Joel Plaskett and Pete bracketed at Kenny's Castaways

Me at Centre Court Sept 2005

So I thought I might have jinxed my Rangers by vaguely rooting for Roger Federer throughout the French Open, but to be honest the French is my least favorite slam and now that Roger has one I mostly don't care. Nadal can have Roland Garros, I always have my eyes on the green grasses of the All England Club. I've been watching Wimbledon longer than I can remember because my mom is a tennis nut. The first final I really recall is Boris Becker lifting the beautiful golden trophy as a 17 year old in 1985. I rooted him on to win two more, Andre Agassi his first slam, Goran his only. Then there were the famine years when Pete Sampras ruined the hopes of many players and my hopes along with them. Then there was Roger. Always liked him even when he was beating my other faves. I've been with him through 7 Wimbledon finals, and I'm beyond thrilled to cheer him on through a record eighth. I'm equally excited about his opponent. Scotsman Andy Murray reaches his first final on Centre Court and is a strong hope for the United Kingdom's first Gentlemen's champion in over 7 decades. I'll be hoping against hope that I see Roger's beamy face reflected in that golden chalice tomorrow, but I can't root against Murray either. Let's hope it's a great match!

ps. Gonna miss Breakfast at Wimbledon on NBC though, especially the theme music which I sing incessantly whenever it comes to mind.

So it's Spider-Man week here in NYC and thanks to the Mighty Ganesha at The Diva Review I was able to attend a couple of the events as at least a pseudo-professional. First up on Monday was the ceremonial lighting of the Empire State building with the cast and director Marc Webb. I can't believe their model building doesn't have King Kong hanging of the top of it (or a certain spandexed superhero) but overall it was worth battling some overtaxed photogs to witness the Spidey crew push the lever.  Very Metrolpolis - wait that's the wrong city!

Then Wednesday saw Peter Parker on the steps of the Museum of Natural History to present the santa looking arachnid expert with a live Chilean Rose Tarantula. Thank heaven this event was outside because I was already getting the creeps picturing myself and a bunch of rabid photogs battling for position amongst a bunch of live spiders.  No nightmare scenario at all -the press couldn't have been more friendly and accommodating and santa was so anxious that his beautiful (and big and furry) spider didn't bake in the brutal sun (that same sun that caused Andrew Garfield to strip mid-event). Andrew was so gracious and hurled himself into the group of fans observing to sign autographs and take pictures. I'm a bit bias but AG is one of the sweetest people ever and one of the finest living actors to boot. I had the privilege (the Mighty Ganesha blesses me again) of seeing The Amazing Spider-Man earlier this month and his Peter Parker is a real wonder. This is a comparison you hear all the time

and I never give it much credit, but AG reminds me of James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause - watchful, uncomfortable, anguished, in love, witty. His performance is so nuanced yet naturalistic it's a bit of a shame the whole movie doesn't quite live up to it. Still I strongly urge everyone to go see The Amazing Spider-Man next week - it's filled with great moments, great performances and for the first time it looks and feels like this kid is really flying through a great big city. My city.

 It's been along time since I first read Andrew got the part and even since I haunted the NYC production and I'm thrilled the movie is finally here ready to be ingested. So eat it up!

Buddy Ian's new project

Hello friendies, I've been outlining a new project for Buddy Ian - a picture book about his look for love and these are some samples from the first practice shoot. Like how it looks, but I think the B&W will be even better.

Our King finally has another jewel in his crown. Now I wish there were pictures of him holding the much uglier Conn Smythe trophy, but Henrik has long been deserving of the Vezina trophy as the best goaltender in the league and now his has on his fourth outing on the ballot. I heard some people (I'm looking at you Wyshynski) dismiss Henrik's career effort this season as just a product of playing behind a better team but although Jonathan Quick did a masterful job of backstopping his team to the Stanley Cup, he did so under mild expectations. Henrik stood up under the brightest spotlight in the league, prevailing through HBO's 24/7  series, The Winter Classic (penalty shot included) and arguably the toughest division. He's a superstar, and while that trophy will try to look real nice beside his gold medal, I'm hoping there's a lot more hardware in Henrik's future. Fingers crossed our team can take it two steps further next season and that ugly ass Conn Smythe will be in handsome Henrik's hands and that gorgeous silver Stanley Cup will be reflecting his gorgeous face.

Gutted

I think Henrik's looking to the Hockey Gods (or more likely the jumbotron) and wondering why this series ad to shake out this way. I of course was wondering as I often do, "Why do the Refs swallow the whistle when the puck is in Henrik's crease?" I never heard any of the Blueshirts reference a lack of call on the OT goal, but from my POV I saw Henke lay directly on the puck before it was scooped out to Henrique's stick for the putaway I had time to yell "Blow the whistle" twice at the TV before the series was over. Not that the one goal was the reason we lost the conference finals. I'll grant that the Devils played better than us, but it kills me to see see the final play transpire unnecessarily. It broke my heart. I was home with my mom watching the game. Se mercifully fell asleep in the 3rd period so I could focus and ultimately sob as my team took their places for the handshake line I was dreading. Monday morning she hands me the rally towel I had brought with me to hopefully cheer the Rangers to wins in games 6 & 7 and says, "Don't forget your crying towel." I guess mom wasn't fully asleep, or I woke her with my loud weeping.

 Really I owe this bad feeling all to Henrique on the Devils. If he didn't score the game 7 OT winner against Florida we could have been facing either them or the Flyers. I have a lot of hope for next season though and I firmly believe it isn't wishful thinking. This team will be mostly intact with new star Chris Kreider added to the daily mix along with a few other surprises this post-season I'm sure. Hopefully Henrik will have another injury free consistent effort and we can try to make it even further. Until then I'm rooting for Federer to sweep all the tennis tournaments this summer.

Only good thing about the Devils advancing is it makes no difference that I'll miss game 2 of the finals for Andrew Garfield's final performance as Biff. You only have 4 more opportunities to catch this tremendous production of Death of a Salesman on Broadway before it closes Saturday night. Everyone is excellent, but Andrew Garfield will break your heart. Even more spectacular is he's an even better person than he is an actor. Go see it!

testing our limits

So I've been smelling really badly this week. Seriously it's been a little like a locker room up in my shirts, but I realized what it was after that heart wrenching game last night - My frustration with this Devils series, and my hatred of Brodeur in particular. It's seeping out of my pores like Patrick Elias' undernourished excretions. So gross. This lost particularly hurt, but we're not out. I believe we can win the next two games and hope against hope we do. Henrik will shut it down and every line will light Marty up! Let's Go Rangers!

Whatever it takes

Three things I could enjoy from game 4 -

1. No shutout for Mar-tan
2. No more than 3 goals scored on Henrik
3. Rupp's swipe at Brodeur

You know Avery loved number 3. Might have gotten a 71 tattoo in the last day. Also, apart from the game I got to spend it with my favorite people in one of my favorite places - MSG, so thank you Jane and El Fano and Kim, who came all the way from Minneapolis just to be forced to watch nonstop hockey.

Let's hope we give her some thing better to cheer tomorrow night! Let's go Rangers!

Soldiering on

I said when I first saw Chris Kreider in a Rangers sweater at the 2009 draft that he was a soldier, and he's certainly been living up to my first impression. He scored his 5th goal of the post-season and his 3rd on Brodeur yesterday. I have a ton of faith in my team, but they've been surely testing it by playing well every other game. By all measures except the scoreboard they should have lost this one too, but Henrik and the hockey gods sorted us out. Luckily we have Kreider too, that offensive spark that I've begrudged so many other winning teams in the past. I really do believe and so I hope tomorrow we can go up two games for the first time this playoffs. Let's Go Rangers!

PS. Looks like Girardi and Cally have been in a non-stop rumble. OMG, those bruises, those noses. Just another good reason to put away the Devils as quickly as possible!

more than half way there

I couldn't have scripted a better Game 1 of the Eastern conference finals. Well 7-0 wouldn't have been bad either, but I firmly believe in saving some goals for when you really need them -like in the 3rd period of a scoreless game. Girardi (isn't the Broadway hat looking a little spiffier these days?), my boy Chris Kreider made Marty properly suck it and Anisimov sealed it with an empty netter. Henrik earned his 2nd shutout of the playoffs and while he may never reach Brodeur's record, each one is so special. Let's try to not depend on that tomorrow night. I would love to go into NJ having backed up home ice with another win.

We're 9 wins deep already! 7 more to go, but I'll take the next three first. Let's go Rangers!

PS. Dancing Larry got some national coverage (congrats) on NHL tonight Monday, although Kevin Weekes called him something else. As a former Ranger shouldn't he know better?