Trot's Day Off: Silver Linings Playbook Review

The man is wearing a gray sweatsuit – the hoodie covered by a large black trash bag – while he runs. A young woman in a track suit appears, and tries to catch up to him. The man speeds up to avoid her. She catches up to him for an argument.

The man claims this is his jogging route, while the woman claims it's her neighborhood. The man runs off.

He runs, looks back, seeming to have lost her. “Damn,” he exasperates, slowing down. The woman then pulls back onto the road, running after him.

“Hey!” she says as she pulls up right behind him.

The man looks back, noticing her. “WHAT THE FUCK?!” he yells. “I'm married!”

Pat (Bradley Cooper) was released from a mental hospital not long before the jogging incident with Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence). 2012's Silver Linings Playbook follows Pat's re-immersion into society after he was placed in a Baltimore mental institution after brutally assaulting his now-estranged wife's paramour.

Silver Linings Playbook is a highly metaphorical film about a former mental patient that doesn't prove the protagonists mental problems. Cooper and Lawrence's portrayals of people with major issues are powerful – although not indicative of their insanity.

Pat spends the film trying to fulfill the concepts of “excelsior” and finding silver linings in everything. “If you stay positive, you have a shot at a silver lining,” he says. He really believes in the idea, the same way his father (Robert DeNiro) really believes in the luck of a handkerchief to win his weekly bets on the Philadelphia Eagles.

Pat spends a good portion of the film literally and figuratively running away from his problems. When Tiffany catches up to him, he begins dancing with her, metaphorically and otherwise. After it becomes clear (to the audience) that his life before the mental institution is not coming back, dancing becomes a metaphor for how he is trying to manage his new life. In finding Tiffany, Pat's journey to find silver linings is reached.

The reason given for Pat's admittance to the mental hospital was that he was bipolar, and had anger problems, evidenced by the beating he put on his wife's lover. The film shows two examples meant to further prove his disorder; when “Ma Cherie Amour,” – the song that was playing when he found his wife cheating – is played at his therapists office, causing him to mess up a magazine rack; and when some ignorant fans abuse his Indian therapist at an Eagles game, Pat comes to his rescue. While Pat does react angrily, these events don't prove any bipolar behavior; anyone is these situations would respond the same way.

After a dancing competition (which Tiffany got Pat to participate in through the promise of helping him) Tiffany runs away. When Pat catches up to her, that is when everything comes together, and their love is realized. These two people overcome major life problems, although neither of them is crazy, as the film attempts to portray.  

Syracuse Orange v. UConn Huskies

This is for Gwen.

Last Wednesday, February 13, the Syracuse Orange men's basketball team traveled to Hartford to take on the Connecticut Huskies, in a should-win Big East match up. The game was to be the last the Orange would have against rival UConn as Big East opponents. With the Huskies in a transitional year, and the Orange poised for another big run in the NCAA tournament, plus the enormous size advantage Syracuse had, this should have been an easy win for the Orange. Not so much.

After going back and forth for much of the first half, the Huskies pulled away in the last minute of the first half, leaving the court with a five point lead. In the second half, the teams remained close, but Syracuse only had a lead twice. With just over 10 minutes left, it was all Huskies, who dominated down the stretch, even extending their lead to double digits a few times.

Syracuse did not play well. Their size should have given them an obvious advantage rebounding-wise, which the team has done admirably in throughout the season, but it was UConn who ended up out-rebounding the 'Cuse, 38-26. Syracuse got only 3-for-15 shooting from de facto captain Brandon Triche, and just six points from freshman starter Jerami Grant. However, it was not entirely Syracuse's fault that they lost. The Huskies' three-guard system did what it does best: destroy Jim Boeheim's famous 2-3 zone.

Omar Calhoun, Ryan Boatright and Shabazz Napier - the three guards- paced the Huskies with double digit points, each. Boatright led all scorers with 17, and added four assists and three steals. Napier scored 10 and added 7 assists, out-assisting the nation's leading set-up man (Syracuse's Michael Carter-Williams) by SIX. Calhoun, a freshman, scored 15 points.

UConn's three guards were able to effectively penetrate the zone, and Syracuse's less-than-great performance led to the Orange's third loss in the Big East, and fourth loss on the season. Syracuse followed up the debilitating loss with a domination of Seton Hall on Saturday, winning 76-65.

The Orange take on Providence on Wednesday at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse.

Trot's Day Off: Argo Review

In the past five years, Ben Affleck has gone from an acting afterthought to a bona fide directorial stud. His talent has grown with each film he has directed, and each film he's made has brought him more acclaim and respect. That trend continues with 2012's Argo, his best film so far.

Argo is a perfect blend of good writing, good directing, and superb acting. Chris Terrio's adapted screenplay blends humor into the serious nature of the story of an undercover rescue of six Americans, while Affleck plays the two-talent card, starring in his own film.

Argo forced Affleck out of his comfort zone—the Boston-area—where his first two films, Gone Baby Gone and The Town were set. Affleck thrived in roles set in his hometown (starting with Good Will Hunting), making it his go-to setting for his directorial efforts. Now, having matured as a director, Affleck has proven himself with a setting about as far away from Boston as one can get: Iran.

The direction of the film was well done: there were no unnecessary scenes, characters, or motives involved. A simple, to-the-bone approach to the story made every scene feel like real life, as if this film was the behind-the-scenes look into CIA operative Tony Mendez's caper into Ayatollah-controlled Iran, edited into a feature film, released 33 years after the event.

Terrio's writing created fluid conversations, making characters who seemed more like real people—with emotions and morals—than the haughty bureaucrats people expect government officials to be. The refrained salutation of “Argo fuck yourself” is perhaps the (movie) quote of the year. The precise, never-say-more-than-needed approach led to clean dialogue, with no fluff.

Much like fellow Best Picture nominee Django Unchained, Argo's acting presents an interesting dynamic; while the lead actor was very good, the supporting characters were better, overshadowing the lead's performance. Affleck's portrayal of Mendez was nothing short of heroic, and a form of heroism Affleck has not had opportunity to show in his previous films. John Goodman, Bryan Cranston, and Alan Arkin (my god, Alan Arkin) gave beyond-superb performances, leaving audiences with sincere appreciation for a Hollywood make-up artist, a CIA boss and a movie producer, three occupations that don’t always garner praise and admiration. Arkin deserves his second Best Supporting Actor award for his phenomenal portrayal of producer Lester Siegel at this month's Academy Awards. The six diplomats Mendez is sent in to rescue were splendidly morose and anxious throughout the film, epitomized by Clea Duvall and Rory Cochrane.

There is nothing to complain about with Argo; it's paced well, isn't too long, and even ends on a touching note—the reunion of Mendez with his estranged wife and child. Simply put, Argo was a fantastic film in all aspects, and is well-deserving of its Best Picture nomination.  

MISL: Syracuse Silver Knights vs. Baltimore Blast

I haven't been to a soccer match in quite a few years, and I had never attended an indoor soccer match - never mind a professional indoor soccer match - until February 1, 2013, when I saw the Syracuse Silver Knights take on the Baltimore Blast in Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) action.

I had no idea what to expect, other than knowing the basics: This would be soccer with walls and nets instead of sidelines, turf instead of grass, the field would be smaller, and the game would be much faster paced than regular soccer.

I was pleasantly surprised to attend what turned out to be the most fun I have had at a sporting event in recent memory. It was an odd atmosphere that included pop music blasting while the ball was in play and a constant flow of players onto and off of the pitch. Much like the hockey rink they played on top, players jumped over the walls of the benches to make their substitutions. Also like hockey, the penalties were not yellow or red cards, but minor and major penalties, which put the team down a player. Also unlike most soccer games, this was played in quarters and not halves.

The weirdest part of all of this was how it was scored; you score a goal: 2 points. It was unclear as to why they would make a goal worth 2, but that's the way it was.

The weirdness of the game setup eventually got pushed to the back of my mind once I got into the game. It was fast paced and the scoring opportunities were incredibly exciting and almost as regularly occurring as the substitutions. Kicking a soccer ball as hard as you can, and it bouncing off a plexiglas turned out to make for pretty exciting sporting entertainment. Bicycle kicks and headers were the norm in this coked-up version of the soccer I played as a kid.

Now, for the game itself: After coming off to an early 2-0 (1-0) lead, the Syracuse Silver Knights let in four unanswered goals to go down 8-2 in the first half. In the second half, the Knights came out hard, pushing the exhilarating pace up even further. Down 8-4 after three quarters, 18-year-old Antonio Manfut scored a beautiful goal to put the Knights down by just a goal. Kenardo Forbes, of Jamaica, followed it up two minutes later with the game-tier.

Regulation would end with the scores tied up, sending the game to sudden-death overtime. The Knights controlled almost all of overtime, with dozens of scoring chances and shots on goal, but it was a well-aimed shot from the "corner" by the Blast's Adauto Neto that decided it.

I knew next to nothing about the sport, the league, or the teams going into tonight's game, but I enjoyed the experience. I recommend anyone given a chance to see a MISL game to go; it's a lot of fun to watch, and easy to get in to.

Special: Trot's Day Off: Lincoln Review

I am introducing a new section of Trot's Cap, entitled "Trot's Day Off." The idea here is that posts under the title "Trot's Day Off" will be unrelated to sports. Much like real athletes, not everything I do pertains to sports. So, here is my first installation of "Trot's Day Off," a review of the Oscar-nominated film, Lincoln. I promise you will disagree with me, and I will happily respond to any comments you have on my review.

And the award for Failing to Meet Expectations goes to...Steven Spielberg and Daniel Day-Lewis, for Lincoln!

Lincoln was one of 2012's most highly anticipated films. Even before it began filming, moviegoers across the globe were salivating at the thought of Spielberg's take on one of America's most beloved presidents, featuring the stellar performance Daniel Day-Lewis – perhaps the most talented actor of the last twenty-five years – was sure to give.

With Spielberg, audiences anticipated the professionalism they have come to expect from the storied director and producer. With Day-Lewis, they expected an incredible performance full of passionate calls-to-arms wrought with emotion. Unfortunately, since its release in November 2012, Lincoln has left much to be desired in those departments.

Spielberg's elder-statesman reputation in the movie industry is well-warranted, but his last two films (Lincoln and War Horse) suggest he doesn't feel the need to try anymore; anything he makes will be considered wonderful and heaps of praise will be thrown at the film, simply because his name is attached to it. Lincoln's direction in Lincoln was fine, but it did not impress, and many scenes didn't have the dramatic impact he would have you think, such as the burning of an unspecified city after Lincoln said that there was no peace treaty from the Confederacy.

Day-Lewis's career connotes nothing less than astounding, heart-felt representations of historical characters, but Abraham Lincoln is not given the same justice that Christy Brown and Bill the Butcher were. Day-Lewis was not impressive, but his name alone carried him back into conversations of best acting performances of the year.

The award shows seem to have neglected to actually watch the film, and automatically nominated and awarded Day-Lewis the award for Best Actor: so far, he has won Best Actor for Lincoln 16 times. Day-Lewis is without doubt an incredible actor, but he only proved that twice in Lincoln: in his “human dignity” speech, and when arguing with Mary Todd Lincoln (Sally Field) about Robert enlisting, in which Fields puts on the better performance.

Lincoln dragged on for far too long, and snuck in the presidents' assassination as an afterthought. The historical accuracy – something that should always be questioned in historical films – was a bit off. From the boisterously full House of Representatives during an era when half the country was not part of the country, to the touching introduction and celebration of African-Americans sitting in on the 13^th Amendment vote after the film spent two hours showing Mary Todd Lincoln's African-American servant present for the entirety of the House proceedings, this historical drama was dripping with inaccuracies and inconsistencies.

Lincoln was supposed to be Oscar-bait, and with the 12 nominations the film has garnered, it has fulfilled expectations. Whether or not these nominations are earned, or if they were just born out of the preconceived notions of the talent of Spielberg and Day-Lewis is another question altogether.

Cory Conacher

In early December 2012, I sat down with Syracuse Crunch (AHL) forward Cory Conacher for a feature I was writing on him. Now, a month and a half later, Conacher is playing in the newly returned NHL for the Tampa Bay Lightning. In his NHL debut, he scored a goal and an assist, and was +1 on the day. Below is the article I wrote about Conacher, which holds some more weight now that he has made the NHL.

Cory Conacher is a diabetic. Cory Conacher is 5-foot-8, and that's being generous. Cory Conacher is the reigning MVP of the most violent professional sports league in North America.

Cory Conacher also plays for the Syracuse Crunch a team composed of the reigning champions of the American Hockey League. The Crunch currently hold the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference. You may be asking yourself, How can this be? Because Cory Conacher is one of the fastest and most skilled hockey players in the United States today.

With the NHL lockout of the 2012 season, the best hockey league in the Western Hemisphere, and perhaps the world, is the AHL. Cory Conacher entered the league last year, and his rookie campaign was one of the best ever. In 75 games, Conacher tallied 39 goals and 41 assists, for 80 points overall. He led the league in goals, was second in points and had an impressive plus/minus of +19.

Conacher led his team, the Norfolk Admirals, on an impressive 28-game winning streak, the longest in North American history – on any professional level. Over the two months the streak spanned, Conacher scored 14 goals and dished out 12 assists for 26 points and held a plus/minus of +13.

But Conacher wasn't always the AHL star he is today. Conacher remembers when he was 14 and his coach sent him down to the AA team because of his diminutive size.

“Ever since that, I've learned to get motivated from stuff like that,” Conacher said. “If you are small, you can't play small. You see guys like [Martin] St. Louis, who has played so many years in the NHL, who's about the same size as me, and he goes into corners and battles hard and hits [people], and does the little things that big players do, and he's a small guy.”

“If you are small, you can't play small,” Conacher added. “Small players have to learn to play big, and that's how they become successful.”

Conacher's father was a hockey player, and he comes from a hockey family that includes former NHL-ers Roy, Charlie and Lionel Conacher. Cory began playing at age six.

“I started playing, and I have loved it ever since,” Conacher said. “I have it in my blood.”

Conacher was not a star throughout high school, and was not drafted. He attended Buffalo, NY's Canisius College, beginning in 2007.

“I wasn't looking to get drafted, I wasn't expecting to get drafted or anything. I just went to Canisius to work on my game,” Conacher said.

Conacher spent all four years at Canisius, where he broke 12 school records. While there, Conacher developed a strong relationship with head coach Dave Smith, who Conacher still keeps in touch with today.

“The coaching staff gave me an opportunity to play there, and since then it's worked out. I thank my coach at Canisius more than once or twice a month,” Conacher said. “I chat with him every once in a while, and I like to keep in touch with Canisius, see how they're doing.”

Smith could not say a negative thing about Canisius' most accomplished hockey alumni.

“I'm in awe of Cory,” Smith said. “He's such a humble kid; he recognizes the part small people have had in his development.”

Smith and the Canisius coaching staff were incredibly beneficial to Conacher's development as a player.

“We encourage [players] playing to their strengths,” Smith said. “We encouraged Cory to shoot and use his speed. He just needed the confidence to let it fly.”

Conacher graduated from Canisius in 2011, and tried out for the Rochester Americans, an AHL team. He played two games for Rochester, and bounced between the ECHL and AHL with two other teams for a total of 10 try-out contract games in 2011.

July 6, 2011, Conacher signed a free agent contract with the Norfolk Admirals. From there, he would bring the Admirals their first league championship, and bring in his own MVP award. The championship-winning team moved to Syracuse this summer, when the affiliation with the Tampa Bay Lightning switched from Norfolk to Syracuse.

“Last year he was just one of those kids that came out nowhere that nobody really knew anything about, and now he's got a target on his back,” Coach Jon Cooper, Conacher's coach in both Norfolk and Syracuse said. “He's really, really fast, but he's tenacious; he's fearless. And when you put a really fast, fearless player on the ice, paired with his skill, you've got a good player.”

J.T. Brown, a rookie who shares a line with Conacher has been quite impressed with his linemate.

“He's a very skilled player,” Brown said. “But at the same time, he's also one of those players to get to the hard areas, first to the puck; he's pretty much the total package.”

“He can make plays at high speeds, in unbelievably tough traffic areas,” Cooper said. “When you can do that you have a future in the league.”

With the NHL in a lockout, Conacher misses an opportunity to vie for a spot on the Lightning, at least for now. Conacher was his typical humble self when asked about NHL chances this year.

“If there was an NHL camp, I knew it would be a very competitive one, and there'd be spots open for us young guys to take,” Conacher said. “We have a lot of young, good players on this team this year. I didn't go into this year – if there was a camp this year – thinking I would be a guy making the [Lightning].”

“As long as I work hard, and do the right things, and show that I've improved and developed, I think that I'd have that chance to make the team,” he continued. “Last year is in the past, although they do have that in the back of their minds, want to see where you are now, show that you didn't take the summer off and that you kept developing and learning as a professional athlete.”

Cooper was not convinced that Conacher needed there to be an NHL season this year for Conacher to make it.

“There's no rush to the NHL, the NHL will come find him,” Cooper said. “It's just a matter of time.”

Conacher is currently second on the Syracuse Crunch in points with 19 points (in 20 games), behind Tyler Johnson's 23. Cooper attributed some of Johnson's success to Conacher's presence on a separate line.

“When we get the Cory Conacher line to wear them down, it kind of opens the door for the Tyler Johnson line, so it's kind of a 1-2 punch,” Cooper said.

Conacher continues to work to hard to reach the ultimate goal of making the NHL, staying late at practice, and working on the things he needs to improve.

“You need to show that you're getting better everyday, and that's what I do,” Conacher said. “I think about working on the things I need to work on, because there's no player in the world who's perfect; there's always something you could be better at.”

While we may sit on the brink of NHL teams opening up camps, ending the lockout, Cory Conacher continues to work hard, regardless of at what level.

“He gets better every single day. Everything he's getting, he's worked for,” Smith said. “I believe in Cory Conacher.”

“The only thing that's going to hold Cory Conacher back is Cory Conacher,” Cooper said.

The Last 48 Hours

Wow. That's what I've been saying a lot in the last 48 hours, in regards to sports news. There's the obvious (Lance Armstrong admitting to Oprah that he used PEDs) and the utterly disgusting and bizarre (Manti Te'o's fake girlfriend; Roger Springfield's illegal taping of Syracuse players). I will break down these three and the other two major stories from the last two days in brief, in an effort to relaunch this blog, just in time for hockey season to (finally) begin.

Lance Armstrong admits drug use
While this story was by no means a breaking news story, as most people already knew this information. This was just a instance where Armstrong just proved everybody correct. While it does take a bit courage to own up to your wrongs, Armstrong gets no sympathy from me, because he only did so after the public already knew the truth. Also, it takes the opposite of courage to have lied to the public for years, and be rewarded for said lies by being revered as one of the most impressive athletes of the century. I'm glad all the cards have been played in this story line, and I look forward to Armstrong starting an organization to fight against performance-enhancing drugs.

Chip Kelly named head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles
Unlike Armstrong, Kelly's decision came as quite a shock to most of the world, as a few weeks ago, after he'd interviewed with many NFL teams (including the Eagles), Kelly announced he would remain at Oregon. I guess he changed his mind. After four incredibly successful as the Ducks' head coach, Kelly was perhaps the most sought-after coach. The Eagles got their man, but the real story here will be the fallout. Will Phil Knight and Nike follow Kelly to Philly? Will the Ducks remain a powerhouse team? Who will take his place?

Michael Morse traded to Seattle
In a three-way trade that got mostly lost in the shuffle of all of the other sporting news, Morse was traded to the Mariners, with John Jaso going to Oakland, and Seattle giving up three prospects. Morse became expendable when the Nationals signed Adam LaRoche last week, and Seattle had the need. His versatility will only strengthen their team, and now Jesus Montero can catch on everyday basis, which could equal a blossoming offensively.

Roger Springfield video tapes Syracuse University athletes
Springfield was the Syracuse athletic department's media director prior to police finding that he had taped men from three different sports, including football showering and other similar activities in the locker room  Springfield, whose real last name is Cahak, had the red "on light" blocked off, so athletes would be unaware of his taping of them. These tapes were then used for his personal use, as they obviously could not be used to improve game performance. While this is not technically as bad as Jerry Sandusky, the reach is much further, as Springfield taped 108 or more student athletes. I am sure we will hear much, much more about this in the upcoming weeks and months.

Manti Te'o's dead girlfriend does not exist
In what was one of the saddest, most inspirational stories of the 2012 college football season, that of Manti Te'o, whose grandmother and leukemia-suffering girlfriend died within days of each other. But, it turned out to be a hoax. The girlfriend never existed, which means the cancer story was a lie, as was the car accident that put her in the hospital in the first place. Deadspin's investigative piece that uncovered this is a must read, which makes it incredibly difficult to find Te'o anything but involved in the creation of his fake girlfriend. However, Notre Dame has released a statement suggesting that it Te'o himself who has been the victim of a hoax. Deadspin's report did much more than expose the lies that Te'o had been spreading, but also the lack of fact-checking that Illinois and nationwide news outlets such as ESPN did on this story. The girl did not exist, her picture was stolen from a friend of a friend of Te'o's, and her back story did not check out in the least. Te'o is an incredible football player, but the rationale behind pulling a quick one on the American people for eight months should not be taken lightly. Like Lance Armstrong, Te'o will eventually need to fess up. At least, if there is anything good to come of this, Deadspin's work will be followed through with. We deserve the truth.