The Garden

My favorite: Straight men all across America look like gay men did five years ago. I blame Mens Health.

Runner-up: When American Homosexuals can't be differentiated from E. Coast guidos, something is seriously wrong with pop culture.

posted by Jimmy  # 10:39 PM

Scott says that Greenlight's young directorial team—Kyle Rankin and Efram Potelle—"have dumbfounded [producers] with their imperiousness." Now maybe the producers do view Rankin and Potelle as hard to bully, but I think it's Scott who has painted the young directors in the least flattering, and an entirely unjustified, light. E.g.,

Scott says that Potelle "demanded a car" during "an important strategy meeting." If you saw the episode, though, you know that Potelle didn't "demand" a car. He simply asked at the start of a meeting whether he could get a car. A "demand" would include an ultimatum (get me a car, or I'm off the movie). That didn't happen. He just asked. Now simply asking may seem plenty ballsy, but Potelle had just learned that his screenwriting counterpart Erica Beeney had been loaned a car—and Potelle was driving what was obviously a clunker. If Potelle was guilty of anything during this scene, it was bad timing. It wasn't imperiousness.



Scott says Potelle "humiliated" a top prospect for a position as director of photography. What actually happened, though, was that Potelle (i) suddenly observed, at the end of the interview, that the candidate had interrupted Rankin and him several times during the meeting and (ii) asked whether that was part of the candidate's style. It was definitely an awkward interview moment, but I sure wouldn't call it an attempt at humiliation. If anything, Potelle showed a lack of some interpersonal skills (you can be too direct, you know), but he was obviously asking a question that needed to be answered satisfactorily for the candidate to get the job.



Scott says that Rankin and Potelle wanted to "come into the editing bay after the editor [was] gone and do [their] own cutting and splicing." Well, yes, that happened, but it came in a discussion in which Rankin and Potelle proposed that they do their own editing of the movie. The producers seriously considered this idea, and they actually took it to the studio (which ultimately nixed the idea). And it's not such an off-the-wall idea. Some directors view editing as part of their process. Rankin and, especially, Potelle certainly do. That these directors offered to save the film some precious money, by editing the film themsleves, didn't betray any "imperiousness." And it certainly wasn't viewed that way, at the time, by the production team.



The critic says that Rankin and Potelle threatened to quit rather than accede to the studio's wish that they cast TV's Jane Kaczmarek (instead of the exquisite Kathleen Quinlan, who ultimately got the part anyway). Well, that happened, too, but it wasn't much of a threat. Greenlight's producers, especially Chris Moore, had been imploring Rankin and Potelle to get involved and to make more demands of the studio when they thought it appropriate. When Rankin and Potelle were told that an offer had been made to Kaczmarek, without their support, they decided to feel out Moore about how they could get the actress they actually wanted. No one thought, for more a second, that Rankin and Potelle were actually thinking about throwing away their directorial debut. Instead, they'd been bullied into being more feisty—and it was silly of Scott to say that they looked "imperious" when they finally played "feisty" for a minute. Hmph.



Scott says that Rankin and Potelle made script changes without Beeney's approval. Oh, please. Yes, the directors attempted to make some minor changes here and there. But how many directors treat the script as sacred text? Especially this text, which certainly has Lifetime Network overtones. (Ick.)

posted by Jimmy  # 9:16 PM

Sadly, Philadelphia's new facility for the Phillies is going to be yet another Oriole Park-like nostalgia fest.

posted by Jimmy  # 9:09 PM

It's hard to imagine a shot putter on the cover of today's SI, isn't it? This year, for instance, we've had 28 SI covers so far, and they've showcased the bread and butter of modern American sports—team sports (but no hockey!). The tally: football (one college, four professional), basketball (four college, seven professional), baseball (four professional). Golf and tennis each had one cover this year, too. The remaining six covers all related to SI features, and, yes, that includes the swimsuit issue. The only truly unexpected cover this year was the June 16 cover highlighting a story on a dangerous freedive.

Some of the early SI covers are truly fascinating—more for their subjects than for their design. Sadly, we probably won't see any new SI covers featuring bullfighting, water skiing, chess, or dachshunds (or how about a Bedlington terrier?).

Some of my other all-time favorite SI covers: Joe Namath, December 9, 1968; hammer thrower George Frenn, July 6, 1970; weightlifter Vasili Alexeyev, April 14, 1975; a young George Brett, June 21, 1976; Bill Walton, October 15, 1979; John McEnroe, July 11, 1983; the Ripken family, March 9, 1987 (and then there's underwater Cal, Jr., August 7, 1995); Martina Navratilova, July 16, 1990; Pete Sampras, July 11, 1994; Jerome Bettis, November 24, 1997; David Wells, July 10, 2000; and a Chaplinesque Tiger Woods, December 8, 2000.

And there's even a cover on the jinx of the SI cover.

posted by Jimmy  # 10:47 AM

The one place I really want to visit, and that I haven't yet visited, is Madrid. Sometimes, when I get in moods like the one I'm in now, I head over to MadridMan's Yankee Home Page and think about actually going. I've been visiting MadridMan's site for years, longer than I've been (regularly) visiting just about any other site. He lives in Columbus, Ohio (he loves those Buckeyes), and he's about my age. His interest in Madrid seems to be a big part of his identity. Naturally enough, he started a site that has gradually become downright comprehensive. There are links to Spanish radio and TV stations, photos from his several trips to Spain, message boards for those planning their own trips, links to Spanish news sources, and on and on and on.

MadridMan also has a webcam at his desk. I don't know why I find it so compelling, but I do. Tonight, for instance, as I write this, MadridMad is sitting at his desk, in what is now his familiar living room, working away. He's shirtless, as he often is, and he seems pretty content. I don't know what the webcam has to do, really, with providing information about Madrid, but it makes me feel like I know him just a little bit. Somehow, it makes him seem all the more trustworthy. And—on a night, like tonight, when the world seems a bit awry—it's comforting to know that MadridMan is there.

Should I plan a winter trip to Madrid?

posted by Jimmy  # 11:50 PM

I say all that as a preface—ok, a very long preface—to my review of Nasvhille Star Buddy Jewell's self-titled debut album. You won't hear most of the album at a honky tonk. Jewell has a little bit of the Collin Raye in him, I'm afraid. And you're not surprised by that, either, if you've heard his first single ("Help Pour Out the Rain") on the radio. It's got a cute kid, a cute saying, and happy thoughts about the afterlife. It's not Budweiser-stained music, that's for sure. But, dang it, it's catchy, and I just can't say I don't like it. When I hear it on the radio or coming out of my CD player, I sing along.

I do think some of the weakest stuff on Buddy Jewell falls into that sappy, Collin Raye vein, though. Songs like "Why We Said Goodbye," "One Step at a Time," and the downright dreadful "O'Reilly Luck" epitomize the relentlessly sentimental sameness that characterizes contemporary country music and, especially, contemporary country radio. The lyrics take you where you expect to go, and there's nothing new or edgy at that destination. Yawn. A lesser offender in this category is probably "I Can Get By," a song written by Clint Black, who produced Jewell's album. "Get By" sounds just like it was written by Clint Black, and I'm not talking about the early Clint Black ("A Better Man," "You're Gonna Leave Me Again," "Killin' Time") either. I'm talking about the recent Clint Black, the Clint Black that sounds like it was produced at the Clint Black Factory. No, thanks. If I have that for dinner, I'll need to eat again in an hour.

Happily, though, the rest of Buddy Jewell is pretty darn good. "Sweet Southern Comfort" is so catchy—and, oddly, sweetly anthemic, if you can imagine it—that I can't help but forgive the fact that its lyrics belong on an Alabama album. It has to be a hit. Likewise, Jewell's flawless, smooth performance (not to mention his witty spoken intro) on "I Wanna Thank Everyone" saves the song from itself. And, hey, Jewell's remake (with Nashville Star alum Miranda Lambert) of the old Merle Haggard-Bonnie Owens duet "Today I Started Loving You Again" actually sounds like it ought to be playing on a honky tonk jukebox. Believe me, I won't complain about that.

Without question, the best song on the album is "Abilene on Her Mind," a song co-written by Jewell himself. I was immediately taken with the song when I heard it on Nashville Star, and I haven't changed my mind one bit since. I'll be shocked if this song doesn't propel Jewell to what passes for country music stardom these days. It's just about the perfect country song: There's a break-up, some wistfulness, and some appropriate geographical wordplay. It's the kind of song that Collin Raye would never sing. But you could sing along over your ice cold Bud, and I think you just might.

Buddy Jewell/Buddy Jewell: B+

posted by Jimmy  # 10:01 PM

Things continued to be chaotic today. Asashoryu lost again, earning a very un-yokozuna-like fourth loss in only nine days. He promptly withdrew from the rest of the basho, citing a preexisting injury to his right elbow. Meanwhile, the Japan Sumo Association received a bomb threat as well as telephone calls threatening Asashoryu personally. Some fans at today's bouts also carried anti-Asashoryu signs.

Sumo is usually characterized by decorum—perhaps too much for an American fan like me. But I'm reeling from all the Sturm und Drang occurring now.

posted by Jimmy  # 11:25 PM

Probably so. He doesn't have much of a sense of humor sometimes.

posted by Jimmy  # 12:36 PM

I'll certainly never forget Becker's first Wimbledon victory, which came in 1985 when he was an unseeded 17-year-old. Becker had actually caught my eye the year before, when he severely injured his ankle in the third round in a match against Bill Scanlon. (Becker was out for several months after that.) In 1985, he had to defeat several seeds, and many of the matches were epic battles. He needed five sets to defeat Sweden's Joakim Nystrom, the seventh seed, in the second round. He needed another five sets in the round of 16 against the USA's Tim Mayotte. Becker twisted his ankle during the third set of that match, but he persisted. Mayotte had two match points in a fourth-set tiebreaker, but Becker hung on. It was thrilling stuff. And it was during all this that Becker's philosophy about the fifth set—that it's really more about character and heart than tennis—was forged.

As a fan, I couldn't resist rooting for Becker. He rushed the net in a classic grass-court way, and he was truly passionate about winning. Tennis fans will always remember Becker diving sideways at the net on the Wimbledon grass, making incredible gets and then picking himself up again to go on. And, of course, in 1985, Becker was the underdog. (You know how I feel about underdogs, don't you?) Anyway, by the time that Becker got by Henri Leconte and Anders Jarryd to reach the final, there was a certain inevitability to his winning the title. His victory over another unexpected finalist, South Africa's Kevin Curren, was almost anticlimactic.

I was smitten with Becker, in any number of ways. He was smart, respectful of Wimbledon tradition, and gentle. He resisted the nickname "Boom Boom" because it struck him as too martial. Part of my zeal for Becker, maybe most of it, was that he was really the first player of my generation to make it. (I'm a year older than Becker.) When you're a kid, all the athletes are older, and you live in fantasies about, someday or other, being a player, being an adult, being competent. (When you're older than 99% of all the athletes, as I am now, watching sports is often an exercise in nostalgia. Sigh.) When Becker won, I felt—just a little bit—like my time was now. I was ready to go grab life, to do something. For me, it wouldn't be playing tennis, but that didn't matter. Watching Becker made me feel a little bit more like an adult. His victory was downright empowering for me.

In 1985, I imagined Becker winning five or six Wimbledons, and probably just as many U.S. Open titles. When he defended his Wimbledon title in 1986, it was hard to imagine anything but some kind of domination by him. It wasn't to be. Becker didn't win at Wimbledon again until 1989, and that turned out to be his last title there. (He was a runner-up three times after that.) As he aged, Becker seemed to get, well, thicker, and he just didn't move quite as well. And before he knew it, I'm sure, it was the Pete Sampras era. Becker did manage to win two more Grand Slam Titles (Australian Open titles in 1991 and 1996), but his time was really the late 1980s.

Becker's Hall-of-Fame career included the three Wimbledon titles, two Australian Open titles, and a single U.S. Open title. His play earned him many, many fans. Including me.

posted by Jimmy  # 9:45 PM

I understand that Japanese media outlets are now reporting that the Yokozuna Deliberation Council, a sort of advisory committee that evaluates the appropriateness of the highest-ranked wrestlers' conduct, will make inquiries into the hair-pulling incident after the current basho is over.

posted by Jimmy  # 8:30 PM

I have abandonment issues now.

posted by Jimmy  # 10:12 PM

Meanwhile, in Japan, everyone is talking about the yokozuna, Asashoryu, who was disqualified in his match today for, well, hair pulling. Nyah, nyah, nyah. (I always have to say that immediately following "hair pulling." Nyah, nyah, nyah.) Sumo Now!, which provides excellent coverage of every basho, has all the details on the yokozuna's loss by hansoku (default). (There's even a picture.) There are only a few things that will earn a rikishi a hansoku: Hair pulling, choking, hitting with a fist, and pulling off an opponent's mawashi are among them. This was the first time ever that a yokozuna, a grand champion, lost by hansoku.

posted by Jimmy  # 9:19 PM

Oh, and E stands for error.

posted by Jimmy  # 9:34 PM

Other beneficiaries of significant post-Wimbledon changes in the rankings:

↑semifinalist Sebastien Grosjean, up five places to #9;

↑finalist Mark Philippoussis, up 26 big places to #22;

↑Max Mirnyi, up 11 places to #32;

↑quarterfinalist Jonas Bjorkman, up 32 places to #47; and

↑quarterfinalist Alexander Popp, up 105(!) places to #93.

↓last year's finalist David Nalbandian, down 10 places to #19;

↓last year's semifinalist Xavier Malisse, down 35 to #66;

↓Greg Rusedski, down 18 to #69; and

↓Georg Bastl, last year's second-round vanquisher of *Pete Sampras, down 53 places to #200.

posted by Jimmy  # 10:01 PM

While I'm thinking about it, I'm sure enjoying PaperFrog's updates on the Tour de France. The most recent one—it's still fresh—can be found here.

posted by Jimmy  # 8:17 PM

You can find the Chávez Branch's wish list here. Pamie's most recent update on the campaign contains links to several other branches' wish lists.

posted by Jimmy  # 11:18 PM

Whether you agree or disagree with Captain Indignant, you've got to love his attitude. (I wish he posted more often, but that might be bad for his blood pressure.) Blogistan needs its Fortress of Peevishness, you know?

posted by Jimmy  # 10:42 PM

The end of Wimbledon always leaves me a little sad. (I guess that's not surprising, given the number of hours I spend each day watching and thinking about it.) But Navratilova's win in the mixed seemed like a good way to end the fortnight. Closure?

posted by Jimmy  # 4:36 PM

Federer's emotional reaction to winning—obvious ebullience and even a few years—surely won him some fans today, too.

posted by Jimmy  # 1:23 PM

Other highlights of this issue of Bookslut: Jessa Crispin's hilarious, insightful look at Sophie's Choice and her interview with Pamela Ribon, whose book Why Girls Are Weird I mentioned here.

posted by Jimmy  # 5:48 PM

Maybe I'm just an easy touch, but the best part of the Wimbledon final for me was the aftermath—when Serena joined Venus in chairs on one side of the umpire, when they were sisters again, when the referee agreed to take a picture of the duo with Venus's ubiquitous camera. It would sure be good to get some stellar tennis from them in a big final and then get the sweet aftermath. I wonder if it will ever happen.

posted by Jimmy  # 12:10 PM

but that first exposure is just about one of the most exciting things i can think of. your ears struggle to keep up with the different layers of music, and what your ear catches the first time around is never exactly what you'll hear later. the whole thing is very visceral and quite inexplicable.

Like alice, I don't seem to have the intimate relation to new music that I once did. Maybe I'm too busy with work and life, or maybe I'm just jaded now. But I sure wouldn't mind stumbling onto something a little life-transforming now and then. And realizing it for the first time when I listened.

posted by Jimmy  # 7:26 PM

Andy Roddick's response to the former players' letter—that, essentially, they should mind their own business—was a bit pathetic. Of course, he benefits from the new rackets. He has a huge serve, and his repertoire seems to consist solely of hitting the ball as hard as he can. And, even if he was disinterested, Roddick is just too young and inexperienced to have any real perspective.

posted by Jimmy  # 7:05 PM

It's Independence Day!

posted by Jimmy  # 12:06 AM

Grosjean will meet Mark Philippoussis in a semifinal that few could have anticipated. (I surely didn't.) Philippoussis defeated yet another unexpected quarterfinalist, Alexander Popp, today. That match was itself awfully exciting, and the final set went into extra innings (8-6).

Tomorrow's other semifinal was a bit more predictable, and it looks to be the match of the tournament: Andy Roddick vs. Roger Federer. Roddick easily defeated veteran Jonas Bjorkman today, while Federer took out Sjeng Schalken. I still like Federer's chances to make the finals, but I may well find myself rooting for the young American.

Meanwhile, the women's final was set today, and it's going to be another all-Williams affair. If prior matches are an indication, that probably means we'll see some dismal tennis on Saturday. Serena had no trouble with French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne, while Venus had a much tougher time with Kim Clijsters. Sadly, Venus appears to have aggravated a stomach injury, making the chances of a thrilling final even slimmer.

posted by Jimmy  # 10:39 PM

Today, on the grass, Henman trailed Sebastien Grosjean, 6-7 (8-10), 6-3, 3-6, 2-1, when rain interrupted play. A win by Grosjean tomorrow would make my week.

posted by Jimmy  # 11:02 PM

Lleyton Hewitt - Hewitt, of course, crashed early, losing to big-serving Ivo Karlovic—who ultimately lost to Max Mirnyi. Mirnyi, in turn, lost to the ultimate quarterfinalist from this section, veteran Jonas Bjorkman. I didn't see Hewitt's early departure coming; and, even if I had, I thought Bjorkman would have a tough time getting past the second round.



Andy Roddick - I had Roddick as the quarterfinalist. In fact, I did a pretty good job of picking this entire section.



Roger Federer - I had this one, too. Yesssssssssss! The biggest surprise in this section was Mikhail Youznhy's loss to Feliciano Lopez in the second round. I'll be keeping an eye on Lopez from now on.



Sjeng Schalken - Well, yes, I picked this one, too. Let me enjoy it, ok? The rest of the draw wasn't that kind to me.



David Nalbandian - Nalbandian, last year's finalist, lost to the evil Tim Henman in the round of 16. Believe me, I'm not thrilled. (Still, I did say that this part of the draw was so open that even someone playing as badly as Henman could come through.) Worst of all, Henman is now the highest ranked player in the lower half of the draw. As much as it pains me, and it does, Henman should make the final. Ugh. It's completely undeserved.



James Blake - I had little confidence in this pick—with good reason. Still, I can take some pride in the fact that Seb Grosjean is the quarterfinalist; on my draw, I had the Frenchman making it all the way to the round of 16. And, after Blake lost, I said Grosjean was the man. Partial credit, maybe?



Jiri Novak - Since Novak had never made it past the second round before, I should've had more doubt about this pick than I did. I certainly didn't see Alexander Popp as the quarterfinalist. I had the big-serving Popp losing in the first round. Ouch.



Andre Agassi - Agassi, we all know, fell yesterday to Mark Philippoussis. I didn't see Agassi losing at all, and I certainly didn't think the down-on-his-luck Aussie would be the man with a chance to beat the American.

Semifinals: Assuming Federer is fit, I see him beating Roddick. Of course, if Federer isn't fit, Roddick's the man. In the bottom half of the draw, I'm afraid it'll be Henman over Philippoussis. But you know whom I'll be rooting for, don't you?

Finals: I like the chances of anyone—either Federer or Roddick—over the choke-prone Henman in the final.

As for the women's draw, well, I did slightly better with my picks. Let's look in detail:

Serena Williams - Of course. And today, she marched into the semifinals, too. Just as I expected.



Conchita Martinez - Ok, I was wrong about this one, but I realized it soon, didn't I? I should've gone with the seeding and picked Jennifer Capriati (who was Serena's victim today in a wonderful three-set match).



Justine Henin-Hardenne - She's still around, just as I expected. I continue to expect Serena to take care of the Belgian in the semis.



Alexandra Stevenson - Give me some sympathy here, ok? I said right from the start that the seeds in this section were so inconsistent that it was folly to try to choose. I was at least right about that. The quarterfinalist turned out to be #33 Svetlana Kuznetsova. (She lost to Henin-Hardenne today.)



Lindsay Davenport - I called this one. Davenport lost today, though, to Venus Williams. (I thought Davenport would make the semifinals.)



Vera Zvonareva - Yes, I foolishly thought the young Russian had a chance against Venus Williams, whose form had been so poor before Wimbledon. I should've gone with the former champion, though.



Chanda Rubin - It hurt when Rubin fell to Italy's Silvia Farina Elia in the third round. (Even with the assistance of a bee, the Italian couldn't manage a win today over Kim Clijsters in the quarterfinals.)



Kim Clijsters - I got this one right.

I guess we shouldn't be surprised that the four top seeds are the women's—but not the men's—semifinalists. It always seems to be that way. Maybe someday I'll learn.

posted by Jimmy  # 11:38 PM