Barred Conversations: Johnny Manziel, Madonna, Moody Blues and Hall of Fame Worthiness

Manziel SII was chatting up my local bartender after a mid-afternoon round of golf the other day when I stumbled onto yet another bizarre sports conversation.

The gentleman pouring the drinks had a few years on me.  A replay of some meaningless pre-season game was being broadcast on the television screen behind him.  It was a game in which the Browns were not playing yet suddenly, the network flashed Johnny Manziel’s image on the screen.

The bartender looked at me and asked if I was from Cleveland.  I wasn’t sure what he was getting at.  I told him no, checking carefully to ensure I didn’t give off a Cleveland vibe.  He then asked “Aren’t you sick of all this Manziel stuff?”

I confessed that I was.  I mean, who outside of Cleveland wouldn’t be?  The guy’s on TV nearly every waking second.

Personally I could care less whether or not Johnny Football becomes a successful NFL quarterback.  And I’m not about to predict, like everyone else, whether he’ll be a boom or a bust.  There’s no denying, however, he’s the biggest draw of the draft.

There are plenty of other rookie quarterbacks that will probably have more success in the league.  Take Blake Bortles for example.  But for whatever reason, perhaps because of his Heisman Trophy, perhaps because of the conference in which he played, perhaps because he’s been spotted hanging out with every celebrity known to man, Manziel’s cult of personality has taken over the airwaves, much to the dismay of the guy pouring my drinks.

LeBron's coming homeHe was apparently also tired of all the LeBron coverage.  I’m not quite sure what this guy had against Cleveland but apparently he wasn’t a fan.  In my opinion, rooting against Cleveland is simply wrong.  The town hasn’t had a reason to cheer for anything in decades.  Cut ‘em some slack.

That’s when the conversation took a turn for the bizarre.  In fact, it may have been the first time in history a conversation segued from Johnny Manziel to Emerson, Lake and Palmer.  I was intrigued to be a part of it.

Apparently, aside from being Manzieled out, and no one can blame him, my bartender also had a beef with Emerson, Lake and Palmer and the Moody Blues not being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  He mumbled angrily under his breath something about Madonna being in and those two acts not.  I mean, this guy was genuinely perturbed that the Moody Blues were not in the Hall of Fame.  No wonder he’s got a beef with Cleveland.  They shut out his depress-rock.

Now I normally don’t engage in discussions of politics or religion in a bar but sports and music are fair game.

Moody BluesBy my estimation, there have to be about three people out there ticked off that the Moody Blues have not yet been enshrined.  This guy was apparently their leader.  And I’m not knocking theirs or Emerson, Lake and Palmer’s contribution to music but to compare their bodies of work to Madonna’s is erroneous on all counts.

Emerson, Lake and Palmer could unite with the Moody Blues, tour the nation after releasing hit after hit from a new, groundbreaking album and STILL not have the impact of Madonna.  I’m no Madonna fan but here are the facts and they are indisputable.

The Moody Blues have sold over 55 million albums worldwide.  They have had, count ‘em, zero number one hits.  Nights in White Satin, their most well-known (and often unlistenable) song, made it all the way to number two in 1972.  Emerson, Lake and Palmer have sold over 40 million albums.  They never had a song hit top ten on the US Billboard charts.

MadonnaMadonna, on the other hand, has sold over 300 million albums worldwide.  That’s three times more than those other acts combined!  Need I continue?  She has had twelve different songs go number one in three different decades.  There was a time in our nation’s history when every single high school girl was wearing leggings, bandanas, mesh gloves and thought it was cool to be chubby.  That’s not because they were grooving to Emerson, Lake and Palmer.

I’m not quite sure I understand the criteria for inducting a musical act into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame.  If it’s as arbitrary as Cooperstown, I’m sure the Moody Blues will be in there shortly and my bartender friend will celebrate.  (On a side note, can you imagine if the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame kept its inductees out for drug use?)

I decided not to counter such a ridiculous argument with facts.  After all, the guy was making my drinks and probably had a slew of boring Moody Blues story he could tell me.

But he did have one valid point.  Johnny Manziel is on television way too much.

In a perfect world, the Moodies will make the Hall, Manziel will take the Browns to the playoffs and we will all live happily ever after.

On second thought, if that means seeing Manziel’s mug on my screen more and having to listen to Knights in White Satin over and over again, I think I’ll pass.

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13 Replies to “Barred Conversations: Johnny Manziel, Madonna, Moody Blues and Hall of Fame Worthiness”

  1. The man’s point was that ELP and the Moody Blues actually play Rock music, while Madonna is one of the many pop(and hip hop) acts that the hall has inducted to try and get people to come to their craptastic museum.
    The “Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame” is a frigging joke that needs to be closed down forever.

  2. It’s all rock and roll though, Fred.

    Even rhythm and blues is an offshoot of Rock music. Do we not allow a group like Earth, Wind and Fire entry because they don’t play “rock?” Of course we do.

    I guess they could rename it the Music Hall of Fame.

    Where do we draw the line between pop, rock and everything else? Is Mozart in? Pavarotti? How many “country” artists are in?

    Oh, and I’m guessing you don’t work for the museum’s PR department.

  3. Hall of Fame worthiness is meant to be allegedly the greatest accreditation one can have to justify the relevance of one’s career ? Is there a chance that Congress will have their own Hall of Fame ?

    As for Manziel , he and LeBron will be the stories this upcoming season within the NBA and NFL that will have the fans’ interest piqued . Not much else needs to be said beyond that .

    tophatal ……….

  4. Al…

    I would imagine this will be an interesting winter in Cleveland, interesting enough to remind their good citizens how bad the weather actually sucks there.

  5. Chris,
    Cleveland weather? lmao. I’ll endure a month of triple digits here than suffer through below zero windchill half of that time. Do you really believe Byner wudda fumbled in a ‘sane’ climate?

  6. Chris

    Never been to Cleveland and I have to wish to ! I hear Mogadishu however is great this time of year.

    Really looking forward to what the rest of the NFL preseason has to offer the fans before the start of the regular season.

    tophatal …………….

  7. Boston not being in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is the biggest travesty. Reason alone to despise Cleveland. Oh and that LeBron clown too! I am telling you he needs the proper PR person.

  8. I hear Mo’ne Davis of the Little League is human after-all ? Now what are the Texas Rangers going to do for a pitcher seven years from now ? I’ve been impressed with the play of the kids in this tournament as always !

    tophatal ………..

  9. Al…

    So you’re pulling a Joakim Noah? You’ve never head anyone say they’re going to Cleveland on vacation? he he

    And yea. Mo’Ne got shelled yesterday. It’s been a pretty good World Series to watch so far.

  10. Boston’s not in, D?

    I know they only have three albums (I think) but you’d think that first one alone is enough to get ’em in.

    Is Steely Dan in? I’m gonna have to look over the roster.

  11. EarnestByner, TheMistakeByTheLake and Kosar?

    Infinitely more interesting than Johnny Fooseball.

    A song by a worthy R&R HOF band sums this flash in the pan nicely…

    Your time is gonna come

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