So, I Watched Sidelined: The QB and Me (2024, Dir. by Justin Wu)


Drayton Lahey (Noah Beck) is a high school quarterback who is being pressured by his father (James Van Der Beek) to accept a football scholarship to “Waco.”  (I guess that’s supposed to be Baylor.)  Drayton has the talent to turn pro and he’ll be a starter if he goes to Waco, despite being only a freshman.  (Maybe it isn’t Baylor.  Baylor football coaches aren’t that dumb.)  But Drayton likes a cheerleader named Dallas Bryan (Sienna Agudong), who is the sister of his coach (Drew Ray Tanner) and who wants to go to California after she graduates so that she can pursue her dream of being a professional dancer.

It’s a slickly-made high school football movie and, even worse, it’s a Wattpad movie so there’s no surprises to be found here.  I was able to predict every line of dialogue before the characters said it.  The plot was old-fashioned but the actors said stuff like, “I’m tired of your main character energy,” just to make sure that we all knew the movie was made in 2024.  I was a cheerleader in high school but no one on our football team was offered a scholarship anywhere.  I could still relate to some parts of the movie, though.  It was always awkward after the games when the parents would yell at the players because they dropped a pass or threw an interception.  Even our bad players were put under a lot of pressure and, as cheerleaders, a big part of our job was to make everyone felt like a winner even when they were losing.  We were good at our job but, by the end of the year, we still had a losing season and no scholarships.

Sienna Agudong was believable in the lead role but I had a hard time buying TikTok star Noah Beck as a quarterback with the talent to be a freshman starter or to even go pro.  The big “star” in this movie was James Van Der Beek, playing the type of humorless father figure that he used to rebel against in his teen idol days.  If you can remember Dawson standing in that rowboat, this movie will make you feel old.

Music Video of the Day: Please Please Please by Sabrina Carpenter, feat. Dolly Parton (2025, Dir. by Sabrina Carpenter and Sean Price Williams)


Everyone has their own way of celebrating Valentine’s Day.

When I first learned that Sabrina Carpenter was the new big thing in music, my first reaction was, “You mean the friend from Girl Meets World?”  I was skeptical but she’s won me over.  Sabrina really can sing!  She proves it in this video, holding her own with none other than Dolly Parton as they bury Sabrina’s ex.

I like the look of this video.  Everything looks better in black-and-white.  Some of the images remind me of the photography of Diane Arbus and the way she captured the unique identity of America.

Enjoy!

Song of the Day: The Main Theme From The Natural by Randy Newman


Just like yesterday’s song of the day, this is a piece of music that will be familiar to anyone who has ever been to a baseball game.

Randy Newman composed this for the 1984 classic baseball movie, The Natural.  I defy anyone to listen to this without immediately remembering the greatest home run that they’ve ever seen.

 

4 Shots From 4 Films: Celebrating The Silhouette


4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!

As a photographer, I love a good silhouette shot.  Here are some of my favorites.

4 Shots From 4 Films

Fantasia (1940, Dir. by Samuel Armstrong)

Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004, Dir. by Quentin Tarnatino)

True Grit (2010, Dir. by Joel and Ethan Coen)

Lone Survivor (2013, Dir. by Peter Berg)

The Most Inspiring Home Run You’ll See Today


Yesterday, the college baseball season started.

Cade Belyeu, a sophomore outfield for Auburn University, lost his mom on Friday morning but, when he called to tell his coach the news, he said that he still wanted to play in that night’s game against Holy Cross.  His mom, before she passed, said that she wanted him to play in the game.

On his third trip to the plate, this happened…

The homerun was the first of both the game and the season.  As Belyeu rounded the bases, he pointed to where the ball had gone out of the stadium.  The crowd, most of whom knew Belyeu’s story, erupted in cheers.  After the game (which Auburn won 4-1), the fan who caught the ball returned it to the team and it was given to Belyeu.

Moment like this are why I love baseball.

I Watched Love Is On The Air (2021, Dir. by Arvin N. Berner)


Adam Smasher (Jason London) is the family friendly version of Howard Stern, an obnoxious shock jock who has just been fired from his radio job and, due to nearly crashing into a cow, finds himself stranded in a small North Carolina town.  He gets a job on the local radio station, co-hosting a call-in show with Eve Cassidy (Lauren Harper).  At first, Adam and Eve don’t mix.  Adam is cynical and Eve actually wants to help people with their relationship issues.  After a few days, Adam learns to appreciate country living and Eve falls in love with him even though she’s dating the station manager, Jamel (Ian Reier Michaels).  Adam shows he’s a soft touch when he buys a bunch of sandwiches for a poor family and Eve starts to loosen up and have more fun on the air.  Eve is offered her own show in Chicago and has to decide between her career and Adam.

This isn’t a Hallmark film but it might as well be.  I enjoyed it even though I knew everything that was going to happen, from the minute Adam first heard Eve on the radio and called in to “smash” her.  (I actually had to check to see when this movie has been made because Adam’s whole act seemed to be from the 1990s.)  This is one of those movies where you know what you’re getting from the start.  If you’re surprised that Adam brings a carousel down to the station for Eve to ride during a commercial break, you’ve probably never seen one of these movies before.  I liked the cozy small town town feel of the location and I think Jason London should be in more movies.  I also think it’s funny that 99% of these movies start with someone having car trouble.  If people knew how to drive, they would never fall in love.

Song of the Day: Centerfield by John Fogerty


Lisa asked me to pick today’s song of the day and you’ll never guess what it’s about!

Baseball!

If you’ve been to a game, you’ve heard Centerfield.  If you’ve been to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, you’ve heard Centerfield a lot.  This song captures everything that I and so many other people love about the great American pastime!  I can’t wait to hear it again in just a few more weeks!

Well, I beat the drum and hold the phone
The sun came out today
We’re born again, there’s new grass on the field
A-roundin’ third and headed for home
It’s a brown-eyed handsome man
Anyone can understand the way I feel

Oh, put me in, coach
I’m ready to play today
Put me in, coach
I’m ready to play today
Look at me, I can be centerfield

Well, I spent some time in the Mudville Nine
Watching it from the bench
You know I took some lumps
When the Mighty Casey struck out
So say, “Hey Willie, tell Ty Cobb and Joe DiMaggio”
Don’t say it ain’t so you, know the time is now

Oh, put me in, coach
I’m ready to play today
Put me in, coach
I’m ready to play today
Look at me, I can be centerfield

You got a beat up glove, a homemade bat
And a brand new pair of shoes
You know I think it’s time to give this game a ride
Just to hit the ball and touch ’em all, a moment in the sun
It’s a-gone and you can tell that one goodbye

Oh, put me in, coach
I’m ready to play today
Put me in, coach
I’m ready to play today
Look at me, I can be centerfield (yeah)

Oh, put me in, coach
I’m ready to play today
Put me in, coach
I’m ready to play today
Look at me, gotta be centerfield

Yeah

Songwriter: John C. Fogerty