“Because I said so”
-
This is the quickest and most direct way to manage. In the short run,
compliance is predictable and might even be effective. Over time, it’s
always outdone...
1 year ago
Friday, April 24, 2009
TYSON - A Review
For those of you that are itching for more on the game, stay tuned to IGN who will be revealing more boxers from the roster.
When I was a kid, I watched Mike Tyson knock out Michael Spinks and it blew my mind. I had no idea who this guy was and he took society by storm in and out of the ring. My memories of him consisted of fast KO's and celebrity appearances whether it was in a Fresh Prince music video, a video boxing game, or even in a wrestling ring. In the film TYSON though, you will see none of those memories other than the knockouts and you will see a side of him that you might not be too familiar with.
Here is my personal review of the film that I had the pleasure of watching during last Monday's NYC premiere screening with Mike and his guests.
TYSON
He is the most feared boxer ever.
After the red-carpet screening in New York, even Mike himself said that after watching the documentary as objectively as possible, he found himself scared of this person on the screen. It is not something that he’s used to even though, during a period of his life, he would call himself God and feel capable of anything. This, in fact, was something totally new to him and, for most in the audience, it too was a very different way to see Mike express himself.
Some were used to seeing the Tyson that won the heavyweight championship at a tender age of twenty growing up with him during his storied boxing career. Some were used to seeing the Tyson whose drama outside the ring constantly put him in the spotlight. While some were used to seeing him as the introverted kid he describes himself as on a windy path just like a lot of people we are likely to already know in our own lives.
You do not hear the questions being asked, you only hear Mike. In his words, and you listen and hear a truth about Mike you haven’t heard from him before. Gone is the fear in the words that sometimes had no meaning and were only said to entice fear in his opponents whether they be in or outside the ring. Gone are the attempts of his ego trying to win another battle, for fear of loss is the worst fear of them all especially for a competitor such as Iron Mike. What is left is just Mike and a look back at one of the greatest boxers that we will ever know.
This film will remind you of why he became so feared in the ring at such an early age. Watching the clips from those fights you see the intensity in his eyes when he walks to the ring. He walks with purpose and electrifies audiences just by entering it. Every fight is the culmination of years of training with one of the most skilled boxing minds in the game, Cus D’Amato. He was the man Mike describes as one of the only persons he ever trusted, raising him from the age of twelve to become a defensive master who would bob and weave and lean and punch in combinations that nobody had ever seen before. Power punches with remarkable speed that came from places they shouldn’t, and with accuracy and precision that only years of training could provide. Kid Dynamite, as he was first nicknamed, was the post-Muhammad Ali fighter the world dreamed of.
This film will challenge what you think you know about Mike. You will need to let go of what you have seen in the media during some of that time. In today’s social media, truth is as prevalent as ever, and this will be one truth you will never forget as Mike takes you within and bears it all for the world to see.
Do some people still long for Iron Mike? The adored God of the ring who couldn’t be stopped; who travelled all over the world, and was greeted by millions of adoring fans wherever he went? If I want to re-live Iron Mike, I’ll pop in my copy of Fight Night Round 4 when it comes out and watch old fights on youtube.
I now understand that for Mike, it isn’t about going back, it’s about moving forward and accepting everything he’s done, without any need to ask for forgiveness. As one of the most influential beings on this planet, when he does this, just as we followed him in his boxing career, we will follow him in his film career and, forgive him anyway, because he’s only a man who is not anymore a God than you or I am.
And I don’t believe that is taking anything away from him at all. He talked afterwards that he’s still in awe of how people are responding to the film and how he’s not used to not having to train hard for this type of approval that he would normally receive from winning a fight. Here he was, letting it all hang out, take it or leave it, and people were accepting it. People were looking beyond it and accepting him.
The question was asked from the audience of what he would do now. He mentioned he is working with Jamie Foxx on a feature movie on his life. After watching the documentary about it, I am intrigued how Foxx will portray Tyson as I’m sure this film will have much influence on the making of that one.
In the end, I learned more about Mike than I ever thought I knew about him. I was always a fan since the first time my father and I watched him KO Michael Spinks in 1988. And now, I’ve gained a level of respect for the man after what I’ve seen of him in this film.
He is one of the most influential people in the world today.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Welcome Back, Tiger
From the madness of the NCAA Basketball tournament to the stretch run of both NBA and NHL playoffs, this weekend had no shortage of team sports’ magic and mayhem. You’ve got Villanova and Michigan State downing #1 seeds to go the Final Four, the ‘Nucks in a brawl with the ‘Hawks in a potential first-round preview, and the Raptors with a last-shot OT win over the Bulls. To be honest though, it was the DVR for a lot of those games as it was the individual play of one player that had me shaking my head in disbelief and glued to my HD most of Sunday.
With his finest red with white pin-striped shirt on, Tiger Woods once again reminded the sports world of what we’ve been missing for the past nine months. At the Arnold Palmer Invitational this past weekend, down by five strokes to Sean O’Hair after the third round, the buzz began as people wondered if Tiger would be able to make up the difference going into Sunday’s final round.
This was probably the most pressure he’s faced in a long time. Sure there was the Accenture match play event last month where he lost to Tim Clark who hadn’t made a bogey that entire round; though who could blame Tiger after making only one bad shot on the 15th? Prior to that, the only time he had gone FTW in the last nine months was during his victory over Guillermo at the EA SPORTS Gillette Champions of Gaming tournament in January.
I remember watching him at last year’s US Open cringing with every shot as he went FTW after a 19-hole playoff. I had no idea that it would be his last tournament for such a long period of time. For most athletes, the absence away from the sport would bring about some rust that would take some time to brush off. For most athletes, it would take a few weeks or a few games or a few tournaments to get back into the swing of things. Though as we’ve seen time and time again from the 14-time major champion, Tiger is not like most athletes.
On Sunday, following a mid-morning morning rain-delay, Woods would need 15 holes to reduce the five-stroke deficit and pull in to a tie with O’Hair playing in the final group. O’Hair could muster only one birdie all day and though he played with the lead, when you’re grouped with Tiger who was on fire on the final day, it must’ve felt as if it were only a matter of time before O’Hair would become one of many that would succumb to the pressure by Sunday evening.
On the 16th hole with Woods in the rough after gaining a share of the lead on 15, O’Hair would all but seal his destiny going for the pin with a 7-iron and coming short and wet to bogey the hole. On his swings, Tiger would go up and down for par to take his first lead of the tournament. On the ensuring hole, Woods would make it interesting with a bogey while O’Hair would make par setting it up for yet another dramatic Bay Hill finish.
With the night looming, the magic continued as Tiger would make two perfect shots to set himself up for a birdie putt no less than 12 feet away. O’Hair, who had been hitting right most of the day, just didn’t seem to get into a rhythm (could you blame him?) though he would par 17 to tie Woods and really did nothing wrong on 18 other than miss his birdie putt.
Though that was all that Tiger would need and in all too familiar position, as he did a year ago with O’Hair in the final group again and for the third time at Arnie’s tournament, Woods would drain the putt on 18th at Bay Hill FTW and pump-fist his way to his first victory since the US Open. It was his 9th victory in his last 14 PGA Tour starts.
"It feels good to be back in contention, to feel the rush," Woods said. "It's been awhile, but God, it felt good."
It’s a feeling that many, including myself, felt through each hole and every stroke on Sunday as well.
Welcome back to the rush of the winner’s circle, Tiger.
With his finest red with white pin-striped shirt on, Tiger Woods once again reminded the sports world of what we’ve been missing for the past nine months. At the Arnold Palmer Invitational this past weekend, down by five strokes to Sean O’Hair after the third round, the buzz began as people wondered if Tiger would be able to make up the difference going into Sunday’s final round.
This was probably the most pressure he’s faced in a long time. Sure there was the Accenture match play event last month where he lost to Tim Clark who hadn’t made a bogey that entire round; though who could blame Tiger after making only one bad shot on the 15th? Prior to that, the only time he had gone FTW in the last nine months was during his victory over Guillermo at the EA SPORTS Gillette Champions of Gaming tournament in January.
I remember watching him at last year’s US Open cringing with every shot as he went FTW after a 19-hole playoff. I had no idea that it would be his last tournament for such a long period of time. For most athletes, the absence away from the sport would bring about some rust that would take some time to brush off. For most athletes, it would take a few weeks or a few games or a few tournaments to get back into the swing of things. Though as we’ve seen time and time again from the 14-time major champion, Tiger is not like most athletes.
On Sunday, following a mid-morning morning rain-delay, Woods would need 15 holes to reduce the five-stroke deficit and pull in to a tie with O’Hair playing in the final group. O’Hair could muster only one birdie all day and though he played with the lead, when you’re grouped with Tiger who was on fire on the final day, it must’ve felt as if it were only a matter of time before O’Hair would become one of many that would succumb to the pressure by Sunday evening.
On the 16th hole with Woods in the rough after gaining a share of the lead on 15, O’Hair would all but seal his destiny going for the pin with a 7-iron and coming short and wet to bogey the hole. On his swings, Tiger would go up and down for par to take his first lead of the tournament. On the ensuring hole, Woods would make it interesting with a bogey while O’Hair would make par setting it up for yet another dramatic Bay Hill finish.
With the night looming, the magic continued as Tiger would make two perfect shots to set himself up for a birdie putt no less than 12 feet away. O’Hair, who had been hitting right most of the day, just didn’t seem to get into a rhythm (could you blame him?) though he would par 17 to tie Woods and really did nothing wrong on 18 other than miss his birdie putt.
Though that was all that Tiger would need and in all too familiar position, as he did a year ago with O’Hair in the final group again and for the third time at Arnie’s tournament, Woods would drain the putt on 18th at Bay Hill FTW and pump-fist his way to his first victory since the US Open. It was his 9th victory in his last 14 PGA Tour starts.
"It feels good to be back in contention, to feel the rush," Woods said. "It's been awhile, but God, it felt good."
It’s a feeling that many, including myself, felt through each hole and every stroke on Sunday as well.
Welcome back to the rush of the winner’s circle, Tiger.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
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