It’s criminal that The Newsroom ends this Sunday night. The HBO serial just got started in 2012. Seeing NBC pull the plug on “Friday Night Lights” was enough to drive one to tears, but at least you could take some solace in the fact that FNL went out on top. As sad and unjustified as it’s demise was, as least they gave you a chance to work through the five stages of grief. The Newsroom, on the other hand, is being put to bed while it’s still on an upward trajectory.
As for the Chicago Bulls..it’s becoming clear that their championship window will be closing sooner rather than later. They could reach the NBA Finals this year if Rose stays healthy. But beyond 2015, it’s obvious that the clock is ticking on this franchise as well.
Derrick Rose = Jeff Daniels/Will McAvoy:
The most obvious analogies are obvious because they fit. Both of our protagonists attack their craft with zeal. It’s a double edged sword that can be self-destructive for both themselves and the team. Our main characters “only know one speed.” D Rose attacks the basket with vigor and aggression; that’s his game. As you might have heard, you can get injured by doing that.
McAvoy is such a journalistic purist that he went to jail because of his ideals.
Joakim Noah = Emily Mortimer/MacKenzie McHale:
No one does more that doesn’t appear on the score sheet. McHale is the most important person behind the scenes within the ACN newsroom. She’s not visible like an on-air talent. Likewise there are no stats for the hustle plays Noah makes and his defensive contributions.
GarPax = Sam Waterston/Charlie Skinner:
You have to earn your stripes to win these old school guys over. Skinner doesn’t embrace the social media/web 2.0/”the consumer is the content” philosophy. Gar Forman and John Paxson will pretty much draft only players from high-major programs who stayed in school at least three years. No shortcuts here.
Tom Thibodeau = John Gallagher, Jr./Jim Harper:
There is no way anyone could possibly be more “married to their job” than this guy.
“Do. Your. Job.”
Jimmy Butler = Alison Pill/Maggie Jordan:
An eager, young talent who’s shown a ton of promise, but still has a lot to prove; an indefatigable worker.
Taj Gibson = Dev Patel/Neal Sampat:
He’s not supposed to be this good, but wow, he really is. They keep exceeding expectations, yet we underrate them anyway. Here’s your essential glue guy to advance the plot.
Dennis Rodman = Olivia Munn/Sloan Sabbith:
Neither of these fictional characters are believable in the real world. Everyone knows Rodman is weird for the sake of grabbing attention, not for the sake of being weird. Sloan has supermodel looks, a double PhD in economics, and every time she speaks to anyone, she’s so witty that it seems as if she had 24 hours to think about what she wanted to say; and had a team of proof-readers edit it.
Yes, that’s true of every character on The Newsroom, their off-the-cuff conversation is somehow the most perfect and insightful thing anyone could ever think of, but with Sabbith it’s more exaggerated. Of course, it’s what you sign up for when choosing to view anything written and/or produced by Aaron Sorkin. Still, Sorkin, Sabbith and Rodman have all taken the bit too far. Yes, I know there are lots of very educated, very intelligent women and also very attractive all at the same time women in this world. However, two PhDs in economics? Before age 35?
Of course, Rodman/Sabbith is the most memorable character, and everyone has an opinion on them.
Pau Gasol = Thomas Sadoski/Don Keefer:
Recently left one employer for another and we’re not sure yet how this career move will work out. It was the right choice, but we won’t see the true results until later.
Michael Jordan = Jane Fonda/Leona Lansing
In the background nearly all the time; but still by far the most important figure in franchise history. Looms large and casts a shadow over everything.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net ,which is partners with Fox Sports. Read his feature stories in the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. Listen to him on KOZN 1620 The Zone. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks). His work has been featured in hundreds of media outlets including The Washington Post and ESPN 2