Dear Friends,
A couple of nights ago, I was watching the Suns play the Cavaliers (Cleveland, for those who don't care about such things) and I saw something that I don't remember seeing in the last several seasons:
DeAndre Ayton aggressively went over the back of Jarrett Allen to try and grab a rebound.
Non-basketball fans can just skip the next few paragraphs, but those of you who suffer, as I do, from being a Suns fan will understand why I was so excited about a late-game loose ball foul. Ayton simply never really seems to fight hard for the ball. The over-the-back foul towards the end of the Cavs game gave me a little bit of hope.
I've written about Ayton before. I like the kid. I think he would be very fun to talk to and probably even more fun to hang out with and play some video games. But, and yes, there is a but here...he hasn't shown that he has the type of competitive fire the Suns need from him. He almost seems too easy going.
When you have been blessed with exceptional athletic ability, you also need the fire and desire to beat the snot out of your opponent to be a champion. This is why Michael Jordan was so good. He had the skill and talent, for sure, but he also despised losing. He wanted to crush the opponent. There was no mercy in him on the court. I want the Suns to have a guy like that who is also a world class talent when it comes to putting the ball in the hoop or grabbing a rebound you absolutely have to have. If Ayton had that drive, he would be a beast.
Here's to more physical play from the Suns' big man. I certainly won't mind seeing a few more effort-driven fouls from him. At this point, it is the only way the Suns make the playoffs this year barring some unforeseen trade. By the time Devin Booker gets back from being injured, they may be four or five games out of a playoff spot.
*****
I watched Permanent Midnight, the Ben Stiller movie about Jerry Stahl (novelist and TV writer). It's an ugly fucking movie, but it lead me down a small rabbit hole as I am interested in learning more about Stahl. My buddy and creative partner Amy and I have been talking about getting our former radio show, It's Not Our Fault, going again as a podcast. The first season will, most likely, be focused on writers and/or artists who have written books.
I was unaware that Stahl, for example, had written and episode of Northern Exposure. I happen to have loved the episode that he wrote, which was about a hermit who had died and left a bunch of land to two of the main characters. It's a bummer that Northern Exposure is not available to stream, although if it were, I would probably be watching it right now instead of writing this blog.
As I think back to those early 90s days when Northern Exposure was on TV, I can understand why the idea of escaping to Alaska seemed so appealing to me. I wanted to be anywhere other than Phoenix at the time. I wanted to be out, exploring the world, and living the kind of life that it seemed like the characters on the show were living. It was also a really well written and acted show. Who cares if it wasn't really filmed in Alaska?
The reason for the show not being streamed is that the soundtrack was too good and too well curated. It would cost a fortune for it to be on again and no one wants to pay the artists whose music is on the shows, I guess. This gives me an idea...I'm going to write about some of the best soundtracks out there.
Happy Friday!
Stolen from Harvard. Go figure...
Comments