Academy Award Predictions

March Madness. The Super Bowl. The Fall Classic. The Rose Bowl. The Oscars.

Yes that’s right. It’s awards season aka one of my favorite times of the year. Movies and sports are like peanut butter and jelly. They are two of my favorite things life. This Sunday night, the Oscars take center stage, and I could not be happier. I am a huge (amateur) movie buff if I do say so myself. I spend more time scrolling through IMDB than ESPN.com. In fact, I can name the past 20 winners for Best Picture at the Academy Awards (my roommates can attest to this).

When it comes to my predictions, it has been a difficult year. There has been a new movie getting steam every month. Let me also remind you, the Oscars tend to shock the audience more times than one. In 1999, Shakespeare in Love took home Best Picture over some movie about a war company trying to find Private James Francis Ryan. More recently, in 2010, James Cameron’s breath taking Avatar lost to, ironically, his ex-wife, Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker. Needless to say, there are as many upsets as the opening round in the NCAA Tournament.

Now, to the good stuff. I have to warn you, I am no expert and I have not seen every movie in the field. I do have some taste though, seeing that The Shawshank Redemption and The Silence of the Lambs are my favorite movies. In turn, I will argue that Project X is one of the best comedies of our decade.  So let’s go

****Warning: This article may contain spoilers

Best Supporting Actor

Candidates: Alan Arkin (Argo), Robert De Niro (Silver Linings Playbook), The Master (Philip Seymour Hoffman), Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln), Cristoph Waltz (Django Unchained)

The frontrunner seems to be Waltz for his performance as a bounty hunter/dentist in Tarantino’s blood bath. I was not a huge fan of Django Unchained, and would’ve been bored if it wasn’t for Waltz’ witty and charismatic character. However, history is against Waltz because he was already awarded an Oscar for Inglorious Bastards in this very category. The Academy might not award Waltz the Oscar due to his previous win in a Tarantino movie. Both Jones and Hoffman have already won awards this season, so it will be down to the wire when the pick comes in.

Who Should Win: Cristoph Waltz

Who Will Win: Tommy Lee Jones

 Best Supporting Actress

Candidates: Amy Adams (The Master), Sally Field (Lincoln), Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables), Helen Hunt (The Sessions), Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook)

If you want to go all in on one category, this is the place to spend the money. This is one category where you have to trust the critics. Everyone is picking Anne Hathaway to win, and frankly, I do not blame them. Her rendition of “I dreamed a dream” was very surprising to me because I had no idea she could sing. There is one person who sang it better though, and that’s Susan Boyle (if you want to be amazed, watch this). Sally Field did a nice job as Lincoln’s wife, but I particularly enjoyed Weaver’s performance in Silver Linings. If I were Bradley Cooper, I would’ve loved to have the “crabby snacks” on game day.

Who Should Win: Jacki Weaver

Who Will Win: Anne Hathaway

Best Director

Candidates: Michael Haneke (Amour), Ang Lee (Life of Pi), David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook), Steven Spielberg (Lincoln), Benh Zeitlin (Beasts of the Southern Wild)

This is the one category that will forever be tainted. The fact that Ben Affleck is not a nominee is the biggest travesty of the century. Affleck has resurrected his once downward spiraling career with his directing ability, spewing out the very underrated The Town or Gone Baby Gone. The Academy messed this up big time, but then again, the Academy is all politics and you have to be on the inside circle in order to win. Don’t worry Ben, you can shove it up the Academy’s ass when you take home Best Picture. If I had to choose someone though, it would be Ang Lee, mainly for the fact that the guy is a genius and used an 87% digitally mastered tiger in his movie.

Who Should Win: Ben Affleck (not nominated)

Who Will Win: Ben Afl…….I mean Ang Lee

Best Actor

Candidates: Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook), Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln), Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables), Joaquin Phoenix (The Master), Denzel Washington (Flight)

It is a shame this year because I thought Bradley Cooper did an excellent job in Silver Linings. For once in his life, he didn’t play a complete douchebag (granted, he was a psychotic maniac who just wanted someone to love). He actually proved he is not a one trick pony and can actually act. The only problem: he is going up against arguably the greatest actor of our generation, Daniel Day-Lewis as President Lincoln. First off, the guy is crazy. His unique strategy of method acting is insane! For instance, Day-Lewis played Christy Brown in My Left Foot (which he won the academy award for), an artist who could only control his left foot because of cerebral palsy. On the set, Day-Lewis refused to get out of character off the set, which meant the crew would have to carry him in around in a wheelchair and struggle to talk with him. Since1997, Day-Lewis has starred in 6 movies, with 2 Academy Award nominations for Gangs of New York and There Will Be Blood (which he won). Regardless, this is Day-Lewis’ night, which could cement him as the best ever.

Who Should Win: Daniel Day-Lewis

Who Will Win: Daniel Day-Lewis

Best Actress

Candidates: Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty), Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook), Emmanuelle Riva (Amour), Quvenzhane Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild), Naomi Watts (The Impossible)

This is probably the most competitive award of the night. I can honestly say every actress has a chance to win. Watts’ heroic portrayal as wife looking for her family, during the great tsunami, is a tearjerker. I know nothing about Beasts of the Southern Wild, besides Quvenzhane Wallis is 9 years old. 9 YEARS OLD! That is like a 3^rd grader walking on the moon. It doesn’t happen. Riva has been gaining some steam for the hopeless love story, Armour. In my opinion, it will be a heavyweight bout between Chastain and Lawrence. Without Chastain, there is no Zero Dark Thirty. She singly handily carried that movie, and drew me in from the start. In the other corner, you have the beautiful and extremely talented, Lawrence, whose role as a sex addicted-widow won me over and gave me the urge to marry her on the spot (yes, she is my most desirable woman and I would marry her today). Bias aside, she is an amazing actress, having already been nominated in this category a few years back. Let’s just say this pick will be highly debated up to the drawing.

Who Should Win: Everyone (seriously, every actress deserves this award)

Who Will Win: Jennifer Lawrence

Best Picture

Candidate: Amour, Argo, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Django Unchained, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty

On paper, this is an easy one. Argo should receive Best Picture. The only problem is the Academy votes, which makes this category very hard to predict. Seriously, trying to figure out the Academy is like trying to put Pandora back in the box; it’s impossible. Just when you think the movie is a shoe in, BAM, the Academy shocks the world and goes against public opinion. If I was voting, my top 3 would be:

Argo

Silver Linings Playbook

Zero Dark Thirty

As I mentioned in the Best Directing category, Ben Affleck deserves this award. I was on the edge of my seat throughout Argo, which is weird because I already knew the ending. Affleck’s ability to connect with the audience really makes you feel that you are on the mission.

Who Should Win: Argo

Who Will Win: Argo

Well there you have it folks. I hope you enjoyed reading my (Un)Official Picks for the Academy Awards. I hope you all tune in and enjoy the soap opera that is the Oscars. If you’re not down with that, then you can go Argof***yourself.

-Dan Giolamo

Follow Dan @DannyG3242

Follow the Ice Bath team @IceBathReport

Dan's Pilot

The Knicks are (Almost) Back 

Hello readers. My name is Dan Girolamo. With Chris’ permission, I have decided to take my talents to Mia..... I mean Ice Bath. Ever since I was a kid, I have loved everything about sports. I was almost born with a football in my hand due to my father, who was the starting QB at Hofstra (RIP football program, 7^th all time in passing yards). I was always a good athlete, but never the great player I dreamed of becoming. I played football, basketball, and lacrosse in high school. To put it into perspective, here are my professional equivalents.

Football-Alex Smith/Jim Leonhard-scrappy white guys who have a high football IQ

Basketball-Jason Kidd-does all of the little things, especially the ones that don’t show up in the box score

Lacrosse- Chris LaPierre- a groundball machine who creates transition offense. For those of you that do not know of this Virginia standout or have never watched lacrosse, check out this monster in the weight room.

Baseball- Derek Jeter- my personal idol and the player who I dreamed of becoming, even though my lifetime average was probably .250

Did I just compare myself to Derek Jeter? Yea I crossed the line didn't I.

(^^^OK, editor Chris inserted that line because he was so astonished that one of his writers compared his baseball career to Derek Jeter)

Now lets get down to business. The New York Knicks are currently 2^nd in the Eastern Conference with a 32-19 record. They are off to their best start in over 10 years. Carmelo Anthony is 2^nd in the NBA with 28.3 PPG and has a shot to snag some MVP votes (notice how I said receive some votes. Lebron or KD will win the MVP). Tyson Chandler is having an all-star caliber season and JR Smith has a good shot to win 6^th man of the year.

All signs seem to point up for the Knicks…. WRONG. I am writing this article the day after the Knicks were completely EMBARRASSED by the Indiana Pacers, 125-91. It came to a point where the Pacers were shown “laughing” throughout the game. Since I was so disgruntled by the first half abomination, my TV was off at halftime and I did not witness this...but trust me, I believe it. Heck, Amar’e and Melo were seen laughing on the bench. Maybe they can laugh their sorrows away if they lose in the 1^st round of the playoffs for the 3^rd straight year.

Plain and simple, the Knicks look old and slow. Jason Kidd is starting to feel the effects of an 82 game season. Rasheed Wallace has not played in the year 2013. Kurt Thomas needs a respirator every time he comes off the court, and Marcus Camby is getting paid $4,590,338 to drink water. Every other day, it seems that a new player gets to wear their favorite designer suit on the bench.

You must be saying, “Dan, how can the Knicks get back on track?” Don’t worry kids because there is hope.

Obviously, Carmelo Anthony has to keep scoring the basketball. If Melo does not put up 25+ a game, the Knicks do not stand a chance. Now I’m not saying he has to shoot more and take on triple teams, but he does have to score, and it will take a courageous, magical performance come playoff time if the Knicks want to take down the Heat.

Amar’e Stoudemire HAS to be more productive. When he comes into the game, he has to be a presence. I'm not saying he has to be the Amar'e of old from the Suns, but can we get some sort of remnants of that Amar'e? The Knicks cannot afford for him to go 15 and 5. Realistically, he needs close to 10 rebounds a game and to start becoming a “man” in the paint. He is not the Amar’e of the past, but can still be a productive scorer.

The supporting cast has to chip in as well. JR Smith needs to be consistent on a daily basis, Tyson Chandler needs to keep being the emotional leader on the court, and Raymond Felton has to be the Raymond Felton from his first stint with the Knicks.

Positively, Iman Shumpert can play some D and Steve Novak can hit 3’s with his eyes closed.

Last but not least, Jason Kidd is the gasoline to this engine. To quote Reggie Jackson, he’s the “straw that stirs the drink.” Jason Kidd makes this team “go.” He hits the clutch 3 pointers, grabs every rebound in his path, and provides a sense of leadership. He has been to the top before, and he is capable of taking us to the top again.

Who will show up the rest of the season? The new look Knicks or the Isiah Thomas Knicks of the Dark Ages. Mike Woodson needs to get this team ready for the playoffs, and I trust that he will succeed.

Are the Knicks back? It’s still a work in progress. I’m not greedy. A trip to the 2^nd round of the playoffs would be a success. It’s the Heat’s championship to lose, but wouldn’t it be great if the Knicks stood in their path?

-Dan Girolamo

Follow Dan at @DannyG3242

Follow the IceBath team @IceBathReport

A Day In the Life: Rec Basketball Coach

Growing up playing sports, one of the lessons I first learned was to never give up. Sounds corny doesn't it? Seriously though. No matter what the situation was, you always had a shot at victory. I remember playing Pop Warner football games believing that we would we recover a fumbled kneel down attempt and win the game on the last play. Clearly, Greg Shiano and I share the same never give up principles. However, I have only felt completely hopeless in one specific sporting event in my entire life. And that was the annual rec basketball game against Red Bank.

I remember my first encounter with the Red Bank rec basketball team. I was in 5^th grade, and had just finished a great season of pop warner as the Bucs Mighty Mite quarterback, finishing the season with an impressive two completions, amassing just under 11 yards passing. Needless to say, I was not only the driving force behind my team’s success, but I had earned respect from my teammates as well.

Foolishly, I thought this camaraderie and companionship would transfer onto the basketball court, yielding an exciting basketball ball for both my Little Silver team and the opposing Red Bank team. The final score of the game was 86-14 in favor of Red Bank. I banked a three. No big deal. It just wasn’t our day. As I faced Red Bank year after year, I would soon discover it would never be our day.

Young 5^th and 6^th graders from Little Silver have marked this day on their calendars, fearing its arrival year after year. Well, tonight I got the opportunity to relive the nightmare that was playing Red Bank; however, this time I was participating as a basketball coach, not a player. I figured after years of failure as a player, success would come find me as a coach. Although my position in the game was different, the outcome was still the same: complete and utter devastation.

It was over before it started.

Like all games against the superior Red Bank team, our game started with a jump ball fast break layup, immediately putting the Little Silver Badgers down by two points, three seconds into the game. As a coach I expected this, almost admired it, as these 5^th and 6^th graders from Red Bank possessed basketball skills I have never achieved as an eighteen-year-old high school senior. To my surprise, the Badgers answered with an 8-foot jumper, tying the score at two. After a tough first quarter, Red Bank led 6-4. I was shocked. I was amazed. I was proud of my team. I was also preparing for the onslaught of Red Bank put back layups that would dominate the second quarter.

It is at this point where I would like to address the referee situation that is ruining Rec Basketball in all leagues around the world. Not only do these guys call defensive three second on 12 year old, but they also do not even acknowledge the one call that saves shorter players, the over the back call. At one point, one man-child was literally leap-frogging my smaller, helpless guards for rebounds. I am not saying that the refs lost us the game, but they certainly killed any chance we had of keeping the game within 20 points.

It would be an understatement to say Red Bank had more than three offensive rebounds per-possession in the second quarter. No, they were not the best shooting team. But you can’t teach size. And when I mean size, I mean a 5’10” twelve year old that looked like Charles Barkley out there. This kid had a double-double in the second quarter alone.

Every Red Bank possession had a similar structure. Missed jump shot…offensive rebound by Barkley…pop pass to the outside….jump shot…offensive rebound by Barkley…put back layup by Barkley. This resumed for ten minutes, and the Badgers quickly found themselves down by 18.

Half Time.

I believe I am the Jeff Van Gundy of rec basketball. We don’t have the tallest team, but we play tough with a tenacious half court trap defense. Our innovative 1-2-2 zone had led our team to a three game winning streak, saving our season. Now, I don’t know how Van Gundy felt when he faced the 72 win 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls in the Conference Finals, but I think felt the same during half time. No half time speech would motivate my team or make them believe we had a shot of winning. Defeat was guaranteed. We accepted it.

The third quarter began with a quick layup by mini Barkley. With that basket, the most awkward rule in sports history was put into effect: the 20-point mercy rule where the winning team cannot play defense outside the paint.  After the mercy rule was put into effect, my team would dribble down the court, chuck up an uncontested three, miss the three miserably, and watch as Red Bank scored on an easy transition alley-oop layup. I found myself clapping for them. I never saw Magic Johnson and the 80s Lakers, but it must have looked like this.

Finally, the fourth quarter rolled around. And it is here that one of the most unusual events in rec history occurred. As the quarter began, I saw the gym door open. Into the gym walked this little kid with dreads. What I thought was a little brother of one of Red Bank players, turned out to be their secret weapon. You would think that the Red Bank coach just hid this kid in the hallway, and then brought him out in the fourth quarter to finish demoralized teams. He took the court, and took over the game. He dribbled around everyone on our team at least three different times, before penetrating the lane like a hot knife through butter for the easy layup. Down by 25, I as counting down the minutes until we were put out of our misery.

As the clock struck two minutes, my team just began taking threes anytime they touched the ball. With about a minute and a half left, little Owen dribbled the ball up to the three point line, and heaved the ball into the air like a shot-put. Miraculously, the ball went in, and Owen celebrated like we had just won the Finals.

And then I hear, “NO BASKET, TRAVEL”

Of course, the one three pointer this kid makes all season, is called off. Granted, he did take 4 steps to set up the shot, but that’s what rec basketball is all about. I never forgot my first three pointer I banked in against Red Bank, and Owen’s memory is now tainted forever. What a damn shame.  The game finally ends, and my team leaves the instant the clock strikes triple zeroes. They were well ready to leave before then, anyway. A kid who was on the bench in the fourth quarter had already put his jacket on with three minutes to play, in great anticipation for this nightmare to end.

I left the gym taking absolutely no positives from the game. It’s hard to accept that all other teams are merely a steppingstone on Red Bank’s stampede to another championship. But some things in life will never change.

-Will Noglows

Follow Will @WilliamNoglows

Follow the Ice Bath team @IceBathReport

Forgotten Heroes: Volume 1

Mickey Kaline

With all the controversy about an empty class for the Baseball Hall of Fame, it puzzles me that one player has still not been given the nod from the Hall. You would think that a .299 lifetime batting average and 534 homeruns would guarantee a plaque in Cooperstown, but one of baseball’s most beloved heroes has been forgotten in time. Mickey Kaline was not only a gifted athlete, but also a hometown hero, which is something very uncommon in today’s game.

Kaline’s numbers say it all about his athletic ability, tied with HOF Jamie Foxx on the all time homerun list. However, his true impact on the game is seen on his influence on the kids who grew up idolizing him. Specifically, Kaline changed the life of a young 4^th grader named Arnold, sparking Arnold’s forgotten love for the game.

Arnold considered dropping the game he loved at a very young age.  He had a serious case of “dangerous lumber”, as his grandpa called it. Every time he hit the ball, it would injure one of his friends. In a last ditch effort, Arnold’s grandpa brought him to the batting cages in attempt to regain some confidence. Arnold proceeded to break the pitching machine with one of his hits. When the team needed him most for the big game against Wolfgang, Arnold turned his back on his team, and walked away from the game.

This is where Kaline’s true heroism is truly exemplified. Arnold visited Kaline’s post-retirement venture hot dog restaurant named Mickey’s All-Natural Casings Dog Pound. Arnold explained his Dangerous Lumber problem to Mickey, and Mickey advised Arnold to face his fear, telling him he has to try and hit again. Providing true inspiration for Arnold, Mickey said, “You gotta face your fears kid. You gotta stand up to that plate and swing, no matter what. Because if you don’t, you’ll never get over it. You could end up a loser, never live up to your true potential. But if you stick to it, you face your fears, you could end up a big success, like me.”

Arnold took these words to heart. With the score 10-7, bottom of the 9^th, two outs, Arnold arrived at his team’s game, facing Wolfgang on the mound. After looking at two strikes, Arnold drove the ball over the left fielder’s head for a game winning grand slam.

It is moments like these where athletes transcend their celebrity status and turn into legends. While Kaline’s number’s made him an integral part of his team’s success, his advice to a young aspiring player makes him a true hero. Hopefully, he no longer goes unforgotten.

-Will Noglows

***All stats taken from Hey Arnold Wiki