Frank Gore

Do you like Frank Gore? I love Frank Gore, probably my favourite running back of all time. Not for electricity, but for reliability. You know he's gonna show up and deliver. He was the ultimate unstoppable machine. Frank the Tank. Ricky Watters was electric, but Frank Gore was the Truth.

(Jim Harbaugh, as great of a job as he did with the Niners, made one single glaring but undeniable mistake in his time there. Superbowl 47, down a tonne, he brought them all the way back after the power outage - only to not give Frank Gore two, or three, chances to score from the five yard line. Slightly less unforgivable than the Seahawks / Marshawn Lynch mistake two years later, but a monstrously painful mistake nonetheless.)

(And while we're at it, as much as I loved Kaep and what he did to get the team to that point, at the time and still to this day I believe Alex Smith could have completed at least one of those end zone passes to seal the win. Or, someone - either of them - could have just handed off to Frank Gore damnit...)

Anyway, here is a great article by Tom Junod of ESPN on Frank Gore. Good read, even if you don't love Gore - but do love an underdog story.

Brock Purdy, MVP?

Listen, man: I love Brock. I think he is a really, really good quarterback. He is doing things that not Jimmy G, not Trey Lance (still love you Trey!), no one since Matt Ryan has been able to do in this system.

Take Jimmy G. Love the guy for his heart but not necessarily for his overall game. Jimmy had a phenomenal year in 2019, statistically as well as team-performance-wise. They went to the Super Bowl and almost won! (Please let's not talk about the Sanders overthrow, though obviously there is relevance in doing so.) But man alive I would get nervous as hell with every Jimmy drop back. That is the truth. You just never knew when that underneath linebacker interception was coming. Jimmy was a leader, but he was also the beneficiary of the system - plus the YAC bros.

Brock, however, has vision and anticipation and ability to hit the 2nd and 3rd level windows. That is what is driving this same offense with these same weapons so much farther than what Jimmy was able to accomplish. He knows the routes precisely, he can throw a dot, and he has a timer in his head. Not a time bomb, just a timer. Like the bar on the bottom of the videos streaming in his head. In this one: at 3.2 seconds, WR2 will be at the left sideline 30 yard line and it takes 0.9 seconds for the ball to get there so I'll release ... now. Chunk play!

And yes, those weapons. BA (Aiyuk) just has phenomenal chemistry with Brock, whatever read he is. Deebo and Kittle are still who they are - when you need them for a 15 air yard seam or crosser, there they are, right on time. McCaffrey obviously can literally be anywhere on the field on any given play. And that's not even pointing out Trent Williams, who may actually be the MVP despite never touching the ball. The sum of the parts of this machine is even more than what you think; it's hard, maybe impossible to take it apart and reconstruct it with any one cog different.

(And I haven't even said one word about the defense yet. And after a rocky start, which let's recall Saleh also had a rocky start as the 9ers DC, Steve Wilks is turning it up. He put together a masterful game plan against Philly last week.)

Anyway. So I don't know, is Brock the MVP? If the Niners end up where they want to end up, then I say he's as good a choice as anyone on this team. He is most definitely NOT just sitting back throwing screens and watching guys pick up 20 yards. Brock is slinging it! (The game sealing Aiyuk TD vs Seattle on Thanksgiving is just one example of proof.)

(If you want to be talked at more and better about MVP Brock, read this really well constructed piece by Brian Renick on 49erswebzone.)

(Also, there is a video cut-up of Brock going into that Miami game last year, the Levi's announcer making the announcement, and one of the Niners coaches deep in conversation with a player suddenly looking up confused / concerned and saying, "Brock in at quarterback?" It pops up every once in awhile on my insta, and now actively searching for it, I can't find it damnit. But that's the image I wanted to put at the top of this post. Every time I see it, it cracks me up. "Brock in at quarterback?" LOL)

Jets go all-in for the year - except on the literal field of play

 

I'm not a Rodgers fan, and wasn't exactly pulling for the Jets this season (other than the fact that I drafted their D, plus I like Robert Saleh). But I'd certainly never wish injury upon A-Rod nor any other player - much less an Achilles tendon tear on a guy who's about to turn 40.

The turf at MetLife is notoriously terrible. Remember when the Niners played there week 2 of 2020: we lost Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas both to ACL tears, plus Jimmy G to a high ankle sprain, and Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman both to additional knee injuries. Losing our best defender (the reigning DPOY at the time) and hobbling the starting QB for much of the year derailed that entire season. Five knee/ankle soft tissue injuries caused at least in part by the crappy, grabby turf.

I understand there was new turf installed this year - but it is still turf, it is not grass.

The fact that the Jets AND Giants play there means there is twice the financial backing for field maintenance not to mention twice the team investment to protect against injury. (Same goes for LAR/C and SoFi btw.)

So the Jets pay a bunch for Aaron Rodgers, clearly setting their sights on the Super Bowl. All in, they're all in. And four offensive plays into the year, they've effectively crapped out. (Zach Wilson is not winning the Super Bowl this year guys.) Yes that's football, but also if you're all in, like spending hundreds of millions of dollars on this one goal, don't you want to go all in in every controllable facet?

I'll never know if grass would have prevented this injury, but maybe? If players themselves are calling for grass instead of turf, it's got to mean something.

Really crazy stuff, man.

Nothing Compares 2 U

I didn't post about her passing yesterday, but I surely was thinking about Sinead O'Connor. I listened to Nothing Compares 2 U somewhere in the range of a billion times when I was a teen, full of angst and anger and unrequited love. I didn't know what Sinead was singling about, necessarily, but I felt it. I listened to her sing and I cried, internally or externally, my gloom of teenage tears.

Later on I learned that this song, Sinead’s song, was actually a cover, and that Prince had written it. Which seemed like such an odd match of two completely different artists. But you know, it was really as much Sinead’s song as it was Prince’s song as it was my song. She just felt it the most.

In 2015, I went to see Chris Cornell on his Higher Truth tour. It was him and his guitar, that was it. He played a cover of Nothing Compares 2 U and though no longer a teen, I may have cried a bit. For past me, past heartbreak, for past Sinead, and I didn't know it then, but for future Chris.

In 2018, Prince or I guess his estate released his version of Nothing Compares 2 U. Ironic but not the first time that a songwriter's version of their own song was the least famous. (I'm sure there are a zillion other NC2U covers out there, but you know what I mean.) It is still a fantastic song, though, his version of it. But it’s the third best version.

But about Sinead.

You know I saw somewhere, not bothering to click on the link, but Morrissey said something along the lines of, You praise her now that she's gone, underlying message: you're a hypocrite. While I am no Morrissey fan, in this instance he's not necessarily wrong - a lot of people f'ing hated Sinead back in the day, especially after that SNL performance. But also, while you're still here, Morrissey, let me say this: fuck off already.

I don’t really know anything about Sinead O’Connor other than what I’ve read here and there. But I will forever feel a connection to her because of that song, and how she sang it. It was like her voice transcended the laws of science as we know them, to ascend to magic, something with no explanation, that we can only witness in awe.

I started singing the song after I saw Chris Cornell play it, but in my mind I’m always singing Sinead’s version. And probably will sing it to her tonight.

--

A post by Rob Harvilla on Nothing Compares 2 U.

Love Lance

By the by, there are a lot of people talking about Jordan Love, how the Packers are optimistic, how we haven't seen much of him in the NFL yet, hell how he hasn't played much football at all since 2019, but there's a reason he was drafted in the first round.

There are also a lot of people labeling Trey Lance as a bust already. Uh.

Every word about Jordan Love above should be directly applicable to Trey Lance as well. Is this not logical?

Love has appeared in 10 NFL games, attempting 83 passes. Lance has appeared in 8 NFL games, attempting 102 passes.

There are differences between the two, obviously, but the similarities are many. And these are both young (24 and 23) highly athletic men being coached by offensive geniuses (Matt LaFleur - a Shanahan disciple, and Kyle Shanahan himself), having been coached by the same head coach - essentially also their offensive coordinators - their entire careers.

Jordan Love, under difficult circumstances, looked terrible in his only start last year (due to Rodgers' failed immunization to covid). Trey looked pretty bad under terrible conditions in his first start last year (against the Bears in a crazy ass rainstorm). In his second start, he was injured.

(Against the Texans the year before, he actually looked good. Say what you will about the Texans and their defense at the time, but this was still an NFL game.)

So, please, people who are labeling one a bust while looking at the other with "optimism". Please, stop it already.

And please, Mike Florio, the idea that Shanahan, with both Brock Purdy and Trey Lance still on their rookie contracts, would enter a "tug-of-war" with Sean McVay next offseason for Kirk Cousins*. Jesus. Shut up already.

* I don't actually think Cousins is a bad QB by any means. He's solid, but not spectacular. But going after him would mean that not only has Purdy regressed immeasurably AND Lance has failed at the Zach Wilson level, but they'd be willing to trade Deebo and maybe someone like Greenlaw to make salary cap room for Cousins, who will be a $40-50m man. Rather than sign say Darnold for a few mil (unless he has ALSO flamed out a la Wilson Lance AND PURDY SMFH). It just defies all logic. Ergo, shut up already.

Syd from the Bear reminds me of the best pasta I've ever eaten in my life

So I'm watching the Bear s2 ep3 and Syd is out on the town eating for inspiration, and she wanders into a restaurant with these beautiful wood walls and stools, and I immediately recognize this place, but is it possible that they haven't changed the interior or the f'ing stools in 15 years?? Can't be.

But it is. It is Avec.

(This photo is from the NY Times and it is not the pasta that I had there, but it's close - in appearance anyway.

The version I had did not have mushrooms, though they would be at home in this sauce.)

It was at Avec that I had pappardelle with chicken livers and cream sauce. My shoddy memory stored it as tagliatelle until I re-read my old post - but otherwise I recall a lot of details from this night, from this dish. I remember sitting at that bar, in that beautiful room, and eating what I believe is the best pasta I've ever eaten in my life. I remember less about the beet salad or the affogato that bookended the pasta. But I remember the hell out of that pasta, and more specifically the joy, comfort and luxury I experienced while eating it.

There are certain indelible imprint vehicles - and maybe yours are different than mine. But for me music, a certain song in a certain circumstance; smell; and of course food - those three things can grab a lot of surrounding details from a moment, some important and some not as, and grip them and then burrow forever into my brain, to be stored there like a mosquito in amber.

And then all it takes is Sydney wandering into that same place on a TV screen 15 years later to bump the thread and release the t-rex of pasta.

(Not that I haven't thought of that dish since I ate it. Honestly, it would not be inaccurate to say I think about that dish between one and four times a year.)

One final note on this: I look at what I ate there and am struck by how little my ordering style has changed in 15 years. Fifteen years later there's a high chance that I would order the exact same meal! That's sort of ... disturbing. Like, I'd like to think that with today's menu I'd order a hummus or maybe the tabbouleh - but I know damn well that, I'd contemplate everything and then order the brussels sprouts fattoush with beets aka beet salad. And the coconut sorbet affogato with biscuits I mean biscotti. So in conclusion, I have grown none.

And final final by the way, there is absolutely no way they have the same stools from 2008. But did they just buy extremely similar ones as replacements? Two or three times over?? I dunno. Maybe it's okay that neither I nor the restaurant have changed that much in 15 years. I mean, okay sure we've grown, we've aged, hopefully become more mature, but some things, like stools and tastes, are eternal.

I just watched the Yellowjackets s2 finale, and I have to say ...

No Yellowjackets, no!

[SPOILERS to s2 finale and s2 in general]

The first season of the show was so good; it is both impressive in that the first season of any show is very rarely its best, and, it's perilous for the follow-up seasons as they stretch to reach this very high standard.

Season 2 did not, unfortunately, reach it. It was still a decent watch, and I still want to see what happens to these ladies, but it was just not as compelling as s1.The resolution to some mysteries (what happened to Shauna's wilderness baby?) didn't quite satisfy. And the new mysteries didn't command my curiosity the same way.

What made s2 watchable, though, was it let its actors flourish. My affection for Melanie Lynskey, Christina Ricci and Juliette Lewis, not to mention the entire younger cast, has grown. Sophie Thatcher is a standout from the 96 timeline, she's fantastic. Sarah Desjardins as Callie is now also putting some major points on the board.

Warren Kole. In a sea of powerhouse women, he's given us some of the same level of LOL moments previously provided by Ms'z Ricci and Lewis, and he's also become perhaps my favourite TV husband and father already. (He has a dad's rock the f out playlist on Spotify btw, which is such excellent marketing.) Shauna's electric knife hands dream. Giving Callie some context of what her mom went through in the wilderness. A+ job, Mr Kole. (None of this could be done without Melanie Lynskey, of course - her underspoken Shauna in situations super fucked up is always also A+.)

So, my initial No! was aimed at the death of Natalie in the current timeline. I didn't want Nat to die, mostly because I don't want Juliette Lewis to leave. SHE IS TOO GOOD. Her and Christina Ricci together was 24k gold.

S2 certainly was not devoid of good writing: the tragedy of Javi, and how the drawer of the queen card keeps surviving for example (anxiety as our favourite characters draw the card, anguish as we see who has to die in their place). Everything Misty, from then and now. (though I can't tell how much Christina Ricci and Samantha Hanratty might be elevating the words, to be honest; they're both so good). This stuff - this is what we like. Give us this stuff in s3, and continue to allow your cast to ball the f out. Yellowjackets, you can still make it to nationals!

--

Post script: I don't know how much this song would cost, but if I was Jeff I'd be rocking the f out to Burden in my Hand by Soundgarden. I mean, the chorus is perfect. Would love to see Warren Kole steering wheel drum that first chorus.

YELLOWJACKETS (or: I have looked all over the place / and you have got my favourite face)

I must right a wrong. 

Previously in my best of 2022 TV shows post I didn't even list Yellowjackets as a potential though not yet viewed candidate. This was wrong. SO, SO WRONG. EGREGIOUSLY WRONG.

Turns out Yellowjackets is this crazy phenomenal mix of three of my favourite shows of all time: Lost, X-Files and Hannibal. It's fun, funny, shocking, horrific (if my soul were not already baked and dried of humanity), heartbreaking, did I mention funny? The casting. I don't think there is an award for casting but if there was, it should be named after the people who cast this show. It's UNCANNY. YES MORE CAPS LOCK, IT'S fucking UNBELIEVABLE SOMETIMES.

The young cast acts beyond their age - and yeah they are technically 20 somethings not teens but you know what I mean. They are very, very good actors, the lot of them. But Sophie Nelisse who plays young Shauna, Sophie Thatcher who plays young Nat and Samantha Hanratty who plays young Misty in particular are just fantastic. The Sophies are again, beyond their years in their ability to play heartbreak and guilt that, let's face it, they probably haven't even experienced at that level in real life yet. Samantha's portrayal of young Misty is completely and utterly convincing when you line her up with the older Misty played by Christina Ricci. Not even isolating appearance or mannerisms or whatever; on literally every level, they ARE the same person.

Ms Ricci of course does a spectacular job, and in most situations I would tag her as my favourite character and actor on the show. But this particular show has this particular embarrassment of riches. The statement about uncanny casting? It's true, it's very much a fact. Juliette Lewis as older Nat is also spectacular, and in fact, probably the funnest scenes to watch are with her and Christina Ricci reacting to one another. It's a fucking clinic if you ever need to crack a buddy movie.

My favourite character, though, is older Shauna played by Melanie Lynskey. You know her from somewhere, but where? (I've seen her in several things but I 'know' her from the movie I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore - and then, more recently from the Last of Us.) Well, now I know her from Yellowjackets. Because her performance is everything. She does EVERYTHING. Standing alone, she is the funniest. She's also the saddest, and the most hearbreakingly open (but closed), the sweetest, definitely the most under the surface boiling-y-est. The juxtaposition of her soft-spoken sincerity during her dealings with her rebellious daughter Callie, or set beside her butchery ... it is awesome.

I have so much more to say about this show. Since I started s1 a couple weeks ago, I've become obsessed. I've already watched the first season twice - I'm waiting for s2 to conclude so I can binge it all (and then likely re-binge it immediately thereafter). All of the high quality content in which we drown, through the past few years of it, I've chosen to repeat watch only three shows: Severance, Party Down and Yellowjackets. They are all that good.

So I won't say more, because it's just droning and besides it has probably all been said on the internet anyway (chatbot, can you please review all Yellowjackets discussions to confirm?). But this brilliance must be recognized. This buzz must be buzzed.

Oh and PS, since my first watch of the pilot I've had Supernova by Liz Phair stuck in my head. So two weeks or so, this song has been playing in my head. It is wonderful.

Stop with the Mayfield 49ers rumours

It's bad enough that Florio won't stop with the Brady / 49ers rumours. At least there's some logic there, being that Brady would probably love to put on the Niners uniform at least once given they were his favourite childhood team, and the Niners could theoretically roll the dice on a one year deal while Brock and Trey both learn under him. But c'mon, I just don't think it's realistic - money / salary cap being the main stumbling block.

But the Baker Mayfield rumours? When people like Albert Breer, an NFL insider, a long-time and well-respected NFL writer, suggest that the Niners would consider signing Baker Mayfield ... just, please stop self-flagellating your reputation, Albert Breer. We all know Nick Bosa hates Baker Mayfield (flag plant back to college days, revenge game SF vs CLE, "Baaaker... Baaaakerrr..."). We also know the Niners are working on signing Bosa to a long term deal. So why in the hell would they risk upsetting their (arguably) best player (well between him and Trent Williams) for a short term QB rental who may or may not even play? Put Baker in the locker room and watch the divide form. For what?

THIS IS JUST SO ILLOGICAL, STOP IT ALREADY.

JFC seriously man.

2022 best TV shows I watched

Yes I’m late, good thing no one is paying for this content.

Do we need an intro? No? No, I don't think so either. Here's my favourite tv of 2022.

1.       Severance

Everyone talks about the music dance experience, and for good reason. Milchick is a fantastic character, and this is the scene where he struts right off the screen and into your nervous personal space. The mood of the MDE, the dancing itself, is simultaneously frightening and contagious. (Never watch the MDE alternatively set to Meshuggah, by the way. You don’t need that much stress in your life.) But Milchick is not alone, not even close, in this fascinating and fantastic cast characters. Hilly, Dylan, Irv and Burt all have their turns as the centerpiece in your severed mind. And that’s not even counting Mark, the star or at least protagonist of the show, or Cobel, or Ms Casey. It’s just such a great mystery, doled out in ways similar to how Lost grabbed our attention and affection by showing be one window and then another, and only over time the stuff between, the stuff that was behind the walls. The season finale is so satisfying and not, a cliffhanger that was made before season two was greenlit. Ballsy, and perfect. If not for living in the age that we do, I would have already rewatched this show at least two more times. (TOO MUCH CONTENT, TOO BAD.)

 

2.       Andor

As my friend Chris said, Star Wars finally showed us why they are fighting the Star Wars. And he’s right – there’s no space Jesuses with laser swords, there’s no racist stereotypes in computer generated yet still rubbery suits. This is a glimpse of the crush of fascism and oppression finally becoming too much. The sparks of a revolution – the rebellion. The prices paid by the little folks, and the upper crust too who oppose it as well, are clearly illustrated for us, for our sickening, so that we can finally understand the why’s of the Wars. And while the show clearly takes place in the Star Wars universe, Tony Gilroy sprinkles aliens and technology and architecture around only sparingly but just enough so that when something familiar shows up, its impact is that much greater. We're used to tie fighters being cannon fodder, as when a hundred of them are dispatched to take out eight X-wings. Ho-hum. But one single fighter doing a fly-over of the lush green hills of Aldhani? Literally awesome! May I also say, mad props to Denise Gough for her stellar work in this and Under the Banner of Heaven in this last year.

 

3.       Our Flag Means Death

Like What We Do In The Shadows, this show with those familiar Kiwi fingerprints started a little slow. It was worth a smile or two early on, really just due to Rhys Darby being his regular charming as all F self. Then episode 3 happens, and between Rhys, as Stede, singing “Man for sale!”, and Leslie Jones’ turn as Spanish Jackie, the show took off. And there’s no mistaking that any one person was alone responsible for this upshoot; the whole cast came together over the course of the next few episodes. The high society episode, for example, is fucking weird and great on about five different fronts. And THEN, still later in the season, the show takes another turn into something so completely unexpectedly wholesome-ly romantic and heartwarming that I was just left stunned, and warm-hearted. The season just got more and more, well, delightful I’d say, as it sailed its course. Amazing work, mates!

 

4.       The Bear

How do you know when a show is good? When it has invaded your daily lexicon, is one sign. For example, when you start calling your friends ‘cousin’. You know, the kitchen speak is just, in the world we – certainly I – live in, it’s like self-parody now. Come on now, with the 'yes chefs'. But cousin, that’s something else. It’s the better, more meaningful version of ‘bro’, or ‘dude’. And the Bear is the better and more meaningful version of, well, just about any chef-based movie or tv show you can think of. Seriously, what do you think is better? (Maybe something like the extremely underrated 100-Foot Journey, okay I will give you that one. ‘Cause god I love romcoms.) Marcus is great, I love his little journey. I don’t even have to say anything about episode seven, because you’ll know when you watch it - but it is great. The music is pretty good too! Actually my biggest critique about the whole series may be that they didn’t use the instrumental part of Layla as the final episode outro. Is it 'cause it would be too predictable? And did I just lodge a complaint against Radiohead? You bet and you bet! (Another shoutout to Ebon Moss-Bachrach for appearing in the Bear and Andor this year - nice script choices, cousin!)

 

Honourable mentions: What We Do In The Shadows, Peacemaker, Harley Quinn, Station 11? (I don’t know if this was good tv, but I do still think about it from time to time – like, Jeevan, man!)

Notables as yet unwatched: Better Call Saul, Atlanta, the Rehearsal

 Hello world, I am back. It's 2023.

What the hell?

Facebook is terrible. Twitter is even worse. Instagram is okay, though a medium where a picture is worth a thousand words but if you want to post anything more than around five words it's gonna be pretty tough.

Don't ask me about all them kids' social medias, I don't even know. Snapchat. Tik tok. Tide pods??

So, world, I am back on the ole Google Blogger, to yell summore into the void.

Hello! (hello!) (hello!) ...

Incidentally, did you know that Google removed "don't be evil" from its code of conduct in 2018? lol man. But do be the lesser evil, Google. Be the least of all evils.