EL BARRIO, EL BRONX – I must be doing something right to be pinch-hitting so regularly. Snide remark aside, I forewent(?) a couple of happenings last week so I could focus on my piece on the Mets. That said, today’s piece will revive some of the debate from last week. Sticking with a a working formula, I will do a Song of the Week before getting to the Sports Stuff. The Sports stuff this week will be about the Best Baseball Movie, Las Vegas Raiders & Derrick Rose.
Song of the Week: I didn’t listen to a whole lot of music this week. But my music app created a daily playlist for me based on my music history. I looked through the third version of my daily mix and discovered one of my favorites. The artist is Ledisi and it is a great song to play when you are looking to celebrate a tough process and have reached the finish line. The song is Bravo.
Best Baseball Movie: Courtesy of Short Matt, I attended Opening Day – look for the video – at Citi [Field]. While we were there, I mentioned putting out my Top 3 Baseball Movies… He points to Angry Ward’s piece on the subject but I tell him my choices anyway. After he hears them, he is incredulous that I’m leaving off Bull Durham and Field of Dreams. Then he gets that suspicious look and asks if I’ve seen them. I admit to never watching Bull Durham in its entirety and not seeing Field of Dreams at all. Matt hits tilt and hammers me, “Guy! Guy?! What kind of hack are you?! You haven’t seen arguably two of the best baseball movies ever but you want to make a Top 3 List?! At least go watch the films.”
And so, this week I watched both films and liked them. They inspired my first two picks – but not as you might think. See, I like the actual in-game aspects of a movie more than the off-the-field stuff…. So after that long, winding backstory, here are my Top 5 Baseball Movies:
1) For the Love of the Game
2) Major League
3) Bull Durham
4) A League of Their Own
5) Field of Dreams
Las Vegas Raiders: Despite the best efforts of the city Oakland, the Raiders are leaving. Like all other professional franchises, they wanted the city to foot the bill for a football-specific stadium. The members of the Oakland city council were lukewarm, as the city had real pressing financial matters. 
Beyond the general disgust of a team abandoning its fans (for the second time!), it is mind-boggling that they announced this move will occur for the 2020 season. So for the next two years, 2017 & 2018, until their contract runs out at the Oakland Coliseum, the Raiders will not be in Vegas. In fact, where they will play in 2019 is up in the air. The team President still called on fans to support the team until they move. Say what?! Have you seen Raiders fans and how unhinged they are?! Or even the sheer gall to ask for people’s money, knowing full well you are taking a key distraction away from their stressed lives? This is like a guy telling his current partner he has decided to marry the girl living down the block but it won’t be for three years so. “In the meantime, Honey, we should still play house.” (To put it mildly on this family site). I hope they get less than 10,000 tickets sold each game-day for this kind of disrespect.
Derrick Rose: The bloom is off. Apparently, D-Rose tore his meniscus and is done for the season. Also done for his career, if we are being honest. Rose will never be the player he was coming out of college. He would be best served by signing a veteran minimum and going to a team like OKC or Houston that could use him to lead the 2nd team guys when they come into the game. That is the best he can hope fore, he is done or should be done as a starter in this league.
That is it for now, stay tuned for a man who we all idolize, Cheesy Bruin. You can also find us on Twitter – @JunoirBlaber & @MeetTheMatts, Instagram -@MeetTheMatts and Facebook– Meet The Matts..
