Machine Gun Mondays: Depp, Roy, and Beaubois

Could anyone pen a weekly cyber-column called “Machine Gun Mondays” and not at least offer some sort of review for Public Enemies? Yes, I am fascinated by the gangsters of the 1920′s and 1930′s – Baby Face Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd, Bonnie and Clyde, and of course, John Dillinger. Yes, I found the old Untouchables on tv wonderful while growing up. Yes, Robert Deniro can play Al Capone anytime he wants in my book. But no, Public Enemies is not a great film.

Public Enemies is about Dillinger (played by Johnny Depp) and his life and times of robbing banks and running from the law (Christian Bale stars as the lawman) but my bar was very high and the movie disappointed me. I gave it a Meh +. The storytelling was left a bit to be desired and the bank robberies were not especially tense. Lots of cool cars and costumes and sets, and Depp is one of my favorite actors, but not a ton of substance in the final tally. I wanted the best movie of the summer and instead, I am wondering why I didn’t go see the Hangover. It is probably worth seeing just on principle, but lower your bar.

You might be wondering, why is Bob reviewing a movie on his MGM column? Well, that is how we roll. You just never know what MGM is going to bring you on a Monday morning.

But wait! There is much, much more….

* A quick scan of the MLB Standings reveal that at the All-Star break, the Texas Rangers sit 48-39, which is 1.5 games behind Anaheim, and beyond the Angels, only the Red Sox and Yankees have done a better job in the American League in the first half than your young Rangers. Losing 3 of 4 in Seattle is not something anyone wanted, to be in this spot at this point of the season is beyond the wildest dreams of even the largest optimist back in March.

87 games down, means 75 games to go. The Rangers obviously have their hands full with an Angels team that has had plenty bad happen to it this season, but like their twin brother,(the San Antonio Spurs – I will elaborate some day soon) the Angels just don’t ever go away easily. And, we clearly can not sleep on the Mariners as long as they can throw out that pitching they surely have in great supply.

I just wanted to draw your attention to the stretch drive of the schedule in September: Of the last 23 games in the season, 20 of them are against the AL West. And check out the final two weeks of the season:

At Oakland (4) Sept 21, 22, 23, 24
Tampa Bay (3) Sept 25, 26, 27
At LA Angels (4) Sept 28, 29, 30, Oct 1
At Seattle (3) Oct 2, 3, 4

That gave me great pause. Of the last 14 games, 11 are on the west coast against those arms and in those stadiums we love so much. I believe this is where we use the phrase, “Rangers, make hay while the sun shines”. Because if there is no cushion, those final 2 weeks are going to be one big ice cream headache.

On the other hand, won’t it be nice to be thinking Rangers when it is 3 weeks into the NFL season? Rest up, Rangers, we have a lot of climbing ahead.

* As you may know if you have read my previous thoughts on WR Roy Williams , I fully expect him to be a capable lead receiver here in Dallas in 2009. He has the ability, and I think with a full off-season under his belt to get some chemistry with Tony Romo, I suspect we will all like what we see.

However, part of being a big part of a team like the Cowboys is being able to handle a little pressure and a lot of scrutiny. The following video makes me wonder if he is up for it. This is an interview he did in Austin last week that reveals that Roy has no intentions of talking to the media this year, because he feels like they always get things wrong about him (I guess). How did the Dallas media already wear out his patience? Wow. New year, clean slate, and he is already prepared to do the “I am not talking” routine.

It is his right, and honestly, I am not sure a) he is totally serious and b) we need to hear what he has on his mind, but – it is very tough for your fan base to always have your back if you never speak for yourself. Athletes don’t get this, but show me any “fan favorite” who has ever existed, and I will show you someone who speaks on his own behalf. Oh well, he will let his hands do the talking. Let’s hope they say something this season.

The Video (Thanks to DCFanatic):

* OK, this is marginal news at best, but since this is the type of thing that gets the water cooler talk going, here you go. Mavericks 1st Round PG Roderick Beaubois went off for 34 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists on Saturday Night in the Mavericks summer league game against the Rockets. Oh, and 9 fouls. And no, it was not televised, so if you want to see a few minuscule highlights, head to NBA.com’s Video page …

I haven’t talked much about the Mavericks’ draft for a few reasons: 1) they have not drafted anyone since Devin Harris who has made even the slightest impact, so all of the hot air used on Maurice Ager, Shan Foster, and friends so far has been a complete waste and 2) no one reading this likely heard of Roddy Beaubois before his name was mentioned on draft night.

Regardless, when seeing his youtube pre-draft highlight tape I was interested and intrigued by his speed, athleticism, and his shot. Well 34 points in a summer league game against NBA prospects, bench players, and D-leaguers is another point on his resume worth noting.

9 fouls? Well, it appears he needs to know what a foul is and what a foul is not – by the way, summer league allows up to 10 fouls. He has time. With Kidd re-signed and JJ Barea back, all we need from Beaubois is a year of learning. He just needs to soak it all in. But, am I bullish on his prospects? Sure. He looks like he has plenty of tools in the toolbox.

* The British is coming! The British is coming! It is time to read up on this week’s British Open …

* Here is an interesting essay from Basketball Prospectus on Shawn Marion you will want to read….

* UFC 100 was awesome on many levels. Read my minute-by-minute live blog here …

* This week, I am planning to get a good Dallas Stars summer chat up and flying (Guest expert to be named) and my latest version of the Romo Manifesto. So, until next time….