Any self-respecting New Yorker knows that Magnolia Bakery is the place to go for cupcakes. In fact, anyone who’s seen “Sex and the City,” “Spin City” or “The Devil Wears Prada,” or YouTube-searched the words “Lazy Sunday,” probably knows about this pleasant little Bleecker Street bakery. Magnolia is actually a citywide presence(the business franchised to Midtown and Rockefeller Plaza after new owners Steve and Tyra Abrams took over in 2007), but the most famous location, the one from “Sex and the City,” resides in the trendy, super-exclusive West Village, Manhattan’s perennial playground for its more recession-proof citizens.
The place isn’t much to look at. But like all classic New York eateries, the food is fantastic and definitely warrants all the high-profile name-checks. The cupcakes are blissful albeit artery-clogging, and the prices ($3 per cupcake) can be a tad steep, but nobody can argue that you don’t get what you pay for; even if CitySearch only ranks Magnolia at three and a half stars out of five (one poster writes: “nothing blew us away. Not to mention…it’s pretty darn expensive!”), the line is consistently out the door.
Founded in 1996 by Allysa Torey and Jennifer Appel, Magnolia is homey to the core. Bakers bustle out trays of pastries every few minutes or so, full-blown cakes (priced from $24 to $48, depending on the type of cake) line display cases and a sign reminds buyers they’re only allowed a dozen cupcakes at a time. And since the food at Magnolia is all takeout, it shouldn’t be a surprise that a visit during peak hours is about as close to smash-mouth cupcake shopping as it comes. Sometimes foreign camera crews filming the Marc Jacobs store down the block capture their reporters grabbing a bite. OK, cameras and New York aggression aren’t homey by anyone’s reckoning, but it’s still as close to small-town sweetness as New York City gets.
And while Magnolia certainly isn’t timid with their pricing ($2.50 for a regular cupcake, $3 for “special” treats like the red velvet and pumpkin cupcakes), at least they’re not overly secretive about their tricks. Appel’s 1999 “The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook,” as well as Torey’s “More From Magnolia” (2004) outline the basic recipes for the store’s offerings, including the cupcakes.
One such tidbit: the cupcake icing contains two (!) sticks of butter. Eat too many of these bad boys and you’re on the short list for a heart attack. But there are certainly worse ways to go.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
An NJ Italian's take on "Jersey Shore"
The actual Jersey shore kind of lost its mystique for me a few years ago, but MTV's "Jersey Shore" is nothing short of glorious. I mean, I was appalled from start to finish, but it was kind of like watching a spray-tanned, juiced-up train wreck. I couldn't look away.
If you've heard anything about this show, know this: it's just what it's marketed as. MTV basically rodeoed a bunch of guidos and guidettes, dropped them in Seaside Heights and told 'em to go nuts. The only sort of dues they owe is that they have to work regular hours at a Boardwalk thrift shop. It doesn't seem like they can work worth a damn or have two brain cells to rub together, but everyone loves them and their nights are always epic. My fellow New Jerseyans' Facebook statuses were pretty uniformly outraged at this depiction of the Dirty; a friend of mine who was on my high school wrestling team before I got there wrote something along the lines of "stop destroying Jersey MTV, we're doing that just fine by ourselves."
I'm not necessarily sold on that, though. Frankly, I thought the show was absolutely hilarious, if only because the people on it are absolute idiots. Well, maybe an idiot is a strong word, they're simple, and charmingly so. Like most guidos I know (and I do know a few), give 'em a blowout, a bottle of booze, and a girl with a fake tan and hair extensions and they're good to go. I may be an Italian but I'm pretty much the anti-guido; I don't have enough hair for a blowout. I'm afraid of needles, so I won't get a tattoo. And I've never set foot in Seaside Heights, a place so sketchy it's affectionately known as "Sleazeside" in the greater North Jersey community.
But they love it there, and while packing a suitcase entirely full of hair gel or nicknaming yourself "the Situation" might seem socially unacceptable to some, for these guys it's just the norm. I've never met any of them, but it seems like all they want in life is a steady job and a high school education. There's something refreshing about TV heroes with minimal ambition but a love of life, women and alcohol that knows no bounds. Also, it's worth noting that none of them seem particularlly mean; they're fools to the last man but they're basically what my mother would call "good boys." They understand the value of work, family and friendship, and they generally seem already like they might take a bullet for each other. Morons? Maybe. Demeaning to Italians? Depends who you ask; I'm inclined to think guidos are the least of our worries. But the "Jersey Shore" crew seem about as gentle souls at heart as I've ever met.
That said, I haven't seen the episode where the one girl gets punched in the face yet, so I could be eating my words very soon.
If you've heard anything about this show, know this: it's just what it's marketed as. MTV basically rodeoed a bunch of guidos and guidettes, dropped them in Seaside Heights and told 'em to go nuts. The only sort of dues they owe is that they have to work regular hours at a Boardwalk thrift shop. It doesn't seem like they can work worth a damn or have two brain cells to rub together, but everyone loves them and their nights are always epic. My fellow New Jerseyans' Facebook statuses were pretty uniformly outraged at this depiction of the Dirty; a friend of mine who was on my high school wrestling team before I got there wrote something along the lines of "stop destroying Jersey MTV, we're doing that just fine by ourselves."
I'm not necessarily sold on that, though. Frankly, I thought the show was absolutely hilarious, if only because the people on it are absolute idiots. Well, maybe an idiot is a strong word, they're simple, and charmingly so. Like most guidos I know (and I do know a few), give 'em a blowout, a bottle of booze, and a girl with a fake tan and hair extensions and they're good to go. I may be an Italian but I'm pretty much the anti-guido; I don't have enough hair for a blowout. I'm afraid of needles, so I won't get a tattoo. And I've never set foot in Seaside Heights, a place so sketchy it's affectionately known as "Sleazeside" in the greater North Jersey community.
But they love it there, and while packing a suitcase entirely full of hair gel or nicknaming yourself "the Situation" might seem socially unacceptable to some, for these guys it's just the norm. I've never met any of them, but it seems like all they want in life is a steady job and a high school education. There's something refreshing about TV heroes with minimal ambition but a love of life, women and alcohol that knows no bounds. Also, it's worth noting that none of them seem particularlly mean; they're fools to the last man but they're basically what my mother would call "good boys." They understand the value of work, family and friendship, and they generally seem already like they might take a bullet for each other. Morons? Maybe. Demeaning to Italians? Depends who you ask; I'm inclined to think guidos are the least of our worries. But the "Jersey Shore" crew seem about as gentle souls at heart as I've ever met.
That said, I haven't seen the episode where the one girl gets punched in the face yet, so I could be eating my words very soon.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The Beat Report: The Best Hot Dog in New York City
Last Thursday I went to a place that claimed to have the best hot dogs in NYC. No idea who decided that, but according to the chalkboard outside the place it was voted by the Times and another magazine, I think it was Time Out NY. I'm fuzzy on important details like the place's name (update 12/8/09: it's called New York Hot Dog & Coffee) because 1) I was on my way to table for a fundraiser for my frat and running late, and 2)I was only on Bleecker St. to check out the record stores. Why? Because I was hoping to fulfil my quest for an original pressing of my favorite album; U2's The Joshua Tree.
No such luck on that front, but I did notice the hot dog place. Now, you don't get to be a slim 205 lbs like myself without turning down unique culinary opportunities, so I figured I'd stop in for one of the Best Hot Dogs in New York. Sure, was something like 5:45 and a bizarre time to be eating anything for me (my meal schedule is usually pretty uniform; breakfast at 9ish if I have it, lunch around 12, and dinner around 7-8). But hey, you gotta try the best, right?
So I stopped in and, wanting to save my cash for the weekend's festivities, I ordered a "New Yorker." That's just a plain hot dog with sauerkraut, relish and onions. It was $3.45 and easily the cheapest 'dog on the menu. While I waited I took a look at the place. It looks pretty nice, well-kept, walls the color of actual hot-dogs and a surprisingly extensive menu that includes burgers and fries as well. There are definitely classier places in the West Village, but it's cleaner than 80% of the Papaya Dogs floating around this island, so I was cool with it. I got my New Yorker and promptly doused that baby with ketchup and mustard, completing the masterpiece (in Jersey, we call that "the works." Probably elsewhere, too, but I don't get hung up on those details).
The verdict? Not the best hot dog ever. Definitely good, but not $4 good by a long shot. I'll probably go back and give it another shot, though. I scarfed this one down reeeeal fast and didn't have time to savor it. Also, I really wanted a chili dog, but all things considered that probably would have been a poor choice at the time.
No such luck on that front, but I did notice the hot dog place. Now, you don't get to be a slim 205 lbs like myself without turning down unique culinary opportunities, so I figured I'd stop in for one of the Best Hot Dogs in New York. Sure, was something like 5:45 and a bizarre time to be eating anything for me (my meal schedule is usually pretty uniform; breakfast at 9ish if I have it, lunch around 12, and dinner around 7-8). But hey, you gotta try the best, right?
So I stopped in and, wanting to save my cash for the weekend's festivities, I ordered a "New Yorker." That's just a plain hot dog with sauerkraut, relish and onions. It was $3.45 and easily the cheapest 'dog on the menu. While I waited I took a look at the place. It looks pretty nice, well-kept, walls the color of actual hot-dogs and a surprisingly extensive menu that includes burgers and fries as well. There are definitely classier places in the West Village, but it's cleaner than 80% of the Papaya Dogs floating around this island, so I was cool with it. I got my New Yorker and promptly doused that baby with ketchup and mustard, completing the masterpiece (in Jersey, we call that "the works." Probably elsewhere, too, but I don't get hung up on those details).
The verdict? Not the best hot dog ever. Definitely good, but not $4 good by a long shot. I'll probably go back and give it another shot, though. I scarfed this one down reeeeal fast and didn't have time to savor it. Also, I really wanted a chili dog, but all things considered that probably would have been a poor choice at the time.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
BRUUUUUUCE (part DEUUUUUUCE)
Who but Bruce Springsteen could roll into Madison Square Garden with almost no onstage fanfare, surround himself with a bunch of other old geezers and put on one of his best concerts ever?
No one, that's who.
Bruce's concerts at MSG this past weekend were landmark events for for a number of reasons. For one, they were the only shows of his mammoth Working On a Dream tour that stopped in the Big Apple. They were also showcases for a couple of albums that the Boss and Co. had never performed in their entirety. On Sunday's show, he ran through his epic, 1980 double-album The River in its entirety; a feat he proclaimed had never been done before and, in all likelihood, would never happen again (the previous night's show got a run-through of '73's The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle).
After opening with his wacky but nicely maturing new single "Wrecking Ball" and a brief word about the River album's history, Springsteen seemed to take a deep breath, count to four, and tear through the record's 20 tracks without another word.
And oh, how he played. Springsteen is often noted for his onstage proficiency even at the ripe age of 60, but he and his heart-stoppin', pants-droppin', heart-shockin', etc. E Street Band have rarely ever sounded this good. Barnburners like "The Ties That Bind" and "Crush On You" had the audience rocking, weepies like "The Price You Pay" and "Drive All Night" had them bawling, and Hemi-flavored goof-offs like "Cadillac Ranch"(complete with its hootnanny line dance from the '80s) and "Ramrod" had them dancing.
As always, Springsteen remains the consumate performer; an occasionally ruthless bandleader, he puts the music above all else but never seems to take himself too seriously. No matter what anyone says about Bono, even U2 fans have to admit his offstage reputation sometimes casts a shadow over his onstage performance. But Springsteen is different; he rolls with the punches and the show is all the better for it. "I Wanna Marry You" had not one but two false starts, a cover of Arthur Conley's "Sweet Soul Music" was improvised literally on the spot, and a take on the King's "Can't Help Falling in Love" was minus a lyric or two ("anyone know this part?" Springsteen asked mid-song). They still sounded great.
And somehow, Springsteen still managed to play ten more songs or so after The River, including a rollicking "Atlantic City," a thunderous "Badlands" and an ecstatic "Born to Run." The old coot loved every minute of it, to. He cracked up during "Dancing in the Dark" when female fans mobbed the stage and security had to yank them down. And he embraced the crowd like his long-lost brothers during the closer, a cover of Jackie Wilson's "Higher and Higher." Maybe Jersey's favorite son felt the need to connect with his New York supporters, but it seemed like he was just having a lot of fun.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performing "Cadillac Ranch" and "I'm a Rocker" at MSG, 11/8/09
No one, that's who.
Bruce's concerts at MSG this past weekend were landmark events for for a number of reasons. For one, they were the only shows of his mammoth Working On a Dream tour that stopped in the Big Apple. They were also showcases for a couple of albums that the Boss and Co. had never performed in their entirety. On Sunday's show, he ran through his epic, 1980 double-album The River in its entirety; a feat he proclaimed had never been done before and, in all likelihood, would never happen again (the previous night's show got a run-through of '73's The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle).
After opening with his wacky but nicely maturing new single "Wrecking Ball" and a brief word about the River album's history, Springsteen seemed to take a deep breath, count to four, and tear through the record's 20 tracks without another word.And oh, how he played. Springsteen is often noted for his onstage proficiency even at the ripe age of 60, but he and his heart-stoppin', pants-droppin', heart-shockin', etc. E Street Band have rarely ever sounded this good. Barnburners like "The Ties That Bind" and "Crush On You" had the audience rocking, weepies like "The Price You Pay" and "Drive All Night" had them bawling, and Hemi-flavored goof-offs like "Cadillac Ranch"(complete with its hootnanny line dance from the '80s) and "Ramrod" had them dancing.
As always, Springsteen remains the consumate performer; an occasionally ruthless bandleader, he puts the music above all else but never seems to take himself too seriously. No matter what anyone says about Bono, even U2 fans have to admit his offstage reputation sometimes casts a shadow over his onstage performance. But Springsteen is different; he rolls with the punches and the show is all the better for it. "I Wanna Marry You" had not one but two false starts, a cover of Arthur Conley's "Sweet Soul Music" was improvised literally on the spot, and a take on the King's "Can't Help Falling in Love" was minus a lyric or two ("anyone know this part?" Springsteen asked mid-song). They still sounded great.
And somehow, Springsteen still managed to play ten more songs or so after The River, including a rollicking "Atlantic City," a thunderous "Badlands" and an ecstatic "Born to Run." The old coot loved every minute of it, to. He cracked up during "Dancing in the Dark" when female fans mobbed the stage and security had to yank them down. And he embraced the crowd like his long-lost brothers during the closer, a cover of Jackie Wilson's "Higher and Higher." Maybe Jersey's favorite son felt the need to connect with his New York supporters, but it seemed like he was just having a lot of fun.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performing "Cadillac Ranch" and "I'm a Rocker" at MSG, 11/8/09
Sunday, November 8, 2009
BRUUUUUUUUCE
So I just got back from seeing Bruce Springsteen's concert at MSG, and thought I'd offer up a snap judgment of the show: fantastic; best concert ever...you name the sueperlative, it was awesome. A million times better than the dud-like Giants Stadium closer I went to last month. Even though it's midnight now, I haven't eaten in 12 hours, and I'm still a little shocked that I nearly plowed into James Gandolfini in my rush to get to the entrance, the show was good enough I felt it warranted a quick post. Once I've eaten, slept, and digested everything a bit I'll come back with a proper review. Until then, here's the setlist.
"Wrecking Ball"
"The Ties That Bind"
"Sherry Darling"
"Jackson Cage"
"Two Hearts"
"Independence Day"
"Hungry Heart"
"Out in the Street"
"Crush On You"
"You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)"
"I Wanna Marry You"
"The River"
"Point Blank"
"Cadillac Ranch"
"I'm a Rocker"
"Fade Away"
"Stolen Car"
"Ramrod"
"The Price You Pay"
"Drive All Night"
"Wreck On the Highway"
"Waitin' On a Sunny Day"
"Atlantic City"
"Badlands"
"Born to Run"
"Seven Nights to Rock"
"Sweet Soul Music"
"No Surrender"
"American Land"
"Dancing in the Dark"
"Can't Help Falling in Love"
"(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher"
"Wrecking Ball"
"The Ties That Bind"
"Sherry Darling"
"Jackson Cage"
"Two Hearts"
"Independence Day"
"Hungry Heart"
"Out in the Street"
"Crush On You"
"You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)"
"I Wanna Marry You"
"The River"
"Point Blank"
"Cadillac Ranch"
"I'm a Rocker"
"Fade Away"
"Stolen Car"
"Ramrod"
"The Price You Pay"
"Drive All Night"
"Wreck On the Highway"
"Waitin' On a Sunny Day"
"Atlantic City"
"Badlands"
"Born to Run"
"Seven Nights to Rock"
"Sweet Soul Music"
"No Surrender"
"American Land"
"Dancing in the Dark"
"Can't Help Falling in Love"
"(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher"
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
West Village News: NYU Suicide
At 4:30am on November 2nd, a junior in NYU's College of Arts and Sciences died in the University's Bobst Library on Washington Square South. No official statement on the cause of death has been issued, but NYU President John Sexton said in a statement later in the day that "indications are that he [the student] took his own life." If so, it would be the latest suicide for NYU, a school as renowned for its opportunities, academic programs and city living as the stress that the combination of all three can inflict on its students.
News spread around the NYU community quickly. Student reactions ranged from sympathy for the victim, Andrew Williamson-Noble, 20, to angry when they learned that a guided tour of the university made a stop at Bobst only hours after the death occurred. The University's student newspaper, the Washington Square News, ran a continuous coverage of the incident, adding to the report as updates on the situation rolled in from the University and student witnesses, several of whom have said that they heard a loud boom echo through the library that seemed to signify when Williamson-Noble died.
If Williamson-Noble's death is ruled a suicide, it would be the University's first since students Allan Oakley Hunter and Pranay Angara took their own lives during the 2007-2008 school year.
WTC Field Trip
I grew up in New Jersey, and on September 11th, 2001, I had what basically amounted to a front-row seat of everything happening in New York City. Not in the literal sense, since my middle school sat at the bottom of a hill and my vantage point was therefore nonexistent. But my cousin went to the corresponding high school (the same one I eventually went to) and, from the view of his cafeteria, he saw the second Twin Tower fall. My uncle was somewhere in Jersey that had a full skyline view; the Kodak picture of the smoke that he took is framed in his house for everyone to see. As for me, I didn't see anything happen firsthand. But I was one of those kids that got picked up early from middle school by his parents, and I called around to make sure my family members were OK. Luckily, nobody I knew or was related to suffered losses in the attacks. But I could see the smoke driving home from school and the people gathered around Bloomfield Ave to watch, I remember the radio broadcasts on the way home, I remember being generally freaked out, and I certainly remember having friends whose parents were working in Manhattan on that day. Ironically, however, my absolute clearest memory of 9/11 is listening to U2 on the bus ride to school and thinking what a nice day it was.
All of this considered, going to the WTC Tribute Center in downtown Manhattan was kind of a strange experience for me; since I live so close to the city I saw everything firsthand and didn't exactly need a reminder of what occurred on 9/11. A place like that exists for people who don't come from around here, and during my journalism class's field trip to the Tribute Center last week, I kept remarking on the fact that a good amount of my friends in the class had experienced 9/11 from a distance, not up close as I had. Granted, I was lucky enough to have not experienced it too too close - after all, I didn't lose anyone, thank God. But still, for someone like me the very existence of a guided tour of Ground Zero, or talking to someone who didn't see the towers burn from across the river seemed a little...odd.
I will admit: the idea of the tribute center is a good one; people have forgotten about 9/11. But I got the feeling that the whole tour turned the site into a bit more of a tourist attraction than it needed to be; as a group of tourists snapped photos all around me and the class, I quietly hoped a less ostentatious reminder of the attacks would be put in place along with the new Freedom Tower.
The one part I did appreciate was when my class spoke to Tracy Gazzani, a Bay Ridge, Brooklyn resident whose 24-year old son, Terry, died in the attacks. Since 9/11, I've heard and seen a million stories like hers on TV just like everyone else has, but this was the first time I'd actually met someone who had suffered an inconsolable loss on September 11th. I enjoyed hearing her speak glowingly about her son, gamely recount a drunken story of his or two for our professor and even poke fun at her own, ultimately unrewarded, optimism during 9/11 with a bit of black humor ("I was the one who thought my son was coming home, remember?").
Ultimately, I was more blown away by meeting her than the whole tribute center experience as a whole: the world has changed a lot since 9/11, and the things that were important to us on that day don't necessarily resonate anymore. Middle school is long gone for me, U2 has put out two albums since the one I listened to on 9/11, my father passed away, and pretty soon I'll be looking for a job. But hearing Tracy talk sort of made the experience complete for me; to a certain degree, her life will always be stuck on 9/11 because her son never came home, and that, to me, is the kind of thing that truly bridges the country and connects people who only saw 9/11 happen and didn't necessarily live through it.
All of this considered, going to the WTC Tribute Center in downtown Manhattan was kind of a strange experience for me; since I live so close to the city I saw everything firsthand and didn't exactly need a reminder of what occurred on 9/11. A place like that exists for people who don't come from around here, and during my journalism class's field trip to the Tribute Center last week, I kept remarking on the fact that a good amount of my friends in the class had experienced 9/11 from a distance, not up close as I had. Granted, I was lucky enough to have not experienced it too too close - after all, I didn't lose anyone, thank God. But still, for someone like me the very existence of a guided tour of Ground Zero, or talking to someone who didn't see the towers burn from across the river seemed a little...odd.
I will admit: the idea of the tribute center is a good one; people have forgotten about 9/11. But I got the feeling that the whole tour turned the site into a bit more of a tourist attraction than it needed to be; as a group of tourists snapped photos all around me and the class, I quietly hoped a less ostentatious reminder of the attacks would be put in place along with the new Freedom Tower.
The one part I did appreciate was when my class spoke to Tracy Gazzani, a Bay Ridge, Brooklyn resident whose 24-year old son, Terry, died in the attacks. Since 9/11, I've heard and seen a million stories like hers on TV just like everyone else has, but this was the first time I'd actually met someone who had suffered an inconsolable loss on September 11th. I enjoyed hearing her speak glowingly about her son, gamely recount a drunken story of his or two for our professor and even poke fun at her own, ultimately unrewarded, optimism during 9/11 with a bit of black humor ("I was the one who thought my son was coming home, remember?").
Ultimately, I was more blown away by meeting her than the whole tribute center experience as a whole: the world has changed a lot since 9/11, and the things that were important to us on that day don't necessarily resonate anymore. Middle school is long gone for me, U2 has put out two albums since the one I listened to on 9/11, my father passed away, and pretty soon I'll be looking for a job. But hearing Tracy talk sort of made the experience complete for me; to a certain degree, her life will always be stuck on 9/11 because her son never came home, and that, to me, is the kind of thing that truly bridges the country and connects people who only saw 9/11 happen and didn't necessarily live through it.
Monday, November 2, 2009
NFL Week 8 Recap
Favre. Favre! FAAAAAVVVRE!
In case you didn't hear, Brett Favre played his first game in Lambeau as a Viking this weekend, and it pretty much went the same way as the Minnesota/Green Bay game had a few weeks ago: Favre and Co. heartily dismantled the Pack, despite a He-Man comeback mounted by Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers and his big 2nd-half resurgence. Say what you will about the old man's waffling (chances are you won't be wrong, either), but the fact remains that Favre can still flat-out play. And the '09 Vikings are much, much better all around than the Packers have been recently. Expect this circus to continue for at least another season, if not more, should the Vikes make as big a postseason run as everyone thinks they will.
Big vindication weeks for Vince Young and Steven Jackson this week; Young made his first start as a Titan since his alleged Chappelle-ian mental breakdown last season and he led the embattled Tennesee squad to its first win of the season over Jacksonville. Rams RB Steven Jackson, meanwhile, has quietly been building up some of the best stats in the NFL - going into Sunday he was ranked 3rd in rushing yards and 2nd in total from scrimmage, and on Sunday his team finally got its first win of the year under first-year coach Steve Spagnuolo. Jacksonville and Detroit aren't exactly elite teams, but a W is a W, and those teams needed 'em.
The Chargers and Ravens got much-needed wins this week, as San Diego became the latest squad to beat up on the lowly Oakland Raiders. Baltimore's win was much more significant, as they dealt the stampeding Denver Broncos their first loss of the season. There are certainly worse teams to drop one to, though: the Ravens defense is still one of the most intimidating groups in the league. And I can't reiterate this enough: Ray Lewis is freaking scary. Has anyone seen those NFL network commercials where they slow-mo his Raven dance? Oof.
And thank God for the Yankees, because New York football is in a sorry state right now. The Jets lost again to the Dolphins, 25-30, in a game I didn't watch so can't comment very much on. But all those grumblings that Rex Ryan's green meanies were more talk than walk is starting to look legit since their 3-0 start led to a 1-4 skid that included two losses to Miami and one to the confounding Buffalo Bills. Counting the Jets out is premature at this point (one thing clear about this Jets team is that they will not go quietly, if anything), but they definitely have work to do.
They certainly seem more competitive than the Giants, who were unceremoniously demolished by the Philadelphia Eagles in a humiliating, 40-10 defeat. Big Blue's skid right now can't really be understated; its defense looks confused and frustrated (after a Saints game where they under-pressured Drew Brees, the Giants' game plan has become to bring the house on the QB and leave a diminished secondary to stop the passing game), and an offense that thrives on ball control and a running game is trying to re-cast itself midseason as a long-ball threat. It's safe to say that opponents have figured out Brandon Jacobs' MO right now and are going out of their way to clog the holes up front so the big man can't get his wheels turning. Eli Manning hasn't found a way to compensate for this against solid opponents, and as a result his INTs are climbing at an alarming rate. A game against the Chargers, whose defense has been spotty, will be a big opportunity for the Giants to find their stride again.
Oh, and apparently the GM of the Cleveland Browns is getting fired. Unless I'm misunderstanding something, I'm thinking Eric Mangini dodged a biiiig bullet right now.
In case you didn't hear, Brett Favre played his first game in Lambeau as a Viking this weekend, and it pretty much went the same way as the Minnesota/Green Bay game had a few weeks ago: Favre and Co. heartily dismantled the Pack, despite a He-Man comeback mounted by Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers and his big 2nd-half resurgence. Say what you will about the old man's waffling (chances are you won't be wrong, either), but the fact remains that Favre can still flat-out play. And the '09 Vikings are much, much better all around than the Packers have been recently. Expect this circus to continue for at least another season, if not more, should the Vikes make as big a postseason run as everyone thinks they will.
Big vindication weeks for Vince Young and Steven Jackson this week; Young made his first start as a Titan since his alleged Chappelle-ian mental breakdown last season and he led the embattled Tennesee squad to its first win of the season over Jacksonville. Rams RB Steven Jackson, meanwhile, has quietly been building up some of the best stats in the NFL - going into Sunday he was ranked 3rd in rushing yards and 2nd in total from scrimmage, and on Sunday his team finally got its first win of the year under first-year coach Steve Spagnuolo. Jacksonville and Detroit aren't exactly elite teams, but a W is a W, and those teams needed 'em.
The Chargers and Ravens got much-needed wins this week, as San Diego became the latest squad to beat up on the lowly Oakland Raiders. Baltimore's win was much more significant, as they dealt the stampeding Denver Broncos their first loss of the season. There are certainly worse teams to drop one to, though: the Ravens defense is still one of the most intimidating groups in the league. And I can't reiterate this enough: Ray Lewis is freaking scary. Has anyone seen those NFL network commercials where they slow-mo his Raven dance? Oof.
And thank God for the Yankees, because New York football is in a sorry state right now. The Jets lost again to the Dolphins, 25-30, in a game I didn't watch so can't comment very much on. But all those grumblings that Rex Ryan's green meanies were more talk than walk is starting to look legit since their 3-0 start led to a 1-4 skid that included two losses to Miami and one to the confounding Buffalo Bills. Counting the Jets out is premature at this point (one thing clear about this Jets team is that they will not go quietly, if anything), but they definitely have work to do.
They certainly seem more competitive than the Giants, who were unceremoniously demolished by the Philadelphia Eagles in a humiliating, 40-10 defeat. Big Blue's skid right now can't really be understated; its defense looks confused and frustrated (after a Saints game where they under-pressured Drew Brees, the Giants' game plan has become to bring the house on the QB and leave a diminished secondary to stop the passing game), and an offense that thrives on ball control and a running game is trying to re-cast itself midseason as a long-ball threat. It's safe to say that opponents have figured out Brandon Jacobs' MO right now and are going out of their way to clog the holes up front so the big man can't get his wheels turning. Eli Manning hasn't found a way to compensate for this against solid opponents, and as a result his INTs are climbing at an alarming rate. A game against the Chargers, whose defense has been spotty, will be a big opportunity for the Giants to find their stride again.
Oh, and apparently the GM of the Cleveland Browns is getting fired. Unless I'm misunderstanding something, I'm thinking Eric Mangini dodged a biiiig bullet right now.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Another Old Article
This one actually did run in the WSN, but heavily edited and minus the bit about Brandon Jacobs. I like my verison better...
The Top 5 Characters in the NFL:
The NFL is full of lunatics. Year in year out, we’re bombarded enough scandal, intrigue and mystery and sex to make us think we’ve wandered into an Elmore Leonard novel, lest we forget that pro football is rarely about actual football-playing. Here are the men who keep the season as close to a three-ring circus as possible. God bless you all.
Ray Lewis, LB – Baltimore Ravens
---Maybe it’s just me, but that interview Lewis gave after the New England game was the most terrifying thing I’ve seen on TV all year. Without exaggeration, he looked like he was about to stab everyone in that locker room when discussing the penalty calls on his fellow defensemen. He gave off every crazy signal in the book short of spouting Ezekiel 25:17. If he had barged into Tom Brady’s press conference and beaten him to a pulp, I doubt anyone would have been remotely surprised.
Ice in his veins, malice in his heart: Ray “the Hitman” Lewis.
Rex Ryan, Head Coach – NY Jets
---First off: Dude. Put. The Twinkie. DOWN. That said, it’s hard not to love the guy who barged into the Meadowlands like he owned the place, talked smack right out of the gate and then put a team together that could back it up. Mark Sanchez has a tendency to play hot potato with the football, and that Saints loss was an overall failure on Gang Green’s part. But you’ve got to admire that fake punt call against Miami. That stuff is only supposed to happen in “Madden.” It takes a special kind of coach to actually try it out on national television.
Brett Favre, QB – Minnesota Vikings
---No. 4 has been a hot topic in the NFL for the last few years now; this year it’s for jumping ship to his archrivals of 16 years. Obviously, this isn’t the first time this has happened in sports. But after Favre unceremoniously dispatched the Packers, he unwittingly turned himself into one of the league’s most polarizing players. Even at 40, Favre will have success with the Vikings and he could damn well reach the Super Bowl with them. But unless Green Bay gets in an F-You game where Favre gets thumped at Lambeau, the Cheeseheads will never be able to forgive him and Favre may well be left without a home city when he finally does hang up his pads. Forget interesting, this story is becoming more of a Greek tragedy with every passing week.
TIE: Jerry Jones/Al Davis, Owners – Dallas Cowboys/Oakland Raiders
---These two are like the Batman and Joker of NFL owners: always in constant competition for who’s the bigger eccentric. It’s still too close to call.
I’m pretty sure Jerry “What Recession?” Jones only has the better public image because he channels his crazy through the piles and piles of money he accumulates and not outlandish personnel machinations, which is why Dallas ended up with Cowboys Stadium and not a bizarre, eleventh-hour trade for Richard Seymour. Davis, meanwhile, is becoming more and more like Citizen Kane every day; he lords over his empire even as it crumbles around him, his “Just Win Baby” motto is no longer applicable or even appropriate given Oakland’s sorry state. Plus, his quarterback is an ungodly mess and his head coach beats up his own staff. Somebody stop him!
Brandon Jacobs, RB – NY Giants
---He should have more yards than he does, but that’s only because he prefers to slam into defenders like Optimus Prime instead of skirting them with quick cuts. The Jacobs Way is an entertaining but predictable game plan, and it’s admittedly worked better in the past than it is right now. But still, it’s been a while since a runningback seemed to base his play solely on “number of 300-pounders I’ve knocked into next week with a full-body charge.” Even big boy Albert Haynesworth looked like George of the Jungle hitting the tree when Jacobs cracked him in week 1. Now that's football, baby.
The Top 5 Characters in the NFL:
The NFL is full of lunatics. Year in year out, we’re bombarded enough scandal, intrigue and mystery and sex to make us think we’ve wandered into an Elmore Leonard novel, lest we forget that pro football is rarely about actual football-playing. Here are the men who keep the season as close to a three-ring circus as possible. God bless you all.
Ray Lewis, LB – Baltimore Ravens
---Maybe it’s just me, but that interview Lewis gave after the New England game was the most terrifying thing I’ve seen on TV all year. Without exaggeration, he looked like he was about to stab everyone in that locker room when discussing the penalty calls on his fellow defensemen. He gave off every crazy signal in the book short of spouting Ezekiel 25:17. If he had barged into Tom Brady’s press conference and beaten him to a pulp, I doubt anyone would have been remotely surprised.
Ice in his veins, malice in his heart: Ray “the Hitman” Lewis.
Rex Ryan, Head Coach – NY Jets
---First off: Dude. Put. The Twinkie. DOWN. That said, it’s hard not to love the guy who barged into the Meadowlands like he owned the place, talked smack right out of the gate and then put a team together that could back it up. Mark Sanchez has a tendency to play hot potato with the football, and that Saints loss was an overall failure on Gang Green’s part. But you’ve got to admire that fake punt call against Miami. That stuff is only supposed to happen in “Madden.” It takes a special kind of coach to actually try it out on national television.
Brett Favre, QB – Minnesota Vikings
---No. 4 has been a hot topic in the NFL for the last few years now; this year it’s for jumping ship to his archrivals of 16 years. Obviously, this isn’t the first time this has happened in sports. But after Favre unceremoniously dispatched the Packers, he unwittingly turned himself into one of the league’s most polarizing players. Even at 40, Favre will have success with the Vikings and he could damn well reach the Super Bowl with them. But unless Green Bay gets in an F-You game where Favre gets thumped at Lambeau, the Cheeseheads will never be able to forgive him and Favre may well be left without a home city when he finally does hang up his pads. Forget interesting, this story is becoming more of a Greek tragedy with every passing week.
TIE: Jerry Jones/Al Davis, Owners – Dallas Cowboys/Oakland Raiders
---These two are like the Batman and Joker of NFL owners: always in constant competition for who’s the bigger eccentric. It’s still too close to call.
I’m pretty sure Jerry “What Recession?” Jones only has the better public image because he channels his crazy through the piles and piles of money he accumulates and not outlandish personnel machinations, which is why Dallas ended up with Cowboys Stadium and not a bizarre, eleventh-hour trade for Richard Seymour. Davis, meanwhile, is becoming more and more like Citizen Kane every day; he lords over his empire even as it crumbles around him, his “Just Win Baby” motto is no longer applicable or even appropriate given Oakland’s sorry state. Plus, his quarterback is an ungodly mess and his head coach beats up his own staff. Somebody stop him!Brandon Jacobs, RB – NY Giants
---He should have more yards than he does, but that’s only because he prefers to slam into defenders like Optimus Prime instead of skirting them with quick cuts. The Jacobs Way is an entertaining but predictable game plan, and it’s admittedly worked better in the past than it is right now. But still, it’s been a while since a runningback seemed to base his play solely on “number of 300-pounders I’ve knocked into next week with a full-body charge.” Even big boy Albert Haynesworth looked like George of the Jungle hitting the tree when Jacobs cracked him in week 1. Now that's football, baby.
AFI review
I wrote this review of AFI's new album last month for NYU's paper, but it never ran. Thankfully, we have blogs just for this sort of thing!
AFI: "Crash Love" 3 1/2 stars out of 5
AFI: "Crash Love" 3 1/2 stars out of 5
Breaking the emo mold is not an easy task, but AFI often come the closest to pulling it off. Their music is consistently tight, frontman Davey Havok can actually sing, and occasionally they break out a thumping lead single (“Miss Murder”) that threatens to break the genre wide open with heavy synths, roof-shaking hooks, doom-metal guitar riffs and legion-of-millions chants. |
Sunday, October 25, 2009
My first NFL post
I used to play football once upon a time, but since NYU has no team, I've channeled all my repressed energy into the NFL. I'm trying to get into sports writing a little more, so here's my first shot at an NFL post. I'll start with my own team: the New York Giants.
My boys just lost their second straight, which is what tends to happen when you fall asleep on the field in the 3rd quarter against a Super Bowl team from the previous year. Goodness gracious. I can see losing to the Saints, who will be in the Super Bowl barring an act of God or a hit on Drew Brees (my realistic pick for the Super Bowl right now is Saints/Colts). That team is unquestionably legit and is as close to the '07 Patriots as we're going to get this season. But the Cardinals? Certainly beatable, although nobody expected a cakewalk. This was a statement game for New York and they came out swinging early. But after a lethargic 3rd quarter it took the Giants too long to get their mojo back and the rust cost them two turnovers: one on Ahmad Bradshaw's fumble and the last on Eli Manning's pick in the final minutes, both of which came during important, and up till then, textbook, drives. Big Blue has the Eagles next week, a game that has me nervous to no end. On the one hand, Philly did just drop one to Oakland. But on the other hand, the Eagles knocked off the Giants in the playoffs last year, AND they hate the Giants to begin with, AND the NFC East is in kind of a tailspin right now, so the teams in it are going to be scrambling against each other to determine who's top dog. I'll never give up on my G-Men, but they've got more questions than answers at this point; they've got some tough games coming up that will show their true colors. This is still a playoff team, but they coasted for too long on gimme games and they need to get used to earning their wins again. I see a good, not great finish and a likely shot at the wild card spot and conference title, provided the next few games go well.
In other NFL news, Brett Favre finally got knocked off his 6-0 pedestal by the Steelers, who I had pegged as too inconsistent to slow down the stampeeding Vikings. Shows what I know. Favre goes to Lambeau next week to play Green Bay, a game even people who hate football might tune in to watch. Peyton Manning and the Colts devoured St. Louis 46-6, but Peyton did NOT throw his 6th consecutive 300-yarder, which analysts and talking heads are pegging as an act of mercy. But...the Rams still lost by 40, so I'm not sure if they'd exactly agree right now.
The Bengals destroyed the Bears in Cedric Benson's revenge game, and the Cowboys dominated Atlanta in Tony Romo's vindication game. The Patriots also murdered the Bucs in London, which is just what happens when Bill Belichick loses to his division rivals and former underling within 3 weeks: he hits the kill switch hard.
Speaking of which, Denver has a bye and the Jets beat up on Oakland, who finally switched quarterbacks to minimal effect (kudos to JaMarcus Russell for keeping his hat on and not sitting on the bench. If nothing else, he is certainly a professional with a lot of heart - it takes a lot of heart to get thumped on live TV and in the press week after week and still show up for more beatings). Mark Sanchez needed a pick-me-up game, and I'm sure the win feels good for a New York team that just dropped 3 in a row, but as any Giants fan can tell you, crushing the Raiders does little to prepare you for competitive games.
My boys just lost their second straight, which is what tends to happen when you fall asleep on the field in the 3rd quarter against a Super Bowl team from the previous year. Goodness gracious. I can see losing to the Saints, who will be in the Super Bowl barring an act of God or a hit on Drew Brees (my realistic pick for the Super Bowl right now is Saints/Colts). That team is unquestionably legit and is as close to the '07 Patriots as we're going to get this season. But the Cardinals? Certainly beatable, although nobody expected a cakewalk. This was a statement game for New York and they came out swinging early. But after a lethargic 3rd quarter it took the Giants too long to get their mojo back and the rust cost them two turnovers: one on Ahmad Bradshaw's fumble and the last on Eli Manning's pick in the final minutes, both of which came during important, and up till then, textbook, drives. Big Blue has the Eagles next week, a game that has me nervous to no end. On the one hand, Philly did just drop one to Oakland. But on the other hand, the Eagles knocked off the Giants in the playoffs last year, AND they hate the Giants to begin with, AND the NFC East is in kind of a tailspin right now, so the teams in it are going to be scrambling against each other to determine who's top dog. I'll never give up on my G-Men, but they've got more questions than answers at this point; they've got some tough games coming up that will show their true colors. This is still a playoff team, but they coasted for too long on gimme games and they need to get used to earning their wins again. I see a good, not great finish and a likely shot at the wild card spot and conference title, provided the next few games go well.
In other NFL news, Brett Favre finally got knocked off his 6-0 pedestal by the Steelers, who I had pegged as too inconsistent to slow down the stampeeding Vikings. Shows what I know. Favre goes to Lambeau next week to play Green Bay, a game even people who hate football might tune in to watch. Peyton Manning and the Colts devoured St. Louis 46-6, but Peyton did NOT throw his 6th consecutive 300-yarder, which analysts and talking heads are pegging as an act of mercy. But...the Rams still lost by 40, so I'm not sure if they'd exactly agree right now.
The Bengals destroyed the Bears in Cedric Benson's revenge game, and the Cowboys dominated Atlanta in Tony Romo's vindication game. The Patriots also murdered the Bucs in London, which is just what happens when Bill Belichick loses to his division rivals and former underling within 3 weeks: he hits the kill switch hard.
Speaking of which, Denver has a bye and the Jets beat up on Oakland, who finally switched quarterbacks to minimal effect (kudos to JaMarcus Russell for keeping his hat on and not sitting on the bench. If nothing else, he is certainly a professional with a lot of heart - it takes a lot of heart to get thumped on live TV and in the press week after week and still show up for more beatings). Mark Sanchez needed a pick-me-up game, and I'm sure the win feels good for a New York team that just dropped 3 in a row, but as any Giants fan can tell you, crushing the Raiders does little to prepare you for competitive games.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
West Village Post from Journalism Class
If you ever decide to take a walking tour of the West Village, good luck actually getting to the end of the thing. The neighborhood is so vibrant, interesting and enticing that, for unlucky college students like myself who have to follow a route instead of taking a guided tour (hey, my schedule is horrible and I’m strapped for money; sometimes you just gotta do it yourself), it’s incredibly easy to get lost in the restaurants, bakeries and local shops amid all the landmarks and famous hot spots.
The tour can be tough to follow for other reasons besides the distractions, too: the West Village is “off the grid” of Manhattan, which means that the streets don’t run vertically/horizontally like everywhere else, and a good chunk of them aren’t numbered. The area is much more suburban but also more old-fashioned, which probably contributes as to why it’s so expensive. It all looks very pretty and I wanted to live there immediately, but due to the unusual layout I was lost within minutes and spent at least a half-hour trying to find Charles Street. I was all of thirty feet away from it, which probably says more about my cartography skills/general sense of direction than the West Village, but still.
But once you find your way around and get the hang of the neighborhood, there’s all kinds of amazing spots around here for tourists and college kids alike, the tour I went on made stops out of Thomas Paine’s old apartment (59 Grove St., blink and you’ll miss the door), the Friends apartment (you can see it from the corner of Bleecker and Grove), and Magnolia Bakery (immortalized by Sex and the City and “Lazy Sunday”). Just make sure you stay focused and don’t spend a half hour you don’t have browsing a vinyl store for old albums. Not that I did that or anything. I’m just saying.
The tour can be tough to follow for other reasons besides the distractions, too: the West Village is “off the grid” of Manhattan, which means that the streets don’t run vertically/horizontally like everywhere else, and a good chunk of them aren’t numbered. The area is much more suburban but also more old-fashioned, which probably contributes as to why it’s so expensive. It all looks very pretty and I wanted to live there immediately, but due to the unusual layout I was lost within minutes and spent at least a half-hour trying to find Charles Street. I was all of thirty feet away from it, which probably says more about my cartography skills/general sense of direction than the West Village, but still.
But once you find your way around and get the hang of the neighborhood, there’s all kinds of amazing spots around here for tourists and college kids alike, the tour I went on made stops out of Thomas Paine’s old apartment (59 Grove St., blink and you’ll miss the door), the Friends apartment (you can see it from the corner of Bleecker and Grove), and Magnolia Bakery (immortalized by Sex and the City and “Lazy Sunday”). Just make sure you stay focused and don’t spend a half hour you don’t have browsing a vinyl store for old albums. Not that I did that or anything. I’m just saying.
Here Goes Nothing...
OK, so apparently I'm a blogger now. I avoided it as long as I could, but the blogosphere has finally caught up with me thanks to a requirement from my journalism class. But I'm thinking positive: compelled by the fear of a bad grade in journalism, my desire for a job (hire me, please), and my propensity to share way too much about myself, I'm thinking this could be a good thing after all.
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