Today's column was intended to be a Q&A — and it will come, eventually. However, delving into the Power Five-Group of Five schism possible amid COVID-19 and other such interesting yet ultimately frivolous topics on this day feels tone deaf. Perhaps I could stick to sports as some in our society lustily demand, but silence when one…
Category: Out Of Bounds
VIDEO: The Last Dance and the Sports Audience
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XKxCg5hAxc&feature=youtu.be ESPN's The Last Dance was a ratings hit. Credit quarantine to an extent, but other examples support the idea of a large audience being under-served in its desire for thoughtful, in-depth media. For a supplementary viewpoint noted in the commentary, check out Quinton Reviews' analysis of documentary presentation.
Let’s Remember the Ill-Fated Bill Simmons Cartoon
In a time when athletic competition has reached a standstill, we seek out sport wherever it might be found. And one of the most beloved sports in the short-yet-fruitful history of the blogosphere has long been taking shots at Bill Simmons. The premise is admittedly tired, but offering up a take this scorching in the…
The Great Sports Champion Kim Jong Un
Foolish American "news" sources reporting Dear Leader Kim Jong Un has died spread false propaganda. Not only is Kim Jong Un still alive, but the following are the sporting endeavors of Dear Leader today, April 25, 2020: Kim Jong Un golfed 72 holes at the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's finest course, Pyongyang Golf Course.…
Why Is Ja Rule Beefing With The Sacramento Kings?
I'm worried about Ja Rule. Seemingly poised to become one of the faces of East Coast hip-hop in the years falling Biggie Smalls' death, 50 Cent weakened Rule's rising star with the scathing diss track, "Wanksta." 50 later said the track wasn't about Ja Rule specifically, but the less famous and earlier 50 song "Life's…
Football Film Study: The Best College Football Teams of the Big Screen
The inherent competition, relationship dynamics, effort to overcome obstacles, and violence that go into football make the sport easily adapted to the big screen. Football's relationship with Hollywood dates back to the silent film era. While I can't point to one specific movie that launched the genre, former Illinois Fighting Illini star Red Grange's successful…
Amending Sports Illustrated’s Greatest YouTube Videos of All-Time
Acronyms not denoting sports organizations rarely appear in the lede of columns here at The Open Man, but I must make an exception after reading Sports Illustrated's Greatest YouTube Videos of All-Time: SMH. The 10 videos, nominated by SI readers on Twitter, show a lack of appreciation for the past greats who paved the way…
Thornton Melon is The Quintessential 1980s Movie Villain
Working on a film project required me to revisit a few, college-themed movies of yesteryear. Among them is the 1986 blockbuster hit Back to School, starring Rodney Dangerfield as Thornton Melon. I first watched Back to School in my freshman year of college, as part of a binge into teen-comedy classics from before my time.…
The Depressing, Not-So-Fun Tale of FS1
FS1 launched 5 1/2 years ago, promising to be the FUN alternative to...well, ESPN's name wasn't said specifically, but anyone who consumed sports media knew exactly to what the new FOX flagship's ad campaign alluded. Various reboots and myriad staff changes later, FS1 is a barren wasteland. To borrow a phrase from Billy Crystal: It's…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZdVWKM1ILs
The Open Man’s 31 Movies of Halloween: Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2
No other film could occupy this place in The Open Man's spotlight on movies for Halloween, because no other horror movie -- or maybe any movie period -- uses the Red River Rivalry as a plot point. Twelve years after the iconic original, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 opens with two loud, drunk frat boys…
The Open Man’s 31 Movies of Halloween: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
In the first installment of The Open Man's 31 Movies of Halloween, Your Humble Author posited that the most terrifying horror exploits relatable phobias. Unrealistic characters and scenarios become genuinely frightening when they manifest in very real situations. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remains, some 40 years after its controversial release, the benchmark for real-world terror…
The Open Man’s 31 Movies of Halloween: Nosferatu
Hey, everyone! No, The Open Man is not dedicating this space to Mean Girls -- though I do love that movie. It's one of the 10 best films of the 2000s, and ranks among my all-time favorite comedies. Come to think of it, Halloween provides a pivotal plot point in Mean Girls. Hmm... Nah. While…
The Open Man’s 31 Movies of Halloween: Evil Dead 2
Throughout the month of October, The Open Man spotlights its favorite horror movies to set the mood for the season. I walked through my local Target the other day when I saw a man who, in profile, was a dead (pun intended) ringer for Bruce Campbell. Now, one of the core tenets of being a…
The Open Man’s 31 Movies of Halloween: A Nightmare on Elm Street
Throughout the month of October, The Open Man spotlights its favorite horror movies to set the mood for the season. Gore, jump-scares set to loud musical transitions, auxiliary characters present only to pad body counts: These are not the necessary ingredients for an effective horror film. Horror intended to frighten works best when the audience…