The Bronx Is Burning

I watched until some guy started blowing holes in the VW with the young couple inside...hand me the remote please.

The Bronx is boring...ZZZzzzzz. Not a big fan of insane alcoholic adulterers on TV.

Thank goodness it was on late so that I fell asleep before it put me to sleep. After viewing too long a preview, I knew I would be put to sleep. Who cares about the Bronx burning except ESP-NY.

I watched it, kinda.

I'm interested...but fell asleep...BOTH times I tried watching.

JT ...

Now that is definitely a clear critique of the show, isn't it ???

I saw the internet preview and was interested but unfortunately forgot about it until today ... and since I trust all you fellow baseball folks , I think I will pass based on your reviews.

I couldn't watch anything that will require me seeing 8-10 episodes to catch it all. Is NY so grand they couldn't just make a 2 hour movie?

"The Greatest Story Ever Told" only runs 199 minutes-they couldn't do the Bronx in less???

I guess it will have a local base... As a Yankee fan I enjoyed it so far. I am amazed at how well they were able to make John Turturro look like Billy Martin

quote:

Originally posted by gotwood4sale:
I watched until some guy started blowing holes in the VW with the young couple inside...hand me the remote please.

That was the "Son of Sam", David Berkowitz, one of the most notorious serial killers of our time. Very pertinent to that time period.

quote:

Originally posted by Dad04:
The Bronx is boring...ZZZzzzzz. Not a big fan of insane alcoholic adulterers on TV.

Then you must've hated 61*, the very fine film about Roger Maris' chase of the Babe's HR record? They didn't depict "The Mick" in a very pleasant light either. However it was based on fact.

I just don't think that punk Bi(U)lly Martin deserves one more moment of notoriety. I actually liked 61 alot, and The Scout with Albert Brooks, Bad News Bears, Bull Durham, Major League, The Rookie, Fever Pitch, The Sandlot and The Kid From Left Field


Not very fond of Summer Catch, Angel In the Outfield or Major League II....maybe I'll post a sports movie review blog

Bang the drum Slowly is a great movie... also about the Yankees (I think they were Yankees weren't they?) DeNiro was in it... awesome movie.

quote:

Originally posted by trojan-skipper:
Bang the drum Slowly is a great movie... also about the Yankees (I think they were Yankees weren't they?) DeNiro was in it... awesome movie.

A cult classic I watched in the theatre as a kid. Excellent movie.

quote:

Originally posted by Dad04:
I just don't think that punk Bi(U)lly Martin deserves one more moment of notoriety.

Sounds like a personal problem you have with Martin so there's nothing I can do about that. Otherwise, the movies you mention were all fantastic, except Fever Pitch. What a dog! Jimmy Fallon, a die-hard Yankees fan in real life playing a die hard RedSox fan? Puhleeez! I guess it's just because I KNEW he was a Yankees fan while I was watching it that made me not like it.

While we're on the subject of baseball and the media, I'm looking for a good baseball book to read. What's everyone's favorite baseball books? I'm interested in biographies (of individuals and teams), history, sabermetrics ect...

The last few books I've read have been:
a) Feeding The Monster
b) Game of Shadows
c) Moneyball (for the second time)
d) The Wrong Stuff by Bill "Spaceman" Lee
e) My Turn at Bat by Ted Williams (for the third time!)
...and Bill James' "Historical Baseball Abstract" is always on my nightstand.
Does anyone have suggestions? I'm considering "The Big Bam, the life and times of Babe Ruth" by Leigh Montville, or Jose Canseco's "Juiced". I know you folks have some great books on your shelves, let's hear 'em!

quote:

Originally posted by PopTime:
Otherwise, the movies you mention were all fantastic, except Fever Pitch. What a dog! Jimmy Fallon, a die-hard Yankees fan in real life playing a die hard RedSox fan? Puhleeez! I guess it's just because I KNEW he was a Yankees fan while I was watching it that made me not like it.

Drew Barrymore made it watchable for me, and you have to admit the pinstriped toilet paper was a nice touch.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by PopTime:
While we're on the subject of baseball and the media, I'm looking for a good baseball book to read. What's everyone's favorite baseball books? I'm interested in biographies (of individuals and teams), history, sabermetrics ect...

The last few books I've read have been:
a) Feeding The Monster
b) Game of Shadows
c) Moneyball (for the second time)
d) The Wrong Stuff by Bill "Spaceman" Lee
e) My Turn at Bat by Ted Williams (for the third time!)
...and Bill James' "Historical Baseball Abstract" is always on my nightstand.
QUOTE]

This is probably better suited for its own topic, but I'll bite anyway. I enjoyed Keith Hernandez's Pure Baseball when I read it years ago.

Here's a review from Amazon.

As a baseball fan who's trying to get a little more knowledgeable about the game, this book was excellent. This book goes into pages and pages of details and opinions about the minute details of baseball. I already knew the basic principles behind the hit and run and whatnot, but this book allows itself six or seven page tangents, explaining the vagaries of such subjects in far great detail than I could have. The device of doing so through two baseball games was well-concieved, showing not just the strategy behind techniques, but what the fan watching the game should look for when watching a game. Both games were close, and there was some of the same sense of anticipation, wondering who would win, as attending a baseball game.

Be aware that this book was very technical. While I will definitely lend this book to my brother, who wants to become a sports announcer, I was hoping this might be a primer to baseball strategies for my girlfriend. However, it would obviously be over the head of anybody who can't talk baseball already, or is willing to closely study the book.

My only real complaint is that Hernandez quite often predicts strategies, and then watches the manager do something entirely different. I appreciate the honesty, but instead of speculating, re-explaining himself, or better yet calling up Sparky Anderson after the game, he leaves it at "who can tell?" Still an excellent book, I'd recommend it to anybody who wants to expand their knowledge of baseball.

It pretty much sums up my recollection of the book, sans the GF part.

Done. As far as your recommendation, like the review states, a little too technical. Though I did like Jerry Remy's "Watching Baseball", which was written in the same vein.

Praying for Gil Hodges is out in stores right now ... I'm planning on picking up a copy. Heard the author speak and I'm betting it's a good one.

I knda like "The Bronx is Burning" which has several very good actors in it. The guy playing Jimmy Breslin is real good [That was the reporter that the Son of Sam wrote to]. Also get the NYC Mayor's election; probably the greatest cast of real life weirdos to ever run for any office anywhere.

A good baseball book I recently finished was The Mind of Bill James, a sabermetric delight. The author combines past Jameswritings with present day [relatively speaking] interviews with the man himself.

TW344

I'll bet this guy loves the sabermetric stuff...

i'm not a yankee fan, but when my wife ask's me something about the show i seem to know alot about them and the players. maybe i need therapy?
we have a local ball player in the show he plays catfish. but he doesn't showup for a few episodes. i don't hate the show,that's troublesome in it's self.only because i'm a diehard red sox fan.

Tell that local player to enjoy the cash, go to confession and forget the whole sordid experience. The next second I watch will be the 1st. A Red Sox fan would not be caught dead watching the Bronx is Boring with the lights off, late at night, alone. 20Dad Turn on NESN...NOW! Just kiddn'. Really don't watch that MFreakin' drivel.

I never knew the Reggie Jackson was such a jerk?Or is that ESPN?

Sounds like The modern day garry sheffield

dad04
your absolutey right.i don't know what i was thinking. i hope bill lee will forgive me.

Hey I got my shoulder ripped up by those guys but if you need to watch actors pretending to be them...well I just dunno anymore. Hey lets go to Cuba!!

let's go.

Can't watch without thinking of Spock on Star Trek...Sheesh, those EARS!

HOF ears.

I like it. I remember it and it is pretty true to life.

Warts and all, you know.

it seems like the show is getting bad reviews, sure i think it would be better just making a movie not a series out of it, but I think it is interesting to see a show about this era (considering I wasn't actually around then). I think it is interesting to see the whole drama go on during the 1977 yankees. Although i think ESPN did a poor job of planning what they were going to do with it (at first i wasn't sure if it was a movie or a tv show, then i wasn't really sure when until they finally made commercials for it).

I watched the 3rd episode last night and I must admit to getting hooked...even though you know what is going to happen. I even remember watching the BOS-NYY game when Martin pulled Jackson out of the game on "The Game of the Week."

I keep watching despite thinking it is pretty poorly made.... Not bad acting.

Plus it only takes 45 minutes to watch when you fast forward through the commercials.. love that DVR

I am not a Yankees fan but I am enjoying the series. Need to get me one of those DVR's.

Cong: Do I just duct tape that DVR thingy to the tin foil on my rabbit ears of my black and white GE console TV?

quote:

Originally posted by trojan-skipper:

Cong: Do I just duct tape that DVR thingy to the tin foil on my rabbit ears of my black and white GE console TV?

Here is the proper wiring schematic

quote:

Originally posted by JT:
I watched the 3rd episode last night and I must admit to getting hooked...even though you know what is going to happen. I even remember watching the BOS-NYY game when Martin pulled Jackson out of the game on "The Game of the Week."

I saw the same episode and remeber the actual event as well. My take after watching one episode:

The Billy Martin character looks like Billy but not sure he captures him all that well.

The Reggie character is played a little too wimpy for me. I don't think this actor captures Reggie all that well.

The Steinbrenner character doesn't work all that well imho.

I thought the Thurmon Munson character did a pretty decent job of capturing Thurman's influence on that ballclub. People forget what that guy meant to that team. Leadership is a big deal and he was the undeniable leader of that team.

Im not sure this show is much better than Tom Sizemore's Charlie "Hustle."

Hey skipper...how are you doing wiring it up? I'm doing the same over here on my electronic concoction.

It's a ColdStar Chicken of the C TV monitor mated with a Black and Decker Stow 'N Glow toaster oven...this thing cranks out toasty bytes night after night.

I'm following your wiring schematic cong and the only problem I'm embroiled with is this one loose wire on the right just below the two squiggly ones...where does that one plug in? I've been wracking my brain trying to figure it out.

I can't wait to get the whole thing rigged up to see how the Bronx burns in this baby!


Handsome contraption...don't you think?

Cong:
Now that I have the proper schematic it will be a snap.

Woodrow: that's great, now I can watch TV and warm up one of those Colon-Buster Burritos from the freezer section at the local Quickie-Mart.