The Emmy Awards make me (mostly) happy. An agonizingly awful Jets win. And gay marriage ballot amendments looking good

My favorite awards show of the year took place Sunday night; The Academy Awards are great but so many times I feel like I’m not familiar with the nominees; but with the Emmys, I feel like I very strongly about who should win and who should never get a sniff of an Emmy.

Overall I thought it was a pretty good show, and was thrilled to see one show in particular kick serious butt (it rhymes with “Shmomeland.”)
With the help of my trusty sidekick/fellow TV addict fiance, some things that struck us from the show:

– Thrill of the night for me was seeing “Homeland” do so well, winning both major drama acting categories AND shocking “Mad Men” to win best show. I will continue to say this until the cows come home: “Homeland” is the best show on TV. The new season starts Sunday night on Showtime, time to get watching.

– The comedy awards were really predictable, but we were both stunned Mayim Bialik from “Big Bang Theory” didn’t win best supporting in a comedy. She was awesome. Not that Julie Bowen isn’t, but she’s won a few times already.
– Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue was pretty funny, but the best bits of the night were the Julia Louis-Dreyfus/Amy Poehler speech switch gag, and the opening skit in the bathroom.
– Jon Cryer does not age. He still looks like Ducky.
– Jimmy Fallon looked 3 feet taller than Kathy Bates when they presented together. “Has he been stretched for the Emmys?” the fiance asked.
– There were no major fashion faux pas (I was told), but man were there some hideous dress colors. Julianne Moore, Claire Danes and Julie Bowen all wore awful colors. I thought Danes, Amy Poehler and Zooey Deschanel (above) looked the best, along with the chick who plays Brody’s wife on “Homeland.”

– Really tough call for the producers on who gets the final spot of the Death Montage: Dick Clark or Andy Griffith? They did a seperate tribute to Andy G. instead.
– Can’t believe Doyle from “Gilmore Girls” won an Emmy for writing! He was such a great “GG” character, happy to see him get some more fame.

– Finally, whose idea was the stupid “Andre Braugher coming up in 8 minutes” screen teaser? Like that’s going to keep me watching the Emmys?

**At the end of my life, when I’m old and bald and dying, I’ll wish I had four more hours back.

Those would be the four hours I spent watching Sunday’s truly wretched Jets-Dolphins football game. Calling it ugly and unsightly would be a massive understatement; truly it was a shame either team had to win.
As a Jets fan, I was disgusted by so much of their play that it was hard to feel elated when they won.
Among the many, many problems of my team:
– Mark Sanchez, in his 4th year in the NFL, and 4th year as a starter, is not getting any better. It’s amazing, but he’s STILL making awful decisions, not feeling the rush, and misfiring to wide-open receivers; there were three TD’s the Jets should’ve had Sunday but Sanchez overthrew his receivers.  He’s just not a good quarterback and may never be.

– That said, the man had VERY little help Sunday. Receivers dropped passes all over the place, his offensive line was just OK, and the running game was non-existent. Sanchez just doesn’t have a lot of talent around him.

– Looks like the best defensive back in football, Darrelle Revis, may have torn his ACL, which would mean he’s out for the season. Devastating blow to an already-not-great team.

Other NFL thoughts on yet another crazy day…
– At one point three games were in overtime at the same time (KC-New Orleans, Jets-Dolphins, and Titans-Lions). Not sure that’s ever happened before.

– How crazy was that 44-41 Titans win over the Lions? Detroit scored 14 points in the last eighteen seconds of regulation to tie it, including a Hail Mary. Then in OT, down three, Lions could’ve kicked a FG to tie it, but on 4th and 1, had a miscommunication with the sideline and went for it when they weren’t supposed to. And they didn’t get the yard, and lost the game.

– I know all NFL fans are bitching about the replacement refs and how awful they are… but they are truly horrendous.  Watched the last 5 minutes of Pats-Ravens after the Emmys, and while it was a thrilling finish (that Ravens kicker gave the entire state of Maryland a heart attack, making that FG by inches), the refs practically blew it both ways.

How long is the NFL going to let this complete blow to its credibility last? Sadly, I think it’ll be a while. The NFL’s popularity is impervious, and I just don’t think they give a crap what fans and media (and their own coaches and players!) are saying about the refs right now.

– Stunning to see the 49ers lose, the Jaguars win, and the Saints be 0-3. One more reason I don’t bet on the NFL.

** Finally, it’s too early to be overly excited about this, but it’s certainly promising.  There are four states that in November will have ballot initiatives that in one form or another will legalize same sex marriage, and in three of those states (Maryland, Maine and Washington) it looks very likely that gay marriage will be legalized; only in Minnesota is the polling not looking promising.

If the 3 states’ numbers hold up, this will be a huge, history-making deal, as no states previously have had ballot initiatives supporting gay marriage get passed.

Consider my fingers crossed.

 

New Jersey police disgrace themselves. HBO’s “Veep” is pretty awesome. And how ’bout those Rangers!

This is so stupid on so many levels. It reeks of arrogance, incompetence, and just plain idiocy.

I speak today of the New Jersey state police troopers, specifically, the two of them who, according to the Star-Ledger newspaper,  in the early afternoon on March 30, “escorted a caravan of luxury sports cars at speeds in excess of 100 mph down the Garden State Parkway to Atlantic City last month. The occupants included former Giants running back and sports car enthusiast Brandon Jacobs, according to a source with knowledge of the trip.”

I mean seriously. How bleeping stupid can you be? You’re a state police officer leading celebrities on a high-speed joy ride? the story also says that witnesses “saw two State Police patrol cars with their emergency lights flashing driving in front of and behind the southbound caravan, which included dozens of Porsches, Lamborghinis, Ferraris and other vehicles, all with their license plates covered with tape.”

So dangerous and disgusting. I hope these guys are fired and their pensions taken away.

**I’d heard all kinds of great things about Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ new show that debuted on HBO Sunday, “Veep.” She plays a totally ineffective and foul-mouthed vice president, and the show revolves around the foibles of her and her staff, plus their desire to try to be relevant. Since, you know, being VP is a pretty awful job.

After watching the first episode, I have to wholeheartedly agree with all the critics. It’s hilarious, even if it is kinda the anti “West Wing.”

Also starring Anna Chlumsky (remember the little kid from “My Girl?”) and “Arrested Develoment”‘s Tony Hale, “Veep” is fabulous. All of the supporting characters get off a few good lines, and Louis-Dreyfus is perfect. As soon as the first episode ended, I wanted to see the next one.

And that’s all you can ask for in a show.

**Finally, so pumped today about my New York Rangers. Things looked pretty damn bleak Monday night, down 3-2 in the series to the 8th seeded Ottawa Senators, and the Rangers were down 1-0 almost halfway through the game. All my lucky charms weren’t working, so I was left where I normally am during tense sports moments of my life: rocking back and forth in front of my TV, clutching a pillow to my chest (hey, don’t judge: it calms me).

And then, finally, the Blueshirts came back. Three goals in 11 minutes, and after a frantic finish to the third period, the Rangers had won, 3-2, to force Game 7 in NY Thursday.
Some burning questions/thoughts in my head after the game:
– How in the hell did the refs, AND the video replay, call this a legal goal (it’s the last highlight under goals) for Ottawa in the last 30 seconds? Yes, Ottawa’s Chris Neil misses most of the puck with his kick, but he clearly gets some of it because the puck acclerates after he swings his skate! The refereeing in this game was terrible, both ways (yeah, the Rangers caught a break or two, I can admit that), but this blown replay is just amazing.

– Hell of a game, Brad Richards. You too, Ryan McDonagh. You were everywhere. And Chris Kreider, playing his 3rd NHL game? Yeah, not too bad, youngster. Kid’s going to be a star.
– My 7-year-old nephew is being raised a Flyers fan, which I wholeheartedly disapprove of. Apparently he asked my sister Monday afternoon: “Is Uncle Michael going to cry if the Rangers lose?” Nice.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/porn-star-teacher-fired-7893412