Tuesday, February 05, 2008

What's in a nickname?

Still sick, unfortunately -- I'm coughing so much I'm beginning to resemble Bryan Cranston's character on "Breaking Bad" -- and not really focused yet, so some random TV and non-TV-related thoughts for a late afternoon:
  • Adding Garret Dillahunt to the recurring cast was the best part of an otherwise dull episode of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," but how could the same Terminator skeleton be made to look like the very broad Owain Yeoman and the very skinny Dillahunt?
  • Can someone, somewhere, come up with an appropriate nickname for the Eli Manning/David Tyree miracle play from the Super Bowl? "The Catch II" is lame, since it ignores Eli slipping away from three tacklers, and since Tyree's catch was much more difficult than Dwight Clark's. "The Great Escape" ignores Tyree's role. There has to be some pithy, clever play on words that encapsulates both completely freaky halves of that play, but I'm damned if I can think of one.
  • My friend Phil thinks that, of all the time-wasting gimmicks Conan O'Brien has come up with since returning without his writers, the feud with Stephen Colbert (and then Jon Stewart) has been the best. It reached its climax last night when all three appeared on each other's shows to duke it out: Colbert and Stewart on "Late Night," Conan and Colbert on "The Daily Show" and Conan and Stewart on "The Colbert Report"). Pick your favorite brawl, please.

36 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Catch and Release? or something on that theme?

Anonymous said...

Here are some possible names for the Eli Manning-David Tyree play:
"Escape For New York"
"Release and Catch"
"The Strike"
"32 And Won"
"The Greatest of E's"

Nicole said...

I have been enjoying the Colbert - Conan feud and the best feud moment was probably when Jon Stewart pulled out his MTV interview of Conan. As Colbert said snidely, Conan doesn't seem to have aged, what happened to you?

The brawl on Conan was the best in quality and for soundtrack, but I have to say when Colbert took off his belt on his own show and whipped his desk, I probably laughed the hardest.

Out of the three, Colbert was the best at maintaining outrage and not cracking up. Conan was a good second, but I hope Stewart keeps his hosting job, because he seemed the most of out place in this "brawl".

I also wonder if all three know more than we do about when this strike will end, because they could have stretched this out another week at least.

Unknown said...

Since Eli escaped from what might have been "in the grasp", and that a tough grasp for Tyree, you might include "Grasp" somehow:

Revenge of the Grasp
Tale of Two Grasps
I've Got Your Grasp Right Here

Anonymous said...

Slippery as an eeli, sticky as Tyree sap?

Convoluted?

Anonymous said...

I'm too young to have seen Lynn Swann's receptions other than on NFL Films so I have to say that pass was the best Super Bowl play I've ever seen.

Unfortunately my favorite names for the play are "Eli's Escape" and the Tyreeception but the name needs to include both of those guys because they both did something amazing.

Oh and does Conan have over a foot height advantage over Stewart? It looks like trick photography when they are standing next to each other.

Mike Mac said...

In his Tuesday Morning Quarterback column, Gregg Easterbrook suggests donning it simply "The Play". Since New York is the biggest media outlet in the world already, and this tandem escape and grab was almost inarguably the greatest superbowl hookup of all time, I think referring to this as 'the play' for ages to come is wholly appropriate. And it will really piss off Boston fans to boot.

Anonymous said...

The Helmet Catch

Anonymous said...

Question - I had heard before that Conan and Jon Stewart didn't like each other, but then they do this extended bit (which was great). Was I just imagining that ?

Anonymous said...

but how could the same Terminator skeleton be made to look like the very broad Owain Yeoman and the very skinny Dillahunt?

Maybe it lost some parts throughout the years before it put itself back together? I don't know--the show was too dull for me to care. And Lena Headey is miscast to the extreme. Bah.

Did the Conan part of the feud include the German disco laser show? I hope he keeps that bit going forward, heh heh.

I think that Superbowl play should be called, "Suck it, Belichick!" And no, I don't care if I spelled his name right or not.

SMM said...

todmod, you might be remembering this article, though its accuracy has been disputed.

There was also the rumor last year that NBC was courting Stewart to replace O'Brien while keeping Leno.

So it goes said...

Manning to Tyree - The New York slip and grip

Although that kinda sounds like something you pay extra for in an "Asian massage parlor".

Anonymous said...

The Pitch and Catch?

Nicole said...

Perhaps a la Kimmel and Leno necessity has made them friends, but there didn't seem to be any tension between Stewart and Conan... Colbert was taking the lead because his blowhard character started it (and he has the better improv background to pull it off)

Alas, no German disco light show.

Bobman said...

In his Tuesday Morning Quarterback column, Gregg Easterbrook suggests donning it simply "The Play". Since New York is the biggest media outlet in the world already, and this tandem escape and grab was almost inarguably the greatest superbowl hookup of all time, I think referring to this as 'the play' for ages to come is wholly appropriate. And it will really piss off Boston fans to boot.

People still read Greggggg Easterbrook? That guy is such a pompous blowhard.


As for the play, I'd think there would be some old novel or movie we coudl adapt for this purpose, but I'm not clever enough.

For example, "The Catcher in the Rye" has an "eli" sounding word in it, and the word catch.

With the prevalence of the Internet and clever people these days I can't believe no one's come up with something great.

velvetcannibal said...

I heard an ESPN commentator suggest "The Montclair Miracle" for the name of the catch today. Covers both Tyree and Eli.

Anonymous said...

The Saracen? Hey, at least the FNL viewers will get it. All 17 of them.

Anonymous said...

Glad to see I'm not the only one souring on Terminator. I really enjoyed the first couple, but there's been zero character development and even less reason to care what happens to any of thse people.

Anonymous said...

Re: a name for the play...

"I'm rubber, you're glue."

meh...

Anonymous said...

I must be in the minority when it comes to Terminator but i thought this one was an improvement over the last episode.

We finally see John trying to assert himself and his "leadership" abilities, and Sarah Connor finally starting to kick ass.

I'm looking forward to next week.

Theresa said...

Oh and does Conan have over a foot height advantage over Stewart? It looks like trick photography when they are standing next to each other.

According to IMDB, Conan is 6'4", Jon is 5'6", and Stephen is 5'10.5".

J said...

I've been calling it "David Tyree's Magic Velcro Helmet."

The only thing the Conan-Stewart-Colbert battle has done for me is remind me of both the Leno-Kimmel crossover and Colbert's perpetually lame stunting (guitar battles with The Decemberists, running for president, etc.). I don't think Conan ever needs additional showcases for his total inability to act. Shrug.

Karen said...

The three-way feud has been sheer delight. But my favorite part of it was when the three men broke out dancing in the middle of the brawl. That bit will be embarrassing their children for years to come.

Anonymous said...

Sorry if this appears twice and in different forms as I try to remember some of these; I think Blogger ate the first attempt at posting.

Some cinematic (and a few music, at the end) thoughts on Eli-Tyree...

* David and Eli-ath
* E.T.: The Extra-Special
* One Flew Over the Patriots' Chest
* Once Upon a Time in Arizona
* The Untouchables
* The Treasure of the Two Compadres
* 2008: A Giant Odyssey
* Manning's Crossing (I know it omits Tyree, but damn!)
* True Bromance
* From Here to Eternity

* Stun-der Road
* 95th Avenue Freeze-Out (stadium is on 95th Ave)
* No Surrender
* Magic
* Spirit in the Night
* Countin' on a Miracle

Commence groaning now. :)

RP (shaw-shaq redemption, circa early 2000s)

Anonymous said...

Is there any truth to the note I read (maybe here, but now I can't find it) that each time Stewart/Colbert/Conan replay a clip from past shows, they're actually guaranteeing residual payments for whomever wrote the original clip (for instance, when Colbert was shot on Conan's show)?

Anonymous said...

Eli to Tyree: The Mensch Connection

Anonymous said...

I believe "The Play" is already taken by the Stanford/Cal game ("The band is on the field. The band is on the field!")

Anonymous said...

How about The Clutch for the play? Covers Eli escaping from the clutch of NE, Tyree clutching the ball to his head and the general sports sense of coming through when it matters. And, it's short.

Anonymous said...

Elsewhere I suggested The Unpossible Completion.

And, yes, I know "unpossible" isn't a word. Just like David Tyree isn't really a WR, so how the heck did he hang on to that ball?

Completion suggests that both the QB and WR were involved.

I agree that The Play is taken.

Alan Sepinwall said...

And, yes, I know "unpossible" isn't a word.

Ralph Wiggum would beg to differ.

"Me fail English? That's unpossible!"

Anonymous said...

on ESPN's Around the Horn, JA Adande called it the "Slip N Grip". I kind of liked that.

sc said...

how about Grab and Go for the pass play?

CincyNat said...

The three-way feud is hilarious. My favorite part was when Jon tentatively sought Conan's advice as to when he should administer his asthma medicine.I think they settled on 20 minutes. I love the crossovers! It hearkens me back to the days of 'Battle of the Network Stars' and I'm only half-kidding.

BrĂ¼nnheather said...

i think "Catch [me] If You Can" works for both sides (ie: Eli's escape and Tyree's magical helmet grab)

Anonymous said...

The "Escape and Giant Snatch".

Smurf said...

Two names for the Manning to Tyree play.

1. "The great escape"
2. "The play"