Who they be:

 The Ben and Skin Show is closing in on being a decade old. But their creative partnership goes back further than that and their friendship is even older still. They began their “media” careers when Ben was selling television advertising and convinced the GM of his station that he should give a few minutes of the Mavericks Pre-Game show to he and his old friend Skin, despite the fact that Skin had a weird name and looked like an anemic Chris Elliott. It worked. The station liked what the tandem was doing and Ben and Skin felt like they had successfully conned someone. That launched an association between Ben and Skin and the Mavs that took them through a bizarre journey of part-time radio work doing pre and post game shows before eventually landing them in their full-time 9-noon slot on 103.3 FM ESPN.

The radio show was a great way to launch their 30s and more reliable than the way they launched their 20s – as a rap group. Ben and Skin started recording rap songs in 1991 with another of their high school buddies and before long they became fixtures on the Dallas hip-hop scene landing opening slots on gigs with artists like House of Pain, Naughty by Nature and MC Lyte. At the same time they dominated unemployment, recreational sports and couch activities including video games and fast-food consumption. Hard to believe they could top those achievements but their radio work has almost surpassed that solid body of work. But just how did these cats become friends – a friendship that is 2 ½ decades strong? Well it’s a classic story, really.

It starts when a lonely boy named Ben Rogers moves with his mother from Newark, New Jersey, to Richardson, Texas. Their apartment's handyman is an eccentric but kindly and humble Okinawan immigrant named Skin.

Upon arrival in his new town, Ben befriends Ali, a pretty high school cheerleader, at the same time angering her arrogant ex-boyfriend, Mosley – who just happens to be the best student at the Cobra Kai dojo. There he is taught an unethical, vicious form of martial arts. Ben knows a little karate from books and a few classes at the YMCA, but Mosley easily defeats him in their first encounter. Thereafter, Mosley and his gang of Cobra Kai students torment Ben at every opportunity.

When Skin witnesses the gang giving Ben a beating, he intervenes and single-handedly defeats all five boys with ease. Awed, Ben asks Skin to be his teacher. Skin refuses, but agrees to go with Ben to the Cobra Kai dojo in order to resolve the conflict. They confront the sensei, Randy Galloway, an ex-Special Forces Vietnam Veteran who sneers at the concepts of mercy and restraint. Galloway also calls former Dallas Maverick Mark Aguirre a “cowardly dog” at the same time prophesizing that a young African-American kid named Avery will one day redefine coaching in the NBA.

Galloway and Skin agree to a match between Mosley and Ben in two months' time at the "All Valley Karate Tournament," where the Cobra Kai students can fight Ben on equal terms. Skin also requests that the bullying stop while Ben trains. Galloway orders his students like Mosley and Ian to leave Ben alone, but under the condition that if Ben does not show up for the tournament, the harassment will resume and Skin himself will also become a target.

Skin gets bored and makes a bonsai tree. And that’s where the friendship between Ben and Skin really begins to blossom. Ben learns from Skin that the city council has banned dancing and rock music. He also has a keen eye on Ariel, the daughter of Reverend Shaw Moore who has much influence on the community.

After an insult from Ariel's boyfriend, Ben ends up in a game of chicken involving tractors, and despite not knowing how to drive a tractor, he wins. Shaw mistrusts Ben, forbidding Ariel to see him. Ben and his classmates want to do away with the law, especially since the senior prom is around the corner. Ben goes before the city council and reads several Bible verses that claim in ancient times people would dance to rejoice, exercise, or celebrate.

Although Rev. Moore is moved and tries to get them to abolish the law, the council votes against him. Shaw's wife is supportive of the movement, and explains to Shaw he cannot be everyone's father, and that he is hardly being a father to Ariel. She also says that dancing and music are not the problem. Shaw soon has a change of heart after seeing some of the townsfolk burning books that they think are dangerous to the youth. Realizing the situation has gotten out of hand, Shaw stops the burning.

On Sunday, Rev. Moore asks his congregation to pray for the high school students putting on the prom, which is set up at a grain mill outside of town. Shaw and his wife are seen outside, dancing for the first time in years. And that’s when Ben and Skin realized they were a powerful combination that could do a lot of good together. Their creative partnership has been a positive force in their minds ever since.

Comments

[joe]

Lighten up on Holland! The best run in ALCS and World Series history was not done by a bunch of stiffs. The Rangers clubhouse seems similar in many ways to the 04 Red Sox. You can be relaxed and in control at the same time.
Maybe Fox baited him into going a little too far but that is for his teammates to decide, and I doubt any teammates had an issue with it.
Also, when he was doing his Arnold his friend and teammate CJ just forced the Card’s into a double play. That is to a pitcher what a big hit is to a hitter. He was pumped up as a fellow pitcher should be for his teammate.