Month: July 2021

Miguel’s Friday Thoughts

Welcome to Miguel’s Friday Thoughts! After two weeks of its release on HBO Max, I will finally talk about Space Jam 2: A New Legacy. It’s an enjoyable movie and had some solid moments, but overall, I’m not impressed. I have some positives and negatives about this film.

I’m going to start with the positives:

What I liked the most about the movie was the CGI. I had a feeling the CGI would be better than the original Space Jam is because we are in 2021. Technology is much more advanced compare to 1996. Second, I like that they had better All-Star players in this Space Jam movie than the original movie. In Space Jam 2, you had Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, Klay Thompson, Diana Taurasi, etc. In the original Space Jam, you had Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Larry Johnson, Shawn Bradley, and Muggsy Bogues. If they would switch Shawn Bradley and Muggsy Bogues for someone like Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway and Scottie Pippen or Grant Hill, then it would’ve been much better.

Here are some of my negatives:

Although Space Jam 2 had better All-Stars, the original Space Jam NBA players had more storylines. AD, Lillard, and the rest of them had like two lines or so.
I had an issue with the scoreboard. I felt that it was over the top, with the opposing team scoring over 1,000 points. I understand that Lebron’s team was getting killed in the first half, but the director could’ve gone other ways with that.

The writing and acting in this movie make the original Space Jam better. Michael Jordan’s acting was slightly better than Lebron’s. Lebron James’ acting range couldn’t pull it off, especially in one scene with his son where he was supposed to get emotional, but he couldn’t deliver. It came off as cringeworthy. As a writer, I would’ve not given Lebron certain facial expressions and emotions that he can’t do it.

Lebron and his team need to be more original. The storyline between Lebron and his son could’ve been better without trying to copy the original Space Jam. Lebron could’ve made this a Sports/Drama film with that storyline.

Sports Throwback Thursday: 2006 World Baseball Classic

The 2006 World Baseball Classic gave a lot of exposure to players coming from different countries. Creating the World Baseball Classic was a brilliant idea. It’s been fifteen years since we witnessed the first World Baseball Classic taken place. Team Japan won the tournament by defeating Cuba.

A lot of people thought Team USA would win it all. They had Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr, Derek Jeter, etc. But in this tournament, no one is unbeatable on any given night. Team USA along with Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Venezuela, were eliminated in the second round. The Dominican Republic lost to Cuba in the semifinals, Japan defeated South Korea in the semifinals and defeated Cuba 10-6 to win the championship.

Daisuke Matsuzaka, who wasn’t too known at the time, made sure that MLB would recognize who he is. He was phenomenal for Team Japan in the tournament. He was crowned the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. His performance led to him signing with the Boston Red Sox and capturing a World Series championship.

The first year of the World Baseball Classic turned out to be a success. A lot of merchandise and attendance crowds were higher than expected. Hiram Bithorn Stadium, which is located in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was sold out for every Puerto Rico game in the first two rounds. Now that’s dope!
We are looking forward to the next World Baseball Classic, which will probably be in 2023.

Johnny Ventura Dies at 81

Dominican Merengue legend Johnny Ventura, as known as “El Caballo Mayor,” has passed away today at the age of 81.

His death caused a major sadness for the entire Dominican community. His career spans over 50 years. I feel sad because I listened to this man’s music for my entire life, especially during the holidays. Listening to Johnny Ventura’s music for this year’s holiday will hit harder and will feel different. The legacy and impact he left is unparalleled. He worked with so many artist such as Milly Quezada, Sergio Vargas, Anthony Rios, and the list goes on.

Johnny left this world by singing and dancing. He always had joy for his music. Johnny lived a long life. Not everyone can have the chance to live all the way to their 80s. He accomplished everything he set out to accomplish with his life: music, politics, family (becoming a father and grandfather).

We all have an expiration date in life. This is why is so important to accomplish everything you want to accomplish in life. Always strive for success but with class and dignity.

Rest In Peace, Johnny Ventura! Que dios lo tenga en su gloria. His music will never die.

Simone Biles Leaves Olympics

The most shocking news of the Olympics. Gold medalist Simone Biles left the Olympic team finals after landing vault. Biles said that she wants to work more on her mental health issues. She claimed that it’s been stressful.

Biles didn’t look like herself. She was lacking confidence. This caught everyone off guard. Mental health is a serious issue, but the timing of it might run off some feathers because people will think that she quit on her teammates.

Russia tops Team USA for the gold medal.

‘What I Like About You’ on HBO Max

The excitement for the WB show ‘What I Like About You’ landing on HBO Max is real. This series is an underrated sitcom and brings back so many memories.

I did notice that the original theme song is not included on HBO Max. What happened to the original song? I have no clue. It probably has to do with copyright issues or not willing to pay the singers of the original theme song. Who knows? It could be any reason why the song is not in it. If you listen to the song they changed it to, it sounds horrible. I’m sorry but I don’t like it.

As for the series itself, I never thought that I would see this series again. It’s not in any of the primary streaming series, but thanks to HBO Max, fans of the series like myself can now binge-watch the show. I like the sister chemistry between Amanda Bynes and Jennie Garth. This series shows how funny and silly Jennie Garth can be. Wesley Jonathan is the X-Factor in this cast. He brings so much fun and energy to his role. I also think that the writers did an incredible job to have his character (Gary) and Tina to get together at the end of the show. If you watch the series, you can tell that they were meant to be together.

Vince and Holly were also a couple that was meant to be together, but I like Gary and Tina more because of how they used to talk to each other.

What I Like About You lasted four seasons on the WB Network. Friday nights were something to look forward to in the 2000s.

Rays Acquire Nelson Cruz

The Tampa Bay Rays just got better. Rays added some fire power in their lineup. The 41-year-old Nelson Cruz, a seven-time All-Star, is going to Tampa. Cruz is hitting .294 with 19 home runs and 50 RBIs this season.

Cruz have a lot of playoff experience and a great performer. He has hit 17 home runs in 46 postseason games. You gotta have a guy like that on your lineup.

The Rays are currently one game back of the first-place Boston Red Sox in the AL East race entering Thursday night’s games.

Marlins Sign Jared Pettitte

The Miami Marlins signed Jared Pettitte to a minor league deal. Jared is the son of former pitcher Andy Pettitte.

Jared Pettitte, a 23-year-old lefty (just like his dad), split his collegiate career between the University of Houston and Dallas Baptist University. He made 13 appearances (four of them starts) for the Patriots this season, compiling a 5.81 ERA and a 1.24 strikeout-to-walk ratio. For the entirety of his college experience, he appeared 24 times with marks of a 6.29 ERA and a 1.15 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

The Derek Jeter-Andy Pettitte connection is strong since Jeter is co-owner of the Miami Marlins. I hope Jared has a solid career in the Majors. Miami is still rebuilding. They have several young players that are developing. Jared can be part of something special in Miami in the future. The city of Miami deserve a contending team.