I’m getting the open thread started a little early (it isn’t yet the 1st Of Tha Month) and at an odd hour, but it’ll go until tomorrow afternoon at least. Most of you are West Coasters anyhow.
Business items:
- Book club discussion begins. What’d everyone think of our first book, “Hands of Stone?” I’ll save my answers until after a few of you go, because I don’t want to bias the crew.
- We must pick the next book for the next entry in book club, to be completed by and discussed Nov. 1. Vote from the following, with the winner announced at the end of the open thread: “Irish Thunder,” the Micky Ward bio (that’s the one, right, Coltaine?); “Black Lights” by Thomas Hauser; “The Devil And Sonny Liston,” by Nick Tosches. Ward’s bio speaks for itself. For info on the latter two, read Jonathan Clarke’s guest blog here. I’m still pleased as f*&k that the words “chiarascuro” and “exegete” ever appeared on this site.
- The idea of movie club begins. Let me know if you’re in, and then say which movies you’re interested in so we can start that process to finalize by Nov. 1 for inaugural discussion in the Dec. 1 open thread. That’s far ahead, I know, but I want to make sure we have people who want to do the movie club, then make sure we have a while to pick the movie, before we make it a regular gig.
- I don’t like to make predictions until closer to fight week, but the middleweight championship fight between champ Kelly Pavlik and challenger Paul Williams was finalized this week for Dec. 5, and the kickoff of the Super Six tournament is just around the corner, and I’m wondering who everyone else is picking. Don’t worry, you can change your mind. I have two cop-outs on this. A. I don’t have a clue whom I think will win between Pavlik and Williams. That’s the truth. B. I’ll give you my seeding of the Super Six, just based on whom I think is best, but I’m not saying whom I think will win it all. Some of that depends on match-ups. While the gamblers have their own thing, here’s my six in order: Mikkel Kessler; Arthur Abraham; Andre Dirrell; Andre Ward; Carl Froch; Jermain Taylor. So. who you got?
- I’m going to start posting a music pick every month. If you think I’m a boxing evangelist, you should see what kind of music pimp I am. Why should CJD, Coltaine and Steve get to be the only Open Thread innovators? Kid Cudi, take it away. (A little NSFW, cuz of the occasional curse word.)
- And after Kid Cudi takes it away, you, all of you, GO. All topics of any variety welcome, besides the approved business list.
