Bob Smizik and Mini Ponies ... and a Whole Lotta Love

A word of advice ...

Check out Pittsburgh Sports and Mini Ponies for Tecmo's interview/dialogue with Bob Smizik, columnist with the PG.


Off Topic: The Closing Ceremonies

When Joey Porter's Pit Bulls heard last week that Jimmy Page was going to perform at the closing ceremonies off the Olympics in Beijing, we said, "Huh. That's weird. What's he going to play, Whole Lotta Love? ... 'You need coolin' / Baby, I ain't foolin' / I'm gonna send you back for schoolin' / Uh, oh, uh, oh / ... I'm gonna give you every inch of my love ... Uh, oh, uh, oh ... Waaaay down inside!"

Nah, no way.

As it turns it out, Page did play Whole Lotta Love, much to our surprise, with singer Leona Lewis handling the vocals originally sung by Robert Plant. Only snag there is the difference in gender ... which led to altering a few of the lyrics, as noted over at the always entertaining Deadspin, which also thought the choice of song was, well, perhaps a bit curious.

Best part was the Deadspin reader comments:

• "Wouldn't The Immigrant Song have been more appropriate?"
• "They were planning on going with Misty Mountain Hop but then someone reminded them of that whole Tibet thing."
• "Personally, I thought that China would have gone with Gallows Pole."
• "Or in the spirit of protest suppression, Trampled Under Foot."
• "Taking rock songs from Western culture and altering their initial meaning in no way represents the Chinese socialist way."
• "Robert Plant must be spinning in his grave."

... and the coupe de grace:

• "I think Black Dog was the first choice, but it was nixed due to the fear of a mad-rush to the concession stands."