Colin and Sean talk about the Ethan Sherwood Strauss Steph Curry article and what alliances players have for shoe brands, debate if they would rather have Anthony Davis or Karl Anthony-Towns, talk about age restrictions for players, and pray for a Bulls playoff birth and talk about potential moves the team might make in the offseason. Soundmachine makes a triumphant return to the podcast.
Before I get started, I want to preface this by explaining the nickname my brother’s and I gave my father. My dad, Dave, was a large man. He was 6’6″ and well built. He was also our goofy dad, always telling everyone to “settle down” whether we were rough housing or one of us spilled milk on the table.
It was his way of saying behave.
So one day, he was yelling at myself and my two brothers, Connor and Brendan. We were more than likely fighting over who got to play the xbox or who had to walk the dog. And randomly, my brother Connor just decided to quote this New Era baseball cap ad back to my father after he told us to “go to bed”…… at 4:43 on a Saturday afternoon.
Clearly, my mother was not home.
After that, my brothers and I spent the next two hours in our rooms laughing at my father’s expression when Connor replied to him “You no Big Papi.” Eventually mom would come home, tell us we didn’t have to go to bed, and the name would stick forever. But, my mom would never spell the name right (seriously, she never got it right) and would spell it out like “poppy” as if we were calling him a giant poppy seed. Either way, the spelling and name stuck and that was my dad’s nickname.
Soo, now back to what I was really looking to write about. As many of you probably know, or maybe don’t remember, yesterday was St. Patrick’s Day. The Irish holiday that celebrates St. Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland, which apparently was such a major issue that it overtook the precedence of famine. So we all now celebrate it by drinking green beer, dyeing our rivers green, and deciding whether to pinch or kiss someone based on them wearing the color green.
It’s an excuse to drink for most people. But for my family, it usually means we are doing something to celebrate our Irish heritage. My mom is 100% Irish and her entire Cusack side of the family lets everyone know it. They are extremely proud of their backgrounds, and because of that my dad, coming from a dutch background, basically adopted the holiday as his own after spending the last 20+ St. Paddy’s day with my mom on his arm.
During the past few years, it has been hard for my immediate family and myself to get together for any of the spring holidays (Easter, St. Patrick’s day, etc.) because of school and the awkward timing of my spring break. But last year, St. Pat’s happen to line up perfectly with my spring break. So I found someone to cover my shifts at work, made sure I had ride to and from Chicago, and made the trip back home in time to celebrate the holiday with my mom and dad.
At the time, it was an especially exciting day in part because we were going to be in the Chicago St. Patrick’s Day parade on my dad’s plumbing unions trolley. Also it was the first time my dad had ventured out of the house for fun since having surgery to remove an aggressive cancerous tumor locating inside his stomach. He was essentially in remission and my mom was breathing easy for the first time in about a year.
So the three of us went to the plumber’s union hall located in Chicago early that morning, hopped on the trolley, and rolled our way towards Grant Park. We were decked out in green hats, shamrock stickers, irish flag scarves, and even green beads (you would think we were color-blinded people heading to mardi gras). The best part about the trolley was that my mom and I were probably the only people not old enough to collect social security, with plenty of retired plumbers sharing stories about the Mayor’s of Chicago and the former presidents of the plumber’s local union. I was very much in and out of my element all at once, but it was a blast. Looking back, it was probably the first time the three of us had done something together without my brothers, since I was 3 or 4 years old.
That day meant a lot to the three of us. We were truly happy and for that small time, we did not have any worries. There wasn’t a test we had to get dad too, my mom did not have to get to work, and I wasn’t trying to catch a bus or ride back to Iowa. We were just able to appreciate each others company and enjoy this great holiday we all so graciously took advantage of.
Later, I would meet up with one of my friends and get lunch with him and my parents. We sat in the restaurant for an hour or so and just talked. There wasn’t one question about my dad and if he was feeling well. Or if he was comfortable in that chair. Or if he needed to lay down. He was having fun, and my mom and I could tell. He was telling jokes, making fun of my stupid habits, and genuinely enjoying his time away from home. It was probably one of the last really good memories we had together.
I also spent 20+ minutes trying to flag down a cab or call an uber for my parents to get back to their car. My dad also asked “how much do I tip the uber” and “But how do we pay them” like seven different times. I would show him my phone, explain how uber worked while he tried to read the screen using his bifocals, tilting his head while moving my phone up and down. He would give up for a few minutes and then ask to see my phone again. Technology moved too fast for him at times. (Remind me to tell you the story about explaining left and right clicking on a computer mouse)
Sadly, after this day, things would only get worse. The cancer would come back. He would be too sick and weak to fight it off. And in a few short months, we would lose my dad. But even though things may have never been quite the same, he may not look or even act quite like the same man at times, there would be moments when Big Papi would shine through. His big smile, his kind nature, or someone would really piss him off (My neighbors would know which days were good days when he had the strength to yell at my brothers and me).
So yesterday was harder than some of the others had been. Facebook of course reminded me that these photos were taken a year ago.
Which made it just that much harder, but it also reminded me how happy of a person my dad was and how lucky we all were to have him be apart of our past St. Paddy’s days. So, when I was out last night, I made sure to have an MGD and a smile on my face for him. Because that’s what he would’ve done.
Colin and Sean share their non-all-star list of favorite players (shouts to Zach Lowe), breakdown the Trailblazers, hype up the Celtics, and answer the question, “are the bulls a playoff team?”
So this is the preview I talked about in my last “watch” piece. I was going to tack this on the end, but it was already a 1000+ word article and I decided to just make these separate things.
So in the preview, I am going to keep it brief and basically just list off shows/movies/music/etc. that are debuting, appearing, or I just found this month and could potentially be on my top 5 list. The preview will never have a set amount of content, but it will always have at least 5 things on it.
Let’s roll.
March 25th
Duh. This movie, whether good or bad, is going to grab everyone’s attention. By now, everyone should basically know the plot, but it’s going to involve two of DC comic’s biggest names beating the crap out of each other. I’m excited.
March 4th
By now, everyone has at least watched a few episodes of the Netflix original series. The show always grabs headlines just because of the weight it carries, being one of the first big-time streaming shows, but the last season was a bit disappointing. So we’ll see if season 4 can live up to the hype.
March, 11th
A somewhat sequel to Cloverfield (2008). There honestly isn’t much to say about this film, the production has been kept pretty quiet. Nobody even really knew the films’ name until a surprise debut trailer was released back in January. This film has a lot of mystery behind it, similarly to the prequel Cloverfield which should draw some people in alone.
Netflix, February 19th
A Judd Apatow produced show about a “down to earth” couple (says wikipedia). Basically, it’s a very funny and interesting look at dating from both men and women’s’ perspectives. Starring Community’s Gillian Jacobs and Paul Rust (who is a co-producer of the show as well), the two seem to find each themselves through each other’s struggles. It’s a cool show with some awesome cast members (I have the biggest celebrity crush on Milana Vayntrub aka AT&T girl)
Netflix, March 18th
The long-awaited return of Marvel’s Daredevil. The show is easily the best thing I have seen Marvel do a long time, and that’s not a shot to the comic book giant. The show is just a fantastic example of great tv. The acting, cinematography, the content is all just leagues above any other comic-inspired show right now. Season 2 looks to feature the Punisher and Elektra, which makes me and avid comic readers very stoked.
FX, Tuesday nights (debuted Feb. 2nd, 2016)
This show recently received the ‘Championship Belt’ by “The Watch” podcasters Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald (find it under the Channel 33 podcast). But the show is easily the best on tv right now, and that’s overlooking a very petite “Juice” played by Cuba Gooding Jr. But the show is full of great acting performances, highlighted by Sarah Paulson and Courtney B. Vance. If you’re not watching this show yet, get caught up because things are about hit the apex of greatness.
Sean brings on friend Nick Maksa to just gush about everything Cubs.
Sean and Colin recap this past weekends big games, talk about the Bulls and their tough injuries, and we discuss the Celtics trade offer to the Bulls for Jimmy Butler
Part 2 of the Super Duper Pod, Colin and Sean finally answer some mailbag questions and dive into the Bulls recent turnaround and wonder how legitimate are the Bulls’ chances are of having success come playoffs. Also Colin moons Sean while skyping in.
So this is a new thing I am going to try to do every month. Being a person who watches a lot of TV, I am going to start picking my favorite shows/movies/specials/events/etc. to come out during the month and rate them in a top 5 list. I will also let you know where you can view these items and if it’s a network show what time and channel it is. Now, this is 100% biased. I am picking shows I have watched during the month of February that are relatively new during that month. So that includes things that may not be totally brand new but possibly debuted on Netflix/Hulu/On-Demand/torrented during the month/etc. I will be picking mostly tv shows, but I will throw in some movies that I may have watched during that last month. I will also do a preview for the things I am looking forward to in the upcoming month. Also, for the purpose of these rankings I am going to assume that everyone has access to a netflix account. (Because everyone has that one friend who forgot to sign out of their account on your PS4 that one night you guys were super bored.)
I am excited to talk not sports on this blog, hopefully, you all enjoy!
This surprise web-series show created by Louis C.K. debuted right around the super bowl, and so far has received positive reviews. The show is similar to his self-titled show Louie on FX but, with C.K. only wanting to work on his network show when he has “good ideas”, there is no real return time for his hit show. However, he seems very focused on this current web series, which has a Cheers type of feel but is filmed like a live play instead of a TV show. The show is about Horace (C.K.) who is a bar owner that is in constant despair, drinking and complaining with his friends about life (including the likes of Alan Alda and Steve Buscemi). Each show will cost you $5, but they each run 67 minutes, which made me feel like I was getting “more bang for my buck” I guess. Overall, if you like Louie’s comedic style, give Horace and Pete a watch
4.2/5 rating
The show is in it’s 5th season, and for being a some-what dumb-comedy show at times, I am always amazed how impressively funny the show is. Currently, the main character Jess (Zooey Deschanel) was only in the first three episodes this season as she has been sequestered after being called to jury duty (is on pregnancy leave in real life). So the show has replaced Deschanel with Megan Fox, who has been a good addition so far this season. However, what makes the show so great is the interactions between the other three loft mates, in Nick, Schmidt, and Winston, as the three seem to get into ridiculous antics and gut-bustingly hilarious moments. Plenty of jokes within jokes, the one that comes to mind is about a tree house Nick is building in his room that he has told everyone but Schmidt about. If you watched the show already and were nervous the absence of Deschanel would hurt the show, you have nothing to fear. This gets a bump in the top 5 simply because the show is free on cable, I think Horace and Pete is a better show, but $20 for all four shows is a little annoying.
4/5 rating (so far, we’ll see how that holds up with more episodes without Jess)
This is flat out hilarious. Triumph the insult comic dog has appeared everywhere, including MTV, Conan O’Brien’s late night shows (both NBC and TBS) and is currently working with Funny or Die, but is most remembered for this bit he did when Star Wars episode 2, Attack of the Clones premiered. But he is a dog puppet, voiced by Robert Smigel, who was popular in the early 2000’s for making wise-cracking jokes at the expense of the innocent people answering his staged questions. It’s definitely for a certain type of crowd. So Hulu sent Smigel as Triumph to report at multiple primary states to harass GOP candidates at rallies and debates, while also interviewing the people voting for these Republican candidates. The result is pure comedy, as Triumph chases Ted Cruz’s campaign bus, coaches up Mike Huckabee’s debate skills (all while making fun of the fact that Huckabee would do anything to get votes), and even pulling together a political roundtable that included former defense attorney in the O.J. Simpson case Alan Dershowitz and American Idol fan favorite Sanjaya. (Also had a pretty funny Ben Carson bit that was done during the Iowa State v Kansas game this January) It was seriously one of the funniest things I’ve seen so far this year.
4.5/5 rating
Dope is about a high school senior named Malcolm and his two friends who get involved with a drug dealer at a party. I won’t go too deep into the plot, but the group ends up with a large amount of ecstasy that gets planted in Malcolm’s backpack during the party. The group then goes on a wild adventure trying to avoid people attempting to steal the misplaced drugs. I originally thought this movie took place in the 90’s, but it turns out it’s a current day movie with characters obsessed with the 90’s hip-hop/rap scene. The soundtrack is beyond cool, with plenty of throwbacks and a couple of newer tracks. Also the movie is jam packed with rapper cameos like Tyga, ASAP Rocky, Casey Veggies, and Vince Staples just to name a few. The movie was executive produced by Forest Whitaker, who is also the narrator, and all the original music was created by Pharrell. It was just a cool movie and one I had been meaning to see this past summer but had completely forgotten about until it found it’s way to Netflix this month. A perfect movie to watch when bored, especially if you’re a fan of rap, like myself.
4.6/5 rating
Spotlight came out early November, but hadn’t really gained any public attention until it’s Oscar nominations earlier this month. The film stars Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, and Rachel McAdams as the Boston Globe’s investigative team “Spotlight” in 2001. The group of journalists dig for evidence on the Catholic Church’s cover up of child rape allegations. What made Spotlight such a fantastic film to me was the effort the actors and director Tom McCarthy went to show the process of real investigative journalism in the early 21st century. I appreciated this film quite a bit coming from a journalistic background, and it actually peaked my interest in investigative journalism. But for now, I’ll stick to this blog. Whether you’re a journalist or just a fan of good movies, take the time to go see this film. It does a fantastic job of showing the lengths the Church went to keep these secrets in the dark.
This movie was shown on campus a few weeks ago, and I was so glad I went to the showing. (I also have the movie torrented on my laptop, but I will buy it when on DVD, pinky promise FBI)
4.8/5 rating
Part one of a two part Super Duper NBA podcast. In this pod, Sean and Colin talk NBA trade deadline deals, the impact they have, and they also talk about the deals that didn’t happen.
The debut episode of the modern barbershops newest podcast, co-hosted by Sean Sears and Zach Munoz, the two talk Chicago Cubs baseball, the Fowler deal surprise, spring training expectations, and some prospect talk
Chicago Cubs center fielder Dexter Fowler (24) claps hands and smoke cigar after the Cubs won 6-4 in Game 4 in baseball’s National League Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Modern Barbershop 