I definitely missed time-stamping most of this quarter, trying to format the other entry.
Wait, by most I mean like 3 minutes.
FSU
Kickoff, big time return by FSU, made even worse by unnecessary roughness call on UM. Excellent field position.
More of the same from the first half. Ponder looking impressive, UM not able to get pressure on him. He threads the needle well, putting FSU into scoring position. A Pass interference call really affects the UM Defense morale. They attempt to rebuild after sacking The drive ends with a QB keeper, run in for a touchdown.
Nice PAT, dickhead. This miss may come back to haunt FSU. UM-14, FSU-16
UM
12:01, big throw and catch by Harris to Aldarius Johnson. He looks badly injured, looks as though he's grabbing his groin. Yeesh.
11:30, reverse to Travis Benjamin, nothing doing. The crowd is getting into it, 3 and out.
FSU
A bunch of things I didn't bother to pay attention to. FSU is running the ball better, and UM's duo is doing worse. Harris throws a pick. FSU ball, converts a big 3rd down. It's becoming obvious that UM is losing energy.
Definitely a highlight; Taiwan Easterling raises hell to get to the End-Zone. UM-14, FSU-23.
UM
OK, UM needs to make moves, and fast; they're down by 9 facing an energized FSU and an even more energized crowd. Kick off returned by Graig Cooper. His return isn't exactly the answer for a TD, but its damn close. UM drive starts in enemy territory.
Big pass to TE Epps, goes all the way down to the 2. We HAVE to get a touchdown here, right?
...the f*ck. Field goal good, UM-17, FSU-23.
FSU
FSU answers with a big time return of their own, UM's looking like a high school team on special teams. FSU slowly moves the ball toward the end-zone, and the drive ends with a fumble. FINALLY, some real pressure on Ponder occurs, he gets stripped. Miami Ball. Big pass, Harris to Benjamin. UM's running game is getting stuffed (AYO).
Snakes: Did you see the naked Erin Andrews video? ...its poor quality, but good enough to tell that she looks good naked.
Harris with one of the more questionable throws he's made this game. Fading away, under pressure, he bombs the ball out for a throw that only Madden 2004 era Michael Vick could have completed. Somehow it leads to a pass interference call on FSU, ball on the 5 yard line. BS call? Maybe. But I'm not complaining.
Run by Graig Cooper, 13 yards. People think it's a TD. He's clearly out, but they still replay it a thousand times. Ball on roughly the 2.
Whatever. Touchdown on the QB sneak. UM-24, FSU-23.
FSU
I have yet to see anything that will determine the winner. A lot of back and forth.
Kick return gets muffed, UM almost got lucky.
FSU receiver with butterfingers, ruins what would have been a huge play for FSU.
Horrible throw by Ponder, lands at the feet of his target. 3 and out, and even worse, wasted a matter of seconds off of the clock. Time is an enemy of a team with only 1 TO left.
In UM's drive, Harris gets hit while throwing, popping the ball into the air for a Pick 6 by FSU. They convert the 2 point conversion to make up for a missed PAT earlier. UM-24, FSU-31.
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Speculation as to who will be the QB for the next drive. Hightop, or Hightower - whoever he is, he's warming up. End of 3rd Quarter.
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UM
Cooper again on the Kickoff return, gets 20 or so yards. Any one else it would be considered a good return, but based on what Cooper's done tonight, its kind of a disappointment. No matter, flag on the play, kickoff done again.
Same result.
FSU defense is stepping up, the crowd is really behind their team. Bad news.
NICE PLAY by Hankerson, keeps the drive alive with the extra effort and some help from the FSU secondary who pushes him across the line.
FSU is looking for the run EVERY first down. A first down play action would take FSU off guard.
AN INSANE, Joe Montana-esque highlight reel play to elude the sack and find Benjamin alone in the middle of the field. UM is looking as solid as they have all night, considering that at the start of the drive no one was sure that Harris would be in.
FSU is reeling now, they're blitzing to no avail. Jacory is keeping his head, which has always been the key to this game. FSU TO with 7:21 left. But let's not get ahead of ourselves; FSU is still ahead by 7.
Eh, forget I said anything. Touchdown pass to Cooper, tie ball game. UM-31, FSU-31
Natty Light commercial? The f*ck?
Snakes: They neglected to mention that their beer is terrible.
FSU
Huge run that even caught ME by surprise. Big yardage.
Ok, that one didn't catch anyone by surprise. Except UM, apparently. Another 2 runs gets a first.
Miami clamps down, and gets help from FSU in the form of a slip by Thomas and a dropped pass deep. FG good, UM-31, FSU-34
UM
Ok, crunch time. 4:15 left. Harris shouldn't feel pressured to air it out, UM's still feeling good after their last drive.
Why the hell do officials do that? they bring out the chains, and pull it so you think it might be a first, and set it down. THEN they actually pull it all the way out (nh) and its nowhere close. Just do that in the first place.
The most beautiful throw/catch I've seen tonight. Period. Including the other games from today, which I haven't seen but f*ck it. Marve wouldn't have pulled that off.
Review on the play. Rut-Roh.
Call on the field is confirmed. That would have been a huge turnaround.
Nice run by Cooper. Player of the Game, period
FSU
Kickoff... a SQUIB?!? Are you kidding? A squib is useful if there's like 10 seconds left, not 1:50. This will come back to bite us in the ass. I know it. Special Teams coach, you're f*cking fired.
Sure enough, Ponder is working the sidelines, getting gains and using little clock. Come on D.
Gotdamnit. Long run by Ponder. Makes everyone question that squib kick even more.
This are horrible. That is not a typo, this game is making me speak Engrish. FSU is in perfect scoring position.
A screwy bailout pass interference call against UM. The powers that be at ESPN and NCAA organized this call to make things 'interesting', there's no other explanation. You can tell because they never even showed the WR in the replay, just Ponder getting hit. A great camera shot of Randy Shannon, where it looks he has the 1000-yard stare. Either that or he's 2 seconds from murdering someone.
The blood pressure of every good-hearted Hurricane fan is building. Time almost stops as Ponder wonders around in the back field. UM's defense is doing an excellent job of containing; he's definitely not afraid to run.
Two very good defensive plays, including one that probably could have been called PI on UM.
5 seconds on the clock. 2 yards. 1 play. 2 girls, 1 cup. One mic.
OMGOMGOMGOMG
Ponder is running...you fools. He has to be.
N-SANE. Thats ridiculous. A perfect throw to the endzone, seemingly crushing the hopes of the Canes. Ruled incomplete. Upon further inspection, the ball indeed bounces along the ground before being reeled in. GAME OVER, CANES WIN in an absolutely classic game.
Hercules: My sister was like "wow I love college football now"
Snakes: If I see one more status that says, It's Great to be a Miami Hurricane, I'm Ron Browz-ing.
Probably the best college game I've ever seen. Definitely top 5. I could only imagine what it was like to actually be in Tallahassee. Harris is the future, and already looks like the best QB UM has had in years. He kept his cool all game, despite hurting his arm, and questionable coaching decisions (esp. the squib). Great game, what a way to open the season. I'm looking forward to what else they have in store. Final score : UM-38, FSU-34
UM/FSU Second Half
UM/FSU First Half
Pre-game: Kenny chesney? The f*ck?
UM
Jacory harris first pass, a small dump to javarris james, turned into big yardage.
I really hope they use the speed of Graig Cooper and Javarris James like they did in this play, instead of trying to air it out
Second play. Of course they don’t listen to me. Harris throws a pass that only Kareem Abdul Jabbar could have caught, 15-20 yards downfield. Incomplete
4th and 1. going for it.
Still 4th and 1. just as loud as last time, gives Javarris an iso up the middle for about 3 yards. 1st down
Harris picked a good play. Saw the mismatch and took advantage. I’m not a true believer though, there was no pressure at all, and about 10 yards of space between Benjamin and the nickel corner. No shots but I don’t want him throwing too many of those this game. Travis Benjamin burns the safety. Didn’t they learn anything in this game last year? Benjamin had nearly 300 yds of all purpose yards. UM-7, FSU-0
Ponder is playing like Harris; don’t do too much, just manage the game, count on good plays from your receivers, and bad tackles from the defense to move the ball. So far so good.
This drive looks eerily similar to what we just saw. Just remember to keep the offense in front of you, Canes.
Big tackle behind the line to suck (nh) some of the energy out of the stadium. Good Job Wesley.
Once again, another questionable decision to not slide ever, ponder. These tackles look poorly formed, could spell trouble if we don't wrap up.
3rd and 23 converted easily by FSU…the f*ck. Don’t ask. Ponder had no pressure, finds the hole in the Cover 2. Followed by a badly covered fade to the TE, TD FSU. UM-7, FSU-7
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Sidebar: it’s becoming evident that this is gonna be a barn burner
Alright, now that both sides are warmed up hopefully we'll see some defense
Andre Johnson has no personality and it shows in this commercial. Somehow its still funny.
UM
3 and out. But not before Harris throws another alley-oop type past. Oh shi- wait the receivers are only 6’3? Damn no
wonder it didn’t work. Harris needs to settle down
3 and out for FSU as well. Ponder has a Death Wish (no Charles Bronson), the way he’s scrambling.
UM
Javarris James is again doing more than his share for the Offense
Graig Cooper Gets stopped behind the line, what a way for FSU to end the 1st quarter. The energy must be crazy. A nice contrast to this (what I’m assuming is) local commercial about capitalizing on foreclosed homes.
I like the way Harris is managing this game. Hopefully he doesn’t try and do too much, or try to go toe to toe with Ponder, either through passing or scrambling, esp. since I’m sure Ponder is gonna end up hurting himself.
What did I just say? He takes forever to see that there’s no one open, then scrambles toward the middle of the field. Takes a nice shot to the groin (none), and to add insult to what could have been an injury, a holding call.
2nd and 11. once again harris burns like 20 seconds looking for nothing. Scrambles for like 5 yards. 3rd down.
Damn, a sack.
FSU
Ponder’s life flashes before his eyes; Steven Wesley is on him like white on rice, throws ball away.
Good plays by the guys in the box. Way to stay on the option, Big loss. Another drive which starts with potential, leads to a punt.
UM
3rd and 16
since when dose PA work 2x in a row. I haven’t successfully done that since Madden 04 on pro-mode.
Two excellent passes, followed by two that nearly got picked. Including one to Jimmy Graham, shouts to the Basketball team.
We’re out of timeouts.
FSU is working
Oliver Vernon hurt after an FSU rushing first down.
Ponder’s getting into a groove. And its translating to his teammates and the crowd. This isn’t good for UM. Drive leads to a FG. UM-14, FSU-10
Hercules: I have not seen this many Canes drop since the Kappa show.
The announcers compare the opening 6 games for UM to “Murderer’s Row.” That’s promising.
UM 2:00 drill.. can Harris deliver?
Wow, a running play to James. we haven’t seen too man y running plays as of late. You’d think
The clock is not your friend. Go to the sidelines. Sheesh
Nice throw to Aldarius…wait, that’s seriously his name?
James again with a nice run, TD
Haha, my boy Cordaro in the
The announcers question the pooch kick, which leaves FSU at the 40, with 40 seconds to go and a red-hot QB. I agree.
Hell of a throw, even though it may not have been kept in bounds. Of course, no way to get a second look, UM doesn’t have time outs.
A pick ends the drive, after Brad Nessler points out that no one has made a mistake. He must have ESP.
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Maintenance and Changes to the Site
I'm gonna keep this one short, but basically I've been thinking a lot about the direction of this blog. I originally did the whole "Robot" thing to sort of take my own biases out of the equation when I write (even use of the word "I" was pretty sparse at first). And though that has worked pretty well in my humble opinion, I'm starting to feel like it is limiting me in what I can and can't write. This has something to do with the lessened number of posts since I first started, which was July? August? Since I started this thing, I've had maybe 10 or 12 ideas for posts, that after a paragraph or two in just didn't feel right to me. I would try and wait for the writer's block to pass, and pretty soon the story itself was yesterday's news and not worth publishing. Even now, there are maybe two posts I have that I wasn't able to publish as is. My new direction is for me to write what I feel should be published, not trying to conform to any particular alias. Robot or otherwise. But I was supposed to keep this short. New alias, new layout, new address, new topics.
In less than ten words: the-redefinition.blogspot.com coming soon.
The Progressive Spider-Man?
I know I'm pretty late, as this was an inauguration issue of the Amazing Spider-Man!1 but it came back to mind after seeing this via Twitter via Questlove via Toure via some guy's comic book blog. It's one of many attempts by various comic book series to ironically throw race relations in the face of a comic book demographic that typically has "relations" rarely, if at all. The particular issue of Superman in the link, for those of you who don't want to bother reading it, basically revolves around Lois Lane becoming a (way hotter) Black version of herself in order to do an assignment in the "Little Africa" section of Metropolis. Of course, in typical comic book style, this can only be done using a machine(the Plastimold) that has virtually no utility outside of this particular story 2,3. One flip of the transformoflux pack (what?) and Lois Lane gets blown off by a taxi, stared at on the subway and shot at by gangsters in no time; the everyday Little Africa (read: Black) experience.
This type of (albeit corny) socially aware comic is not that rare. There have been other times in which topical issues were woven into comic book storylines. This was most common in the Silver Age, which not surprisingly occurred during the bulk of the Civil Rights movement in the United States. When my grandfather went to the hospital to stay shortly before he died (I was six or seven when he left), he gave me a dozen or so comic books, some older than others, dating back to the 70s. A few of them were Green Lantern comics, some with John Stewart, the native of fictional South Nambia. This particular issue not so subtly puts South Africa on frontstreet about Apartheid and racial injustices in the country. I believe I remember one frame in which a guy gets whipped, which I thought was bizarre, since by first grade a rather mild depiction of slavery was the only experience I had with such a scene. This comic, combined with the A, B, and C encyclopedia "collection" we had, I was soon the youngest kid in the neighborhood that knew the politics of South African Apartheid (Thanks, Green Lantern!)
At any rate, I think that it's pretty cool that guys like Denny O'Neill and whoever wrote that Green Lantern issue would incorporate whatever racial issue of the day into a media with a fanbase who could probably give a f*ck less about Apartheid or what it's like to blow out an afro. Even if it is out of some cheesy attempt to appeal to Black people (doubtful), they still deserve props, in my opinion, for stepping out of the box when it wasn't popular, unlike Stan Lee and the minds at Marvel, who had waited until Obama took office to try and capitalize on a first Black president. Not to mention the obvious "Terrorist Fist-Jab" thrown in.
1. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but I feel like Peter Parker would be way too goofy to effectively "pound it".
2. Apparently this is an issue of "Lois Lane", which was basically a noncanonical offshoot of the actual Superman series exclusively about the exploits of Lois Lane (cooking, cleaning, reporting). Which explains how this ridiculous machine was introduced several issues back.
3. Doesn't the Plastimold remind you of the machine they used in Interstella 5555 (made popular by Daft Punk in "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger")? It must have been the prototype.
currently listening to:
"Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger"
by Daft Punk
Discovery
Real Hip Hop?
The question (which technically isn't a question since it's not a sentence) is almost inescapable now. Personally I'm tired of hearing it, but I know that it isn't going away. This probably isn't a stance that you would expect from me, but I think people are taking it TOO seriously. In fact I think people are deluding themselves into thinking they like particular artists so they can be seen as eclectic or what have you, when in actuality they're becoming more close-minded by only listening to your Asher Roths or Charles Hamiltons. Not that I don't have anything against them (actually I don't like what I've heard from either that much, so guess I retract that last statement.) The point is that way too many people feel like conscious rap is the only thing worth listening to. But they fail to see that rap is more then the lyrics, or the music, or the sum of the two. Not that conscious rap always has great lyricists; and with everyone trying to be different, they're really being more of the same.
I like UGK (RIP Pimp C). Always have, always will.
I like Outkast. Even though they didn't achieve star status until Speakerboxx/The Love Below, I stay nodding my head to Aquemini, which was much more loyal to their Southern roots.
Hell, I even like listening to Young Jeezy and Gucci Mane from time to time.
But I don't like the fact that people write off Southern rap as if it's second tier. To be honest, a lot of artists aren't talking about anything, even some of your favorite "Alt-Rap" purveyors. Kid Cudi isn't exactly spitting gems in "Day and Night", but people are so wrapped up in being "different" that he's somehow supposed to be the next big thing. I might sound like I'm hating, but I like to think I'm firing off on behalf of the South. Lil' Wayne catches a lot of flack, even though he's currently running the game. I've said as much as anyone that my problem with Wayne is that he's pretty inconsistent, and frequently does better guest verses than he does on his own albums.
Essentially my problem with this new wave of artists is that they are receiving more credit than they are due, in my opinion. One thing that my favorite generation of rappers all have in common is that they were grinding for a long time before they became famous. From Jay-Z to Scarface to Master P, to any number of artists that made their name known in the 90s, they ALL had to pay their dues. Whether you like them or not, these guys worked very hard for whatever success they ended up getting. The presence of the internet now lets anyone post any sort of content however they want for everyone to see... er, not that there's anything wrong with THAT (looks around nervously). My point being, its hard for me to take anyone seriously who doesn't seem to take their own craft seriously. So when I hear of Kid Cudi entering retirement, it makes me just shake my head, don the earphones, and transport myself to the time when artists made music like it was their way of life, not just their way to fame.
currently listening to:
"Music For Life"
by Hi-Tek featuring J. Dilla, Nas, Common, and Busta Rhymes
Hi-Teknology2: The Chip
Hail to the Chimp?
I'm sure there aren't many of you (if anyone reads this anymore) who haven't heard about this latest hiccup from the New York Post. The comic, created by Post cartoonist Sean Delonas, was published yesterday, and according the editor-in-chief Col Allan, was intended to parody both the chimpanzee killed in Connecticut and the fiscal stimulus bill. He says, quote;
“The cartoon is a clear parody of a current news event, to wit the shooting of a violent chimpanzee in Connecticut. It broadly mocks Washington’s efforts to revive the economy. Again, Al Sharpton reveals himself as nothing more than a publicity opportunist."
First off, it bothers me when people say "clear" in this way, I find it condescending. It's a one-scene cartoon, with one line of dialogue, so there is very little that is "clear" about it. When something is as ambiguous as this, it is open to interpretation, as are many satirical cartoons. It isn't as clear as 2 + 2 = 4, it's art, and as art goes, everyone has their own interpretation of it. Picasso's "Guernica" will mean one thing to me, and something else to the next person. Col Allan would have to have made an extreme oversight to not predict this kind of backlash from a drawing, given A) Obama being heavily associated with the bill, B) The comparison of Black people to monkeys and/or apes as a racist insult, and C) The tense relationship between NYPD (who is also offended) and the Black population of New York City. I mean, seriously, I find it hard to believe that Allan didn't consider any of these things at all when making a final decision. In my opinion, they wanted to be as edgy as they could, possibly competing with the terrorist fist jab cartoon the New Yorker had a while back.
What do I think? At first I immediately saw the racial subtext; partially because the first time I saw the drawing Al Sharpton had already said what he had to say. Looking at it again, to me it's more about how "stupid" the stimulus bill was (saying it could have been written by a chimp). After all, Obama signed the bill, it was written by Nancy Pelosi. Allan is right for calling Sharpton out as an opportunist; however he brought it on himself, by not foreseeing any of these things. If you don't like Al Sharpton jumping at any and every chance at publicity, don't have a potentially racist cartoon published in your newspaper. As I mentioned before, a cartoon like this is open to interpretation, and the Col Allan/Sean Delonas tandem gave Sharpton and his loyalists more than enough room to interpret it as racist. Part of an editor's job is to ensure that whatever message the paper as a whole gets translated properly, and if the New York Post's sales suffer as a result of it he only has himself to blame.
The Chrihanna Crisis
I initially wanted to resist posting about this topic until more facts were made available, but it turns out that the lack of concrete information is the reason I'm writing this. I knew something was amiss when I was watching the Grammys... I didn't watch the entire thing, but I did see that TI didn't perform "Live Your Life", which is probably the biggest hit from Paper Trail. At any rate, after some digging I found out all about the arrest of Chris Brown, etc. on Sunday night. Today, I'm reading more, and found out that Chris Brown's music is being pulled from radio stations, notably 103.9FM in southern Florida. I think that it's a little unfair, and very hypocritical, for radio stations to pull Chris Brown's music from the radio four days after whatever transpired between he and Rihanna. After all, R. Kelly enjoyed probably the most successful part of his career while facing accusations that he had sex with an 8th grader, urinated on her, and filmed the whole thing. I remember everyone discussing that tape (it was definitely him on the tape) in my Technology Foundations class in 2002. So, people want Chris Brown's music pulled a few days later, but R. Kelly made more money than ever while facing child molestation charges.* A double standard, if you ask me. Halle Berry is deaf in one ear, due to the abuse she faced at the hands of one of her ex-boyfriends. She didn't explicitly state who it was, but it is widely believed that Wesley Snipes is the one responsible. Even after she made this revelation, he didn't exactly have a shortage of work (his tax evasion did that). Jason Kidd, the All-Star point guard, was arrested for domestic abuse after he attacked his wife, and he's WAY bigger than Chris Brown. People weren't exactly outraged at that either; he was still selected to represent the US in international play the following year. I think people just requested that their radio stations take the same route as Wrigley's, and cut him off. Just one thing; Wrigley's has a reputation to uphold, radio does not. It's hard to imagine listening to a rap station and hearing a song, on which no one involved has been arrested for serious criminal activity, from drug charges to assault and murder. Check this video out of Gucci Mane...now he's not exactly seen in a positive light for other reasons, but why shouldn't he be held to the same standard as Chris Brown? For those of you who have seen the video and think, "Well she kind of deserved it; she shouldn't have thrown the glass at him," who is to say that a similar situation didn't happen between Chris and Rihanna? Rick James kidnapped and tortured women on two different occasions, but while he was in prison he still released a greatest hits album, and even now he gets quoted well after that skit was played out. I just feel that, whoever is passing judgment, should probably take a second look at all the facts before lumping Chris Brown into the same group as Drew Peterson.
*For more information about the R. Kelly case, hit the archives for "R. Kelly Speaks" from September.
Etta James vs. Beyonce
With the abundance of nonsensical beefs in music brought to you by your favorite hip hop blogs, you've probably thought you've seen it all. (The alleged Ne-Yo vs. Chris Brown was the worst of the worst). This one has to top them all, as I've yet to see a beef between a blues singer, a contemporary artist, and a politician. Seemingly for no reason at all, Jamesetta Dawkins called out both Beyonce AND President Obama for the former's performance of "At Last" at the Inauguration Ball. She went on the tirade during her concert in Seattle, which is linked here. The audio is kind of low, but if you can't hear she says, "You guys know your president, right? The one with the big ears? He ain't my president." She then goes on to threaten Beyonce; "...that woman he had singing for him, singing my song, she gonna get her ass whipped...I can't stand Beyonce, she had no business up there...singing a song that I've been singing forever."
New Year, New Font
So get used to it. The Robot is back.
To say I've been slacking off as of the last few months is an understatement. To make a long story short, I became sort of caught up in what I thought this blog should or shouldn't be. I really didn't want to write about the same stuff everyone would inevitably write about (Election, etc.). At the same time, I didn't want to write about music either, because lately its ranged from terrible to downright sacrilegious. Studying for the GRE/going to school didn't help the cause, either. But whatever.
This year I'm coming with a new look (not really, I believe I changed it back in December), a new alias, and more importantly, new blogs. So prepare yourselves.
*Disclaimer - I realize that this movie poster is largely irrelevant to this or any post, but the title of the movie felt right so I used it anyway. Besides, who could pass up such an obvious B-movie for a picture? I couldn't.