Monday, August 20, 2007

The Valley of the Pistons


Metro Detroit may be struggling with jobs, demographics and infrastructure, but its sports teams help keep it in the public eye. The annual "BEST issue" of Sporting News (August 6, 2007) gives accolades for the Pistons-Tigers-Red Wings-Shock-Lions combo. "No.1: MOTOWN IS THE TOWN." Detroit previously garnered this Best Sports City ranking in 1998. This year, according to Bob Hille: ". . .[E]ven with the 3-13 Lions skewing the percentage, Detroit's major professional sports teams in their most recently completed full season won at a .588 clip." Oorah! Glad to be here.


The Tigers are still in the running, and The Pistons begin their new season on October 8.


Jacqueline Susann's birthday. Valley of the Dolls is one of those books (with movie adaptations) that made its way into common parlance -- along with Catch-22, Peyton Place, The Stepford Wives, and the simpatico song "Harper Valley P.T.A." There's a good Susann biography -- Lovely Me.


Joan Allen (Nixon, The Ice Storm, The Upside of Anger) is cool -- and it's her birthday. Here she loosens up with a much mellowed Kevin Costner in The Upside of Anger, set in and around Detroit.

Today's Rune: Strength.

Birthdays: Thomas Corneille, Edgar Guest, Tarjei Vesaas, H. P. Lovecraft, Salvatore Quasimodo, Jacqueline Susann, Ron Paul (Duke University Med School), Isaac Hayes, Robert Plant, Greg Bear, Joan Allen, Amy Adams.

4 comments:

Johnny Yen said...

Joan Allen and I, unbeknowest to me, went to college together, at Eastern Illinois University, in the mid eighties.

The Upside of Anger is one of those movies that kicked my ass unexpectedly. Great movie.

the walking man said...

I will have to mention to the old lady about the sports thing, her and the dog are the fans in this house. Seems i am always able to excuse myself from going to games or watching them on TV.

Interesting clip on Valley of the Dolls, now if I could only figure out what drug was in each color pill I could probably participate in that sport. lol

peace

mark

Pythia3 said...

I love the success of our Detroit sports teams - we had the automotive industry and Motown...HAD! But now we have the Lions and Tigers and Pistons and Red Wings and Shock... Oh my!
I did not realize that The Upside of Anger is set in Detroit. Mmmmm, you'll have me watching these movies just to catch up with the growing list of your recommendations - and I won't get anything done. Oh well, I do have a big box of popcorn!

Charles Gramlich said...

I like Joan Allen. She's good in the Bourne movies.