Archive for August, 2008

Wednesday, August 27th, 2008

Seth Rogan Rant

Seth Rseth-rogan-green-hornetogen is a funny man. A funny, funny man. I have enjoyed his work since his days on the cult classic television show “Freaks and Geeks”. It’s been enjoyable to see this less than average looking Canadian work his way to the top of Hollywood. A few stints on sub par sitcoms, a few bit roles, and some stellar supporting roles and before America knew it Seth Rogen was invading their lives. Superbad and Pineapple Express have taken Seth Rogen’s celebrity to the upper echelon. So why do I think Seth Rogen is a bad influence for America’s youth?

Seth Rogen is an unabashed pot head. He’s a high school drop out. His physical physique soft and less than envious. Seth Rogen will never be confused with Brad Pitt. These are all qualities that make his already affable personality much more relatable to mass audiences in America. I’m afraid Hollywood will be over run with dope smoking high school drop outs thinking that the scripts they wrote while high can be just as good as Superbad and Pineapple Express, only for their lives to be turned upside down by the reality that is Hollywood.

The reality is Seth Rogen is a unique individual, no matter how “normal” he may seem. He has a gift for comedy and has been able to translate his stand up success to TV and film. Writing is a difficult task (as a certain blogger will tell you) and not everyone can do it well. While it’s doubtful that Seth Rogen will win an Academy award for his writing, he has written solid comedic scripts. If you have seen half of the inept crap that Hollywood has produced in years past, you’ll further appreciate Seth Rogen’s gift. So, I hope not every Tom, Dick, and Harry with a joint and a script flees to LA. There are enough idiots walking around here as it is, we don’t need anymore.

Then again, maybe this won’t happen because all these Seth Rogen wannabes are too high to get off the couch.

Tuesday, August 26th, 2008

Beijing to London

The Olympics are over and what a spectacle they were. I for one will ignore my father’s pessimistic view on the games and continue to believe in the spirit of the games. I enjoyed all the story lines NBC fed us and sat with anticipation as the world watched an athlete’s lifetime of hard work unfold in a matter of minutes and possibly seconds.
[Side note: Fascinating NY Times article about NBC Sports Chairman Dick Ebersol consulting Michael Phelps about the TV schedule and any conflicts it would have on his quest of 8 Gold medals]

If I had personally boycotted the Olympics, I would not only have missed the incredible accomplishment of Michael Phelps (which I’ve mentioned more than once previously) but also the inhuman feat of winning the 100m and 200m races in world record time. Usain Bolt’s performances in those two races were absolutely phenomenal. To see a man ham it up for 20% of a 100m race and STILL break the world record is truly remarkable. Bolt’s performance pushed humans closer to the theoretical belief that humans will one day be able to run a 9.45 second 100m. That time seems much more attainable after Bolt’s Olympic feat.

I refuse to allow any pharmaceutical cloud ruin the Olympics and focus on the competition and determination of the athletes. Gold, silver, bronze or DNF, each of these athletes have to be applauded for going after their dreams; something that many of us don’t have the courage to do in our everyday lives. I look forward to the next Olympics, held in London 2012, and the stories those games will bring. Until London, here is a parting Olympic video complements of the Daily Show.

Monday, August 18th, 2008

Congrats Michael Phelps!

Congratulations to Michael Phelps and his unbelievable accomplishment of 8 gold medals!

Michael, if you ever read this, trust me, your accomplishment would not have been the same without an official BoumanBlog shout out.

Seinfeld Clip of the Day:

This is not a new daily feature to BoumanBlog. I just wanted an excuse to insert this video. If it does not make me violently laugh out loud, it does not make the blog. Enjoy!

Thursday, August 14th, 2008

Michael Phelps’ Diet

michaelphelpswinA lot has been said about Michael Phelps’ diet. In order to successfully complete his Olympic run at 8 gold medals, he needs to consume about 12,000 calories a day! That’s the recommended caloric intake for an average adult in six days! I can’t image what the transition for Michael Phelps will be like when he is done competing and can’t eat whatever he wants. Perhaps a physical transformation a la Shawn Kemp? I for one, will choose to turn a blind eye to Phelps’ future heart attack and focus on his epic accomplishments in the present.

Tuesday, August 12th, 2008

Olympic Notes

I’m late with this post, I know. I have meant to write about the Olympics for a few days now. I absolutely love the Olympics and everything they stand for. However I’ve been too busy watching the Olympics to write about them. Now that I’ve had the opportunity to watch a few days, allow me to write my thoughts on various aspects of the games thus far.

- The Chinese put on a grand show during the Opening Ceremonies. I loved watching the choreographed show followed by the athlete’s march into the stadium. The 2008 lit drums were great. The young girl singing and the fireworks show were equally as captivating. Seeing the athletes marching in from different countries and their different wardrobes was also a phenomenal sight. For many, that walk WAS their Olympic glory. Too bad after the ceremony we found out that Chinese officials pulled out all the smoke and mirrors with the fireworks and the young girl singing.

- Michael Phelps. Watching him attempt to surpass Mark Spitz’s record of 7 gold medals has been unreal. His Olympic schedule is unreal, with seventeen races. Eric Adelson of ESPN writes that Phelps will burn a marathon’s worth of calories for 9 consecutive days during these Olympics. As of this blog entry, Michael Phelps has won 5 gold medals, all in world record time. Wow. I can’t wait for his last three races.

- This could have been included in the last paragraph, but it deserves it’s own bullet point. The men’s 4×100 meter freestyle relay. Michael Phelps, (Milwaukee’s very own) Garrett Weber-Gale, Cullen Jones, and Jason Lezek put on one of the greatest races I’ve ever watched. There was so much excitement, the whole time the announcers were saying, “Silver medal.” The French were trash talking, boasting that they were going to, “Smash the Americans.” All of which set the stage for the greatest Olympic relay race ever (yes I have the audacity to proclaim this).

- Does the new gymnastic scoring system confuse anyone else? Where did the perfect 10 go? I have no idea what a good score is anymore. Plus I’m not as well versed in gymnastics like Tim Daggert, so I can’t watch the performances live and spot all the flaws and deductions.

- Unfortunately, the Olympic Games haven’t all been all about the competition. There was a tragic incident on the first day. Sadly, the father in law of US men’s volleyball coach, Hugh McCutcheon, was stabbed to death. His mother in law was also seriously stabbed. This is not what the Olympics are about and it’s more than disappointing that the Chinese security officials allowed such an incident to happen.

Let’s hope that there are no more sad situations like that one so we can concentrate on the magnificence of the Olympic games.

*RIP Bernie Mac. We will forever be connected by the first scene in the movie Mr. 3000.

Tuesday, August 5th, 2008

Worst Madden Cover Curse ever?

The football video game, Madden NFL is one of the most, if not the MOST, popular football game on the market today. Because of the game’s popularity, being chosen for the cover is quite prestigious (relatively speaking). However there is also a burden that comes along with being chosen for the cover…the MADDEN CURSE!

The Madden Curse is quite simple, the player chosen for the cover has had a propensity to have a significant drop off in productivity the following season. Shaun Alexander, Donovan McNabb, and Michael Vick have all fallen victim to the curse. The Madden 2009 cover was different. It was the first time that EA Sports chose a retired player for their cover. That player? Brett Favre.

It seemed like a good decision at the time. Celebrate the legacy of one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. No way could the curse effect him while he sat at home on Sundays. Yet, we are in amidst in perhaps the most unique situations in pro sports. There have been other stars that have retired and came back (i.e. Michael Jordan) but never has a player retired and come back all within the course of the off season.
madden09
The tension between Brett Favre and the Packers has been more than palpable to anyone paying the slightest bit of attention these past few weeks. Will he or won’t he report to camp? A $20 million bribe to stay retired. Will Brett be traded? Did he illegally contact the Minnesota Vikings? A lot of he said, she said; causing quite the tizzy in Green Bay. Madden Curse anyone?

Today it seems that Brett Favre’s days as a Green Bay Packer are over. He left training camp and awaits his future. It’s a shame because I was really looking forward to seeing Brett lace up his Nike’s one more year (especially since I was in Thailand last year). Let’s hope Aaron Rodgers isn’t atrocious because I thought we (Packer fans say ‘We’) had a real legitimate shot at the Super Bowl this year with Brett Favre under center. Regardless of what happens in the short term, can anyone argue that the Madden Curse has struck again?