Mashed Up Brain

(Let's see, one year before previous post, 3 years before this post...I'm not even going to bother commenting on it. What could I really say?)

I've had mash-ups in the back of my head ever since Sunday when Grace and I were at Word in Greenpoint and somehow the subject came up. Specifically, Grace said to me "You used to listen to a lot of mash-ups, didn't you?"

It's funny how memory works. I wouldn't say I ever listened to a LOT of mash-ups, but I definitely went through a phase where I was relatively fascinated by them.

The very first time I heard anything like a mash-up was the opening scene of the movie "Blue Crush" and they had juxtaposed some hip hop song I was unfamiliar with with "Cruel Summer" by Bananarama. I wasn't a huge fan of either song, but it was easily the most memorable part of the movie as far as I was concerned.

I sat there in disbelief, thinking "wow, they just combined those two songs and it totally works!" I wanted more - but there wasn't anything more that I could find. The term "mash-up" wasn't in my vocabulary yet.

It didn't get there until 2003, when Grace and I started dating. One thing we were both really into was music, and we began exchanging a lot of it. I made her a CD which had a mash up of "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor, and "Work It" by Missy Elliot. That track was amazing!

I think I maybe found one or two others at the time, but nothing that I liked as much as that one. Probably because the combination of the songs was so original and they way they were woven together made each song seem that much better.

All in all, I can remember only finding a few mash ups that I really liked during that time period, and then they quickly began to seem gimmicky and boring. In my memory, it was a super-brief phase where I listened to just a few songs. In Grace's, it was me listening to a LOT of mash-ups.

----

I know there are now a bunch of tools that will let you make your own mash-ups, but I haven't really looked into them. If I did, I think one of the first songs I would try to combine would be "Power of Love" by Huey Lewis...

...with "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson

Mostly it's the bass-line that I think would hook the songs together - they both have such solid bass-lines. I grant it's not the most original or interesting combination of songs. It's certainly no "Thunder Busters":

Nor is it Wugazi.

But what is?

Catching Up

Hard for me to believe it's been over a year since my last post.  I think my problem was I was too much of a perfectionist when it came to "blogging."  Not that I should have cared because I think I have at most 2 readers, but nonetheless - I felt like everything I put up here should be held up to some standard which I could never really define.  And thus the perfect was the enemy of the good.  Or even just of the ok.  And here I am, a year later.  I think I could have used the outlet.   It probably would have been good for me.

So, I'm actually wearing headphones right now - not that it matters - there's no sound coming out of them.   Taking a quick break in between watching episodes of the Wire.  Grace is asleep next to me and I'm fighting off the odor of a Ms. Jackson bomb.  Nothing like having the litter box close to the bed.  

So, while this may not catch anyone up on what's really been going on with me - I think that's ok, mostly because no one's reading and thus no one really cares.  So why not waste a little space on the internet with what ultimately amounts to little more than a typing exercise.  Think I'll clear out the SPAM comments and go back to the Wire.  Something about that show has consumed me at night lately - looking forward to moving on to a new place - David Simon's Baltimore is depressing.

Recent iTunes Uploads

There’s nothing like having the vast majority of your online music collection feel stale – which is where i’m at right now. Obviously, these things happen from time to time, and this just happens to be one of those times. In general, I’ve found there are only a couple of cures to this situation – one is to throw the whole thing into a shuffle – it’s one of the only ways to remind you that there were songs that you forgot that you had and and that you liked. Often these are songs you would never have intentionally listened to – but the fact that it just “came on” somehow makes you a bit more tolerant. However, in certain circumstances – this approach just won’t work – you’ll find yourself wanting to skip ahead to the next track, and then the next one, and the next one … once you start down that road you’re only a few steps away from despair.

At this point it’s a good idea to start exploring the “radio” or “podcast” sections of itunes. Unfortunately for me, this is rarely the approach I take – instead I tend to find myself in the “store” section of itunes thinking – well, how bad could that Fergie album really be?

But there is an alternative – at least, for me there is. The dig into my actual cd collection to find albums that i have never uploaded onto my itunes. This is can be a useful expedition, especially if undertaken rarely. You will often find yourself face to face with some embarrassing moments (how did i get all those ida albums?? Actually, i know how…but it’s not even worth it…)

In any case, what follows are the cd’s I uploaded the other night as Grace slept and i watched the Mets game (it’s playoff time, remember?)

Luna – live – I was never really much of a Luna fan, but this record made me want to try (I went out and got Bewitched, and their newer one – which was horrible, and even some old Galaxie 500 – but I just wasn’t depressed enough at the time to make that one work…). Dean Whateverhisnameis is a great guitarist and a decent singer. But there’s something about his guitar work live – it was really just working for him that night.

Iron & Wine – Creek Drank the Cradle; in my mind, he still hasn’t topped this album. The phenomenal rhythmic fingerpicking, the soft, breathy vocals, and the poor recording quality which made you feel like he just did that in his bedroom like 20 minutes ago gave the album an immediacy and intimacy that he never really regained. Fortunately, he still manages to make good albums and great songs, but this is still my favorite.

U2 - B-sides 1980-1990. U2 was my first favorite band, the Joshua Tree was my first favorite Album, and Where the Streets Have No Name was my first favorite Video. (First favorite song? “What A Fool Believes” by the Doobie Brothers – and no I’m not kidding, I was 4!) Not much else to say really. I never upgraded my cassette copy of the Joshua Tree to CD - I guess I felt I’d had it so long that I somehow didn’t need to transfer it. Looking back, I think that was a mistake. Anyway, I still haven’t listened to this one. It does have “The Sweetest Thing” on it, which alone makes it worth listening to.

Zero Zero – A.M Gold - First heard this one on a mix my friend Jeremy made me. It was one of the best mixes I’d recieved in a long time, I recall. There were many hits to be discovered on that one, but this was by far the most fun. (Also by far the worst song on the mix? Fischerspooner. God did they suck. Are they even still around?)

The Who – Join Jogether – another trip down memory lane. This came out around one of their many reunion tours. It’s a live “Box Set” (2 CD’s – more box than set), which is a live version of Tommy on disc one, and a bunch of Greatest Hits on disc two. I don’t own a CD of Tommy proper, so I figured I’d chuck the live one into the mix.

(Attempted) The Kills – Keep on Your Mean Side – again, another first album far superior to the second. Although I did love the cover to the second album. Anyway, this is something that bothers me about iTunes sometimes – when it flat rejects a cd for import that i KNOW plays on a cd player. Grrrr. Regardless, I really liked this album when it came out and since I don’t really listen to cd’s anymore this one has not make the journey with me. I suppose I could buy it again on itunes but the whole principal of that really bothers me. The thing I like about the Kills is the intense musical energy between the man and woman (who both have weird names like VV or something) who form the 2 person band. It reminded me of another band who’s music I could import…

Boss Hog – (debut LP) I loved the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (especially circa Extra Width/Orange – sort of tuned out after Now I Got Worry), and watching the sexual tension between Jon and his wife (the unforgettable Christana Martinez) was unbelievable. Their music seemed dirty and bluesy – it was so dirty it was practically slimy – but for some reason, it was a good thing. If I was only going to own one Boss Hog album, it would probably be the Girl+ ep, but I couldn’t find it in my CD case that night. I like this album too.

Television – Marquee Moon – How many times have we been told by rock critics what a great album this is? Answer: A lot. I don’t get it. I don’t hear it – I wasn’t around at the time, I wasn’t doing the right drugs, I don’t know. I’ve tried to appreciacte this album as the classic that it is. I like the noodle-y guitar, don’t love the vocals. However, all in all, this album is, to quote the truest music critic of all – Randy Jackson, “just alright to me.” [The “dog” at the end of that quote was implied.] But for whatever reason, I’m giving it another chance.

Matthew Sweet – Altered Beast – This is not his best album, and it may be his most depressing. But there are some great tracks on here (and some not so great ones, frankly). But there are hidden gems in an album like this – think about it. It’s right after his breakout album (Girlfriend) which was way overrated. [It had like 3 great tracks on it (Girlfriend, Waiting, Evangeline – Looking at the Sun was OK too, but he only seemed to know how to do spacey-guitar power rock with like 50 layers of overdubs (sort of a one-man, pop version of the Smashing Pumpkins), and really depressing ballads.] Then this one was totally disappointing to the people who liked Girlfriend. His best album (already on my itunes) was easily 100% Fun.

That would all seem like a lot if there weren’t like 10 more. But man is this post getting long. More to come.

Hip Hop Humor

Recently, a good friend of mine - one who I can normally count on for some good old fashioned indie-rock swappin' (have you heard? no, but i did hear...what did you think of? it was pretty good, but i really loved...) - you know the routine - has declared that she is "sick of indie rock." Frankly, this isn't the first time I've heard such things from her (and the last time, as i recall, it was in reference to And You Will Know us By The Trail Of Dead - at the time implying that this new 'real" rock band was going to usher in some new era to the sissified genre...needless to say we were both disappointed on that score...).

Nonetheless, this friend has decided that she'd like to get into Hip Hop. So, in my mind, I'd taken it upon myself to write a little - "what you should get if you want to get into hip hop" post. But as I was thinking about it, I thought about something far more important....

"What Skits You Should Be Listening To If you Want to Listen to Hip Hop Skits"

Now I'll be the first to admit that the Hip Hop skit is becoming a dead art form. Most of the time they're just lame weed, gun, or "ho" jokes. And in fact, most of the skits I'm gonna give you are probably lame weed, gun, and ho jokes as well, but they're the best around. So, from the top of my head, here goes...

• OutKast - "Kim & Cookie" (Stankonia)- If you haven't heard this one by now, you're in trouble, because it is without a doubt one of the greatest of all time. You WILL act this skit out with your friends. You will have no choice. It's better to just accept these things and enjoy the ride.
• Wu Tang Clan - "Where's My Killa Tape?" (Enter the 36 Chambers) - Wow. Where to start on this one - this is a sketch that has a lot of repeat value because it takes a little while to understand the storyline (if you could call it that). the question remains..."how you ain't got my shit when i let you hold it?"
• Notorious BIG - "The Madd Rapper" (Life After Death) - In addition to being one of the most amazing double-albums in Hip Hop history, this sketch boasts one of the funniest "characters" to be invented for a skit -The Madd Rapper - and let me tell, you he's real mad. (You can't be askin' him no questions!) The "Madd Rapper" even went on to make his own album. I don't know if a single person bought it. There's such a thing as taking a joke to far.
• Wu Tang - "Straight Torture" (Enter the 36 Chambers) - In this skit, we find the various members of the Wu Tang Clan engaged in a jovial form of one-upsemanship as they describe their respective torturing techniques of choice. Dave Chappelle based one of the "Lost Episode" sketches around this premise - placing his character Tron as the victim of the Wu's gruesome wrath. Not necessarily a skit for everyone, but a must for everyone who's anyone.
• Q-Tip - "busta rhymes freaks out" (Amplified) - this isn't quite a skit, but it is quite funny, at the end of a guest spot on a (very cool) Q-Tip track, some sort of mishap occurs, causing Busta Rhymes to miss his cue, and subsequently freak out on everyone in the studio, cursing frantically while you can Q-Tip and the crew laugh hysterically.
• Beastie Boys - "Biz Markie tells you" - (Hello Nasty) - again, not quite a skit, but amusing - this little snippet tacked on to the end of "Intergalactic" is valuable only in that it will add a new catch-phrase into your daily life. As the Biz expounds upon the virtues of "the echo" (an effect used in the track), repeats the phrase "tellin' you!" Hey, it's a Beastie Boys album -where most of the humor is in the songs themselves. Surprisingly enough, these guys were one of the few crews not to indulge in a Hip Hop skit. The fact that anything funny at all happens between tracks is noteworthy.
• OutKast - "Drinkin' Again" (Stankonia) - In this one we find two N'eer-Do-Well's bemoaning their fate, and drowning their sorrows. Worth hearing for the pronunciation of the word "compruder" alone.

Dirty Little Secret

Obviously, not cool like Spoon - but damn if "Move Along" isn't one of the catchiest songs I've heard in a long time. That's right - I like an All-American Rejects song. Hell, I bought the whole album! But for now let's stick to the song...it's got a great hook, great harmonies, and a fun shuffle-beat that will keep you bopping along - trust me. Plus there's the additional guilty pleasure of rocking out just knowing that you're listening to the All-American Rejects. Don't knock it 'till you've tried it.

To make the song truly ridiculous, there's even a dramatic middle bridge section with a children's chorus - completely over the top in epic emo-pop super-style. This is not for the faint of heart.

Now, I'd warn you away from the album unless you can meet the following criteria:
1. You like Jimmy Eat World (really just the songs "The Middle" and "Sweetness" will suffice)
2. You can remember a time in your life - fondly - when a power (pop) ballad was a meaningful thing, something you wouldn't necessarily mind revisiting
3. You have no problem with all of your friends making fun of you.

Gimme Patience

So I'm on the subway coming home tonight, too tired to read my book, because it's one of those books that you really have to give your full attention to in order to read - it's all about the prose, so if you're too tired to take it in, there's really no sense in wasting good writing on tired eyes. And since my PSP got jacked, it looked like I was just gonna sit there (unacceptable) or bust out the ipod. Tonight's ride was a reunion with Spoon.

The thing I love about Spoon is that they are one of the few indie bands who can really rock at almost any tempo. Yeah, there are many out there like Okkervil River, The Wrens, or Band of Horses (just to name a few) who kick ass on their rocking songs, but who's slower or mid-tempo songs sound just like, well - slower or mid-tempo songs. It's not a slight, I love all of those bands, but the thing about Spoon is when they do it - their songs still sound so full and solid. No more so than on their last album - Gimme Fiction

Maybe it's their sense of space. They craft such spare parts for each instrument and just fit the songs together like little puzzles - each one usually based around a fairly simple rhythm or riff. I guess it all adds up to a sound where each note sounds so deliberate that it really adds a weight to it that is so often lacking in most indie rock. [The White Stripes have it, too, but right now we're talking about Spoon. Damn!]

Each previous Spoon album has been completely self-contained, creating it's own world, and Gimme Fiction is no exception. This one took a step back from the frenetic, largely piano-centered album Kill The Moonlight (amazing), and has a far more layered and subtle approach. On first listen, I didn't really care for it. And I wanted to. I'd loved all of their other records - and I had my hopes up. Obviously, I liked the immediate standout tracks ("I Turn My Camera On", "Two Sides of Monsieur Valentin", and "Sister Jack") but that was about it. I was prepared to dismiss it as a dud and leave it on the pile of albums that never quite make the cut (a huge pile). But for some reason it never made it out of the disc changer.

I'm glad for that. Slowly, after many times keeping the album on in the background, while doing other things, the other songs snuck up on me and began to reveal themselves. It was a wonderful thing. There's no better feeling than hearing a song like "My Mathematical Mind" or "The Beast and Dragon Adored" which at first sound repetitive and droney - and finally feeling like it makes sense. [I'm sure these songs worked for other people right away - in fact, when the album came out people couldn't get over My Mathematical Mind - everyone thought it was the masterpiece of the album!]

The thing that was missing, I think, was patience. On my part. Nowadays, most of the music I buy is through iTunes - I rarely buy actual CD's anymore. And while this may be a vastly more efficient manner in which to take in music I have found it to be infinitely less satisfying. Digital purchases are much easier to neglect (especially when you have a large collection) than a disc whose case (and cool artwork) is sitting on your desk, refusing to be put away (I prefer that explanation to my girlfriend's, who will try to tell you that I refuse to put it away). A case that you have to keep looking at will remind you to give it another chance. It will tempt you with the songs you know you like and win you over with the songs you don't.

For some reason, I was feeling a bit more patient tonight. It felt nice. It reminded me of a year ago, when Gimme Fiction came out. When I couldn't get "Sister Jack" out of my head. [And what great lyrics that song has - so Beatles-y...] When I could put on a CD without iTunes, before I felt the need to constantly keep my music on "shuffle" because my attention span was longer than four minutes.

Sometimes all it takes is a night where you're too tired to read to bring it all back.

"Weekends, I should point out, are totally different..."

To gain some insight into the mind of a true sports fanatic. I've sought the input of the afore-mentioned sports-fan friend to see how he does it.

WH - Dude, I'm coming to you because you watch an inordinate (or is it ordinate? I don't even know...) amount of sports and you keep up with everything. Frankly, I find it both ridiculous and fascinating. Can you describe your daily routine for me? I want it all - online time spent - sites visited, newspapers, number of episodes of Sportscenter - the works.

First of all, inordinate. At least among the relatively normal people that I know, I watch more sports than anyone else, maybe than the rest of them combined. As for the daily routine, I guess it's basically as follows: wake up, check on the fantasy teams, then watch Sportscenter rerun while reading the paper, eating breakfast, etc. So that's about an hour. There's not really any sports on for the rest of the morning (World Cup and Tour de France times excepted - those are special events), so that's a sports-free zone. Most early afternoons don't have much going on either, except for the occasional weekday baseball game (on ESPN, or a Cubs game on WGN). If those are on, I'll tend to move myself in front of the TV and do work or read while watching the game. Doesn't matter who's playing. Late afternoon is Pardon the Interruption on ESPN at 5:30 - that's a daily routine. Then dinner, and then the baseball game in the evening, either going to the park (season tickets are a joy) or watching on TV. If the Sox aren't on, then I'll watch whatever other game is on. That's the weekdays, basically. Probably on average about four to five hours of sports on TV for a weekday, counting Sportscenters, Baseball Tonights, and actual games. Because I work at the computer, online time is pretty high - I'm constantly checking my fantasy team and ESPN.com. I read everything that's free about baseball on ESPN.com (stupid "insider" articles), and other Boston sports news, and whatever else catches my eye.

Weekends, I should point out, are totally different - then it's basically sports all day. Whenever the Sox are on, obviously, but also day games of baseball, and Lord knows during football season, I cancel all my Sunday plans. I realize I've focused on baseball season, because that's what we're in, but of course during the offseason I'm watching basically every Celtics game, and the occasional Bruins game, and pretty much any other pro basketball game that's televised, if the C's aren't playing at the same time.

As for print media, I read the sports sections of the Globe and the Times (what little there is in the Times), and Sports Illustrated every week. Not too much there - when you watch Sportscenter every day and read the stuff online, there isn't too much other than local articles on the Sox or Yankees and the columnists that's worth much in the papers. SI is just for fun. So I think that's the basic outline of the sports in my life. Lots of TV, a considerable amount on the internet, and some print. Every Sox game, every Celtics game, every Patriots game, every other nationally televised baseball, football, or basketball game, and highlights of everything. It sounds like a lot when I put it this way, but my wife would tell you that it's actually much worse.

WH- As you know, you've roped me into your sick little world of fantasy leagues. This was after years of listening to you talk about how they have improved your enjoyment of the game. I liked this idea - but find that I've had a much greater response to the theory of fantasy leagues than the practice of them. How have they worked for you and what have they added to your quality of sports-fan-dom?

Fantasy leagues are basically a way for me to demonstrate that I could be a general manager of a professional sports team. I don't know whether they've added to my quality of sports-fan-dom. The biggest knock against fantasy sports by its opponents is that people stop rooting for teams or for good games, they only care about their one guy on whatever team, and everything else is irrelevant. I totally understand that danger - I'll admit to watching games that I have little interest in (and that aren't even good games) because I've got one of the starting pitchers, or one of the hitters. Or even a reliever, for God's sake. But that particular danger is more acute, I think, for people who are not already enormous sports fans. Which is to say, I was already watching every game and reading all the stats before I started doing fantasy leagues. But doing fantasy sports does make me more aware of really every single player out there - if you're good at them, you find yourself constantly on the lookout for the next great player, or for the overlooked guy, or whatever. It means that my knowledge of the statistics and abilities of marginal players has vastly improved. For whatever that's worth.

WH - Can fantasy leagues work for the casual sports fan, or do they require a degree of obsessiveness that a casual fan just can't provide?

Hard to say. I think that they can work - if you're the right type of person. That said, you're probably not going to beat someone who's really obsessed - I mean, there are people in fantasy leagues who are picking up and dropping players during games that they're watching because they think they've found something great. I'm not even doing that, for the most part. So a casual fan would just be a step or two behind, because he wouldn't be on top of the latest injuries, breakouts, etc. The plain fact is, most casual fans aren't going to care enough to want to play. You really have to be obsessed to join one in the first place - and you have to have that drive I was talking about to prove that you can be the general manager of a team. That's really what it's all about for me - it's a way of living out a dream job.

WH - If I were to spend a limited amount of time following sports news per day - say 20 minutes - how would you recommend I do it? TV? Internet? Newspaper?

First of all, your limited time is too limited - I'm going to expand it to 30 minutes. So you've lost your ten minutes of self-doubt every day. Boo hoo. Now - here's the simplest way to get the most sports news in half an hour: watch ESPNews, not late in the afternoon, but late at night or early in the morning. You get all the day's sports highlights in half an hour, plus the scroll at the bottom of the screen with breaking news, stats, etc. It's by far the best way to get it all in.

WH - You are one of the most skeptical people of new technology of anyone I know - so I suppose this question will probably answer itself...but...do you read any sports blogs? Deadspin seems pretty good, but I don't really know the landscape that well. What say you? Speaking of sports blogs, have you seen any of the NYTimes coverage of the World Cup? I personally think they've gone blog-crazy and are spreading themselves too thin. Discuss.

Sorry, the question answers itself. Apologies to anyone who's going to read this and be offended, including your girlfriend, but I just don't understand the whole blog thing. I won't say any more than that, because we both know I'd just get my ass in trouble.

Editor's Note: When I spoke with this friend again later this same day by phone, he revealed that while this was indeed "a lot of sports," he felt that he "could be doing more." Couldn't we all?

Last Minute Sports Fan

I wouldn't say that I'm a Johnny-come-Lately. Although I suppose no one thinks of themselves that way. This is how I'd put it - I simply don't (yet?) have the discipline to follow most sports regularly enough during the season. In almost any sport. It's not that I don't find it interesting, it's that I find it boring.

Now obviously it's a no-brainer that playoff games in any sport will be more exciting than regular season games. Once the playoffs kick-in, I'm invariably drawn in by the sheer intensity of the action. This urgency is what I find lacking in regular season games - it's just tougher to get excited about a game that (at least on the surface of things) doesn't matter as much.

But this is the thing: I'm convinced that these games do matter. It's in the watching of these regular season games that you get to really know the players, the teams, the tendencies, the whole thing. And it's this knowledge that makes the playoffs such a special time for real sports fans. I think that the average sports fan gets something close to the same amount of enjoyment out of a regular game that I get out of a playoff game. And they probably enjoy a playoff game twice as much as I do. This must be corrected.

The problem is, I get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of sports news available at any given time. You're telling me I'm supposed to watch 18 editions of SportsCenter, make espn.com my home page, plus read the sports section of the daily paper....AND have time to watch games?

I honestly don't see how people do it.

And I've tried.

Not that hard, but I have tried. I read Sports Guy. I read Game of Shadows. Hmm. That might have been be the extent of it...

I should try harder. Why? It's not like I owe it to anyone to become a more knowledgeable sports fan. But this is the thing: I am certain that I would be a happier sports fan were I to be more knowledgeable. Doesn't it stand to reason that if I had a better sense of the narrative of any given team/league/player etc, that I would enjoy the playoffs THAT MUCH MORE? As it stands, my usual routine goes something like this:

• notice that it's the playoffs/finals in some sport (currently NBA - how much fun are these finals? one-point overtime games? the best!)
• call my biggest sports-fan friend for a briefing on all i need to know to watch said series
• enjoy series
• promptly forget about said sport
• repeat

Hmm, when I put it this way, the system seems fairly self-contained and functional. Yet every year it leaves me somewhat unfulfilled. As if watching these games was a marginal participation (at best) in the world of sports. True, I may have seen some games, but I've missed out on what makes them valuable. How can I appreciate that (whoever) is playing the best (whatever) of the season, or they finally worked out that kink in their game which kept them from performing to the best of their capabilities? The only way that I can do that is to take my friend's word for it. And it's just not as much fun that way.

One other note on the problem with my approach: the "good game" problem. I don't closely follow any given team. Because I grew up outside of Boston, my heart will always be with Boston teams. [Note: this was not always the case. Because my parents came from both Northern and Southern California, I felt free to cherry-pick my favorite teams from their hometowns which conveniently meant that I got to root for some great teams during their heyday (the 49ers, the Lakers, whoever). My sports-fan friend will not let me forget this. This is among the many reasons that I don't tend to return his calls promptly.] However, I have lived in New York for the past 10 years and have lost touch with the goings on of my teams. And I just can't become a New York sports fan. Sorry. I'd root for the Lakers over the Yankees any day.

Moving on - the good game problem. Because I haven't been following the season in any meaningful way - I haven't formed any opinions about any of the teams that I may end up watching play. Therefore, all I can root for is a "good" (ie, close) game. And while I'm sure this is a "sportsman"-like attitude, I can't help thinking that this is not what most sports fans think about. Don't they all have strongly formed opinions about all the teams in the league and don't they inevitably take sides? Well I want to take sides. I'm sick of just rooting for overtime or last minute drama. I'm certain that there are many more minutes worth enjoying than just the last.