Sometimes, its just the little things......

     Mr Mike Sorensen from the Deseret News wrote this article to preview the upcoming bowl game between Utah and Colorado St.   I have read Mike's articles at the Deseret News for years now and I have come to the conclusion that he is a BYU fan who hates the fact that he is often assigned to write about the Utes, but he tries his best anyway.   Some of his comments in that article are a bit silly, and I don't think anybody bothered to fact check, but I just had to get some thoughts down after reading this...........

    I spent 8 years as a kid in Texas.  I  spent each Saturday in the fall (and I'm about to gag here..........) watching the Texas Longhorns play football.  Occasionally, we would go to the church and catch the blue guys from Provo over the satellite feed.  

    One day, Dad came and turned the Longhorns game off and said that we would be watching a "real" team play that day.  For the first time, we were able to catch a University of Utah football game on ESPN!  This was 1994.  There were 4 or 5 games on TV all day, IF you had cable!  ESPN2 was a premium channel.  I didn't know anything about this red team, except that I had seen their logo on a few of Dad's shirts.

    For a game that I can barely remember, there was a play that I will never forget for as long as I live.  As Mike described, Harold Lusk picked off the Colorado St. QB and took off down the sideline.  As he ran for the game clinching touchdown, I remember Dad jumping up and down and yelling "GO! GO! GO!" and I got so excited, I jumped out of my seat and joined in!   

    That was that.  I was hooked.  We didn't go to the church on Saturdays for games anymore.  

     Ever since then, its been a lot of great memories.  I'll never forget tromping through the snow to see my first game at the Huntsman Center as Dad told me stories of Jerry Chambers, Mike Newlin, and Ticky Burden.  Or when the youth at my church got a bunch of free tickets and I saw Steve "Ice up, son!" Smith take a punt to the house.  

     Just this past year, I went to two different football games with a couple of my siblings, got soaking wet and felt like I was going to freeze over, only to see the team lose both times. Yet I can honestly say that I had a blast each game.  Last year, I took my son to his first game at the Huntsman Center and watched his face light up as he said "Dad, I like bas-et-baw!"

    And of course, I'll never forget taking my girlfriend to the football game against Louisville in 2009, and just praying for the whole three and a half hours because I was scared to death, knowing I had a ring back in my car and that was the night.  She said "yes", and five years later, I still don't know how she puts up with me!  

   I don't really know what I am trying to say here, other than this little trip down memory lane helped remind me today how lucky I am, and how much I love my family.   Sometimes, it's just the little things.  

Are Competition Reality Shows On Their Way Out?

                The 2000’s saw an explosion of competition shows.  From “American Idol” to “Last Comic Standing”, we have seen it all.

                As we begin the summer of 2014, what is the future of these shows?  Will we see another decade of the same familiar faces, or will the producers and networks have to make tweaks to keep up with audiences?

                While not outright struggling, many of these shows have seen a decline in viewership.  While each show is unique, the three biggest culprits for this decline are likely turnover among judges, declining talent, and a general sense of viewer exhaustion.

                Take the former summer sensation “So You Think You Can Dance?” for example.  When it debuted, I was hooked.  It was fun to watch the week to week competition as contestants were stretched and challenged. 

                A few seasons in, I got bored.  It felt like I had seen everything that the show had to offer.  About this same time, there was an uptick in another aspect that I think adds to viewer exhaustion: sob stories. 

                Everybody who comes before the judges has faced insurmountable odds to get there.  They have gone through horrors like catching a cold, being denied desert for bad behavior after dinner by their parents, or getting a B+ on their test instead of an A.  They have overcome these giant obstacles to now appear on this show.  Oh and by the way, this audition is their last shot.  It will make or break their lives.  If they don’t win it all here, they will be forced into the horrible pit of getting a real job.

                I tuned out.  And I was not the only one to do so.  In the years since, my tv has stopped on the show once or twice per year just to see how it is.  Nothing has changed.  And any time I stick there for a minute, it takes one Mary Murphy comment to get me to change the channel. 

                I read that recently the show has been condensed to once a week due to poor ratings.  Good grief.  This is a FOX show.  This is not one of the big three networks.  How bad must they be that Fox is not willing to run it twice a week in the summer?

                I tuned in to the latest edition of “Last Comic Standing” and I don’t think I am going to bother.  While there was some decent talent, the new host is dreadful, the Wayans brother (a judge) looks bored out of his mind.  A quick word to the producers: turn Roseanne’s mic off while the contestants are up there.  Her laugh makes my skin crawl.  She sounds like Salacious Crumb from Star Wars.  Quite frankly, if they got rid of that, I would come back and watch the rest of the season.

                When it first came on, I really enjoyed “The Voice”.  The new approach and celebrity judges with personality made it fun.  The more I watched, the more I realized that this show has everything that I despise about this genre.  Everyone’s got a sob story.  Every audition, battle, and performance is “the best” that the judges have ever seen.  Each person is told they have the potential to make a billion dollars in the business. 

                Has anyone from this show gone on to even be a regular on the radio?  It is just like American Idol.  No one knows who won, no one cares.

                The only show that has long term staying potential is “America’s Got Talent”. 

                AGT has success because it is not constrained to any one thing.  If you do something cool, you can be on.  You can watch that show and see something that you have never seen before.  The judges, for the most part, judge based on the level of entertainment.  Too many of these shows feature judges who are “professionals” who heap an over the top amount of praise on some folks who have good technique and will treat anyone inferior as though they had just personally insulted them.  AGT judges seem to (again, for the most part) realize that the show isn’t all about them and the world doesn’t revolve around them and they just try to have fun. 

                This declining brand of shows will only survive as they expand to be more inclusive and as the judges lighten up and make it more fun.  I predict that AGT will continue on successfully while these other shows will slowly troll out.  

Marvel Has The Winning Formula. Can Everyone Else Keep Up?

   When I was a kid, I looked forward to Saturday morning cartoons every week.  My earliest recollection is of "Garfield and Friends" with Garfield the lazy cat and that weird group of farm animals which included a duck who wore a floating tube wherever he went and a little chicken who had never hatched out of his shell conveniently named "Sheldon".

    Side note 1: What on earth was that show?

    Side note 2: I am convinced that there has been, for quite some time, a group of people who get together, get high as a kite, and then create kids shows.  That is the only explanation I can think of for shows from my childhood like Zoobilee Zoo and Today's Special.  In the modern era, Doodlebop fits this description.  I am going to toss the unknown farm animal show into this group.

    As I got older, my interests changed.  X-Men, Spider-Man, and the Batman-Superman Adventures were the best two hours of the week.  Super heroes battling seemingly unbeatable foes and at the end of the day, always finding a way to save the day.

    Sidenote 3: The exception here is Morph from X-Men.  Poor Morph..

    When the X-Men movies started coming out around the turn of the century, I was "too cool" for kids stuff like that, and didn't bother to see them.  It wasn't until "The Dark Knight" came out that I actually saw a comic book movie.

    I loved it.  I loved the message it sent; given the choice, people will generally do the right thing, even at a great cost.

   As the years went by, I started getting more into them.  My wife and I went back and watched all of the X-Men movies, the Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, etc. etc.

   Some of them, quite frankly, bored me to tears.

   Sidenote 4: Sorry DC diehards, you are about to get trolled!

   During "The Dark Knight Rises", I had to struggle to stay awake.  While watching last summer's "Man of Steel", I kept wishing that the Avengers would show up, mop the floor with all of these characters, and then the movie would end.

    Others were just all right, but I was still glad I'd watched them.  The Tobey Maguire Spider-Man series, Fantastic Four, and Thor movies fit here.  Even movies that have been generally accepted as trash like "Daredevil" and its spinoff "Elektra" were ok.

    When the "Avengers" finally came out, it was incredible.  I left the theater just pumped for the sequel.  I had no idea why, but I was excited.

    This last Saturday, I went and saw the "Captain America: The Winter Solider".  I loved it.  For two hours, I was totally carefree.  Captain America saved the day and all was right with the world.  For those two hours, I was 10 again, watching Saturday morning cartoons and then pretending to be these heroes.

    It finally hit me.  That is why I love these movies.  They take me back to childhood.  They bring out the kid in me.  They make me forget that there are any other movies out there.

   What Marvel has done with their cinematic universe is unparalleled in the history of movies.  Sure, we have seen hundreds of movies that have sequels.  But to create a universe where many movies take place and then to have characters that we have come to know join forces to save the world?  Incredible.  Add to that a TV show that exists in this universe and upcoming Netflix series and you have something pretty cool.

    How cool is it?  Every other studio involved with making comic book movies is trying to follow suite.  I am really excited to see what Fox does with bringing the X-Men and the Fantastic Four reboot into the same universe.  There are a lot of interesting stories that could be told.  With Spider-Man and Sony pictures, there are many directions the stories could go.  I might even give DC comics another shot if they can successfully throw together a Justice League movie.

    Sidenote 5:  That last line is a lie.  I am done with them.  Just not my thing.  If you like it, cool.  No sense in me trying to argue my side, all of us like what we like and don't what we don't.  I just like to troll. :)

   I think that as time goes along, and the competition increases, we are going to see better and better movies made.  I can't wait to pop some popcorn and enjoy the ride!

 

   

Another chapter in the "Book of Fans"

    For as long as I can remember, Runnin' Utes basketball and (more recently) the Jazz have been a big part of my life.

    I had a family member who played for the Runnin' Utes.  He made the team by hard work as a walk on and had his best game ever against BYU.  

     As a kid, I was legally blind in my left eye.  This made learning how to read all but impossible.  I remember day after day of throwing books across the room in frustration as my poor parents tried to teach me.  Nothing worked.  One day, my Dad got the idea that maybe if I found something I was interested in, the reading would come easier.  He introduced me to box scores in the "Houston Chronicle" and a light bulb clicked on.

    Each morning, I got up early and was assigned to tell him about what had happened in the Jazz (his team), Rockets (my team), and Runnin' Utes (our team) games.  Even though they were a long way away, I learned to love players like Jimmy Soto and Josh Grant by reading the box scores.  Reading became fun, and it changed my life.

    When we moved to Utah, I jumped ship to the Jazz full time.  I loved going to the occasional game at the "Decibel Center" or walking across campus to see the Utes play up on the hill.  In my driveway at home, I shot baskets for hours on end and pretended to be right there along side Mike Doleac, Nick Jacobson, Alex Jensen, Andre Miller, Hanno Mottola, Ketih Van Horn, Jeff Hornacek, Karl Malone, John Stockton and my many other heroes.  

    Those were the glory days.  Though we came up just short of winning the big win, we were on top of the world.  

    These days, times are different.  But my love of those teams has not changed.  

    I enjoy social media.  I like reading what others see because I feel like 99% of people have something to offer that I can learn from.  I also like that I can control who I follow.  I don't follow any bozos.  I follow those who are passionate and bring something to the table, and I love it.  

    At the same time, it can be a terrible place.  I see people taking to it to run down kids who are trying their hardest and may not always have the results on the court or field.  When I see this, I picture in my mind this family member I mentioned earlier.  I picture him playing hard and having people run him down when things didn't go right and it gets me upset.  These are kids who work their tails off in school and on the court. 

   Why does anyone feel the need to run down a kid?  Or even worse, their family?  That is pathetic.  I get tired of Jazz fans who constantly want to blame all of the problems in the world on Ty Corbin, but Ty is a grown man who is paid quite well and taking over the top criticism from zealots is part of the job.  It is pitiful that he has to deal with it, but it is part of the job nonetheless.  Kids?  Moms and Dads who just love their kids? Absolutely disgusting that anyone would feel the need to call them names and harass them.  Would anyone say this same stuff to their face?  Not a chance.  So why do it over social media?  

    In no way, shape, or form, am I saying that athletes and coaches are beyond criticism.  There are criticisms of the Ute and Jazz players and coaches that are fair and appropriate.  Was I frustrated after last night's game?  You better believe it.  

    I was asked an interesting question last night.  I am known as someone who is optimistic about my teams and people wanted to know at what point will good efforts not be enough and when will I "demand" that my teams win games such as last night. 

     My answer?  Never.  We play in a difficult conference.  Losses like this are going to happen no matter how much talent we have.  Do I want more wins?  Absolutely.  Do I believe they will come?  Without a doubt!  But in the meantime, I will accept the reality that we are an up and coming team.  Twice this year, we have given Arizona a ball game despite being at a significant talent disadvantage.  If being content with that makes me a "lapdog" or "someone who pathetically accepts moral victories", so be it.  It is reality, even if I am disappointed that one got away.  

    Win, lose, or draw, I will always support my team, the players, and coaches, as long as I see a great effort being put forth.  When I see a lousy effort, even in wins, I will become more vocal.  (you should read my blogs about the 2012 Boston Red Sox).  I do not think for even one second that I am a better fan than someone who feels differently, it is just the way I approach it.  

   In anything in life, it helps to look at the big picture.  Two years ago, outside of people I can count on one hand, I couldn't have paid anyone to talk about Runnin' Ute hoops with me.  Last night, the Huntsman Center was darn near full.  Improvement is being made.  Larry K is doing things the right way.  Our time will come.  I have no doubt about it.  Someday soon, all of these frustrations will be distant memories.  

   

    

    

Does Shark Tank Need A Breath Of Fresh Air?

 

Shark Tank can be seen Friday night's on ABC

    Shark Tank has become a staple of Friday night for many Americans.  Seeing the products and innovations that people have made and how they plan on making it big has become addicting.

    What does this show have to do in order to stay on the cutting edge?  Here are my ideas, starting with the panel of sharks as a whole and then some general suggestions.

    Mark Cuban:
    I rolled my eyes when I saw that Mark Cuban was going to be added to this show as a guest a few years ago.  As a Utah Jazz fan, the only thing I knew about Cuban was that he was loud, obnoxious, and a whiner.  I couldn't have been more wrong.  He is honest, straight forward, and seems to sincerely care about each presenter as a person.  As the most wealthy shark, he is the most willing to invest.  He is a must have going forward.

     Barbara Corcoran:
     She lacks the personality of some of the others, but one thing that can't be argued is that when she invests, she usually helps the business grow tremendously.  To me, she seems clueless about a lot of things.  But if a presenter can convince her of a product, she is a great partner to have.  She should be on every episode.

      Kevin O'Leary:
      This guy is a buffoon.  His only valid contribution is that he keeps the conversation moving.  If someone has a large amount of sales AND are on the upward trend, he will offer to give them the amount of money they seek in exchange for no equity and a chunk of sales for the rest of their lives.  He then points out what a big risk he is taking and how generous he is (the complete opposite on both points is reality).  Otherwise, he dismisses the presenter as though they are a worthless person.  If I were a presenter, I would avoid him like the plague, even if he were my only offer.  As much as I don't like him though, the show would be boring without him.

       Lori Greiner:
       I don't see any value that she brings.  She tries to sell the idea that she can get a product on QVC.  To me, this is overrated.  Sure, you can be on there for two weeks maybe, and then what?  She values herself much more than she should.

       Daymond John:
       Daymond seems bored more often than not.  It is as if he considers himself to be "above" the people who come before him.  He usually responds with "I don't want to  be in this space, Im out." or "I already have a similar group I'm with, I'm out".  If he does make an offer, he demands that his offer be accepted immediately or he jacks up the equity he requires.  It's as if the only amusement he gets from being on the show is in toying with people.

       Robert Herjavec:
       As soon as Mark came on the show, Robert became redundant at best and worthless at worst.  He is the least desirable partner of all the sharks, and he doesn't realize it. Before Cuban came on, Robert was the "tech guy".  With Mark on board, Robert is just a less interesting, less likely to invest shark with fewer connections.  Wrap your mind around this:  Robert's net worth is less than 5% of Cuban's.  His tactic of throwing a tantrum when someone doesn't immediately accept his offer has gotten old.

     If I were a producer, I would have Barbara, Kevin, and Mark on each episode and I would completely cut the other 3.  I would get replacements who can bring something unique to the table.

    As for other suggestions, I'd like to see more updates on how former presenters are doing.  The one per week is decent, but why not put some more up online?

    Finally, how about weeding out the trolls?  I enjoy the random oddball with his hack product (the guy who wanted to implant phones into people's heads or the guy who wanted to create tornadoes in the ocean or whatever come to mind), but I get tired of the "I have a cool app, no sales, and I'd like $650,000 in exchange for 6% of the business!" presentations.  They just want to be on the show for exposure and have no desire for a deal.  I want to see people who really want a deal working to get one.

    If done right, this show can have a long run.

 

   

A Change Of Pace........

     If you take a look around this little blog, you will see that this is the first update in quite a while.  For the past several months, I have been writing for tornbysports.com with an emphasis in Ute athletics.

     To be honest, I have grown a bit tired of sports writing.  With so many options for sports information, the market has become saturated.  To me, I don't know that there is much interesting insight I can offer that isn't already out there on one of these sites.

     So I am changing things up around here.  Instead of sports, this blog will now be devoted to anything I find interesting enough to write about and share.  Maybe it will be commentary on some recent events (don't worry; this is a politics free zone), or perhaps something that happened to me, or maybe something that just made me laugh.  I don't know how often i'll post, but I will try hard to make worth your while.

     With this, I am by no means announcing to the world that I am leaving tornbysports.com.  I will continue to write there whenever I feel I might have something interesting to say.  In the meantime, please visit there often.  They have great contributors who cover a wide variety of topics about sports here in Utah.

     Thanks for taking the time to read this little blog.  Always feel free to leave me a comment if you like/dislike or agree/disagree with something posted here.

 *********************************************************************************

     For the Runnin Utes fans who still visit this blog:  In addition to tornbysports, please check these sites out:

RunninU.com
tgojg.blogspot.com
http://www.sltrib.com/Blogs/utahsports

    Finally, please listen to my friends at the Taxi Squad Show (twitter @TaxiSquadShow), they do great work!

Thanks!

   

Life Lessons Learned From "Angels in the Outfield"

     From the time I was nine, I have watched the movie "Angels in the Outfield" nearly every summer at least once.  I love the movie because it's a story of the underdog never giving up and always looking on the bright side.  

     Tonight, as I sat down for the annual viewing, I was reminded of how profound the movie is.  Well, at least as profound as a Disney movie gets anyway.

     As the movie begins, two young boys are shown bicycling around in different areas of Los Angeles.  As they bike along, they talk about their struggles.  Instead of the usual visions of glory in professional sports, these two have a simple dream.  They just want a family.  They want their parents to come back and get them.  They want to feel loved again.  

     As they go, Roger, the older boy, remarks that they won't have to stay in foster care for long, because "something good is going to happen".  JP, his trusty sidekick responds, "yeah! something good!  Maybe today even! It could happen!"  

     What a motto to live by!  No matter how hard life gets, no matter what obstacles we face, we can ALWAYS remember that "something good is going to happen.  maybe today even! It could happen."  I really believe that. 

     As the story goes, Roger's father sarcastically remarks that they can be a family again when the Angels, a down on their luck bunch of losers led by a bitter manager named George Knox, win the pennant.  Roger takes him literally and prays that the team can win some games.  Real life Angels show up and before you know it, this team can't lose.  Roger is the only one who can see them, and so he tells the manager who to put in the game.  JP desperately wants to see the angels too, but he never can.  He responds to this the way he always responds to challenges...."hey, it could happen!"

     Right before the game that will determine if the Angels win the pennant or not, it is discovered that the Angels manager believes that these unseen angels are helping his team win.  Of course, he is laughed at and fired.  In a press conference where he is given the chance to renounce this "hogwash", he is saved by the courage of Maggie Nelson, the foster mother of JP and Roger.  She defends him by saying that maybe it's not so far-fetched......

      "The footprints of an angel are love.  And where there is love, miraculous things can happen."  

 

      I find that to be very profound.  What if we all had a little more love for each other?  Even for those who are difficult to love.  What if we were more patient with each other?  More willing to forgive each other?  More willing to embrace and befriend those who may not see eye to eye with us?  Where there is love, miraculous things can happen.

       My favorite passage of scripture reads like this (speaking of charity, or perfect love)........

      And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

       Wherefore.....if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth.  Wherefore cleave unto charity which is the greatest of all for all things must fail-

 

        But Charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.  

      As always, I feel I am probably more in need of this reminder than anyone who is potentially reading this, but I hope it's something we can strive for.  The world could be such a better place if we just loved and looked out for each other a little more.  

      Well, I have already given enough spoilers, so I may as well tell you how it ends.  The angry manager has grown to love these two boys and decides to adopt them.  As the three of them hug and laugh together, JP looks toward the window and sees Al, the boss angel, smile and tip his cap.  To this JP says....

      "I KNEW it could happen!"

     How true your words are JP.  It could happen, and it does happen.