Wednesday, September 30 9:21 pm PT: British film magazine Empire cornered director Steven Soderbergh recently. Did they punch him in the ear in critical response to “Solaris” or “Ocean’s Twelve”?
They did not. But they did ask about his recent casting of Gina Carano as the lead in “Knockout,” a spy thriller due to begin shooting in February.
“My feeling was, If I don’t do this, somebody else will,” Soderbergh said. “I felt, somebody is going to look at her and go, ‘She should be in a movie!’ And I felt like, ‘Why shouldn’t I be the person saying that?’...I’d been wanting to make a spy action film for a while, but hadn’t really determined what I was going to bring to it that would distinguish it from the traditional approach. Then I thought, ‘Why don’t I just build it around her?’ She can actually break people in half. I was interested in doing something ultra-realistic.”
Soderbergh added that Carano will play an “outsourced” government employee hired to take on dirty-laundry espionage work. His comment about her being capable off-screen is interesting, but do moviegoers really care whether an actor can really fight? Is “Rocky” a better movie with Gerry Clooney in the title role?
Wednesday, September 30 11:38 am PT: How bad is the tainted-supplement problem, the gold standard of excuses for athletes nabbed for narcotics? Bad enough that Congress is calling for someone to do something about it, starting with the Food and Drug Administration.
The two government bodies held a meeting Tuesday to discuss the danger of supplement companies inserting -- either accidentally or purposely -- illegal or controlled substances in products that can then be readily purchased by consumers, athletes, and Sean Sherk. The FDA claimed they had no protocol for testing potions prior to them entering the market.
It’s not laziness: even if the group tested a run of Creatine X from a numbered batch, there’s no guarantee other batches from another day in the factory wouldn’t be contaminated.
That’s not a practical notion. We get it. But the problem is that once a product hits shelves, it’s rare for the FDA to act unless a complaint has been registered or there’s suspicion over the power/pill content. It might be more progressive to do some randomized testing of supplements throughout the year and have companies found to be spiking bottles receive a stiff penalty. Until then, it remains the only industry that’s more or less free to serve drug cocktails on a whim.
Wednesday, September 30 10:04 am PT: It’s not often that big fights come together while both men are still in their physical prime. Thankfully, the Alabama-based Thunder Promotions has acted with urgency and booked "Tank" Abbott vs. Eric “Butterbean” Esch before either man loses a step.
The two will meet during an event Dec. 12 in Birmingham, Ala. -- the same night as UFC 107, which features a comparatively meaningless bout between B.J. Penn and Diego Sanchez. (Something about a title.) More riveting is the notice that rapper DMX will be competing on the undercard. Considering he’s sold upwards of 30 million albums and has no public tax problems to speak of, the idea he would play second fiddle to 600 lbs. of adipose tissue is a highly suspect proposition.
Emails to DMX’s representatives were not immediately returned. And probably never will be.
Update: Felix Martinez of Thunder Promotions informed ESPN.com that DMX would be boxing. Try not to crash Expedia.com on your way to Birmingham.
Wednesday, September 30 12:00 am PT: Several things could take place during tonight’s “Ultimate Fighter” broadcast, which is likely to set a series’ record for a non-live episode: Kimbo Slice could defeat Roy Nelson. Kimbo Slice could not defeat Roy Nelson. Kimbo Slice could break a metatarsal on his way to the cage. And so on.
Some outcomes and their predicted collateral damage:
Slice Wins: Ratings for the remainder of the season -- and Slice’s later fights -- continue to escalate. Spike signs him to a development deal, and eventually a sitcom. He plays a pediatrician.
Slice Loses: Ratings drop precipitously, as a bulbous Roy Nelson making quick work of the remaining cast just doesn’t have the same appeal. Slice cooks for the house; Dana White gloats for the majority of the 44-minute episode following.
Slice Loses, but Looks Good Doing It: Slice gets a reprieve for hanging tough against a seasoned veteran with a notoriously difficult style to look good against. There’s still a development deal, but this time he plays a drug dealer who gets shot in the second act.
Slice Submits to Nelson: No shame in that: Nelson is a jiu-jitsu black belt.
Slice Submits Nelson:Roy Nelson can never show his face in public again.
Slice Loses, Remains in the House, and Gets Into a Fight in the Backyard: This is called symmetry.
