Frank Grillo once said, "life's too short, so I'm going to have fun." I like that train of thought, so instead of launching a solo attack on one topic, I'm going to hit you with a weekly dose of five things. What used to be called "here's what I know" or "a dose" will now be simply titled, "Buffa's 5".It's like Ocean's 11, just not as well dressed. Let's get to it.
5) It's hard to take Canelo Alvarez's word about testing positive for a banned substance named clenbuterol. The Mexican boxer's defense is that the amount found in his February drug test was due to tainted meat consumed in Mexico, which is actually a thing. Come to think of it, I saw my biceps swell up after a visit to El Maguey last week. I'm not buying it. Gennady Golovkin, who faces off against Alvarez in a rematch on May 5, isn't known to call opponents out or say anything nasty about them-but even he can see through a shady confession. Canelo can explain all he wants, but it's going to be hard to shake this failed drug test off. Welcome to 2018, sports fans.
4) Jeff Daniels is sensational in just about anything he does. The guy who made us fear using a friend's bathroom in Dumb and Dumber has blown me away while fighting the good journalism fight in Aaron Sorkin's Newsroom, riding the Lord's hand to bad deeds in Netflix's Godless, or feeling sympathetic for Steve Jobs in Danny Boyle's masterpiece. These days, he's playing the courageous and insufferable late FBI legend, John O'Neill, who took the fight to Osama Bin Laden for years before his untimely death on 9/11. His bittersweet story served as the lightning rod energy in Lawrence Wright's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Looming Tower, which is streaming weekly on Hulu. The show will enrage and engage you while informing. Daniels is the chief reason to watch.
3) True confession: I'd rather watch Liam Neeson in Taken 4: I'm Just a Really Bad Father than Pacific Rim: Uprising this weekend. I skipped the screening and don't want to lose two hours of my life while spending $30-40 in babysitting fees. Sure, Steven DeKnight brought Daredevil to Netflix, but that doesn't mean he can take over for Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro and deliver a worthy sequel. Rock em' sock em' robots was cool back in the 2013 original. Everything doesn't need a sequel! Use the money elsewhere. Watch the trailer. That should be enough.
2) Vladimir Tarasenko potentially being out against Boston on Wednesday in a must-win game against a great team is a problem. The Blues squeaked by against the Rangers and Blackhawks without their star winger, but missing those 27 goals and 31 assists is going to hurt. His critics can call 2017-18 a down year for the star winger, but you can't say he isn't important. Last time I checked, he still wrecks havoc for the opposing team.
1) Ease up on Bud Norris, Cardinals fans. Spring training stats create devious arguments among fans. If a pitcher gives up a two-run homer, he's terrible. If another guy does the same, he's working on stuff. Perception is everything and all baseball fans are guilty of diving in too hard or being a little reluctant in March. The Norris from the first half of 2018 was a lethal weapon for the L.A. Angels, saving 13 games and averaging 11.6 strikeouts per nine innings. He got hurt. I like the youth movement, but don't push Norris out after a couple rough spring outings. At least he has shown the ability to get MLB hitters out during the regular season.
That's all I have for now. Come back next week for another round of "Buffa's 5".
