‘Tiger’ review at Awful Announcing

/ Ian Casselberry / Leave a comment

I’m not certain why HBO scheduled the premiere of Tiger, its two-part documentary on Tiger Woods for Jan. 10, at the end of a big NFL playoff weekend (and up against the last of six Wild Card games, Browns-Steelers). Not to mention it’s on the night before the College Football Playoff national championship game.

Perhaps the network figures it can be alternative programming for viewers who weren’t plugged into football all weekend. And a non-sports audience might be more interested in the ugly details of his many affairs and his 2017 DUI arrest when he had several opioids and sleep aids in his system.

But Tiger is definitely worth watching and warrants being split into two parts. I reviewed the documentary for Awful Announcing:

Yet watching one and not the other avoids the full story. His childhood, relationship with his father, training to achieve at the highest level, and struggles with fame are prevalent themes that inform the entire film. They — along with insights from family friends, rivals, and media — create a deeper portrayal of a fascinating figure in sports history and make Tiger worth watching.

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WISE Sports Radio NFL segment: Nov. 12, 2020

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For each week’s NFL segment on WISE Sports Radio, we usually highlight a few key storylines worth following. Eagles coach Doug Pederson is mad at Brett Favre for questioning the choice of Carson Wentz over Nick Foles at quarterback. Lamar Jackson thinks the Ravens’ offense is too predictable.

But to me, Alex Smith returning to play quarterback for the Washington Football Team against the Detroit Lions is the most intriguing storyline of Week 10.

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‘Jungleland’ review at Mountain Xpress

/ Ian Casselberry / Leave a comment

I’m not certain Jungleland is a sports movie, though it does take place in the world of underground bare-knuckle boxing. The story ultimately depends on the outcome of a sporting event, however. So it probably fits into that category.

Regardless, you might not guess that this was directed by Max Winkler, who’s mostly known for comedy work on TV shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, New Girl, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

I reviewed the movie for Asheville’s Mountain Xpress:

Jungleland follows brothers Stan (Charlie Hunnam, FX‘s “Sons of Anarchy”) and Walter “Lion” Kaminski (Jack O’Connell, Unbroken) as they pursue success in the underground world of bare-knuckle boxing. Lion was a promising Golden Gloves fighter, but any hopes of a professional career were ruined when Stan tried to bribe a referee.

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WISE Sports Radio NFL spot: Sept. 24, 2020

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Starting off 0-2 is no way for a NFL team to get through a season if it intends to make the playoffs. For WISE Sports Radio‘s NFL segment, we picked the teams that can possibly turn their season around and those that are riding the downward spiral.

Also among our topics were Mike Gore’s Buffalo Bills, off to a 2-0 start with Josh Allen putting up huge passing numbers in his first two games. Is the artificial turf at MetLife Stadium dangerous for NFL players? And should Justin Herbert be the Los Angeles Chargers’ starting quarterback?

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Hey, that Peacemaker guy looks familiar… !

/ Ian Casselberry / Leave a comment

I can’t remember much useful from school (which inspired me to try and put together a high school reading list while in quarantine), but something that reminds me of comic books I read as a kid gets my brain working.

On Wednesday, HBO Max announced the development of a limited series built around the Peacemaker character that John Cena will play in James Gunn’s upcoming The Suicide Squad film.

But the key art released with the news trigged memories of an image that’s apparently stuck in my brain over the past 30 years. The headshot of Cena’s Peacemaker, drawn like a comic book illustration, looked a lot like John Byrne’s rendition of Captain America for the signature corner boxes that Marvel Comics put on its covers from the 1960s through the 1990s.

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