I had friends in town this weekend for Lollapalooza in Grant Park. It’s been more than a decade since I last caught the show waaaaay back in 1996. I figured I’d take a moment to offer some quick comparisons between now and then:
1. Endurance: Back then, I was heading into my sophomore year of college, some 65 lbs. ago. Coincidentally, both shows happened in humid, mid-90′s heat. I remember the walk between stages being much less life threatening at 19. The Italian Beef sandwich floating on a gallon of beer in my stomach didn’t help.
2. Acts: Check out the 1996 lineup. I knew about 10 bands well enough to sing at least a song or two per set (with most of Metallica, Soundgarden and Rage recited from memory).
Here’s this year’s lineup. Outside of Tool and the Beastie Boys (who cancelled due to MCA’s throat cancer — he’s recovering now), I didn’t know most of these bands.
That isn’t to say they weren’t good, in fact, we caught parts of Perry Farrell and Artic Monkey, as well as Rise Against’s and Tool’s entire sets. All provided solid head banging with the occassional ‘these guys are fucking rocking shit’ moments (and incredible people watching opportunities). But it’s just not the same if you can’t sing along enough to make your voice hoarse.
(ED: After doing a little research, it’s fair to say the show fundamentally changed during its hiatus between 1997 and 2003, and again when it landed in Chicago full-time in 2005 after the cancellation of a nation-wide tour the year earlier due to poor ticket sales.)
3. Location / Atmosphere: There was definitely an indie vibe at this year’s show, with each stage featuring a number of different and up and coming sounds. And the size of Grant Park allowed for multiple and nearly self-contained venues.
At the Winnebago County Fairgrounds (a somewhat obscure and smaller venue) in ’96, people were piling up two-deep to see the main stage. You could sometimes hear music and feedback from other stages, which were closer than Grant Park’s set up. And then there was the water bottle carpet bombing, which happened almost non-stop and escalated to rocks later in the night.
Nothing like that this year. And the audience was more varied than the still-grunge-influenced crowd of the mid-90′s. But don’t take my word for it.
4. Encore: No encore this year. It was the first show I’d seen where a headline band didn’t play at least one encore. Sure, the crowd wasn’t going absolutely insane for Tool, but the place was packed and people were into it. Maybe that’s a Chicago / Grant Park venue thing, or maybe Tool wasn’t feeling the love. Either way, you could feel the air go out of the place when the house lights came up (which is probably what city officials wanted).
5. Bathrooms: Pretty much the same at both events.
There’s nothing like your first 30-45 seconds in a nearly full port-a-potty.
It’s an adult version of the game Operation. In 95 degree heat. And drunk. And trying not to piss the front of your pants while making sure the bottom of your shirt doesn’t touch the turd melting in the side ‘urinal’ compartment. By mid-day, you couldn’t fire off a stream without spray-back from the dozen or so beer cans riding shit mountain. It’s just that gross.
The answer? Hand Sanitizer Stations sitting in front of the bathroom area. As if it wasn’t disgusting enough to share germs with the hundreds of people that used your one porta, let’s entice everyone to use these four sanitizers with the promise of ’99% germ killing’ effectiveness. Maybe that works if you refill them. Alas, they were little more than false promises and gigantic human petri dishes by the end.
Enough about the show.
UFC 101
There were two sports-related events that I missed this weekend. First was the UFC 101 PPV on Saturday night, which I usually watch at my sister’s house. From the brief clips I saw on the Web, the main card fights were dominated by Anderson Silva and B.J. Penn.
The Silva KO wasn’t a big surprise. Forrest Griffin just isn’t the same fighter that beat Rampage last year. He’s since been dominated by two elite UFC fighters in Silva and Rashad Evans, and the Silva fight wasn’t close. It’s going to be a tough road back in the stacked Light Heavyweight division.
Next up for Silva? Probably a return to middleweight, where Dan Henderson awaits their rematch. After that, who knows. There’s not many options at middleweight for Silva. But if he goes Light Heavyweight, against Lyoto, Rampage or Rashad? Or a catch-weight against GSP? Drool . . .
As for Penn, he looked sharp against ESPN’s Kenny Florian. I’m not sure that says a whole lot beyond that Penn’s conditioning is light years better than what we’ve seen recently. The question is whether or not this reincarnation will last long enough for him to step into the ring a third time with GSP.
Hall of Fame Game
Okay, so maybe the Hall of Fame game isn’t that significant. But it happened on Sunday night. And that can only mean one thing — the NFL season is little more than a month away. Huzzah!
NFL Week 3: Breaking Down the Best and Worst Teams
Those questions lingered as I walked somberly out of Soldier Field two weeks ago. For the previous three hours, I sat steadfast in the rain — donning my Hines Ward jersey — amidst throngs of motley Bears fans (of which I’m usually one when the Steelers aren’t in town).
Like so many games I’ve watched at Soldier Field, it was an up/down/sideways affair. Outside of Favre’s last trip to Chicago as a Packer (when the entire Green Bay team basically said fuck it halfway through a snow-laden game), you don’t see too many one-sided games at Soldier Field. Last season, all Bears home games were won or lost by seven points or less. If you’re a glass-half-full person, it always makes things interesting. If you’re the glass-half-empty type, it leaves you a nervous, irritated wreck. Booze helps either way.
Once Jeff Reed missed his second field goal, I knew what was coming. Not only did my friends and family boo me the entire game, but the beer vendor was scoring on me at will (at one point, he literally blocked the walkway up to my seats . . . on purpose). It’s not a good sign when the man you’re paying $7 a beer starts openly talking shit to you.
In any event, the Steelers lost. And the next week. Which was basically the same game. Missed field goals, missed TD catches, a deflated defense that doesn’t have any margin for error, a running game lacking a Bettis finisher.
And the questions remain. Is there so much parity in the league that luck plays such a significant factor? You can’t tell me Favre’s throw yesterday was skill. Sure, it took skill in the pocket and natural arm strength to even attempt that throw. But to complete it against two defenders, to a newly-signed Greg Lewis on a broken route? There’s luck involved.
Big players make big plays, or better yet, big players put themselves in the position to make big plays. But the ball doesn’t always go your way, even with the most herculean of efforts. I like the idea that every team has a chance to win. But I don’t like the growing notion that most games hinge on 2-3 plays.
I guess the answer is the little things. I heard a quote this week, I forget from which broadcast, but it was a famous coach saying ‘if you do the little things well, the big things will take care of themselves.’ A bit esoteric but the best answer to the questions.
Now on to the Players, the Tweaners and the Pretenders through three weeks.
THE PLAYERS
New Orleans Saints: Pick your poison. Shut down Brees and you face an underrated running game. Pierre Thomas is back, and once Lance Moore is healthy, this offense is the most dynamic in the NFL.
Baltimore Ravens: Is anyone else scared that the Ravens have the second-highest scoring offense in the league? Ray Lewis and company owe Flacco, Mason, Rice, Oher and McGahee a few pairs of Isotoners.
The New York Football Giants: I hate to put the Giants on this list given their opponents (Redskins, Cowboys, Bucs a combined 2-6) but this team is built for a full NFL season. That’s largely because of their d-line rotation, strong running game, growing stable of WRs and post-season experience.
Philadelphia Eagles: I hate the Vick experiment. He’s not the same player he used to be, and Kolb and Garcia are both better game managers if McNabb goes out. That being said, this team’s as loaded offensively as any team in the league. DeSean Jackson is the NFL’s next premier receiver. Westbrook and McCoy are interchangeablely good, Celek is coming into his own, and the defense is more than capable (sans facing the Saints).
THE TWEANERS
Minnesota Vikings: Tough to argue with the logic. When AP isn’t dominanting, give it to the gunslinger. But the defense is more suspect than people projected, and they’ve faced perenial doormats in Cleveland, Detroit and San Fran. We’ll know more in a few weeks when they face the Packers, Ravens and Steelers.
New York Jets: If you read Matt Berry’s fantasy column (scroll down to the Jets preview), you know he quoted a fellow ESPN anchor as calling Mark Sanchez ‘Sex on a Stick.’ He didn’t give away the name or gender, but my money’s on Stu Scott. Rex Ryan is turning this team into the Ravens Part Deux, and it’s working. But don’t expect Sanchez to fly underneath opponents radar for much longer.
Indianapolis Colts: It’s tough to put Peyton Manning in this category. But that’s the point. He can’t do it all. No Colts RB has more than 63 yards in a single game. The offensive line is under-sized and aging. His second and third options catching the ball are suspect, although promising. Freeney is banged up, and the defense gave up 230 rushing yards against Miami.
Denver Broncos: I always thought Kyle Orton got a bad shake in Chicago (of course, I would never admit that DURING a Bears game). I truly believe he’s a winner, and has been since challenging most of Drew Brees’ passing records at Purdue. He plays every game with courage, and with a burgeoning running game in Buckhalter and Moreno, and a newly-committed Brandon Marshall, we may just see his true pedigree this year.
Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers is a gamer, and his wideouts pack a terrific 1-2 punch. Ryan Grant has been a bit disappointing, and their defense has yet to find an identity. Check back after their three game stretch in the second half with the Ravens, Bears and Steelers.
New England Patriots: This isn’t the same team we saw two years ago. Check out Simmons’ column for a good breakdown of their team erosion. I don’t buy into everything he says, and they beat a solid Falcons team this week. They are a different team with Welker, and Fred Taylor is the new Corey Dillon. Defense is this team’s shortcoming.
Pittsburgh Steelers: I finished this column without adding the Steelers. There’s a good chance this is the 2007 team. Have you ever gotten wasted, eaten a ton before going to bed and the next day wondered what was coming out? You either take the world’s biggest dump and get it out of your system, or you’re constantly shitting all day, wiping your ass to bloody oblivion. That’s this year’s Steelers team. Let’s hope we got it out of the way early.
THE PRETENDERS
Cincinnati Bengals: This has nothing to do with the Steelers game (okay, maybe a little). But Carson Palmer isn’t the same post surgery, and relying on Cedric Benson to carry your offense is a proven fallacy (see: Chicago Bears). Ochocinco isn’t a gamebreaker anymore, especially without Whosyourmomma going across the middle, and the defense is opportunistic at best. Talk to me after Week 10 when they’ve played a majority of their division games.
Houston Texans: The sexy ‘darkhorse’ each of the last two seasons can’t get over the top. Brutal division? Check. Porous defense? Check. Vastly over-rated quarterback that doesn’t make big plays in big games? Check. A running game that did a 180 after last season? Check. Yes, I own Steve Slaton in my fantasy league.
San Diego Chargers: Darren Sproles isn’t the answer, unfortunately (one of my favorite players in the league). God bless em, they tried (37 carries for 90 yards on the season, although 187 receiving yards). I don’t know what to make of this team. Philip Rivers has his moments, good and bad. The defense gave up 370 yards to the Raiders. I’ll just put this out there — the AFC West is meaningless in the grand scheme.
NFC West: I love Singletary (1:23, and don’t miss the Fridge at 4:41), and I’m happy for Vernon Davis becoming a team captain and having a huge game this week. But that’s the extent of this division. An 8-8 or 9-7 team will win this division by default, and perhaps give berth to another pretender running the table. My money is still on the Cardinals, but who really cares.
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Posted in NFL, News and Commentary, Sports Life, Weekend Roundup
Tagged Best and Worst Teams, Football, NFL, Power Rankings