Friday, May 2, 2008

Ben Folds, Kyle Korver, The Office & The Spurs

1) Last week, I had the experience of attending the Ben Folds concert in Salt Lake. I don't consider myself a Ben Folds fan, but a friend invited me so I went. I'd have to say that nothing "rocked" but I guess that shouldn't mean the music wasn't good.

All my friends that went kept saying to me "Wasn't that amazing?" I dunno, I guess. He's a good musician, and his originality of rockin' on the keyboard and singing conversations that took place when his friends got high on acid are something that he brought to the forefront of the music industry.

But I left the show thinking, I didn't love it. The funny thing is: I should be a Ben Folds fan. I have the nerdy white boy look with the glasses, and I EVEN PLAY PIANO. But I guess this nerdy white boy who absolutely looks like a Ben Folds fan is really a rocker trapped into a nerd body. I'm a fan of nerd rock with Weezer, but not Ben Folds. Why? I dunno, I just can't put my finger on it.

2) Same thing goes for Kyle Korver of the Utah Jazz. I should like Kyle Korver. He is a little known player from a small school, who got drafted in the second round of the NBA draft, but has made a nice career for himself with his 3-point shooting skills.

He's an amazing person off the court. He has a good Christian background, and I just discovered that he donates almost one-third of his salary to charity. He's the best shooter the Jazz have had since Jeff Hornacek.

I don't get it. I'm a Jazz fan. I love a story of a good guy off the court who develops into a fan favorite for his ability to come off the bench and knock down 3s. But I can't explain, there's some reason I am not a fan of Kyle Korver.

3) The Office: I realize that everything evolves. The NFL has evolved a ton from what is was 50 years ago. The NBA has evolved. My debit card can now be "swiped" without even being swiped thanks to Visa payWave. One thing I noticed this week, but it never really dawned on me: comedy evolves.

I don't know why it took so long for this to hit me, but comedy is constantly evolving. I was watching "Law and Order: SVU" and Robin Williams was playing a pretty demented dude. Isn't he supposed to be a comedian? Well, all my friends agree that Robin Williams is not funny, but I guess older people thought he was funny when he was on "Mork and Mindy." Now he only gets creepy roles.

But this is why I don't laugh when I watch the "Saturday Night Live" episodes from the 70s and 80s. This is why Adam Sandler is no longer funny. Maybe this is why Dave Chappelle went AWOL after he signed for huge money with Comedy Central. He knew that he couldn't keep up with the ever evolving world of comedy, or maybe he just really, really like drugs...

Anyway, the new wave of comedy seems to fall under the awkward category, hence the new popularity for the NBC show "The Office." Don't get me wrong, I'll watch "The Office" with friends, but I don't go out of my way for it. Maybe this is the same reason my receding hairline grows every day. I can no longer keep up with the new trends in comedy, fashion and music.

I should like "The Office", but for some inexplicable reason, I don't.

4) At last, that brings us to something that pretty much we all hate, but I should like it: San Antonio Spurs basketball. I HATE THE SPURS. I think everybody hates the Spurs for what they have done to basketball this decade, and beating our critically acclaimed Phoenix Suns three of the past four playoffs.

I should like the Spurs. They execute better in the half court than anyone else. They have the best power forward of all-time, and that's coming from a die-hard life-long Karl Malone/Utah Jazz fan. Tim Duncan is the best defender in the post since Hakeem (that's right, Mr. Kevin Garnett). They have excellent coaching, and the best driving point guard since Kevin Johnson. They have role players who know their roles, and they have collected four NBA championships in nine seasons.

But like everybody else in America right now, I hate the Spurs. I hate the fact that Tim Duncan, Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili can fall down on their own and draw a foul; yet Bruce Bowen is allowed to pull, grab, elbow, shove and even kick the opponents best player without a whistle being blown, and people call it good defense.

After watching what happened in Game 5 the other night (even though the Phoenix Suns have nobody to blame but themselves after that loss), I'd be embarrassed to be a San Antonio Spurs fan. They make me so mad, I wanted to kick my cat after the game (don't worry, I didn't).

So there you have it, four things I should like, but for some reason, I don't. I've tried to explain the best I can, but I still feel that I can't give you a logical reason as to why I don't like them.

8 comments:

Rhett said...

Great post! I've never thought about the term "nerd rock" before. One time jon and I defined Emo as alternative with glasses, but we could have been way off.

joN. said...

i think you did a very good job of explaining why you don't like the spurs. no need to say you don't know why.

Devin said...

Good post Joe, although I thought Kyle Korver would be right up your alley for sure. Maybe it's his metro look that you don't like. You gotta admit, the guy was born to play for the Jazz. He fits so seamlessly into Utah and Jerry Sloan's system you wonder why it took KOC and LHM so long to go get him. The Spurs, like the Bad Boy Pistons and Pat Riley Knicks before them, are sucking the life out of what should be the dawning of a new golden age in the NBA.

Steph said...

You don't like Korver for one reason -- you are a dude. I have yet to meet a guy that likes Korver, yet most girls really like him. I'm thinking the male Jazz fans might be a little jealous of Korver. He does have fabulous hair. Thanks for sending me the link to the article about him.

Average Joe said...

Actually, I would take Shane Battier any day before Kyle Korver. Not as great of a shooter, but he would be that perimeter defender we have sought for so long.

SRA said...

Well, I like at least two of those...KK because I allow myself the indulgence of a hot, good boy, and "The Office" because it really is hilarious most of the time. The new episodes have been hit or miss, though...

boneck family said...

uh. hi. i had something to say but i got busy at work and i forgot it. ill add it when i remember it. sorry man.

robin williams gets creepy roles cause hes creepy. hes never "himself", unless that nut job who is always talking in a weird voice and jumping topics IS himself. what a nut.

Matthew Johnson said...

Man, Steph just totally hit the nail on the head. Guys don't like Korver, because he looks like he should be on a Tommy Hilfiger commercial.

Great post Joe.