Friday Faves 1/17: Celtics, Iverson, Quinoa, The Outsider, and Champagnegate
Best Activity
Celtics Courtside: I was sitting at home, in my sweatpants, ready to hang out and watch the Celtics game on the TV this past Monday night. Then, Tiff texted me asking if I wanted to go to the Celtics game with a couple of her coworkers. They were good seats, she said. She was right, they were courtside, on the baseline, next to the Boston Celtics bench.
It was an incredible vantage point, not only to understand how big NBA players are, but to see the players on the bench and hear the sounds of the game. It’s actually really hard to follow the game from that close (humble brag? Is that still a thing?). From my usual balcony seats, it’s easier to see things develop and see the flow of the game. However, from so close up you just feel more involved in the game’s atmosphere. The crowd’s cheering is all aimed in your direction, it swallows you up.
At the end of the game, Jayson Tatum gave his shoes to a couple kids. It happened right in front of us, it was very cool.
Best Read
Allen Iverson: Admittedly, this is something I read a month or so ago, but realized I needed to share. There was only one athlete that my brother Ryan, worshipped: Allen Iverson. For a brief, horrible spell, he was a Philadelphia 76ers fan. Living and dying with every game. I remember watching game 1 of the NBA Finals when the 76ers beat the LA Lakers because Iverson went into overdrive and destroyed them. The series wasn’t very exciting for 76er fans after that, they lost the next four and the Lakers cemented their legacy.
This Players Tribune article, written by Iverson, is just a really fun read. It’s also one of those pieces that, if I were still a teacher, I’d cut up and share with my students to show that there are all sorts of ways to write and share stories. Iverson’s writing breaks some rules, but god damn it’s interesting and heartfelt.
Why Manhattan’s Skyscrapers are Empty: The movie “Only Living Boy in New York” has a line in it, a character says “Philadelphia is New York’s fastest growing neighborhood.” This Atlantic article looks into the reasons why there are so many empty luxury apartments in New York (hint: they’re expensive) and why the city is losing 300 people a day (hint: it’s expensive).
Best Listen
JJ Redick Podcast: This most recent pod has Hasan Minhaj and Malcolm Gladwell, which is just a delightful group of people to listen to talk about stuff. Redick’s pod overall is really good, but I really enjoyed this particular episode.
Best Eat
Quinoa Bowl with Crispy Brussels Sprouts, Eggplant, Tahini: No Ohio decadence this week… just some good ‘ole fashioned, “I need to eat a little bit better” vibes here. This bowl from NYTimes Cooking (it’s a worthwhile subscription) was delightful, and gave us plenty of good leftovers (Tiff is not really a leftover person, and she had it twice this week!). It’s the time of year where roasted vegetables are a great option, we love Brussels Sprouts, and are learning to love eggplant (we had it in two meals this week. So we’re really trying).
Best Watch
The Outsider: This one got in at the buzzer, we watched the first episode last night. It’s a Stephen King novel turned 10-episode thriller on HBO. Jason Bateman directed the first episode, the cast is excellent, and the story is mind-bending from the start. It feels a little bit like Mindhunter, True Detective, and Night Of had a love child.
The Bachelor: If you’re on the fence, this is the season to get the heck off and start watching. The most recent episode might have gifted us one of the best moments in the show’s history. I’d argue it’s THE funniest moment in any of the early episodes in any season. Just tremendous television.
Best Plug
The Random Division: If you don’t want to watch the first two episodes, but feel like hoping on the Bachelor bandwagon, then give our podcast a listen. We have broken down both episodes, and you can save yourself about 3 hours of TV viewing with these two podcasts. Episode 1 and Episode 2.
As usual, spread the love and tell your friends, or just nab their phone and subscribe for them. They’ll thank you later!
The Imperfect Game: I have really enjoyed researching English soccer clubs and talking about them with Both Long. The history is fascinating and now that’s we’ve learned about a handful of clubs, there are some trends popping up. I have two episodes to share? First we covered Crystal Palace, a small London club that’s seen plenty of ups and downs and a string of bad luck. iTunes and Spotify. Then this morning, an episode about Leicester City came out. LCFC is the first club we’ve covered that is a Premier League champion, so we handled it a little differently, zeroing in on the years leading up to their miracle season. iTunes. Spotify.