The Loop
5 things to talk about on the course: Joaquin, Clayton, and the return of the best night in TV
From sports to TV to politics (OK, so mostly the first two), we offer five hot topics that are sure to liven up your round of golf:
1. Hurricane Joaquin: Actually, if this bad boy shows up, you probably won't be on the course to talk about anything. Let's just hope we're all talking about him being as overhyped as Donald Trump's Presidential chances.
2. MLB Playoffs: They start next week with the wildcard games. Well, they will if Joaquin isn't a total pain. And my Yankees will be sending a true wildcard, Masahiro Tanaka, to the mound for their one-game tilt. Meanwhile, Mets-Dodgers has to be the sexiest first round matchup. I like the winner of that series to win the whole thing, and I'm going with L.A. because I can't bear to think about hearing from my obnoxious Mets-fan friends if they win a championship. Besides, Clayton Kershaw has to eventually pitch like Clayton Kershaw in the playoffs one of these years. . . right?
3. Michael Vick: Speaking of southpaws, the 35-year-old backup QB put forth a valiant effort in the Pittsburgh Steelers' Thursday night overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens -- but it was also a bit sad. Vick misfired on a crucial short pass late in the game and his mobility wasn't what we've come to expect from one of the fastest men to ever play football. Say what you will about the man, but Mike Vick the player was a joy to watch in his prime. Watch these ridiculous highlights and talk about how we're going to be/getting/already old:
4. Ben Folds: Sorry, but I'm giving a shout-out to my all-time favorite musician for coming out with an all-time interesting album. Folds' (Yes, he's the guy who did the song "Brick") latest work, "So There," is a combination of eight songs recorded with a chamber music group as well as a piano concerto recorded with a full orchestra. Folds adds this to an eclectic list of recent projects that include collaborating with author Nick Hornby on an album and making a record of various college a cappella groups performing his songs. As always, the brilliant pianoman is a breath of fresh air from the auto-tuned pop stars that reign over the music industry. So there.
5. "Homeland"/"The Affair": TV's best night is back this Sunday with the premiere of both shows! I know, I know, "Homeland" has been very spotty since Season 1, but it made a decent comeback last year. We can only hope that the trend of more Saul and Quinn (who almost took down every last terrorist in Pakistan by himself -- what a badass) in the plot continues. And then there's "The Affair," the Golden Globe winner for best drama as a rookie, which I found captivating from the first episode with its two-sides-of-the-story setup (Plus, it stars McNulty from "The Wire" so you know it has to be good). Fingers crossed we're not in for a sophomore slump, aka another "Homeland". . .