Rock and Roll

I FINALLY visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland this week, on my first trip to the great state of Ohio. My focus was on the popular exhibit currently running, "From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen". As a lifelong fan, it didn't disappoint and it also reminded me that I really have to finish watching Wings for Wheels: The Making of Born to Run documentary off of Springsteen's Born to Run 30th Anniversary package.

I raced through the rest of the museum, which was also really cool and rustled up some great memories of all the fantastic music and artists I've encountered over the course of my life and career. Bliss.

Last night, coming off of my Rock Hall triumph and recovered from my jet lag, I was all settled in to watch When You're Strange: A Film About The Doors, the new and intimate documentary on another favorite band. "Was" being the operative word, as I somehow managed to delete the film off of my DVR in an attempt to play it. Ugh!! Of course, it's no longer playing down the street at my local theatre, so I am desperately waiting to receive the golden email from PBS American Masters letting me know if and when it will be airing locally again (soon, please please).

Until then, I will be firing up my iTunes to relive the glory days of rock and roll.

NBA

Laker fever is taking over LA once again, as the NBA Finals this year feature one of the fiercest basketball rivalries in history - the Los Angeles Lakers v. the Boston Celtics. Bring it!

A few months ago, I watched a cool documentary on HBO, Magic and Bird: A Courtship of Rivals. It captures the decades of intense rivalry between NBA legends Ervin "Magic" Johnson and Larry Bird. The film chronicles their renowned competition starting from their college days facing each other in the 1979 NCAA championship game between Michigan State and Indiana State, respectively. It carries them through their NBA careers, playing for (you guessed it), the Lakers and the Celtics, respectively, when both teams dominated and transformed the sport in the 1980s. A story of opposites in many ways, it is also a story of the unlikely friendship that can develop between people with a shared experience. The film is a great travel down the court for any basketball fan and aired in conjunction with Bird and Johnson's joint (with Jackie MacMullan) book release, When the Game Was Ours.

Although living in LA for as long as I have means I turn up to cheer on the Lakers at pivotal moments, I confess that my heart still belongs to the east coast of my youth, and the sometimes hapless New York Knicks. That is why I was so excited to also recently screen Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks on ESPN's 30 for 30 documentary series. In another fantastic NBA rivalry, we jump to the mid-1990s as Miller's Indiana Pacers battle the Knicks - an epic conflict between America's Heartland and The Big City. What a fun ride remembering Miller and #1 Knicks fan Spike Lee trash-talk and psych each other out during their pivotal and theatrical matchups. Check it out during an upcoming repeat.

Basketball is nothing if not entertaining, and once again, documentaries help us relive all the fun on and off the court.

Wooden

It's tough to think of a life these days more worthy of celebration than Coach John Wooden. The iconic coach, teacher and author passed away last Friday night and I think at least everyone in the Los Angeles area breathed a collective, heavy-hearted sigh. At 99 years old and with recent health challenges, his passing was not exactly surprising but a profound loss for the sports world and beyond nonetheless.

I am glad to report that HBO2 will be re-airing The UCLA Dynasty documentary in tribute to him this Friday, June 11th at 7:30pm ET/PT. It captures the amazing run of UCLA's 10 NCAA men's basketball championships under Coach Wooden's leadership.

I had the honor of meeting him once, briefly, at a book signing at the Westwood Borders - down the street from the campus where he made history all those years ago. He was promoting his book, Wooden on Leadership: How to Create a Winning Organization, which he graciously signed, along with my all-time favorite, Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections on and Off the Court. I told him how I had often given copies of that book to others over the years because it meant so much to me. I will never forget that moment and his lasting inspirational messages that have served so many athletes and everyday folk in finding success and a life well-lived.

One of my favorite John Wooden quotes: "Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming."

Thanks Coach.