The ringer & a Ranger at Richmond Arms

Satisfying, sweaty U.S. World Cup tie: Beat by the heat, but not the Brits (withvideo)

I feel like I did my bit for USA's World Cup soccer team today. I got to Richmond Arms at the ghastly hour of 6 a.m., and then sat through two matches while waiting for U.S.-England to kick off around 1 p.m.

I hadn’t been sure if I really needed to be that early to get a seat, but, given the crowds that can gather at Houston's Mecca of football viewing, I decided to be there when the doors opened.

It turned out to be a little overzealous. Between 20 and 50 fans filed in for the first match, South Korea v. Greece. I could’ve slept in. I was far from the most exhausted fan, however.

Of the six people seated at my banquette, three had pulled all-nighters. Two of them said they were American soldiers — one a West Point graduate, no less, and the other was a Ranger. After facing the harrows of war, they said, they would have no trouble keeping awake until the 1 p.m. kickoff. Alas, the spirit was willing but the flesh was weak, and I lost track of them as the crowd swelled.

The third sleepless man was more fortunate; a long-time U.S. resident of Korean ancestry, the improbably named Madison (I’ve actually tweaked his name in case he’d rather I not report on his merry-making) was there to see South Korea take on Greece in the early match.

Madison had bet one of his fellow car mechanics (a Salvadoran, he thinks) that he would shave his head if South Korea lost, while his co-worker only had to put up $10. Madison had nothing to worry about as his team cruised to an easy victory, while Greece looked lackluster at best. After the match he went off to the garage to work. I hope it was a slow day at the shop.

The bar filled to an agreeable level for the second match — Argentina v. Nigeria. Some Nigerian fans started to sing and the match began with a lovely atmosphere. Argentina could only capitalize on one of its many scoring opportunities — brilliant Lionel Messi fired again and again to no avail — but still took a comfortable 1-0 win.

Then came the main event, U.S. v. England. There had been verbal skirmishes throughout the early morning over the placement of each country’s flags, and so on, and the Yanks gave as good as we got. There was even a chant of “BP sucks,” which the Brits didn’t seem to take too personally. (Not to be glib, but if there were no BP in Houston, then there would be no Richmond Arms either.)

I’d say there were more Americans than Brits inside the bar. Tension built as kickoff neared. The English sang their anthem, “God Save the Queen,” then the Americans responded with the most powerful “Star-Spangled Banner” that I’ve ever been a part of. I think we made Richmond Arms vibrate.

I wish that the right-wing grouches who claim soccer is a fundamentally un-American game could’ve heard our patriotic, and surprisingly emotional, rendering, and perhaps joined in.

The game began on a disastrous note for the Yanks, as England’s Steven Gerrard scored a very easy fourth-minute goal. The U.S. looked overmatched for most of the first half, and then they got lucky. A routine Clint Dempsey shot spun away from goalkeeper Robert Green and trickled across the line.

Cue the roaring at Richmond Arms.

And the sweating. The legendary pub’s air-conditioning was no match for the crowd, and it got really, really hot inside. Over 100 degrees, I’d say with some confidence. The crowd was pretty well wilted by the end of the 1-1 draw.

The event wound up being an ordeal, and I’m not sure I’d do it again. (Of course, today may have drawn the biggest crowd Richmond Arms will see.)

On a related note, I’m told by reliable sources that Discovery Green drew "at least 4,000" to the Dynamo-sponsored viewing of the game. That’s an extraordinary number, and I wonder what it means for future outdoor events.

Robert Green's moment of gaffe:

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Movie Review

New movie Friendship pairs Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd in a bizarre bromance

Photo courtesy of A24

Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd in Friendship.

Comedian Tim Robinson has gained a cult following thanks to series like Detroiters and I Think You Should Leave, in which his brand of cringe comedy is on full display. The former Saturday Night Live writer/performer has had a few small movie roles over the years, but he’s now getting his first starring role in the off-kilter Friendship.

Robinson plays Craig, a mild-mannered suburbanite with a wife, Tami (Kate Mara), and son, Steven (Jack Dylan Grazer). Craig has a boring life that involves little more than going to his middle manager job while wearing the same clothes day after day, anticipating the next Marvel movie, and helping Tami out with her at-home floral business.

He gets a jolt of energy when Austin (Paul Rudd) moves into the neighborhood. The two men seem to hit it off, with Austin — a weatherman at a local TV channel — even taking Craig on a couple of impromptu adventures. But when Craig commits a couple of faux pas at a group gathering at Austin’s house, their bond starts to fracture.

Even though the film is written and directed by Andrew DeYoung, it’s clear that Robinson had a big influence on the style of comedy it features. There are no big set pieces with a slew of jokes coming one after another. Instead, the film forces the audience to try to vibe with the very particular type of wavelength it’s giving off, one that could almost be called anti-comedy for the way the laughs come out of left field.

The 100-minute film is full of random comedic moments, like Steven kissing Tami on the lips, Craig being obsessed with his plain brown clothes, a group sing-along, and more. More often than not, it’s the way Craig reacts to both normal and abnormal situations that gets the laughs. The character is needy and oblivious, two traits that combine to make many of his actions cringeworthy.

Perhaps most importantly for this type of movie, many things in the story go unexplained or don’t make sense. Seemingly crucial elements are brought up only to fade away just as quickly, while other parts that appeared to be throwaway sections get callbacks later in the film. DeYoung and Robinson are determined to keep the audience on their toes the entire time, never knowing what to expect next.

Robinson has the perfect face for a story like this, one that’s bland enough to blend into the background but memorable enough to sell the jokes. His demeanor is also excellent, never becoming too expressive, even when he gets angry. With long hair, a mustache, and a certain swagger, Rudd is a great complement to Robinson. Only in a film like this would an everyman like Rudd be considered the suave and cool one.

There will be some that will see Friendship and come away wondering what the hell they just watched. But anyone who goes in knowing that they’re about to witness a comedy that challenges their sensibilities will likely have a great time.

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Friendship is now playing in select theaters.

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