Live @ The Cradle

Snapped some pics for you at the Cradle the other night...

Talib Kweli put on an incredible show at Cat's Cradle in Chapel Hill on Friday night. I caught it with a few of my boys from the NYC.

Kweli gave Chapel Hill extra love by bringing on local heroes Phonte and Pooh from Little Brother midway through the show. They brought the house down...Now that's a team!

Special thanks to Okay Player and the promoters who put this show together. Frank Heath is doing an phenomeonal job at the Cradle with keeping the peace and providing an excellent venue for hip-hop events in the Triangle.

More to come, but in the meantime, catch these pics from the show...I've been working on my Photoshop skills of late...So step off.

Yeah...Yeah.







Kweli Rock Your Body,
IronDog

Get Out of the Cheap Seats

My all-time favorite programming concept is ESPN Classic...

But that doesn't mean I'm thrilled with half of the things thrown up there...A case in point is 'Cheap Seats.'

In yesterday's DeadSpin, the writers touched upon the question of whether or not the Sklar brothers, who host the show, are funny, or not. I threw my two cents in. Even though I feel it may be sacreligious to tear any thing down on Classic, I had to reach out to smack these guys in the back of the head with a post about the Sklar brothers and the bore called 'Cheap Seats'.

Here's my post:

"(The Sklar Brothers are) Authentic and complete clowns who should be relegated into the the black of hole of dorkdom. They're straight-up 'Herbs'.

Why?...CliffX touched on it above..."when talking all the way throughout a showing of Dr. J in the Slam Dunk Contest. That there is hallowed sports footage."

He's right.

The Sklars have no knowledge of the borders between what was hip and colorful and what was wack. When they try to crack on events like the ABA Dunk Contest, they lose all credibility and respectability. I mean...How can you crack on Larry Kenon, Artis Gilmore and the "Ice Man", and Doc?

It's one thing to rip into the wackiness in sports, but it's another thing when your knowledge of sports history doesn't allow you to decipher what characters, events, and shows had flavor and what figures and events should be cannonballed.

Their humor is canned, and it's comparable to the goof-offs in Cameron Indoor who pass out chant sheets during pre-game warmups...They need major help.

The shame of it is that they're on the air while the humor on DeadSpin is ten times funnier. If they dressed a couple of DeadSpin commenters in Indie garb and listened to them rip into the programming on the worldwide leader, they would get ten times the humor...Hell, they do it here for free every day.

The show is played out..."

My reasoning is this...And believe me, I know it's easy to pick apart this show in the same way that it's easy to pick apart the vintage material from the '70s.

Anybody can crack on George Gervin's dunks, Dave Casper's running in the Superstars, or karate in the '70s on Wide World of Sports. They're all part of fringe programming that was meant for filler entertainment any way. The skills in the evens such as the ABA Dunk Contest or karate championships weren't that complicated by today's standards. But back then, it was those skills were pretty innovative...Show some respect.

Anyone can pick on Dwight Stones back in the day during the Superstars competition. But back in the '70s...That dude with the Mickey Mouse shirts was pretty colorful for sports that needed characters.

I can understand cracking on the Superstars competitions. They're easy fodder. Who can't nail Joe Frazier's swimming skills or crush Deacon Jones for failing to get up a climbing wall. But step off the styles...You can't knock people for at least trying to bring the funk.

If you're going to crack on it, you better be able to step into the game. These chuckleheads are the types of classroom clowns who run their mouths all day with smart-ass comments. Yet, when it comes to getting into the game, they make a mockery of the game and crack on everyone else's skills because they neither have game nor the skills that can bring anything to a competitive environment.

I'm glad that DeadSpin cracked these guys open....It's time to give 'em the cane.

Pull 'Em
IronDog

Long Tailin'

Funny when I read about my boys around the blogosphere...

Running through 'The Real Paul Jones' today, I saw this post on fellow "ibiblian", John Bachir, who used Paul's ticket to attend Chris Anderson's 'Long Tail' book release party in NYC.

JJB...Your statement to CNET is nothing less than classic. You've provided Fred and I at least three minutes of laughs in every conversation for the rest of our lives.

Keep pushing it in NYC, bruddah...Keep pushing it.

P.S. Paul! Where the hell were my NYC invites when I needed them...Damn!..;)

"I'm not a Marxist..O.K.",
IronDog

Still Miles Ahead

Happy 80th to the legacy of Miles Davis...

Jesse Hamlin touched on the Davis's legacy this past week in the San Francisco Chronicle. Despite the fact that Miles would have been 80 and he's been dead for over a decade, his albums are still hot sellers. However, with the way that classical music has pushed into the back shelves of the decaying record store business, I have this recurring nightmare that people will push his albums and legacy into the back shelves along with classical music.

If you don't think it's possible, do this for fun sometime. Go to your local university and ask how many people know George Gershwin...I think you'll find the responses to be quite mesmerizing.

You probably think this post could fall into a 'oh for the past' cry...I'm trying to fight my disdain for people that don't respect the past and tradition. Yet, I've learned that change is a damn good thing. Especially, when I read the following quote from Miles's autobiography "Miles", which by the way is an absolutely a whoop-ass look into his life. The following quote definitely reminds me why I have to innovate, create, and keep moving. Tastes, people, and styles change...That's a damn good thing.

Here's how Miles put it.

"I love challenges and new things...When I hear jazz musicians today playing all those same licks we used to play so long ago, I feel sad for them. I mean, it's like going to bed with a real old person who even smells real old. Now, I'm not putting down old people because I'm getting older myself. But to be honest, that's what it reminds me of...I have to always be on the cutting edge of things because that's just the way I am and I have always been."




Keep pushing for change in your life....

Milestones,
IronDog

The Consolation Game

A lot of people are looking back upon the World Cup swirl this week...

It's only natural when you consider the event has pulled every country together through the sport of soccer. I noticed Frank Deford on public television with Ray Suarez and the editor of Soccer America this afternoon. You could tell that Deford was in a dialogue that was pretty one-sided in favor of the popularity of soccer.

Deford's argument started with his point that despite the three decades of hype and millions of dollars invested in the sport, soccer is still a niche sport that has not pushed itself over the hump as one of the big six sports in America.

Deford believes the sport is still a niche sport and that soccer is a game that fails to entice the mainstream American sports fan. He also stated that middle America can't understand the emphasis on defense, low-scoring, and the on-field politics of the game...Much less the drama acts on the field...Although I feel soccer is vibrant in America, with this argument, I tend to find myself siding more with Deford on the views of soccer in America.

With that all said, I do find it interesting that after major world events like the Olympics or the World Cup that people would like to transfer the experience over to the mainstream sports of America such as the NFL, NBA, MLB, or the NCAA major revenue sports. An example was found on the Freakonomics blog that I read often. Check out the post from the wudnerkinds here...Damn, I love this blog.

Dubner suggested that the NFL or other major sports events such as the Final Four or the Super Bowl should have a consolation game. My reply is this...

"There is nothing like the sap feeling of watching a third place game while wondering ‘What the hell happened?’ in the semifinal.

Believe me, a consolation game is not a good thing…for the players, coaches, and more importantly the fans. It’s the ultimate fete of the famous ‘kissing your sister’ cliche."

So please...Do not start up the demand for a consolation game. I don't think we realize how much impact that economists, financiers, and MBA students are having upon sports right now. "Geek chic" is in with GMs, sportsmarketers, and owners. They'll create any experience or event for the loot. Jump on my view with this one...

We don't need to start a groundswell clamor for consolation games in sports. They're miserable for everyone in the long-run.

"All or Nothing",
IronDog

Enrolled and More to Come...

Just to let you know...

I have accepted, enrolled, and committed to the Executive MBA Program at UNC Chapel Hill. I am expected to earn my MBA from the Kenan-Flagler School of Business in 2008.

For the next two years, you'll be hearing news and tidbits from my experiences. Perhaps, you'll notice a couple of twists to the 'IronDog Chronicles', which I hope you'll enjoy. I've been wanting to achieve a MBA for a long, long time, and this is a big step in my life. Where the path leads?...Well, you'll be able to find out soon...;)

In the meantime, let's keep sharing information. I'm here in "Chapel Thrill."

It's On,
IronDog

Bulls are Back

I'm overjoyed...Yes, overjoyed...We're going back to work...

Yes, the Chicago Bulls are going to be back working at a Championship level now that power forward, Ben Wallace, is on board.

Why?...Because now the Bulls have a legitimate leader in the trenches and in the paint. A player who knows what it takes to win a championship, has a work ethic that rivals Hestapheus, can rebound and more importantly bang with anyone...This is a huge move.

Throughout the playoffs this year, I said that the Bulls are missing a piece to push them over the top of the heap, which this season is the Miami Heat. My thoughts would be an extra gunner in terms of a guy who could drain a couple of buckets at the end of games. But landing Wallace is a better move by Bulls GM, John Paxson, and Bulls Head Coach, Scott Skiles.

The Bulls have some great pieces with Luol Deng, Andres Nocioni, Kirk Hinrich, and Ben Gordon. With Wallace, they can now allow frontcourt athletic players such as Tyson Chandler (although the rumors are that they're going to be shipping Chandler) and rookie, Tyrus Thomas to bring speed to the game without relying on lumbering Mike Sweeney to pick up the slack.

What's even more wild is that the Bulls may be releasing an identity that stems from the storied past of the Jordan years. The Jordan years have always lingered around the team for the past decade. It's time to let the past go...

Why?...With Wallace's veteran leadership combined with the smashmouth, hard- nosed philosophy of Skiles's offense and defense, the Bulls may now truly represent Chicago for what they are...A hard, titanium strength, bust-ass, team that foretells to anyone who feels that if they're going to make a run at something, they're going to have to come through Chicago.

Major Kudos with this signing...

Madhouse on Madison Returns,
IronDog