When people wake me up.

When people wake me up, every single time, something bad has happened. When my uncle died, when my cat was hit by a car and died, when I had a seizure, and most recently when Kobe died. It was the middle of the day and I was trying to get a nap before a long night at work when my dad came bursting in my room.

“Connor! Wake up! Kobe died!”

What the fuck are you talking about?

“He died in a helicopter crash, they think his daughter was with him too. It’s horrible.”

My dad came running into my room to wake me up because he knew that Kobe was my favorite athlete. Ever. Born in Philly and his father is a Sixers legend. The only other form of organized basketball in America that Bryant played outside of a Lakers jersey, was for Lower Merion and Team USA. Kobe Bryant: big Eagles guy.

Kobe was in his prime when I was growing up and dismantling the Celtics, who I hate. I still remember the 2010 Finals Game 7 to this day as vividly as I remember this morning. My favorite t-shirt of all time was a white Nike tee with a Black Mamba and all five of his Lakers rings wrapped around the tail. I wore it until there were fucking holes in it.

The important thing that can’t be forgotten when writing about the Kobe Bryant tragedy is the loss of his daughter, Gigi, and the other passengers on board. Including a couple and their daughter who leave two additional children orphaned.

It’s the biggest death of an athlete in my lifetime and probably of any celebrity, because, fuck Michael Jackson.

Bryant was also leading a new life off the court, diving into film and childhood education, while also coaching up young NBA players and empowering athletes in the WNBA.

While Kobe’s death has impacted people globally, the tragedy hurts one person the most and that’s Vanessa Bryant. Who lost a husband and a daughter who was becoming a dominant player and person in her own right.

I am sixteen years younger than Kobe is at the time of his death. I fully believed that the human version of Ironman was going to outlive me. It makes sense that a freak accident that could be written like a Greek tragedy was the only thing possible to take him and his daughter.

The NBA should retire No. 8 and No. 24. Rest peacefully champ.

Connor B. Schlegel

Top 5 Current American Actors

1. Brad Pitt. Absolutely undisputed, refer to my last blog for any clarification that you may need.
2. Leonardo DiCaprio. Gatsby. Titanic. Django. The Aviator. Catch Me if You Can. Once Upon A Time.
3. Tom Hanks. Forrest Gump. Mr. Rodgers. Bridge of Spies. The Terminal. Castaway. Fucking Sully.
4. Robert De Niro. Raging Bull. Taxi Driver. Casino. The Irishman. Meet The Fockers.
5. Bradley Cooper. (Personal bias). Silver Linings Playboook. A Star is Born. Hangover Trilogy. Limitless. Wet Hot American Summer. Wedding Crashers.

 

*Honorable mention: Johnnie Depp but he physically assaults women, null & void.

An Ode to Kacey Musgraves

Kacey Musgraves is a national treasure.

The Texan songstress put out, in my opinion, the best country album of the last three years and obviously won the Grammy for album of the year for Golden Hour. The work is a flawless masterpiece from top to bottom, filled with charm & soul & depth.

To follow that up, Musgraves wrote and sang an entire Christmas album with her band. It featured talented artists like Leon Bridges, Camila Cabello, Lana Del Rey, Zooey Deschanel, and a funny cameo and rendition of Silent Night by Fred Armisen. To top it all off, she got one of the funniest actors in the country right now, Dan Levy, to host. It was shot in front of a live studio audience and received rave reviews.

The woman is a new era Dolly Parton. She’s one of the most talented women in Nashville and the same will probably said soon in Hollywood because of how her charisma translates to screen.

Connor B. Schlegel

 

Brad Pitt is the goat.

The best movie of the year

Undoubtedly, the best movie of the year is Once Upon A Time in Hollywood. I’m a cinema snob and I take joy in watching a movie combine plot, dialogue, an incredible ensemble cast, and very well shot film. Not to mention that you have standout performances like Brad Pitt (Academy Award/SAG Award), DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, and Margaret Qualley. Even Emile Hirsch provided a career revival with his role. But Pitt is phenomenal. He plays a cool, unattached, and unhinged version of himself. Troy. Oceans. BENJAMIN BUTTON. Fight Club. Meet Joe Black. Moneyball. He produced and starred in 12 years a slave. He produced THE DEPARTED. He’s produced more black films than any white guy in California. He’s the greatest American actor of this generation and I will take absolutely no comments.

Connor Schlegel

Near Death

Yesterday, I had the first near death experience of my life. The first real one, where I was truly afraid that I wasn’t going to see another sunrise. I take certain medications for a heart problem and other health issues, and when not taken consistently, it can lead to the possibility of seizures. I’ve been on these medications for nearly a year and never had an issue until I slipped up and missed two days worth of doses. I went to work completely unaware of my forgetfulness. I worked for about four hours. I was walking across the bar and talking to a coworker when bam, everything went straight to black. The next thing I knew, I was on the floor with an EMT shining a flashlight in my eyes and a stretcher being wheeled out towards me. I called a few family members during the ambulance ride over to the hospital, all of which I can barely recall. My mother and sister were the first people there, with my lovely girlfriend and her mom arriving shortly after. The ER doctor told me that the seizure could’ve been from a number of things, ranging from forgetting my medication to a malignant brain tumor. I’m still putting together the pieces and trying to get a correct diagnosis, but regardless of the future, I learned a lot about myself and the people in my life last night. I got late night phone calls and text messages from anyone from family members to friends to family friends. The event scared the living shit out of me, I’m still a bit rattled as I write this. And it’s wildly corny and a complete cliche, but it did leave me with a new lease on life. Hopefully I’ll be able to follow my own advice and wake up every single day like it’s the last one that I see. That you have to show the important people in your life just how important they are to you. And to never hesitate from doing something because of the fear of failure.

I’ve spent some time away from writing but that’s changed. I’ve spent the last six months writing and editing a novel which will hopefully be finished this summer. I’ll be posting my latest pieces on multiple platforms and at http://www.cbschlegel.wordpress.com which I would greatly appreciate anyone to read.

Connor B. Schlegel