by John Walters
Starting Five
Charles Is Charged
Charles Oakley, former NBA forward, is 53.
Charles Barkley, former NBA forward, is 53.
Two similar names and lives going in quite opposite directions.
By now you know that “Oak” was at the Knicks game last night (he bought his own ticket across the aisle and a few rows behind James Dolan) and that he was ultimately ushered away and arrested on three minor assault charges.
It’s indisputable that Oakley shoved a few guards and put his hand/finger in the ear of one and pushed him away (Oak is still a towering, fierce presence). What is in dispute is whether Oak became belligerent toward Dolan before the guards asked him to leave or whether he was simply asked to leave because of his proximity to Dolan. Oak told The Daily News’ Frank Isola (you remember, “trash,” according to LBJ) that it was the latter. We’ll see.
Williams and Oakley are tight
Either way, everything here is sad. It’s sad that the Knicks are celebrating their 70th season and never invited Oak to participate because he had the temerity to speak candidly about what a joke James Dolan (once in awhile an insecure New Yorker who had a very successful dad comes along and ruins everything). It’s sad that Oak, who was a true warrior as a Knick and who holds cult status among NBA players of his era (I once spent a night with former Net Jayson Williams and a few others where all they did was one-up one another with crazy off-the-court Oakley anecdotes; by the way, Oak is very passionate about cooking), who consider him a beloved legend, has to buy a ticket into his own former arena, where the fans revere him.
Another famous fracas with Oakley (yes, that’s Jeff Van Gundy)
The Knicks put out a statement quickly in which they wrote “We hope he gets some help soon.” One, all of us feel the same way about this franchise. Second, any decently run franchise would reach out to Oak and provide that help. The Knicks need to be the bigger party here, invite the prodigal son home, and let the crowd pay tribute. I doubt they will.
Maybe Oak precipitated last night’s kerfuffle. If so, some of this is on him. But it feels as if at least some of this is Dolan being such an insecure little man (sound familiar?).
2. It’s Always Sunny
Pawar won an open casting call (I’d call it a cattle call, but this is India, where those creatures are sacred) to play the role of Seroo
Finally saw Lion the other night. Spoiler alert: there are no cats in the film (when I told my own kitty this, he accuse me of….lyin‘). It’s a movie in two parts, the first half being far more suspenseful and, well, magical. That’s all due to the little charmer above, Sunny Pawar, who plays the ultimate Lost Boy, Saroo.
The real-life Saroo (left) and the two actors who played him….
Pawar, himself something of a slumdog from Mumbai, beat out approximately 2,000 others for the role. He’s charismatic and if you’ve ever been a little boy lost (raises both hands), he conveys that sense of panic and wonder genuinely. It must be funny for his co-star, with whom he never shares a scene because they play the same character at different points in life, Dev Patel, to watch Sunny. It was eight years ago when Patel was the (admittedly older) Indian actor from outta nowhere who blew everyone away.
And Patel is terrific here, a full-grown male (and he’s been lifting). But Pawar deserved a Best Supporting Actor nod. Easily. Patel got the nod, but there’s no way you leave this film being more affected by his performance (solid) than by Pawar’s (hypnotic). Read A.O.Scott’s review in The Failing New York Times but also watch the “Anatomy of a Scene.”
3. Another Day of Trump
There was a time when he owned a robe
— Donald AND Donald Jr. send out tweets harshing on Nordstrom’s for dropping Ivanka’s line (which wasn’t selling).
Women Nationwide Cut Up Nordstrom’s Cards, Plan Boycotts After Political Decision to Drop Ivanka Trump Line https://t.co/LPc0okanaX
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 9, 2017
(Fake News: He was referencing a Breitbart piece)
–Judge Neil Gorsuch-and-Such not only tells a senator that Trump’s statements about the appeals court judges are “demoralizing” and “disheartening,” but does not shy away from admitting he said that when the media checks if that was fake news. Sending a message.
–Trump calls his NSA advisor Mike Flynn at 3 a.m. to ask about how a stronger or weaker dollar would affect the economy. One, why would Flynn know? Two, I thought Donald was a business and economics whiz? Three, how did news of that call get released (not by the man who made the call)? Four, when did the presidency become an awful Matchbox Twenty song?
–Sessions confirmed.
–Failed Yemen raid? No. “Huge success!” Why, because a Navy SEAL died? That’s the calculus, Sean?
T-Mobile is not an official MH sponsor, we just love Kristen Schaal and this ad.
4. Geno on Immigration
A few hours before leading Connecticut to its 98th consecutive win on Tuesday in Cincinnati, immigrant Geno Auriemma answered WCOP-TV reporter Keenan Singleton’s question about Trump’s proposed immigration ban. Lots of wisdom and insight here.
5. Riff-Off
This is what James Corden can do that no other late-night host can (Okay, Jimmy Fallon can). Here’s a pair of Tony Awards hosts (and winners) doing a riff-off (it’s a little, um, swishy).
Music 101
I’ll Fall In Love Again
Cabo Wabo! Sammy Hagar is the Andy Dufresne of rock stars: He got his pile of cash, then he wisely made his exodus down to Mexico’s west coast. In the early 80’s, before he joined Van Halen, it was easy to enjoy Hagar’s straightforward rock, but he had “opening act’ written all over him (it may be tattooed somewhere). Still, you listen to this 1982 rocker and it’s simple to see why the VH brothers recruited him to replace Diamond Dave.
Remote Patrol
North Carolina at Duke
7 p.m. ESPN
A little unusual to see these neighbors ranked 8th and 18th respectively, but the battles inside Cameron are always spectacular and in Grayson Allen the series has one of its worthier anti-heroes. Coach K Pissy-ness Level: 14.