Base10 is gearing up for thje Jets-New England matchup tonight on Monday Night Football. Tonight's game will be the last MNF game--at least in its current form--and will constitute the end of an era. MNF revolutionized the way football is broadcast and is at least partially the reason that it is so popular today.

Interestingly, the first Monday Night Football game featured the Jets, too. Play hard, guys.

Anyway, Base10 was watching the TV yesterday before the game and watched an episode of "Generation Jets." It is a cartoon that depicts a group of friends in New York who are big Jets fans and have all sorts of adventures around the city. Expecting little more than a crass attempt at selling merchandise to children, Base10 was surprised to learn that the show was quite good. Its main theme had one of the characters excelling in ping-pong. When ever he would win, he would do a garrish victory dance and trash-talk his opponent. He also attributed his success to a high-tech paddle. This brought on another theme about technology vs. Traditionalism and which was better. Anyway, the band of friends has a live action-to-animation interview with Lovernius Coles who tells them that a cellebration after a score should be with teammates because you couldn't have scored without them.

In an effort to bring him down to earth one of the ping-pong players friends sets up a match with the best player on Staten Island. Our crew has to catch the ferry over to S.I. And we are treated to a mini-history lesson about the ferry. (Did you know Cornelius Vanderbilt made a fortune on the ferry before building railroads?) Once the gang gets there, they play the match and the trash-talker is beaten by his S.I. opponent--who by the way is using a plain old wooden paddle. Expecting to be humiliated, the S.I. Player shakes hands and congratulates him on a great game. When asked how he could play so well with a plain paddle he reminds the gang that it's not the paddle but the player that wins games.

So there you have it: a cartoon that teaches good sportsmanship, a little New York City history and the idea that getting the newest sneakers/skates/racket will not make you a better player. Pretty good show! If Base10 had children, he'd want them to watch this show.

- posted by Base10 @ 11:53 AM