Cavs and Nets reportedly discussing Joe Johnson trade
July 5, 2015Indians miss out on an All-Star starter
July 6, 2015Hey what’s up hello, you guys. How are you all feeling after a fantastic weekend of Independence, NBA free agency rumors (Joe Johnson, eh?) and the United States Women’s National Team simply laying it to Japan in the World Cup Finals? I’ll be honest: I missed the first seven minutes of the match and turned on the television to find it already having been 2-0. The first thing that came to my mind was the Indians recording just two hits on Saturday. The second was something along the lines of the Browns being confused by the whole scoring thing. But the third was simple disappointment that I had missed what could have very well been the only two goals in the gameâlet’s be honest: It’s soccer.
Thankfully, the ladies wasted no time in making up for it by delivering two more quick ones, the second of which may very well have been one of the best goals I’ve seen at any level of competition.
I’ve seen attempts at this same shot, either pushed wide or ending with the keeper getting back in time to either deflect the shot or corral it. But to execute such a play so perfectly on the biggest stage of women’s soccerâand to get to see it all unfold liveâwas simply fantastic.
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So who is using Apple Music? With the world’s largest company updating their iOS and such, we’ve all been granted access to a project years (and billions of dollars) in the making.
I’ve seen a lot of forced complaints about the streaming serviceâsome people apparently thought it’d be free?âbut I’ve been a big fan. As someone who uses Spotify on the desktop (I’ve yet to update iTunes to check out the Apple Music application, but I’ve heard good things), I don’t see Apple’s new service as a game-changer of any kind, but I do see it as the application that may finally get me to spend the money on the service once the three-month free trial is up. That it’s already integrated into my phone’s software is huge. That I can access essentially every song I yearn to hear at any point, well, take my money now.
I’ve been very happy with the integrationâI appreciate how it catalogs the music which was already existing on my phone, and I dig the recommendations the service sends my way (this is all very similar to Spotify as well). But the part that I appreciate the most is the time-of-day-based playlists that are recommended on my home page. In the morning, there are a slew of songs that are perfect for getting the day started. Heading into Friday, there were lists fit for a weekend. This seems silly, but instead of having to search for a playlist as I often find myself doing on Spotify, this seems to just know what I want to listen to. I also get that not everyone uses playlists for their streaming servicesâmany folks go full albums front to back. And while I enjoy that as well, sometimes I just want a good list to work (or work out) to. Add in the Beats1 channel, and I have no complaints. Sorry, Taylor.
My early reviews on Apple Music are extremely positive. What say you folks?
Wright Thompson was a guest on Richard Deitch’s latest Sports Illustrated Media Circus podcast, and (unless you’re new here) you know how much we appreciate Wright’s work over the years. While there were countless items that my nerdy-ass self found interestingâwriting profiles, how he works with editors, his thoughts on Twitterâthe portion that may interest you all the most comes at about the 28-minute mark of the episode where he talks about Johnny Manziel and fame.
You’re always striving to write a short story that’s true. … I felt like the things I wanted to do with [Johnny] Manziel, I did with [Dan] Gable.
One day we’re going to read a very interesting study about how fame makes people crazy. We’re in the middle of the first generation of Americans who have grown up with this very particular kind of modern fame. I just feel that it is deeply, deeply debilitating in a way we don’t fully understand. Someone in many years will do a very, very interesting study on fame. He wanted something desperately and then got it, and then wanted to give it back and couldn’t. I thought he was fascinating.
The piece Thompson is discussing, in case you were living under a rock, is this one here. Why I find this quote intriguing: As incredible as the Dan Gable story was, fewer people are aware of it because it didn’t lead to an NCAA investigation about a Heisman winner signing autographs as Thompson’s profile did. It’s also the place where we first heard of Manziel’s parents being concerned with their son’s drinking.
I tend to agree with Thompson in that today’s level of fame and the levels some go to obtain it can be crippling.
You can catch the entire episode below:
https://soundcloud.com/si-media-podcast-with-richard-deitsch/wright-thompson
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Is there a better segue to this week’s edition of #ActualSportswriting than one of the best in the business discussing his craft?1 Yeah, I didn’t think so.
“Carli Lloyd turns in a World Cup performance for the ages” by Grant Wahl (Sports Illustrated): “Wildfires. They sent their smoke into this emerald city on Sunday, loosing a gauzy haze over the once-blue sky that filtered in through the open roof of the stadium where the USA and Japan played the Womenâs World Cup final. The place smelled vaguely like a campfire, and you realized what can happen when a single spark sets off a natural phenomenon, a force thatâs out of control, overwhelming.”2
“LaMarcus Aldridge is gone, and now the Trail Blazers can exhale their relief” by Jason Quick (The Oregonian): “He could be a sweet guy. He bought a luxury suite at the Moda Center for the kids at the St. Mary’s Home for Boys. And he periodically surprised employees with gifts. But he was so bitter about perceived slights that happened nine years ago â 9 years! â and so insistent that he was always getting the short end of the stick that the entire organization walked on egg shells around him.”3
“No. 31: Odell Beckham Jr.” by Emily Kaplan (MMQB): “Because Beckham will appear on the cover of EAâs Madden NFL 16, pose nude for ESPN The Magazine and appear in two out of every 10 commercials (a rough estimate) during sporting events this fall, itâs easy to forget that he has yet to play his 16th game in the NFL. Heck, he hasnât even completed a full training camp.”4
“A long walk’s end” by William Browning (SB Nation): “The amount of money he is accused of taking could unleash a man from most things that hold him in place. The world bows to that amount of money. You could pay the toll on any of lifeâs roads. You could step through any of lifeâs doors. What would you do with that freedom? … James T. Hammes went hiking. On the Appalachian Trail. For six years.”5
“From a front row seat…” by Tim Rohan (NY Times): “As Matt Harvey took the mound Saturday, Scott Boras, his agent, was positioned in his usual seat at Dodger Stadium, at the end of the first row just to the left of home plate. He took out a yellow legal pad and began making intricate markings that looked like math equations. He tracked every pitch, noting its velocity, its type and the result. Boras calls it the Pitchers Pad.”6
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To that point, I absolutely LOVE this snippet from Deitsch in his latest media column:
There is little skill in bloviating to the masses daily despite what the professional bloviators and contrarians who permeate ESPN and ESPN Radio tell themselves in the mirror. Honestly, itâs the easiest thing to do in the business outside of PR kissing talentâs ass. Same with dudes who get stroked by producers for bantering on topics they donât cover first hand. Your CAA and WME agent may give you a backrub while telling you how great you are, but deep down in places you don’t talk about at parties, most thoughtful people working in the sports media know the real game here.
Let that one sink in a bit.
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And finally, something a bit different: This week in awesome sports photos. Enjoy.
This photo from @AFP — just gutting: pic.twitter.com/Y6TDnD2fUk
— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) July 2, 2015
Pretty great photo of Bauer. Rain falling, dirt on his uniform. (via Jared Wickerham of Getty Images) pic.twitter.com/XFSkoNZygm
— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) July 4, 2015
This picture is so amazing, via @GettySport pic.twitter.com/we3eMJLTiR #SheBelieves #USWNT
— Mark Joyella (@standupkid) July 6, 2015
Full circle, you guys. Have one hell of a Monday. (USA! USA! USA!)
- “Once they run, they’re dead to me. Only the next [piece] matters.” [↩]
- Easily one of the best recaps of the weekend’s biggest event by one of the best soccer writers in the business. [↩]
- A lot of people are calling this a “hit piece,” to which I disagree with. It’s easier to write know that Aldridge is gone, but it’s certainly full of well-reported anecdotes and news items. Will be interesting to see how this all works in San Antonio. [↩]
- It’s easy to rank players or offer up some sort of commentary-based preview. But why do that when you can do this? [↩]
- There is nothing I can add to justify this incredible story. I’m a sucker for pieces that educateâthis one does that and so much more. [↩]
- This week’s reminder that a game recap written on deadline can also make #ActualSportswriting as long as the writer is willing to put in the time. [↩]
31 Comments
I actually find Apple Music to be clunky and counter intuitive. I’m not a fan at all. In fact, I’d say it’s probably my least favorite of the streaming services I have tried.
On the positive side, I do like that it is integrated into my Apple account. That makes it easy to just pay for the service without giving it a second thought. I guess the playlist features are nice, but honestly, you can find all kinds of customized playlists with any streaming service.
But overall, it doesn’t offer me anything new or different enough to entice me to stick around past my three month trial. As someone who loathes iTunes as an audio player to begin with, having my streaming service adding into an already over-bloated piece of software unfortunately isn’t very appealing to me.
I think Apple Music will be an enormous success because are inclined to use any service Apple puts out. The fact that so many people already have Apple IDs and enjoy the way Apple cross-integrates everything will be a major plus for them. So in no way do I think this will fail the way so many other similar services have before it. But it’s really not for me at all.
Speaking of FAs…
I’m starting to lose that warm and fuzzy feeling with TT that he generated in this years playoffs.
He needs to get with the program…sign that 80 MILLION DOLLAR contract and join the rest of the roster who all want to Get That Ring.
Remember TT, you’re not that far removed from being considered an expendable piece of this puzzle.
I’m wondering what the hold up is. Are they really haggling over a couple mil? Gilbert appears willing to pay whatever, and unless I’m wrong, whatever we end up paying TT won’t affect anything as far as signing other FAs go, only how much luxury tax Gilbert pays, so I have to assume the hold up is on TT’s end. Maybe there’s some strategery involved in him not signing that we’re just unaware of, because I assume he’s coming back.
5/80 is way more than he’s going to get anywhere else.
Quite frankly, other than to make LBJ happy, I don’t think he’s worth that. Not until he learns to be at least a mediocre offensive threat.
Prob is, if we aren’t able to sign him, we can’t go get another guy for 5/80 correct?
Agreed that nobody else will pay him what we will, another reason I have to assume it’s held up on his side. I actually have a little faith that he might develop some semblance of an offensive game after all the hard work he has put in to the other aspects in prior offseasons. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to just get the money and quit, so I see him busting hard to add that piece to his game.
Who knows.
The NBA CBA/Salary Cap rules are voodoo to me. lol
Nice write up of where they stand…
http://www.fearthesword.com/2015/7/5/8895693/why-tristan-thompson-and-the-cavs-still-havent-agreed-on-a-contract
yeah me too. haha. I think since they are going to be over, they can’t sign free agents, but they can re-up their guys for big money. Lebron will sign when roster is set because after he signs, they prob won’t be able to sign anyone else?
…I blacked out what just happened
I actually think LBJ is making sure that Cavs construct a powerful roster to bring him and NE OH a ring AND making Gilbert pay out the nose as punishment for The Letter. đ
Win-win for LBJ.
Thanks for that. Maybe Gilbert and Co are praying that some team offers him a 2 year deal that we can match. I know we would lose a few guaranteed years, but that might not be the worst thing. If TT doesn’t develop that offensive game, he may very well be replaceable in a couple years. I know we might find that hard to believe now after the playoffs he just had, but we are also about to pay him a LOT of money to presumably come off the bench. We might be able to find the next TT in the draft in the next two years, and then not have to pay this TT for years 3-5.
As an Android user, let me adjust my hipster glasses and point out that we’ve had all that stuff in Google Play Music for months.
But, seriously, though, Apple Music looks nice. I’ll stick with what I’ve got, because I’m locked in at $8/month, but I like seeing more competition, especially because Apple is probably the only company that can really challenge Spotify at this point.
Definitely doesn’t offer anything newâthough I’m not sure what they *could* offer at this point that would change the landscapeâbut the integration is the big thing for me. I would like the playlists to be longer and would love if they incorporated the updating lists like Spotify, but I’m sure that’ll get there.
That was kind of my take on the first release of Apple Music… it’s fine. It makes some things a little easier that I never thought of as a bother in the first place. But I think there are some pretty cool places that they can go now that it’s been introduced and integrated.
I haven’t tried it yet, but I have to say one thing that annoyed me in a weird “first world problems” kind of way is that Apple used this update as a time to move audiobooks to iBooks. Nobody told me, of course and I had to Google it to figure it out, but that’s what Apple did. It makes sense to me too, BTW, just it’s a pretty big change to put audiobooks in the iBooks app. I’m used to having it as a part of the “audio” section.
I am really surprised that in 2015 people are still paying for music, especially the “right” to STREAM music. Makes my thinky-parts hurt.
Seriously, that half-field shot was something I’ve never seen before. Add it into the epitome of the sport, it truly was a moment of soccer zen. To hell with that kid in GS who got the BMW!
“[B]ut deep down in places you donât talk about at parties … .” Did Deitsch just go A Few Good Men on us? Yep. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq0H1p2zejg
I think TT just wants to hear MAX next to contract. The deal will be done really neither side has a choice. I also think Griffin could be working on other moves at the same time. As we have seen the Cavs seem to do multiple things at one time. Perhaps there is fire behind the smoke that is both David West and Joe Johnson. I’d love to see TT locked up, Varejao/Haywood’s exp. contract traded to NJ for Joe Johnson and David West signed. That would be my win-win-win scenario.
See my above comment: Resign TT, trade Varejao/exp. contract for Joe Johnson, sign West and wrap it all up with a LeBron James 1 year max deal bow!
I agree that that is a dream scenario.
But, I still think that LBJ only signing one year deals, and also waiting to sign last, keeps the pressure on Gilbert to spend exorbitant amounts of cash to assemble a roster that will keep him in town. The more expensive, the better.
Sure, LBJ came home, and he’s pointing us to a ring, but he’s going to make Mr. Gllbert pay dearly.
LBJ is showing Gilbert who the boss really is.
Kind of like when you piss your wife off. Oh, sure, you’ll make up and be happy, but you’re going to pay one way or another.
That’s one way to interpret it you could also say LBJ told the Cavs I’m coming back for the max 1 year so take care of the rest. He hasn’t met with any other teams so I’m inclined to go this route. But it doesn’t sell papers or get clicks so it’s not the sexy story.
When it comes to money and power, I tend to be a little cynical, and err on the side of sinsterness.
I, like most people, don’t think LBJ will leave, but I also think it’s in his best interests to send the message, “But I could”.
H won’t leave, period.
Looks like David West is going to Spurs.
I’m very content with Google Play Music. Catalog and UI are good. Songza plays list are great and have been integrated. Works with my Chromecast to stream wirelessly. No reason to change.
Well, West would have been nice, but I think we’re being held up by someone’s dawdling…
I’m looking at you Mr. Thompson.
West took the veteran minimum so it was simply a choice between Spurs or Cavs.
My sources said that West wanted to sign with the Cavs, but didn’t consider us a contender because LBJ hasn’t signed. He was ready to sign for the Malaysian Development League minimum, as well as personal servitude clause to carry LBJ’s bags, and baby sit his kids, and massage Deewayne Wade’s feet when they play Miami.
Buuuut, LBJ hasn’t signed because his second best buddy TT hasn’t signed.
And TT hasn’t signed because he under the delusional belief that he’s a max player, wants the team plane renamed the Tristain Express, and also wants his jersey number retired at the home opener.
So, yeah, it’s TT’s fault.
I am a spotify guy, and have been for so long that i can sign in with my username instead of a facebook account. I used Tidal both when it got off the ground and before, when it was in Europe as “wimp.” (changed the name for obvious reasons).
I have played with apple music and I like it just fine but there is absolutely nothing there that makes me want to switch from spotify. I already own all of the Beatles albums so I can listen to them on my spotify account – so that’s no selling point for me.
If they allow me to import my playlists I may consider it, but if not there is no way. I must have over 200 playlists so you can understand how inconvenient it would be to switch.