It’s an off-day, so it’s time for some more not-so-random thoughts. I’ve had some things on my mind. Here are a few of them…
—Enter the Kingdom of Awesome.
–This is the greatest thing I’ve seen in a while. If you love The Wire (and who doesn’t?), you’ll love this. It’s The Wire RPG.
–So I just finished “Paterno,” the latest from our friend Joe Posnanski. Posnanski is the best sportswriter in America, so it’s obviously well-written, but no one is judging this book by the quality of the writing.
Poz was really in a no-win situation. He went to Happy Valley expecting to write a certain type of book — a celebration of the career of Penn State football coach and anointed saint Joe Paterno — and it turned into a completely different book after the revelation of the unimaginable horrors perpetrated by Paterno’s long-time assistant Jerry Sandusky.
I liked the book, and I thought it was even-handed. If you are looking for a slash and burn attack on Paterno, you aren’t going to get it here. Posnanski was very critical of Paterno’s actions in relation to Sandusky, but he also spent a lot of words talking about all the good things Paterno did in his lifetime. The contrast between the moral authority that Paterno spent his life building, and the way he went out — accused of ignoring, and enabling, contemptible crimes against the most innocent of victims — is stark. He helped hundreds of kids during his lifetime, but it’s the handful of kids that he did not help that has stained what had been a remarkable career.
It’s a terribly sad story, but I do recommend the book.
–I’m easily entertained, but these 70-year old color photos are great.
—I love this. A 6-year old guesses what some classic novels are all about, just by their cover.
—You may have seen this during the recent Olympics, but it’s still pretty amazing. It’s a graphic demonstration, comparing Usain Bolt to every 100-meter men’s sprint champion in Olympic history.
–So…the new Dave Matthews Band album came out this week. (It’s good.) Next week: new The Killers album. Good month for me.
—The Future of U.S. Soccer: The Unlikely Rise of Clint Dempsey. Let me note, for the record, that Dempsey now plays for my favorite team, Tottenham Hotspur.
–Good grief, I can’t quit laughing when I watch this.
–The new iPhone (iPhone 5) was announced yesterday. I’ll be placing my order before the week is over. I have finally given up on the Droid.
–Okay, consider this an open thread to discuss whatever you’d like. Enjoy the off-day. Wooooo.