The Orlando Magic should go Brazilian

So the Orlando Magic are inches away from losing Dwight Howard. It is inevitable; he is leaving us and heading elsewhere. The Magic have not even officially put him on the trading block for some odd reason, even though everyone in the entire planet knows that Howard is sick of playing for a franchise that has made bad decision after bad decision after bad decision. So what happens now is that Orlando gets to start rebuilding all over again. Their offense was centered on Howard, as their three-point offense exists because of the sheer power in the low post. While Howard isn’t the best scorer in the NBA, he causes the most impact regardless because he can score at any given moment. So when they double or triple team him, he can dish it off to one of several three-point bombers.

All this changes when Howard leaves. Even if we trade him for douchebag Bynum, or trade him for still-not-quite-there Amare Stoudemire—the offense has to revamp itself. But instead of looking for a center like Howard, the Magic should focus on re-branding itself and become a likable team/area to play for. Right now the preference of the NBA players tends to be focused on New York, Chicago, Miami, and Los Angeles. That’s why most of your big stars are on those four cities. Oklahoma City has been an incredible exception, but they are thriving mostly because of an incredible GM—something the Magic has sorely lacked in the past decade. And here’s my random plan: why not become the official team of Brazil?



Can you imagine the Amway Center being chock full of Brazilians on a consistent basis? Can you imagine the party scene in the Downtown Orlando area? Miami has already attempted to nab the Hispanic market, so why can’t Orlando hunt down the South American market by nabbing some players from Brazil and/or Argentina? From a purely financial standpoint, this would do wonders for a franchise that is 9th most valuable in the NBA—and that’s AFTER consistent playoff appearances, and featuring one of the most dominant (yet friendliest) players in the entire league. While his posture sucks nowadays, in the past Howard would constantly donate his shoes and clothes to fans throughout the season. Orlando had a slowly rising fanbase outside the Central Florida area. If we get some South Americans involved, then the fanbase can virtually explode on a much faster pace.

This is the sad truth: Magic fans are a fickle unmotivated crowd. The games do supposedly sell-out, but they are usually flocking around the arena (inside and outside) and in a general consensus leave quite early. Magic players in the past have even complained that while there are thousands of fans in the building, they are not at their seats. Instead drinking, partying, socializing, not really dwelling themselves in the game. This is happening now, and this happened before the Dwight Howard trade rumors started appearing.

Now before you question the quality of South American basketball: the Argentinean basketball team was the one that ended the Americans’ dominance of Olympic basketball back in 2004 while also nabbing the Bronze medal in 2008 after a well-fought series of games. Brazil and Argentina had the top slots in the Olympic qualifying games last year. There is a lot of great talent in South America, and it’s rather shocking that more NBA teams don't down head down under to search for it. Manu Ginobili, arguably the greatest Sixth Man in the past 15 years comes from Argentina. If I were running the Magic, I would increase the value of the franchise and make it more playable by improving the atmosphere and craziness of the Amway Center. And with good South American flair involved, this can definitely be achieved....especially with NBA season happening during South America's summer vacation.

While I don’t want to South Americanize the entire lineup, putting at least one Brazilian in the starting lineup would definitely be a nice boost. Just look at the Knicks and their fast and furious Taiwanese (and to an extent, Asian) takeover since Jeremy Lin took over as the headliner. And Orlando has an even better advantage because Brazilians flock there every year by the millions. Disney World’s biggest population outside American tourists is Brazilian tourists and the tour groups. Orlando’s economy can improve even more if they become the official team of Brazil in the United States. If the city of Orlando worked together with the Brazilian tour groups to send them to ballgames in droves we would have a louder, more ambitious, and more inspiring ambiance.


This plan of trying to appeal to Brazil is purely business above quality. But the truth is the Magic have to start from scratch, have to start on square one the moment their prized center leaves. And the fans are going to leave, this is also inevitable. Look at what happened to the Magic after Shaq left. The last season of Shaq gave the Magic an attendance total of 707,000. They did not reach that number until 2007, 11 years later. All those consecutive games of sell-out crowds is going to end, if it hasn’t done so already. How do you fill that void? Get the Brazil crowd involved. Even better is that South American fans are much better than Floridian fans; they really invest themselves to the game.

Bottom Line: In my opinion one way the Magic can start from scratch in the right way is by reaching out to untapped markets in South America and converting Brazil (and maybe even the surrounding nations) into Magic fans. That increases the value, increases the appeal, and makes it easier to scoop up superstars. You must realize that throughout the years the Magic have been good at brewing stars (Shaq, McGrady, Hardaway, Howard, Billups, Wallace) but not really attracting them. Grant Hill may have been the exception, but we failed at keeping Shaq, failed at getting Tim Duncan, failed at getting Vince Carter (when he was at his prime), among other examples. Transforming the Orlando Magic into a global brand to the level of the Knicks, Lakers, and rising force Miami Heat would be a big boost to the team, to the economy, and to the city. Pull a Disney: make Brazil love you----really, really love you.

The Epcot Restoration Project

A very long time ago I had this lengthy article about how Disney should shut down each park for a year in order to make all the necessary changes---—adding attractions, removing attractions, and pretty much giving each park a fresh coat of paint. Well, freshly after I made the idea Disney decided to double the size of Fantasyland while also giving Animal Kingdom a massive boost with an Avatar-themed land. While it’s still leagues behind what I wanted to see, it’s at least in the right direction in terms of expanding the park size. But one park has been amazingly quiet in recent years in terms of new changes or dramatic shifts. And worst of all, this park is the one with the fewest changes in the last 5 years.

Epcot, my favorite park, has remained quite the same within the past decade---even though it is a total shadow of what it used to be. As a matter of fact the World Showcase hasn’t seen a dramatic change since 1999, when the millennium event was going on. There has not been a new country, there has not been a new attraction within the countries (Mexico is the lone wolf exception, although that ride can do a lot better), and we still have countries like Italy and Morocco that lack an attention-grabbing attraction. While the Disney Walkabout plan is pretty much dead, I still have hopes in my latest escapade: the Epcot Restoration Project. Combining previous ideas I had about Epcot with new ones, this project would revive Epcot and bring it closer to perfection.

It would be simple: we could whether shut down future world for six months then shut down the World Showcase for the same amount of time; or shut down the entire park altogether for a year. Either way, it requires an extensive shutdown. We can start the Restoration Project in the front of the park. While this becomes a very daunting task, we should offer compensation to every person who bought a picture and took part of the create-a-memory thing. We can offer a variety of Disney items, and we should include tickets. They paid good money for their space, and we can’t technically just get rid of them. The more daunting task is figuring out what to do if we have guests that flat-out refuse to accept any compensation.

Spaceship Earth has seen better days when Jeremy Irons was the narrator, but it’s still a classic at heart. That being said, we really need to change that ending. The choosing-your-ending aspect is very unrealistic, very cartoonish, and quite different from the rest of the attraction. The Imagineers should provide a much better solution to presenting the future to the guests, as opposed to forcing the guests to pick something using a badly-cropped photo of themselves. The Spaceship Earth rides of the past offered en ending, why can’t this one? Now, I know it would be mean to replace Judi Dench as narrator, but there are many wonderful options out there: Morgan Freeman, Peter O’Toole, Clint Eastwood, Daniel Day-Lewis, etc.

Innoventions needs the most help of all. Totally losing track of the future, both sides have become bonafide flubs with awkward advertisement-run attractions and tons of filler material. We need Sony’s updated gaming hardware (and updated televisions to coincide with it), we need Apple’s involvement (because we all know they usually like to remain one step ahead), and most importantly a consistent theme about looking forward. Lastly, the roller coaster inside the left side of Innoventions needs a bit more advertising. Kim Possible’s starting spot at Future World can stay, I will let it slide. Club Cool needs to be updated to look more futuristic. At least offer some futuristic-like drinks or something along those lines. And if none of this can be accomplished, move Club Cool to the World Showcase—since its free sodas around the world has more of a Showcase feel as opposed to Future.

Universe of Energy needs to change, dramatically. While I for one am against Disney characters representing realistic rides (Nemo and Friends anyone?) , Phenias and Ferb doing the Universe of Energy wouldn’t be a bad idea. They are popular; they have a knack for science, and would give the attraction some much-needed popularity. While Bill Nye will remain cooler in my heart that part of Disney culture is long gone unfortunately. We need to re-open the Wonders of Life. Cranium Command and Body Wars are classics that need to be updated and restored for future generations to enjoy. Of course, we can throw in some healthy-based attractions, shows, and presentations to ensure that we don’t look like the blobs in Wall-E.

Mission: Space is fine—until we get to the post-show. It looks amazingly ugly after the ride is over. There is no space or Mars theme while walking from the ride to the post-show. And the post-show doesn’t have much pizzazz either, at least make it look like we are indeed astronauts in training in Mars. Test Track I originally envisioned would transform into a Tron ride. Well, after the mild fleeting success of the film, I don’t see Disney even attempting it. If not Tron, then we should at least make a futuristic car and make it go through a variety of tests to survive terrain on Earth and in outer space. Basically, make sure Test Track at least matches with the “future” theme.

On the other side of Future World we need to get rid of Nemo from the Living Seas. It should go back to the Living Seas—similar to the Tomorrowland Transit Authority at Magic Kingdom suddenly becoming the PeopleMover. Bring back the wonderful music, the more laid-back ambiance, and the scene where you slowly move your way through the aquarium. The Land should update Soarin’ and Living with the Land. With Soarin’, the movie should be updated to show other parts of the United States---like the Grand Canyon, the beaches of Florida, Yellowstone National Park, the Appalachian Mountains, the freezing parts of Alaska, and much more. To make it even more interesting, Soarin’ should randomize some of the locations like Star Tours II. Living with the Land should just update their information on how nations around the world are becoming Green and finding different ways to grow crops and livestock.

And this brings us to Imagination. Against popular opinion, we should just destroy this thing altogether. The truth is the Imagination building has never been great, has never had the amazing appeal of the old-school (and even some new-school) rides and Figment himself is just a wasted character. So why not bring the classic Horizons here? We can update it to make a little lower-key and mildly smaller in scale, but I think the re-introduction of Horizons would make some Disney fans run around in circles in glee. But Honey I Shrunk the Audience and Captain EO are outlandishly dated, and just need to eternally disappear.

Character Spot is a decent idea, but the backgrounds are so ridiculously lame I have no idea what they were thinking when they crafted those monstrosities. At least do backgrounds of classic Disney movies. At least, come on its not that hard. One final small little detail: the timeline of Epcot should be expanded. A lot has happened since the 25th anniversary, and while none of them are necessarily huge they should still at least be mentioned. And hopefully if we do a big expansion of Epcot that timeline can grow.

World Showcase is my favorite part of Disney World by far, but that doesn’t mean changes are not required. Mexico is one of the better-developed pavilions. I would whether remove the Three Caballeros from the Mexican boat ride or at least make it-----better. Norway in my opinion needs to be replaced altogether unfortunately, as it doesn’t have the support it used to have. In my opinion, Australia would be a perfect fit there. Have an Australian restaurant (do we even have those in Florida?), offer some Australian dessert, and have a ride in the style of Mexico’s boat ride that pits you in some of the scenic views of the country/island/continent.

China is fine but the Reflections of China attraction can benefit from an HD/Blu-Ray facelift in the style of what Hollywood has been doing to classic films like Casablanca and Snow White. It’s a nice attraction, and it’s a well-executed idea. But, the images can be a bit blurry sometimes. In an HD-dominating world, its time for Disney to catch up and remain pace. It becomes harder to justify a purchase to view the countries when you can get a better view from your personal television set. The small Outpost area should at least be a small African pavilion like Kenya or Egypt or even South Africa. Germany is next and from the nice restaurant to the awesome train set, doesn’t really need much changing. P.S. the newer caramel place they have there is phenomenal.

Italy honestly doesn’t offer much outside the three food places. In my opinion, they should have some romantic boat ride that puts you through the three restaurants (and Venice) and can even temporarily sneak you in to a small part of the Showcase Lagoon. I have never ever been a fan of the American Adventure, and I personally would split it into two different pavilions: with the options being Greece, Russia, Argentina, Chile, or Egypt. While the chances of the American Adventure disappearing would be at a nice -33%, it would be nice to dream, right? Let’s be honest though, why do we need an America in the World Showcase. Disney World is IN America!

Japan is the best of the pavilions by far; the best represented and by far has the best variety. The merchandise shop is massive, there are three places to eat in there, and there’s plenty to see while in the area. But wouldn’t it more awesome with a Miyazaki ride? I can see it now, a slow ride that pits you through several different Miyazaki films from Totoro to Spirited Away. Morocco can’t be dealt with too much as its considered holy ground (According to people at Epcot) but its fine the way that it is. There should be a bellydancing lesson thrown somewhere in there though.

France is beautifully done, but the Impressions of France needs a major update. The movie is a classic with beautiful music, but needs an HD-facelift, and it’s about time to give it some new scenes to display. The United Kingdom pavilion is also well-done, but we need to bring back the British Invasion, the Beatles cover band. Nothing against the British Revolution or whatever they are called, but nothing says U.K. like the Beatles. Also, a small playable soccer field in the background couldn’t hurt.

In between the U.K. and Canada should be another pavilion. This is where Brazil comes in. We can turn Brazil into a big Festival with street foods from the country and then have an Impressions of France-like attraction showcasing the beauty and diversity of Brazil. Now, you may ask why this country. Well, no other country throws more visitors at Florida than Brazil. To add to that, we still don’t have a South American country in the Showcase. Adding more to that, Brazil is quickly rising as one of the most prosperous and popular nations in the world. It is about time they get a pavilion, especially considering the good relations Disney has with Brazil.

Lastly, the Canada movie should also get an HD touch, even though it was updated not too long ago back in 2007. Next door is the Refreshment Port and a surrounding grassy area. I think this area should be used for Caribbean cuisine—give the Refreshment Port a menu with island-influenced items while throwing a couple food trucks closeby for good measure. To enhance the experience some more, they should sell imported drinks from the Caribbean like the infamous flavored sodas and their beer.

To make a long story short, Epcot has plenty of room to grow and I am sure with enough effort, enough drive and motivation, Disney can make this park even better than before, bring it to its old-school glory, and give it the jolt of magic that has been missing there recently. Some may argue why mess with something that’s worked for so long, and my response is why not? If I had the money and resources to make Epcot even better, why not take the chance?

P.S. Can we please fix the fountain in the front to make it work continuously? Thanks

Why the Republicans need another Bush

Good ol’ politics. About six months ago, the Republicans were so sure that they have Obama at the corner, and were ready for utter annihilation. They’ve taken control of most of the White House with recent elections, and were poised to complete the comeback by taking the head honcho seat. All they need is a decent candidate, one that the people can support, and victory is theirs. Simple, right? One little, tiny problem. The Republicans don’t have a likable candidate. They don’t have one that the entire party supports vividly in the way the Dems have recently softened up to Obama. The Red states are actually torn as to whom they want. And even the leader, Mr. Mitt Romney, is hated by the fellow Republican leaders. So why on earth is a sure-fire victory becoming such a hassle?

We can start by pointing out the candidates. Part of Obama’s appeal is his hometown, laid-back, down-to-earth posture. He remains the president that enjoys sports more than arguably any other president since Nixon (whom fought the NFL in the White House). You can sit and have a drink with Barack Obama, you can invite him to a dinner party without a worry. As for the Republican candidates, they’ve got nothing. The most down-to-earth was Herman Cain, and he is long gone. We have Newt Gingrich, who is about as evil-looking as the most dastardly of Dick Tracy villains.

And it’s not just the look of Newt. Every time he speaks, we mentally prepare for him to spit words of anger, rage, hostility, and disdain towards the subject or whom he is having a conversation with. You don’t see him smile often (if ever), and his inability to lower his defenses makes him such an ugly candidate for a party that boasts that they are for the people. And then there’s good ol’ Mitt Romney, who used to joke about ripping jobs away from people to further support his companies. Imagine that, joking about ruining other people’s lives. That’s a wholesome character right there. Would you invite a heartless bastard to your dinner? Probably not. And don’t even get me started on Rick Santorum (Google him and you’ll see what I am talking about).

Now, the election should not be about personalities, they should be about their policies and what they bring into the table. But if they have a cold heart, then why on earth would like to see them running the country? I am sure Mitt Romney has some excellent ideas, but what good do they do if he’s already proven that he will choose business industries over people with his labor track record? What good does it do if he’s never really had to work a day in his life? Don’t know about you but I find it extremely difficult to support a man that honestly doesn’t know what its like to worry about money. I am not saying all Republicans are $$$$$$$, but Mitt most certainly is. And until he drops his façade and aura of moneymoneymoney, I can’t see him as the next leader. Nor would I want to.

The Republicans need another George Bush. Calm down, calm down, let me explain. President Bush was definitely not the best speaker at debates, and certainly not the brightest man out there. But, you can’t deny his love for the United States, and you can’t deny his love for the soldiers and those that defend the nation. He was likable in a wholesome Texas kind of way, he was someone you can see yourself having dinner with. Surely his policies were utter garbage most of the time, but the likable personality is something sorely lacking from the modern-day Republicans trying to take office. If the Republicans want to win, they need a smarter, wiser version of George W. Bush (With a far better Cabinet).

Republicans, heed my advice: you want to win the White House, you have to remember that you must appeal to the people. You need somebody likable. You need another President Bush. Romney, Gingrich, Santorum, and not even Ron Paul will cut it.

Winnie the Pooh (2011): 8/10

Several years ago, there was a study that found that besides Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh was the most popular Disney character out there. I am not sure how true it holds today, because the marketing has definitely dropped in recent years in favor of some Pixar fare and more Princess fluff. So when the Winnie the Pooh movie was announced, I was excited as it would be the unofficial sequel to one of the greatest animated movies of all-time: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Made right before Disney’s untimely death, the original film pretty much represents the world and imagination of Disney: fun, whimsical, innocent, creative, and very charming.

However, the marketing for this movie was so subpar, was so subtle, so atrocious (I actually had written about this issue last year), you would have thought that was going directly to DVD as opposed to theaters. Enjoying an extremely small run, this film had no chance to make money and make noise to the likes of Cars 2 and Kung Fu Panda 2. And here’s the thing: Winnie the Pooh outshines them both. This film has the magic, the beauty, and the imaginative content of the original short films—making it a delightful sequel. Although the running time is extremely short and the music isn’t as catchy, this film is perfect for youngsters, and the young-at-heart.

I may have griped about the running time, but I should probably commend the writers for being able to stretch a story about finding Eeyore’s tail to an hour. That’s essentially the story: Eeyore lost his tail and everyone is setting out to find it. Along the way the characters at the Hundred-Acre Wood also fear that a monster might be approaching the area. The script is void of any tension or drama, which is a massive rarity nowadays. With animation evolving into a serious art form, you get less and less movies that truly strive to entertain the kids without teaching them or scarring them. This film is very lightweight with its material, and trust me that is a good thing.

The voice acting was incredible and with the exception of perhaps Rabbit (Tom Kenny did a fine job regardless) they sounded darn accurate and close to the original source. Jim Cummings had the tough job of voicing Pooh and TIgger, but did a phenomenal job delivering the lines and singing to some of the songs. John Cleese was delightful as the Narrator, I guess Morgan Freeman wasn’t available (Bad joke, moving on). To me though, Bud Luckey as Eeyore stole the show as the depressed donkey had much more to say this time around, and says it with such droll and lack of enthusiasm you can’t help but laugh.

The animation was nearly flawless, as the colors were light, there was no computer-animation getting in the way, and best of all the animators were able to throw in plenty of visual humor. Some of the funniest moments in the original Pooh adventures involved the actual book and the words being part of the environment and in this case they play an even bigger role. How text plays a role in a film? Just watch and find out, but there are tons of moments when the narrator and the book toys around with Pooh and his friends.

Bottom Line: If there is a gripe I have with this movie, is that the running time was extremely short. It could have been nice to throw in a second or third story to at least pass 75-80 minutes and really get your money’s worth. Nonetheless, the hour-long drama of finding a tail was funny, very delightful, and delivers smiles all around without ever becoming boring. Winnie the Pooh is the type of warm animation that we just don’t see anymore: perfect for the kids but also not mind-numbing to the adults. The music was fun, the voice acting was great, the humor is everywhere, and there isn’t a dull moment to be found in the Hundred-Acre Wood. Honestly, this movie was 20 minutes away from becoming a near instant-classic. I recommend this flashback to your childhood, no matter how old you are.

Midnight in Paris: 9/10

The world must be ending. It has to be. There is no other explanation. All the signs of the apopcolypse are there. I actually thoroughly enjoyed a Woody Allen movie. I know, it’s absolutely crazy, but nonetheless true. While most of your diehard Allen fans will point out the superiority of Annie Hall, Manhattan, and probably to a lesser extent Match Point, I consider Midnight in Paris to be among his best if not his best film. The writing was fluid without becoming condescending or exaggerated, the acting is superb, the cinematography nearly flawless, the editing was quite sharp and best of all it was just a fun and unique trip through a city the medium of film has explored so many times.

Midnight in Paris follows a struggling writer Gil (Owen Wilson) as he accompanies his fiancée (Rachel McAdams) and her family on a vacation to Paris. Falling in love with the city far more than everyone else in the party, the writer discovers that on a certain point in time in a certain area, he inexplicably is transported into his favorite time period and meets his favorite artists and influential individuals that shape his taste in literature, art, and music. The deeper he dwells into the 1920s, the further distance he feels from his life in the modern time. Watching this movie is like being part of a great inside joke; as you’ll get much more of a kick out of this plot if you know most of the artistic geniuses that the main character runs into.

Woody Allen’s script here is nowhere near as deep, complex, or as thought-provoking as some of his works from 70s and 80s, but still works like a charm because of the creativity involved. Allen creates a dreamlike world that almost resembles artistic nirvana as we see our protagonist embed himself into the universe of 1920s Paris, which has a very different look, texture, and feel to the modern-day image of the romantic city. It’s a lot of fun to see him bounce back and forth through time and realize how different he acts, reacts, and behaves depending on where (and when) he is.

Owen Wilson is definitely a major player in the quality of this movie. He plays his role with such glee, such happiness and respect towards the subject matter involved that you can’t help but feel sorry for him as he slugs his way through 2000s Paris with his disenchanted group. The rest of the cast also contribute greatly, ranging from Marion Cotillard as the beautiful and mysterious Adriana to Corey Stoll as the charismatic and unique Ernest Hemmingway. Rachel McAdams plays a role very different to her usual fare by being the mean-spirited and ignorant antagonist that is slowly sucking the life out of Gil. Love or hate Allen, he's usually good at casting the right cast, and Midnight in Paris is definitely no different. Keep an eye on the First Lady of France having some screentime in the flick.

What makes this movie special is that you can't really dislike it or hate it. There is this everlasting charm and bubbly personality brewing in the film that makes it impossible for you to dwell on any of its potential setbacks. From start to finish it was a quirky and engaging adult fairy tale. This is a very fantasy-heavy film that never explains the why or the how, it just places you in the passenger seat and takes you on a wild entertaining ride.

Bottom Line: Midnight in Paris is probably my new favorite Woody Allen film as he crafts a very lighthearted and fun story that puts a twist on the usual film about a vacation to Paris. The acting was wonderful, the writing was better than Allen's usual material (especially recently), and the overall production value from cinematography to art and costume design was above and beyond your typical low-budget movie. This film never goes over-the-top, never dwells into muttered and cluttered talk, and gives you a side of Paris you aren't used to seeing. One of the funniest and most unique films of 2011, you will not be disappointed.

How Jeremy Lin is Exposing (and Conquering) the NBA

Now, I said I would no longer post about the NBA for the rest of its season in pure protest. But I have to back away from this to discuss Jeremy Lin. He is all the talk of the town, all the rage, and biggest of all he is conquering the NBA with his happy-go-lucky attitude, determination, willingness to share, high risk-high reward style of play, and transcending ideals that is appealing to the working class, the religious groups, and of course the Asian communities in New York. To think a couple weeks ago he was inches from being cut from the Knicks. But the emergence of Lin is revealing two things about the NBA: it is being exposed as a league that no longer knows how to defend point guards, and the league truly only cares about the larger markets.

Let’s start with the first point. Somewhere along the lines, sometime in the past couple of years, the NBA became an offense-heavy league and totally forgot how to defend the frontcourt. Nowadays, a younger Steve Nash, Michael Jordan, Isiah Thomas and John Stockton would have a field day with the current NBA system. The team with the best treatment of the point guard positions wins. J.J. Barea, a rather average point guard, was able to suddenly explode in the playoffs last season and helped propel the Mavericks to their first NBA title. The top teams in the NBA have one thing in common: great point guards. See the Bulls with Rose, the Heat with the Wade/James combo, and the Thunder with Westbrook. Other mediocre point guards like Brandon Jennings, Jamier Nelson, Deron Williams still find success because few teams have developed an ability to truly stop them. In the 90s, the three previous point guards I mentioned would not even have a job.

Jeremy Lin has a very aggressive (and exciting) approach to playing, and its working miracles. He will run towards the basket at full speed, somehow breaking past everyone, and with a willingness to knock against the bigger bodies. And what happens when he runs into said wall? He finds someone else closeby who finishes the deal. Lin doesn’t just score, but he is becoming an assist machine—he isn’t afraid of sharing the ball. Take notes Kobe Bryant. And this aggressive approach is also leading to high amounts of turnovers, which is fine as long as the tactic is getting you wins. Even against the stingy Laker defense he managed several turnovers, but in return nearly banks 40 points against Kobe Bryant. How does a team being run by a player who is averaging about 7 turnovers a game manage to win? Because teams just don’t play defense anymore, especially against the smaller, quicker players. Similar to the NFL losing the ability to guard tight ends that suddenly can explode on offense, almost every NBA team has problems guarding the frontcourt, and Lin is looking like an MVP because of it.

Which leads to my second point: Jeremy Lin’s success and exposure to the media is definitely helped by the extreme East Coast bias. Thanks to the Knicks of New York having a feel good story, the rest of the world is forgetting about the mammoth MVP numbers of LeBron James (nearly 30 points a game, along with nearly 7 assists and 8 rebounds), the colossal numbers of a player that doesn’t care about his own team anymore (Dwight Howard: 20 points, 15 rebounds, 2 blocks, and leading his team in steals), and the emergence of another point guard that has a very bright future: Ricky Rubio.

Isn’t anyone paying attention to Ricky Rubio? With no help outside Kevin Love (also ringing up underrated numbers) he is averaging 10 points a game, 4 rebounds a game, and nearly 9 assists per game. And this is in his rookie season, and for the Timberwolves—in the far tougher Western Conference. Bringing some excitement to Minnesota is far tougher than bringing the excitement to New York and Rubio is delivering. Not to take away anything from Lin, but if we had seen him explode in numbers in the Rockets (where he was supposed to go before Stern became fascist) it would be nowhere near as dramatic or as well-documented. New York exaggerates every small little detail, and they will take over the headlines for the smallest of reasons. Jeremy Lin was at the right place, at the right time, under the right circumstances. Lin, be happy you didn’t receive your chance at Golden State or Houston.

Post-Note: Imagine if Rubio becomes an Orlando Magic and participates in the trigger-happy offense under Van Gundy? You’d be surprised how well he would fit. Moving on.

So how much longer can the Linsanity reign? Probably much longer as long as the Knicks keep winning, the East Coast keeps screaming, and as long as Carmelo Anthony learns that he is going to have to share territory with the newcomer. Anthony is perceived to be a ballhog and an attention-grabber, so he is going to have to adjust his game or else he is going to be delightful trade bait when the deadline is near and the Magic are running out of hope to keep Howard after the off-season. I am pretty sure the northeast will partake in a collective joygasm if the Knicks manage to trade for Howard to play alongside Amare and Jeremy.

Oh great, now I am participating in the Linsanity.

I for one am enjoying this trip of craziness that is overtaking the NBA, but let’s not forget—none of this would have happened if David Stern hadn’t been so evil and blocked the Chris Paul trade. With that veto Stern was trying to prevent the larger markets legally monopolizing the quality and popularity of the NBA. But if Jeremy Lin has taught us anything, you can never escape the shadows of the Big Markets.



And that Madison Square Garden hasn’t felt such optimism in a very, very, very, very, very, very long time.

The QB Roundabout Trade (That Should Happen)

Now that football season is over, there is only thing to do: look at next season. When you are a Miami Dolphins fan, that’s pretty much all you can do. It feels like forever ago when they went a shocking 11-5 and knocked the Jets and the Patriots away from the playoffs (that was a good time). That was when Soprano was relevant, and our Wildcat was replacing the flaw of us not having much of a quarterback at the helm. Then, the Wildcat started disappearing from the playbook and we desperately tried being a run-of-the-mill run-n-gun clichéd football team. We tried becoming like every other football team; a team whose sole focus is getting a strong quarterback to throw us some touchdowns and lead us to victories.

One little problem, we’ve been quarterback-cursed since Marino, as many hopeful talents just never delivered. The Dolphins have also been unlucky with the injuries, but our biggest flaw was that we didn’t continue being a unique squad with a different offensive mindset. Here’s a fun little secret: the NFL has trouble defending College Football play or anything different. The recent Patriots team was a great example as a mediocre team made the Super Bowl because tight ends suddenly became throwing targets, and everyone else struggled to adjust to that. If Gronkowski had been healthy against the Giants, we would have had a totally different ballgame. But back to the Dolphins and losing their identity as a scrambling running squad that likes to mix it up a little. We can get some of that energy and fun back if we perform a simple trade. Well, not simple, but one that can result in the Dolphins becoming a dominant team again. Hint: It involves Peyton Manning. Sort of.


The Colts need help, desperately. Their defense stinks, they have no offense, the offensive line crumbles like cookies in milk, and they just don’t have a leader or a go-to man. They are getting Andrew Luck unless they firmly believe in making sure their team never ever wins again. Guess what, Luck and Manning cannot work together, not happening. Not saying either is a prick, but Manning wants another Super Bowl ring and his time is running out. Andrew Luck will probably want to run this team immediately ala Cam Newton-style. The more time Peyton Manning spends as the leader of the Colts, the more hindering of progress will occur to Luck. Manning has to go, most unfortunately. In order to move forward, the Colts must part ways with the main player that has made them relevant in the last 10-12 years.

The Dolphins have been interested in Manning for a while now, as he is a very valuable asset despite his rising age. If Peyton Manning has a good offensive line, then he can still do some damage. In the trade market, he’s worth a couple good defensive players and whatnot. Teams that he would fit well with: Dolphins, Chargers, Jets, 49ers, and lastly the other team involved with my dream trade—the Denver Broncos.


Ah, the Broncos. John Elway would probably salivate over the possibility of Peyton joining the Mile High city. And he hates Tim Tebow with an absolute passion that can be heard underneath his few words of encouragement. Even if Tebow improves slightly as a passer (and more as an Act of God) he will still look mediocre in Elway’s eyes. And the coaching staff also would much rather see someone else running the show—they even picked the pitiful Kyle Orton over Tebow in the earlier part of the season. So here’s what we have now: the Dolphins need a quarterback, the Colts need help, and the Broncos want to part ways with Tebow as quietly and swiftly as possible.

Now comes the magic: the Dolphins should trade a few draft picks (we usually waste them anyway) and a few players for Peyton Manning. Then the Miami Dolphins should trade Peyton Manning to the Denver Broncos for Tim Tebow straight-up. A Manning-for-Tebow trade wouldn’t work since the Colts will have Luck. But if the Dolphins grab that playing card, they have a very good hand to deal. None of the three teams will have to give up too much, and since they are all in different divisions there will be minimal conflict of interest.

Everyone wins here: the Colts get a few building block pieces to support Andrew Luck and eliminate the Manning contract. The Dolphins get Tim Tebow, whom is one of the better running quarterbacks in the NFL and will do wonders with a newly-formed Wildcat offense—plus it will improve a dying fanbase. The Denver Broncos will have their veteran quarterback that Elway and co. prefers over everything else—plus it won’t piss off the fanbase too badly that they eliminated Tebow. Tim Tebow wins because he will be back in Florida where he grew up and studied, and will definitely play for a group of people that truly madly deeply love him. Gotta love the SEC pride. Peyton Manning wins because he will get to play in an easier division plus will get plenty of protection and a larger window of opportunity to make the playoffs.

This trade may not happen, but the possibility is definitely there, and I don’t see any negatives coming from all this. The Colts and Dolphins have nothing to lose, since they are staring at the bottom of their division regardless. The Broncos, despite winning the division, still needs plenty of room to grow to compete with the yearly juggernauts Steelers, Ravens, and Patriots---and will have that boost by getting a hungry future Hall of Famer. While three-team NFL trades are definitely rare, especially when compared to the other professional leagues, but this is one with few strings attached, few drawbacks, and little sacrifice. Best of all, all three teams improve, especially my Miami Dolphins. I’ve said in the past that we should have gotten Tebow by any means necessary and should still try to get him, and this trade will definitely make the dream a reality.

Bringing Oscar to Hollywood Studios

So we are less than a month from the Academy Awards and there’s an interesting thing happening at the Hollywood Studios: nothing. Absolutely nothing. The park with the Hollywood theme, early 1900s Hollywood vibe, Great MOVIE Ride in the center isn’t pulling anything special for the Academy Award season. No red carpet, no subtle changes to some of the area to match the season, nothing at all. This is nothing new; after all I am pretty sure Hollywood hasn’t done anything at all to celebrate the Oscars since 1989. But isn’t it time that they do something about it?

This park is now the least-attended of the four major Disney World parks. Star Wars Weekends is losing some appeal, the ESPN Weekend is totally null and void, and there hasn’t been an outstanding new attraction since Toy Story Mania many years ago. If someone brings up American Idol we will have problems. But one way we can definitely breathe some life into this park is by creating some exciting events similar to how Epcot spices its attendance with the Flower and Garden and Food and Wine Festivals. I propose 28 Days of Oscar.

What I would do is throughout February you spice up the Hollywood Studios with new features, shows, and events involving the upcoming Academy Awards, which are usually done at the end of February. Before the Oscars, you can use the Premiere Theater and continuously show the most popular movies that have won Academy Awards. They can range from modern Oscar-winning classics like Forrest Gump and Spirited Away to older classics like Casablanca, Mary Poppins, Gone With the Wind, etc. In the Drew Carey theater, you can do Oscar trivia games where guests can earn prizes and whatnot. Inside what used to be the Narnia exhibit can be an Oscar exhibit which showcases all the films in the Disney/Touchstone line that has won Academy Awards over the years.

The Citizens of Hollywood can do special Oscar-themed games and events throughout the day to commemorate the upcoming telecast. You can even change the music around the Great Movie Ride area to play music from every film that has won for Best Original Score. I know that certain competing companies might complain a little but there are over 80 years of music to go through, I am sure we got the background music part covered. In the Animation area they can play original scores from animated movies that won the Oscar (Up, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pinocchio, Dumbo, Mary Poppins, etc.).

Lastly, the Fantasmic stage can be used to create a great montage of Oscar-winning films past and present. Set to music, a few special effects here and there, and plenty of Oscar flair, we can create a 30-minute experience that shows us all of the wonderful Oscar-winning moments we grew up with and love. What better way to celebrate the Oscar winners past and present than with a grandiose presentation in the Fantasmic area? Yes I know the stage is for Fantasmic, but this area has so much potential for other events. For those that know me best know I've been drooling for a Star Wars-like show during their Weekends.

Anyway, back on topic. The big night. Oscar night.

On Oscar night they should hold a very special ceremony for guests that are willing to pay a little extra. We can re-create Hollywood by rolling out an actual massive red carpet stretching from the front of the park to the Chinese Theater. Select guests that decide to participate will show up in their very best dressed ways and will walk down the carpet with the Citizens of Hollywood (and the Photopass team) posing as paparazzi and reporters. Inside the Chinese Theater they can watch the Oscars and are treated to an all-you-can-eat banquet inside the area throughout the Academy Awards. I have never been a fan of separate-ticketed events but this event is much too small for every random guest to enjoy.

But the regular guests will not be left totally in the dark. They can witness the well-dressed guests walking the red carpet, but will also be allowed to watch the Academy Awards from multiple locations including the American Idol screens inside and outside, the Premiere Theater, inside some of the quick-service restaurants, and of course, the Hollywood Brown Derby. On this night Hollywood Studios can stay open normally until 5:00, re-open at 6:00 with all the additional changes, and run until 11:00 at night, when the Oscar usually finishes.

Most of these changes are low-key, but can definitely spice up a park that has seen better days in the past. What once used to dominate the four parks in terms of events (Soap Weekend, Star Wars Weekend, ESPN Weekend) has really calmed down lately. Hollywood Studios has the space, themeing, and ability to re-create the park into a temporary Academy Award shrine and can re-create some of the hype and fun of attending the Oscars on the other side of the country. Remember, in Disney its all about the small details, so why not dedicate a month to celebrating movies that are associated with Oscar gold? It would definitely give repeat visitors a reason to return to Hollywood Studios in February. And best of all can bring back some of the original theme to the park: celebrating the movies.

Super Bowl XLVI Hangover

Now that the dust has settled, here are my random thoughts about last night’s Super Bowl:


1) Madonna did decent, but she is not the right performer to get us amped up for the second half. I really think we need a louder rock band rockin’ the halftime show next year. Motley Crue’s cameo in a commercial was more football-related energetic than Madonna singing ‘Music.” Me and my brother propose some Battle of the Bands-type Halftime Show.


2) M.I.A. flipping the bird. The life of a one-hit wonder…..


3) Wes Welker should have caught that ball. Brady in the 4th quarter threw at least four good passes that were dropped. Not sure why Boston has become Choke City in recent years (Bruins, Patriots, Red Sox multiple times). Welker should have caught it and it bears repeating. The game would have been over if he had made that clearly catchable catch. I don’t like blaming one said person for the loss of the Super Bowl, but Welker…..there is no excuse.


4) Eli Manning is the luckiest s.o.b. quarterback I have ever seen. Two Super Bowls that were won because of awesome catches that were done with mediocre throws. I will never believe that Eli is even close to the level of Peyton, its just never going to happen. The Giants overall are just a far superior franchise as compared to the Colts. The Giants have always had far better defense, far better receivers, and far better support.


5) One minute left in the game, two timeouts left, 1st and goal. Why on earth did the Patriots not let this team just score and get the ball back as soon as possible? The Giants were going to take the lead anyway, they were going to run the clock. Why not just give them the 7 points and get right back to work? The defense of the Patriots have been a letdown for the last couple years, it’s the offense that has always propelled them to wins. Instead, inexplicably, they tried to play defense, were forced to call a timeout, and decided one play later to let them score. If I were the Patriots, I would throw them at the end zone and just hope for a game-winning drive.


6) This was a good Super Bowl, it was a nice tough game, and it didn’t have much stupidity. The Giants definitely deserve to celebrate, while the Patriots deserve to go home empty.



7) Eli……..2 Super Bowl rings, Dan Marino none…………..ugh…………………………………………..


8) This was my favorite commercial



9) Have a nice day everybody



Post-Note: Go Dolphins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let's go get Tim Tebow from the I-Hate-Tebow John Elway's Broncos.