I’m not sure how it’s possible that the Cardinals have pretty much rolled over and played dead this series, but I hope before it’s all over that we get one nail-biting, competitive game. My gut tells me we will. The Cardinals have too good an offense to go this silently. That is what the World Series is all about, after all – good, nerve-wracking baseball. We haven’t seen it this series.
That said, am I disappointed the Red Sox are where they are? Hell no! If the Red Sox win any one of the next four games, it will be a moment in history for this city like no other and a moment that, many times, I never thought I would ever see. To try and comprehend that we’re on the doorstep is downright surreal, especially since it’s happened with almost robotic ease. I’m not even sure how I will react if/when they win it, but happiness and elation will factor in heavily. We’re in unchartered water here, folks. On the ESPN post-game last night, someone said “most people in New England won’t be sleeping well tonight.” Count me as one of them – the anticipation here is just too much.
IPodding: more details on the U2-Universal Music-ITunes experiment. With any luck, the “Universal Music” part of that equation will be removed from the algorhythm in the next couple of years. The dominoes continue to fall, though. U2 is probably too established at this point to do anything without a label, but bands who are on the cusp (Modest Mouse? Franz Ferdinand?) could really knock ’em dead if they forego a label relationship and go direct with ITunes or Rhapsody or whoever wins the game (ITunes winning the game now, but so was Netscape at one point). Anyway, bottom line: people don’t give a rat’s ass what record label is printed on the back of a CD. They give even less of a crap when it’s bought online. Please, somebody, do a deal direct and get the ball rolling – I need to see the major labels start to crumble.
What cracks me up, though, are the rumblings from fans that U2 are selling out. Hah! What is this, 1989? Did anyone see “Rattle and Hum?” U2 sold out well over a decade ago, people! The band will be the first to tell you that they have both exploited and embraced the idea of commercialism. They based an entire, satircal tour around the ridiculousness of selling out! If anything, this whole ITunes thing is actually the antithesis of selling out. I admire U2 in so many ways – they’re never afraid to try something new and that’s more than we can say for the hundreds of lilly-white, play-it-down-the-middle bands. U2 could have easily mailed in 5 more versions of “The Joshua Tree” and made gazillions, but instead they tried “Zooropa.” Not exactly a winning experiment, but I give them all the credit in the world for not buckling to trend.