The Rundown: I Love Arguing

Watching TV the other night, I realized that I've become that guy who yells at the TV, as if the people talking through the picture tube can hear me or would even care what I was saying if they could.

Monday night it was the UFC 91 Preview Show that got me going. The sixty minute show served as a 45 minute build up of Randy Couture with 15 minutes given to Brock Lesnar and since I've on Team Lesnar Saturday night, I tried to argue with the pre-taped show that was on my screen.

After I laughed at myself, I got to thinking: I really do like to argue. As Newt said in a comment last week, one of the things he remembers from one of the two times we've hung out was getting into a "discussion" about the merits of a certain Seattle Grunge band I dislike.

Hung out with him twice, he remembers an argument. Sounds about right for me.

And so the topic for today's Rundown was born...

Five Favourite Arguments

5. Nirvana Was Overrated
This is the one Newt remembers and one that I also mentioned again on the Foo Fighters Soundtrack piece Friday. To be honest, I just don't get it. It's not like they were the only band coming out of that area at the time and for my money, Pearl Jam was better from Day One, not to mention the whole longevity issue... To me, Nirvana was that band that the media held up as Grunge because Kurt Cobain was always in the spotlight, dating Courtney Love, marrying Courtney Love, OD'ing in Rome, etc. etc. etc.

4. Greatest Movies Ever
We can do it by genre, we can do it by era, we can do it by actors, whatever. I love this argument because I'm also a bit of an asshole and am willing to be the guy who says things like, "No way! Summer Catch is easily the Greatest Sports Movie Ever!" Note: it's important to remember in this argument that your favourite movie and greatest movie ever are two totally different things, unless your favourite movie is Godfather Part II.

3. Pick A Sport...
I'll argue with you about it. Even if it's soccer. Whatever you want to fight about in the world of sports, I'm game. It doesn't hurt that I really am a walking encyclopedia of random sports knowledge and trivia. I'm like a thinner, less ESPN-employed version of The Schwab.

2. Those Taboo Issues
Religion. Politics. Race. Sexuality. You name it, I'm up for it because I think that we live in a time when we shouldn't be afraid to talk intelligently about these issues and no matter what position you take on any of them, you can always learn something from another person's views. We may not agree, but I guarantee we'll each walk away having learned something and that is the important part.

1. Anything to do with the Toronto Maple Leafs
Leafs fans are awesome to me; so loyal, so faithful, so intense and so passionate about such a crappy team. Every year is the year and no matter how much evidence you have to prove Mats Sundin isn't one of the Top 25 players in the NHL, they don't want to hear it. It doesn't hurt that I'm a Red Wings fan either...

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The Rundown: In Honour of LeRoi

Pictured to the left is LeRoi Moore, sax player for the Dave Matthews Band. Yesterday, Moore passed away due to injuries suffered in an ATV accident earlier in the month.

I am a huge DMB fan and reading the news of LeRoi's death wasn't exactly how I was planning on starting my day. The guy was super talented and will surely be missed, much like the rest of the people taken from us too soon who make up today's Rundown.

My Top Five Musicians Who Died Too Soon

5. Tupac Shakur
While I wasn't a huge West Coast rap guy at the time of his death, there is no denying the incredible talent and intellect that was Tupac Amaru Shakur. Lots of people associate Tupac with his run-ins with the law and gangsta rap anthems of violence and partying, which is fair enough. But don't forget about tracks like "Dear Mama" and "Keep Your Head Up" to name two. Tupac wasn't just a musician either; this was an artist in every sense of the word and I wish he didn't have to go so soon.

4. Kurt Cobain
I do not include Cobain because I was one of the millions of Gen X kids who thought I had found my saviour when I first heard "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and the rest of Nevermind. I actually didn't like Nirvana at all. I still don't. I think Cobain was a messed up dude who couldn't deal with fame and pressure and copped out by killing himself. So then why do I include him here? Because I would have loved to see where he went to next and how he evolved as a musician and leader of a musical generation.

3. Marvin Gaye
We lost Marvin at age 45 in 1984. He'd have turned 69 this year and I'm certain he would still be churning out music. The man has been a staple in the samples of hip hop tracks for years and is a certifiable icon in the music business. You think Kanye wouldn't be doing something with Marvin if he were still around? Or what about one of these younger R&B cats like John Legend or Alicia Keys lining up next to him? Imagine how beautiful that would be.

2. The Notorious BIG
A small part of me still thinks that had Biggie lived, he would have turned into 50 Cent, going from drugs and violence being the dopest MC in the game to rapping about nothing but asses over slinky P. Diddy beats. "Hypnotize" over and over and over again. Then I listen to tracks like "Sky's The Limit" or "I Got a Story To Tell" or "Juicy" and I remember that Christopher Wallace was the King of New York at the time of his death and I wonder if it would be any different now?

1. Shannon Hoon
A lot of people look at Blind Melon as One Hit Wonders, only able to recall "No Rain" thanks to The Bee Girl. That's fine by me. I loved them. I have no problem admitting that I cried when I heard of Shannon Hoon's death. "Change" is still my favourite song of all-time, with a segment of the lyrics to one day be etched into my skin permanently. This one clobbered me and still makes me mad to this day.

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