Author: D. Buffa

A regular guy who feels a journalistic hunger to tell the news. I blog because its wired into my brain to write what I think in print. I offer an opinion. A solo tour here. Take regular stories and offer my spin on them. Sports, film, television, music, fatherhood, culture, food, and so on. Commentary on everything. A St. Louis native and Little Rock resident who wants to write just to keep the hands fresh and ready.

Blues fans: Hate Patrick Kane the right way

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(In case you missed it in the St. Louis Game Time paper on Saturday)

It’s easy to toss the hate book at Patrick Kane. He is a very good Blackhawks player who was accused of rape this past summer. While the allegations eventually proved hollow and the case was dropped, that kind of charge follows a player around. Especially, when the player plays for your team. Do me a favor and hate Patrick Kane the right way. As a member of the Blackhawks and not on other claims that don’t carry a lot of weight.

There’s a lot of dislike about the guy on the ice. He is rocking Kevin Shattenkirk’s hairline and trying to make it look good with longer hair. He has curls in his hair. He smirks a lot and has a Sidney Crosby swagger on the ice. He scored a backbreaking playoff goal against the Blues two years ago that I still get nightmares over(though Ryan Miller still gets more). Kane is a force to reckon with who happens to be among the league leaders in goals, assists, points and overall “BAMF” appeal. He’s playing like a Bruce Springsteen acoustic performance right now. There’s reason enough to hate the guy outside of something he may or may not have done. Through 18 games, Kane has 13 goals and 15 assists and a +14 rating. He has four game winning goals and six power play goals.

The problem with justifying allegations is the lack of evidence you can ride on. Is it really worth slamming a guy for something he may not have done? Anybody can climb on Twitter and fire a shot at the Blackhawks. I made a quick charge at Kane in August when the case was a turkey leg sitting up for sports writers to pick at. While it’s the last thing on a Blues fans mind right now, showing some class and taking the high road with “iffy” charges on a rival player is the best thing to do. While no one can complain with the fact that Kane needs to clean up his dating game, it’s premature in the worst way to taunt him with a case that has grown cold.

It’s okay to take shots at the Chicago Blackhawks for not throwing some weight at Kane during the unfolding of the allegations. They seemed to think it wasn’t a big deal to barely even mention anything except express good will on their winger. It could be called protection or discreet actions. When asked about it, all Joel Quenneville could muster was, “Ah fuck fuck and fuck”.

Every time Kane steps on the ice, a Blues fan should hate it. He has 218 goals in 594 games inside eight seasons with 68 power play goals. He is a +65 for his career. Here is the best reason to hate Kane. In 116 playoff games, Kane has 48 goals and 66 assists. That’s enough go fuck yourself juice for a lifetime. Goals aren’t everything unless you find a way to score them often and well.

Hate Patrick Kane the right way. Hate him for being one of the best players the Blues have to face every season. Hate him on the power play. Hate his ugly scarf and his stupid hair. Hate him for the color jersey he wears. Hate him for being a thorn in the Blues and many other teams side. Don’t hate for something he maybe or maybe not did.

 

The Leftovers on HBO: Hopelessness bliss

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Quick Note to Leftovers fans: Justin Theroux’s Kevin, the fucked up centerpiece of HBO’s unpredictable marriage of Lost and The Twilight Zone, isn’t dead. Calm down. Regroup. Make more coffee. He wasn’t killed off on Sunday’s episode.

Yes, he did drink the poison glass in order to escape the Patti confrontations and restore order in his life. Yes, he did foam at the mouth Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction style. No, the old wise man who promised to bring him back squirted the drug onto the floor and blew his head off. Yes, Kevin is more than likely alive and well. Co-creator Damon Lindelof didn’t kill his Matthew Fox 2.0 just yet. Take away Kevin and there’s plenty of juice dripping from the steak of HBO’s fall tentpole, but I can’t see a situation where it’s done in the second season.

Bold strokes keep a show like this afloat but with the season devoting so much time to the Kevin storyline, why would they just kill him off by drinking a glass of dirty magic water. That is no way to dish Jennifer Aniston’s new beau the death ticket. He will be back next week as Season 2 takes its final swings.

Part of the hysteria of watching an original piece of entertainment like HBO’s weirdo blend is having zero clue what is going to happen with the quiet assurance that every exit will be a big one. Lindelof has created along with Patrick Sommerville and novelist Tom Perrotta a series that asks the toughest questions without answering the obvious one. Such as, three years on October 15th, where did all those people go? The Departed, vanished, missing or all together gone up and burst into one puffy flakes folks. I prefer the answer to never drop because it will never match the hype that has built for over a year. Aliens would be lame. God stepping in for some weeding would be lame. A spiritual arrival would be lame. Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga kidnapping thousands of folks from their homes would be twisted but still not work. The trick with the Leftovers is peering into the human soul via this organic plot device.

Take Theroux’s Kevin, a former cop who can’t find any inner peace because the woman he kidnapped while sleepwalking and saw commit suicide haunts his daily movements. Yeah, he sleepwalks so much that his girlfriend Nora needs to handcuff him to the bed. A predicament that set him back on Sunday’s episode. An episode that was devoted to the “Is Kevin a psycho or simply an innocent dead people viewer” conundrum. Apparently, it’s bad to tell your lover that there is another person in the room taunting them. It’s an even worse idea to tell them its the same person you watched stab herself in the throat. Especially if your lady is a woman who lost her entire family in the Departed and used to cure her pain by having strangers shoot her in the chest.

Tell me there isn’t a more romantic couple on television than the sleepwalking rippled arm Kevin and the former gunshot vested Nora. No way.

In trying to save that love and defy the idea that he is like his crazy people seeing father(Scott Glenn, missed this season), Kevin says yes to the old man’s wishes in drinking the poison to go fight his demons. He takes the plunge for love and sanity. Did he pay the ultimate price? No. Kevin is still alive folks. He may still be damaged, sweaty, and full of misery but he isn’t gone.

How good is the acting on Leftovers? It’s astonishing. It’s not just convincing. These actors meld themselves into the roles. A cast of ensemble performers, stage trained thespians, and names no one has seen on a poster before. Theroux, better known for his wife and the fact that he co-wrote Iron Man 2. Carrie Coon, known for playing Ben Affleck’s sister in Gone Girl. Christopher Eccleston(who may have stole the best episode from each season) from an assortment of supporting roles. Regina King, a face from film’s past. Amy Brenneman, who will always be Judging Amy to most and Robert DeNiro’s girlfriend from Heat. Kevin Carroll. Margaret Qualley. The gifted Ann Dowd. Several true actors and no stars. All going for broke for Lindelof’s spooky drama.

Every character on this show could carry the show for their own hour. Look at Eccleston’s solo act two weeks ago. The hour starting with the tale of Matt and his

What is next? I suppose Matt’s wife is going to get out of that wheelchair and convince everyone the holy man isn’t nuts. John is going to find out Kevin’s palm print was the one found on his missing daughter’s car. That should be a nice wakeup call for our poisoned anti-hero. Nora will come back to Kevin but that won’t end up. I suppose a front lawn boxing match with King’s Erika could suffice. The town will be revealed as bullshit by the end of season 2 due to the fact that the three girls supposedly disappeared. What if they didn’t though? What if the three girls ran away? If not, what is the real season 2 theme? Same old departure all over again. Kevin sleepwalking. Matt getting his wife pregnant. John and his anger management issues.

The biggest kick in Season 2’s story has been the strain that belief can put on the human soul. What if thousands of people flocked to one town because they thought it was safe? What if it wasn’t a miracle and just a chance encounter with luck? What if John’s angry firefighting ex-con is right and it’s all made up. Isn’t that a direct tie to religion general? A bunch of people thinking someone above them is in control instead of themselves. That a higher power is their reason for what happened three years ago. What will be the big reveal of Season 2’s finale?

Maybe the cast will just act the shit out of their scenes, present new twists for Season 3 and retain our attention. The greatness of a TV show like the Leftovers is making the viewer think a little while examining their own needs and identity. This show will turn the tables on you more than once.

The show has gotten better this year. It was always interesting and wacky fun in Season 1, but this year the complexity has developed. The second act has been more invigorating, intense and well put together than the first season. As long as the season doesn’t end on a major cliffhanger and doesn’t show Aliens sucking people into the sky, The Leftovers will have survived the dreaded sophomore curse(looking at you True Detective). 

Speaking of that recent HBO misfire, Lindelof is chasing the same themes that Nic Pizzolatto did on True Detective. Loss, abandonment, false sense of security, meaning of life, destiny, desolation, and the idea of living with what you are in this world. One creator is doing a better job of expanding on his story than the other. Instead of focusing on the “what”, Damon Lindelof is keeping his focus on the characters and their plight.

And one more time. Kevin isn’t dead.

The Kick that ended Ronda Rousey’s reign in the UFC

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Ronda Rousey has fallen. After vanquishing her last three opponents inside 64 seconds, Rousey lost her first match in MMA and UFC inside six minutes. She didn’t just lose. She got knocked out. Cold. It was brutal to watch and mesmerizing at the same time. Shock, awe, and sadness all in one beautifully landed Holly Holm kick to Ronda’s neck that ended it. Watching it live, I tried to imagine what people thought when Mike Tyson was knocked out by Buster Douglas. UFC 193 was the home of the greatest upset of all time. Something nobody will forget. Where were you the night Ronda Rousey got knocked out?

I could see it coming. Small hints. I wrote hours before the fight that Rousey seemed rattled at the weigh in and overly tense. She is always an emotional battlefield of open wounds, but this was different. She sounded like somebody who wasn’t holding the crown. She sounded worried. Who was this tall, sweet talking and well natured challenger nicknamed the Preacher’s Daughter? Holm was unlike anything Rousey had faced before. A fighter with an excellent stand up strike game and a tall and muscular build to withstand attacks and make someone think twice about coming after her. Holm was a different specimen than Ronda’s usual opponents. With few threats or words, Holm was inside Ronda’s head before the fight night began.

Ronda Rousey, Holly Holm
Paul Crock/Getty Images

Once the opening bell sounded and 30 seconds passed, Ronda seemed off her game. She wanted to jump in quick and end it but she didn’t know how. Holm wasn’t backing up or giving an open lane inside. After a minute passed, Ronda seemed even more lost. Holm landed flush shot after flush shot straight to the face of the champ. Rousey’s defense was gone. She was desperate in the first round and Holm was taking advantage. Rousey took Holm down and tried to do an armbar hold and Holm broke out of it with ease. It was sloppy and easy to escape from. Holm took down Ronda but immediately got up, knowing the ground wasn’t her best chance to take the title. Ronda got back up and barely escaped the first round. She had no legs. No energy. No clue. Fight fans wondered who they were looking at. Who was this mortal person in the ring?

Rousey sat in her corner, looking as shocked as the rest of us. She didn’t know who was standing in front of her but her face suddenly recognized pain and how adversity felt. For the first time, Rousey was bleeding and her opponent was not.

The second round didn’t even get a minute old before Rousey was finished. She missed with a few shots and Holm landed a few flush shots to the face before Rousey tried to charge and fell in doing so. When she got back up, she missed with another shot, got tagged and stumbled to the ground. Before she could get up and turn around, Holm landed the perfect leg to the neck and face. The strike numbed Rousey’s moment and the rest of her night, all at once. Rousey fell to the ground like a lump of bricks. You know that limp nothing look to a fighter’s body when they get caught with the perfect shot? That was Rousey. She landed, and Holm got on top, landing two more sideway shots to the champ’s face, literally knocking the undefeated record from her body. With one fall, the monument that Rousey built was gone. The “And still” anthem was put on hold and a new sound was heard, “And NEWWWWW!!!”

Holm immediately jump up in and ran to the side of the ring, unleashing the biggest smile this world will see this weekend. She did it. She did the impossible. The unthinkable. After eight weeks of being told no way, Holm screamed back at the world, “WAY!!”. She didn’t just defeat Ronda Rousey. She defeated the hype machine and world conquering name and face of a legion of young women fighters. Now young girls can look up to two female fighters and not just one. The whole world will know the name Holly Holm by Monday morning. It will be in every punch line, water cooler conversation and phone screen. The image of her leg landing on Rousey’s neck will be as memorable as Juan Manuel Marquez sending Manny Pacquiao to the canvas with that thunderous right hook.

Will Ronda return? Sure she will. She is hungrier than ever now. Minutes after she was counted out, she sat on the canvas and realized what it was like to not win. That is all the motivation she will need to come back for a likely rematch against Holm. Every loss is only met by the sweet smell of revenge cooking around the corner. For now, celebrate Holm and her newfound fame. She earned every tweet, mention and headline that will involve her name over the holidays. She was a massive underdog coming into the fight and leaves Australia the champion of the world. As the great late St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Joaquin Andujar said, “You Never Know.”

In the world of sports, you never know what will happen. In the world of fighting, you never know what will happen when that bell dings and it’s time. There’s someone out there for everybody to lose to. It’s a matter of those two people meeting in a ring.

Saturday night, Ronda Rousey entered the ring as the undefeated champion and top name in the world of sports. Sunday morning, she will wake up defeated and without a belt with a chip on her shoulder. The larger than life star has fallen. What will she do when she wakes up? That is the beauty of sports. Every fall is followed by a reaction.

What are you prepared to do, Ronda?

While we are pondering that and the rematch is set up, take a moment and send some praise Holly Holm’s way. She shocked the world this weekend!

Is Ronda Rousey rattled by “sweet” Holly Holm?

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Some pre-fight banter before the lovely ladies battle at midnight.

During the Friday weigh in, I picked something up about Rouda Rousey. After Holly Holm came in at 134 pounds and Rousey stepped up smiling and matched the weight, there was a tense faceoff. This wasn’t the surprising part. This happens at every contest that is centered around ring combat. Fighters weigh in, smile, flex and then bark at the other fighter. Keep in mind the fighter has been starving their body for weeks so they are seriously just hungry. When the two ladies stood face to face, Rousey put a fist next to Holm’s face and she did the same, to the point of pushing Ronda away.

However, Rousey seemed like an isolated teenager when she was interviewed by Joe Rogan about the tense staredown. She sounded truly rattled and unnerved by the way Holm had acted throughout the camp. Holly is a quiet sweet tall muscular killer. She smiles right up to the moment when she snaps you in half. Is this on purpose? Is this Holly trying to get into Ronda’s head by not saying much? Rousey’s last opponent mocked her dad’s suicide and got crushed in 34 seconds. Holm isn’t doing that. She is unlike many of Rousey’s opponents. She is undefeated, tall and muscular. She is a specimen that will give Rousey trouble.

I was just surprised at the reaction from Rousey. She is an emotional woman and lets her words and tears fly. She is also a worldwide phenomenon. She is everywhere. After destroying Correia this summer, Rousey became even bigger around the world. A tough woman who has beaten her last three opponents in just over 64 seconds. She deserves the fame but is it finally getting to her? The commercials, the videos, the movies, the publicity and all of that getting to the most popular female in sports and in the world who just donned the cover of a boxing magazine. It’s a point to ponder as the pay per view event gets underway in Australia.

I’ve seen Rousey get emotional talking about anything but she seemed detached from her zone Friday evening at the weigh in. Holm was calm as a feather, saying she was just taking a drink and praising Rousey’s ability. She’s been sucking at the throne of Rousey this entire tour of publicity for the fight. She could be secretly ninja chopping Rousey on the inside.

The trainers for Holm have battled Rousey before and lost so there is history there. This could just be Ronda letting it all hang out before she goes off to film a pair of films before another fight. I wonder how much she wants to fight and how much she wants to make movies. She probably doesn’t mind not getting punched for real but I think there is a hunger inside her that is leaking out with this Holm fight.

I could be mistaken, but I think Holm pushes Ronda tonight. Holm is 9-0 in MMA and 2-0 in UFC with an overall professional fighting record of 33-2 but it’s the build of this woman and the quiet confidence that pushes me a little. Correia got into the ring and got punched and immediately got scared. I don’t see a bit of recklessness in Holm and that could help her last a round.

I still see Rousey winning this fight. I still her coming out on top. I just saw something Friday night from Rousey that was a little bizarre. I am not a fighter though.

Again, Rousey could have simply been hungry.

“Batkid Begins” will tear you up in a good way

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Batkid Begins is going to make you cry, folks. Men, women, kids and even a few pets. You’ve been warned.

Dressed as Batkid, Make-A-Wish recipient Miles Scott spent the day fighting crime as San Francisco was turned into Gotham City, Friday. Scott, a 5-year old leukemia patient, had his wish fulfilled with the help of Make-A-Wish Foundation, San Francisco police chief Greg suhr and Mayor Ed Lee.
Dressed as Batkid, Make-A-Wish recipient Miles Scott spent the day fighting crime as San Francisco was turned into Gotham City, Friday. Scott, a 5-year old leukemia patient, had his wish fulfilled with the help of Make-A-Wish Foundation, San Francisco police chief Greg suhr and Mayor Ed Lee.

The story of Miles Scott, a five year old boy with leukemia who gets to dream big when the Make A Wish foundation grants his request to be Batman for a day. This wasn’t just a group of people making a costume, clearing a room out and having some cake. This was the entire city of San Francisco being swapped for a mythical Gotham city that captivated the entire world. People from countries around the world, including political leaders, wanted to be a part of Miles’ story. Everybody wanted in on this action because it was genuine goodness. President Obama, Ben Affleck, Adam West, and Michael Keaton all pledging a love for the little kid who wanted to forget about the disease that had wrecked him for so long and just be a kid again. Watching this movie, I kept thinking of David Bowie’s classic song, “Heroes”.

“We can be heroes. Just for one day.” Miles’ story reminded the world that goodness isn’t that far away if the right navigator is at the front of the line.

Director Dana Nachman takes you through the entire process, livening up Miles’ comic book like tale and geeking out with the visuals. This is a story that takes certain aim for your heart no matter what because of how improbable it was from the start and the spectacle that it became. It was impossible to not hear about Batkid back in November, 2013 when it all took place. Without being superficial, Batkid Begins just takes you along for the ride of how a simple family from a small farming town found their way into the center of global attention.

It doesn’t  happen without a marvel like Make a Wish maestro Patricia Wilson coordinating with the police, local theaters, various organizations and event planners from across the city and country. In order to get this moving, Wilson couldn’t take no for an answer. Mike Jutan and Eric Johnson teaming up to play Penguin and Batman. You will tear up watching Johnson connect with Miles at a gymnastics center as they train for their stunts. When Johnson lets Miles fly on a trapeze across the gym, it’s a comfy cool great moment that will fill you with the feels usually reserved for war films with men and sad romantic dramas for women. Batkid Begins will touch you all in a different way.

I wanted to be a superhero when I was a kid. Whether it was Superman or The Punisher, I wanted to roam the streets and save people and wear the costume. At some point in our lives, we all want to be the hero. Seeing Miles live out his dream, against all odds, made a part of me feel complete. That day, he saved a lot of people, not including the actors and staged action adventures that were placed all over the city. People held up signs throughout the day that simply said, “Save us Batkid”. In the hard knock of life, strangers felt their own tragic lives being steered towards a better safer place by watching a true fighter in Miles live out a dream. Sometimes, the world works in crazy ways and it connects people in the most unlikely of ways.

Batkid Begins is the story of a miracle. Something seemingly impossible that happened because of the work of several dedicated people. Miles Scott went into remission right around the event and is healthy now. As he gets older, my guess is he will never forget the day the world was his. Neither will we.

Batkid Begins is available on Redbox and On Demand.

Tommy Hanson: Gone too damn soon

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Tommy Hanson was 29 years old. Six years ago, he was one of the game’s brightest young pitching talents. He made his pitching debut with the Atlanta Braves on June 7th, 2009. He won 13 games that season, compiling a 2.89 and finishing 3rd in NL Rookie of The Year. He won 45 games during his first four seasons before shoulder injuries struck him down. He hadn’t appeared in a Major League game since 2013. He was pitching for the San Francisco Giants in the minors this past season. Late Monday night, NBC Sports confirmed  via an MLB source that Hanson had passed away after catastrophic organ failure.

On Sunday, Hanson went into the hospital after experiencing trouble breathing. Earlier Monday evening, Hanson fell into a coma. A variety of tests were run but to no avail. There were no prior events that could have prepared his family or his friends for this kind of situation. According to all sources available, Hanson didn’t have any previous serious issues other than getting his shoulder 100 percent and getting back to the Majors. This is worse than tragic. This is unfair.

Any time an innocent 29 year old dies, it’s a sad story. Everybody should reach 30. Everyone should get that chance. Hanson didn’t do drugs. He didn’t drive drunk or hurt anyone. He was a baseball player. He was a guy who didn’t give up when the league told him he couldn’t make a comeback. The Braves traded him to LA for current Cardinals pitcher Jordan Walden. Hanson spent an injury plague 2013 season with the Los Angeles Angels before pitching minor league ball for the Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, and the Giants the past two seasons.

In 2014, debuting with the Charlotte Knights, Hanson talked about having two weeks in between jobs after the Rangers released him where he was throwing baseballs against a fence and with his wife rolling the ball back to him. All he could think about was getting back to the big show.

That’s life. It can be so simple minded and goal driven at one moment and then it can be gone. For Tommy Hanson, it all started at Redlands East Valley High School in California. After moving there from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Hanson started his career. He was drafted in the 22nd round in 2005. He would be the #2 prospect in the Baseball Prospectus. After it all fell apart, Hanson never stopped pitching.

If we can learn anything from Hanson’s passing, it is make every moment count. There’s a clock on your life and we never know when it’s going out. You can be healthy as ever at one moment and then gone. It’s a privilege and not a right. It’s also not fair. It doesn’t matter if you know him or not. It doesn’t matter what his views were. It doesn’t matter. He’s gone and it’s sad.

Rest in peace, Tommy Hanson. Gone too soon.

Kingdom on Audience: “Happy Hour” reviewcap

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Disclaimer: This isn’t a review or a recap. It’s something in between. A punch with some flow to its descent. My take on Kingdom, Season 2, Episode 5, Happy Hour.

grilloThis week on Kingdom, shit hit the fan in quiet and loud ways. Let’s get to the meat of the episode before we deal with the potatoes and carrots.

THE MEAT

Jay and Laura flame out

We saw this coming. The minute Christina(Joanna Going) told Laura(Jessica Szohr) about her troublesome past, fucked up children and painful life, the new lady in Jay’s life got scared out of her mind. She didn’t just have a normal boyfriend. She had a potential chaotic animal in her midst. The episode followed through on the paranoia Jay(Jonathan Tucker) felt last week, and the two seemed to put an end to Jay’s fears. The fear that Laura is hiding something from him and it involves Paul’s supposedly “too big” cock.

After a day of questioning and thoughtful input from Alicia Mendez(Natalie Martinez), Jay and Laura got it on in that mind blowing fashion she told him about earlier in the hour. Afterwards, he spots her texting and lays into her. Soon after, she wants him to leave and Jay breaks down in desperation. He is jealous, insecure and new to this relationship thing. Most kids have daddy issues. Jay has mommy issues. He thinks Laura is going to run out on him and that fear follows him around rush hour traffic. It has infiltrated his life.

Ryan, his dad and the healing power of whiskey

Behold, the healing power of whiskey. It breaks ice in many ways and has healed marriages, relationships and also father/son quandaries. This particular case, Ryan trying to help a dad(MC Gainey, better than ever) that he put into a wheelchair, has a specific beat to it. In season one, all fans got from this tormented relationship was a quick visit from Ryan that didn’t end well. This season, with his mom gone, Ryan can reenter his dad’s life and try to help.

This part of Season 2 is exceptional. A real powerful sequence of events that isn’t getting overly emotional or melodramatic. On a network show, the pop song would start playing and Ryan or his dad would melt down as The Fray blared on your speakers. Here, in Byron Balasco land, it’s taunt silence and sparse dialogue. This is a chess match between two men, enraged and wild yet trying to bury a monstrous hatchet.

His dad wants a real drink and Ryan gives it to him, thus taking a few long pulls himself. Father and son, drunk and watching National Geographic. It doesn’t get any better than this. While Frank Grillo’s Alvey is the rock and Jonathan Tucker’s Joker Jay is the soul, Matt Lauria’s Ryan is the tightly wrapped heart of Kingdom. His scenes with Gainey here are masterful. They don’t twist the viewer in knots with sappy writing and over the top dialogue. At the end of the hour, the look they share in the recognition of their new world is just enough to make you hit pause and take a moment to digest a great TV moment that was earned.

THE POTATOES

Alvey: The new age Mickey

More like Alvey connects with Alicia in the gym. This scene is where the technical aspects of this show thrive for a few minutes. The story takes a backseat and we get a glimpse into the authentic world of an MMA gym. Fighters wrap their hands before they hit something. This scene is Alvey rewrapping Alicia’s fighting identity. In the ring, throwing jabs and combinations and pivoting out of trouble. Any fighter can stand and throw but what happens when the other fighter is setting you up or starts walking you down in the ring.

The interesting part is Natalie Martinez is a legit badass kickboxer in real life. Grillo knew her from the film End of Watch they were in but also from MMA gyms. So it’s a cool lick to see her step into a ring with Alvey and the parallels of real life collide with the make believe. Between the two actors, you got over 40 years of fighting experience.

Balasco and his writers have treated Alicia like an onion this season. Every episode they peel off a layer. The episode opens with her arriving at the gym and shoving blankets in her trunk. Later on, she is losing her mental approach in the ring with the legendary Alvey, the reason she came to Navy Street. Or is it? It could have been her shitting on the other gyms she tried to train at. Her physical game can be honed. Can her mental one catch up? Is she the female equivalent of Nate(Nick Jonas)?

Watching this scene made me want to have Grillo give me five minutes in the cage.

Nate gets a dirty fight in Fresno

Ah, Mr. Jonas and his troublesome character, Nate Kulina. The kid who has collected a concussion per season without only one win to show for. Here is a hungry kid who only feels like a true man in the ring and can only silence the whispers when he is training or fighting. He takes a desperate fight with Doctor Shady Promoter in Fresno, which is like the Mac Brandt fight the season opened with. Not good for a championship contender like Nate. Or at least Alvey thinks so.

When he finds out, Nate threatens to walk. Remember the trajectory here. In Season 1, Nate parted ways briefly with Alvey due to the old man getting too close. What if he loses again? What if he gets really damaged in Fresno? It may not bring him a lot of money but if he loses, word will travel fast and his career could fall from relevance quick. This would be like an NBA star taking a street game in an abandoned school yard with a bunch of ex-cons. Not good.

THE CARROTS

Christina and unhappiness

Or is she unhappy? She gets confronted by her nasty pimp in the Patty Palace and since she didn’t rat on him to the cops, he let her continue her clean life. While she quit the drugs, that doesn’t mean she isn’t hooking anymore. We see her perform some escort duties on the side, making more money than she probably does in a month at the restaurant. Will she go back to her old life? What will Jay do when he finds out? If she is clean, is it okay? While she doesn’t get a ton of screen time, Joanna Going really brings it here and makes the most of her minutes.

Lisa, pregnant yet ambitious

Kiele Sanchez has been a quiet strength this season. She is promoting and nurturing the talented yet rebellious Alicia and trying to find Ryan sponsors. Since his past is messy, he is a tough target but an energy drink may be a fit for Mendez. All the while, Lisa still looks at Alvey like he is the last man on the planet worthy of making her happy. These two have been through hell(we haven’t dug into Alvey’s drug fueled past too much yet) but they still love each other. The end, where Lisa asks for a little Kulina lovemaking, was so well played by the two actors, it made me laugh and smile a bit in admiration.

Final round

~One of the anticipated parts of Season 2 has to be Alicia’s first fight. The effect of that fight could hit the entire gym hard.

~How much trouble will Sean Chapas get Alvey in next episode? I see police lights. Not good, this man from the past. Human Torch!

~Which Kulina loses this season? Nate has already lost once, but will Ryan and Jay both win their next fights? One of the best parts of the show is the unpredictable nature that creeps on each hour.

Next week, entitled “Pink At Night” promises to be a season adjuster. Are you ready? Keep up on Itunes and Amazon if you missed episodes.

“That one guy” is Frank Grillo: Badass Purger of Kingdom

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“It was never about the Shakespeare of it all or the fear of it all. It was about playing these cool characters. Oddly enough, as I have gotten older, I have gotten to do just that. I don’t know how long it is going to last, but I’m grateful that I got the opportunity to do this.”-Frank Grillo

When I think of Frank Grillo, I think of pure authenticity. Someone that I see on screen and instantly believe in and see as a character worth following down the darkest of roads. After all, the job of an actor is to convince the viewer that the person you see could be real and out there existing among the lot of real souls. It’s imitation via realization and takes skill. When I watch Grillo work, I get that. You may know him as “that one guy” but you will soon know him as Frank Grillo, the most authentic tough guy in the world of entertainment.

Grillo has stared down heavyweights on the big screen and held his own. He locked horns with Liam Neeson in Joe Carnahan’s underrated wolves/wilderness thriller The Grey. He fought British action star Jason Statham in Homefront. He coached Joel Edgerton to fight Tom Hardy in Warrior, an MMA cult classic. He stuck his boot heel into Chris Evans in Captain America: Winter Soldier and will do so again in May in the much anticipated Captain America: Civil War.

Grillo’s biggest performance to date and dream role has come on television in Direct TV’s hit show, Kingdom, playing Alvey Kulina, the ex-MMA star and owner of Navy Street, a place where his sons fight and a legion of fighters wage war within themselves. Playing an old lion still trying to stay in the game and keep the scent of blood within a sniff, Alvey finds a new life in the sport when his old friend Ryan Wheeler(Matt Lauria) gets out of prison and gets back in the fight game. When I asked Creator/Executive Producer Byron Balasco about Grillo, he said Grillo was the key to getting the show rolling. “When Frank is on set, there isn’t a false note. It doesn’t feel like work. It feels natural.”

It helps that for the past 25 years, Grillo has been a fighter. He trains like one 365 days a year with real boxing trainers. This Alvey Kulina diet is something Frank has worn on his shoulders for years and it keeps him going today. When he isn’t on set for a film, Grillo trains. He’s hitting something, talking about hitting something or planning a train. You hang a bag in the middle of an endangered war torn city, and Frank will lace up and destroy some leather. It’s in his DNA. What 95 percent of actors have to learn, Frank has running through his veins. He is always a week out of fighting shape.

“That is what I am attracted to. Damaged guys. I know what I can do and what I can’t do. Agents will ask me about a role and I will say, I don’t want to do that. I am not the actor who gets a role and has to do it different. I don’t need to stretch my muscles.”

Grillo calls on many past roles to properly put Kulina together but he pulled the most thread from Warrior, where he played Frank Campana, the trainer who turned Edgerton’s teacher into a world class fighter. That was the role that got Hollywood’s notice. He hasn’t left their door step since.

The notice went on high alert when he stood toe to toe with Evans in Winter Soldier. In 2016, Grillo returns as Marvel bad news dispenser Brock Rumlow aka Crossbones. He will cause a few storms in the lives of cinema’s precious Avengers, most notably Evans Red, White and Blue hero. When asked about fighting Grillo on set, Evans simply said Grillo punches hard. That’s what Grillo does in every role.

Take End of Watch, a superb David Ayer cop drama starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena. Grillo gets maybe five scenes and 10-12 screen minutes. There is a scene halfway through where Grillo tells a group of Marines about a partner taking a bullet for his Sergeant years ago. With a few lines and the conviction of a semi truck plowing down an ice road, Grillo lays into the audience. When I left the theater, I couldn’t get that scene out of my head. A movie full of greatness left me wondering where that sergeant goes from there. Grillo does that a lot.

Grillo stole Warrior from Edgerton and Hardy, making one person call up Grillo anonymously for a possible training session which the actor had to respectfully turn down. He’s that good. His work onscreen inspires real fighters to give it one last shot.

“When I tell you that the only place in life where I don’t have anxiety is in the gym when I box or when I grapple, I’m not lying.  I don’t go out on the streets and start fights but I love combat. I love fighting as an art.”

You want a full order of Grillo? Watch Purge: Anarchy, a movie few critics had high hopes for but one that scored better reviews than the original film due to Grillo giving it an extra dose of testosterone hero medicine. His street Avenger, Leo Barnes, reminded me of an unofficial take on The Punisher Frank Castle. A man out on a mission to avenge his family no matter what happens. The movie was so well received that it has spawned a third film, which just wrapped up filming in Rhode Island. It is set for release in the summer of 2016. After scrapping for years as a hard working actor taking what Hollywood gave him, Grillo is starting to call the shots and will star in two sequels as a top bill in the same year.

At the same time, he headlines Kingdom, a show that was so well received that Direct TV called for two seasons after the pilot aired a year ago. I call that the Grillo effect. It’s also known as hard work paid off.

Grillo will also be showing up in Akiva Goldsman’s latest, Stephanie, as well as taking on martial arts action star and The Raid maestro Iko Uwais, a man who moves so fast cameras have a hard time catching up to him.

Off the screen, Grillo is a prince, living the good life with his wife of 15 years, Wendy Moniz Grillo and three boys. He connects with fans through Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. He tweets along with fans during Kingdom. An actor’s job may be done when the finished product hits the screen, but Grillo takes it a step further and shows his appreciation. Back in November of 2013, Grillo granted me an interview via Twitter Direct Message. Later on, we talked on the phone about where life had taken him. Instead of talking about himself nonstop, he appreciated me taking the time to write about him.

With Frank, there is zero vanity. Just toughness and determination. He cares and shows it every day through his preparation, drive and need to quench the thirst of this newfound stardom.

When I asked Frank in July of 2014 about what he would tell an aspiring young actor who may or may not soldier on with the odds against him, he didn’t hesitate.

“There are no rules when it comes to anything. What roles you are able to get. As soon as you put limitations on yourself, you are going to have those limitations. If you just listen to conventional wisdom, you are (finished). You go out there and you believe in yourself and you work hard. I am a testament to that.”

Grillo has been working hard since his first role in the movies back in 1993, a small forgettable flick called Deadly Rivals. He is a fighter in more ways than merely physical. Grillo is a fighter in the walk of life and someone worth rooting for when you see him killing it on screen. He may not win an Oscar or be mentioned beside the likes of Denzel Washington or Daniel Day Lewis, but not everyone comes to Hollywood to win shiny trophies. Some guys just want to work, enthrall and thrill the audience.

At the age of 52 years young, Frank Grillo is a force to reckon with in the world of entertainment. Whether it’s on TV coaching Nick Jonas or on the big screen telling Captain America doom follows him around, Grillo is there with his fists up ready for action. How can you not get a kick out of that? He isn’t a gimmick. Grillo is flesh, bones and grit personified.

Long may you run, Frank. I’ll be watching and so will millions of others.

Starbucks Holiday Cup Ridiculousness and MU Campus Madness

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Sometimes, people say stupid things and do stupid things. Being someone who tries to evade stupidity and fails, I know all about it. This week, two groups of people created a need for a speech. A rant. Something to reestablish the order.

The Starbucks Cups

Someone made a comment how Starbucks holiday cups are offensive or affect them or something weird. As if the world needs a reason to create a discussion about Starbucks holiday cups. Seriously, an article on a Kardashian yoga pant tear or a Justin Bieber haircut  would be more topical. Who gives a shit about the cups? I love the new order of 2010 internet police. The people who can start stupid arguments like they are All the Presidents Men wannabe activists. It must be a good idea when they are sucking down Kale smoothies and yammering on about their society as they reset their playlist to Drake’s greatest hits. It must come over good in their brain. It doesn’t come down to the rest of us right.

10_28_13_starbucks_holiday_2013_1I like Starbucks holiday cups. Maybe it’s because I like the color red and Christmas is my favorite time of the year. It could be a festive thing. I no longer slurp their coffee but I do partake in their espresso packed drinks and my kid thinks their chocolate chip cookies or akin to euphoric dirt crumbs. It doesn’t matter. They are nice and there’s nothing OFFENSIVE about them. If I walked up to you and said “Go Fuck Yourself” without explanation, that would be offensive. A Starbucks holiday cup is not.

If you want to argue about something, try these on size:

  • Cops, firefighters and school teachers being terribly underpaid.
  • The fact that people are shooting each other a lot and this world is going to shit very fast.
  • The unemployment rate is still too high.
  • More people can correctly identify the judges of the Voice instead of four Presidents before they were born.
  • People who complain about being fat yet don’t want to do the work to stay healthy.
  • There should be a “stupid driver” regulator type Uber police force.
  • Several countries still don’t have clean water.
  • There’s someone out there who thinks its okay to walk into a school and harm children.

How much of a wuss nation do we live in that people complain about Starbucks holiday cups? Do me a fucking favor and stay home. Make Folgers and pour it on your head. Go outside and bang your head on a wall. That cut in your forehead will need more attention than Starbucks cups. Get a life.

MU Campus Madness  

As you and a million other folks know by now, the University of Missouri President Tom Wolfe resigned yesterday accusations that he hadn’t done enough to combat several racial incidents on campus. That wasn’t the entire reason. It was the fact that the Missouri football team were boycotting all their activities due to the lack of action and demanded he step down. You know what that means? Money would potentially get lost if the team didn’t play their games or maintain their schedule. Love or hate the result, what followed after the announcement from Wolfe really got the stupid train rolling. When a student photographer freelancing for ESPN was trying to take pictures of a peaceful protest, a Communications professor asked for “muscle” in pushing this kid away. A crowd of people got in this kid’s face telling him to stop taking pictures. Fellow students were doing this. Instead of running away, this kid stood his ground and brilliantly pointed out that the first amendment protects him and the crowd pushing him away. Check it out.

This was embarrassing for the school, which may I remind you is one of the top journalism schools in the country. So, a professor didn’t want the photographer to help get the story out on a group of protesters? Why protest if you don’t want anyone to see it? Doesn’t that hinder the entire operation? If I want my words to be heard and actions to reach people, I pull that photographer closer and have him take 100 pictures. Are these people living in the Stone Age or just plain stupid? I am guessing the latter.

The professor needs to go because she made a horrible mistake in supporting this aggressive blockade of an innocent kid doing his job. I hope the kid sues those people because contact was made. He wasn’t even pushing to get closer. He was trying to take pictures of an event and cover it. This doesn’t come out in any possible way looking good for Mizzou or its students.

There’s a conversation to be had about racial comments and it may never be resolved. There should be no argument about the first amendment.

That was a Monday. Other lessons learned:

  • Alex Reyes did weed. Again. Small crime or big crime, here’s the facts. The players association agreed that marijuana is against the rules. Reyes did it twice. Now the 21 year old misses 50 games. He is a moron. If eating cake is against the rules and you know that and do it twice, that makes you dumb or highly irresponsible.
  • Jose Reyes beat his wife. His career is going down the drain so he starts slugging his wife instead of the baseball. It’s not a good idea having Floyd Mayweather Jr. as your role model.
  • Former Atlanta Braves phenom Tommy Hanson died from catastrophic organ failure. Not fair. Terribly sad. He was 29.
  • The Rams signed former Patriots/Broncos receiver Wes Welker. I like this low risk move. He’s 34 and concussion prone, but the guy is a legit wide receiver who still has some gas left. Anything to help this weak receiving core.
  • Chris Pronger, one of the best Blues D-man ever, went into the Hall of Fame Monday night.

Thanks for reading.

Buffa’s Beer Stop: Farmhouse Tank 7

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Since everybody is in a Kansas City state of mind with the Royals winning the World Series last week, I thought I’d toss out a delicious Kansas City beer. Sometimes, Budweiser and Miller Lite don’t do the trick and you need a truly unique brew to tide you over a rough Thursday. Something to make Friday seem a little closer. That beer this week is Farmhouse Tank 7, a special production from the Boulevard folks in KC. Check it out.

Carrying an alcohol percentage of 8.5 percent, which is enough to knock you down but not out, Tank 7 comes in 16 ounce bottles and a four pack at most neighborhood stores. When Boulevard’s brewers were testing out new formulas for a Belgian Farmhouse Ale, they created this beast. You could it accidental, but Tank 7 is a different kind of beer. When you first take a sip, a combination of fruits surfaces before a dry hoppy finish sends you well on your way to the pull. Think of Rogue Dead Guy ale, but with more attitude in its finish.

While Tank 7 may be a bit pricey at 10 dollars for a four pack, the taste elevates the experience and also allows the consumer to need only one or two bottles to do the trick of getting in that feel good mode. You don’t need to surround yourself with beer cans to get the great effect of a buzz. Tank 7 lives up to its name and is worth checking out. It’s got personality, a cool back story and a taste that is unique among what you may consider drink worthy in the 314. Also, you are giving a small nod to the I-70 rival and World Series champion Royals at the same time. Nothing wrong with respect in a bottle that tastes this good.