GREEN DAY EQUALS ABBA
Now that Green Day is on Broadway with “American Idiot – The Musical”, the obvious diss has been dropped ad nauseam: That this most un-punk of moves officially disqualifies the band from any disestablishmentarian punk-rock coolness they might still claim.
I’ll take it a step further: Green Day as fodder for a Broadway musical puts them in the same league as ABBA. Especially considering the premature talk of a movie adaptation for “Idiot”. From here on out, I don’t think I can listen to any Green Day song without it bringing to mind the Swedish supergroup, too. (And I actually like a certain degree of ABBA, too.)
Can’t get any less punk than that. Mamma Mia, you fake-cockney accenting bitches.
WONDERING AFTER THE WINDY CITY WINTER CLASSIC
The second (annual) coming of the NHL Winter Classic earlier today came off about as perfect as it could. Unless you’re a Blackhawks fan, and had watch the home team blow a 2-goal lead to the Red Wings en route to a 6-4 Detroit win in the frozen confines of Chicago’s Wrigley Field.
But aside from the hometown letdown, it was a great game to watch, and a second consecutive picture-perfect outdoors showcase for the National Hockey League. Maybe better, mass-market wise, than last year’s 2-1 shootout win by the Pens over the Sabres, since ten total goals provided more than enough offense. (I generally prefer a defensive struggle.)
Some assorted thoughts from me:
- About the only thing that would have improved the spectacle would have been some snowfall, like last year in Buffalo. Didn’t happen, which actually improved the on-ice action. Besides, what snow there was in Wrigley was decorative.
Speaking of the ice, it was well-praised by everyone involved. From what I saw, it looked like it was actually too cold, in that the puck had little glide under it for players to accomplish the standard long-range passes. That said, puck movement was crisp enough, and the shot totals (43-37 favoring Detroit) indicate that there were no problems.
- I thought the sight of the players emerging from their locker rooms, and climbing out of the baseball dugouts to get to the rink, was a nice touch.
- The selection criteria for future Winter Classics sounds interesting.
All of which makes sense. As much as I’d love to see the Rangers host the 2010 edition here in New York (at Yankees Stadium), I have a feeling that next year’s event should take place well within the Western Conference. To me, the ideal host would be the Colorado Avalanche, playing in the MLB’s Coors Field during a wintry afternoon in Denver. Going up against either the Minnesota Wild or San Jose Sharks.
- And if the Avs want to clinch that, they should acquire the one player who’s now a fixture at these outdoor flings.
On the business side, I’ll be anxious to see the ratings report and other economic impact from this Windy City spectacle. Early indications are promising. And from my screengazing view, it looked like the league and NBC reeled in some high-caliber advertising, with Super Bowl-level spots on display. In particular, Go Daddy’s attention-grabbing commercials had a toned-down trial run today; I’m wondering if that could be a future trend, at least in years when the same network carries both the Classic and the Super Bowl.