"Wanted" Movie trailer

Before today...I wasn't very familiar with the Wanted graphic novels by Mark Millar.

Apparently there is a movie coming out with Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy (Jenny's man) and Morgan Freeman. The trailer can be viewed here.

Here is the wikipedia entry about the series

The premise of the graphic novels sounds pretty cool although it looks like the movie veers from that premise. Nonetheless I'm very interested in reading the graphic novel and watching the film.

Dan in Real Life movie review

This week we take a look at the romantic comedy/drama Dan in Real Life (PG-13). Steve Carrell stars as Dan, a newspaper columnist (and widow) struggling to raise his three daughters. On a weekend getaway with his extended family Dan falls in love with a woman (Juliette Binoche) only to find out she's dating his brother (Dane Cook). Peter Hedges directs.

Ryan: A moviegoer cynic might call Dan in Real Life anything but real life. While I can be quite cynical at times, I won't be here with the film. Dan in Real Life is an enjoyable lighthearted film. It's not a great film and doesn't aspire to be. Sometimes that's all right. It's a film with pretty good performances, pretty good writing and pretty good direction. If that sounds like overkill with all the “pretty goods” that was the intention. The best thing one can say about this movie is that it's a pretty good film.

Andy: Dan in Real Life is a little deceptive. The presence of Steve Carrell in a non-mainstream, quirky movie brings back memories of Little Miss Sunshine. The soundtrack is written and performed by relatively obscure indie-rocker Sondre Lerche. And then there's that title, “Dan in Real Life.” It indicates a complexity of character and acknowledgment of the medium of storytelling that all adds up to a unique, interesting, and challenging movie. But about two thirds of the way through the movie it occurred to me; this is just a straight-forward romantic comedy. There are no tricks, no innovations, just a guy and a girl falling in love in an impossible situation. And that's okay. In spite of not being quite what I expected, it was still a pretty successful movie.

Ryan: Even though the ubiquitous Dane Cook provides his presence in the movie, Dan in Real Life has an real indie flair to it. That stems from not only with the filmmakers (as Hedges's other directed feature film was Pieces of April) but with Juliette Binoche co-starring in the movie. American audiences will know of Binoche from her work in The English Patient and Chocolat. Her performance, in what is basically a straight forward romantic comedy, provides a nice change of pace from the standard romantic comedy female lead. Binoche brings a natural and mature sex appeal that is lacking from most carbon copy female actresses out of Hollywood.

Andy: I have to confess to going into this one a little worried about Steve Carrell. His performance on TV's The Office is so precise and overwhelming, that I began to wonder if I could see him perform without seeing him as Michael Scott. Dan in Real Life shows that he is very capable of doing other things. The beauty of his character in this film is that he's an entirely normal guy. There isn't that much extraordinary about him at all. He has flaws and he has triumphs, he makes mistakes and sometimes learns from them and sometimes not. I've long contended that this is the toughest character for an actor to play, but Carrell does is successfully here, even with the memory of his ridiculous and enjoyable buffoon from The Office so fresh in our minds.

Ryan: Carrell is by- far the focal point of the movie; he appears in every scene in the film. Not many comedic actors could handle that. Carrell flexes his acting muscle and puts forth a solid performance. There's a scene where he is playing acoustic guitar while signing Pete Townsend's “Let My Love Open the Door” to Juliette Binoche's character. It is a scene that doesn't start off with a lot of weight but ultimately ends up being crucial to the development of their relationship. The scene demonstrates that Carrell is much more than a comedic actor.

Andy: While Dan in Real Life ends up being an enjoyable enough romantic comedy, it also falls into the trap that so many in that genre do--it is both contrived and predictable. Screenwriters Hedges and Pierce Gardner have created some nice characters and some moving moments, but the plot itself is tried and true. Most people are going to know approximately how this thing is going to end up after watching about 30 minutes of it. Fortunately the movie is entertaining enough that you don't really care if you know the ending along the way.

Dan in Real Life has its ups and downs, but it is entertaining, interesting, and funny, all in small doses. Ultimately, it is a pretty good movie that gets a pretty good grade: B.

IU Assistant Resigns

Via espn.com

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana assistant Rob Senderoff, still the focus of an investigation into improper telephone calls to recruits, resigned Tuesday.

So far, the investigation has cost the Hoosiers one basketball scholarship and coach Kelvin Sampson a $500,000 pay raise. The NCAA is still conducting its own investigation, which could lead to further sanctions.

"Rob Senderoff has decided it is in his and Indiana University's best interests that he voluntarily resign," the school said in a statement.

Senderoff, a former assistant at Kent State, was hired by Sampson in May 2006, the same month the NCAA sanctioned Sampson for making 577 impermissible phone calls between 2000-2004 while he was the coach at Oklahoma.

Sampson was barred from calling recruits or making off-campus recruiting trips for one year, but on Oct. 14, less than five months after those sanctions expired, Indiana announced its compliance office had discovered new violations that occurred while the original sanctions were still in effect.

The university investigation found that Senderoff connected Sampson to 10 three-way calls involving recruits, which normally are permitted under NCAA rules but were banned as part of the previous sanctions. It also found that Senderoff made the majority of 35 undocumented calls from his home.

As a result of the internal investigation, Indiana gave up one basketball scholarship in 2008-09 and Sampson forfeited his pay raise. Also, Senderoff gave up a scheduled pay raise and was banned from calling recruits and making off-campus recruiting visits for one year.

After the findings of the Indiana investigation were disclosed, Sampson said Senderoff initiated calls with recruits in part because of a weak signal on Sampson's cell phone.

But Sampson said he wasn't aware that nine of the 10 calls were three-way connections. The one he knew was a three-way call was to clear up questions from a recruit who had already committed to making an on-campus visit, he said.

I don't know much about this Senderhoff...he seems to be a good recruiter...but I'm thinking the program will be in better shape without him. He sounds a little shady. It somewhat looks like they are making him the fall guy...maybe he should be...but regardless Sampson can't afford any more screw ups...even with his staff...so it's a smart move to rid people who are breaking the rules.

Green Lantern Movie (for you Kerns)

Via superherohype.com

While no casting on George Miller's Justice League movie has been confirmed, names seemingly are pouring in for the projected spin-off movies starring the various members of DC Comics' greatest superteam.

According to Variety, the latest name to be thrown into the ring to direct a Green Lantern movie for Warner Bros. is Greg Berlanti, a television writer and executive producer who is responsible for shows like "Dirty Sexy Money," "Brothers & Sisters," "Everwood," "Jack and Bobby," and "Dawson's Creek."

Berlanti, who directed the 2000 feature The Broken Hearts Club, will co-write the script with "Brothers & Sisters" co-writer Marc Guggenheim, who has a good amount of comic book writing experience, and Michael Green, the co-executive-producer of NBC's hit show "Heroes."

I don't know how experienced Berlanti is for a project of this magnitude but I did really like Jack and Bobby for the one season that it was on TV.

The interesting aspect of a GL movie is which direction they go...Hal Jordan or John Stewert. Either way would make for a cool movie...but I think I would did a sci-fi Hal Jordan extravaganza.

Dallas Clark has skills

Colts's tight end, Dallas Clark, "singing" in sign language Bon Jovi's Livin' on a Prayer.

Mobi Jokes

Want to know what one of Justin Brewer's current projects is...

Click here to go to Mobi Jokes.

Good stuff. Keep up the good work Brewer.

Wonder Woman

Looks like the first superhero to be cast in the Justice League Movie is Wonder Woman. Although not officially confirmed a number of movie sites are reporting that Teresa Palmer (The Grudge 2) will be the Themyscira Princess.

With everything else I've read, it looks like the JLA movie is going to be more Teen Titans than a Justice League film in that the filmmakers are going for a young cast to fill the roles of the superheroes. I don't know about that...but if Warner Bros. is going to go ahead and make a JLA movie than I do want it different...in tone...with what Nolan is doing with Batman and with what Singer is doing with Superman. If the JLA movie is more "comic bookey" or light hearted than those other films than I think I'm OK with that. I don't want anything to interfere with what Nolan and Bale are doing with Batman because their take completely kicks ass.

Regardless it is going to be interesting how the rest of the casting proceeds.

Ryan Adams and The Cardinals Rock The Murat

...and might be still be rocking it.

Last night Chris and Caroline and Jenny and I attended the Ryan Adams show at the Murat Theatre last night.

The Good: This is the fourth time I've seen Adams and this was probably the best that he's (and the band) as ever sounded. It was tight. He interacted with the audience and just seemed to have a good time on stage, which I don't think was always the case. So that was refreshing. Overall the music sounded great and he did play one of my favorite songs, Magnolia Mountain, which I wasn't sure if he was going to play or not. I had never seen a show in the theatre part so I wasn't sure what to expect. I normally like standing at concerts but during the first set most people were seating and it wasn't too bad...it kind of fit the acid-garage-country rock sound of Adams and the band. During the second set, most of the concert-goers were standing so that livened things up.

The not-so-good: No question...Adams is diva and that showed when he would just take an inordinate amount time sometimes between songs (like to tune his guitar or something--must have been the air-conditioning)...it slowed things down a bit. My biggest issue with the concert was at times Adams and the Cardinals turned into a jam band. I'm not a big fan of jam bands especially when I'm viewing a concert on a weekday night. If the concert was on a Friday or Saturday night I don't think it would have such an issue but regardless...too much jamming. Also...I think Jenny and I have bad luck with this at Indy shows...the two most annoying fans were sitting right behind else. They weren't even little jannies...they were just a couple of annoying female fans probably in their mid 20's. We learned that one of them wanted to have Adams's baby...and to top it off...and I couldn't even fathom this...but they were talking about how Adams does Wonderwall at most of his shows. And it was only just recently that they learned that Adams did not originally write or perform the song. They thought it was an original. I might have a clouded take...being an above average Oasis fan...but I'm under the impression...and I think I'm right on this...that most people around our age know that Wonderwall is an Oasis song. That song was pretty popular. It just really dumbfounded me.

Even though I wrote more for the not-so-good part...the concert rocked and ultimately was a pretty cool show. Jenny and I had a good time with Chris and Caroline and had a great night...even if it was a late night.

Gone Baby Gone movie review

Go Colts...they put on a dominating performance last night. Hey national media...the Colts are not a finesse team anymore...they will pound the ball and pound the other team.

On to the review...

New in theaters this week was Gone Baby Gone (R). Casey Affleck
stars as a private detective brought into investigate the abduction of a
child in a Boston neighborhood. Morgan Freeman, Ed Harriss, and
Michelle Monaghan costar. Ben Affleck co wrote and directs.

Ryan: The fall movie season continues its string of strong films with this week's Gone Baby Gone. Let me just first say that the movie is not flawless. It has its issues. With that said, Gone Baby Gone is one of those rare films where the movie's strengths almost completely overshadow its weaknesses. In fact the end of Gone Baby Gone is utterly fascinating--in terms of the moral dilemma faced by Casey Affleck's character. Most Hollywood films, in terms of their ethics, are black and white but Gone Baby Gone takes a bucket of gray paint and dumps it all over itself. It's willingness to be so open to interpretation makes Gone Baby Gone a cut above most crime dramas.

Andy: Perhaps I was being a little judgmental here, but I never would have pegged Ben Afleck as the next Hollywood star to try his hand at directing. And even if someone had told me that, I wouldn't have dreamed that it would have been a successful try. But he has succeeded I his directorial debut. Gone Baby, Gone is an interesting, gritty, and entertaining film. It is not a fantastic piece of work, but it it a pretty good one, especially if you like crime dramas.

Ryan: I/m not anti-Ben Affleck like a lot of other movie critics but even I must admit that Ben Affleck-- the director--was not something I had prepared myself for. Truth-be-told, Affleck does a commendable job for his debut. He captures the ugliness and righteousness of inner-city Boston. He elicits fine performances from his cast (especially from his younger brother) and he masterfully handles the climax of the film with relation to Casey;s existential dilemma. This isn't Orson Welles with Citizen Kane or even Quentin Taratino with Reservoir Dogs but nonetheless--for a director's first film, Gone Baby Gone is quite an accomplishment and shows that Affleck has the talent and ability to be a serious Hollywood director.

Andy: The strength of Gone Baby Gone, and the most exciting aspect of Affleck's direction, is the atmosphere of the movie. Most of the film takes place at non-glamorous locations, and Affleck does not try to make them seem in any way majestic. He has given them a very clear reality with great attention to detail. Unfortunately, such stark realism accentuates how ridiculous the plot gets at times. The moral dilemma a that occurs at the end of the movie is, indeed, interesting, but the leaps the story must take to get us there don't won't sit too well with some viewers.

Ryan: Like I said earlier, the movie is not faultless. I haven't read the book but I'm guessing Affleck had to streamline much of the book to squeeze it into an acceptable running time. Unfortunately that makes the movie quite uneven at times especially the transition from the first to second act. Secondly, like Andy says, the twists toward the end of the movie might throw some moviegoers off in terms of their absurdity and contriteness. Depending on how much a moviegoer suspends their disbelief will go a long way in whether or not they like or dislike the film.

Andy: It wouldn't be fair to talk about this movie without mentioning the acting. Ben has thrown his little brother Casey a big bone with this leading role, and Casey does okay with it. He has proven to be an adept actor, but I don't know how often I need to see him in a lead role. Morgan Freeman did an acceptable job, which in recent years is about the best we can expect from him. But the real highlight here is the menacing Ed Harris. I'm not much of a Harris fan, but he does the tough-guy thing exceptionally well in this movie.

Gone Baby Gone is pretty solid attempt at a graphic, exciting crime drama. It is a little jumpy and not without other faults, but it is generally encouraging enough to earn a B+.

The Colts and Jaguars are Coming Over Tonight!

In anticipation for the big Monday Night showdown between the Indianapolis Colts and the Jacksonville Jaguars, I just wanted to take this time and say that I found a pretty cool Colts blog.

I'm pretty worked up for this game. I don't like Jacksonville--that includes their players and head coach, Jack Del Rio. I want the Colts to absolutely stampede them but I have a feeling that the game is going to be close. It looks like we should be a full strength for the game...even Marvin looks like he's going to be playing (although his stats is "game-time decision.").

Everyone knows that the defense (and team) was embarrassed last year at Jacksonville but I have confidence that the defense is going to step it up and play one of their best games of the years. I also look for the Colts to run the ball---more than usual. It's going to be Addai Time.

Go Horse!

Smallville Still Rolling

It amazes me that Smallville is not only in its seventh season but that the series is still going strong. The ratings are as consistent as they have every been. There's been four episodes this season and besides last week's episode (too much rehashing of the freak of the weak storyline) season seven has been pretty outstanding.

There were two things that I loved about Thursday's episode. One they finally dropped the name--Martian Manhunter--with reference to John Jones (played brilliantly by Phil Morris). So that was cool (and I also like how they have tied Martian Manhunter to Superman's father, Jor-El...it definitely works with the framework of Smallville).

Secondly, Dean Cain guest-starred as Dr. Knox, a doctor with the know-how of curing meteor freaks. It was further revealed that Dr. Knox was more than a doctor...he's immortal. They never dropped the name of Vandal Savage...but that is who Dean Cain was playing. That was awesome how they never said his name but definitely implied that's who he was.

Just thought it was a good episode...that caught me by surprise how they incorporated the villainous, Vandal Savage.

Newsflash...Bob Knight does not coach at IU anymore

I wish to god...that every time Dick Vitale opens his mouth about IU that he wouldn't talk about Bob Knight. Every IU game that he did last year (or in the past several years) he always mentions Knight...or that they should rename Assembly Hall after Knight...or that IU should do this or that with Knight.

Knight is not the coach at IU anymore...please move on, Dickie V. He hasn't been the coach in seven years. Get over it.

Take for example Vitale's little blurb about Sampson's latest phone call drama

Sampson in hot water
Dick Vitale
SPECIAL TO ESPN.COM

Down at Indiana, you would have thought Kelvin Sampson and his staff would have taken every precaution to avoid the embarrassment and humiliation of the latest telephone scam.

Think about it, he came to Bloomington with all kinds of controversy and accusations out of Oklahoma. The NCAA found that over 500 impermissible phone calls while coaching the Sooners over a span from 2000-04. Sampson was found to have made over 200 of them. Oklahoma imposed its own penalties for violations, but the NCAA deemed they weren't enough. On May 25, 2006, the NCAA banned Sampson from taking recruiting trips or calling recruits for one year.

There were stipulations placed upon his hire at Indiana. The feeling was Sampson would be under a zero tolerance policy. No recruiting violations would be tolerated.

I spoke to Kelvin Sampson and he stated that they did not cheat, but they made an error in judgment. He said they came down heavy on themselves with sanctions. Sampson believes they are moving forward and that the administration is supportive.

They have promised there will be no dilemma in the future. My reply was simple … it is going to be tough because of the perception after the Oklahoma phone call fiasco. The timing of this situation is absolutely brutal.

He claims he unknowingly was patched in to calls with an assistant and a recruit. Under previous sanctions, Sampson was not allowed to call a student athlete, but the player was allowed to call him.

You know that around college basketball circles, the perception is going to be very negative. Other coaches will bang away at Indiana, using this information in negative recruiting.

Sampson has a dilemma on his hands right now. Indiana responded to the 10 three-way calls by issuing a swift response. Indiana's self-reporting and punishment is a start, but the NCAA could rule on harsher penalties down the line.

It will be interesting to see how Sampson cleans up this mess. Stay tuned as this soap opera in Bloomington keeps going on. For those who were critical of The General, Robert Montgomery Knight, I simply ask ... was there ever any talk, conversation or innuendo about any violations?

The article for the most part was all right...but when I got to the end...I just lost it. I'm tired of people in the national media equating IU basketball with Knight...I understand that Knight at IU was an institution but people around here are over it and have moved on. There are still pockets of Knight lovers but for the most part...most IU fans have moved on...and were happy to do so. I see that Vitale was trying to make a point that historically speaking IU has run a clean program and that fans are very proud of that point...and give credit where credit is do...Knight deserves respect for that. But come on...every current IU issue does not (or should not) always have to backtrack to Bob Knight. Vitale and some of his fellow media peers need to realize that...contrary to some other schools...IU basketball is bigger than one person...even Bobby Knight.

The Dark Knight Prologue

It has now been confirmed by Batman-on-film.com that there will be 7 minute "prologue" attached to IMAX prints of Will Smith's I Am Legend. That movie is slated for a December release. The prologue is rumored to feature the escapades of the Joker.

Good Stuff.

Indy Sports Talk

The Indy Star Sports section had an article about the Indy Sports Talk market and whether or not three sports stations could make it in Indy's marketplace.


Bascially...beginning next year news talk 1070 AM (WIBC) will be a full time sports talk radio show. WIBC is moving their news talk station from the AM dial to the FM dial--93.1 (yes Radio Now is out--for now).

The question is whether or not Indy can support three sports talk shows...the other two being WNDE-1260 AM and WXLW-950 AM.

The answer is no. I think 950 is going to be one that doesn't survive. They are currently an ESPN affiliate but 1070 will be the sole ESPN affiliate come 2008. Without that ESPN brand I don't see them surviving. When you think that 1070 already has the rights to the Colts, the Pacers, Indy 500 & Brickyard 400, and IU basketball and football it looks to me that 1070 will be the sports talk channel of Indy and the surrounding area. Plus their signal strength is twice that of 1260 and 950...and that's a definite plus for Greensburg residents who grow frustrated when at night it is easier to pick up ESPN radio 1000 out of Chicago than it is to pick up either 1260 or 950.

One thing that 1070 is going to have to do is to get a good local sports talk host for the later afternoon...early evening show. Both 950 and 1260 have pretty good hosts, Greg Rakestaw and John Michael Vincent respectively, so it will actually be difficult at first for 1070 to make inroads here. I hope that 950 can make it...as I probably prefer Rakestaw's show simply because they talk more baseball...but it is going to be difficult. (Plus 950 does broadcast Cubs games...so that is a bonus).

I think 1260 will survive because...first...they are a Fox Sports affiliate and they have success with the Tony Bruno show in the morning (which is produced by The Sporting News). Secondly their broadcast properties (Purdue football and basketball, non Colts NFL games, NASCAR and the Reds) are more popular to that of 950 (non Colts NFL, Ball State and Butler football, Notre Dame basketball, the Indians and the Cubs). With a national name and more popular properties I see 1260 with a better chance to make it than 950.

I guess it would be nice if all three could make it...having options is cool...I just don't see it. It is going to be interesting to see what happens.

Crazy Female Neighbor 11...Lawn Mower 0

Found this video through si.com.

It makes it even funnier to assume that the only problem with the lawn mower was that it was out of gas.


Crazy Neighbor Girl Vs Lawn Mower - Watch more free videos

Michael Clayton Film Review

This week we take a look at the legal thriller, Michael Clayton ( R). In the movie, George Clooney stars as the aforementioned Mr. Clayton, a lawyer known for his ability to “fix” difficult situations. Clooney is called into repair a situation involving a billion dollar class action lawsuit against a chemical company. Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton and Sydney Pollack co-star in the movie. The film is written and directed by Tony Gilroy.

Ryan: Every headline I read or every commercial I see pretty much says the same thing about this movie--“Michael Clayton is a smart legal thriller.” I completely agree with that statement but would take it one step further by declaring it to be one of the best films of the year. Michael Clayton is a riveting legal thriller with outstanding performances. First time director, Tony Gilory, should be applauded for not only bringing out solid performances from his cast but also for his directing. The movie moves along at a snappy, on-the-edge-of-your-seat pace that simply is not seen from most cerebral cinematic thrillers.

Andy: I'll play along here; Michael Clayton is a smart legal thriller. It is not often that a movie that is considered a “legal thriller” achieves cinematic greatness, and frankly, I do not think Michael Clayton is an exception. It is a very good movie, featuring some pretty outstanding performances. I did not find the pacing of the movie to be put together as slickly as Ryan did. In fact, I kind of thought it dragged at times. In spite of these minor criticisms, at this point it probably is one of the best movies I've seen this year. But if it makes my top five at the end of the year, that means I'll be disappointed in what I see over the next two months or so.

Ryan: George Clooney continues his fine work by delivering yet another award-worthy performance. The character of Michael Clayton is complex yet authentic so a moviegoer is never quite sure which road he might go down in terms of doing what is right or what is wrong. That provides much of the suspense of the film. Clooney is simply on his A-game with his performance. The film has an unconventional resolution and I don't know many actors who could have pulled it off. Clooney is one of the rare genuine Hollywood starts that can balance big budget projects with more finely-tuned work

Andy: What makes George Clooney's performance so interesting here is how generally unsuccessful the character of Michael Clayton is. Commonly we see Clooney's characters using dashing good looks and charm to waltz their way through any tough situation. Here the good looks and charm keep coming up short, as almost every encounter in the movie turns out to be a minor failure for Clayton. He seems like a guy who is used to being able to breeze by on charm, but now he's just barely holding everything together. These struggles make Clayton one of the deeper character's Clooney has portrayed, and that makes it come across as one of his best.

Ryan: It seems like anymore legal thrillers are a dime a dozen. From the countless television dramas that dominate prime-time TV to the plethora of cinematic John Grisham adaptations, legal dramas are one sub-genre that reeks of staleness. That makes even more remarkable how great a film Michael Clayton truly is. The film is not tired or stale. In fact it feels fresh and original. If it sounds like I'm starting an Oscar campaign for this movie then so be it.


Andy: Allow me to reiterate; I enjoyed this movie, but if it gets a best picture nomination, this will be a weak year for the Oscars. The only thing that seemed Oscar- ready in this movie was the performance of Tom Wilkinson. It is clear from the delivery of his opening voice-over
monologue that Wilkinson is electrifying in this film. It is a quintessential supporting role, and Wilkinson nails it.

In spite of some minor disagreements, we both feel that this is a high quality film worthy of an A-.

This Story is not going Away

Bob Kravitz of the Indy Star has called for Sampson to be fired and now Kent Benson is beating the drums by saying that he should be let go as well.


I don't dislike Kravitz like a lot of Star Readers but I disagree with his opinion in this case. I think he's just rebel rousing...which is part of his job (to some degree). I think he's just adding fuel to the fire. I don't think Sampson should be fired...although I am tired of this crap of dealing with whether an IU coach should or shouldn't be fired...haven't we be dealing with this shit for years.

Whatever IU does this year (both positive or negative)...I don't see what Sampson did as something that would distract from a potential accomplishment (of say--winning the Big Ten and/or making the final four). I'm not saying that I'm for winning at all costs...conversely I'm just stating that I'm comfortable--at this point--in dealing with Sampson's blunders and not feeling dirty if IU goes on does something awesome. If something else comes out (and it better not) than I might feel different. At this stage, I'm standing by the coach and I hoping that it was just a mistake (or series of mistakes) not premeditated deliberate attempts to violate the rules.

More Sampson Phone Call Drama

I like Kelvin Sampson...I think he's doing a great job at IU...but these phone call screw ups are becoming pretty ridiculous. The article is posted below. I just wanted to say that I don't think the NCAA is going to take further action because IU took care of it in house...losing a 500,000 bonus is quite a steep punishment and so is losing a scholarship. Secondly, one could look at the rules being broke as not being that big of a deal...kind of like jaywalking or something. It's not like they are giving money to recruits. But on the other hand I never want to read a headline that involves the IU mens basketball coaching staff breaking rules. Its unacceptable. That should not happen IU. I think Sampson has learned his lesson and these latest screw ups were just do to "sloppiness"...but come on...let's get it together. This kind of takes the momentum away from a positive midnight madness night. Maybe I'm just in a surly mood...but this just really pissed me off when I read it on espn.com.

Here's the article by Andy Katz via espn.com

Hoosiers lose scholarship, Sampson loses raise over calls
By Andy Katz
ESPN.com

Indiana made a strong statement Sunday that it has enough tolerance for secondary NCAA violations under men's basketball coach Kelvin Sampson to ensure his job status, but it will make sure Sampson and any members of his staff pay for violations with their bank accounts and their ability to fully do their jobs.

Indiana announced Sampson broke his one-year penalty from May 24, 2006, to May 25, 2007, which was imposed for recruiting violations, by participating in a three-way recruiting call on 10 occasions. As a result:

• Sampson lost a $500,000 bonus for 2007-08.
• The team lost a scholarship for 2008-09, reducing the number of scholarships to 12.
• Assistant Rob Senderoff, who set up the three-way calls, will be banned for a year from recruiting off campus and making phone calls. He also will not receive a bonus and cannot receive a salary increase next year.

Indiana also announced Sunday that it sent a report to the NCAA enforcement staff about 35 phone calls made by assistant coaches that were in violation of the NCAA limits on how much a prospect could be contacted.

ESPN.com learned Sunday that the NCAA will review that report and determine if any additional penalties should be imposed or if the self-imposed sanctions are sufficient. If these violations did occur during the time that Sampson was under his one-year ban, which was imposed by the NCAA Committee on Infractions, the committee might review the situation and take further action against him.

It still is too early to tell whether or not this will have any effect on Sampson or the program. Although Sampson was not allowed to recruit off campus or make phone calls for a year, the Hoosiers were able to sign one of the top recruiting classes in the country for this fall, including a possible top-five 2008 NBA draft pick in guard Eric Gordon. Gordon and returning power forward D.J. White are expected to lead Sampson's second Hoosiers team perhaps as far as a Big Ten title. Indiana also is expected to be a preseason top-10 team.

The scholarship hit also might not be a big deal, because the Hoosiers just pulled a commitment to 2008 player Bud Mackey after he was arrested for possessing cocaine in Georgetown, Ky. The Hoosiers already had secured three other commitments, according to Scouts Inc., from prospects Devin Ebanks, Tom Pritchard and Matt Roth, who range from No. 5 to No. 37 in their respective position rankings. The loss of a scholarship for 2008-09 might mean the Hoosiers simply won't look for someone to fill Mackey's slot.

The lost bonus is Sampson's third in the past three years -- the first was in his last season at Oklahoma and the second was in his first season at Indiana -- and all have resulted from how he conducted recruiting phone calls.

The first time he was hit was at Oklahoma for impermissible phone calls. The second time was when he took on the Indiana job in 2006 and signed a seven-year deal. Under the contract, he was not going to get a bonus after his first year that paid him $1.1 million. Sampson's final six years were going to pay him $1.6 million a year.

Now, comes the news Sunday that Sampson won't receive a contractual $500,000 bonus for the 2007-08 season. Under NCAA rules, a coach can participate in a three-way call with a recruit. But under Sampson's sanctions that were adopted by Indiana but occurred at Oklahoma, he wasn't allowed to be a part of a three-way telephone conversation.

Sampson said he was aware of only one of the 10 where it was a three-way call. That call he said was to clear up with a recruit about a visit he was canceling. He said he was unaware that the other nine were three-way calls. Sampson said recruits were told to call him or he was able to text them (which was allowed until a text messaging ban was put in place for all coaches Aug. 1). But Sampson said there were occasions when recruits weren't able to get him on the phone, called Senderoff and then Senderoff would patch the recruit through and stay on the line so the call wouldn't be dropped.

Indiana officials said Sunday that these 10 calls were spread out about once a month.

Sampson said he found out that they were three-way calls after the university did an independent audit in July of the past year of recruiting calls. Indiana officials said the coaching staff was fully cooperative and also allowed them to look at home phone records.

"This was 10 calls out of 1,000 but we're trying to get to 100 percent compliance and if we had 10 out of 1,000 then that's 10 too many," Sampson said.

Indiana's report stated that all but two of the three-way calls were initiated by Senderoff.

"I'm disappointed," Sampson said of the violations. "We had been dealing with the sanctions from May 25 to May 25. And once it was over, we were under the impression that it was over. We were confident that we had followed the rules."

Indiana athletic director Rick Greenspan said Sampson said he would take full responsibility for the basketball program. Greenspan said the amount of money Sampson won't receive makes a "strong statement" about how much he was willing to cooperate.

Senderoff may have taken the biggest career hit Sunday. The university self-imposed a one-year ban on his ability to recruit off campus or by phone, preventing him from calling recruits. Senderoff won't receive a bonus this season or a salary increase next year.

Senderoff handled a lot of the recruiting responsibilities with assistants Ray McCallum and Jeff Meyer.

Taking Senderoff off the road may mean a reassignment within the staff. Sampson said that Senderoff is on the floor coaching and that the situation will evolve. But Indiana officials said Sunday that the Hoosiers will be a coach down on the road and that Sampson can't substitute the director of basketball operations for Senderoff on the road recruiting or in making phone calls.

If Senderoff were terminated during the year ban then the position would still carry the penalty regardless of who was in the role.

This may end up hurting Senderoff's ability to land a head coaching gig in the near future, too. He had been mentioned as a prospective candidate for a few Midwestern mid-major openings last spring.

"Rob made his mistakes and they were mistakes of omission and mistakes of commission," Sampson said. "There wasn't an intention to circumvent the rules. Rob is on the floor every day and participating with the staff as he normally does but won't travel [for recruiting] or use the phone.

Sampson called the mistakes by the staff "sloppiness."

Sampson's status in recruiting remains unchanged, pending any further action by the NCAA. He was allowed to make calls after May 24 and his recruiting traveling ban ended then, as well. He spent July of 2005 and '06 off the road during self-imposed travel bans by Oklahoma and Indiana for the phone call violations. Still, in both cases, he committed top classes for both schools, although the Sooners' class eventually scattered once Sampson left for IU.

The news comes just two days after Indiana hosted more than a dozen recruits at its Hoosier madness event Friday in Bloomington. The Indianapolis Star reported that a number of prominent recruits from the class of 2009 such as Lance Stephenson, Dexter Strickland, Stephen Van Treese, Jordan Prosser and Nolan Dennis were in attendance.

Indiana finished 21-11 last season, 10-6 in the Big Ten and lost to UCLA in the second round of the NCAA tournament in Sampson's first season with the Hoosiers.

Greenspan offered his disappointment throughout a conference call Sunday over the violations. So, too, did Sampson. But Greenspan never wavered in his support.

"The rules we broke were mistakes and we take full responsibility for what happened," Sampson said.

Hoosier Hysteria!

Here's the Indy Star's recap...of note 13,000 fans turned out.

Even better news...Eli Holman has been cleared to play.

I know better than this...but I can't help myself... this team should win the Big 10 title and a run at the final four is not out of the question.

Go IU!

Maybe I should move to Pittsburgh...

Via the AP...

ELLWOOD CITY, Pa. (AP) Holy collectibles, Batman! A near-mint copy of Detective Comics 27, a pre-World War II comic featuring Batman's debut, was recently found in an attic and sold to a local collector.

The comic is considered to be the second-most valuable available and can fetch up to $500,000. The only comic considered more valuable is Action Comics 1, where Superman makes his first appearance.

Collector Todd McDevitt said the Batman issue he bought is worth about $250,000, but he won't say how much he paid for it or who sold the book to him.

"It was a typical story of someone cleaning up junk in their attic and finding an old comic book and wondering if this was one of those ones that was worth a lot of money," McDevitt told the Beaver County Times.

McDevitt, owner of the Pittsburgh region's five New Dimension Comics stores, said he has been saving money since 1986 so that he could buy a valuable comic when it appeared.

When the seller walked in with the Batman issue, "my eyes almost popped out of my head," McDevitt said. "I guess I should have been more reserved, but I'm not a very good poker player."

Experts estimate there are between 20 to a few hundred copies of the Batman debut.

McDevitt's comic now sits safely in an airtight bag in a bank vault. On occasion, he takes it out to show friends and customers.

"I've been toying with the idea of reading it, but I haven't yet," he said. "I'm going to savor it."

**I would absolutely crap my pants if somebody walked into the auction barn with a copy of Detective Comics #27. I would not be able to contain myself.

And yes if I did come across a copy of that issue...I would not sell it (sorry Jenny).

"We're livin' in the future and None of this has Happend yet"

Here's my take on Bruce Springsteen's, "Magic."

It's awesome (not really surprsing to hear from me)...I would say that I've listened to it completely through at least five times and it continues to grow on me the more I listen to it.

Compared to some of his recent efforts I would say that its better than Devils and Dust (an album where I just absolutely really liked about half of the songs but think the other half is just all right) but not quite on the same level as The Rising (which is an album that I just love...and an album that I still think resonates to this day--even though Springsteen's vision of American in a post 9-11 world is fading away...it should also be pointed out that The Rising was the first Springsteen album to come out after I had declared myself to be a Springsteen fan...so it has that going for it as well).

Even with all that said...Magic is a rocking (and also relevant) album that will satisfy most Springsteen fans. The two songs that really stand out are Livin' in the Future and Girls in Their Summer Clothes. Those songs...and pretty much the rest of the album really remind of the album "The River" and that era of Springsteen's music. It has that joyous "wall of sound" vibe with lyrics that look back but also comment on our present day lives. Ultimately it is just another solid effort to his already classic catalog.

I'm eagerly anticipating an announcement for a second leg of concerts that will take place in 2008 and hopefully one of those dates will be an Indy (or Cincy).

If you want a more professional review of the album than visit these two sites:

Rolling Stone

Pitchfork

"Jacket's on, I'm out the door/Tonight I'm gonna burn this town down"

Coming clean. . .

Dirty was right on...the Indianapolis Indians post was "blatant pro-stuckey-to-indy rumor-mongering"

I Buarled it up. (Although the Simon Bros. do own the Pacers).

Just having a little fun with Andy and Elizabeth...looks like the next cheeseburger is on me.

Film Review--The Heartbreak Kid

This week we take a look at The Heartbreak Kid (R). In this remake of the Neil Simon-penned 1972 movie, Ben Stiller plays a man who rushes into marriage, only to fall in love with someone else on his honeymoon. Michelle Monaghan, Jerry Stiller, Rob Corddry, Malin Akerman and Carlos Mencia costar. Bobby and Peter Farrelly direct.

Ryan: Fans hoping that a re-teaming of Stiller and the Farrelly Brothers would produce another comedic classic—like 1998's There's Something About Mary—are going to be extremely disappointed. The Heartbreak Kid is quite frankly not a very good movie. There's a few funny moments--mainly some one-liners delivered by Stiller's dad, Jerry--but unfortunately for the film those funny moments are few and far between. One could comfortably make the case that this is the Farrelly Brothers' most lackluster cinematic effort.

Andy: In spite of the 1972 source material, The Heartbreak Kid follows many standard tricks of a Farrelly brothers movie. There is usually a character with some sort of gross / funny physical ailment. Here it is a deviated septum and a bad sunburn. Of course characters are in uncomfortable, dramatically ironic situations where the audience knows what's going on, but the characters are oblivious. And for some reason, there's usually a roadtrip. In The Heartbreak Kid they head down to Cabo for most of the action. This formula actually works pretty well, but it does feel a bit stale.

Ryan: There's a specific scene in The Heartbreak Kid that epitomizes the shortcomings of the movie. Stiller and Akerman are road tripping to Cabo while singing to Bruce Springsteen's, “Rosalita.” This is a good start to the scene. Regrettably the scene quickly disintegrates with Akerman's character annoyingly singing to a whole host of songs, while Stiller's character has this look of what-did-I-get-myself-into. I had modest hopes of that scene working (after all it started on the right track) but it didn't. Similarly I had hopes of the film succeeding (the recipe for success was there) but it didn't either. Additionally I shared Stiller's look of disbelief in that I couldn't fathom at how bad the movie was becoming and ultimately ended up being.

Andy: It may be just about time for Ben Stiller to move on. It's been almost ten years since the Farrelly Brothers gave Stiller his big, secondary breakthrough with There's Something About Mary. In the decade that's followed, he's been playing slightly different versions of the
same character in a series of comedies, each one less amusing than the one before it (Zoolander, Dodgeball, etc.). These are not bad movies, for the most part, but Stiller has the talent to do something else. And if he keeps making these slightly above average comedies, the legacy of some of his truly funny movies will be damaged.

Ryan: The Farrelly Brothers are not kicking on all cylinders in this movie and neither is Ben Stiller. Stiller is the master of the bumbling charming everyman-type role. As Andy alluded too, Stiller's pulled it off countless of times. But that's part of the problem. Moviegoers have seen this particular performance from Stiller and they've seen him do it better. I won't say he phoned in the performance but its obvious he's going through the motions in several of the scenes. It's safe to say that Stiller had to have an inkling that the magic with the Farrelly Brothers is over. Final grade: D+.


Andy: The Heartbreak Kid is a rated-R comedy. Usually that's a good thing, as it allows more comedic freedom, and, as the recent success of Judd Apatow films has illustrated, it can add a degree of realism to a comedy. This film uses it's R rating for a few well timed curses, a few
useless curses, and a couple of completely unnecessary gags that seemed to be put in just to ensure good use of the R rating. There are some good moments to the movie, but it could have been just as funny rated PG-13. All in all The Heartbreak Kid is far from a comedic classic but it has its moments of hilarity. Final grade: B-.

Indianapolis Pirates?

Over homecoming weekend...I was talking to this one dude who works for the front office for the Indians. And he said there was some talk of actually moving the Pittsburgh Pirates to Indy...and I was like WTF...no way. He went on to say that the declining attendance and interest in the team overall has almost reached a point where the franchise might be better off someplace else. He even went on to say that the Simon Bros. (who own the Pacers and a boat load of other things) might be interested in purchasing the team and moving them to Indy. (Get the Mayflowers Trucks ready)

There's even speculation that a quick renovation of Victory Field would satisfy the attendance for a year or two...while in the mean time a new field could be built in the downtown area.

Crazy stuff. I never thought Indy could sustain a MLB team but one never knows.

Sunday Morning Come Down

I haven't posted all weekend...Jenny and I were in Franklin celebrating homecoming. Other than the flat tire I got when I got off the Shelbyville exit--en route to Franklin...we had a fun weekend. (thankfully Wal-Mart was still open and the tire only needed a new valve stem--which was only ten bucks--so that was a relief).

We had a great time visiting friends, while dominating some Williard Pizza...and later some hash browns (Waffle and Steak)...and later some Eggs Benedict (at Don and Donna's). The only negative was that Petty didn't show up to the Saturday morning golf scramble...thus he's going to get a punch in the face at some point.

Changing gears a bit...everyone knows at this point that the Cubs are out. Not really much to say and analyze...they played crappy...especially the offense. When you hit into a double play--like in almost every inning--just not going to win a playoff game. There's always next year. As for who to root for...I'm going with the Cleveland. (Normally it would be an NL team...but it's frustrating that both teams left are from the NL West...one of those teams should have been the Padres...dammit) Anyhow we had a good time at Jacobs Filed last year...and the Indians haven't won a World Series since 1948 and the city of Cleveland hasn't won a title since 1964 (NFL title). They are staving for a title.

In my sports world...in years past...this would be the time where I would change gears from baseball to college basketball. When my baseball team(s) would be eliminated I would shift all my focus to IU basketball. In the spring...the reverse would be true. It works out well with the calender as college basketball ends right when the MLB season opens. It was very cyclical. But now that I'm big NFL--Colts fan--that change isn't as drastic as the Colts now occupy a lot of my sports world...and I'm cool with that.

I hope the Colts win today...and salvage some of my sports week.

I thought the Padres were eliminated...

Meaning...that the Cubs offense last night looked about as anemic as what would pass for a normal Padres game. One run...four hits. Not going to win many games...especially playoff games.

I can't believe how critical media pundits are being of Lou Pinella for taking Carlos Zambrano out after six innings (when the scored was tied at 1-1). Some level of criticism is fair...after all Carlos Marmol did give up the eventual two winning runs and Zambrano was pitching well...but come on...Big Z could have pitched six more innings and it wouldn't have mattered when the best one's offense could do is manage 4 hits.

Granted Pinella's reasoning for taking Zambrano out of the game (saving his strength for a potential game 4) is questionable. A game 4 is a "if necessary" game so banking on that might be wishful thinking. But I do not see the entire logic of Zambrano staying in the game allows the Cubs to win. Like I said before...the Cubs were not doing anything offensively...and that was the problem...that's the reason they lost the game.

Hopefully the offense will get in gear tonight.

Airline Delays

Apparently August was a horrendous month for airline delays.

I can attest to that.

Not surprisingly US Airways, who botched our flight to Wilmington, is the worse when it comes to on-time flights.

War driving to weddings or not flying US Airways.

There's only one October!

Thanks to Dane Cook I know that there's only one "actober."...I hope to god they stop running those promos. They are entering "Our Country" territory...and that's not good.

I was going to make my baseball predictions but really I only care that the Cubs win. To be honest...even in both leagues...one could make a case for every team to win the pennant. I think it's very wide open...and should be fun to watch. But with that said I would like to see a Cubs/Yankees World Series in that it would be like the biggest World Series ever.

It should be noted that the Division Series games are going to be on TBS. Kind of weird...and doesn't make a lot of sense...but it is a Superstation :).

Go Cubs.

The Kingdom Review

Still mad about last night's game...although listening to the Boss's new album has definitely helped me out. I haven't listened to whole album yet but will say that...initially...I really like that Girls in Their Summer Clothes song.

Here's the review on The Kingdom

This week we look at the new release The Kindom (R). Jamie Foxx stars as a FBI agent who bribes and blackmails his investigative team into Saudi Arabia to look for terrorists who exercised a massive attack on an oil company's civilian compound. Members of his team include Jason Bateman, Chris Cooper, and Jennifer Garner. Ashraf Barhom costars as the Saudi law enforcement official who escorts them.

Ryan: From the MTV-esque opening history lesson to the action driven plot, The Kingdom is bascially a “Syriana-for-Dummies” I don't mean that despairingly. The reality is that The Kingdom is a traditional Hollywood style-over-substance film. The film looks great. The action is loud and intense. The performances are slick. Unfortunately the movie only exists on the superficial level. Sometimes that works(Michael Mann movies come to mind) and sometimes it doesn't--I'm thinking of most of Michael Bay's films. The Kingdom falls in between of being a forgettable action flick and an entertaining thrill piece.

Andy: The Kingdom definitely poses a couple of questions just by existing. How ready are audiences to be receptive to movies about our military involvement in the Middle East? And how read is Hollywood to tackle these issues? For reasons Ryan details above, The Kingdom doesn't really answer either one of these questions. It uses current events for a jumping off point to make a military thriller. It's like those TV-dramas that have episodes “Ripped from the Headlines,” except that the Kingdom spends even less time dealing with those pesky issues in favor of action.

Ryan: Even though The Kingdom exists only on the surface, it is always refreshing to see Middle Easterns portrayed as legitimate characters and not just static, generic stereotypes. Much of the film's high points exists with the relationship between the Jamie Foxx character and the Ashraf Barhom character. These two characters provide the film's narrative a strong enough relationship that it propels the movie along in a positive direction. Their interaction of becoming friends (or brothers) allows the moviegoers to buy into the film. The Kingdom is not necessarily a “buddy-cop” picture but it does have that vibe going for it that works to its advantage.

Andy: As an action movie, The Kingdom is pretty sound. We know Foxx can carry a movie like this, and he does it again here quite well. He's all empathy when we wants to be, but can turn into a fierce fighting machine in the snap of a finger. Not many actors can successfully do that, and he's done it repeatedly. The scenes with Ashraf Barhom really are the movie's strong points. Barhom hasn't made very many movies yet, but his performance here is a bit of a revelation. It will be interesting to see what types of roles he can get out of Hollywood in the future.

Ryan: The film does boast a respectable cast--even though the actors do not have a lot to work with. Jamie Foxx can carry a movie and he showcases that here. This role for Chris Cooper seems tailor made for him and he does the best he can with it. Jennifer Gardner, who's had a hit-and-miss film career demonstrates that in the right part she can do legitimate Silver Screen work. Jason Bateman is nothing more than comedic relief but that's really not a bad thing. Overall the performances by the leads do enable the film in being more than a run-of-the-mill action movie.

Andy: The cast is particularly solid for a movie coming out this time of year. Even if they are all one-dimensional characters, these are guys (and girl) that it is fun to watch work. They do an okay job even without the opportunity to truly shine.

The Kingdom is an all right movie that could have aspired to be much more. Ultimately it is just a B- action movie.

Tim McClelland Should Get Fired!

I'm not saying that the Padres should have won or that they got screwed...they had their chances...Hoffman did poop all over himself with his John Rocker impression...but come on...that final call on the sacrifice fly was freakin' terrible.

Matt Holliday never touched the plate...even worse that jackass McClelland gives a delayed call. WTF. This is a play at the plate...to decide a one game playoff...show some fucking assertiveness. That pissed me off...a lot. He's just standing there with his head up his ass...and then finally decides to call him safe. Holliday should have been out and there should have been two outs in the inning. Although, I'll concede Hoffman probably would have blown it anyway...he stinks...but come on...that was a bad call.

And I know the Rockies probably got screwed on the Atkins call...not being a homerun...and maybe karma intervened...but still...nevertheless a home plate umpire has to get the call right with a play at the plate. Fucking ridiculous.

MLB season not over yet.

The good...The Cubs are in.

The bad...The Padres pooped all over themselves (by losing both on Saturday and on Sunday) and now must play a one game playoff against the Rockies tonight. Peavy is going for the Padres but the game is at Coors Field...so one never knows what could happen there.