Scribbler's Throwback of the Week: The Nutty Professor Quartet, Part 1

For anyone that's a fan of Eddie Murphy's classic and hilarious remake of The Nutty Professor (1996), you may remember the part where he goes through his CD collection and says, "Lillo, Peabo, Lou Rawls, Teddy Pendergrass...TEDDY P!"  Hence, the reason for the name of this particular series of my "Throwback of the Week" installation.  Now if you're an avid R&B fan, you might just know all four singers; however, if you're just an average R&B fan, then I'm positive that you know nothing about the first name.  Let the learning and fun part begin...

Scribbler's Throwback of the Week: Jennifer Holliday, "Hard Times For Lovers"

A lot of people--old and young--may not know much about Texas native Jennifer Holliday outside of her Tony-winning performance as Effie White and her Grammy-winning performance of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" in the original Broadway production of Dreamgirls in 1981.  I bet that a lot more folks who are somewhat familiar with their 80s pop may not instantly recognize her voice toward the end of Foreigner's classic 1985 hit, "I Want to Know What Love Is".  For whatever reason, she was just one example of how certain women--and that can be equated with women of certain skin complexions AND sizes--with big voices weren't being pushed hard enough by or given the right material for their voices from their record companies in the 1980s.  (Think Shirley Murdock: it took Elektra almost a year to have their "eureka" moment and release "As We Lay" after her first two singles from her eponymous debut album did little in jump starting her solo career.)  However, I could write a separate dissertation of a post about music business politics; my throwback posts are about the actual music, so on with it...

Scribbler's Highlight of the Week: Jack Hoffman

In the everyday struggle called life, it seems like we're on a perpetual roller coaster ride.  We don't give ourselves credit enough for who we are, lose sight of or don't recognize whose we are, and overlook how special we were made.  We get distracted by the trials and tribulations that befall us on a regular basis, and as a result, we often focus on the size of circumstances and assume that we can't overcome them.  When nothing seems certain but death and taxes, it's extremely hard to remain positive or believe in anything or anyone good.  That's why I'm so inspired by this week's "Highlight"--which might easily be my "Highlight of the Year"--because seven-year-old Jack Hoffman is the very antithesis of a defeated attitude.

Scribbler's Throwback of the Week: The O'Jays, "What Am I Waiting For"

The often overlooked beauty of hip-hop music is that it can musically provide a formal introduction to the past.  Although The O'Jays are easily in my favorite top 5 singing groups of all time, I have never owned their 1975 Survival album that features this particular gem.  I first heard it via a Jay-Z song, "You Must Love Me", from In My Lifetime, Vol. 1.  Subsequently, I purchased one of those Smooth Grooves compilation albums mainly because I was so enamored once I heard the original.  It was also notably sampled in 50 Cent's "Ski Mask Way" from The Massacre--and although the sampling was a bit more creative in Fiddy's version, Jay's lyrics were more introspective and had the advantage of Kelly Price singing the hook.  However, this post is not about them...let's talk throwbacks, shall we?

"Boo This Man" Moment of the Week: Mike Rice & Tim Pernetti

(Yeah yeah yeah, I know this all unfolded last week, but you have yet to hear my take and I know that you've been waiting for it because my opinion means soooooo much to you.  Besides, I needed a week to really get my thoughts in order about this mess.  So buckle your seat belts, ladies and gents...)

Imagine sending your 18-year-old son to Rutgers University to play college basketball.  You're excited to see him take his talent to the next level and get a good education while he's at it, whether he decides to go pro or simply wants the experience of playing at a Division I school.  You leave him in the hands of an adult that you assume will not only teach him how to improve upon his game, but will also have your child's best interest at heart overall.  Never would you think that this same adult would utter words like this to your child: "You're a f*ck*ng fairy...you're a f*ck*ng f*gg*t."  Okay...so maybe you didn't make such an assumption because you've heard about coaches cursing out their players.  I'll give you that one concession.  However, I'm sure that you never thought that a supposed leader of young men would shove, kick or punch them; hurl basketballs at their heads, feet or groin areas; or beat them with pads because they didn't perfectly execute a play as it was drawn.  What would you do if you knew that former Rutgers Scarlet Knights Head Coach Mike Rice was verbally and physically abusing your son and other kids over a span of 2-3 years?  Not days...not weeks...not months...years.  I'd put money on your reaction mirroring LeBron James' tweet: "If my son played for Rutgers or a coach like that he would have some real explaining to do and I'm still gone whoop on him afterwards!"

Are You Not Entertained?!?! The Glorification of Gruesome Sports Injuries



By now, most of you have heard about or seen the lower leg injury that Louisville Cardinals' guard Kevin Ware suffered playing against the Duke Blue Devils in the NCAA Midwest regional final on Sunday.  With a little over six minutes remaining in the first half contesting a three-point shot, Ware came down awkwardly on his right leg, which bent at a 90-degree angle and led to an open fracture where nearly six inches of bone protruded through his skin.  In a scene filled with coaches crying, teammates regurgitating and an arena full of people praying for the sophomore guard, it is arguably the most horrific injury ever seen on a basketball court.  CBS, who aired the game, may have shown the replay a total of three times and that's it.  Other media outlets like ESPN showed it afterwards and gave warning to their viewers of its graphic nature.  I didn't actually see it as it happened, but once I heard about the specifics the next morning, I had no desire to see any replays.  Only by research for this particular post did I come across a few of the bone protrusion pictures.  To date, I still haven't seen the video and don't want to see it.

Scribbler's Throwback of the Week: Marvin Gaye, "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)"

Before today, I never realized that the late, great Marvin Gaye was murdered one day before his 45th birthday in 1984.  I remember being in pre-kindergarten when it happened and that being one of the first occasions when an artist's death affected me because I absolutely loved--and still do love--his voice and his music.  Marvin Gaye could give you silky smooth and semi-rough all in one record.  He truly sang with soul because he had such a troubled spirit, so you felt every emotion with which he sang and could relate to his joy and pain.  Furthermore, he's one of the few artists that could adjust with any change in the musical climate, and that's part of what makes him such a dope and unforgettable artist.

Scribbler's Highlight of the Week: Remembering Sean Taylor

Now although I am no longer a fan of Washington's NFL team, I still was when the late, great Sean Taylor was becoming one of the most dynamic defensive players not only on that team, but in the entire NFL.  Other than Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu, his athleticism was unmatched by most safeties in the NFL at the time.  His knack for finding the football was mysterious because he would seemingly appear from nowhere and pick off a pass, deflect a pass or be the first one with the ball in his hands on a fumble recovery.  More than anything, who could forget this dude's hits?!?!  Sports Illustrated named him the hardest-hitting player in the NFL before the start of the 2007 regular season.  I think most people remember the annihilation that he delivered to Brian Moorman in his first Pro Bowl game in 2006--yeah, it was on a punter, but it was still amazing nonetheless.  However, he didn't limit his punishment to punters as he lowered the boom to many wide receivers, tight ends, running backs and whoever got in his path.