|
|
 | The New Zhang Yimou Someone has taken over Zhang Yimou's body. The man who built his reputation by capturing the infinite sadness that actress Gong Li exudes in films like Raise the Red Lantern and Shanghai Triad has completely reversed course, pouring his time into the martial arts genre, first with Hero, and now with his newest film House of Flying Daggers.More |  | Why I rooted against the Red Sox A grown man lay on the beer-strewn ground of a crowded pub, his friends knelt beside him, patting the man on his back or simply resting a consoling hand on his shoulder. As the throngs jockeyed for position to overflow onto the streets, he remained in the same place. The man's body convulsed violently with each progressive gasp for air, as he valiantly, but unsuccessfully, attempted to hold back tears.More |  | The Reversal Just a few days ago, the 2004 playoffs ranked the worst in recent memory. After several consecutive years of unbelievable postseason baseball, this year’s version has all the excitement of Spring Training. Of the four first-round series, only one reached a deciding fifth game, and even that ended up as a 9-run blowout.More |  | Playoff observations There's probably more analysis of baseball done right before and during the playoffs than any other part of the season. Logically, it doesn't make much sense, since no one of this earth can predict with great accuracy which team will emerge victorious in a short series. The best one can do is pick the team with the best one-two starting tandem.More | | | Observations from Day One of the Playoffs My plan was to do a scouting report on all of the National League contenders, but since Buck Martinez is already doing that for ESPN, there's probably no point. I'm sure he'll give plenty of coverage as to which pitcher has the most resolve, and which hitters are proficient at executing the sacrifice bunt.More |  | The best football movie in recent memory The makers of Friday Night Lights were smart enough to realize their job wasn't to figure out how to make the story dramatic -- it already is. Rather, all they needed to do was capture the essence of how people in Texas feel about high school football. Everything else is icing.More |  | South America on a shoestring Stories about traveling are one of many things that fall into the category of "had to be there," and anyone who's ever had a friend return from traveling abroad knows exactly why. Upon that first meeting, one can't help but wonder how much time will be wasted looking over photographs from the trip. Occasionally, the pictures surprise you and the stories that go along with them will leave you captivated for hours. But, that's the exception.More | | | Last piece of hardware Quick Wild Card update...
The Cubs are lucky that all wins and losses are worth the same. With two teams just a step behind, the Cubs lost three out of four games to the Reds and Mets. Included in this debacle is a 4-3, extra-inning loss to the other team from New York. LaTroy Hawkins surrendered a game-tying three-run homer to Victor Diaz, before Craig Brazell took Kent Mercker out of the yard in the 11th.More | | | Cy Young and a reminder In just one week, the Wild Card race slimmed to just three ballclubs. The Padres have as good a chance of winning their division as they do the Wild Card (both zero), and the Marlins' coaches and players can officially start making plans to go trick-or-treating with their kids.More | | | A belated look at the Wild Card It was my intention to examine the Wild Card race last week, but after reading some of Peter Gammons' ridiculous claims, I felt it a sin to let them go unnoticed. Perhaps, there was also an ulterior motive. With five teams so tightly bunched, it seemed that over the course of the week, at least one of might fall behind the competition.More |
|
