With a record of 15-3-2 (13-3-2 division), Penn Manor’s ice hockey team holds the Tier 2 Title of the Central
The Penn Manor ice hockey team will face Manheim Township Friday, February 22 at 7 p.m. at Lancaster Ice Rink.
Pennsylvania Ice Hockey League in the playoffs and won two playoff games so far.
In game one of the playoffs on February 8, the Comets played Ephrata and won with a score of 10-2.
“They have a few key players that can step up quickly and sneak themselves in front of our defenders,” said Garth Bolin, the Comets new head coach, of Ephrata’s team.
The Comet’s playoff run continued on February 13 when the team beat Lampeter-Strasburg 8-4.
The Comets led the league this season with 132 goals.
Coach Bolin is proud that every player on the team had a goal this season.
“I’m very proud of the group’s determination to succeed this season,” said Bolin. “ They came in right away with a strong, positive and focused attitude that carried on throughout the season and led us to win the league.”
This year’s team has good chemistry because many of the players have worked together on a local travel team.
“The group’s focus switched to a more productive hockey environment that had led to success,” said Bolin.
Although this season has been successful, the team has not been without any struggles.
“Some games we had a short bench with a goalie and seven or eight skaters. However we were able to overcome most of those situations,” said Bolin.
The team will play Manheim Township in the third game of the playoffs Friday at 7 p.m. at Lancaster Ice Rink in Lancaster.
Chip Kelly of the University of Oregon is the new head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. Photo credit: Steve Dykes.
After seven hours with the Cleveland Browns and nine hours with the Philadelphia Eagles, former University of Oregon head coach Chip Kelly will bring his offensive scheme to Philadelphia. Many people in the city of Philadelphia have different opinions about the selection.
Kelly is known for a different approach to offense — he relies on speed and endurance instead of pure strength. Many people don’t think Kelly will be able to transfer from college to the NFL.
“He’ll run a type of spread offense in the NFL,” said Gordon Eck, Penn Manor’s offensive coordinator, “But depending on his personnel initially he will not be able to run the same offense.”
In interviews, Kelly keeps to his normal, short and abrupt answers, making sure to not give away too much information too soon.
Kelly, 46-7 as the Oregon Ducks’ head coach, ran a new style of offense. His offense is all about speed and endurance while on the field. With players like DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy they could run the style of offense.
Kelly has answered the quarterback question. He signed Dennis Dixon who played for him at Oregon. After reconstructing Michael Vick’s contract, it is likely Vick will get the start in 2013. Many people are looking for a younger Nick Foles or Alex Smith.
Despite the uncertainty of some fans, there are those who are looking forward to the new coach’s time in Philadelphia.
“I was a little skeptical at first about the hire,” said senior Mike Eshleman, a long-time Eagles fan, “But after seeing the 49ers and Seahawks using the read option successfully, I think Kelly’s offense should be successful with the right tools.”
After the Comets’ explosive offensive season, Coach Eck knows how important an offensive line can be.
“Their offensive tackle position is really bad so they need to improve there especially with the top pass rushers in their division that they face twice a year (Demarcus Ware, Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck).”
Hershey Park is one of three options for the senior class trip.
By Anthony Polaski
Although a decision of where and exactly when hasn’t been reached yet, the Penn Manor senior class trip is rapidly approaching. Seniors were given a chance to vote recently on which of three amusement parks they would like to attend for the trip.The choices were Hershey Park, Dorney Park and Six Flags Great Adventure.
According to senior class officer Katie Irwin, Hershey Park appears likely to come out on top.
Hershey Park is the closest out of the three choices with only about a 50-minute, 30-mile drive. It also received the highest reviews out of the three on Google reviews scoring a 25/30. Hershey has more than 65 rides and attractions, 11 roller coasters and 13 water rides.
Recently, Hershey tore down one of its roller coasters, The Roller Soaker, and is replacing it with a new 5000-square-foot water “sprayground” area suitable for all ages but generally geared towards those looking for a less thrilling water experience.
Hershey Park differs from the other options and most amusement parks in general because its chocolate factory and Chocolate World at the entrance of the park. Chocolate World consists of multiple Hershey-related amusements including a historic tour ride. Also, this complex is a superstore of Hershey products.
After taking a poll of 10 students’ destination choices, Hershey Park was chosen 7 out of 10 times.
“It’s a closer drive than Six Flags but still a really nice park, said senior Jason Green, one of the polled students. “Also it’ll give us more time to spend in the park.“
Another option for the senior class trip was Dorney Park. Dorney Park has 59 rides including eight roller coasters and 18 water rides. It’s about an hour and a half away from Penn Manor High School. Compared to Hershey’s 25/30 on Google review, Dorney receives a 22/30.
“It has always been my favorite park to go to as a kid, and I always have a blast,” said senior Richard Schulz, part of the minority who voted for Dorney.
The last choice was Six Flags Great Adventure. Great Adventure is two hours and 15 minutes away. Featuring Kingda Ka, a multiple world-record-breaking coaster, there is a total of 51 rides at the park including 12 other roller coasters. Even though they possess a super coaster and other famous attractions, they only manage a 24/30 on Google reviews, putting them slightly below Hershey.
Beware Downton Abbey viewers — beware the Internet. Downton Abbey returned to PBS Masterpiece on January 6, 2013, several months behind the United Kingdom premiere last September.
The Grantham family is full of intrigue as ever, and so far the third season has surpassed the second in narrative quality. Those craving the pure drama that comes with both servants and upper class need not be disappointed.
Unfortunately, because of the long gap in airdates the Internet is rife with spoilers and plot details. Even a simple Google search for the online version of the show can be hazardous — spoilers can be found in the second or third links of most search engines. Not even Facebook is safe. Don’t trust your Facebook friends, don’t trust Tumblr, don’t even trust Pinterest. The spoilers are everywhere.
Fear not, dear reader, this review will be free of any major plot details or character developments. Some minor spoilers are inevitable, but don’t worry: there won’t be any earth-shattering revelations. However, this warning only pertains to season three — since it has been several months since the air dates of season two, I consider anything before season three fair game.
My main problems with the second season were the series of improbable and slightly ludicrous plot jumps. Matthew is suddenly able to walk, anyone? There was also the little matter of the entire episode devoted to an officer claiming to be one of the Crawley’s dead relatives, which I found creeped ever so slightly into the soap opera territory. The cast itself stayed up to their standard excellence, but the plot writing was ridiculous at times.
Season three — so far — fails to have the shortcomings of the last season.
Despite the show’s best attempts to have Matthew be my favorite character, I cannot help but be fascinated by the footman Thomas. He has been handled quite cleverly, and whoever came up with his character development is a mad genius. Thomas is easily the most complex character in Downton Abbey. First introduced as That One Gay Character, then the scheming footman, then the soldier, then the medic, Thomas has become fascinatingly sympathetic to the viewer. It’s telling that the one gay character on this show isn’t made The One Gay Character, or characterized by his sexuality. It’s just a detail of his character like the scar on his hand. He’s scheming, but Downton shows us why he’s scheming and how.
The airing of the February 3 episode marked the first filler episode yet this season, but it plays to good effect after the intense drama of the episode before. Even filler episodes have their place — but sparingly, few and far between.
The root of the popularity of Downton Abbey lies somewhere between the appeal of a soap opera and the intrigue of the British Royal Family. The writers of the show are very smart — they mix the two worlds of the upstairs noble family and the downstairs servants well enough that it doesn’t feel like an awkward transition at all. By all rights, there are two shows in Downton Abbey, but the smooth transitions and overlapping storylines make it work.
Downton Abbey has returned to the U.S. airwaves.
Downton Abbey is a show of small moments. Maggie Smith’s Dowager Countess of Grantham is meant to represent the old Victorian values, but instead show us a woman full of wit and vinegar, willing to compromise for family while still being Old World. Though perhaps my favorite Dowager Countess moment is from season one, when she says, “Your quarrel is with my daughter, Rosamund, and not with me. So put that in your pipe and smoke it.”
The old Victorian values are rampant through Downton Abbey. The first episode sets it up admirably, when the Dowager Countess treats the brand new electric lights with skeptical aversion. It still carries through to season three, with new technological advancements of the day making their way through the Downton house.
Season three: so far, so good. The only worry I have is for the rest of the season. The actors are at the top of their game as per usual, but the future writing and plotting in general is a reason to be uneasy, given the show’s track record. But as long as the roller coaster is going up, I might as well enjoy the ride — and the ride is good.
Families, coaches and classmates piled into the Penn Manor High School library on February 6 to watch 23 Penn Manor student-athletes sign their letters of intent. According to Penn Manor Athletic Director Jeff Roth, this is the largest number of participating students in Penn Manor’s history.
First Row (left to right): Jessie Greenslade, Lindsay Hutchinson, Shannon Sloss, Danielle Landis, Eryn McCoy, Emily McCoy, and Lauren Ali. Middle Row (left to right): Tim Harris, Darren Weidman, Daulton Parmer, Brady Charles, Harrison Schettler, Aaron Brown, and Kyle Musser. Back Row (left to right): Connor Fink, Taylor Skelly, Adam Hess, Zac Burke, Alex Quinn, Cooper Lindsley, Travis Wells, Jonathan Bitner, and Mac Evarts.
There were 11 Division I athletes, four Division II athletes, five Division III athletes and three nominated to military academies. According to NCAA.org, student-athletes who sign a letter of intent agree to attend the designated college or university for at least one year.
Senior Danielle Landis had mixed emotions after signing with East Stroudsburg to play soccer.
“I’m one of the people who isn’t ready to leave high school because I know I’m going to miss everything, especially my friends,” said Landis. She added that adapting to a new surrounding will be difficult, but that she is prepared to focus her attention on soccer and the exercise science program she plans to attend.
Senior Brady Charles, who signed with Jacksonville University and will play lacrosse, had a positive attitude when talking about leaving Pennsylvania for Florida.
“Jacksonville is very strong in my major, the team is on the rise, and the campus is amazing,” said Charles. “Also is nice knowing that I’ll be 10 minutes away from the beach and in nice weather year-round.”
Brady plans to major in Nursing at Jacksonville.
Seniors Eryn and Emily McCoy will play field hockey at Boston College. When asked about why they chose Boston College, the twins agreed that the size of the campus, great academics and excitement of a new level of field hockey were the deciding factors.
Dreams will become a reality for baseball player Zac Burke and soccer player Lindsay Hutchinson.
Playing baseball in the south has been a goal for Burke for as long as he can remember. Burke signed to play baseball for Coastal Carolina University.
“It’ll be so nice being able to practice outside in the offseason and also for the opportunity to play for a school where the baseball program has always been respected, competitive and successful,” said Burke.
It wasn’t about the weather for Lindsay Hutchinson.
“It’s been my dream since I was a little girl to play D1 soccer, and it’s exciting that it’s finally here,” said Hutchinson, who signed with Stony Brook University.
Even though they both will be living their childhood dreams, Burke and Hutchinson were two of many who agreed that leaving friends and family behind when starting their own life in college will be very difficult.
Louisville University’s newest field hockey recruit, Shannon Sloss, leaves Pennsylvania on July 10 to get a head start on classes and team training. Sloss described her initial visit as nothing short of perfection.
“When I went out there, I fell in love with the campus and the devotion the school has to sports,” said Sloss. “Everyone was so nice, and I felt really comfortable there, unlike at some other schools.”
She is most excited to play Division I field hockey and meet new people.
Senior Harrison Schettler’s words of wisdom to student-athletes were simple, but definitely sum up the life of an athlete.
“It’s cheesy, but hard work does pay off,” said Schettler.
Schettler will attend Shippensburg University to run cross country and track. He loves the idea of meeting new people and teammates, but knows that he’ll miss his Penn Manor teammates, coaches and friends.
“It’ll be weird knowing that we are all going our separate ways,” he said.
In addition to Landis, Charles, Hutchinson, Sloss, Burke, Schettler, Eryn McCoy and Emily McCoy, the following Penn Manor students signed letters of intent:
Lauren Ali, Saint Mary’s College of California (lacrosse)
Jonathan Bitner, Cedarville University (cross-country & track)
Aaron Brown, Lebanon Valley College (golf)
Zac Burke, Coastal Carolina University (baseball)
Brady Charles, Jacksonville University (lacrosse)
Mac Evarts, Washington & Lee University (wresling)
Connor Fink, Nominated for Appointment to West Point (cross-country & track)
Jessie Greenslade, George Mason University (volleyball)
Tim Harris, Lebanon Valley College (baseball)
Adam Hess, Nominated for Appointment to Naval Academy (football, basketball, lacrosse)
Lindsay Hutchinson, Stony Brook University (soccer)
Danielle Landis, East Stroudsburg University (soccer)
Cooper Lindsley, Seton Hall University (swimming)
Emily McCoy, Boston College (field hockey)
Eryn McCoy, Boston College (field hockey)
Kyle Musser, Kutztown University (football)
Daulton Parmer, Lycoming College (football)
Alex Quinn, Nominated for Appointment to West Point (football, basketball, baseball)
Harrison Schettler, Shippensburg University (cross-country & track)
Taylor Skelly, Franklin & Marshall College (soccer)
Darren Weidman, Saint Joseph’s University (baseball)
Travis Wells, Coastal Carolina University (track)
Valentine’s Day is a time when pink hearts seem to pop up in every place imaginable, roses are top sellers in all flower shops and those delicious chocolates and heart-shaped candies end up being the majority of our diets for the month of February.
For some, this holiday is just commercialized to make us spend a couple more dollars. While to others, it’s one day of the year you get spend telling and showing your sweetheart how much he or she really means to you. And to the others still, it is just another day. But what does it mean to you?
Penn Manor students offered a variety of persepctives.
“Valentine’s Day is overrated,” said freshman Jack Zimmerman. “It’s made to be way more than it actually is and I don’t enjoy the holiday.”
Sophomore Carolyn Weber offers another perspective.
“It is a cute holiday, and even more so if you have someone to share it with,” said Weber. Her plans are to spend time with some of her friends getting dinner and watching a movie together.
“I enjoy Valentine’s Day because it is a holiday full of happiness and love,” said freshman Will Forrey. Forrey plans to take his girlfriend of more than one year out for dinner.
Some students have no opinion on the subject of Valentine’s Day.
“I’m neutral,” said freshman Bennett Manning. “I don’t really care about it one way or another. Heck, I don’t even know when Valentine’s Day is.”
The holiday is celebrated at Penn Manor High School in a couple of ways. Tri-M sends singing grams out for students, and the Thespians sell candy grams. About every two years, Student Council organizes a match-maker event where students fill out surveys and receive matches, but that event is not being held this year.
Most busy Penn Manor students probably don’t prioritize keeping positive attitudes and maintaining healthy relationships with parents and peers while they have homework, sports, and other clubs or activities to think about. When the Keystones came along, most students probably reacted as I did with fear and exasperation. However, the book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens gave me new insight on how to handle these anno The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens was written by Sean Covey, whose father wrote The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, a popular book of advice on how to live well. In 2003, this new edition for teenagers was released by Running Press Miniature Editions, and many of its reviews are positive. A reviewer on Amazon.com says “Flip open to any page and become instantly absorbed in real-life stories of teens who have overcome obstacles to succeed, and step-by-step guides to shifting paradigms, building equity in ‘relationship bank accounts,’ creating action plans, and much more.”ying aspects of life.
The book explains that the seven habits all build upon each other, and each changed how I perceive things the world.
Habit #1: Be Proactive. This includes being positive and taking charge of your life. If the Keystones brought your general attitude down, or you were expecting to fail them as you went into them, rule #1 addresses this issue. Do not allow other people/things to ruin your day. Keep your expectations of how you will do on the Keystones high, and they are likely to be higher.
Habit #2: Begin with the End in Mind. These days, college is quite competitive, so maintaining high grades is a necessity. Extra-curricular activities also improve a resume, so joining one of the many clubs in Penn Manor High School or being a member of a sports team can be beneficial. This school district has educated the students about not doing drugs and trying your best in school, so just listen to this advice.
Habit #3: Put First Things First. This habit is all about prioritizing. I learned about this habit during marching band season when my amount of work exceeded my amount of time to finish this homework. If I had caved into my desires to watch television instead of finishing my homework, I wouldn’t have done well in my classes. Although prioritizing over what you would like to do might be tiresome at the time, you will find that you will appreciate your sacrifices in the long run.
Habit #4: Think Win-Win. It is very common to think of school as a competition, but this is an unhealthy way of thinking. Class rankings enforce this attitude, but school should be about pushing yourself and not just beating your classmates on a test. I urge Penn Manor High School students to stop comparing themselves to others and focus on improving themselves.
Habit #5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood. Listening to your friends about their problems means much more to them than you probably realize. I spend time listening to my friend’s problems, and I try to really understand what they are going through, which makes us better friends. While listening to other’s problems, try to feel empathy for them, and then you can share your problems with them. You will be surprised at the benefits of listening to your friends.
Be prepared to face the classroom with these seven habits.
Habit #6: Synergize. Synergizing is a method of solving problems between people without either side giving in to the other, without compromising. This habit may benefit you when you are about to have a difficult upcoming test; you can study with a friend from your class. This way, you both might have the chance to find facts from each other’s notes that you might have missed in class, so as a result, both of your test grades will be higher than if you had studied alone.
Habit #7: Sharpen the Saw. This habit is about renewing yourself by resting or taking part in activities you enjoy. Penn Manor High School offers many different clubs and sports, so joining one that you find pleasurable to be a part of can boost your inner happiness. Some of the clubs in this school are volunteer clubs, including Serteen, and helping others is beneficial for your health.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens is a great book to read because it can help you improve yourself and your relationships. The setup of the book is worthwhile because the author provides many interesting stories from real teenagers related to the topics that make the habits come to life. The only negative aspect is that at times there are more analogies than are needed to understand each concept. However, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens should be high on your list of books to read.
After fourteen years– fourteen long, disheartening, dreadful years –Andy Reid is no longer the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.
No longer do we have to listen to Andy grumble after every loss about how he “needs to prepare his guys better.” No longer do we have to sit through back-to-back three and outs to start every game, and no longer do we have to watch our quarterback carry the ball more often than our Pro-Bowl running back LeSean McCoy. No longer will we have to put up with haphazard timeouts, unorganized drafts, and 6-foot, 200 pound quarterbacks dropping back 50 times a game behind a sub-par offensive line.
Eagle fans (at least the loyal ones) have had to suffer for 52 years since players like Chuck Bednarik, Tommy McDonald and Sonny Jurgensen last brought the title home to Philadelphia.
Wonder what some similar names in the same situation are? The Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions and Tennessee Titans all have had NFL Championship droughts of more than 50 years.
That doesn’t exactly qualify as good company. Among all “Big 4” sports teams, the Philadelphia Eagles championship drought sets them 16th all time on list of longest periods without a championship.
What have we done to upset the sports gods? Do they have a problem with loud, obnoxious Italians and Irish folk? Well, no, otherwise people on Long Island wouldn’t have seen such success from the Giants. So if that isn’t it, what could have happened? Do they dislike the color green? Cheesesteaks?
Though the Eagles have made trips to the NFC Championship game for four years in a row under Andy Reid (including one Super Bowl berth), the franchise hasn’t won a game in the playoffs since the passing of long-time defensive coordinator and mastermind Jim Johnson.
When news broke of Andy’s firing, I knew exactly what I had wanted: Gus Bradley, Defensive coordinator of the resurgent Seattle Seahawks. From the moment that the Seahawks defense shut down the San Francisco 49ers 42-13 on December 23, I knew he was the man who could grab hold of this team and restore the Philadelphia defense back to days of old.
I could see it then, a bald-headed Bradley parading through Philadelphia with a new shiny silver trophy that every man in Philadelphia would be taking pictures of, bowing down in front of, and perhaps, losing wives to. I dreamed of confetti flying, balloons floating, and fans popping their heads out of their high-rise offices to catch a glimpse of the spectacle at hand. Finally, that pesky piece of metal was in our grasp, held high above Broad Street for the very first time.
But that beautiful, beautiful dream was strangely twisted when I received the news:
Chip Kelly of the University of Oregon is the new head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. Photo credit: Steve Dykes.
The Eagles have blind-sided us and announced that their new head coach is Chip Kelly of the University of Oregon, who was thought to be returning for another year in college. In perhaps the most surprising turn of events that this student has seen in his lifetime, I must say that I feel nothing but complete disappointment.
We had it all lined up. Bradley would lead us to the promised land with a new resurgent defense and a simple offense that young quarterback, Nick Foles, would be able to work with.
Then, in the blink of an eye, the balloons have popped, the confetti has stopped flying and the Lombardi trophy has spent yet another year eluding the city of Brotherly Love.
Many believe that Kelly is the best man for the Philadelphia job. I, for one, cannot possibly see the logic. I have a great amount of respect for Kelly. I believe he is an offensive mastermind that is one great college coach.
But that is not enough for me.
Kelly has created a style of football that implements the shotgun formation and a mobile quarterback. Sure, that will work at the college level, but we’ve seen how it has worked in the pros. Do we really need another half a decade of Michael Vick getting pummeled and thrashed again?
Foles is not a guy who will win games on his feet. And I will no longer accept that Foles isn’t our future. He’s a tall, smart, pocket passer who could use an offensive coordinator that will know what to do with him. He’s the guy we’ve been looking for, and the offense that our new head coach will bring with him might just kill any hope of that.
Kelly has earned the great reputation that has gotten him a star studded team and group of alumni. But recruiting doesn’t happen at the professional level. Kelly will have to adapt to this new style of football, and guess what? In this city, he’s got four preseason games and that’s it. If he doesn’t put up, he’ll be kicked out.
Additionally, college coaches turned-professional almost never see success in their first professional gig. Pete Carroll needed three attempts to bring his team (now the Seattle Seahwaks) to National-contender status (with the help of Bradley, may I add). Nick Saban, the dynastic leader of the dominating University of Alabama Crimson Tide had a stint with the Miami Dolphins. How’d that turn out? 15 wins and 17 losses in two seasons. Not exactly stellar. Lane Kiffin’s NFL debut in Oakland brought him about as much success as this season at USC.
Look, I love the Eagles more than I love some of my family members. I want the best for this team, and I’ll be rooting as hard as ever for them. But if Gus Bradley leads his new Jacksonville Jaguars team to the playoffs this year, you will hear quite a few “I-told-you-so’s.”
Advertisements are inescapable in contemporary American capitalism.
Ever get tired of those stupid advertisements you hear over and over again on TV?
Me too.
Don’t know what I’m talking about?
Please enjoy the following:
The Flyers had to fight for their first win against the Rangers on January 24, and after a scoreless first period, Philadelphia finally got on board in the second. To be blunt, the winless Flyers and their fans needed something to brighten their spirits, and that goal did the trick. The stadium erupted, and so did my family at home.
That excitement was quickly extinguished when we heard that awful phrase: “And Wayne Simmonds has scored for a case of Tastykakes!” What a flat-out shame.
But who could be surprised? Nowadays any corporation or sports General Manager will do anything they can to earn a little money, and it’s getting on my last nerve.
Ever go to a Hershey Bears game? At every blow of the whistle you’ll hear an advertisement for some kind of laundry detergent, energy drink, gas station or ice cream. Between periods at every game there is a little blimp sponsored by Central PA Credit Union that floats overhead and drops money at fans. It used to drop $20 bills, but I guess the credit union’s too cheap for that anymore, because now it’s only $5 max; sometimes only $1.
What’s worse is that it’s not worth the time for adult spectators to get out of their seats just for a chance at winning a couple dollars, so it’s always the little kids that get excited. But whoever controls the blimp doesn’t care and only drops the money in the middle of a section onto some old guy who doesn’t understand why there is a motorized balloon above him.
Nowadays I can’t watch SportsCenter without hearing the “Bud Light Cold Hard Facts” (with that doofus Mark Schlareth), I can’t watch a Phillie’s game without hearing about an “AT&T Call to the Bullpen.” I can’t even drive to the mall and back without seeing a billboard with an old lady and a bad pun on it. Commercial breaks during shows are becoming longer than the actual program, and lets not forget about how annoying some of them are:
“HEAD ON, APPLIED DIRECTLY TO THE FOREHEAD. HEAD ON, APPLIED DIRECTLY TO THE FOREHEAD. HEAD ON, APPLIED DIRECTLY TO THE FOREHEAD.”
Now I’d like to remind you that the NFC Championship game you were watching has been brought to you by McDonalds, the Penn State radio network would like to thank Best Western, and closed captioning for the Big Bang Theory is brought to you by Mormon.com (catch the irony there?).
What may be worse than all of this is the National Basketball Association. The NBA currently has about 12 total fans across the country, and they still have the nerve to jeopardize that number by flirting with the idea of putting advertisements on jerseys. This is not the English Premier League, nor are the majority of Americans interested in the FIFA, FIBA, Australian Rugby League or whatever else the rest of the world are playing. The Lakers already have enough money. There is absolutely no need to stitch AIG, Toyota, and Kelloggs logos onto all of their stuff.
This is truly capitalism at it’s worst. And not to mention, capitalism was really coined by some English guy named Adam Smith, who believed that an “invisible hand” governs the economy. An invisible hand is not a some guy with a sales trophy trotting down the street to advertise for his already over-marketed company.
Thanks for the big first win, Flyers, but you can keep the Tastykakes.
The Hobbit, a three-part series directed by Peter Jackson, launched with its first release, An Unexpected Journey, on December 14. Director Peter Jackson is well known for his work with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and it is no surprise he has decided to continue making films based on Tolkien’s work. Now, I found The Hobbit to be a very good movie, but is it as good as it could be?
First of all, there are a couple things I noticed fairly quickly into the film.
1) Obviously there were some heavy special effects put into the film. The characters look almost exactly the same in The Hobbit as they did in Lord of the Rings, despite a lengthy time difference. Also, the scenery and a lot of the shots in The Hobbit seem to be very spiced-up visually. Whether or not that was intended, it still gives off that vibe.
2) The Hobbit is lighter and more humorous than Lord of the Rings. The Hobbit had me laughing (or at least smiling) many times throughout the film, but it still had the action scenes that people love. Things like that are what make me really enjoy a movie.
For me, the more important criteria for a good movie is a good plot. Now, although Mr. Jackson and New Line Cinema and, well, anyone involved in creating this film are not responsible for the original story (based on the book The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien), most of everything from the movie is fairly accurate when compared to the book..
Next, what makes a great movie is some sort of action. Not needless, this-explosion-looks-cool, let’s-show-off-our-special-effects action, but action that is well-choreographed and makes sense with the film. The Hobbit does this well, but there is one thing that I didn’t like too much: the repetition. The main characters in this movie are constantly thrown from one near-death situation to another and somehow made it out alive. It became quite predictable by the third time it happened. That said, the situations were always nerve-racking and made me feel worried. They were also all pretty original for the most part.
Another contributing factor to a good film is the ending. Since The Hobbit is a three-part series, obviously the first movie was going to end in such a way that it makes you want to see the next movie. A fairly common way of doing this is using the cliffhanger technique, which The Hobbit uses. After watching a movie that seems almost interminable (The Hobbit is almost three hours long), I think any ending would seem abrupt, but when I saw it in theaters it was pretty obvious that the movie was coming to a close.
The last thing that a movie needs is an amazing soundtrack. Music is what sets the tone for the production. One of the reasons I’ve seen the Lord of the Rings trilogy more times than I care to admit is because it has one of the best soundtracks I have ever heard. In The Hobbit, they kept some of the same songs (which I loved) and added some great, new ones. All in all, the music is perfect.
So, after considering what I think makes a great movie, I can say that, yes, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is as good as it could be. It’s a movie I plan to see many times in the future. Naturally, there are some things that could be fixed (the three-hour run time, maybe), but this movie is something to remember. Or see, if you still haven’t done that.
