This, that and the other
Just a few quick hits this morning...
For starters, my Illini smoked Wake Forest last night. Watching the game from my couch (tickets in C Section were going for $300 or more), I had my faith in college basketball reaffirmed once again. The pros may occasionally play with passion, but rarely—if ever—do they play with soul. These college kids still have a real love for the game and the fans and for being part of a greater whole. And this Illini squad is the epitomy of that ideal.
Moreover, even regular season games in early December can have the feel of a Final Four event. Since college teams play a third of the number of games on a pro schedule, each individual game is more precious and hence more significant. And the rankings—as artificial and meaningless as they truly are—play a big role in producing hype and creating excitement. "We've got a chance to knock off the number one team in the nation!" Is Wake Forest actually the number one team in the nation? Probably not. That will be decided in early April, at the end of a tournament. But, in our mind's eye...we just took out the best of the best. And we did it on national TV, while the rest of our Big Ten conference struggled to muscle away victories from the mighty ACC.
College basketball truly has a way of securing an intimacy among a team and its fans. Of course there's the obvious—the players are a part of the student body, too. As a result, they have an undeniably of-this-world vibe, even if they're 6'10" and treated as rock stars. But at these games, the student section—whether by mere proximity or through obnoxious cheering—often feels poised to spill out onto the court at any given moment. They create an energy that fuels their team as if they were furiously shoveling coal into the belly of a freight train. The end result reminds me of some of the better concerts I've attended in intimate venues. The band feeds off the audience and vice versa.
Now, to switch gears to an issue that's larger than college basketball but not quite as fun to follow... Have you heard about the banning of the United Church of Christ commercial? This is simply amazing. We have two of the largest four TV networks refusing to air this commercial, which promotes a sense of community and a willingness to accept others (gays and lesbians) for who they are, because it deals in subject with a hot-button topic on Bush's agenda.
A NBC spokeswoman said: "It went against our long-standing policy of not accepting ads that deal with issues of public controversy."
What what what? We're supposed to believe this response coming off of six months worth of political advertisements, some of which were blatantly false and served no other purpose than to attack a person's character? If you were hoping for a clear sign that the national media is not acting in the best interests of the general public, look no further than this ridiculous veto of a perfectly fine advertisement. These networks have their hands in whatever political pocket suits them best at any given moment. Which is just another reason why Americans who take themselves (and their media) seriously must continue to ignore traditional media giants—or at least take them with a boulder-sized grain of salt—in favor of the underdogs with something of worth to say.
Allow me to step off the soapbox and end this post on a bright note. Check out this guy's photography site. At the age of 25, this guy ripped a page right out of On the Road and walked from L.A. to NYC with his dog, taking photos the entire way. He's working on compiling a book of his photos/journal entries from the trip. The rest of his photos are interesting, too. But be sure to check out the "Walk Across America" section of his site.
For starters, my Illini smoked Wake Forest last night. Watching the game from my couch (tickets in C Section were going for $300 or more), I had my faith in college basketball reaffirmed once again. The pros may occasionally play with passion, but rarely—if ever—do they play with soul. These college kids still have a real love for the game and the fans and for being part of a greater whole. And this Illini squad is the epitomy of that ideal.
Moreover, even regular season games in early December can have the feel of a Final Four event. Since college teams play a third of the number of games on a pro schedule, each individual game is more precious and hence more significant. And the rankings—as artificial and meaningless as they truly are—play a big role in producing hype and creating excitement. "We've got a chance to knock off the number one team in the nation!" Is Wake Forest actually the number one team in the nation? Probably not. That will be decided in early April, at the end of a tournament. But, in our mind's eye...we just took out the best of the best. And we did it on national TV, while the rest of our Big Ten conference struggled to muscle away victories from the mighty ACC.
College basketball truly has a way of securing an intimacy among a team and its fans. Of course there's the obvious—the players are a part of the student body, too. As a result, they have an undeniably of-this-world vibe, even if they're 6'10" and treated as rock stars. But at these games, the student section—whether by mere proximity or through obnoxious cheering—often feels poised to spill out onto the court at any given moment. They create an energy that fuels their team as if they were furiously shoveling coal into the belly of a freight train. The end result reminds me of some of the better concerts I've attended in intimate venues. The band feeds off the audience and vice versa.
Now, to switch gears to an issue that's larger than college basketball but not quite as fun to follow... Have you heard about the banning of the United Church of Christ commercial? This is simply amazing. We have two of the largest four TV networks refusing to air this commercial, which promotes a sense of community and a willingness to accept others (gays and lesbians) for who they are, because it deals in subject with a hot-button topic on Bush's agenda.
A NBC spokeswoman said: "It went against our long-standing policy of not accepting ads that deal with issues of public controversy."
What what what? We're supposed to believe this response coming off of six months worth of political advertisements, some of which were blatantly false and served no other purpose than to attack a person's character? If you were hoping for a clear sign that the national media is not acting in the best interests of the general public, look no further than this ridiculous veto of a perfectly fine advertisement. These networks have their hands in whatever political pocket suits them best at any given moment. Which is just another reason why Americans who take themselves (and their media) seriously must continue to ignore traditional media giants—or at least take them with a boulder-sized grain of salt—in favor of the underdogs with something of worth to say.
Allow me to step off the soapbox and end this post on a bright note. Check out this guy's photography site. At the age of 25, this guy ripped a page right out of On the Road and walked from L.A. to NYC with his dog, taking photos the entire way. He's working on compiling a book of his photos/journal entries from the trip. The rest of his photos are interesting, too. But be sure to check out the "Walk Across America" section of his site.