Spoiler Alert: Voldemort Cracks the Stone Table and Aslan and Dumbledore are the Same Person

I recently watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (this movie's promotional slogan should have been something like "Just when you think it's over...we'll see you this summer to take your money again.") and i was pleasantly surprised. As I have written before, I have not been the biggest fan of the Harry Potter movies when it comes to doing the books justice and including important details. In this one, a few characters that Harry should know very well since they have been important parts of previous books (Bill Weasley and Mundungus Fletcher) had to introduce themselves to Harry as if they had never met so the audience could figure it out.

One thing that really bothered me is that Harry has yet to wear his invisibility cloak in The Deathly Hallows WHEN HE IS THE MOST WANTED FUGITIVE IN THE WIZARDING WORLD. Are we supposed to think Harry Potter, The Chosen One, The Boy Who Lived, the best quiddich seeker of his generation, the kid who defeated a troll at age eleven, a basalisk at age twelve, a swarm of dementors at age thirteen, won the Tri-Wizard Tournament as the fourth seed at age fourteen, and has thwarted the most powerful dark wizard in fifty years time and time again, is stupid enough to walk through the streets of London in broad daylight when he has THE POWER OF INVISIBILITY literally in his back pocket? Please.

A few other moments of note from the movie:

When Xeno Lovegood began telling the story of the three brothers, a black feather floated around for a little bit and then landed in the water. It looks like computer generated feather technology has not progressed all that much since Forrest Gump came out in 1994.

Also during that story, Ron acts shocked and surprised when he hears the word "Twilight". Apparently Mrs. Weasley always told the story taking place at midnight and the time change caught him off guard, but it was funny that they threw in that subtle jab at their sparkling competition on the mainstream fantasy market (One of my biggest fear as a fan of the HP books is that the next generation who sees the movies but does not bother to read the books will think Twilight was better because some of the Harry Potter movies were so terrible).

DOBBY FINALLY PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN A MOVIE!!!! I have been waiting for this for a while. They neglected to put him in The Goblet of Fire when he essentially saves Harry, Ron, and Hermione from drowning. I was afraid they had forgotten all about him, but they did let him use his free elf powers to save the day (That's another thing I realized: the death eaters get to use spells that kill and torture and manipulate people while the good guys can only stun and disarm their opponents and hope for the power of magical loopholes to save them when they are outnumbered).

The thing I thought was most interesting about the movie was the very last scene when Voldemort goes to Dumbledore's tomb to retrieve the Elder Wand. Looking at the tomb, which I only saw once before since I did not particularly like the Half-Blood Prince movie, all I could think of was the Stone Table from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. I always noticed the similarities that Harry Potter has to the Lord of the Rings books and the Narnia books. I read Narnia before I even knew about Harry and now I have to read them again because it has been so long. All of a sudden the arrogance of Voldemort seems eerily similar to that of the White Witch. The same can be said for Aslan and Albus Percival Wulfrick Brian Dumbledore (but with that many names, I could spell out any character). Little does Voldemort know that his action at the Stone Table will be his undoing come July.

"Walking Dead" Lives up to Expectations

When I first saw the promotions for The Walking Dead, a drama that premiered on AMC on Halloween night about the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse in the United States, I was excited. Zombie movies are cool. They tend to have similar themes (survival, trust issues, government conspiracy) but they are always entertaining and they all bring different things to the table. I was curious to see how they would expand a story that is usually told in two hours or less into a multi-season television series. I was curious to see if main characters would be protected for the sake of continuity (will season two have a completely new cast of characters like 28 Weeks Later did?) or is nobody safe (in Spartacus: Blood and Sand, a character shield cannot protect you from Roman rule). For now, I am not concerned with stuff like that. I am just enjoying the ride.

The pilot episode begins with deputy sheriff Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) is shot in the line of duty and goes into a coma. When he wakes up, the state of Georgia (and presumably the rest of the country) is overrun with a virus that kills a person with a fever but causes their dead body to keep walking around and biting and infecting others. This start to the story is a lot like 28 Days Later except in that movie, Cillian Murphy's character is not a police officer trained to use firearms. Rick Grimes is later reunited with his family and a group of other survivors as they try to wait out the epidemic.

My favorite part about this show is their attention to detail. A lot of TV dramas since Lost have tried to get more of a cinematic feel while keeping the weekly cliffhanger effect that TV brings. Much like Mad Men, which airs on the same channel, The Walking Dead is very well written and the acting performances are not what you usually see on TV.

Wherever this zombie saga takes us, I cannot wait to see. It has already been picked up for a second season (consisting of thirteen episodes instead of six), and there is certain to be more twists along the way.

When Will People Learn?

I hope that someday, people figure it all out. I am not talking about the stuff about being nice to each other and accepting other people's religious beliefs and ethnic backgrounds and sexual orientation and stuff like that (not right now anyway); I am talking about the little disclaimers that get in our way on a daily basis. I realize there was once a time when not every car had a seatbelt, but in this day and age, I do not need to be told how to buckle up every time I go on an airplane. I get that companies do not want to get sued, but at this point, you have to be an idiot to be shocked that the cup of hot coffee you ordered is hot. I cannot wait for the day when Youtube and Hulu stop putting the "Press Esc to exit full screen mode" message right in the middle of the screen. Youtube videos have been a mainstay in American culture for a good five years now, and I think it is safe to say that if you can figure out how to put a video in full screen mode, you can figure out how to make it normal again. I do not want that stupid message blocking the picture I just made the to fit the full screen to see it better. I just want a world where we do not need disclaimers for things everybody knows how to do. Is that too much to ask?

How I Am Your Father

I have a new idea for a sitcom.

The name of the show is "How I Am Your Father". It is narrated by James Earl Jones (never seen on camera) playing the role of Darth Vader as he retells the story of the Star Wars prequels from his point of view and some of the funny stories that happened along the way that did not make it into the movie. It would be a combination of "How I Met Your Mother" and "Star Wars" with Neil Patrick Harris in the supporting role of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Obi-Wan's Jedi bachelor pad would look something like this, with the armor of a storm trooper he killed up on display to impress guests.

I would also like to have guest appearances by Star Wars stars like Natalie Portman, Samuel L. Jackson, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Billy Dee Williams but have them not play their original characters for the sake of irony.

I am well aware that this show would make many a Star Wars fan angry, but I still think it would be funny and I would find it delightfully entertaining.

Who is the real Mr. October?

Once upon a time, there was a baseball player named Reggie Jackson who played his best baseball and made his best hits during the playoffs--in the month of October. Performing at a high level in the postseason for both the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees during his Hall of Fame career, Jackson earned the nickname "Mr. October". Before and since Reggie Jackson, there have been many players who elevated their game to higher levels in the playoffs. Who else is deserving of the "Mr. October" title? Let's discuss.

Pedro Martinez- Pedro was my favorite player as a kid. Even now, he ranks right up there with Jason Varitek, Tim Wakefield, Derek Lowe, and Trot Nixon as one of my all time favorite Red Sox players. The others on that list won me over with their work ethic and intense gamer mentality, but Pedro had much more than that. He was so good at what he did. Pedro was a freak of nature, a power pitcher with a small frame (I'm a little surprised that people have not been comparing Tim Lincecum to Pedro yet for that reason). He was so dominant that Red Sox Nation would have forgotten all about Roger Clemens completely if Clemens was not wearing pinstripes. In fact, the Sox only victory in the 1999 ALCS came when Pedro faced Clemens, a game Billy Crystal called "Cy Young vs. Cy Old", and Pedro was dominant. Pedro put up numbers in the height of the Steroid Era that pitchers in the Dead Ball Era or any era would envy. He faced Clemens again in 2003, this time in Game 7, but a certain boneheaded manager prevented Pedro from being the hero, prevented a juiced-up Clemens from ending the season (which he said at the time would be his last) in shame, and prevented The Curse from being wiped off the books a year early. In case you had not noticed, that game still makes my blood boil. A year later Pedro redeemed himself and asked the Evil Empire the rhetorical question, "Who's your daddy, now?" He has said numerous times that he would not trade his one World Series ring in Boston for three anywhere else. Last year at the age of 38, he pitched admirably for Philadelphia, but it was sad to see that his magic had run out. He might be the greatest pitcher of all time--he certainly was the best pitcher I ever watched when he was in his prime--but somehow he found a way to turn it up yet another level when the leaves started to change color.

Derek Jeter- I feel a little guilty putting Derek Jeter in this conversation, but I would be daft not to. As long as I have been following baseball religiously (in 1998 I started watching and listening to every Sox game I could and my dad would leave a note at breakfast with the score and highlights if it ran past my bedtime), Derek Jeter has been the starting shortstop for the New York Yankees. I resented him for starting the All Star Game in 2000 even though Nomar Garciaparra got more votes (Joe Torre was managing the American League and he chose to start Jeter because Nomar had started the year before). My dislike turned into respect over the years, though. His hustle from short to foul territory to on the first base side to pick up an overthrown ball and flip to Jorge Posada to tag Jeremy Giambi who did not think to slide into home was one of the most frustratingly spectacular plays I have ever seen. With five World Series rings and seven World Series appearances, Jeter is one of the best clutch performers you will find in any sport.

Carlton Fisk- Eighty-six years is a long time. A really long time. It was a championship drought so long that Red Sox fans were willing to revel in whatever moral victories they could get. Carlton Fisk's walk-off home run in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series was the finest hour in Boston eighty-six year championship drought. After 2004 and 2007, it does not seem like much, but Red Sox fans for generations went to the grave thinking this was the greatest moment of their lives. It was the most memorable event of the Series, and you can make the case that Fisk should have been the World Series MVP instead of Pete Rose (that series certainly was not what defined Rose's career). Forcing a Game 7 against the Big Red Machine, with a homer off the left field foul pole in the bottom of the 12th inning was enough to legitimize Fisk wearing a Red Sox cap on his plaque in Cooperstown when he played more years with the White Sox. Moments like that today do not feel the same once you have experienced a championship. When a struggling Jason Varitek hit the game winning home run in Game 6 of the 2008 ALCS, it was largely forgotten when the Sox lost Game 7 the next day.

Jack Morris- One of the greatest Game 7s in baseball history occurred in the 1991 World Series between the Minnesota Twins and the Atlanta Braves. Jack Morris took the mound for Minnesota and faced John Smoltz in one of the greatest pitchers duels of all time. Morris got the win, pitching all ten innings before Minnesota scored the only run of the game in the bottom of the 10th. Morris was the one of the star pitchers of his generation, was a five time all star, and won four World Series with three different teams (the Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins, and Toronto Blue Jays), and yet he has not been inducted into the Hall of Fame yet.

Kirk Gibson- Gibson holds the distinction of being the only National League MVP to never appear in an All-Star Game, but that is not what people think of when they hear his name. The current Arizona Diamondbacks interim manager could barely walk from the injuries he suffered getting to the 1988 World Series, but he could stand long enough in the batters box to pinch hit. His wrists worked just fine as he hit a home run off A's Hall of Fame closer Dennis Eckersley. No matter if the D'Backs decide to keep him as manager or what he does with the rest of his life, Gibson will always be remembered for his pinch-hit home run in Game 1 of the '88 World Series. It was his only at bat in the series, but he made the most of it.

Johnny Damon- Red Sox fans were wrong to boo him, even if he signed with New York. He did too much when he was with the Sox to deserve that. His long at bats, fouling off pitch after pitch until the pitcher finally caved and gave up a double is something the Red Sox have lacked consistently since he left. He went all out for the team. He nearly killed himself colliding with Damian Jackson in the 2003 ALDS against Oakland. His grand slam in Game 7 of the ALCS in 2004 was one of his greatest moments. In 2009, he showed us that he still has a knack for the heads up play in clutch situations. Stealing second and third in the same run because he noticed nobody was covering third because of the infield shift was the turning point in the World Series which caused Brad Lidge to lose his composure and the Phillies to lose their confidence. It was at that moment that everyone realized that the Yankees were going to win the World Series. He missed the playoffs playing for the Tigers this year, but perhaps he will get a chance to work his magic again next October.

Derek Lowe- Whenever the Sox needed to clinch a series, Lowe was there in 2003 and 2004. Here he is pictured with catcher Jason Varitek, whom he was traded to Boston from Seattle with in 1997. Getting those two, who were still in the minors at the time, in exchange for inconsistent closer Heathcliff Slocumb, was one of the best trades the Red Sox have ever made. Everyone remembers the bloody sock and the drama behind Curt Schiiling in the 2004 playoffs, but it was Lowe who was pushed out of the starting rotation in the ALDS, but ended up getting the win in Game 3 against the Angels, Game 7 against the Yankees, and Game 4 against the Cardinals. Derek Lowe went on to be the ace of the Dodgers rotation after that season, and is now the ace for the Braves. He may have lost to Tim "The Freak" Lincecum last night, but he pitched really well. As long as he has been in the big leagues, Derek Lowe has elevated his game when the season is on the line for whichever team is employing him.

Roy Halladay- Is it too soon to put him on the list? I think not. Roy Halladay has waited his entire career to pitch in the playoffs, and this week, he finally got his chance. In his first playoff game on Wednesday, Halladay pitched only the second no hitter in playoff history. As the Phillies pursue their third consecutive pennant, Halladay started them off in the right direction. Only time will tell if he will have a reputation of being a strong playoff performer, but so far, he has been unhittable in October.

Arcade Fire Rocks in "The Suburbs"

Arcade Fire has been one of my favorite bands the last few years, and their latest release did not disappoint. "The Suburbs", the Montreal based band's first album since 2007, has a different feel than their earlier work, but maintains the high quality standard that I have come to expect from them.

Like their previous albums, "The Suburbs" uses a good mix of conventional rock instruments like drums, piano, and guitar as well as violins and horns. This album has a more upbeat feel to it than "Funeral" or "Neon Bible" did. Wikipedia tells me that the lyrical content was inspired by front man Win Butler's growing up in a suburb of Houston. It is not meant to glorify or condemn suburban life, but rather be a "letter from the suburbs." They have been working on this album since 2008, but the wait was well worth it.

Arcade Fire never ceases to amaze me. I am still waiting for them to get the nod to perform at the Super Bowl, which would be a huge improvement to last year's halftime show (But then again, anything would have been better than last year's halftime show. For more information, read my review of the Super Bowl from February). This album for them, is just business as usual. Every album is different, and every time I listen to a specific Arcade Fire album, I think that one is the best, then I will listen to another and think that one was better than the last. This album only adds to that legacy.

The Quest Begins Now

As soon as time expired in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals last spring, with the Boston Bruins squandering a 3-0 series lead and a 3-0 game lead in the deciding contest against the Philadelphia Flyers, hockey season could not come soon enough. With all the moves the Bruins made during this long summer, I got more and more excited by the week. Dennis Wideman is gone. The puck fumbling defenseman who the Boston sports media blamed for most of the teams problems was traded to Florida in exchange for scoring winger Nathan Horton and grinding center Gregory Campbell. Then Tyler Seguin was drafted with the second overall pick. In a year where they could have blown the team up and rebuilt, the Bruins retained most of their free agents. Ageless veteran wing Mark Recchi signed on for one more year. Enforcer Shawn Thornton signed for another two. Dennis Seidenberg, Mark Stuart, and Johnny Boychuk all re-signed so the Bruins will be expected to stay solid in the defensive zone. All three captains (Zdeno Chara and alternate captains Patrice Bergeron and Mark Recchi) are in the final year of their contract, and the Bruins appear to be putting everything in for this season. As the team gets ready to open their season in Prague, I am looking forward to this season more than ever.

The Bruins are not the only team that made big moves to challenge for the Stanley Cup this summer. The Detroit Red Wings signed veteran center Mike Modano to add to an already talented veteran squad. The San Jose Sharks added Antii Niemi, the hero of last year's playoff tournament, in net to replace Evgeni Nabokov, who went back home to make more money in the KHL. The Habs traded away their playoff hero, goaltender Jaroslav Halak, to the St. Louis Blues to make Carey Price their #1 goalie. With all the transactions that were made this summer, it will certainly make for an interesting season across the NHL.

For the Bruins, this season will be about redemption. They were the top seeded team in the East two years ago. They were sixth in the East last year, lost four games in a row after being up three in the series, and had the second lowest number of goals in the league during the regular season. This year, all the players should have a chip on their shoulder as the young guys have another playoff year under their belt. Every guy on that team has something to prove, as individuals and as a group. Critics are claiming that Tim Thomas' Vezina Trophy and Zdeno Chara's Norris Trophy from 2009 were flukes, and that everyone's performance that year was just lucky. Last year they were carried into the playoffs on the backs of Patrice Bergeron and Tuukka Rask. This year, everyone should be trying to prove their worth in the NHL. Rookies Tyler Seguin and Jordan Caron have s good supporting cast to fall back on, but a lot will also be expected of them in the 2010-11 season. Could this be the year? I can only hope. The Bruins quest for the Cup has taken them to Belfast and Prague, and likely through Washington, Pittsburgh, or New Jersey, but as a fan, I am looking forward to the journey.

2010 MLB Season Follow Up

You may remember that back in March, I wrote about my predictions for the upcoming baseball season and, as promised, I am following up on that entry as baseball season comes to a close. The regular season is wrapping up and there is only one playoff race still in effect so now is a pretty good time to talk about the season and who should win the individual awards before playoff performances start to influence my opinions.

Where I went wrong...

As always, there are times when i pick a team that nobody believes in and I am rewarded by getting to say "I told you so" all winter. Last season, I did that so much that everyone else decided to pick Minnesota to win the AL Central too.

I thought the Mariners were going to win the AL West. I thought if they kept Junior around for one more year, and they added Chone Figgins and Cliff Lee to a team that made a huge turnaround from 2008 to 2009, they would be able to compete with the best of the American League. It turns out that the "Jr." in Ken Griffey's name is a misconception and he actually is quite old so he was retired by May and Cliff Lee was traded away in July, and Figgins forgot how to play baseball or something. Also there was the Milton Bradley factor which could have gone either way and it went the wrong way. They tried to build their team on pitching and defense, but they could not score enough for it to matter. At least they have King Felix and Ichiro or this entire team would have been demoted to the minors.

My apologies to the San Diego Padres. I wrote them off, like most people did and counted down the days before Adrian Hernandez would get traded to Boston starting in March. I guess I was wrong. Bud Black deserves some serious consideration for Manager of the Year but the ten game losing streak that let the Giants climb back into the race hurts his chances. As of today, they are still in it when they were expected to be one of the worst teams in baseball along with Washington, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh.

Opps. I thought the NL Central would be won by either the Cardinals or Cubs. My bad. The Cincinnati Reds are going to the playoffs for the first time since 1995. I honestly know very little about this team, but I am excited for the playoffs because of all the teams that are going to be in it that usually are not. No wonder Dusty Baker is smiling in this picture.

And the award goes to...

Now for the awards. First MVP.

Josh Hamilton is one of those feel good success stories that make sports fun for more than just the sport itself. His story of going from superstar high school prospect to drug addict and alcoholic out of baseball to recovery and starting over in baseball to superstar center fielder will make a great movie someday if they cast the right actor. He has had a tremendous season and he helped Texas make the playoffs for only the fourth time in their history. The next most deserving player is Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers, but playing on a team that fell out of the pennant race early hurt his chances. Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays will also get a lot of votes for his impressive breakout season.

Troy Tulowitzki played really well down the stretch, but it was not enough to get the Rockies into the playoffs this time. Brian McCann had a great season for the Braves. Placido Polanco had a great season for Philadelphia. Albert Pujols is in the discussion. This year was Joey Votto's year though. Votto helped lead the Reds to their first division championship in fifteen years and flew under the radar for a while doing it.

Now for Cy Young...

The American League is a tough one because there are so many good pitchers. C.C. Sabathia had the most wins, but he also had the best lineup in baseball providing run support for him. The Cy Young Award in recent years has been rewarding good pitchers on bad teams (The last time the Cy Young winner in either league was on a playoff team was in 2007. Sabathia and the Indians got to the ALCS that year and Jake Peavy and the Padres were eliminated in a one game playoff against Colorado for the Wild Card spot). Clay Bucholz and Jon Lester of the Red Sox are up there as well as Felix Hernandez of the Mariners and David Price of the Rays. Hernandez has a losing record on the season but had the worst run support pitching for Seattle. My prediction during spring training was Lester, who made his first All Star appearance this year. This one is a real toss up, so I am sticking with Lester.

In the National League, Tim Lincecum pitched admirably but not well enough to three-peat the Cy Young Award. His teammate Matt Cain pitched well, too. Tim Hudson has resurrected his career after Tommy John surgery and has restored his reputation as a big time pitcher as he and his teammates prepare for Bobby Cox's final playoff run. Ubaldo Jiminez had a phenomenal season for Colorado which included the first no hitter in franchise history. The National League Cy Young Award will instead go to Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies. Halladay, who was the victim of playing on a bad team his entire career before the 2010 season, threw his first perfect game and is going to pitch in October for the first time in his career.

Now for Manager of the Year...

There are several deserving candidates. This award is basically anyone's in the American League.

Ron Gardenhire led the Twins to yet another division title. He has not won this award yet. This is probably his year. That umpire might not vote for him, but Gardenhire deserves it for keeping his team consistently competitive year to year. Maybe this year will be his chance to improve his post-season record.

Ron Washington became only the second Rangers manager to make the playoffs. He had that issue with the drug test in the off-season and many were surprised that he was able to keep his job. He could also be eligible for "Comeback Manager of the Year" for that.

Bob Geren got a lot more out of the Oakland A's than anybody expected. Dallas Braden pitched a perfect game and they were competitive in the West for most of the season. The A's are heading in the right direction and Geren deserves credit for turning them around.

Terry Francona did what I believe was his best job this season. He had to deal with several injuries to critical personnel including Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Jacoby Ellsbury, Mike Cameron, Victor Martinez and Jason Varitek. He kept the Sox competitive and they were the last team to get eliminated with very little help from the front office.

Ozzie Guillen had to manage Manny Ramirez. I felt bad for him after that. He is also great for sound bytes and he gets as much as he can out of that poorly constructed White Sox team. With what seems like half the managers in Major League Baseball retiring after this season, Ozzie will be the undisputed biggest dugout personality in the big leagues in 2011.

Cito Gaston has not been to the playoffs since the his Blue Jays won the 1993 World Series, but this season he pointed them in the right direction. In the toughest division is baseball, Gaston's Jays finished fourth but were the toughest non-contender all season long. They were never pushovers against the Yankees, Rays or Red Sox this season. Gaston is retiring at the end of the season and his three year return to the Toronto dugout only enhanced his legendary reputation in that city.

In the National League there are also several deserving managers.

Bobby Cox is going out in style. He is likely getting the Braves back into the playoffs. The Manager of the Year Award would be a nice lifetime achievement thing for him.

Dusty Baker led the Reds to the playoffs for the first time in a while. Perhaps this is the year he gets back to the World Series.

Bud Black turned the Padres around this season. He may lose this award because of their struggles down the stretch and the inexcusable mistake of putting a different team out of the field than it said on the lineup card back in the spring.

Bruce Bochy deserves the award for all of the close games that the Giants won with pitching and defense (a team that actually got that strategy to work? I cannot believe it!). The offense in San Fran has been limited, but the pitching has been spectacular.

The season is not over yet. There are still the playoffs to look forward to. There are a lot of story lines to be excited about. As long as the Yankees do not win again, I will be happy.

Top Ten Best Sports Movies

Here is my list of the best sports movies ever made. I blog a lot about sports and I blog a lot about movies, so I figured I would do something that combine the two. Sports movies are great because they are usually uplifting, even if the characters you cheer for are defeated by their anonymously evil opponents, and they are usually pretty funny even f they are not comedies. Sometimes sports are only a small part of the movie, but it makes he list because that aspect of it makes it a better movie. I tried to include as many different sports as possible, but there have been so many good sports movies made over the years that it was impossible to make everyone happy. Please comment on what you think and enjoy!

10. Whip It

I just saw this movie and I thought it was a lot of fun. Very few movies have been made about roller derby but this one made it seem like a sport that people can have a passion for, and like the other sports that have movies in this countdown, it is an escape for both the fans and the players. This star studded cast featuring Ellen Page, Alia Shawkat, Jimmy Fallon, Andrew Wilson, Kristen Wiig, and first time director Drew Barrymore, shows us how small town misfits can become superstars in the heart of Texas even if their mothers want them to be in beauty pageants instead.

9. Space Jam

This one makes the list because it was one of my favorites as a kid. When I watched it recently though, I realized that there were a lot of great cameo appearances by NBA stars and it combined the greatest basketball player ever (Michael Jordan), the greatest cartoon character ever (Bugs Bunny), and one of the funniest comedic actors ever (Bill Murray) all on the same team. How's that for a fantasy basketball squad?

8. Forrest Gump

I know that the movie is not all about sports, but sports are an important part of the life of Forrest's life. He played college football at the University of Alabama, one of the most storied and prestigious football programs in the country. He also represented the United States as a ping pong champion and one day decided to run across the country for a while, until he had enough. His experience at Alabama, playing for the legendary Bear Bryant and receiving All American honors, was a really big deal, but it didn't seem like anything out of the ordinary to him.

7. The Mighty Ducks

Its a classic tale of taking a group of loveable misfits and turning them into winners. In the same place, you could also have The Bad News Bears or even Glee for that matter, but I particularly like the Ducks. Gordon Bombay, a successful but cynical lawyer is the reluctant coach who has to work with the kids from the loser district because their coach quit as community service after driving drunk (a pretty serious plot twist for a Disney movie). He says in the beginning that he hates hockey and the flashbacks of his past and playing for the coach who he needs to beat all these years later reveals why. Gordon must overcome his fear of failure and get closure on a darker time in his life. I think that more NHL teams should use the “Flying V” formation because it was so effective in this movie. The Mighty Ducks is a really fun one for audiences of all ages.

6. Fever Pitch

On the surface, it is just another romantic comedy with likeable stars like Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore. The setting for this movie is what separates it from other rom-coms though. They could not have been more lucky choosing to film this movie in the 2004 baseball season. It was supposed to end with them falling in love while watching the Red Sox get eliminated once again and waiting until next year. Instead, they fall in love in the midst of the most exciting thing that has ever happened in the history of professional sports (in my humble Sox fan opinion). Its a good movie to watch in April to get pumped for Red Sox season once again. For the record, it does not bother me that Jimmy Fallon is a lifelong New Yorker and not really a Red Sox fan. He isn't the only one who pretends to do that (Alec Baldwin pretended to be a Bostonian in The Departed and on 30 Rock and don't even get me started on Jack Nicholson) and for every New Yorker who plays a Sox fan, there is Denis Leary who plays a New York firefighter on Rescue Me. The cameo appearances by the Red Sox stars and the footage from the games in 2004 make this movie just that much better.

5. Miracle

I was not alive yet when the U.S. Hockey team beat the Soviets in 1980, but I hear about it from my father every Winter Olympics that there will never be a more exciting hockey tournament and the Olympics are a lot less interesting now that they have NHL players in it. While I may not agree with that, Miracle is still a really good movie about that 1980 team. This movie had one of the best locker room pep talks in movie history which was even more entertaining when that little kid recited it on Opening Day for the Red Sox this year.

4. Million Dollar Baby

Not all stories have happy endings. Maggie Fitzgerald worked hard to rise from poverty to become a late blooming boxing star, but her chances were tragically dashed. Winning the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2004, Million Dollar Baby was a masterpiece that brought out the best in Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman, and director/producer/co-star Clint Eastwood. Eastwood and Swank became each other's family when their biological families ignored their dreams.

3. Rocky

Before Invincible, this was the original story of a Philly underdog getting the opportunity of a lifetime. This movie made Sylvester Stallone into a superstar, and gave Philly fans more to cheer about that their actual teams since it came out in 1976. With five sequels afterward, it is perhaps the most successful sports movie franchise ever. This movie also wins the award for having the best training montage ever. Another thin I like about this movie is that it does not really portray Apollo Creed as evil or malicious. He is just a champion boxer who wants somebody to challenge him. He gives Rocky a chance and Rocky takes full advantage. Creed is cocky and has to give more of an effort than he thought he would in fifteen rounds, but he is not really a villain. Rocky won the Academy Award for Best Picture, which is an achievement that speaks for itself. It is a classic that you do not need to be a boxing fan to appreciate.

2. Remember the Titans

This is one of Denzel Washington's greatest performances. This movie could very easily be number one on the list. Everything about it is great. It is a classic underdog story about the first racially integrated high school football team in Virginia and their quest for the state championship. It has its fair share of comic relief and moments that get you choked up. From the speech Coach Boone gave about Gettysburg to the star linebacker getting in a car crash, Remember the Titans goes through the ups and downs of the season and the triumphs and tragedies.

1. Field of Dreams

“If you build it, he will come.” This line has inspired many a backyard ballpark (or skating rink) over the years. The idea of having a baseball field in your yard is cool enough, but having one where ghosts can fulfill their unfinished dreams is even cooler. Whether it is getting to play in the majors after getting banned, or getting in the one at bat that you never got, getting to play catch with your son and meet your granddaughter, this is a place where dreams can come true. They ask if it is heaven, but it is only Iowa. James Earl Jones' “people will come” monologue is one of the most inspiring in movie history. This movie defined Kevin Costner's career. It is everything anyone could want in s sports movie with the surreal concepts of redemption and living up to your dreams sprinkled in as well. Another great thing about this movie is that his wife and daughter re just as enthusiastic about baseball as he is, which is every guy's dream.

This concludes my list. Feel free to comment and tell me which movies I missed or to argue the order in which I put them.

My New Favorite Website

"Dear Twilight Fans,

Thank you for making us look sane and well-adjusted.

Sincerely, Trekkies"

I don't know if I'm way behind on this trend since I've been in the woods all summer, but yesterday on Stumbleupon.com I stumbled upon a site similar to FML, MLIA, Failbook, and Texts from Last Night, but way funnier. The name of the site is dearblankpleaseblank.com and the idea is writing a letter to someone or something often complaining about something. The can be popular culture related like "Dear America, Can someone explain why Jersey Shore is popular but Arrested Development got cancelled? Sincerely, Confused" or "Dear Edward Cullen, You're doing it wrong! Sincerely, Dracula." They can be abstract like "Dear Amnesia, Have we forgotten this before? Sincerely, Deja Vu." They can be work related like "Dear Person claiming they already reset their computer, Yeah I don't believe you. Sincerely, IT support guy." They can be anything. The people on this site seem to be on my side in most of today's polarizing issues (it's sad that liking Twilight, The Jonas Brothers, Justin Bieber, or Sarah Palin are the things that really get people riled up these days. The ocean is full of oil, the found water on the moon, Theo Epstein did nothing to help the Sox make the playoffs, and this is what people are angry about?) as evidenced by "Dear Guitar Heroes,Please stop comparing your hobby to my hobby. You're missing strings. Sincerely, A Guitarist." It's my new favorite website to check every so often and I am working on writing my own submissions soon.

When Life Gives You Lemons...

Somebody should design a car that is shaped like a lemon, that is painted like a lemon, that has a lemon scented air freshener, that runs perfectly fine. Wouldn't that be ironic.

Four out of Five Dentists

How is that every toothpaste company seems to get the approval of 80 % of the dentists they ask? Is that approval really just for toothpaste in general or something? What dentist didn't approve of toothpaste? These are the things I wonder about when I am bored. I need a better hobby.

Philosopher Wolves

Wow. It has been a while since I last posted something.

After a summer of fun and hard work, it is time to start using my brain for school soon, but not quite yet.

During the summer, I worked with a guy who is much more scientifically inclined than I am and one day we were talking about the way animals communicate with each other. Wolves, for instance, howl to each other to talk about where food is or where they are, since they are social animals and want to hang out (if wolves ever learn how to text message, their prey will never be able to hide because they will be so much more quiet).

I then brought up the idea of other animal species having their own philosophers. What if instead of howling something like "Hey Steve, do you want to hunt down an elk with me?" they were saying "Hey Steve, do you think it is possible to know anything about anything?" The dialogue would then continue with "Well Frank, Rene Descartes refuted skepticism by saying that it was possible for him to know that he is a thing that thinks, and therefore it is possible to know something." And Frank might howl back "Yeah but you need to take Descartes with a grain of salt because he also tried to use this sequence of logic to also prove that God must exist which really put his preexisting religious convictions before clear headed rational thought. He is also even harder to believe when he tries to come up with answers to the mind-body problem." and Steve would howl "You bring up an excellent point, but we do have him to thank for getting us out of the philosophical rut that is universal skepticism. Let's go hunt an elk now. I'm hungry."

If other animals thought about those things, they would probably be referencing someone other than Descartes now that I think about it, but it is something to think about. Maybe they already have the problems of the universe figured out already and we're the stupid ones that are still skeptical and in the dark. At any rate, I need to learn to speak wolf.

Congratulations Chicago!

Right now I would like to thank the Chicago Blackhawks for doing something the Devils, Habs, and most painfully, the Bruins could not do: close out and finish off the Philadelphia Flyers. Philadelphia's elimination is long overdue, as the Bruins should have swept them but lost in seven games. They got lucky, the Bruins got hurt, the Bruins forgot how to play, and the rest is history. Without David Krejci, Boston's offense was seriously compromised in that series. The Flyers looked good against Montreal as well, but the Habs were another team that got farther than anyone anticipated. It is also good for Chicago. As a Boston fan, it is easy to sympathize with Chicago fans. They get overshadowed by New York (so does Philly but they are more obnoxious than Boston or Chicago) and they go long periods of time without winning (this is their first Stanley Cup in 49 years, They have not won a Super Bowl in 24 years and they are still waiting on the Cubs) but they keep on cheering. As the Bruins are going on 38 years without a title, it is refreshing to see a team other than Detroit, Pittsburgh, or Montreal win one. For the rest of us, we wait for the draft (Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin will be coming to Boston), hope the Celtics can even things up with LA, hope the Red Sox can catch up to New York and Tampa, and start counting down the days until football starts. With hockey and basketball winding up and my summer job at Wah-Tut-Ca Scout Reservation starting soon, this will probably be my last sports related post for quite some time.

Forrest Gump 2

The world has changed a lot since 1986. That was the year that the novel Forrest Gump was published. The story, made more famous by the 1994 film of the same name, which retells American history in the 20th century through the eyes of the title character who lived through it all. For years, I thought it would be good, even though I do not usually like sequels, to bring back Tom Hanks for a follow up of what has happened to Forrest since the first movie ended, and now could be a good time to do it.

Forrest was there for all the big events since the 50s. He inspired Elvis' dance moves as a kid, he met the president, he served in Vietnam, he met the president again, he went to China for a ping-pong tournament, he met the president again, he exposed the Watergate scandal to the hotel staff, he was there for it all. From civil rights, to AIDS, Forrest Gump was a part of every significant event in those years, coincidentally. With a coincidental life like that, I can't help but wonder if that fate continues with the other historical events that happened since.

Lieutenant Dan was smart to invest in "some fruit company" as Apple continued to innovate in the 21st century. With the release of iPods and, more recently iPads, they will not have to worry about money for a long time. This is good for them because Bubba-Gump Shrimp Company is not doing so hot. Their business took a hit with hurricane Katrina, and is virtually wiped out by the gulf coast oil spill.

There are many other important events that his life will be intertwined with since then as well. Did he do something to expose Bill Clinton's affair? Did he expose O.J. Simpson? Did he have a chance encounter with a young Barack Obama that influenced the future president's life? Where was he when Kurt Cobain died? Did he cast a hanging-chad ballot in Florida in 2000? Where was he on the morning of September 11, 2001? Did he go back to China to play ping-pong in the Bejing Olympics? Where was he when America elected its first black president? Did he ever meet the King of Pop?

As history keeps going on, there will always be ups and downs, but the first Forrest Gump movie provided a good retrospective to help us remember both the good and the bad. I am not a fan of sequels or making more movies with familiar characters to milk as much money out of a franchise as possible, but I would like to see America's leading man come back as the man who lived through more of America than he can fathom, once again, but this time look back on things that I happened in my life time and that I remember. Momma always said life is like a box of chocolates, and this past couple decades have provided more than anyone could possibly know they would get.

Does Pollution Make Pitchers Better? Should Umpires "Cut the Cap?"

Thus far, the 2010 Major League Baseball season has been dominated by pitchers. Going into the season, many experts (or at least people on ESPN.com) believed that pitching lacked the star power it used to have even a few years ago. They said that with the recent retirements of Tom Glavine, Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, Curt Schilling, Mike Mussina, Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez, there were no starting pitchers left that were guaranteed to one day have a plaque in Cooperstown. They did say that there were promising players to fill that void, but the lack of veteran stars would be felt this season. Veteran pitchers like C.C. Sabathia, Josh Beckett, Mark Buerhle, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee were on the right track, but needed to sustain their level of play for a few more years before being considered Hall of Fame caliber hurlers. There were pitchers who were once considered stars who have not lived up to their billing in recent years like Barry Zito, Brandon Webb, Jake Peavy, and Dontrelle Willis, and it would be interesting to see if they return to All-Star form this season. There is also a new guard of rising young stars in Tim Lincecum, Felix Hernandez, Zach Greinke and Jon Lester, but they still had years to go. Then everything changed with the start of the 2010 season...

On April 17, Ubaldo Jimenez of the Colorado Rockies pitched a no-hitter against the Atlanta Braves. It was the first no-hitter in Rockies franchise history.

On May 9, Dallas Braden of the Oakland Athletics pitched a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays. It was the 19th perfect game in Major League history and the 2nd by an A's pitcher (Catfish Hunter in 1968 was the first).

On May 29, Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies pitched a perfect game against the Florida Marlins. It was the 20th perfect game in Major League history and the 2nd by a Phillies pitcher (Jim Bunning in 1964 was the first). 20 days between perfect games is also a Major League record.

In addition, there were quite a few almost no-hitters. C.C. Sabathia of the New York Yankees came close to no-hitting the Tampa Bay Rays. Daisuke Matsuzaka of the Boston Red Sox went 8 innings before allowing a hit against the Philadelphia Phillies. This spring has been a busy one for pitchers trying to get into the history books.

This increased number of dominant pitching performances has led me to speculate whether there is a correlation between that and something else unusual that is happening this spring. The gulf coast oil spill that was caused by BP seems to have an eerie connection with these fantastic baseball feats. I am torn, personally. I think that a perfect game is the coolest thing that ever happens in baseball, but on the other hand, I am also a really big fan of the environment and I get irate when stupid things happen to help destroy it. If they are somehow connected by forces beyond my control, I do not know how long I can take it.

It is also worth mentioning that 1989, the year in which the Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred (which is now only the second biggest oil spill in U.S. history), was also a year of outlying incidents in the world of baseball. That was the year that Pete Rose was banned for life by MLB. A week after banning baseball's all time leader in hits, A. Bartlett Giamatti, the commissioner of Major League Baseball, died unexpectedly of a heart attack. In October of 1989, Game 3 of the World Series between the Oakland A's and the San Fransisco Giants had to be postponed due to a massive earthquake in northern California where both teams play. The turns of events that occur in Major League Baseball during a devastating oil spill are profound to say the least.

Earlier tonight, Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers had a chance at history and baseball immortality. Galarraga, who had recently been called up from the minor leagues after a disappointing spring training, retired the first 26 Cleveland Indians that came to the plate. An out away from an unprecedented fourth perfect game in a calendar year (Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox also had one last July), third in a month, and second in five days, he forced a ground ball to the first base side. Tigers first basemen Miguel Cabrera cleanly fielded it and Galarraga smartly covered first like the pitcher is supposed to do. Cabrera's toss was caught by Galarraga and he was about to celebrate when umpire Jim Joyce called the runner safe. Just like that, the perfect game and the no-hitter were spoiled, and the Detroit home crowd went silent. Tigers manager Jim Leyland went out to argue, but that never get's anybody anywhere in this sport. Joyce admitted after the game that upon watching the replay, he got the call wrong. Is this just a ploy by baseball to cut down on the flow of perfection that is running rampant in ballparks across the country? Is this their version of "cutting the cap"? All it takes is one bad call to make a game imperfect. Is baseball trying to protect the sanctity of the perfect game by botching calls so they can't happen as much? Major League pitchers should rise up and demand to be perfect after such oppression. Send a message to Bud Selig and all the other baseball bureaucrats that their Dr. Seuss (or BP) inspired idiotic cover up methods will not stop the oil from flowing. This could have been a career defining moment for a young pitcher who has struggled in the past, but instead it will forever be tarnished like the seabirds in the Gulf of Mexico who are drowning in the corporate sludge that fuels the capitalist desire to sell more and waste more with no regard for the finer things in life. For shrimp fishermen in Louisiana, their lives will never be the same because of the oil spill, and for Armando Galarraga, pitching will never be the same since he flirted with perfection and got rejected in the worst way.