Legacy and legends
So, the amazing success of the newest “Top Gun” is not lost on anyone.
It has been a smash with critics and a home run with fans. (Side note: The 5-at-10 clan is planning on going this afternoon, so there’s that.)
It also brings to the discussion what are the greatest ‘legacy sequels’ in movie history. It’s a discussion that will only grow, because the success of Tom Cruise reintroducing Maverick to the masses will assuredly be emulated. If prequels – “Better Call Saul,” “1883,” et al., – are the rage on TV, these so-called ‘legacy sequels’ will become a Hollywood go-to for the foreseeable future.
Heck, the upcoming “Jurassic Park” gets the band back together and there are reports that Mel Gibson will direct “Lethal Weapon 5.” (Side question: At this juncture, the lethal part for the Lethal Weapon crew may be Alzheimer’s, no?)
Still, if we’re discussing the best ‘legacy sequels, I think “Creed” deserves a spot in the conversation. The latest “Mad Max” was excellent too.
Want to know another collection that is wicked fun? The “Jumanji” reboots.
Now, there are some world-class stinkers too. Think the revisits to “Ghostbusters” or “Bad Boys” or “Independence Day” or any number of Keanu Reeves vehicles. Seriously, as terrible – albeit campy fun – as the original “Independence Day” was, did we think we needed a return?
Maybe that’s why Will Smith has been so mad the last few years.
Shooting details
So we know the ages of the gunshot victims Saturday night in Chattanooga. Five of the victims are 15; one is 13.
Tragic.
That is one of the few questions to be answered publicly since the downtown shooting spree.
Here’s more from today’s TFP and Carmen Nesbitt.
But the questions still outweigh the answers, and if the police are holding back details to aid the investigation, then great. Find justice and find the shooters. Do it swiftly, properly and emphatically.
But if a lot of these same questions – who were the shooters, was it a random kid carrying a gun who got mad, was it a planned ‘hit’ on a specific target, if so, why that target, what does this mean for downtown, was race an issue, were gangs really not a part of this, will there be an answer or payback, what does, well, you get the idea – are also still being asked behind closed doors, well, buckle up.
Because, after the life-saving efforts of the officers on the scene, the follow-up response from city leadership beyond the heartfelt and somewhat predictable speech about Tim Kelly’s thoughts, prayers and emotions, has been rather uninspiring. Authorities questioned a suspect and are looking at all the available video. So there’s that.
I hope they are slow-walking this publicly to nail down all the particulars privately. I truly do. For a multitude of reasons, both in the now and for the future hopes of success for the new police regime downtown.
But when the crux of the mayor’s response centers on a disconnected concern about the big-picture issue of gun control and the wants of more parental oversight – especially when those same police officials say that enforcing curfews is ‘cumbersome’ – well, yeah, that’s not overly inspiring, you know?
It’s also another reminder that the hand-wringing in the moment after the Grove Street shooting is more and more of a memory these days and we appear to be no closer to solving the mystery that is that open case.
Sink or Swim
So, the folks who were hoping that the Lia Thomas NCAA swimming debate would fade after Thomas won the NCAA title best think again.
Thomas, you may recall, was a second-team Ivy League swimmer at Penn as a male a couple of years ago. Thomas transitioned to female and dominated the events on the way to a relatively easy NCAA crown earlier this spring.
Now, Thomas, who appeared on Good Morning America, is aiming for the Olympic trials.
Thomas said it has been a “goal” to swim at the Olympic trials, which will bring this discussion to an even bigger platform. When asked about the letter her Penn teammates and parents wrote that while they supported Thomas’ transitioning, Thomas’s eventual domination in the pool “threatened” women’s sports, here’s what Thomas said: “You can’t go halfway and be, like, ‘I support trans women and trans people, but only to a certain point. Where if you support trans women as women they’ve met all the NCAA requirements, then I don’t know if you can really say something like that. Trans women are not a threat to women’s sports.”
Thomas went on to say “There are cis women who are very tall and very muscular and have more testosterone than another cis woman, and should that then also disqualify them?”
Wow. Thoughts?
This and that
– Who doesn’t love those “Antique Roadshow” moments like this lady learning that her Frank Sinatra letter was worth north of $15K. Good times.
– In case you were curious, yeah, Freddie Freeman is doing fine. Better than fine actually. He just closed May with 16 doubles and 20 RBIs, which over a six-month season works out to a pretty fine pace. Through the Dodgers’ 48 games – he’s played in all of them – he’s hitting .304 with four homers and 29 RBIs and 33 runs scored. In case you were wondering, Dansby Swanson has the highest average among Braves regulars at .269. (Yes, Acuña is hitting .286 but he does not have enough ABs to qualify.) Swanson and Austin Riley have a Braves-best with 24 RBIs.
– Here’s Paschall with a look at the complete and total 180 the UT baseball program has completed in five years. From 27-25 and 7-21 in SEC play in 2017 to the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament and the clear favorite to win the whole ball of wax.
– So, we watched “Obi-Wan Kenobi” last night. Yeah, feels like that one’s going to be really good. Who saw it?
Today’s question
True or false, it’s Tuesday. Morning, Ernie.
True or false, “Top Gun” is on Tom Cruise’s career Rushmore. True or false, you miss Freddie Freeman.
True or false. you would like to win the ‘whole ball of wax’ or ‘all the tea in China.’
True or false, Tennessee will win the College World Series.
True or false, Lia Thomas should be allowed to try to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team.
You know the drill. Answer some T or Fs, leave some T or Fs. As for today, the last day of May, let’s review.
Buckle up, friends. Clint Eastwood is 92 today.
Is it even possible to do Clint’s Rushmore?
Go.