Day: June 13, 2012

The Greatest

One of the many cultural icons of my generation is the 1992 US men’s Olympic basketball team: The Dream Team. While this oral history of the greatest team ever is good, I must admit I was a little disappointed by it. It doesn’t seem nearly long enough. I know there were more great stories that could have been repeated.

Johnson: Oh man, the best basketball I ever played was during those practices. Because everybody said, “Let’s strap up.”
Wilkens: Our last scrimmage, Magic’s team was dominating Michael’s team. And the guys were teasing Michael, because he was playing golf every morning. Well, that did it. The whole thing turned around.
Thorn: He got upset, so he started to score every time down the floor. One time he drove, and the refs called, like, a real tick-tack foul. So Magic booted the ball up to the ceiling: “This is ridiculous! Just like the NBA! He gets every call!”
Hubbard: Magic was saying, “This must be what it’s like playing in Chicago Stadium,” because Michael was getting the calls. And Michael said, “Well, this is the ’90s, not the ’80s.”

Depp Being Depp

I’ve been slowly working my way through the most excellent Joe Strummer documentary The Future Is Unwritten. If you’re a fan of the punk rock prophet, or just a fan of music in general, I highly recommend it.

The film features audio from the late Strummer cut with interviews with people he was close to through his life. Family members, friends, lovers, rivals, bandmates, people he inspired, etc. The only downside is none of the people are identified when they speak, so I have no idea who a few of them were. But most, like the other members of The Clash, his daughters, and other celebrities stick out. One in particular.

Apparently Johnny Depp was both a fan and friend of Joe’s.1 His interview is the best. He’s sitting in a dark room in full Pirates of the Caribbean attire. I’m sure most people think, when they see his scenes, “Oh, they must have filmed his interview while he was filming one of the Pirates movies.”

But then I thought, you know, this is Johnny Depp we’re talking about. He may have just been chilling in his French estate or hanging out at a bar in LA and wearing the pirate garb for no reason other than it was comfortable. It’s funny to think that, but also completely within the realm of possibility.

JD is the best.


  1. As were Matt Dillon and John Cusack. Apparently being a Brat Pack-era actor with dark hair and a taste for artsy movies drew you to Joe’s music. 

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