There Are Many Reasons to Go See ‘Air’

Also in Traina Thoughts: New ‘SI Media With Jimmy Traina’; men’s NCAA tournament title game flops in ratings; don’t ignore the pitch clock; and more.

1. Air, the story about Nike signing Michael Jordan to a contract, starring Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Viola Davis, Jason Bateman and Chris Tucker, is in theaters today, and I highly recommend it.

If you grew up in the ’80s, you absolutely must see it. The performances are tremendous across the board, the trip down memory lane is so fun and the soundtrack is a killer.

The best thing about Air, though, is that even though you know exactly how the movie is going to end, it keeps you captivated from start to finish. Another impressive feat is that the movie is about Nike recruiting Michael Jordan, but Michael Jordan is barely in the movie. The movie is about Nike's chase and Jordan's mother handling the chase, and it couldn't have been done better.

While every single person in the movie shines, the performances from Damon and Davis especially standout. And Chris Messina, who plays Jordan's agent, David Falk, steals every scene he is in.

My colleague Mark Bechtel has a full summary of the film, which is getting rave reviews across the board. Air currently stands at a 99 on Rotten Tomatoes.

Of course, the problem now is that the movie is getting so much hype that it may not live up to the expectations for some people. So don’t go in thinking you're about to see the greatest movie ever. Just go in knowing you're about to see a very good film that is a fun ride for two hours.

2. A brand-new SI Media With Jimmy Traina dropped this morning, and it features a conversation with New York Post sports media reporter Andrew Marchand about the latest sports media news. Topics discussed during the podcast include:

• Pat McAfee’s broadcasting future on why he may opt out of his current deal with FanDuel
• Two factors that led to big ratings for the Women's NCAA Tournament on ABC/ESPN
• Fallout from the WWE being sold to Endeavor
• Whether Charles Barkley will add another job to his schedule and team up with Gayle King
• The NBA’s television and streaming future
• Flex scheduling for Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime
• Derek Jeter joining Fox
• The disturbing discourse on Twitter

You can listen to the podcast below or download it on Apple, Spotify and Google.

You can also watch SI Media With Jimmy Traina on YouTube.

3. Lakers players have started to interrupt LeBron James’s postgame interviews by making goat sounds while he tries to speak, which makes it amusing to watch LeBron try not to break.

4. The national title game between UConn and San Diego State on Monday drew 14.69 million viewers for CBS, making it the least-watched men's NCAA tournament championship game ever. 

Last year’s title game between Kansas and North Carolina drew 17.05 million viewers on TBS and TNT.

As I wrote last week, underdogs are a nice story, but fans tune in for powerhouses.

5. You know I love the pitch clock, and Tuesday was a perfect example of why it's so wonderful. Padres star Manny Machado wanted to waste everyone's time by fidgeting with his batting gloves, and it ended up costing him a strike three, which then led to Machado chirping at the umpire and getting ejected. This is exactly why the pitch clock was implemented and this is exactly how it's supposed to work. Sorry, Manny.

Manny Machado struck out due to a pitch clock violation, and was subsequently ejected for arguing the decision. pic.twitter.com/8nunHfDY2j

— Bally Sports Arizona (@BALLYSPORTSAZ) April 4, 2023

6. I’ve started a weekly mailbag for SI.com that comes out every Tuesday. The second installment came out yesterday, and I answered your questions about Fox’s NFL pregame show, Jim Nantz’s signoff and more. Check it out.

7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: We don't talk enough about the greatness of Between Two Ferns and Zach Galifianakis. I dare anyone to watch this and not laugh out loud.

Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out SI Media With Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.