Now that the new year is upon us (happy new year to you and yours by the way), I have a few questions. First, what are we going to call 2010? Is it going to be 20-10 (twenty-ten)? or 2010 (two-thousand and ten)? Personally, I don't care all that much, but I would appreciate a little consistency as I have heard both numerous times already. I kind of like 20-10 because it's short and has almost a nickname sort of ring to it, but no one called 2009 twenty-nine, so I'm not convinced that it's a legitimate moniker. Also, moving forward the only other year where this will work seems to be 2012 (twenty-twelve), so it's not like this is something that will catch on. Alright, I talked myself into it. I'm going with 2010 (two thousand and ten).
My second and final question is perhaps more important. Which group of Americans is the most excited for it to be 2010? To better answer that question, let's take a look at the candidates.
1.) New York Knick Fans
In 2006, Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James surprised everyone when he chose to sign a 4 year extension instead of the maxmimum deal allowed (a 5 year deal). This move was unprecedented. Young franchise players always sign for the max. Soon after Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade, and Toronto Raptors center Chris Bosh followed suit. These three additions to an already loaded 2010 NBA free agent class literally changed the way that many organizations did business over the next(and now past) four years.
In an effort to attract LeBron, Wade, Bosh, etc. the Knicks, who were ruined financially because of the missteps of Isiah Thomas, have essentially mailed in the past two seasons. From a front office standpoint, their goal has not been to win. It has been to shed payroll so that they can make a run at this crop of free agents in the summer of 2010. New team president Donnie Walsh has done an admirable job (well admirable if you have no problem with mailing two seasons in just for a chance at LBJ, etc.), but still needs to move one or both of the heinous contracts given to Eddy Curry and Jared Jeffries in order to have full flexibilty this summer (by full flexibility I mean the cap space to sign 2-3 big name players). The Knicks front office did everything but release a statement in 2008 that said, "We don't care what our record is these next two seasons. We are only worried about shedding cap space, but we are still going to charge you the same ludicrous amount to watch our rag tag team because we play in the "world's most famous arena."
It's no secret that the Knicks are going to do everything in their power to convince LeBron into coming to New York in 2010. New York has been the most speculated destination for LBJ ever since his decision to not sign for the maximum in 2006. He admittedly loves New York because of it's celebrity culture, atmosphere, big stage, etc. He's even a Yankee fan. I was in MSG when LeBron came to town earlier this season and the crowd has no qualms about blatantly rooting for him even though at this juncture he plays for the opposing team.
The prevailing thought had Phoenix Suns point guard and two time NBA MVP Steve Nash signing with the Knicks and his former coach Mike D'Antoni in the summer of 2010 to help lure other big name free agents like LeBron to New York. Nash lives and plays in a soccer league in NYC in the summer and is thought to be one of the best teammates in the league; However this plan fell through when Nash signed a two year extension with the Suns in July.
Now virtually all of the Knick's eggs are in LeBron's basket. The hope is that he signs with the Knicks and brings the likes of Chris Bosh/Joe Johnson with him. But will LeBron leave Cleveland and try to revive basketball in the city that never sleeps? No one (including LeBron) knows for sure, but for the first time in almost 10 years Knick fans have something to rest their hopes on.
2.) Republicans
The GOP was dealt a major blow in 2008. Not only did Obama trounce McCain for the presidency, but the Democrats expanded their majority in the House by 21 seats and achieved a super majority in the Senate (58 Democrats and 2 Independents). Ever since that election the Republicans have been on a rampage to regain control of Congress. You've seen coverage of the tea parties, the town hall meetings, etc. 2010 is the first chance for the American public to essentially give an up or down vote on Obama. Aside from every House of Representatives seat being up for re-election (members of the House serve two year terms),36 Senate seats will be up for grabs (18 of which are currently held by Democrats and the other 18 are currently held by Repbulicans), and 37 states will hold gubernatorial elections.
If history has anything to say about the 2010 mid term elections, it's that the Republicans will surely pick up a few seats in Congress. For starters, the president's party almost always loses a few seats in the mid term elections. Also, it's next to impossible to maintin the kind of majority that the Democrats currently have, even in prosperous times.
Picking up a few seats won't suffice for the GOP, though. They want to shift the power of the American political structure back in their favor in 2010. These mid term elections already have shades of the "Republican Revolution" led by former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich in 1994. Back then Republicans were unhappy with a young, democratic president that was trying to push a health care reform bill through Congress. In the mid term elections of 1994, the Republicans took control of the House and looked to make Clinton a lame duck president in 1996; However (as the late, great Doc O explained to me) Clinton essentially became a Republican in the next two years and rolled in his re-election bid in '96.
That being said, here is the case against Obama in 2010. First and foremost, the economy continues to lag. When he was elected, Obama (to much of the American public) had this magical quality about him. They thought that he could come into office and fix any problem with the wave of his hand. Problem was, he couldn't. There's no doubt that he's trying, but the continued stagnation of the economy has at least taken Obama off of the pedestal that many had placed him on. Furthermore, this health care fiasco is splitting the country in two. Although everyone in Congress admits that our current health care system needs to be reformed, a comprehensive overhaul of the system is such an enormous task that it should come as no surprise that there are so many disagreements about the proposed bills. Lastly, even though the 2010 midterm elections are basically like a report card on Obama's first two years in office, his name won't be on the ballot. All of those people that registered and enthusiastically went to the polls to vote for Obama in '08 (yes, I'm talking about black people) aren't going to show up in '10 to vote for Chuck Schumer, Harry Reid, etc.
3.) Soccer Fans
American soccer fans probably have a hard on knowing that the World Cup kicks off in less than 160 days in South Africa. To them, and the rest of the world, the World Cup is bigger than the Superbowl. I would also like to point out that calling the event the World Cup is actually accurate whereas the World Series is a complete misnomer.
American soccer fans must be even more excited this year after learning last month that the US team received a favorable draw. In case you haven't heard, the United States has been placed in a group with England, Slovenia, and Algeria. I don't know much about Slovenia or Algeria, but I'm pretty sure that we should beat them both and if we do we will most likely advance to the knockout stage.
Before I move on, I have a point of contention with many Americans that like soccer. I don't care if the US Team doesn't have a realistic chance at winning the whole thing or not. They are the only team that you should be rooting for. I can't stand the kids that root for the team of their heritage (unless your parents were born and raised in that country in which case I'm totally OK with it) because they are better than the United States team, especially if the teams play each other. All of those Italian kids that rooted for Italy when they played the US in 2006 can go fuck themselves.
4.) People born in the year 1910
This painting is one of the most famous in American history. It was painted by Grant Wood and is titled, "American Gothic". Information that you should know.
Now hear me out before you write this off as a throwaway choice. Obviously these people must be pumped that it's 2010 so that they can reach triple digits in age. Sure, most of them probably aren't all there mentally and a large percentage of them might die before they reach their birthday (although statistics show that most people die shortly after their birthdays/Christmas), but reaching 100 has to be the light at the end of the tunnel for what they must have gone through in their time on Earth.
People born in 1910 were teenagers during the Roaring '20's. They probably witnessed all sorts of Gatsby style wild parties and rowdy saloons without being able to participate. By the time they were old enough to partake in the decadence of the decade, it was over. The Stock Market crashed and the Great Depression began.
They probably struggled to find work, raise a family, etc. Most of them probably moved west like the Joad family of Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath." By the time they turned 31-32 many of them were probably drafted and forced to serve in World War II.
After the war these men and women lived through the Civil Right Movement of the 50's and 60's. They were 40-50 years old at the time and probably held steadfast to their bigoted ways. As the laws began to change I bet they blamed the government.
In the 60's and 70's they had to endure the JFK assassination, the Vietnam War, and Watergate. I'm sure these three events only made them distrust the government even more.
I'm hoping, for their sake, that they enjoyed the 80's and 90's with the downfall of the Soviet Union and years of American prosperity because just when they, and the rest of us for that matter, thought everything was fine the 00's came along.
As I've already pointed out, Time magazine called the 00's the "Decade from Hell" because of 9/11, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the global financial crisis that we are still battling through.
The lives of those born in 1910 could not have been easy. Here's hoping that they reach 100.
My second and final question is perhaps more important. Which group of Americans is the most excited for it to be 2010? To better answer that question, let's take a look at the candidates.
1.) New York Knick Fans
In 2006, Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James surprised everyone when he chose to sign a 4 year extension instead of the maxmimum deal allowed (a 5 year deal). This move was unprecedented. Young franchise players always sign for the max. Soon after Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade, and Toronto Raptors center Chris Bosh followed suit. These three additions to an already loaded 2010 NBA free agent class literally changed the way that many organizations did business over the next(and now past) four years.
In an effort to attract LeBron, Wade, Bosh, etc. the Knicks, who were ruined financially because of the missteps of Isiah Thomas, have essentially mailed in the past two seasons. From a front office standpoint, their goal has not been to win. It has been to shed payroll so that they can make a run at this crop of free agents in the summer of 2010. New team president Donnie Walsh has done an admirable job (well admirable if you have no problem with mailing two seasons in just for a chance at LBJ, etc.), but still needs to move one or both of the heinous contracts given to Eddy Curry and Jared Jeffries in order to have full flexibilty this summer (by full flexibility I mean the cap space to sign 2-3 big name players). The Knicks front office did everything but release a statement in 2008 that said, "We don't care what our record is these next two seasons. We are only worried about shedding cap space, but we are still going to charge you the same ludicrous amount to watch our rag tag team because we play in the "world's most famous arena."
It's no secret that the Knicks are going to do everything in their power to convince LeBron into coming to New York in 2010. New York has been the most speculated destination for LBJ ever since his decision to not sign for the maximum in 2006. He admittedly loves New York because of it's celebrity culture, atmosphere, big stage, etc. He's even a Yankee fan. I was in MSG when LeBron came to town earlier this season and the crowd has no qualms about blatantly rooting for him even though at this juncture he plays for the opposing team.
The prevailing thought had Phoenix Suns point guard and two time NBA MVP Steve Nash signing with the Knicks and his former coach Mike D'Antoni in the summer of 2010 to help lure other big name free agents like LeBron to New York. Nash lives and plays in a soccer league in NYC in the summer and is thought to be one of the best teammates in the league; However this plan fell through when Nash signed a two year extension with the Suns in July.
Now virtually all of the Knick's eggs are in LeBron's basket. The hope is that he signs with the Knicks and brings the likes of Chris Bosh/Joe Johnson with him. But will LeBron leave Cleveland and try to revive basketball in the city that never sleeps? No one (including LeBron) knows for sure, but for the first time in almost 10 years Knick fans have something to rest their hopes on.
2.) Republicans
The GOP was dealt a major blow in 2008. Not only did Obama trounce McCain for the presidency, but the Democrats expanded their majority in the House by 21 seats and achieved a super majority in the Senate (58 Democrats and 2 Independents). Ever since that election the Republicans have been on a rampage to regain control of Congress. You've seen coverage of the tea parties, the town hall meetings, etc. 2010 is the first chance for the American public to essentially give an up or down vote on Obama. Aside from every House of Representatives seat being up for re-election (members of the House serve two year terms),36 Senate seats will be up for grabs (18 of which are currently held by Democrats and the other 18 are currently held by Repbulicans), and 37 states will hold gubernatorial elections.
If history has anything to say about the 2010 mid term elections, it's that the Republicans will surely pick up a few seats in Congress. For starters, the president's party almost always loses a few seats in the mid term elections. Also, it's next to impossible to maintin the kind of majority that the Democrats currently have, even in prosperous times.
Picking up a few seats won't suffice for the GOP, though. They want to shift the power of the American political structure back in their favor in 2010. These mid term elections already have shades of the "Republican Revolution" led by former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich in 1994. Back then Republicans were unhappy with a young, democratic president that was trying to push a health care reform bill through Congress. In the mid term elections of 1994, the Republicans took control of the House and looked to make Clinton a lame duck president in 1996; However (as the late, great Doc O explained to me) Clinton essentially became a Republican in the next two years and rolled in his re-election bid in '96.
That being said, here is the case against Obama in 2010. First and foremost, the economy continues to lag. When he was elected, Obama (to much of the American public) had this magical quality about him. They thought that he could come into office and fix any problem with the wave of his hand. Problem was, he couldn't. There's no doubt that he's trying, but the continued stagnation of the economy has at least taken Obama off of the pedestal that many had placed him on. Furthermore, this health care fiasco is splitting the country in two. Although everyone in Congress admits that our current health care system needs to be reformed, a comprehensive overhaul of the system is such an enormous task that it should come as no surprise that there are so many disagreements about the proposed bills. Lastly, even though the 2010 midterm elections are basically like a report card on Obama's first two years in office, his name won't be on the ballot. All of those people that registered and enthusiastically went to the polls to vote for Obama in '08 (yes, I'm talking about black people) aren't going to show up in '10 to vote for Chuck Schumer, Harry Reid, etc.
3.) Soccer Fans
American soccer fans probably have a hard on knowing that the World Cup kicks off in less than 160 days in South Africa. To them, and the rest of the world, the World Cup is bigger than the Superbowl. I would also like to point out that calling the event the World Cup is actually accurate whereas the World Series is a complete misnomer.
American soccer fans must be even more excited this year after learning last month that the US team received a favorable draw. In case you haven't heard, the United States has been placed in a group with England, Slovenia, and Algeria. I don't know much about Slovenia or Algeria, but I'm pretty sure that we should beat them both and if we do we will most likely advance to the knockout stage.
Before I move on, I have a point of contention with many Americans that like soccer. I don't care if the US Team doesn't have a realistic chance at winning the whole thing or not. They are the only team that you should be rooting for. I can't stand the kids that root for the team of their heritage (unless your parents were born and raised in that country in which case I'm totally OK with it) because they are better than the United States team, especially if the teams play each other. All of those Italian kids that rooted for Italy when they played the US in 2006 can go fuck themselves.
4.) People born in the year 1910
This painting is one of the most famous in American history. It was painted by Grant Wood and is titled, "American Gothic". Information that you should know.
Now hear me out before you write this off as a throwaway choice. Obviously these people must be pumped that it's 2010 so that they can reach triple digits in age. Sure, most of them probably aren't all there mentally and a large percentage of them might die before they reach their birthday (although statistics show that most people die shortly after their birthdays/Christmas), but reaching 100 has to be the light at the end of the tunnel for what they must have gone through in their time on Earth.
People born in 1910 were teenagers during the Roaring '20's. They probably witnessed all sorts of Gatsby style wild parties and rowdy saloons without being able to participate. By the time they were old enough to partake in the decadence of the decade, it was over. The Stock Market crashed and the Great Depression began.
They probably struggled to find work, raise a family, etc. Most of them probably moved west like the Joad family of Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath." By the time they turned 31-32 many of them were probably drafted and forced to serve in World War II.
After the war these men and women lived through the Civil Right Movement of the 50's and 60's. They were 40-50 years old at the time and probably held steadfast to their bigoted ways. As the laws began to change I bet they blamed the government.
In the 60's and 70's they had to endure the JFK assassination, the Vietnam War, and Watergate. I'm sure these three events only made them distrust the government even more.
I'm hoping, for their sake, that they enjoyed the 80's and 90's with the downfall of the Soviet Union and years of American prosperity because just when they, and the rest of us for that matter, thought everything was fine the 00's came along.
As I've already pointed out, Time magazine called the 00's the "Decade from Hell" because of 9/11, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the global financial crisis that we are still battling through.
The lives of those born in 1910 could not have been easy. Here's hoping that they reach 100.
No comments:
Post a Comment