RipCordless

A pop-culture consumer who keeps it, by design, in the shallow end of the pool.

Television

BPL Better Than NFL

by

The British Premiere League (BPL) now ranks as the number one sport in my entertainment world — and Directv combined with the character of the NFL is responsible for the change. Those who know me will be surprised; I’m universally regarded as a 49ers fan, have a man-cave filled with Niner gear but that adopted world no longer holds much sway. I used to be an ardent fan, watching the NFL on a weekly basis and even playing fantasy football with friends. But those days are gone as I’ve returned to my English roots and embraced my beloved Liverpool Football Club once more.

The change started about three or four years ago. I noticed the BPL games on subscription-based Directv channels and was drawn to the sport. Football (read: soccer) has always been a passion of mine but the disconnect happened when I moved from England to the United States many years ago. I lost touch with my childhood team, Liverpool, but always kept a few trinkets around to remind me of those times. Once I noticed the BPL on Directv, I began to get back in touch with the British Premiere League and more importantly, Liverpool. On a personal note, during that reconnect I  began to see some significant differences between the NFL and BPL — differences which have pushed me even further away from American Football.

Appreciation for the Fans
Football (read: soccer) players around the world are, by and large, completely in touch with the fans. This is displayed in a number of areas but the most obvious is when a player either leaves the pitch via substitution or at the conclusion of the game. Football players will walked towards their fans and applaud. This happens often and consistently. The players are showing appreciation for their fans and applauding them. This genuine display endears the fans to the team on a level rarely matched in other sports. Contrast this again the average NFL player who wants to be the center of attention through word, action, or deed — who may thank the fans but never as often or on the same level as football players.

Continuous Action
Watching a game of football (read: soccer) with the world’s finest athletes is a thing of beauty. Sure, there are low scoring games, and some players flop in attempts to wrangle and advantage from the ref, but it is much more than that. Football is a game of constantly evolving strategy and movement. Chances and near-misses come continually. The ebb and flow of the defense, supporting midfield play, feeding the strikers who dance their way through tackles in an attempt to score is stunning to watch. Contrast that against the NFL where action is 3-7 seconds long, then spectators wait 30 seconds for another play. I never really bought that argument against the NFL until I got back into football. Now, the difference is brought into sharp contrast.

Better Game System
The BPL consists of 20 teams fighting for a number of potential victories. The top four teams at the end of the season qualify for the European Cup the following season — playing against the best from all of Europe. The bottom three teams are relegated from the Premiere League to the Champions League (one step down). Conversely, the top three teams from the Champions League move up. The system is cut-throat but provides a huge incentive focused around revenue. Moving to or from the BPL means financial boon or bust for a club. That alone causes agony and elation as a goal can make the difference between millions of dollars in revenue. There is simply nothing even close in the NFL sporting world.

Respect for Old Teams
There is a lot of player movement in the BPL. Players can be lured from one team to the next in two precise windows of time where teams have a chance to solidify their rosters and add depth or gamble on that rising star. Since there is so much movement, players often find themselves competing against old teams. The other week, I watched a game where a rising star had moved on to a powerhouse team and then played against his former club. He scored but didn’t celebrate out of respect for his heritage. So classy was that move, the opposing fans actually applauded their former player’s muted response. I just smile in watching such a refined decision and one rarely if ever finds a similar antics in the NFL. Players will attempt to crush former teams then rub their noses in any scores, regardless of the scoreboard.

Actual World Champions
Often mentioned but rarely stressed, the game of football (read: soccer) spans the globe. When there is a world championship, all the best teams from countries around the Earth compete every four years. It is truly a planet wide event, spanning months and months of preliminary qualification games, and hard work. The best and brightest from national teams compete on a grand scale for the ultimate prize. No other sport can claim this kind of cohesive and awe-inspiring event. Contrast that against the tedious claims from Major League Baseball about being “World Series Champions” or the NBA title earning the “World Champion” credential. Only the US could be so arrogant as to make such a claim.

So, for these and other reasons, I find myself excited about Saturday when all the best teams play. Will Arsenal remain on top of the BPL? Can Liverpool continue their form and retain a shot at the European league next season? Will Liverpool’s arch enemies, Everton flourish under new management. Can Manchester United recover from the middle of the table? The stories and plot lines are endless and man, am I having a great time with it.

 

Breaking Bad Has Flawless Ending

by

It has been five seasons of tight dialogue, unpredictable scripts, flawless acting, and precision directors which have propelled Breaking Bad to the pinnacle of television dramas. Many should take lessons from last night’s conclusion. Justice was served, debts settled, stories closed, and everything fit perfectly in place.

Selfishly, I’m smile to myself regarding my personal journey into Breaking Bad. Though I didn’t watch it from the start, I picked it up between season one and two. I heard a feint buzz in social circles about this drama presented on AMC that was “pretty good” but it wasn’t a flash in the pan. The buzz continued so I decided to take a glance by renting the recently released season one on dvd (when renting from a local Blockbuster or Hollywood Video was an option).

The hooks were in almost immediately.

What caught my attention was the unique direction, non-traditional camera angles, cohesive scripts, and impeccable acting. I was left dangling each week and season finales tormented me. I began to tell friends, colleagues and co-workers about this exceptional series and I’m happy to say most were also hooked by the show’s impressive story. Breaking Bad sells itself.

But the moment I’ll not soon forget is seeing the cast at the 2012 San Diego Comic Con in Ballroom 20. I’d waited all day and was in the seventh row, right of center when the cast strolled out. Around 4,000 fans screamed and frothed; it was like a rock concert in there. It was easy to see the cast were floored by the crowd’s unrestrained enthusiasm. At one point, Bryan Cranston (Walter White) took a cell phone picture of the bubbling lunatics near the conclusion of the panel, then posted that picture to Twitter. I’m one of the faceless blobs in that shot. Will anyone remember? No. But for a moment, I was woven into the fabric of this exceptional television experience. See, there’s me smiling again.

Breaking Bad will go down in television history as one of the best dramas ever conceived, written, acted, directed, and watched — so thank you to the crew, the actors, the writers, and directors who all had a hand in entertaining me for five seasons. Helluva journey. Worth every second.

HDMI Cables, You Want Fries with That?

by

I’ve long suspected high cost HDMI cables are a scam. Why is it I can wander into my local Fry’s or BestBuy and find a three foot HDMI cable ranging from $19 all the way to $99? Is the quality difference that great? Hrmmmmm, perhaps the cables’ construction means a higher quality, or perhaps better 3D experience, or deeper color? Nope, that is not the case — not even close. HDMI cables are sending a digital not analog signal and that simple fact makes all the difference in the world. The difference between a digital and analog signal? Just think like this, digital is simply sending 1’s and 0’s down the cable — and any cable of reasonably good construction can handle that duty with elegance and 100% effectiveness.

Why has this suddenly popped up on my radar? I was shopping for Christmas gift ideas and while surfing through various websites, I stumbled into an article on CNET.com detailing the issue with HDMI cables. You can check out their article here. In fact one searches for any articles related to HDMI cable value or quality, there are hundreds.

Why does this work on the population at large? Because of a comprehensive disinformation print campaign, excellent packaging, and consumer ignorance. After all, some sucker who just paid $2300 for a flat screen is ripe for the picking and “surely” need a high priced cable to maximize the image on screen. Truth be told, I’ve fallen for this concept as well. I think I was taken in by the old-school theory of analog cables and I was the idiot who paid $200 for a solid-silver 1-foot composite cable — that made some sense back in the day but with a digital cable, that concept is irrelevant.

So, if you are looking for a new TV for the holidays don’t get caught up on the high-priced cable fiasco. Grab something solid, well crafted, and you brand new TV will display a stunning picture.

Tosh.0, Edgy, Inappropriate, Hilarious

by

Comedy Central has matured over the years and they continue to offer solid and hilarious content. Enter Daniel Tosh, host of Tosh.0 and all the shenanigans surrounding that show. I stumbled into Tosh.0 a few months back and now I’m an avid watcher. Tosh has actually managed to become the highest rated show on Comedy Central — clearly his brand of humor has caught on.

Tosh comments, most of the time inappropriately, on videos found on the Internet plus throws in a few skits for fun. He makes fun of himself, and everyone within range of his acerbic wit, taking no prisoners and hitting harder when he detects weakness. Truth be told, I can on take so much Tosh.0 before I’m burned out but if I’m in the mood, his unique humor mixed with precision social bombing can be hilarious — but one gets the feeling at some point he will say something well past the line of common decency and end up cracking jokes in the dog house.

Until then, Tosh.0 remains one of the most watched items on my DVR. Some of my favorite skits include “Rock, Paper, Balls” and the often repeated but never duplicated “Two Bananas with One Liter of Sprite” carousel. I’d love to see a behind-the-scenes candid episode featuring just the staff — they appear both abused and bemused at working on the show. Time for a tell-all expose!