Leinster head coach Joe Schmidt was delighted to see his side secure the bonus-point win over Racing Metro which ensures a home Heineken Cup quarter-final.
The Irish province had already secured qualification from Pool Two, but needed a victory in Paris to make sure they would host their last-eight clash at either the RDS or Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
Jonathan Sexton finished with two tries and a haul of 21 points, while Isa Nacewa, Sean O'Brien and Brian O'Driscoll also crossed. Speaking after the 36-11 win, Schmidt said the 2009 champions had wanted to give something back to the 1,000 Leinster fans who made the trip to the French capital.
"I think anyone who was at the game today saw the amount of support that travelled to see us," he said. "Our theme was that we owed it to our supporters, with the support they've given us, to give them the opportunity to come and see us at home in a quarter-final. I think the players, the way they played today, demonstrated the value we place on the support that we get."
Schmidt also praised man of the match Sean O'Brien, who continued at number eight in the absence of the injured Jamie Heaslip.
"One of the great advantages with Sean is he can play any of the three loose forward positions equally competently and he is just so dynamic so often," Schmidt added.
Racing, who were already out of the competition before the game, fielded an understrength team ahead of a crunch Top 14 fixture against Clermont Auvergne on Wednesday. Virimi Vakatawa scored a superb solo try, but full-back Dan Scarbrough admitted his side were always up against it.
"We had a team that was a little bit experimental today. We were trying different things and we went well initially, but they broke us down very well," Scarbrough said.
O'Driscoll got the final try of the game on his 32nd birthday and Scarbrough was impressed by the Ireland captain's performance.
"He did as all good players do, he's consistent," he added. "He did the basics very well and one thing that really stood out for me was the try near the end. He went right past me but he cut an awesome line for that. They're looking strong."
Showing posts with label This. Show all posts
Showing posts with label This. Show all posts
Friday, January 21, 2011
There are three WikiLeaks projects in the works. When did this become the hottest story in Hollywood?
ImagesEverybody’s hungry for a piece of the WikiLeaks pie, apparently.
At the moment, there’s a biopic about the controversial site’s founder Julian Assange in the works, an HBO film in development, and Universal Pictures is funding a documentary. My question for you, PopWatchers, is: Are you really that interested in this story?
Hollywood execs certainly seem to think you are, and I have to admit there are several points of interest to this story — not the least of which is Assange himself, one of the most wanted men in the world. One producer of the biopic (quoted in Variety), Barry Josephson (who works on Bones), even compared an upcoming biography on Assange to All the President’s Men, saying it was “this generation’s suspenseful drama with global impact.”
I would hesitantly agree with that, keeping in mind that the story of Watergate had been rolling toward a conclusion when the book based on the event was released in 1974, the same year President Richard Nixon resigned. And the movie (still one of my all-time favorites) wasn’t released until 1976. Note that history was allowed to unravel before Hollywood stepped in. I like that.
My guess, based on the ever-changing twists of this WikiLeaks story, is that filmmakers won’t have the luxury of a neatly wrapped conclusion. And that’s okay. My annoyance lies in the fact that the real-life story is pretty intriguing on its own, and before we have a chance to watch a rather historical story unravel in the news, it is being regurgitated. I’d like a grace period — but that’s just me.
Maybe we do need three takes on the life and works of Julian Assange right away. Personally, I’ll probably wait until he and the name “WikiLeaks” stops appearing in the papers every week before checking any of them out — unless someone casts Robert Redford.
What about you, PopWatchers? Too much WikiLeaks too fast? Or more, please?
At the moment, there’s a biopic about the controversial site’s founder Julian Assange in the works, an HBO film in development, and Universal Pictures is funding a documentary. My question for you, PopWatchers, is: Are you really that interested in this story?
Hollywood execs certainly seem to think you are, and I have to admit there are several points of interest to this story — not the least of which is Assange himself, one of the most wanted men in the world. One producer of the biopic (quoted in Variety), Barry Josephson (who works on Bones), even compared an upcoming biography on Assange to All the President’s Men, saying it was “this generation’s suspenseful drama with global impact.”
I would hesitantly agree with that, keeping in mind that the story of Watergate had been rolling toward a conclusion when the book based on the event was released in 1974, the same year President Richard Nixon resigned. And the movie (still one of my all-time favorites) wasn’t released until 1976. Note that history was allowed to unravel before Hollywood stepped in. I like that.
My guess, based on the ever-changing twists of this WikiLeaks story, is that filmmakers won’t have the luxury of a neatly wrapped conclusion. And that’s okay. My annoyance lies in the fact that the real-life story is pretty intriguing on its own, and before we have a chance to watch a rather historical story unravel in the news, it is being regurgitated. I’d like a grace period — but that’s just me.
Maybe we do need three takes on the life and works of Julian Assange right away. Personally, I’ll probably wait until he and the name “WikiLeaks” stops appearing in the papers every week before checking any of them out — unless someone casts Robert Redford.
What about you, PopWatchers? Too much WikiLeaks too fast? Or more, please?
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
10 Things "Idol" Judges Need to Do This Year
"American Idol" is in transition this season, as the show heads into its 10th year. Last season, it said a tearful goodbye to Simon Cowell and gave a cheery slap on the back and plane ticket home to Ellen DeGeneres and Kara DioGuardi. With Randy Jackson the only holdover, it's up to the new blood to revitalize the flagging Fox ratings juggernaut.
Can Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez combine with Jackson to form a trio that can rival the glory days of the Randy-Paula-Simon juggernaut and hold off the charge from the increasingly unafraid other networks? Only time will tell, but here are 10 things I hope to see from the new team as it prepares to make its debut in season 10.
1. Freshness
“American Idol” was indisputably stale in 2010, which isn’t surprising given that everyone seemed to be running on autopilot. It was easy to predict what each of the judges would say because we had seen it so many times before.
"Idol" became a paint-by-number show, particularly on results night when the same old group sing was followed by the same old product-placement videos followed by the same old banter. Forget about the audience for a second ... even the judges looked like they were falling asleep.
Bringing in new blood should help make the show less predictable, which can only help it regain its former momentum. At the very least, we'll hear a lot less about singers with "chops," or comparisons between singers and bananas, or similes likening poor singers to whatever random soda-induced hallucination was going through Simon's mind on any given day, now that we have a new crew.
2. Consistency
If you’re a singer who lasts a long time on “Idol” and you want to be a good student who follows the judges' advice, all that has gotten you in the past is a headache. It seems like every week, the singers received contrary instructions. “Do a little more of this” one week, “do a little less of that” another. It’s enough to give a less confident singer a crisis of confidence, which has helped doom many a promising hopeful to an early exit.
This is where music producer Jimmy Iovine should have an impact. He’s the permanent in-house mentor, and with his experience, he should be able to guide the singers toward their musical careers. If nothing else, it will help to have the same voice talking to them every week, rather than hearing the mixed bag of soundbites offered by the guest mentors of the past.
3. Better story lines (or no story lines)
Please, for the love of all things sacred, no more cougar jokes like the ones last year between Kara DioGuardi and Casey James.
And on that note ...
4. Know when to shut up
Being a judge is a delicate balance of action and inaction. Unless you’re Simon, people are tuning in to see their favorite singers first and you second. And yet, ultimately, what the judges say is what people remember, since the singers all tend to blend together in the early rounds.
A good rule of thumb is to talk over the bad performances, not the good ones. Go ahead and cut on the singers who do poorly, since we’re doing that ourselves on Twitter anyway, but let the great performances speak for themselves.
Also, take heed of what was taught in preschool — don't talk if you don't have anything to say. Or at least, don't belabor the commentary. Better to say a sentence or two and move on than to drone on for 10 minutes and make everyone wonder if you somehow got a hold of Paula's old Coca-Cola cup.
5. Know when to shut Ryan up
Ryan Seacrest is a very good host, but he has one primary fault. Like a good party host, when he sees a lull in the conversation and senses the audience's attention wandering, he jumps in with something to kick-start things and add some energy. In this case, that throws off the balance of the show, as Ryan is much better as a supporting actor than in the lead role.
So when Ryan inserts himself into the process, that's the time to say something to cut him down or to change the subject, and get him back to being the narrator and not the story.
6. Honesty
If someone is terrible, it’s OK to tell them they’re terrible. And the faster, the better. Be mean or don't be mean, but don't belabor the obvious. Get them off the TV screen, ASAP.
7. Fun
This isn't a Senate confirmation hearing or a UN debate. It's supposed to be a fun little entertainment program that makes the audience forget about the troubles of their workday for an hour or two every night. Smile, laugh, joke around. Make it seem like it's fun to be there. There were plenty of times last season when Ellen looked as if she'd come from a root canal and Simon as if he were there only because his lawyers told him he had to be. Don't be like that.
8. Spontaneity
It often seems like the judges script their one-liners beforehand, as if they tasked high-school students to help them with a “Write Similes About Bad Singing” contest. It's natural to plan ahead, but it’s also lazy and makes the show seem less fresh. And in some cases, preordained, like a few seasons ago when Paula criticized a song that Jason Castro hadn’t even sung yet.
The performance shows may not be the first time the judges are seeing the contestants, since they get to listen to the rehearsals, but they are the first time the audience is hearing these songs. The judges words shouldn’t sound like they were written in advance, but should be focused on the music that the crowd is hearing now.
9. Confidence
What made Simon Cowell a legend among reality TV judges isn’t his expertise, since there are plenty of folks with similar skills as a judge of talent. It’s that he seemed to be 100 percent confident in everything he said. If it’s snowing outside and Simon says it’s a great day to go to the beach, he says so in a way that implies that you are the biggest idiot in the history of humanity if you don’t show up to the studio with your bathing suit and suntan lotion. That’s what made him so easy to love or hate, and it's what made him a must-watch TV star.
All of the show's other judges have hedged their bets, offering some sort of way out for a bad performance. Don’t do that, new judges. Stand by your convictions.
10. Chemistry
The big test for the new crew will be how quickly they gel as a unit. The good news is that the bar they have to reach is very low.
Last year’s group often looked like they had met for the first time in the green room before the show. The interplay among them sounded forced and unconvincing, and everyone was more worried about their own sound bites than anything else. It all sounded disconnected, like four individuals and not a team.
On the other hand, the original Randy-Paula-Simon trio had a much more free and easy banter. Paula would say something wacky, Simon would call her mean names, Randy would jump in ... it was like watching a family bickering over the Thanksgiving table where you know exactly how the argument's going to go but still want to watch it play out.
The new team can’t replicate Simon’s barbs, but if they can work well together it won’t matter. The more they act like they're actually listening to what their companions are saying and play off of each other's comments, the better the show will be.
And finally: Retire the word “pitchy.”
Enough said.
Can Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez combine with Jackson to form a trio that can rival the glory days of the Randy-Paula-Simon juggernaut and hold off the charge from the increasingly unafraid other networks? Only time will tell, but here are 10 things I hope to see from the new team as it prepares to make its debut in season 10.
1. Freshness
“American Idol” was indisputably stale in 2010, which isn’t surprising given that everyone seemed to be running on autopilot. It was easy to predict what each of the judges would say because we had seen it so many times before.
"Idol" became a paint-by-number show, particularly on results night when the same old group sing was followed by the same old product-placement videos followed by the same old banter. Forget about the audience for a second ... even the judges looked like they were falling asleep.
Bringing in new blood should help make the show less predictable, which can only help it regain its former momentum. At the very least, we'll hear a lot less about singers with "chops," or comparisons between singers and bananas, or similes likening poor singers to whatever random soda-induced hallucination was going through Simon's mind on any given day, now that we have a new crew.
2. Consistency
If you’re a singer who lasts a long time on “Idol” and you want to be a good student who follows the judges' advice, all that has gotten you in the past is a headache. It seems like every week, the singers received contrary instructions. “Do a little more of this” one week, “do a little less of that” another. It’s enough to give a less confident singer a crisis of confidence, which has helped doom many a promising hopeful to an early exit.
This is where music producer Jimmy Iovine should have an impact. He’s the permanent in-house mentor, and with his experience, he should be able to guide the singers toward their musical careers. If nothing else, it will help to have the same voice talking to them every week, rather than hearing the mixed bag of soundbites offered by the guest mentors of the past.
3. Better story lines (or no story lines)
Please, for the love of all things sacred, no more cougar jokes like the ones last year between Kara DioGuardi and Casey James.
And on that note ...
4. Know when to shut up
Being a judge is a delicate balance of action and inaction. Unless you’re Simon, people are tuning in to see their favorite singers first and you second. And yet, ultimately, what the judges say is what people remember, since the singers all tend to blend together in the early rounds.
A good rule of thumb is to talk over the bad performances, not the good ones. Go ahead and cut on the singers who do poorly, since we’re doing that ourselves on Twitter anyway, but let the great performances speak for themselves.
Also, take heed of what was taught in preschool — don't talk if you don't have anything to say. Or at least, don't belabor the commentary. Better to say a sentence or two and move on than to drone on for 10 minutes and make everyone wonder if you somehow got a hold of Paula's old Coca-Cola cup.
5. Know when to shut Ryan up
Ryan Seacrest is a very good host, but he has one primary fault. Like a good party host, when he sees a lull in the conversation and senses the audience's attention wandering, he jumps in with something to kick-start things and add some energy. In this case, that throws off the balance of the show, as Ryan is much better as a supporting actor than in the lead role.
So when Ryan inserts himself into the process, that's the time to say something to cut him down or to change the subject, and get him back to being the narrator and not the story.
6. Honesty
If someone is terrible, it’s OK to tell them they’re terrible. And the faster, the better. Be mean or don't be mean, but don't belabor the obvious. Get them off the TV screen, ASAP.
7. Fun
This isn't a Senate confirmation hearing or a UN debate. It's supposed to be a fun little entertainment program that makes the audience forget about the troubles of their workday for an hour or two every night. Smile, laugh, joke around. Make it seem like it's fun to be there. There were plenty of times last season when Ellen looked as if she'd come from a root canal and Simon as if he were there only because his lawyers told him he had to be. Don't be like that.
8. Spontaneity
It often seems like the judges script their one-liners beforehand, as if they tasked high-school students to help them with a “Write Similes About Bad Singing” contest. It's natural to plan ahead, but it’s also lazy and makes the show seem less fresh. And in some cases, preordained, like a few seasons ago when Paula criticized a song that Jason Castro hadn’t even sung yet.
The performance shows may not be the first time the judges are seeing the contestants, since they get to listen to the rehearsals, but they are the first time the audience is hearing these songs. The judges words shouldn’t sound like they were written in advance, but should be focused on the music that the crowd is hearing now.
9. Confidence
What made Simon Cowell a legend among reality TV judges isn’t his expertise, since there are plenty of folks with similar skills as a judge of talent. It’s that he seemed to be 100 percent confident in everything he said. If it’s snowing outside and Simon says it’s a great day to go to the beach, he says so in a way that implies that you are the biggest idiot in the history of humanity if you don’t show up to the studio with your bathing suit and suntan lotion. That’s what made him so easy to love or hate, and it's what made him a must-watch TV star.
All of the show's other judges have hedged their bets, offering some sort of way out for a bad performance. Don’t do that, new judges. Stand by your convictions.
10. Chemistry
The big test for the new crew will be how quickly they gel as a unit. The good news is that the bar they have to reach is very low.
Last year’s group often looked like they had met for the first time in the green room before the show. The interplay among them sounded forced and unconvincing, and everyone was more worried about their own sound bites than anything else. It all sounded disconnected, like four individuals and not a team.
On the other hand, the original Randy-Paula-Simon trio had a much more free and easy banter. Paula would say something wacky, Simon would call her mean names, Randy would jump in ... it was like watching a family bickering over the Thanksgiving table where you know exactly how the argument's going to go but still want to watch it play out.
The new team can’t replicate Simon’s barbs, but if they can work well together it won’t matter. The more they act like they're actually listening to what their companions are saying and play off of each other's comments, the better the show will be.
And finally: Retire the word “pitchy.”
Enough said.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
This Is The Los Angeles Galaxy: Paolo Cardozo
This is Part Four in a list of players that will be joining the Los Angeles Galaxy this season.
South America is a continent that, along with Europe, forms two traditional hotbeds of footballing talent. So many of the world's best superstars hail from Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and all the other countries that make up CONMEBOL.
And for the most part, the Major League Soccer SuperDraft attracts talent from the best colleges and universities in the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
However, it can also attract players who are outside of the mold, breaking it and setting a new precedent.
Paolo Cardozo is an example of a new precedent being set. Now more and more international players are being selected in the MLS SuperDraft in an ongoing effort to enhance the league's quality of play.
Cardozo, a Uruguayan attacking midfielder, came to America with a dream of playing in greener pastures. So he came to MLS, and for his efforts, has a chance to play with one of the more storied clubs in the league in the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Paolo Daniel Cardozo was born on June 9, 1989 in Montevideo, Uruguay. A city noted for the highest quality of life in Latin America according to a Mercer Human Resource consulting study, Montevideo is the home of the very first FIFA World Cup held at the storied Estadio Centenario.
Famous clubs from Montevideo include Nacional, Peñarol, River Plate and Defensor Sporting.
But it was in Argentina where Cardozo began plying his trade. From 1996-2008, he spent 13 years as a member of the youth teams of the more familiar River Plate side based in Buenos Aires.
His work with Los Millionarios caught the attention of Quilmes Atlético Club. In 2009, he joined the reserve team and was a runaway success as one of the team's top scorers.
In June 2010, Cardozo was signed to a full professional contract by El Cervecero in June 2010 after making one appearance for the first team on January 31 against Primera B Nacional side Boca Unidos.
However, he did not see much playing time, and so Cardozo looked to take his skills elsewhere.
After going on trial with the Columbus Crew last year, he signed with Major League Soccer with the desire to be selected in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft.
He finally got his chance. On Jan. 13, 2011, the Los Angeles Galaxy selected Paolo Cardozo as the 16th overall pick in the first round of the SuperDraft.
With Edson Buddle leaving the team for greener pastures in Germany, the desire for more offensive firepower combined with a youthful feel has taken priority in Victoria Street.
Paolo Cardozo fits that profile. Don't be surprised to see this promising Uruguayan make his presence felt almost immediately in MLS.
South America is a continent that, along with Europe, forms two traditional hotbeds of footballing talent. So many of the world's best superstars hail from Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and all the other countries that make up CONMEBOL.
And for the most part, the Major League Soccer SuperDraft attracts talent from the best colleges and universities in the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
However, it can also attract players who are outside of the mold, breaking it and setting a new precedent.
Paolo Cardozo is an example of a new precedent being set. Now more and more international players are being selected in the MLS SuperDraft in an ongoing effort to enhance the league's quality of play.
Cardozo, a Uruguayan attacking midfielder, came to America with a dream of playing in greener pastures. So he came to MLS, and for his efforts, has a chance to play with one of the more storied clubs in the league in the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Paolo Daniel Cardozo was born on June 9, 1989 in Montevideo, Uruguay. A city noted for the highest quality of life in Latin America according to a Mercer Human Resource consulting study, Montevideo is the home of the very first FIFA World Cup held at the storied Estadio Centenario.
Famous clubs from Montevideo include Nacional, Peñarol, River Plate and Defensor Sporting.
But it was in Argentina where Cardozo began plying his trade. From 1996-2008, he spent 13 years as a member of the youth teams of the more familiar River Plate side based in Buenos Aires.
His work with Los Millionarios caught the attention of Quilmes Atlético Club. In 2009, he joined the reserve team and was a runaway success as one of the team's top scorers.
In June 2010, Cardozo was signed to a full professional contract by El Cervecero in June 2010 after making one appearance for the first team on January 31 against Primera B Nacional side Boca Unidos.
However, he did not see much playing time, and so Cardozo looked to take his skills elsewhere.
After going on trial with the Columbus Crew last year, he signed with Major League Soccer with the desire to be selected in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft.
He finally got his chance. On Jan. 13, 2011, the Los Angeles Galaxy selected Paolo Cardozo as the 16th overall pick in the first round of the SuperDraft.
With Edson Buddle leaving the team for greener pastures in Germany, the desire for more offensive firepower combined with a youthful feel has taken priority in Victoria Street.
Paolo Cardozo fits that profile. Don't be surprised to see this promising Uruguayan make his presence felt almost immediately in MLS.
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