Random thoughts
1) So the Departed wins Best Picture and Scorsese wins Best Director. I did enjoy this movie, but this reeks of Hollywood sentimentality. Letters from Iwo Jima? Shut out.
2) Best Actor: Forrest Whitaker. I've always liked him (even in Species). This is the 3rd time in 6 years that this award has gone to a black actor. I remember when Denzel Washington won in 2001, and it was a really big deal that he was the first black actor since Sidney Poitier to claim that honor. Then Jamie Foxx won in 2004, which was shocking once you realized that no one would have ever predicted it back when he was on "In Living Color" (to say nothing of The Jamie Foxx Show). Now Forrest Whitaker wins and no one makes a big deal about his race. For this reason, I actually look upon this as an even greater milestone for minorities than when Denzel won the award 6 years ago.
3) NFL free agency can be summed up in one word: crazy. Nate Clements becomes the highest paid defender in NFL history? Did he even make the Pro Bowl in 2006? What about 2005? (Hint: the answer is no.) The Falcons guarantee $5 million for a fullback whose name you don't know? The Browns give a guard a $50 million dollar deal ($23 mil over the first 3 years)? This kind of spending almost never works out well for the team that pulls out their checkbook like this, though maybe I should hold my tongue until tomorrow morning, when the Patriots are expected to open up the checkbooks for 30 year-old linebacker who couldn't crack the starting lineup for the first 5 years of his 6 year career.
4) Ever since football season ended, my websurfing at work has really tailed off and I've been a lot more productive. Right now, the best thing for my career would probably be a player's strike of some sort...
2) Best Actor: Forrest Whitaker. I've always liked him (even in Species). This is the 3rd time in 6 years that this award has gone to a black actor. I remember when Denzel Washington won in 2001, and it was a really big deal that he was the first black actor since Sidney Poitier to claim that honor. Then Jamie Foxx won in 2004, which was shocking once you realized that no one would have ever predicted it back when he was on "In Living Color" (to say nothing of The Jamie Foxx Show). Now Forrest Whitaker wins and no one makes a big deal about his race. For this reason, I actually look upon this as an even greater milestone for minorities than when Denzel won the award 6 years ago.
3) NFL free agency can be summed up in one word: crazy. Nate Clements becomes the highest paid defender in NFL history? Did he even make the Pro Bowl in 2006? What about 2005? (Hint: the answer is no.) The Falcons guarantee $5 million for a fullback whose name you don't know? The Browns give a guard a $50 million dollar deal ($23 mil over the first 3 years)? This kind of spending almost never works out well for the team that pulls out their checkbook like this, though maybe I should hold my tongue until tomorrow morning, when the Patriots are expected to open up the checkbooks for 30 year-old linebacker who couldn't crack the starting lineup for the first 5 years of his 6 year career.
4) Ever since football season ended, my websurfing at work has really tailed off and I've been a lot more productive. Right now, the best thing for my career would probably be a player's strike of some sort...
