The Saturday List - September 20

What I'm Watching, Reading, Listening to, And Rediscovering

Watching: Seinfeld, Season 5, Episode 14: ‘The Marine Biologist’

On some issues, I consider the debate settled; “The Greatest Sitcom Episode of All-Time” is “The Marine Biologist.”

You can find it — and the rest of the show — on Comedy Central and/or on Netflix, and this reporter has only watched it maybe 100 times.

The lore around the episode is amazing, too. Here’s Jerry talking to TV’s Rich Eisen about the behind-the-scenes machinations that turned out to be crucial to the story (as well as a nod to Jason Alexander’s ability to deliver the iconic speech with very little prep time):

Reading: The Predictioneer’s Game, by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita

There’s no better way to learn game theory than to read this tome from one of the best game theorists ever, Bruce Bueno de Mesquita. With a subtitle of “Using the Logic of Brazen Self-Interest to See and Shape the Future,” some of the concepts in the book are beyond eye-opening.

The first chapter — which begins with the words “Game Theory is a fancy label for a pretty simple idea: that people do what they believe is in their best interest” — might be enough to get you to save thousands on your next car purchase.

The whole book is excellent, and the concept of “salience” is one to consider the next time you enter into a complex negotiation; incentives drive just about everything, and salience, in this context, is just how much you are willing to move.

Listening To: …Like Clockwork by Queens of the Stone Age

We enjoy superlatives on this site — Channel? Blog? Stack? Also, see above Seinfeld discussion — so why not offer up another one: …Like Clockwork by Queens of the Stone Age is the Best Album of the 2010s.

It’s top-to-bottom excellent, no skippable tracks, and meant to be enjoyed that way. Guest contributors include Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys) and Elton John (Elton John).

Elton John!

(I love any sort of apocrypha; Mr Sir Elton John! supposedly heard QOTSA and asked his assistant to call Josh Homme and suggest collaborating “because you need an actual queen.”)

Elton John plays piano and adds backing vocals on Track 7, “Fairweather Friends.”

Rediscovering: NBC’s Announcer-less NFL Game, December 20, 1980

Not sure this will ever be tried again, but, with the multi-cast era here, one question is: Why Not?

Yes, in 1980, the Miami Dolphins were hosting the New York Jets on the last weekend of the NFL season. The Dolphins were average (8-7 coming in) and the Jets were below-average (I’m being generous; they’d finish 4-12).

This is 45 years ago, so the NFL schedule-makers had a pretty simple formula to follow, with just a smattering of games held on Saturdays at the end of the season (and none of this flex stuff). With no playoff implications whatsoever, NBC decided to dispatch NFL ‘80 host Bryant Gumbel and sidekick Pete Axthelm to the Orange Bowl in Miami…and no one else to call the game.

That’s right: “Without the benefit of announcers.”

It was SO experimental, and controversial, and…

Well, I tried to share a YouTube link to some of the game here and the NFL said no.

But you can find smatterings of game highlights on YouTube; and you can read the Wikipedia entry on the game here.

Thanks again for reading. Check the button below and…well, after a couple weeks’ break, we’re thrilled to be back.