Greetings sports fans, it’s time for another hit and miss, bits and bobs post:
March Madness: I cannot recall the last time I actually watched 3 basketball gamesin a row on teevee but Sunday’s games were genuinely thrilling. It made me glad that I never do a bracket because the only team I might have picked to win was Kentucky over Wichita State. Selecting a bracket makes one churlish when a Duke loses to Mercer instead of wanting to board the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe and croon Moon River in celebration. I love it when Coach Buy-a-Vowel loses.
Semi-seriously, I was glued to CBS on Sunday for Stanford-Kansas and North Carolina-Iowa State as well. Something I’ve noticed this year, and should have in the past, is that the reason so many underdogs win is that they play a lot of Juniors and Seniors whereas the Kansases and Carolina’s have a whole lotta one and done players. Something to consider if you’re a bracket picking motherfucker.
In other college basketball news, there’s an excellent profile of Oregon State head coach and FLOTUS bro Craig Robinson at Buzzfeed. Joel Anderson’s story poses the question of whether or not a coach with a losing record should be retained because they’re an extraordinary mentor and human being. Al (Just Win, Baby) Davis would be appalled but I was fascinated.Click here to read it.
One more hoops note: The Wichita State Shockers may have lost their chance at an unbeaten season and national championship but Cleanthony Early has one of the greatest sports names ever.
The Grand Budapest Hotel: I’m a big fan of Wes Anderson’s quirky and odd films. His latest effort was a cross between a Bugs Bunny cartoon and a Lubitschfilm. I cannot believe I wrote that last sentence but it’s true. Anderson’s oeuvre is somewhat hit and miss,and I’d put this effort somewhere in the middle below The Royal Tannenbaums, Moonrise Kingdom, Rushmore, and Fantastic Mr. Fox.
The movie was beautiful to look at but somewhat slight at its core. Anderson’s best work has balanced whimsy and character development and this one is stronger on the former than the latter. I’d still give it 3 stars or an Adrastos grade of B.
April Foolery: Some of the online articles have been inaccurate since they mention Joel and the original MST3K bots, but the Rifftrax gang of Mike Nelson, Kevin (Tom Servo) Murphy and Bill (Crooow) Corbett will be returning to teevee on the National Geographic Channel for an April Fool’s Day romp.I’m looking forward to a dose of Tom Servo Foolery. Why Nationall Geographic? Rifftax are the beasts of bad movie riffers or some such shit.
That is all.