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| Have a prosperous New Year. | Credit: Wolf of Wall Street |
Random Thought # 1: Another year, another failure. The New England Patriots are eliminated in heartbreaking fashion in another playoff game. Any thoughts?
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| Yes, this hurts. | Credit: NESN |
Whenever your favorite team gets eliminated, it always feels like all hope is lost. What are you hoping for after all? Next year? When everything starts to zero? When some of your star players are on other teams? Not exactly the same feeling (because the following is worse) but it is like ending a relationship with someone. All the emotional investment you had were for nothing. I know we can always say the positives of learning from it, but seriously, do you play to lose?
So yes, it sucks to lose. It always does. No matter how fast you move on from it, it still stung.
Alas, that is the nature of the game. I will still end up looking at the positives at the end of the day. After all, the New England Patriots overachieved. If you are going to tell me that we are going to lose our two best defensive players before this season, I would not have envisioned the Patriots to get the number two seed. We also lost our main offensive weapons (not named Tom Brady) – Wes Welker (to the Broncos…ouch), Rob Gronkowski (to yet another injury) and Aaron Hernandez (OK, let’s not talk about this anymore). Our best pass catcher right now (Julian Edelman) was not even regularly playing receiver duties last year. He rarely got the ball thrown to him then. Patriots have always been criticized for having a bad defense lately and with several injuries, most of our defensive starters are not even from practice squads of other teams. How Bill Belichick was able to reinvent our team to be formidable has got to be the best coaching masterpiece this year (and yet, he still won’t win the Coach of the Year because people will say it already what he does. Yup, we live in a world where doing something consistently good takes for granted while brief flashes of brilliance gets awarded).
With both my NFL teams being the two youngest squads in the league (New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers), there is actually a reason for me to have high hopes in the upcoming season. Yes, we are eliminated now, but we are not dead. We will return next year stronger and better. I know that losing stings. Hopeful stuff feels like bullcrap during such times but eventually, hope is the very same thing that will make you stand up.
But to be honest even if New England and Green Bay stop being formidable, I will still be there supporting. This is the essence of being a diehard fan after all. You get ultimately hurt when your team gets eliminated. You stick with your team through thick and thin. And above it all, when they win the championship, you can proudly say you were there for them all the way. No championship experience is sweeter.
Random Thought # 2: Now that Super Bowl is near, it is time to pick who is better: Who has a better Youtube clip? Peyton Manning’s SNL skit or Richard Sherman’s interview?
Damn, this is a tough one. Let’s analyze each:
Peyton Manning’s SNL Skit
Pros: Still funny as hell up to now. Any time you have comedians trying their best to not laugh hard and still be able to pull off a funny dance, that’s a win. The way Peyton delivered the punchlines (a little pee came out) was also golden. Dude is a natural comedian.
Cons: It is scripted so Peyton was able to prepare ahead of time. He also had help from the SNL comedians in pulling this off.
Richard Sherman’s Interview
Pros: Damn, that was the funniest live interview I have ever seen. Dude was like doing a wrestling prop. Erin Andrews’ facial reaction was priceless. You know that she is trying her best to hide it but you know that she is irritated deep inside. Richard Sherman was like doing an early The Office days Michael Scott skit (both shamelessly cringeworthy and funny). A lot of people got irked at this interview. But for entertainment’s sake, we are putting it here
Cons: It’s not for everyone. It does come of as annoying and arrogant. I know that he is just being true to himself or maybe he just wants to be entertaining, but it was like putting salt to the wounds of San Francisco fans on live TV. Don’t get me wrong, I found humor on his actions.
Winner: It was tough but I am picking Peyton Manning’s skit. It ages well. Still funny up to now. Sorry, Richard Sherman, you are not the “best Youtube guy" here. Sorry if I also talked about you.
Random Thought #3: Which team will win the Super Bowl this year?
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| Will this be Peyton Manning's year? | Credit: BusinessInsider.com |
We have to consider things first. Let us chop it down one by one.
The Super Bowl will be in an effin’ cold stadium in New York City. There is an outside chance of snowing in Super Bowl. As always, brilliant job by the dudes who thought of this setup! I have to admit though that it would be a sight for us watching via TV if we have a Winter Wonderland Bowl. And for those who do not know, Peyton Manning struggles in the cold. Add Seattle’s amazing secondary in the mix and Denver is going to have a hell of time. Remember, it is Peyton Manning who is playing for the AFC here, not Tom Brady (of course, I get to fantard whenever I want to).
However, we have to note that this Denver offense is for real. I know that juggernaut offenses like the New England Patriots of 2007 and 2011 lost in the Sup… Oh, I forgot: Super Bowls did not happen in those years. (Fucking fantard) But here is what Peyton Manning has for his offense: he has Wes Welker in the slot. He has Demaryius Thomas for the long ball. I have not even mentioned Julius Thomas and the consistent Eric Decker here. Peyton has the weapons for the passing game (you know, just like the 2007 New England Patriots who should have won the Super Bowl that year but because it did not happen, we can only wonder what might have happened). And voila! Denver has Knowshon Moreno for the running game.
The Number One Defense will not be letting up though. Seattle has an amazing plethora of defensive weapons that would prevent Peyton from having the perfect game. Defenses tend to fare well in cold weather. In case you forgot, despite the shift to offensive-minded teams the past few years, the last teams to win the Super Bowl fielded strong defensive lineups. Steelers (which is known for its Steel curtain especially that they had Troy Polamalu at his peak then) defeated Kurt Warner’s Cards in 2008. Saints defeated Peyton Manning’s Colts. New Orleans’ defense was strong that year especially that they have been incentivizing players to hurt the opposition. Green Bay still had a decent defense with Nick Collins, Charles Woodson, AJ Hawk, Tramon Williams, Clay Mathews and BJ Raji when they won the Super Bowl (oh wait, only Nick Collins and Charles Woodson are missing in this year’s team and the Pack had bad defense. #shakesmyhead). Baltimore is a stalwart defensive team and they won it all last year. Did I forget something? Nope. I did not.
(What a fantard.)
As for coaching, I think I am going with Pete Carroll here. John Fox is too conservative. You need to be gutsy if you want to win the Super Bowl.
Richard Sherman of the Seahawks may be trashtalking like hell right now but I think he is just doing that for entertainment. He will be focused well for that game. You know, Adderall and all.
If you asked me early in the season who I would root for here, I would say the Seattle Seahawks. After all, Seattle needs some break after all these years of sports torture. Denver has won Super Bowls with Elway before and they even struck gold with Peyton Manning after ditching Tim Tebow in 2012 (you know, the quarterback that gave Denver a playoff win after years of heartbreak). However, the Seahawks just make it hard to root for them with how cocky they have been lately. The Adderall thing does not help their case either.
I may have rooted against Peyton Manning mostly because I am a Tom Brady fan, but let us face it: Peyton Manning, like Tom Brady, is a nice guy. For all the rivalry they have, they actually are good friends to each other. Sometimes, nice guys need to win too. And seriously, do you want Peyton to have fewer championships than his lucky brother Eli? Oh wait… Super Bowls did not occur on 2008 and 2012. Eli still has zero championships in my book. Stick to your story, you Boston fantard.
Super Bowl Pick:
Head: Seattle Seahawks. Yup, at gunpoint. I will pick them because their defense is impressive and Russell Wilson is a legit big game quarterback.
Heart: Denver Broncos. After New England’s magical storyline of overcoming an injury-riddled and rookie-laden season, the next best fairytale storline is Peyton Manning’s. Why? With all the heartbreaking crap Peyton Manning experienced when Indianapolis Colts – the team he made relevant for more than a decade – dumped him in 2012, I would say it would be a heartwarming storyline if he ends up getting it this time. Remember, this dude accepted Indianapolis’ decision no matter how brutal it was then. Dude was in tears. He sucked it up and tried to be the best he could be the next time he got the pigskin back in his hands. #TeamNiceGuys
Still not convinced? Check out this Youtube video
Make no mistake about it, I have no problems with Seattle winning the Super Bowl though. The diehard city of Seattle also deserved the title. The Pot Bowl will have a good storyline winner after all.
Random Thought # 4: Any drinking game suggestions for the Super Bowl?
Drink every time Peyton Manning says “Omaha.”
That’s the only drinking game rule you need and you will end up much worse than I did when I have done the American Idol Drinking Game four years ago. Up to this day, I have not done a comprehensive drinking game because I was such a mess then.
As for the betting line of 28 ½ times that Peyton Manning is going to say “Omaha,” I am taking the over. Peyton had 31 “Omaha” calls in his last game. And with a charity ongoing for every time Peyton says “Omaha,” dude is gonna say “Omaha” a lot of times in this game.
Random Thought # 5: Will the La Salle Lady Spikers ever lose a set in UAAP Women’s Volleyball this year?
Oops. Late question. Thank God, I am so slow in blogging that I could have written “no” here. They did lose a set eventually last Wednesday but after that, they have dominated. La Salle is clearly in Eff You Mode this year. It is remarkable that their team continues to improve despite years of championship. They just do not let up. I am a diehard Ateneo fan, but on times like this, you just have to appreciate how crazy good this La Salle team is playing. For the love of the game. And for everything that is done right.
La Salle won the last three UAAP championships and they are hungrily playing as if they never won a championship. What more could you ask for from your team if you are a La Salle fan?
I do not know if it has something to do with women’s volleyball being an uber-friendly sport. La Salle does not seem to have a strong rival team that has swag to give them a challenge right now. That was always the downside of the last two Ateneo teams that faced them in the championship games. They were too nice to rattle the La Salle teams (aside from the latter being extremely talented). That was one thing that the UST (Tabaquero’s team) and FEU teams (Rachel Daquis’ team) had before. Right now, I am not sure if NU has it. And if they do, they are still huge underdogs because La Salle also has the swagger and the composure to handle it with all the championship experience they have in the bag. I mean, come on… they lost a key player in Michele Gumabao and they became stronger than ever. Crazy. I wonder why?
Random Thought # 6: We all know it is going to come down to this but you have been raving a lot about La Salle’s rookie, Desiree Cheng.Aside from good looks, she replaced Michele Gumabao in the starting lineup and La Salle has been dominating their opponents easier than ever. But if you are going to watch Desiree play, she does not have crazy good stats either. Don’t tell me you are just falling for good looks.
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| Credit: Yahoo! PH Sports |
One important thing in sports (and even in real life): statistics are not everything. Intangibles could make or break a team’s performance. A player can score a ton of points and still end up costing his/her team a victory because of selfishness. This is why I appreciate how Des Cheng plays as the glue gal in the La Salle lineup. She is the utility player who does a lot of things except score a gazillion points. She sets the ball when needed, blocks opponents, digs for the ball to keep the possession alive, and moves around to ensure they rotate and space properly. That is pretty much what you need from a Palarong Pambansa MVP if you have a stacked lineup.
Ever wonder why the Ateneo Blue Eagles won five straight championships? It is because of chemistry players who knew their roles and built up their teammates to rise on occasion. If given the chance, they would score but for the rest of the time, all they do is to do what is best for the team. Those chemistry guys were even best players from their respective high school teams. Just imagine them setting aside their pride.
I could actually relate to this concept because I played the role when my team won a DotA tourney back in college. I knew that my teammates were very good and the hero I played had limitations (it was an early game hero). So instead of using my money to upgrade my items, I gave all my money to my teammate who can use it for optimal purpose (you know when that was still legal). I ended up with lousy items at the end of the game but we won the game. (OK, I actually felt like an alpha dog that game because I scored the most kills, but that was beside the point. Those kills were part luck as well because of my hero’s ultimate spell). The main idea was simple: know your role and decide what is best for the team – not for yourself.
And that is why, I am a Desiree Cheng fan. She does what is right for her team without overdoing it. And look what it has brought them now. Just one set loss in the middle of the second round. Slow clap.
Random Thought # 7: Any thoughts on Vampire Weekend winning the Grammy for Alternative Music Album?
I am very glad they won it. I actually do not care if they bring out some old beef on Black Keys. What matters to me is they won. “Modern Vampires of the City” is my favorite album last year and even if Vampire Weekend has gone more mainstream now, I don’t care (I seem to have that curse on the bands I listen to anyway. All of them go mainstream the year after I enjoyed their previous albums. Bands like Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, pre-Twilight Paramore, Snow Patrol, Incubus and Panic! At The Disco). I can just imagine my college friend Ferdie laughing at me now because I kept on mocking him as a mainstream music dude back then. Yeah, joke’s on me. Either way, things change.
Random Thought # 8: Hell, it’s about time! Time to make a review of “Wolf of Wall Street.” I have to.
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| Credit: Wolf of Wall Street |
Well, how about that? Any time you can watch a flick that feels like a combination of Mad Men, Entourage and Breaking Bad, you have got to do it. Add the dominating combo of Scorsese and DiCaprio and you have yourself a strong one.
Corporate Drama/Comedy: Check. Nudity: Check. Passionate cussing (a la Entourage’s Ari Gold): Check. Green jokes: Check. Did I forget to say lots of nudity? Either way, check. This movie is cool.
"Wolf of Wall Street" is like a smartass dude's version of "Scarface." It features Jordan Belfort, a budding stockbroker who lost his job during the stock market crash in the late 1980's. In search for redemption, he got a job in a local investment company that trades penny stocks. Their target market are blue collar workers who do not have that much money. Because of their high risk-high return job, they earn 50% in commission. Jordan saw the opportunity in this small pond and became the big fish of it. Ambitious that he was, Jordan established a stock trading company. As he won't be able to entice Ivy League grads to join his team (who would want to if they knew that he was trading stocks of unknown companies), Jordan gathered a group of college dropouts and lowlifes to run his company. He taught them how to sell and in turn, they became a financial juggernaut. Jordan threw parties, sniffed cocaine and banged prostitutes. He did illegal activities to further enhance his riches. His ascension to the upper echelon of rich dudes in United States also led him to abuse his money. Yes, it felt like the stockbroker version of "Scarface."
All in all, the movie was superb. Leonardo DiCaprio, as usual, had a blast in acting here. His passion to get his job done reminds me of Jeremy Piven's Ari Gold in "Entourage." The only difference is, Jordan is a worse human being. He does make Ari Gold look like a saint. Leo shines in pretty much the whole movie whether it be as a drug addict, a pumped up leader or as a sex-crazed maniac. I have not watched the other Oscar-nominated films, but his performance should make him a frontrunner to win the Best Actor award. Jonah Hill's Donnie complements Jordan well as he brings a different comedic vibe. And if you are a TV fan as I am, you would appreciate the fact that they got actors from various TV shows that made me want to comment on how they were as characters before. They have Coach Eric Taylor (Friday Night Lights), Laura Cameron (Pan Am), Ted Mosby's Wife (How I Met Your Mother) and Shane Walsh (The Walking Dead). Yes, I could not resist throwing out the joke: So Ted's wife got dumped by Leo before he met Ted, huh?
I know that it is not easy to empathize with the characters of the movie with what they have done, but that is actually the interesting quirk of it. In case you are scoring from home, the biggest TV characters featured bad guys who have some redemptive qualities that would make you root for them: Walter White (Breaking Bad), Tony Soprano (The Sopranos) and Don Draper (Mad Men). And you wonder why chicks dig the bad guys, Jeff? Oh wait, who ever said I was a nice guy, anyway? Pinocchio, perhaps.
The flick is polarizing in that way: it's either you would be able to ride with their extreme badness or you don't. the film was supposed to depict them as bad people anyway so the audience would observe the idea that money isn't everything. The humor? Golden. OK, it's not for everyone but damn they had extreme punchlines that had me laughing hard. Of course, these were green jokes. The movie is one wild testosterone outburst anyway. Heck, they could even live without having those funny train of thought parts and the comedy value of the movie is still 10/10.
Downside of the movie? I guess it was not subtle enough. There were some themes that were very much apparent. I almost put “why the hell didn't Margot Robbie punch the car window (to break it) in attempt to get her daughter?” here. If you get the reference, congratulations but my point is, a mother won't let someone kidnap her baby without giving a fight. She ended up smashing the car window anyway, so fair is fair.
As for the rest of the themes and my takeaways on the show, let's break them down one by one:
1) The obvious one: Money is not everything. As Jordan became more successful in getting rich, it was very apparent that he was becoming a worse human being. He dumped Ted Mosby's Future Wife (I repeat: He dumped Ted's wife!). He fooled several investors. He had a troubling relationship with his second wife. He kidnapped his daughter. He could care less for his dead relative. He risked his wife's life for the sake of money that he could earn anyway. In the end, he weaselled out his friends and colleagues. The one person who should believe in him (and stick with him through thick and thin) could not even muster enough hope to live with him. Again, this theme was so obvious that we do not need to expound on this any further. Somewhere Coach Taylor is smiling while riding the subway train.
2) Smartass guys always win (or as Tony Stark says, “we, smart guys know how to cover our asses”). After all Jordan has done, all he got was three years of prison (well, he probably experienced prison sex so that's a loss). But yeah, if there was one thing that bailed Jordan out of bad situations, he could always count on his mind.
3) Believe. Always. You know how Jordan was able to sell all the bullshit crap his mouth was blabbering? He believed in it.
4) Schools help you prepare in life, but these do not necessarily make you win in life. Remember the sales question? A college dropout was able to sell Jordan his ballpen while the supposedly smartass college grads could not even sell it if their life depended on it.
5) Have you noticed the wristwatch evolution of Jordan Belfort? He started with a stainless steel and it became a gold watch. I bet it is a Tag Heuer as Leo is Heuer’s endorser. I just checked the Internet and found out he used a Rollie. Yup, just right for it. Dude also liked using ‘em Submariner/Seamaster ones instead of the dressy Datejust types. It would have been cooler if he wore an A. Lange and Sohne watch though (yup, I consider that the most beautiful watch brand over Patek Philippe).
6) Movie really feels like "Mad Men" on drugs. Oh wait... what's this?
7) Adderall. Adderall. Adderall. (No offense to those who are using such. This is more of a Seahawks PED reference) I was laughing hard when it was mentioned. If only Jordan could just shout "I am the greatest stockbroker in the world! Don't you ever talk to me, Crabtree! L.O.B.!" This would have been the greatest movie ever.
8) Fenway Park is the best ballpark in the world.
9) Passion. Say whatever bad thing you want to Jordan Belfort, but you cannot take away passion from him. OK, maybe it was fuelled by his drugs or it is an after-effect of masturbation. But, damn it. That dude has passion and it was infectious. His company feels it and it is what drives them. They do illegal stuff to earn but I bet a good part of their earnings have also been through hard work. Passion is always a huge plus for me.
10) It is about seeing opportunities no matter how dire the situation is. If Jordan was prideful not to engage on that small-time investing company, he would not have become insanely rich. Sometimes, life is about seeing diamonds in a pile of rubbish. Ever wonder why he formed a team from a bunch of scumbags? He saw opportunity in them. He believed in them. This is one of the big reasons I liked this flick. I always believe that teams do not necessarily need to be composed of an all-elite cast. There is such a thing as pecking order and the idea of chemistry. And you know what? Those underdogs that most people take for granted? They have a chip on their shoulders and you would be surprised how great they could turn out to be. Classic example: Bill Belichick's New England Patriots. NFL's most consistent team in the past decade did not have to overpay for powerhouse guys unlike the New York Yankees. The Pats’ greatest player was a sixth round draft pick that most scouts wrote off because he was too thin and slow. They got a nutcase (Randy Moss) to perform on the highest level with that crazy record-setting season. New England transformed a bunch of undrafted players (Wes Welker, Benjarvus Green-Ellis, Danny Woodhead) into sterling athletes.
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