Former Toledo women’s basketball standout Allie Clifton is returning to a court she knows well after being hired Aug. 27 by Fox Sports Ohio as the Cleveland Cavaliers sideline reporter.

“I’m excited to take the next step in my career,” she said. “It’s one I’m ready for. I’m kind of humbled by the whole experience so far and am very grateful for the opportunity.”

Clifton, a native of Van Wert, Ohio, won’t need any tours of the facilities after playing in four Mid-American Conference Tournaments at Quicken Loans Arena with the Rockets.

“When this job landed in my lap, it’s almost like going home,” she said. “It feels like a home atmosphere. I played on the court. I was a fan of the Cavs growing up.”

“Anything she does, she is very passionate about and works so hard when she has a goal,” UT head coach Tricia Cullop said. “It’s fun for me to sit back and see her achieve something I know is a career goal for her. That was to get back into sports and do it at such a high level. To also still be in Ohio covering a team she’s grown up watching? What a dream.”

As much as the position feels like home, Clifton is equally excited for the travel opportunities.

“It’s crazy to think, because as a player I’ve been to California, New York City, Miami and Hawaii,” she said. “This takes it to another level though. Just to be doing it outside the lines is very exciting. As a player you are thinking about scouting reports and taking care of everything else. It will be a different aspect. I’m very excited to travel to different cities and do it alongside of a team.”

Clifton is joining the broadcasting team of Fred McLeod and Austin Carr.

“I think it’s awesome to be able to learn and grow under such prestigious and experienced broadcasters,” she said. “I’ve done my research on them. They are the kind of people I want to learn from. I reached out to them and sent an email telling them how excited I was to join their team. They’ve been very welcoming.”

Cullop said she is excited to see how Clifton continues to progress in the new position.

“It’s outstanding news, because she has worked so hard to refine her skills in her craft,” Cullop said. “We have such a luxury in this market of having BCSN where she had an opportunity to really practice her craft and continue to get better.”

Clifton’s former co-captain, Courtney Ingersoll, now a graduate assistant with the Rockets, has also been impressed by her improvement since changing majors as a junior.

“Being a huge Cleveland person, I was so pumped,” Ingersoll said. “I sat down with her a couple times and talked to her about what she wanted to do. I was there when she decided to move to communication. She was like, ‘I see these people on TV. I want to do that. I can stay around sports.’ It’s kind of cool to be there to see that transition, and now she’s on her way to be the next Erin Andrews. I’m so excited for her.”

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in sports analysis and communications, Clifton earned her master’s in communications while working at BCSN and serving as a graduate assistant in the weight room.

“It was challenging, I’m not going to lie,” she said. “My days would sometimes start sometimes at 5 a.m. and wouldn’t end until after a BCSN game at 10 p.m. It was tough. Those times are becoming clearer to me as to why I had to do them. I wouldn’t change anything in the world. Sometimes I slap myself for complaining. It was definitely worth it.”

Following graduation she worked as a sideline reporter for the Toledo Mud Hens, a position she has been granted permission to continue working in the off-season. As much as she enjoys working for the Mud Hens, Clifton is anxious for the opportunity to work as a sideline reporter for the sport she knows best.

“I thank the game every day for things I do now,” Clifton said. “From a communications, reliability and trusting standpoint, the game has shaped me and made me the person I am. It’s been a part of my life since I was 6 years old, and I don’t see it leaving.”

Tags: Allie Clifton, BCSN, Cleveland Cavaliers, Courtney Ingersoll, Fox Sports Ohio, Jason Mack, Rockets basketball, Toledo Mud Hens, Tricia Cullop, women's basketball

This entry was posted on Friday, August 31st, 2012 at 3:00 pm and is filed under College sports, Mud Hens, Rocket Basketball, Sports.
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The UT women’s basketball team will host a pair of tournaments as part of the 2012-13 schedule that was released Aug. 29.

“I don’t think it’s a secret that the more we’ve won, and the more fans that have turned out to support our program, it’s been very difficult to schedule home games,” head coach Tricia Cullop said. “Last year, coach [Todd] Mitmesser and I sat down and he came up with the idea of a tournament, trying to draw teams in knowing they would at least get a neutral game in one of the games. We had such a great response to these tournaments that we added a second one. They filled up very quickly.”

Toledo will host St. Bonaventure, Southern and SIU Edwardsville on Dec. 1-2 in the Glass City Tournament and host Evansville, Prairie View A&M and Hampton on Dec. 20-21 in the Toledo Invite.

“We’re excited to be home for four games because of the tournaments, but we’re also excited for the talent we’re bringing in for the tournaments,” Cullop said. “St. Bonaventure went to the Sweet 16 last year. Prairie View A&M and Hampton both were in the postseason. They bring great experience back and will be quality opponents to help prepare us for what’s ahead.”

The Rockets will also play two tournaments on the road in the Reno Tournament Nov. 23-24 and the Georgia State Tournament Dec. 29-30. The four tournaments make four times in the regular season UT will play back-to-back games.

“The easiest way to get into the NCAA Tournament is to win the MAC Tournament,” Cullop said. “In the MAC Tournament you have to play back-to-back days. If this has been something that’s kind of eluded us, then why not practice it four times? We’ll get our players comfortable with what their legs feel like, learning scouting reports that maybe are different styles of play and adjusting quickly on the fly so you can be prepared for that second game. These are great lessons for us to learn heading into MAC Tournament play.”

Toledo plays at Bowling Green on Jan. 13. The team hosts Wayne State for an exhibition game Nov. 4 before opening the season at home Nov. 9 against Arkansas State. Visit UTRockets.com for a full copy of the schedule.

Tags: Georgia State Tournament, Glass City Tournament, Jason Mack, MAC Tournament, Reno Tournament, Rockets basketball, Toledo Invite, Tricia Cullop, women's basketball

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 30th, 2012 at 10:43 pm and is filed under College sports, Rocket Basketball, Sports.
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Yellowcard’s latest album lacks the passion and emotional impact displayed on previous songs such as “Only One” and “Empty Apartment.” But it’s about what you would expect from a punk rock group that’s been around for 15 years.

“Southern Air” is filled with simple and predictable lyrics like on the song “Surface of the Sun” when they repeat the same mantra throughout the song about being destined for greatness. “We were born to be the ones to show the faithless what we’ve done, and there’s a fire inside. It burns like the surface of the sun.”

Jason Mack

The cliché lyrics continue on “Here I Am Alive” when the band sings about people trying to change them after making it big. “If I could write to the kid I was before, I’d tell him you’ll get everything you ever wanted but you’ll still want more … They say you don’t grow up, you just grow old. It’s safe to say I haven’t done both. I make mistakes. I know, I know. But here I am alive. So many people close to me cut me down. This is supposed to be a bad luck town. I jumped, I fell, I hit the ground. But here I am alive.”

The one song on the album with deep, impactful lyrics also happens to be the only acoustic song. On “Ten,” front man Ryan Key sings about the loss of a child 10 years ago and what life would be like today if they hadn’t died. “You would be 10 and I’d be driving you to school. You’d be telling all your friends that you thought I was cool. You would be out in the sun until it was gone. You would be watching ‘Star Wars’ with your PJs on. And you would have all the love in my heart.”

Even on the songs with mediocre lyrics, the music is still good. The use of violin in punk music has always made Yellowcard stand out. The instrument is still a big part of their sound and helps salvage a so-so release.

“Southern Air” is decent at best, but the quality of “Ten” boosts the grade a bit. I’d recommend just downloading “Ten” before purchasing the entire album.

**1/2 out of 5

Tags: "Southern Air", CD review, Jason Mack, Ryan Key, Yellowcard

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 21st, 2012 at 12:00 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, CD Reviews, Music.
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If I ever had a chance of feeling safe to go back in the water, the high-resolution release of “Jaws” on Blu-Ray ruined it.

In the digitally remastered and restored film, the blood is more vibrant, the razor-sharp teeth more menacing and the fear more real. Director Steven Spielberg said it looks better than when it was originally projected in theaters. I can’t speak to that, but it looks amazing. Another selling point is the remastered audio, which takes full advantage of the brilliant score by John Williams. Along with the increased quality, the Blu-Ray features a collection of old and new features such as documentaries and deleted scenes.

“The Making of Jaws” is a two-hour documentary going in-depth into everything “Jaws” including production problems, translating the story from book to movie and anecdotes from Spielberg as well as the actors, writers and producers. One of the best stories is about when the Orca was sinking and Spielberg was trying to get the actors to safety. Sound editor John Carter had a different idea.

“He picked up the Nagra [an audio recorder], he was on the boat, held it over his head and said, ‘F*** the actors, save the sound department!’” Spielberg said. “I have this image to this day of John sinking, holding the Nagra over his head, the water up to John’s ankles, up to his knees, the boat, scrambling to pull everybody off the sinking Orca, and John with his nagger going under.”

My favorite part of the documentary is a detailed analysis of how Williams’ score was used to dramatically impact the film and announce the shark’s presence. During the scene when two kids pretend to be the shark, there is no music. Moments later when the music starts, you know something is about to go down.

Another fascinating section of the documentary is about the difficulties of shooting on the water and dealing with malfunctioning special effects. They nearly led to the movie being shut down. Spielberg sums up the horror of making the horror movie with a recounting of a nightmare.

“Every time I fell asleep, I dreamt I was in the third or fourth day of shooting,” he said. “I’d wake up with an electrical explosion in my brain, my heart beating, can’t catch my breath, looking around the room, where am I, disoriented. I calm down, get a glass of water, go back to sleep again. Same dream. I’m on the fourth day of shooting, and I know I’ve got another 146 days left. I wake up again, same thing. This thing was just haunting me all night long, so I didn’t get any sleep. ‘Jaws’ was a fun movie to watch, but not a fun movie to make.”

“The Shark Is Still Working: The Impact and Legacy of ‘Jaws’ ” goes a step further than the documentary in discussing the cultural phenomenon of “Jaws.” The parts about the success of the film and the crazy fans it created are fun. More interesting is the effect “Jaws” had on the movie industry. It’s widely regarded as the first summer blockbuster, and it also started the trend of advertising movies on TV. Directors such as Eli Roth and Kevin Smith discuss how “Jaws” is one of the main reasons they got into movie making.

“Jaws: The Restoration” is a look into how the original 35mm film was restored into a high-definition Blu-Ray with 7.1 audio. It sounds like it’s just for cinephiles, but it’s fascinating to see how film from nearly 40 years ago can be turned into such a crisp picture. It’s also cool to see footage of Universal’s massive film library.

All of the special features are fun to watch, but the restoration itself is what really drives this release.

***** out of 5

Tags: "Jaws", DVD review, Jason Mack, John Carter, John Williams, Steven Spielberg

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 19th, 2012 at 12:28 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, DVD Review.
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Various artists, “Just Tell Me That You Want Me: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac”

With so many hits and lesser-known gems, Fleetwood Mac is the perfect candidate for a cover album. Few of the artists featured are recognizable, but there is a good blend of unique takes and direct covers in the compilation.

The Lee Ranaldo Band opens the album with the instrumental track “Albatross.” The peaceful, bluesy cover is an interesting way to kick off the album but might work better as a closer.

British singer Antony was smart to do a straightforward take on “Landslide.” He sounds more like Tracy Chapman than Stevie Nicks, but it works. It doesn’t come close to the original, but no cover of “Landslide” ever will.

The great thing about this album is it got me listening to Fleetwood Mac songs I never heard before. The best example is Trixie Whitley’s Led Zeppelin-esque cover of “Before the Beginning.” It’s the best song on the album with an early ‘70s trippy rock feel, strong vocals and smooth guitar riffs. I only knew a handful of the artists featured on the album going in, but I plan to get to know a few more of them now with Whitley at the top of the list.

Best Coast’s upbeat cover of “Rhiannon” sounds like it belongs on a CD for kids. It completely misses the point of the song and is a low point of this album. The vocals are reminiscent of Nicks, but the music is far from Fleetwood Mac.

Karen Elson, former wife of rocker Jack White, also sounds just like Nicks but with much better results on her cover of “Gold Dust Woman.” It’s dangerous to stick so exactly to the original when doing a cover, but Elson’s vocals are solid enough to make it worth a listen.

MGMT went in the exact opposite direction, using a heavily synthesized and electronic sound in their cover of “Future Games.” The background music is cool, but the robot singing ruins the track. This would have been an amazing and imaginative cover if they had used regular vocals. More than nine minutes of the robot voice is too much to handle.

With 19 songs, you’re going to have some hits and misses. The ratio is nearly split down the middle, but the hits are good enough to make the album worth a listen for any Fleetwood Mac fans.

**1/2 out of 5

Tags: Antony, Best Coast, CD review, Fleetwood Mac, Jason Mack, Karen Elson, Lee Ranaldo Band, MGMT, Trixie Whitley

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 16th, 2012 at 11:37 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, CD Reviews, Music.
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Southern rock band Black Stone Cherry is heading to Toledo on Aug. 13 fresh off a summer European tour.

“It was awesome,” guitarist Ben Wells said. “We had 14 sold-out dates in the UK. We tour a lot in Europe. It’s pretty awesome that we have such a fan base over there. Growing up in a small town that we’re from, we never thought we’d have people who can’t even speak the same language listening to our music and singing along.”

Lead singer Chris Robertson, bassist Jon Lawhon and drummer John Fred Young grew up together in Edmonton, Ky. Wells lived 15 minutes away in Glasgow, Ky., and met them through a mutual friend when he was 15.

“They were kind of jamming and I played guitar,” Wells said. “We formed a band, and the next day we were scheduling regular practices and trying to book shows. We had great chemistry from the start.”

The band also had a great practice studio from the start. Young’s father Richard Young was rhythm guitarist for The Kentucky Headhunters, and Black Stone Cherry took over their studio, an old farmhouse known as the practice house.

“That’s probably one of the biggest reasons we got so far is we had a place we could call home,” Wells said. “We used that place every day. We’d practice and practice, spend the night and hold parties there. It’s part of what makes up the sound of the band.”

The band spent plenty of time in the practice house while taking a year off touring to write songs for its latest album, “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.”

“In today’s age, the way albums are, you have to take your time and make the best one possible,” Wells said. “You have to make it last and make great songs. We didn’t want to cheat ourselves and cheat our fans. We wrote 50 some odd songs and narrowed it down to 12 for the album.”

After narrowing everything down, the band felt there was one song missing from the album and wrote “In My Blood” about life on the road.

“It was our version of how ‘Ramblin’ Man’ was for the Allman Brothers,” Wells said. “We just wanted to have a personal song that talked about the bittersweet side of what we do. We hate being gone from the people we love, but we love playing music.”

“In My Blood” started as a personal narration but became something universally relatable.

“We’re not the only type of people who can relate to that,” Wells said. “There are soldiers, business people, truck drivers and professional athletes among others. Their job requires them to leave home for a long time. We just wanted to write a song for the working person and anybody who has to sacrifice what they love to do what they love.”

The video for “In My Blood” was also used to honor that sacrifice. It follows 20-year-old U.S. Army soldier Randy Hirneisen as he is deployed to Afghanistan and Germany before returning home to Augusta, Ga., to meet his two-month-old son for the first time.

“We always wanted to incorporate the military in some way,” Wells said. “They make the biggest sacrifice out of anyone on the planet. They go away for a year or two and leave their family. We wanted to honor what they do and not have anything to do with us. We wanted to talk about other people’s sacrifices.”

Black Stone Cherry is performing at 7 p.m. Aug. 13 at Headliners, located at 4500 N. Detroit Ave. Tickets are available for $18.

Tags: Ben Wells, Black Stone Cherry, Chris Robertson, Headliners, Jason Mack, John Fred Young, Jon Lawhon, “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea”

This entry was posted on Monday, August 13th, 2012 at 6:27 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, In Concert, Music.
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Chicago native Ben Babbitt is heading to Toledo for the first time Aug. 7, bringing his group This Is Cinema to perform at B-Bop records.

Babbitt began playing years ago, but his direction truly formed when he partnered with engineer Theo Karon.

“It’s sort of strange pop music and somewhat electronic, but there are always acoustic instruments involved, especially the voice,” Babbitt said. “It’s a difficult thing to pin down exactly. A friend of ours said we make dark, brooding electronic pop. I guess that’s the best way to put it.”

While that description sounds nothing like the Beatles, This Is Cinema’s name came from an interview with the band.

“They were discussing making a Beatles movie, and John Lennon jokingly said, ‘Let’s call it This Is Life,’ and Paul McCartney said, ‘This Is Cinema,’” Babbitt said. “I adopted that name and we’ve decided to stick with it.”

The band is releasing its first full album “Cycles” on Aug. 14.

“It was a long process of starting recording the songs before we knew what it was going to be,” Babbitt said. “We didn’t know we were going to put together this collection and release it the way we are doing it now. It started over a year ago.”

Putting the album together on their own schedule allowed Babbitt and Karon to experiment with the music.

“It took a long time for the amount of music,” Babbitt said. “Part of what we were doing was writing the songs while we were recording them in the studio. We experimented a lot with sounds and arrangements. Since we were recording it on our own, we could take as long as we wanted to.”

After exercising so much patience in making the album, Babbitt is anxious for its release.

“It’s always exciting to get to that final step,” he said. “We’ve worked hard on it. It’s exciting to have the CD out of our hands and into the world. We made one other EP a long time ago, but it doesn’t feel related anymore. It was basically a different band. So this is our first official release.”

Touring with the new material has been different from what Babbitt experienced on past tours.

“It’s been difficult but overall rewarding,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun to get out and play this stuff. We’ve had to reimagine things to play them live with just the two of us. It’s ended up more electronic. It’s been fun and we’ve received a good response. I’m definitely looking forward to playing in Toledo.”

This Is Cinema’s new album involves lots of engineering and guest appearances from Babbitt’s neighbors in the basement of Hotel Earth, so translating the music to live shows with just two performers has been a challenge.

“We stripped some things down,” Babbitt said. “It’s less about a traditional live rock band and more about using different equipment to reimagine certain parts of the arrangement from the album. I still feel like the cores of the songs are the same. The two of us play keyboards, I play guitar and there’s more singing. I feel like the songs still come across and are recognizable.”

Their stripped-down set will be on display Aug. 7 along with fellow Chicago indie artists Health&Beauty. The show begins at 7 p.m. at B-Bop records, located at 137 N. Michigan St. This is Babbitt’s first time playing a record store, but he’s grown accustomed to unique venues on this tour.

“We’ve played everything from a house show in Columbus to an art gallery. We’ve also played a couple bars and a proper venue in Manhattan. It’s been a variety of places. It’s challenging because you can’t just play the same thing every night. You end up playing for different people in different contexts. I enjoy that.”

Tags: "Cycles", B-Bop Records, Ben Babbitt, Jason Mack, Theo Karon, This Is Cinema

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 2nd, 2012 at 2:00 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, In Concert, Music.
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With college football just around the corner, it’s time for EA Sports to cash in as it continues a trend of mediocrity and a lack of innovation with the 2013 edition of its NCAA Football franchise.

The gameplay is almost identical to the game they released five years ago. The developers are preaching their efforts with 20 new quarterback dropbacks and 25 pass trajectory zones, but it still feels the same. They changed it so defenders can’t blindly swat the ball anymore, but middle linebackers will still leap 3 feet into the air out of nowhere to intercept the ball.

Jason Mack

The presentation looks almost identical to the 2010 edition of the game. There are still plenty of errors such as a headline saying a team won by a score of 14-20. The ESPN ticker at the bottom looks nice, but it’s showing fake scores and makes it feel more like you’re watching a game than playing one.

Some of the most frustrating errors are the little to major details relating to Toledo. Every pre-game presentation shows the Rockets huddling up in a non-existent tunnel before running onto the field. They also made quarterback Terrance Owens right-handed with dreadlocks despite his being left-handed with short hair. I don’t want to accuse EA of perpetuating stereotypes, but not all black quarterbacks have dreadlocks.

The only major change from previous additions of the game is the “Heisman Challenge,” which allows users to play as former Heisman Trophy winners from Archie Griffin to 2012 winner Robert Griffin III. It is entertaining and amusing to see how good the Rockets could be with a legend like Barry Sanders in the backfield during his prime. However, the gameplay is too similar to the pre-existing “Campus Legend” mode. They basically just tweaked it and threw in some new characters. It’s a nice add-on to the game, but it shouldn’t be the main addition.

The game is fun to play and a good way to get pumped up for the upcoming season, but I’d be content just updating the rosters from a previous edition.

**1/2 out of 5

Tags: EA Sports, Jason Mack, NCAA Football, Toledo Rockets, video game review

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 31st, 2012 at 9:59 am and is filed under Arts and Life, Video Game Review, Video games.
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Matisyahu, “Spark Seeker”

When Matisyahu broke onto the scene with “King Without a Crown” in 2004, he was a breath of fresh air as a fully-bearded Hasidic Jew with a crazy flow to his rap backed by elements of reggae. On his latest album, “Spark Seeker,” the rap is abandoned for a strictly reggae album laced with electro-pop.

Jason Mack

I’m fine with him shaving off the beard. Those things are itchy and gather debris like a lint trap. But rap was what made him special. In 2004 he was the best white rapper outside of Eminem. Today he could be third behind Yelawolf. Matisyahu’s reggae served as a solid backdrop to his fast-paced rap, but it’s not good enough to stand alone. It reminds me alarmingly of Sean Paul, but to be fair he’s far better than Paul on lyrics alone.

Experimenting with electro-pop is one of the reasons this album fails. It doesn’t mesh well with reggae and distracts from his above-average lyrics. I’ve never been a fan of overusing synthesizers, and this album does nothing to change my mind.

Between shaving the beard and the electro-pop it would be easy to accuse Matisyahu of selling out. But in his defense, he has stuck to his roots with religion still a heavy influence on his music. He opens the album on “Crossroads” praying with a chant in Hebrew before contemplating his identity with lyrics like, “They say I inspired, but I’m still looking for my fire. These lies have got me tired. I’m free falling. I’m done stalling. I’m done crawling up this mountain top. I won’t stop ‘til I manifest my craft. The top is close.” These lyrics paint the picture that he is exploring his musical and spiritual identity rather than selling out.

Unfortunately, the reasoning makes no difference as the result is a mediocre album without a single song worth recommending.

* out of 5

Tags: "Spark Seeker", CD review, Jason Mack, Matisyahu

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 24th, 2012 at 2:04 am and is filed under Arts and Life, CD Reviews, Music.
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Linkin Park, “Living Things”

Linkin Park’s latest album is an attempt at experimenting with its sound without straying too far from its roots. The usual elements of hard rock, rap and metal are all present, but the band has added elements of dance and electro-pop.

Jason Mack

The result is a slightly underwhelming album that never truly shines but is consistently decent throughout. Nothing on this album comes close to the level of classics like “Numb” and “Crawling.” The closest it has to offer is the single “Burn It Down.” It features the standard combination of Chester Bennington’s alternative rock crooning supplemented by Mike Shinoda’s rapping. People have drawn political meaning from the song with a chorus saying, “We’re building it up to break it back down. We’re building it up to burn it down. We can’t wait to burn it to the ground.” However, lyrics such as “You told me yes, you held me high, and I believed when you told that lie” hint toward it being a song about a failed relationship.

Shinoda takes the lead on the up-tempo “Lies Greed Misery” with Bennington breaking out his high-pitched scream throughout the song. The track is short but effective. It takes me back to high school days of blaring Linkin Park in the locker room to get pumped up before football games. Maybe if we had this song we could have won more than three games. Not likely, but it’s a nice thought.

Linkin Park normally excels with ballads such as “The Little Things Give You Away” and my favorite, “My December.” “Roads Untraveled” had the potential to follow in those footsteps, but it is completely derailed by a shrill xylophone in the background providing a nails-on-chalkboard effect. The song isn’t helped by weak and cliche lyrics such as “Weep not for roads untraveled. Weep not for sights unseen. May your love never end, and if you need a friend, there’s a seat here alongside me.” Still, if it weren’t for the xylophone, I would enjoy the track.

Linkin Park proved with “Living Things” they are capable of producing an electronic sound. They also proved they’re better off sticking with their bread and butter of rap rock.

**1/2 out of 5

Tags: "Living Things", CD review, Chester Bennington, Jason Mack, Linkin Park, Mike Shinoda

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 18th, 2012 at 8:55 am and is filed under Arts and Life, CD Reviews, Music.
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