Day: August 17, 2007

false prophets

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The fans were getting impatient. “Bench it Like Beckham,” read one sign, while others berated him for having the audacity to be injured. The American sportsfan attention span was quickly turning against him, but the other day Beckham finally started a game, as captain no less, and scored his first Galaxy goal, a copyrighted trademark textbook (and cliché-filled? ) free kick. It was in the Superliga, played between MLS and Mexican teams, kind of the North American equivalent to the Anglo-Italian Cup (but without the mighty Swindon).

Mystic Pete should have seen it coming, but was shaking his head in wonder at his latest curse-stricken prognostics. He said, for example, that Genk would become Champions of Belgium. The next day, Genk lost 5-0. Early doors, though. Man United will win the league again, he said; then Rooney injures his foot, Cristiano Ronaldo gets sent off, they drop points against two fairly lame teams. Spurs, well, two defeats after being predicted easy fourth place plus the Cup. Long season though! Cardiff, they’ll go up into the Premiership, he says; next day reads the news they’re being sued for 30 million quid, and we all know what happens to smaller clubs in the financial bogs (eh, Leeds). Cheers Mystic Pete. Marseille will finally break Lyon’s deadlock in France! Two nil-nil draws later, still looking for a goal, OM faithful less certain. It’s a long season to come though! Bayern Munich, may get the UEFA Cup but will do nothing in the league, they don’t have the players. Werder Bremen will win it, they still have Klose! Mystic Pete said. Next day, he reads Kicker (German footy mag) and learns that Klose, yes, now plays for Bayern, as do goal-machines Franck Ribéry and Luca Toni. Ja, vielleicht wird Bayern ‘was machen. Still, Southgate’s job looks unsure, but if the papers are believed (do they ever lie?) Jol might beat him to it. Still, long old season ahead of us. Never mind Mystic Pete. More like Myopic Pete.

originally posted at 20six.co.uk/petescully

cash cab

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My feelings about American telly are well-documented. Two many (loud) advert breaks, schedules being the same every single day, endless reality shows modeled on the worst of British (with cheesy soundtracks and editing) (most American shows these days are modeled on something British), crap asinine game shows requiring little or no knowledge of anything (Jeopardy being the huge exception), news shows fronted by giggling imbeciles with huge hair, faux concerned looks, enormous teeth and absolutely no sense of when to shut up and stop prattling pointless nonsense. Yes, I try not to watch much TV.

I tell you one fairly enjoyable quiz show my wife and I have discovered recently, though: Cash Cab. Set inside a taxicab on the streets of New York, unsuspecting passengers climb into the cab, state their destination to the driver, and suddenly colourful lights appear on the ceiling and they are told they are on a game show. The driver, New Yorker Ben Bailey (who looks like a younger De Niro mixed with Elliot Stapler from Law & Order), asks them a series of questions as he takes them through the congested city streets, and each time they answer a question correct they get cash. If they get stuck, they have two ‘shout-outs’ they can use, one mobile (like phone-a-friend), and one street shout-out, whereby they pull over, and ask someone from the sidewalk to help with their question. If they get three questions wrong, that’s three strikes and the driver kicks you out of the cab, no matter where you are, with no money (a free cab ride though). If you get to the end, you can either keep the cash, or go double-or-nothing with a bonus question. It’s an interesting concept for a game show, and good fun. Now I thought to myself, it’s a very New York show, set inside the iconic yellow-cab; given the trivia-soaked black-cabbies in London you could have it there too. Maybe you already do?

Well I looked it up, and yes it seems you do, and yes, like all shows these days, you actually had it there first, on ITV, since 2005 (the year I left). Jeez, it makes me feel like I’ve been away for ever.

Originally posted at 20six.co.uk/petescully