What's Wrong With Sports Illustrated?!

Do you see this cover? It's terrible. No, really, it's atrocious. It's so bad because of who is on it and who is not on it.

Look at Chris Bosh. He looks like he's having a great time. Look at Dwyane Wade. He looks content and pleased with himself. Look at Lebron James. He doesn't know whether to smile or be serious so he was caught in between and looks like an awkward 6th grader posing for his first middle school photo. That's who's on the cover. Do you know who's not on the cover? I'll give you a list: Casillas, Villa, Ramos, Torres, Puyol, Fabregas, Pique, Xabi Alonso, Xavi, Pedro, Iniesta...

All of those players, and more, did something no other Spanish futbol team had done: win a World Cup. Spain became only the 8th country to win the quadrennial tournament and the only coverage they get on the biggest sporting magazine in the United States is the top line: "Party like it's 1579"?! I'm sorry, but that's bullshit. First, Lebron wastes nearly 30 minutes of my time by deferring the answer to a question that would take 1 minute to say, in telling national television where he would be playing, now he takes up a magazine cover to endorse his "businessman-like" behavior. What's wrong with you Sports Illustrated? Just because the United States was out of the tournament, did that mean that the biggest sporting event in the world became Page 2 material? I fail to see how an off season move that, while big I admit, can be dissected every which way throughout the summer is bigger news (and worthy of a cover photo) than Spain winning it's first World Cup.

I just don't get it. Maybe it's because I'm not a HUGE NBA fan and maybe it's because I love the sports that most Americans don't find all that enjoyable in Soccer, Hockey and Baseball. But the World Cup is the World Cup. I don't know how else to say it. This slight to soccer/futbol/football is nothing new. I mean, I live in a country where cars with decal headlights that only turn left for hundreds and hundreds of laps, is something people find exciting - and it gets more coverage than soccer. People call soccer butt-numbing, what do you call watching a guy with two first names turn left for four hours? I call that boring. In 2006 the main photo was of the New York Mets and how they were "intrepid". At least then Fabio Cannavaro was shown hoisting the cup in the upper left hand corner. But this most recent cover features no photo, just words.

Am I blowing this out of proportion? Maybe. But when a sport that isn't even in season dominates the headlines over the most watched sporting event in the world, we got a problem.

Skillet Seal of Approval: "Aphrodite"

Not much of a surprise here but Kylie Minogue has scored another hit album with “Aphrodite”. I wouldn’t classify myself as a Kylie superfan, but I do enjoy her music and her as well. I might go so far as to say that I love her. Period. End of Story. But, there’s an album here that needs to be brought to the forefront of your attention if you didn’t know it existed already.

I considered “X” to be an experimental album of sorts. It is filled with electronic synths and beats that are uncommon in previous Kylie albums and suffice it to say, they all work. With songs produced by Daft Punk and The Scissor Sisters you knew a different sound would come about. “Aphrodite” is a return to her vocal-led pop roots. Sure there are electronic beats and electronic-led songs but it’s not as prevalent as in “X”. Kylie is known for experimenting with different styles, and that is no more apparent than if you listen to “Impossible Princess” then “X”, you’d hear two distinctly different sounds. “Aphrodite” is somewhere in between with elements from both albums as well as some new sounds. It blends her sultry, sexy, sensuous, salacious voice in a way that is refreshing to hear given that the pop landscape is inundated with auto-tuned artists not willing to let their true voice be heard. Kylie takes a risk on this album by going against that trend and delivers sweet music that plays to her vocal strengths. The album is wonderfully put together as every song compliments the other. It’s a testament to the producers, and Kylie, that the songs don’t seem like they were randomly selected and then thrown in an unspecified order on the album.


“All the Lovers” is a great starting off point, but the album really kicks into gear with “Get Outta My Way” as a piano-led intro gives way to one of the most infectious hooks in recent memory. If you aren’t bobbing your head by the time Kylie tells you to “take a chance and try something new”, then something’s wrong with you. The album is filled with love-themed pop songs (and really, what great pop songs aren’t about love?) that highlight Kylie’s ability to draw you into her voice and feel the words she’s singing. Kylie is the Queen of Pop and “Aphrodite” is a welcome return after a three-year hiatus.

Songs of note: “All the Lovers”, “Get Outta My Way”, “Closer”, “Aphrodite”, and “Cupid Boy”

Skillet Seal of Approval: Eclipse

Yes, you read that title line right. I, Skillet, have approved Eclipse. I refuse to call it by it’s “full name” of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse because it’s pointless. The Book is called Eclipse and that’s how I will call it. Now, let me set the scene.

June 30th 2010. I had a day off and I decided to beat the heat by seeing a movie. I had seen Twilight on a whim when it first came out, I knew nothing other than it was a book. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it – the soundtrack, the mood, etc. Then came New Moon. It was awful. Nothing seemed to happen. I felt as if I watched a series of events that could’ve been told in 30 minutes, dragged out over two hours. Uninspired directing, save for the opening shot through the Italian town, uninteresting character development and all in all it was just boring. I am pleased to report that Eclipse is a huge step in the opposite direction.

For starters the look is entirely different. Gone are the earth-tone based browns and reds as seen in the previous film as the story returns to the gloomy overcast of grays infused with mist and fog that surround the Cullen Clan, as well as the rest of the Pacific Northwest. This atmosphere reflects the story, which is much darker as the stakes are higher as the outlook for our characters become increasingly dire.



Bella (Kristen Stewart), still hasn’t decided if she wants to marry Edward (Robert Patinson) but she still wants him to turn her into a vampire, which he is against. This simmers in the background for most of the film as the Cullens, the werewolves, and the people of Forks are in danger as the vicious vampire Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard) is still out for revenge on Bella and she’s doing so by creating an army of new vampires to go after her and her friends. This includes the Cullens, and just about anyone else involved with them.

One of the elements that are improved this time around is the characters. We are given more background about the werewolves, Rosalie Cullen (Nikki Reed) and Jasper Cullen (Jackson Rathbone) which are used to help us understand them, as well as the gravity of their transformations and how they relate to Bella and her desire to become a vampire. It also helps the audience, who haven’t read all of the books (me included) become more involved with someone other than the three main characters we already know.

But of course, the heart of the film lies with the three main characters of Bella, Edward and Jacob (Taylor Lautner). The once obtuse love triangle set up in the first film has become equilateral. Bella now has a better understanding of the consequences of being with Edward or Jacob and sees that it is not as easy as being a “Team Jacob” or “Team Edward”. She sees that being with Edward would be a lot more costly to the life she knows than if she were to be with Jacob.

The action is ramped up and more violent than before as vampires battle vampires and werewolves battle vampires. The violence might be too much for younger children, but that’s to be expected when David Slade (Hard Candy, and 30 Days of Night) is directing. The music compliments the film both in score and soundtrack as it builds tension as well as set the mood for the other scenes. This is one of the better films of the year, and it’s Skillet Approved.