European Super League Secession

 

Yesterday it was formally announced that 12 of the top teams in European Football would be breaking off to form their own European Super League. The proclamation comes after years of rumors and speculation as to whether or not the move would actually take place. Now, on the heals of a season and half of financially fraught football due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, these clubs have officially started secession.

Reactions were unsurprisingly panicked - Twitter went ablaze, UEFA and the Premier League condemned the actions, and FIFA proclaimed that any players who partake in the new league will be banned from the World Cup. Even heads of states like Boris Johnson and Emmanuel Macron came out against it.

Here in the states I think the scale and weight of the whole situation is a bit muddled. Imagine if Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, Oklahoma, and Notre Dame decided to start their own conference. Or if the Red Sox, Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs, and Cardinals one day announced that they would automatically make the playoffs every year. That's essentially what's happened here. They aren't perfect parallels but that's the level of cultural impact this will have if it goes through.

I don't see any way a genuine fan of sports and competition can support this decision. To me, it's a blatant money grab by these massive global brands - a way to sure up TV/ad revenue without having to earn the right to a share of the pot. Now that's not to say that UEFA and FIFA and the current European format is perfect. And neither are the domestic leagues. But to further enrich the big clubs in Europe is not a solution by any means. In my opinion that's the exact opposite of what should be done. More parity would be better for the fans of the sport, but parity brings increased risk to these giants and their boardrooms don't want that.

In the grand scheme of things this development goes hand in hand with the age-old tale of multinational corporations trying to monopolize their respective industries in any way they can. We've seen it booming in big tech  the last decade or so: Amazon now dominates our streets with delivery trucks, Facebook continues to gobble up subsidiaries, and Google marches on in it's quest to mine every piece of data it possibly can. And much like those companies, these clubs are an everyday part of millions of peoples' lives. But beyond that, these teams are socio-cultural touchstones that people identify with and cherish. These organizations are among the most important institutions in each city they hail from, and to see these billionaire owners shamelessly go against their fan's wishes is a sad site indeed. Like the big tech battle, this Super League is yet another form of deindustrialization that will line the pockets of the mega rich at the expense of average people. People who have been fans of this sport and their respective clubs for generations.

The question is: Are fans/consumers and the governing bodies that represent those people strong/organized enough to stop this? We shall see.

- ZB James

Go UMass

 

Last night UMass Hockey took home the schools first ever Division I national title. What an epic victory, I never thought I'd see the day. UMass Athletics were sort of a joke when I was out there - the lacrosse team was good and soccer is always decent, but the big 4 sports were usually pretty mediocre and uninspiring. So for a national title to come back to Amherst is borderline unbelievable. 

Hopefully this win can permeate the entire athletic department, I'd love to see the basketball team return to their mid 90's prominence. And the football team needs any help they can get, my lord. Talk about the most pathetic team maybe in all of Division I lol. Whatever the future holds, this is a moment to truly soak in and enjoy. Go UMass!

- ZB James

ZB's YouTube Cavern #6: Dirty Girls

 

Not even sure how this popped up on my YouTube feed, but I saw it and it seemed interesting so I clicked. It’s a short film documentary about a group of riot girls who were outsiders at their school in metro LA. Very fascinating piece of history that transports the viewer right into the heart of the 1990’s. The song “Batmobile” by Liz Phair acts as the theme song and my goodness it’s a perfect accompaniment. So alt.

The fact that these are all 8th graders or high schoolers is pretty remarkable. Almost every kid featured here makes some sort of intelligent and well-spoken statement. Even the kids who are critical of the Dirty Girls - they’re being cruel and you may not agree with them but they’re all articulate.

The most interesting part to me was when the documentarian had their classmates read the feminist Sour GRRRL zine that Amber had created. Every single one of their peers just shits all over it, it’s sad but also not surprising. Classic high school group-think bullying.

Their reunion in 2013 is also pretty interesting (below). Cool to see that they were all super into music and ended up forming bands. All in all it’s just a very humble and thoughtful piece of film. The way it simultaneously represents a single moment in time (the mid 90s) while maintaining an overarching relatability (high school bullying, teenage angst) is very unique.

- ZB James

ZB's YouTube Cavern #5: The Legend of Jack Grealish

 

Two years ago today a legend was born in Birmingham. I remember watching this game and being stunned at how Hollywood it was. Star player gets attacked by lunatic opposing fan during an inner city rivalry game. Star player stays calm, cool, and collected during the chaos. Star player ends up scoring the winning goal later in the game. Star player fist pumps towards the crowd after the game and the fans erupt. You couldn't write it any better.

That was the first day I really took notice of Jack Grealish, when I first saw just how special of a player he was. Such talent and leadership, and back then he was still budding with possibilities and potential. To see where he's taken his game - and by extension his club - since then has been nothing short of remarkable. He's become my favorite athlete on the planet today, and Aston Villa has quickly turned into a team near and dear to my heart. I'm thankful to have caught this insane match back in March of 2019 and am glad YouTube has canonized the moment with the above clip.

He went on to say it was the best day of his life. Legend.

- ZB James

ZB's YouTube Cavern #4

 

A magical music video from Fleet Foxes that moves me every time I watch it. It's like a surreal short film of sorts. I remember watching this with Shaktman and Mulcahey when it first came out and the three of us were floored. Great times in Conor's basement, pure debauchery haha. Love Pecknold and company, they are true musical auteurs painting majestic tapestries with their sounds. To couple that with such intricate and trippy animation is incredible. 

The Gulf Stream by Winslow Homer (1899)

The Gulf Stream by Winslow Homer (1899)

"What is freedom? Is it the bare privilege of not being chained?... If this is all, then freedom is a bitter mockery, a cruel delusion." - James A. Garfield

The Scene

At the center of the canvas lies a black man on a boat, it's mast destroyed and the ship directionless. He is lost at sea, and surrounding him in the dark waters are sharks ready to attack. The man sits on his back stoically as he gazes out across the ocean. Far in the distance we see a ship to our left and a swirling cyclone to the right. 

What happened to this poor man? How close is he to shore? What will be his fate? Will he be saved by the passing ship or ripped apart by the sharks? Will he make it safely to shore or will he be swallowed by the incoming storm?

Every time I look at this painting my mind floods with these questions and a sinking feeling overwhelms me. It's a stunning piece by one of the finest painters in American history. Truly an iconic work.

My Interpretation

While the piece can be taken quite literally, which I think may have been Winslow's intention, my mind goes elsewhere. 

For me this work is a representation of American Reconstruction. Where the man at the center is the newly freed slaves, the sharks are hostile whites, and the treacherous ocean is Black America's newfound freedom. He is undoubtedly thirsty, but this water is salty and deceiving. His captain - an absent symbol of the antebellum plantation owner - has gone overboard. Swallowed by the previous storm, or in this case the Civil War. The shore isn't in frame either. An unseen representation of the North, where things are safer but still uncertain and dangerous.

In the distance the foggy ship is the promise of a better tomorrow. The hope that one day equality and suffrage will be attained. While the raging storm to the right symbolizes the backlash and suffering that may arise in the coming years.

Seeing it through this lens, the painting becomes even more heartbreaking. By telling myself this story, I now know this man's fate.

That's just my vision though. The beauty of art is that it's open to any interpretation you give it. It doesn't matter what the critics say, or even what the artist's original intentions were. Look at it, hear it, touch it, sing it, experience it. And whatever comes to mind is your own personal truth. Nobody can take that feeling away from you.

What do you see in this piece?

- ZB James

The Surreal Album Artwork of Robert Beatty

Robert Beatty is a graphic designer who produces art for some of the biggest names in music and media, including art for a band named Mondo Drag - surely he is a messiah of Todd himself. I especially enjoy his color schemes and other-worldly designs.

One of my favorite all-time pieces of album artwork, which was commissioned for (but is not limited to) Tame Impala's 2017 Currents, is a Robert Beatty production. The specific rendering is a take on fluid/gas dynamics known as vortex shedding or turbulent flow. Picture those little swirls when you walk through smoke, dye in water, or the way water itself spirals behind a moving boat or an oar. Now dip that concept in LSD and you've got the cover of Currents.

Tame Impala - Currents

Mondo Drag - Mondo Drag

William Tyler - Goes West

Tim Heidecker - Fear Of Death

Beatty has a bunch more pieces up on his website which are all highly interesting and definitely worth a browse. He also does graphics for the New York Times and writes his own music. A cool human with work worth following.

- Moth