiber can keep his career going the way it is now.
Most likely, Bieber will keep fever patients going for a few more years, make more money than his teenage self knows what to do with, and waste all of it, go nowhere, have a voice change, keep trying to sing yet fail miserably and 20 years from now, we will see him on VH1’s “Most Washed Up Child Stars” claiming how the music industry ruined his life, but he will be releasing a new album soon revealing the “Darker Side of Justin Bieber.”
At least we will get some great Saturday Night Live jokes out of this, right?
By somewhat, I mean that his level of talent does not surpass in anyway the talent of any young pop fluff singer in the music business today.
Teenage girls and even some older women throughout America are obsessing over the young pop singer, who sings sappy love songs in an incredibly high pitched voice for a 16 year old adolescent male.
Sadly, this is the standard that teenage girls have begun to hold males to. Unbelievable.
Bieber has somehow hypnotized girls all throughout America with his droopy bright eyes and urban fashion sense.
These followers of Bieber have diagnosed themselves with “ Bieber Fever.”
Many females seem to think that this Bieber jokester is going to last forever, however, most of the fever patients seem to forget their medical history.
In the 1990s there were many boy bands that “took over America” for a period of about…2 years.
There was the Backstreet Boys, who had a couple of hit songs and managed to swindle millions of dollars out of musically blind females, selling out stadiums across the country to obsessive teenage girls.
However, after a short, uni-single come back in 2007, nobody ever heard of them again. FAD.
Then there was N*SYNC, big as, if not bigger than the Backstreet Boys.
While together the band sold out stadiums, sold millions of records and released numerous singles. N*SYNC made millions of dollars as well, many people thought they could go on forever. However, they were disbanded by 2000. FAD.
Justin Bieber is so similar to his unsubstantial 90s predecessors, that it is obvious that he is right on his way to being a has been.
There is no way someone like Beiber can keep his career going the way it is now.
Most likely, Bieber will keep fever patients going for a few more years, make more money than his teenage self knows what to do with, and waste all of it, go nowhere, have a voice change, keep trying to sing yet fail miserably and 20 years from now, we will see him on VH1’s “Most Washed Up Child Stars” claiming how the music industry ruined his life, but he will be releasing a new album soon revealing the “Darker Side of Justin Bieber.”
At least we will get some great Saturday Night Live jokes out of this, right?
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
The Loss of a Legend
Tonight, October 5th, 2011, the world lost one of it's greatest minds and imaginations.
Steve Jobs, creator of Apple inc, one of the most successful companies in recent history, has passed away, losing a battle to cancer. Last month, jobs retired the CEO position, but planned to stay in a position on the board.
The death of Steve Jobs casts a dark shadow for many reasons, the largest of which may be because with him, goes one of the greatest imaginations the world has ever seen. The power of imagination is often underestimated, and is something that is lost on the current generation, due in large part to the imagination of the century before us with the invention of the internet and television etc..
Steve Jobs is comparable to that kid in elementary school that everyone wanted to be like. When the iPod came out, other technological companies drew a blank. The Walkman went obsolete in what seemed like minutes. We saw a copy cat of the iPod in the Zune, but it came nowhere close to ever competing. Especially when a Zune stayed a Zune, and the iPod branched out into what seemed like endless versions of itself, that all included new features, that left other companies in a state of shock, only being able to install these themselves once they had seen the model from Jobs and the boys.
Jobs was one of the most intelligent men ever to walk the earth, not only tech wise, but business wise as well, and here's why: Most people would agree that technology is ever changing, and it seems as though as instantly as a new piece of technology is released, it becomes obsolete, which reigned true through Steve Job's entire career at Apple. Jobs knew what the people wanted, and he gave it to them. It's really that simple. People in this day and age are always looking for the next best thing, and Jobs was, without fail, always there to give it to them.
Of all these things, the imagination, the smarts, the business brilliance; one thing stands out above them; Humility. Jobs was quoted as saying “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.” This is an incredibly inspirational quote. Jobs was a millionaire, a hundred times over, and it didn’t matter to him one bit. Like I said before, imagination is nearly a dead concept, and humility may be well on its way as well, and Jobs had both of these, in copious amounts. The world not only lost a man today, the world lost a true inspiration. RIP, Steve.
Steve Jobs, creator of Apple inc, one of the most successful companies in recent history, has passed away, losing a battle to cancer. Last month, jobs retired the CEO position, but planned to stay in a position on the board.
The death of Steve Jobs casts a dark shadow for many reasons, the largest of which may be because with him, goes one of the greatest imaginations the world has ever seen. The power of imagination is often underestimated, and is something that is lost on the current generation, due in large part to the imagination of the century before us with the invention of the internet and television etc..
Steve Jobs is comparable to that kid in elementary school that everyone wanted to be like. When the iPod came out, other technological companies drew a blank. The Walkman went obsolete in what seemed like minutes. We saw a copy cat of the iPod in the Zune, but it came nowhere close to ever competing. Especially when a Zune stayed a Zune, and the iPod branched out into what seemed like endless versions of itself, that all included new features, that left other companies in a state of shock, only being able to install these themselves once they had seen the model from Jobs and the boys.
Jobs was one of the most intelligent men ever to walk the earth, not only tech wise, but business wise as well, and here's why: Most people would agree that technology is ever changing, and it seems as though as instantly as a new piece of technology is released, it becomes obsolete, which reigned true through Steve Job's entire career at Apple. Jobs knew what the people wanted, and he gave it to them. It's really that simple. People in this day and age are always looking for the next best thing, and Jobs was, without fail, always there to give it to them.
Of all these things, the imagination, the smarts, the business brilliance; one thing stands out above them; Humility. Jobs was quoted as saying “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.” This is an incredibly inspirational quote. Jobs was a millionaire, a hundred times over, and it didn’t matter to him one bit. Like I said before, imagination is nearly a dead concept, and humility may be well on its way as well, and Jobs had both of these, in copious amounts. The world not only lost a man today, the world lost a true inspiration. RIP, Steve.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Damn Yankees! And Some Other Damn Teams.
Every team has one, no matter what sport. No matter what team you root for, there always seems to be another one somewhere out there that seems to always get the best of your team. This is the basis for sports rivalries, if you disagree, I urge you to look at these examples, I'll give you one or two from all three major sports. (Baseball, Football and Basketball).
Baseball #1: The Boston Red Sox and The New York Yankees. One of, if the not the greatest rivalry in sports, there are not enough curse words in the world for these two sets of fans to describe how they feel about each other. Here's the proof: From 1923 to 2000, the Yankees won the World Series 26 times frequently defeating the Sox in the postseason. How many did the Red Sox win? A whopping...zero. Cue Sox nation saying "Damn Yankees."
But the tides would change in October 2004. The Yanks led the Sox 3-0 in the NLCS. By some miracle of god (or Babe Ruth, whatever you wanna believe.) the Sox won four straight games behind the bats of David Ortiz, Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez, and pitching of Curt Schilling. And so all of the Bronx let out a cry of "Damn Red Sox."
Speaking of Johnny Damon, how do you think Sox fans felt when he showed up in Fenway wearing a Yankee uniform? I shouldn't have to type it again.
Baseball #2: The Atlanta Braves/The Philadelphia Phillies vs the rest of the NL East.
First, let me say that I am not in any way making the Braves and Phillies out to be some sort of buddy-buddy connected team. I am a Braves fan, and I hate the Phillies with every fiber of my being.
With that being said, from 1993 to the present day, only one team not named the Phillies or the Braves has won the division. The New York Mets won it in 2006. The Braves lead the division with 11 all time wins, followed closely by the Phillies, who have 10. The third most? the Pittsburgh Pirates, who are now members of the NL Central. The other three teams now in the division, (NY Mets, Washington Nationals, Florida Marlins) have a combined 6 division titles. The Mets lead that category with 5, the Nationals have 1, (Montreal Expos), and the Marlins have none. As for the current season, the Phillies (88-48) have a 7.5 lead over the second place (you guessed it) Braves (82-57),while the Braves hold a steady 8.5 game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Mets (68-70) sit 21 games back of first, the Nationals (64-74) are 25 games out, and the Marlins are a whopping 27.5 games out of first place. It doesn't look like anything will be changing anytime soon.
Football #1: The Indianapolis Colts vs The New England Patriots.
The Colts, for all intents and purposes, are considered to be a powerhouse in the NFL. Year after year, they cruise through the AFC south with seemingly no trouble. Since the division began in 2002, the Colts have won 7 of the 9 championships. Their combined record over those seven years is an astounding 87-25. One would think that a team that was able to cruise through the NFL like this would capture Super Bowl titles at whim, but no, they were only able to win one Super Bowl (2006), they made it back in 2009, but were defeated by Drew Brees and the Saints. Why is this, you ask? The Colts have "That damn team" too, and it comes in the form of the New England Patriots.
In 2003, the Patriots defeated the Colts 24-14 in the AFC championship game on their way to a Super Bowl victory over the Carolina Panthers. In 2004, despite being the highest scoring team in the league, the Colts only managed one field goal in a 20-3 defeat at the hands of the Patriots once again, this time in the divisional round. Since those games, the Colts have seemed to have finally gotten a hang of it, but the fact remains that Peyton Manning has one Super Bowl Ring, while Tom Brady has 3. At least Peyton makes all those commercials.
Basketball #1. Now, I don't much care for basketball, and am going to try to avoid discussing it at all, (much like politics) but I'm trying to make a point. When people think of basketball rivalries, most would instantly think of Duke vs North Carolina. But I want to present a rivalry that many people may not be aware of.
Did you ever have an older sibling? Did that sibling ever seem to soak up all the glory? Whether they were the valedictorian, homecoming king, star athlete, or all three (god bless you if that was the case)? We have all heard people, or in this instance, sports teams, referred to as somebody's insignificant little brother.
When it comes to basketball, the team that fits this description, almost to a tee, is none other than the Los Angeles Clippers. If you just said "Wait, you mean the Lakers?" you're probably not the only one. I am willing to bet that a lot of people who aren't avid sports fans even knew the Clippers exist.
So why do the Clippers take the little brother role to the Lakers? For lack of a better word, the Clippers, well, Suck. They are a miserable franchise, that may never make it out of the ENORMOUS shadow of the Lakers. Here are the facts:
1. The Clippers were founded in 1970, since then they have won zero championships; NBA, conference or division. The Lakers? Since 1970 they have won the NBA finals eleven times,earned 19 conference titles and have won the division 22 times.
2. The Clippers haven't made the playoffs since 2006, whereas the the Lakers have only been left out of the postseason 5 times in their entire franchise history.
3. This may be the biggest reason why the Clippers have always been buried under the shadow of the Lakers: The Lakers have 23 hall of famers (16 players, 4 head coaches, 1 assistant coach, and 2 contributors). The Clippers....have 3. Enough said.
So there it is, no matter how good you think your team may be, there will always be that "Damn Team" in the way. And they aren't going away any time soon.
Baseball #1: The Boston Red Sox and The New York Yankees. One of, if the not the greatest rivalry in sports, there are not enough curse words in the world for these two sets of fans to describe how they feel about each other. Here's the proof: From 1923 to 2000, the Yankees won the World Series 26 times frequently defeating the Sox in the postseason. How many did the Red Sox win? A whopping...zero. Cue Sox nation saying "Damn Yankees."
But the tides would change in October 2004. The Yanks led the Sox 3-0 in the NLCS. By some miracle of god (or Babe Ruth, whatever you wanna believe.) the Sox won four straight games behind the bats of David Ortiz, Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez, and pitching of Curt Schilling. And so all of the Bronx let out a cry of "Damn Red Sox."
Speaking of Johnny Damon, how do you think Sox fans felt when he showed up in Fenway wearing a Yankee uniform? I shouldn't have to type it again.
Baseball #2: The Atlanta Braves/The Philadelphia Phillies vs the rest of the NL East.
First, let me say that I am not in any way making the Braves and Phillies out to be some sort of buddy-buddy connected team. I am a Braves fan, and I hate the Phillies with every fiber of my being.
With that being said, from 1993 to the present day, only one team not named the Phillies or the Braves has won the division. The New York Mets won it in 2006. The Braves lead the division with 11 all time wins, followed closely by the Phillies, who have 10. The third most? the Pittsburgh Pirates, who are now members of the NL Central. The other three teams now in the division, (NY Mets, Washington Nationals, Florida Marlins) have a combined 6 division titles. The Mets lead that category with 5, the Nationals have 1, (Montreal Expos), and the Marlins have none. As for the current season, the Phillies (88-48) have a 7.5 lead over the second place (you guessed it) Braves (82-57),while the Braves hold a steady 8.5 game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Mets (68-70) sit 21 games back of first, the Nationals (64-74) are 25 games out, and the Marlins are a whopping 27.5 games out of first place. It doesn't look like anything will be changing anytime soon.
Football #1: The Indianapolis Colts vs The New England Patriots.
The Colts, for all intents and purposes, are considered to be a powerhouse in the NFL. Year after year, they cruise through the AFC south with seemingly no trouble. Since the division began in 2002, the Colts have won 7 of the 9 championships. Their combined record over those seven years is an astounding 87-25. One would think that a team that was able to cruise through the NFL like this would capture Super Bowl titles at whim, but no, they were only able to win one Super Bowl (2006), they made it back in 2009, but were defeated by Drew Brees and the Saints. Why is this, you ask? The Colts have "That damn team" too, and it comes in the form of the New England Patriots.
In 2003, the Patriots defeated the Colts 24-14 in the AFC championship game on their way to a Super Bowl victory over the Carolina Panthers. In 2004, despite being the highest scoring team in the league, the Colts only managed one field goal in a 20-3 defeat at the hands of the Patriots once again, this time in the divisional round. Since those games, the Colts have seemed to have finally gotten a hang of it, but the fact remains that Peyton Manning has one Super Bowl Ring, while Tom Brady has 3. At least Peyton makes all those commercials.
Basketball #1. Now, I don't much care for basketball, and am going to try to avoid discussing it at all, (much like politics) but I'm trying to make a point. When people think of basketball rivalries, most would instantly think of Duke vs North Carolina. But I want to present a rivalry that many people may not be aware of.
Did you ever have an older sibling? Did that sibling ever seem to soak up all the glory? Whether they were the valedictorian, homecoming king, star athlete, or all three (god bless you if that was the case)? We have all heard people, or in this instance, sports teams, referred to as somebody's insignificant little brother.
When it comes to basketball, the team that fits this description, almost to a tee, is none other than the Los Angeles Clippers. If you just said "Wait, you mean the Lakers?" you're probably not the only one. I am willing to bet that a lot of people who aren't avid sports fans even knew the Clippers exist.
So why do the Clippers take the little brother role to the Lakers? For lack of a better word, the Clippers, well, Suck. They are a miserable franchise, that may never make it out of the ENORMOUS shadow of the Lakers. Here are the facts:
1. The Clippers were founded in 1970, since then they have won zero championships; NBA, conference or division. The Lakers? Since 1970 they have won the NBA finals eleven times,earned 19 conference titles and have won the division 22 times.
2. The Clippers haven't made the playoffs since 2006, whereas the the Lakers have only been left out of the postseason 5 times in their entire franchise history.
3. This may be the biggest reason why the Clippers have always been buried under the shadow of the Lakers: The Lakers have 23 hall of famers (16 players, 4 head coaches, 1 assistant coach, and 2 contributors). The Clippers....have 3. Enough said.
So there it is, no matter how good you think your team may be, there will always be that "Damn Team" in the way. And they aren't going away any time soon.
iTakeOvertheWorld/ Matthew McConaughey's Only Good Movie
I enjoy a wide a variety of music; Rap, Rock, Folk, Country, I really can learn to enjoy anything. Often when listening to music, I take advantage of the "Shuffle" feature on my iPod, which can take me straight from a slow, live version of "Gravedigger" (Dave Matthews) to fast paced "A Milli" (Lil' Wayne) in a matter of seconds. A few days ago, I was sitting down to work on a paper and clicked shuffle on, needless to say, I did not get to far into the paper.
The first song that came on was "Slow Ride" from Foghat's 1975 album "Fool for the City." The song has been featured in over 14 TV shows and movies, one instance of which immediately jumped to my mind. In the final scene of "Dazed and Confused" we see one of the main characters, Mitch Kramer, walk back in his house at sunrise after a night of smoking weed, drinking, vandalism, and finally a late night "Picnic" with a sophomore girl, whom Mitch met at a pool hall earlier that evening. All of this takes place only after Mitch and his friends spend the afternoon being chased down and hazed by the seniors at their high school, based solely on the fact that they are upcoming freshmen.
As soon as Mitch enters his house, his mother instantly begins to haggle him, which he casually shrugs off (which we've all done before), walks into his room, puts on head phones, and begins to block out his mothers voice with "Slow Ride." Right as she says "Mitch, have you been drinking?"
Dazed and Confused just happens to be one of my all time favorites, but sadly I have never actually possessed the movie. After the thought of this scene ran through my mind, I suddenly had an unbeatable craving to watch the entire movie. Thus began my long and difficult my journey.
I started out just asking around in my dorm, nobody had a copy. Then I started asking other people on campus, but no dice. I would have to buy it. I spent 30 minutes looking through the movies at Target, to no avail. I had the same results at Wal-Mart, and I even tried Kroger (no one appreciates the classics). I came home defeated, for a while I considered an illegal download, but thought better of it. I resolved to just listen to the soundtrack. I opened up iTunes, and searched the movie's name. This is where technology came into play.
iTunes, along with anything else with the "i" prefix, has pretty much taken over the music business. Having not felt accomplished enough, iTunes set its aim for the "In-home movie" business. I was finally able to see "Dazed" thanks to "i." I rented it on iTunes for four dollars. This was both exciting and disappointing to me. My sister has always has been an "i" lover. Anything with 'i', she has it. I always told her how silly it was to spend the extra money just so you can make your face look weird in pictures. I have eaten my words. If it wasnt for 'i' I would still be Dazed and Confused.
As for the movie itself, I feel like it gets better every time I watch. It focuses on the marijuana/alcohol induced adventures of high school students in Austin, Texas on the last day of school/first night of summer in 1976. The movie shows us a 360 degree view of the high school experience. You've got your Nerds, Jocks (and the girls who have sex with them), the stoners, the freshmen, and even the old guy who cant let go of the glory (post on this topic coming soon). In "Dazed" there is one character who ties all these cliques together.
Randall "Pink" Floyd is the movies main character. He is a star quarterback (jock), which clearly comes with the benefits of clique #3, who also enjoys smoking weed frequently (stoners). Pink is also friends with three of the so called nerds, and often tells them of parties and other things going on, which they frequently decline. Pink is a senior, which means it is his duty to haze any upcoming freshman. Pink's friends take this a lot more seriously than he does, he is never seen actually doing any hazing.
After one freshman gets a particularly bad beating, Pink drives him home and tells him to come out with him and his friends later to have a couple beers. This freshman is the stories other main character, the aforementioned Mitch Kramer. Mitch does go out with Pink and his friends, but it is more than just "having a few beers." The events of the night go from smoking pot, to drinking, to vandalism in a matter of seconds. The night eventually leads to a party in a field near a large radio tower. All of the cliques show up, and we see Pink interact with all of them, including the girls.
Along with all the hilarity and superb acting that comes with "Dazed" I think there is an underlying theme. "Anti- judgement" seems to play a big part in the film. Mostly through Pink. He never utters a sour word about any person or group of people, though everyone around him attempts to tell him how much another group sucks.
His football coaches and teammates hate his stoner friends (Pickford, Slater, Wooderson, AKA the old guy) who are, well, too stoned to care. The seniors hate Kramer, but Pink sticks up for him. And when Kramer complains about the Seniors, he then sticks up for them. He even breaks up a fight between a thug and a nerd, something most high school kids would stand and enjoy.
Pink never falters in his commitment to equality. He treats everyone with respect, whether they spend their free time measuring chemicals or smoking them, which is a quality not seen in many people. Kudos, Richar Linklater, kudos indeed.
The first song that came on was "Slow Ride" from Foghat's 1975 album "Fool for the City." The song has been featured in over 14 TV shows and movies, one instance of which immediately jumped to my mind. In the final scene of "Dazed and Confused" we see one of the main characters, Mitch Kramer, walk back in his house at sunrise after a night of smoking weed, drinking, vandalism, and finally a late night "Picnic" with a sophomore girl, whom Mitch met at a pool hall earlier that evening. All of this takes place only after Mitch and his friends spend the afternoon being chased down and hazed by the seniors at their high school, based solely on the fact that they are upcoming freshmen.
As soon as Mitch enters his house, his mother instantly begins to haggle him, which he casually shrugs off (which we've all done before), walks into his room, puts on head phones, and begins to block out his mothers voice with "Slow Ride." Right as she says "Mitch, have you been drinking?"
Dazed and Confused just happens to be one of my all time favorites, but sadly I have never actually possessed the movie. After the thought of this scene ran through my mind, I suddenly had an unbeatable craving to watch the entire movie. Thus began my long and difficult my journey.
I started out just asking around in my dorm, nobody had a copy. Then I started asking other people on campus, but no dice. I would have to buy it. I spent 30 minutes looking through the movies at Target, to no avail. I had the same results at Wal-Mart, and I even tried Kroger (no one appreciates the classics). I came home defeated, for a while I considered an illegal download, but thought better of it. I resolved to just listen to the soundtrack. I opened up iTunes, and searched the movie's name. This is where technology came into play.
iTunes, along with anything else with the "i" prefix, has pretty much taken over the music business. Having not felt accomplished enough, iTunes set its aim for the "In-home movie" business. I was finally able to see "Dazed" thanks to "i." I rented it on iTunes for four dollars. This was both exciting and disappointing to me. My sister has always has been an "i" lover. Anything with 'i', she has it. I always told her how silly it was to spend the extra money just so you can make your face look weird in pictures. I have eaten my words. If it wasnt for 'i' I would still be Dazed and Confused.
As for the movie itself, I feel like it gets better every time I watch. It focuses on the marijuana/alcohol induced adventures of high school students in Austin, Texas on the last day of school/first night of summer in 1976. The movie shows us a 360 degree view of the high school experience. You've got your Nerds, Jocks (and the girls who have sex with them), the stoners, the freshmen, and even the old guy who cant let go of the glory (post on this topic coming soon). In "Dazed" there is one character who ties all these cliques together.
Randall "Pink" Floyd is the movies main character. He is a star quarterback (jock), which clearly comes with the benefits of clique #3, who also enjoys smoking weed frequently (stoners). Pink is also friends with three of the so called nerds, and often tells them of parties and other things going on, which they frequently decline. Pink is a senior, which means it is his duty to haze any upcoming freshman. Pink's friends take this a lot more seriously than he does, he is never seen actually doing any hazing.
After one freshman gets a particularly bad beating, Pink drives him home and tells him to come out with him and his friends later to have a couple beers. This freshman is the stories other main character, the aforementioned Mitch Kramer. Mitch does go out with Pink and his friends, but it is more than just "having a few beers." The events of the night go from smoking pot, to drinking, to vandalism in a matter of seconds. The night eventually leads to a party in a field near a large radio tower. All of the cliques show up, and we see Pink interact with all of them, including the girls.
Along with all the hilarity and superb acting that comes with "Dazed" I think there is an underlying theme. "Anti- judgement" seems to play a big part in the film. Mostly through Pink. He never utters a sour word about any person or group of people, though everyone around him attempts to tell him how much another group sucks.
His football coaches and teammates hate his stoner friends (Pickford, Slater, Wooderson, AKA the old guy) who are, well, too stoned to care. The seniors hate Kramer, but Pink sticks up for him. And when Kramer complains about the Seniors, he then sticks up for them. He even breaks up a fight between a thug and a nerd, something most high school kids would stand and enjoy.
Pink never falters in his commitment to equality. He treats everyone with respect, whether they spend their free time measuring chemicals or smoking them, which is a quality not seen in many people. Kudos, Richar Linklater, kudos indeed.
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