#*enter dyke from stage left*

[floofysmallbob]

auditioning for godspell(it’s one of those summer camp musicals where everyone gets cast) and I’m honestly tempted to audition for Jesus simply because I look like I worship the anti-Christ if anything(I don’t lmao) and I think that would be hilarious

[spookyghouly]

goodevening ghesties

i luckily tested negative for covid this morning meaning i was FINALLY free from quarantine isolation just in time to go to the ghost concert!! this is my 5th ritual in as many years and it may have been the best (though, you never forget your first 😉). here’s my ghost kia forum night 1 concert breakdown of best moments, in no particular order!

cumulus and aurora ghoulettes twirling each other, blowing kisses to each other, stroking each other’s cheeks. this one was for the dykes <3

popia, drawing out the ending to mary on a cross: “are you guys still saying cross?? I want you to say MARIJUANA!!!!!”

ABSOLUTION F U C K E D LIVE!!!!

Respite ALSO fucked like the BASS IN THE BEGINNING?? I FELT IT IN MY CHEST IN MY LUNGS, I THINK IT MADE MY HEART BEAT DIFFERENTLY. SOUL RESET. I almost cried when copia left the stage thinking about how this is probably my last time seeing him (I completely forgot the encore existed I was too swept up in It All ™ you know?)

Dancing Skeletons. They better release the film because I want to study it to learn their dance.

they had two stages set up, the normal one up front and a mini set up in the back with a grand piano and several chairs. more on that in a sec.

Seestor gave papa a boxing robe and gloves for “fighting” his way back from the small stage to the main stage. the crowd started barking at him to hype him up like he was actually about to enter a boxing ring lmaoo

when he got to the back stage papa said it was so nice to see the people in the back “in the stevie wonder seats” lmaoooo

then he said he wanted to bite us???? and had us all snarl at him like we were biting dogs. deranged behavior. love him.

okay no my true fav moment was the orchestral arrangement of if you have ghosts. it put me in such a throwback to the first ghost ritual I attended in london when he took time to introduce each band member just as ghoul. 5 years later and on another continent, it is an even more beautiful arrangement of the song. The band members were 2 cellists and a grand piano player—I couldn’t tell if the woman to the far right was playing a theremin or vocalizing—if anyone knows can you tell me?

the skeletons picked papa up at the stage right mini stage and had him like crowd surf on top of them all the way back to center stage it was AWESOME?? I hope they got a cool overhead shot of it for the recording.

they definitely knew we were all anxious he was dying tonight and there were many moments where papa faked us out that he was dying. after the first or second song he made a comment like “ah we are quickly approaching the end of this era” and later when he told us to “not be sad it’s almost over, you’ve had a good fucking time and then it must end” I couldn’t help but think he was talking about more than just the concert

on a related note, when the skeletons first came out in twenties they circled papa and I think it was a deliberate fake out/homage to when he ascended in mexico city last year when the nuns circled him.

met many delightful ppl giving away handmade bracelets, stickers, and trinkets, as well as someone who had scooped up a bunch of mummy dust bucks from the confetti gun and was passing them out by the exit 🥰💜 u people made my day

anyway here’s that haul:

this has been the update from new plushia at the forum, goodnight folks!

[bloopme911]

Random WandaVision Thoughts

Thoughts about WandaVision I cannot get out of my head, so here you go.

SPOILERS AHEAD. BLOOP. YOU’VE BEEN WARNED. 

1. Wanda and Vision are connected by the stone. 

I went back and watched AOU and pretty much from the moment Vision is on screen, the connection between him and Wanda is obvious. Her reaction to him in particular struck me. She exhaled like she was drawn to him--to the stone. She also said she saw inside his mind before he was brought to life. 

I believe they’re meant to be together, not only b/c of their chemistry together and compassion for one another, but also b/c of that mind stone. It gave him life and awakened her latent powers. It drew them to one another the moment they met. Vision himself even said in Civil War that he didn’t fully understand the stone, or how it works exactly; it’s a mystery to him. That stone is POWERFUL. It “speaks” to Vision, it “has a mind of it’s own”, it’s not a passive player, IMO. 

...more after the kr...

2. Wanda can channel the powers of ALL of the stones in her chaos magic.

This I can’t claim credit for, but I believe it. I saw a theory on ScreenCrush (great YT channel for dummies like me to break things down) that Wanda can not only bend reality to her will, she can channel pretty much all the powers of the five stones. She demonstrates this in many ways -- bringing the butterflies and stork to life, rewinding the turkey until it turned into eggs, planting visions into Avengers heads, controlling the minds of the Sokovian citizens so they would evacuate the city in AOU, etc, etc, etc. 

ScreenCrush theorizes that the stones are all connected, having sprung from the same fabric of the universe, their powers work alone but also together. Inside Wanda. If she concentrates, if she wills it, she can be just as powerful as Thanos was with that Infinity Gauntlet. So yeah, I believe she can trap a whole town under a spell and give Dr. Strange a run for his money across the multiverse, point blank periodt. 

And if she can do that, could she not remake Vision? Pull his atoms back together, reform him, especially if she (somehow) got ahold of the copy Shuri made of his neural network? Why wouldn’t she bring Pietro back to life? I’m not sure...perhaps it could be that it’s simply too painful. Or perhaps she just doesn’t want to put her brother under a spell in a dream world. Vision is Vision, he can handle this, and she may not feel as bad resetting him when he gets too suspicious she might if she had to do that to her brother. I don’t know...time will tell, hopefully.

3. Wanda was an Avenger, training under Black Widow. She got rid of her accent intentionally. 

I see people referencing her “suddenly disappearing” accent a lot. I think she (the character) did this on purpose. In the opening of Civil War, when her accent was first starting to fade, she was being taught to spy by Black Widow and Sam and the gang. It stands to reason that accents and speaking with what TV folks used to call a “non regional diction” or any accent she pleases would be part of that training. 

Since this WandaVision is based on a sitcom reality, if you know how painstakingly they recreated these sitcom eras, plot tropes and all, then you’ll find that not only is Vision’s behavior based on the popular ‘TV Dads’ of each era (Dick Van Dyke, Mike Brady, Ricky Ricardo, etc) but Wanda was also mimicking the way TV wives speak and act during each era. Perfect 50s diction for Ep 1, slightly more relaxed like a Mary Tyler Moore in Ep 2, a bit more broad and (with a lot more physical comedy in her face, she’s so adorable) for the 70s.....the MCU didn’t forget about Wanda’s accent and Elizabeth Olsen isn’t being lazy.

Wanda deliberately got rid of her accent while she was a spy, and she slipped into it when she was thinking of her brother, her home, her childhood lullaby. 

4. “Geraldine” a.k.a. Monica was casing Wanda’s house. 

I noticed that from the moment Monica set foot inside, she covered a lot of ground. She found little ways to check that house out because she’s a trained agent and I think even though she was NAILING the part of the stereotypical 70′s black “foxy” nosy neighbor, she was 100% on a mission that whole time. She went in to get Wanda out, but the pregnancy obviously derailed that. I think she was waiting for an opportunity to gage when she could jog Wanda’s memory and probably also waiting to make sure Wanda would be at home alone before she stopped by. 

She has “no home” in the town, Agnes said, but she is a SWORD trained agent, so she knew how to survive until she could make her move. Unfortunately, Wanda was not having it. She does not want to be saved. “Geraldine”/Monica also said during her crazy work story that she keeps her cool under pressure, which she did during that BONKERS delivery. She even gave Wanda the coaching she needed to get through it despite the house going all Poltergeist around her. 

I only wish that when Wanda was questioning her, she would have been like “I’m Monica Rambeau, I’m here to rescue you.”

5. The townspeople have known all along about both Wanda and Vision’s powers, but they’re only terrified of Wanda. 

Vision used his powers in front of people from day one. Helping Mr. Hart at dinner (notice how IMMEDIATELY after Vision saved him, they left in a hurry? They were terrified. They went there to act out a dinner, not for Mrs. Hart to watch her husband almost die without being able to break character to save him, and Mrs. Hart knew it was Wanda who could make it stop). Speed computing at the office. Obviously the magic show kinda sort doesn’t count but does b/c come on mirrors don’t work like that. Getting the doctor, etc. No, I think the townspeople know Wanda and Vision are Avengers, but there is nothing they can do about it because they are under a spell and they must carry out the FOR THE CHILDREN evil plot. I’ll bet word spread about Wanda choking Mr. Hard, so they def don’t want to piss off Wanda, nor bring the wrath of the nefarious entity controlling them all (most signs point to Mephisto). 

6. Agnes’ witch costume reminds me that there are some tropes in media where evil witches are the wives of the devil (or sell their souls/enter a pact). 

Obviously the Mephisto Comic story line sets this up, but I just love the way they executed it in the show, using the spouse that never appears on screen as a big fat clue.

Agnes may not be evil but she def wants Wanda to have children for her devil husband and she def does not want “Geraldine” disrupting that. Everyone else just seems straight up afraid of Wanda but Agnes knows who is really pulling the strings here. Agnes is terrified of the Big Bad, whereas the townsfolk fear Wanda b/c they know what she’s capable of. They may even believe Wanda is the one controlling them all--and she is--but Agnes knows who’s manipulating Wanda--Ralph, or Mephisto to us.

7. I get the strange impression that the sitcom credits start because Wanda is waking up for the day, and end because for her the day is over... 

...and she’s done concentrating so hard on the sitcom spell. It’s sleep time for REAL-real. If she’s using magic to keep this stage play going constantly, then it stands to reason she will tire even though she’s pretending to live in sitcom world where time works totally differently. I believe the commercials are her dreams, sending her subconscious messages about her past traumas. I also believe dreams could be the way Mephisto called out to her--subconsciously drawing her to Westview.

Fun fact: TV way back in the day used to turn off at a certain time at night. 11pm or midnight, I can’t remember, but the networks STOPPED BROADCASTING at a certain time and there was no such things as 24-hour TV until like the late 80s. 

There are waaaaaaaay more thoughts banging around in my head but this post is pretty long so until the next time I’m wide awake at 4am with the 70′s WandaVision theme song stuck in my head...

[jcs-study]

While I want to continue the "Heaven On Their Minds" / fav. Judas conversation, I also want to get on with the song by song analysis... so I'm doing exactly that.

"Hey, Gibson, wait a minute... what the hell is this?! I don't remember this being part of JCS! I mean, the melody's familiar, but what is this song, and why is it here?"

Glad you asked, Anonymous Strawman! Hit the jump for more!

The Lyrics

ENSEMBLE WHAT A PARTY! LORDY, LORDY! WHAT A PARTY! LORDY, LORDY!

WHAT A PARTY! LORDY, LORDY! WHAT A PARTY! LORDY, LORDY!

WHAT A PARTY! LORDY, LORDY, WHAT A...

(instrumental)

SIMON THE LEPER JESUS, WELCOME TO MY HOUSE IT'S CERTAINLY QUITE A THRILL FOR ME! YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE ALWAYS WELCOME HERE WITH US DOWN IN BETHANY!

ENSEMBLE WHAT A PARTY! LORDY, LORDY! WHAT A PARTY! LORDY, LORDY!

SIMON THE LEPER HELLO PETER, ANDREW, PHILIP JAMES AND JAMES, AND JUDE AND JOHN BART AND MATTHEW, JUDAS, SIMON I'M GLAD, SO GLAD, THAT YOU CAME ALONG!

ENSEMBLE WHAT A PARTY! LORDY, LORDY! WHAT A PARTY! LORDY, LORDY!

WHAT A PARTY! LORDY, LORDY! WHAT A PARTY! LORDY, LORDY!

WHAT A PARTY! LORDY, LORDY, WHAT A...

(instrumental)

SIMON THE LEPER TAKE YOUR PLACES, EVERYONE! NOW DON'T HESITATE, THE DINNER'S FINE. HELLO, THOMAS! YOU DON'T NEED TO DOUBT THE QUALITY OF THE WINE!

ENSEMBLE WHAT A PARTY! LORDY, LORDY! WHAT A PARTY! LORDY, LORDY!

WHAT A PARTY! LORDY, LORDY! WHAT A PARTY! LORDY, LORDY!

WHAT A PARTY! LORDY, LORDY, WHAT A PARTY, LORDY, LORDY WHAT A PARTY!

The Plot

The Gospels according to Matthew and Mark mention a figure named Simon the Leper, whose house in Bethany Jesus visited during the last week of his life. During his visit, a woman anointed Jesus' head with costly ointment, which occasioned complaints from Judas and other disciples at the money wasted on this item which could have been given to the poor. Jesus soundly rebuked them and praised the woman for her attention to his needs.

If that scene sounds familiar, that's because it is. "What's The Buzz," "Strange Thing, Mystifying," and "Everything's Alright" tell the bulk of that story in JCS as we know it. "What A Party," then, essentially sets this scene, with gracious host Simon -- incidentally played on this track by the late Tony Ashton, of Ashton, Gardner, and Dyke fame -- welcoming Jesus and friends to his home, name-checking the individual apostles (presumably for the audience's sake) and at one point slipping an in-joke at the expense of the future St. Thomas into the proceedings. (If you listen closely, you'll faintly hear the late Jack T. Chick "haw haw"-ing from his grave. Google is your friend if you don't know who that is.)

The (Context and) Analysis

This song was first written about in Ellis Nassour and Richard Broderick's Rock Opera, an invaluable (sadly out-of-print, and used copies on Amazon tend to be expensive) tome on the creation of the original album, show, and film, about which more can be read on the Disclaimer and Credits page. Consequently, those JCS fans with expert knowledge of its "deep cuts" always knew it existed. The only revelation when it surfaced as a bonus track on the 50th-anniversary re-release of the concept album was what it actually sounded like.

Apparently, when it came time to finalize things in mixing and mastering, label execs pressed Rice and Lloyd Webber to cut anything non-essential so they didn't spill into a third disc and risk raising the album's already-precarious price in the shops (a double LP was not cheap), so "What A Party" got the ax.

Listening to it 50 years on, in this fan's opinion, it was an easy cut to make and decidedly the right choice. Not only is it the very definition of filler, but it also reminds me of what Tim Rice said when he once aptly remarked on what he felt helped JCS succeed:

We broke all the rules. For example, we [...] ditched the book. Nor did we worry about scene transitions. No matter that the Apostles had to enter stage-left just as 450 Roman legionnaires exited stage-right. It was like writing a show for radio, which, indeed, we were, because radio was then the only outlet for this project.

I couldn't agree more. And, to his point, "What A Party" smacks of -- for lack of a better phrase -- book material; it oozes with an air of "conventional musical theater" in purpose that JCS never needed (and ultimately succeeded without). With all due respect and apologies to those who add it to their super-playlists (hi Tyler, love you!), what remained hangs together well enough that we just don't really need it, at least from where I'm sitting.

Plus, let's be real: most of the exposition in it is unnecessary. (For one handy example, aside from Judas, Simon, and Peter, we'd never deal with the other apostles as individuals again after this song if it stayed.) All it really adds to the scenes that follow is the chaos of a "ride into Jerusalem" pre-game, if you will, to further stoke Jesus' annoyance with the world at large and his followers in particular, and as the show's success over the past half-century has proved, it would be gilding the lily, if anything, to include it.

Coming Up Next:

We're back in familiar territory as we uncover "What's The Buzz" and encounter a "Strange Thing, Mystifying."

[agentnico]

WandaVision (2021) Review

I’m sorry but someone needs to address the elephant in the room - if Wanda and Vision are in a relationship, does that mean Vision - a robot - has a penis? Look, I cannot be the only one thinking this, right? Right??

Plot: Living idealized suburban lives, super-powered beings Wanda and Vision begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems.

So Marvel’s first Disney+ series has reached its finale, and I’m certain many fans will be left disappointed due to all the outlandish rumours and theories that the fanbase are known to come up with not coming to fruition, but I personally admire this show for sticking true to its guns by being something that is very different compared to anything that Marvel has done before. Well, mostly. When its different, its hugely different, however when it gets to the usual MCU antics its pretty generic Marvel.

At the beginning the show left a lot of audiences scratching their heads as to what was going, as in the first few episodes especially there isn’t much of a plot per se, and instead we are taken through the various stages of American TV sitcoms, starting with the black and white old-school The Dick Van Dyke Show styled format, with the first episode going as far as being filmed in front of a live audience just like they would’ve back in those olden days.....at least that’s what history tells us happened back in those days, honestly take that with a grain of salt as I wasn’t even alive back in the 60s so for all I know history is a massive conspiracy and all of this is a massive pile of tosh! But setting deceitful plot schemes, supposedly everyone back in the 60′s were black and white and there was no colour in the world... okay, I’m kidding, I���m not that stupid, but I digress. As I was saying before I rudely interrupted myself, we are taken through various phases of American tele-sitcoms and eventually entering into the usual MCU territory. What works at the beginning of the series is the way it pays homage to those sitcoms back in the day, and I’m certain there was a lot fun has on set by the production designers recreating visual look of those old shows and also with the actors biting into every opportunity of playing up to acting style that was used back then, with the winks to the camera and the purposeful pauses as they wait for the laugh track to die down, or there’s an episode akin to Modern Family and The Office where our stars act as if they’re in a mockumentary and even answer questions to the camera to great comedic effect. 

In between this sitcom format we constantly get little clues and teases towards what may actually be going, and there is this sense of constant mystery that really motivates you to get excited for the next episode (as Disney+ releases their shows one episode per week) and as such WandaVision turned out the be very exciting simply from trying to come up with the most out-there theories of what’s to come. And it seems like the showrunners were fully aware of this by playing up to the fanbase by ending episodes on massive cliff-hangers (people who have seen this series can now easily agree with me that “Please Stand By” is an even bigger Marvel villain than Thanos!) as well as featuring certain surprises and appearances that suggest much bigger plans for the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole, so to be fair this show really felt good simply from the anticipation factor and the discussion that it built among audiences. Naturally with huge anticipation it’s difficult to then fulfil that promise, and as such to the second half of the series where the show goes full Marvel on us, we do kind of get stuck in more mediocre territory, with the final episode especially serving some disappointment by ending with the typical generic Marvel superhero battle we’ve all come to expect at this point. In other words, WandaVision comes off a tad anti-climactic at the end, but its the journey that makes it worthwhile.

Typically to most Marvel projects, you can expect the cast to be great, and here in WandaVision that’s the same case. Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany are both stellar as Wanda and Vision, and first and foremost this show is about their romance and their love, and gosh aren’t them two just the biggest lovebirds! So adorable with only me and my girlfriend offering competition as the more gushier and sickly cheesy couple! Hey, we’re cheesy and proud, that’s all I’m saying!!! Anyway, the show is mainly about Olsen and her character’s grief and evolution, and Olsen proves her chops as a leading lady and I’m really looking forward to seeing what she’ll get up to in the Doctor Strange sequel. Bettany is both innocent yet smooth as her robotic boyfriend, and basically proves that if you want to get with one of the Olsen sisters, you have to accept every single chip that Bill Gates sends you to have a shot. We also see the return of a couple other MCU side characters, with Kat Dennings and Randall Park returning as Darcy and Jimmy Woo and to be honest WandaVision gives these characters proper justice. Kat Dennings in the Thor films always came off more annoying rather than funny, yet here on the show her character is both useful and her humour is sarcastic yet funny. And Jimmy Woo in the Ant-Man & the Wasp was stuck in the stereotype of the goofy FBI agent who is stupid and oblivious to everything, however here you can tell his character has become more wiser and better at his job, yet still with the wit and charm that Randall Park usually provides (and he’s the learnt the card trick from Ant-Man!!). We also have Teyonah Parris appearing as grown up Monica Rambeau who we saw as a young girl in Captain Marvel, and Parris is quite pleasant and does well with what she has, but I’m hoping she gets to have more interesting material to work with in the future Marvel projects she appears in. Then there is Kathryn Hahn as the mysterious nosy neighbour character, and though I don’t want to spoil anything about her role, I’ll say that Hahn gets to overact her face off and also gets a fun musical at one point that is annoyingly catchy!

WandaVision is a great sign showing Marvel attempting to branch out and go to new and different places, however with its ending it still proves that they need to learn how to break away from the repetitive formula they have gotten themselves stuck in. All we need is Deadpool proclaiming “Big CGI fight coming up!”

Overall score: 7/10

[thedistrictsleepsalonetonight]

Better with you

This is the way of things:  

Riley falls in love with Harper. Harper breaks her heart. Harper falls in love with Abby. Harper marries Abby. Abby has a friend. Riley falls in love.

In retrospect it both annoys and amazes her how Harper conditions so much of her life. If she imagined her life in the form of roads as complex, as confused and as diverging as the lines on her palm, there are probably multiple signboards that have Harper’s face on them, with some strange quote written beside them along the lines of “Hey! Been a while since you thought of me, the girl who ruined most of your life hasn’t it?”.  

Riley hates it.

Okay, so in all honesty, she hates it until she crashes into Maya.

*****

Here’s the thing about Riley: She’s stupid around the people she loves.

How else does one explain all her major life decisions? She stays quiet when Austin Thomas spray-paints “Dike” all over her locker (even through the shaking, and the trembling and the huddling in a bathroom cubicle in the morning, what has her more concerned is what it’s probably doing to Harper. Well, that, and the fact that dyke is hilariously misspelled). She watches Harper from across the corridor, biting her lip, holding onto her left arm with her right hand, and hates that she still wants her so badly that she can’t breathe. She hates herself for loving Harper, hates her heart for betraying her in this very fundamental way, hates it for not being able to think rationally enough.

(The thought makes her laugh. What brand of love was ever rational?)

Even after she’s adequately moved on, has fallen in love a second time, the third, the fourth, she can never really bring herself to do that. The thought of Harper will evoke all forms of insufferable feelings ranging from sorrow to nostalgia. Not fury, though. Never fury.

She walks out of high school with excellent grades, graduates med school top of her class, gets into the one of the best residency programs in her state, all in a misguided attempt to compensate for this huge cosmic failing she’s somehow been saddled with. If life handed out academic report cards, chits of paper with affirmations engraved on them, then the ones she would give her parents would read Your child is doing great; She’s sorry she’s gay. Your child is trying her very best. A tiny PS at the bottom right corner would say – Love her. Please.

And she comes back, every year, to those stupid White Elephant parties, combats side-glances with polite smiles, off-hand comments about how her peers are heterosexually married to their heterosexual partners with grimaces. Brevity helps, and so does a glass of wine on her at all times.

And then Harper brings Abby, one Christmas.

*****

She’s not going to deny that she has a little bit of a crush on Abby.

Come on. It’s Abby. She’s a lesbian dreamboat with some serious hair-game and the gayest sense of dressing she’s ever seen on anyone. How is a girl supposed to not like that earnest smile and deep, soulful eyes?

(But Abby’s earnest smile unfurls like a ribbon when it falls on Harper, and her eyes tell stories that seem to end at Harper, and Riley knows that in some rudimentary way, Abby has always, and will be always belong to her girlfriend.)

“Dude, we have to stay in touch,” Abby says, the morning after the party, when they run into each other. “I’m gonna need support at the White Christmas party next year. So, I don’t accidentally use the wrong fork and then embarrass myself.”

She laughs, enters her number into Abby’s phone. “I can’t promise I’ll be able to text all the time, because, well — hospital hours. But I will try.”

Harper, standing beside Abby, shoots her a tiny, strained smile. Things will never be great between them; there’s too much spilled blood, and angry tears that lie in this chasm, but this is maybe a tiny start to bring matters back to the way they were when it all started. Polite. Nice.  

Abby texts her — “I can’t believe I survived the Caldwells” five days later, and Riley has no idea at the time, but good things are on their way.

*****

“Please, please, please, please, pleeeeease,” Abby begs her over the phone. Riley is pretty sure she’s actually holding her hand out in supplication.

“Can’t you just give her flowers and chocolate like a normal person?”

A dog barks on the other end, and Riley imagines her walking dogs on the streets. “But I know this is something she really, really wants!”

���An obsolete book that’s only found in a bookstore in New York?”

“Yes!” Abby replies. “Wait, hang on. John, tell her how important it is.”

Some muffled noises, then John’s clear, deadpan voice is audible. “Hey Riley,” he says, sounding disinterested as always, “How are — wait, lemme at least ask her how she’s been, how life in New York has been, if there are any cute guys in her hospital—”

Riley stifles a laugh.

“—yeah, yeah, okay. Fine. Riley, this woman really wants it, God knows why. So I’ll be in New York this weekend. I’ll come with you to that store and then bring that book back.”

“So why do I have to come?”

“Because,” Abby sighs, like it should be obvious, “I don’t trust John.”

Weekend. Sleeping in. Riley closes her eyes, whispers a Rest in peace to a previously perfect weekend.  

“Fine, I’ll do it.”

*****

The woman nearly scares her out of her wits.

She’s split up with a still-woozy-from-his-flight John as he’s set off to find the book, and thumbing through the random paperbacks on the Fiction shelf, when a voice interrupts her musing.

“I wouldn’t recommend that one,” Riley hears, and whirls around, wide-eyed.

A woman steps out of the dark corner, hands held up as if in warning, an apologetic smile on her face. “I’m sorry,” she says, awkwardly, “that I — I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Riley shakes her head, waves a hand to tell her it’s alright. “What’s wrong with it?”

“Oh, you know, the usual. Pretentious. Definitely sat with a thesaurus. Too many men.”

The tiny detective that sits at the back of head, the one that registers women, and says “It’s elementary, Watson” every time it sees behavior that might be not-heterosexual, goes off with a ding.

“Too many men is a problem,” she admits, wryly, broadcasting her own message in case there was a willing audience. I’m gay I’m gay I’m gay. “What would you suggest?”

The woman steps into the light, slow enough so Riley knows she’s going to enter her personal space. She picks out a book from the top shelf easily, holds it out in front of her.

This close, Riley can’t help but stare. She’s taller, with dark hair that falls just past her shoulders. She’s wearing thick glasses, and behind that, her eyes are tiny and smiling. Riley smiles back, a little awkwardly. Looks at the book, then laughs.

“Sorry,” the woman chuckles, pointing to the copy of Midnight Sun that she’s just handed over, “Little joke.”

They’re still smiling at each other, when John ruins it all by exclaiming “Maya!” from behind her. And that’s when Riley discovers how easy it is to manufacture meet-cutes. And that she really, really hates Abby Holland.

*****

“How dare you?”

Abby sighs on the other end. “Is that a rhetorical question?”

John, who is currently scarfing down a hotdog, mumbles his apologies into the speaker.  

“I tried.”

“You didn’t even try,” Abby retorts. “What was the one thing I told you? Don’t let her on to the fact that you know Maya. And what did you do?”

“My best.”

Riley snatches it from him. “Don’t you think it’s a little weird of you to be setting up your girlfriend’s ex-girlfriend with your friend?”

(Just saying the whole thing aloud makes her head hurt)

“Harper doesn’t mind,” Harper’s reserved yet slightly amused voice comes, a little muffled. “Because Harper thinks it’s hilarious.”

There had been three rules, three rules that she had laid out for Abby at the very beginning, when their friendship was still in its tentative stages. One, no weird conversations about Harper. Two, no weird medical questions about fingers. And three, no setting Riley up on blind dates.

Riley had dodged Abby’s attempts to break rule number three about five times already.

(Who knew one could have so many single, willing and Sapphic friends in New York city? Part of Riley was annoyed; the other part was impressed)

“It’s not going to happen, you hear me?” she enunciates. “Absolutely not.”

*****

Riley doesn’t know why she’s back at the bookstore.

Well, she does. Officially, that is. As she had told John already, she hated the idea of things being so awkward, and that Maya must’ve felt that she was rude for clamming up after the whole story came to light, and that she definitely ought to go clear things up with her, let her know very politely that it wasn’t in the cards. John had uh-huh-ed and mm-hmm-ed and nodded until she got annoyed at herself for overexplaining. It was simply a courtesy call, that’s all. Nothing more, nothing else.

(If part of the reason she wants to go back is because, after a long, long time, she went to sleep with someone’s face in the back of her mind that night, kept replaying that certain someone’s voice over and over, it is none of John’s business. Or Abby’s, for that matter.)

It was crazy. Crazy. They’d had one conversation, and part of it had been after Riley had found out she was supposed to be set up, and thus had been filled with Maya trying to ease things over. There was no reason she needed to be thinking this much about someone.

(Not that she was. Thinking that much. About a woman. Just a regular amount)

“So wait, let me get this straight,” Maya looks right at her, “You came all this way to tell me that you don’t want to go on a date with me?”

Well now Riley just feels stupid. “Yes.”

Maya tilts her head a little. “Okay,” she says, “Just out of curiosity, what’s your problem with being set up with people?”

Oh, this she can answer. “One, the general awkwardness with your friends if it doesn’t work out,” she ticks off on her fingers. “Two, too much pressure to make it work. Three, I’m not—”

“—yes?”

Lovable. Bearable. Worth it.

“—looking to date?”

“What qualifies as a date to you, though?”

“A meal shared with romantic intent. Holding doors open, pulling chairs out. You know, the drill.”

Maya seems to be mulling it over. “Alright,” she says, nodding slowly. “What if.... what if two people were to spend time together with no food, no holding doors open or pulling chairs out? Technically that wouldn’t be a date, would it?”

Riley has to bite at the inside of her cheek to smother the smile that’s threatening to set up home on her lips.

“No,” she replies, “It wouldn’t.”

*****

This is what not-dating Maya is like.

It’s tired half-hour phone conversations at odd hours of the day. Riley doesn’t have a lot of time free, but she doesn’t go to sleep without talking to her at least once. She falls asleep to Maya nerding out about the books she’s read, about how she wants to own a gay café, about how she saw the ugliest shirt on a discount store window, bought it, and couldn’t wait to put it on. Wakes up to texts that read “Okay I know you fell asleep but I can’t, so I’m just gonna rant about random shit you can read about when you’re up, okay?” followed by some inane discussion on whether her pillow would be a salad or a sandwich if it could be eaten. It’s stumbling on the streets, half-carrying a drunk Maya as she navigates the confusing maze of New York avenues, and insists on having pizza wherever she goes. It’s bright smiles shot across coffee shops, tired rants before bed. It’s easy.  

It’s so easy that Riley has no idea what to do.

“Can you keep a secret?” she asks John on the phone, right before she tells him what’s been happening the past month.

To his credit, he listens to the whole thing before he says something monumentally stupid.

“A whole month and you haven’t had sex? I thought you had game.”

“Oh, fuck off. It’s not like that.”

“You don’t want to have sex with her?”

She’s blushing. “I — I do,” she says, feeling hot all over at the very thought. “I just — it’s not — not what’s important.”

“No, I mean, seriously” he says. “What do you guys even do? Stare at each other’s faces all day?”

“I wish I could stare at her face all day,” she says, before she’s even thinking about it. “Her face is all.... nice. Pretty. Oh God.”

“Oh God is right, darling,” he sounds amused. “You got it bad.”

“I do not — got it bad.”

“You do.”

“I do not — ugh fine.”

“Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that you do got it,” he proposes. “What are you going to do about it?”

Riley takes a deep breath, lets it out. She has no answer to that.

*****

The next day, Maya says, sheepishly — “I guess you finally told Abby, huh?”

“Wait, what?” she’s confused. “Told her what?”

Maya blinks, awkwardly, waves a hand between them. Realization dawns.

“I told John!” Riley tells her, furiously. “That asshole must have told her.”

Maya shrugs a shrug that seems to convey how stupid it was to trust John with keeping secrets from Abby of all people.

“But also,” Riley frowns, “I thought you must have told her already.”

“Nah, I hadn’t.”

“Why not?”

Maya shrugs again, hands in her pockets. “I didn’t know if you wanted her to know.”

And see, it’s this consideration that leaves her lacking for words. Maya is effortlessly considerate, to the point where she wouldn’t say something even if it was bothering her. She’s constantly putting Riley’s needs in front of her own, constantly worried about how she feels and Riley is just. She’s just—

(The word grateful, smitten pops into her head. Refuses to exit)

“You’re nice,” she says, because other adjectives would be too revealing. You’re amazing. You’re beautiful. You’re probably the light of my life.

“I’m only nice to you, Riley,” Maya admits, very frankly. Riley kind of wants to ask her why that is. She’s kind of scared to ask her why that is.

*****

“Just ask her out, already, jeez.”

“I — I can’t,” she tells Abby, sitting at the park, phone in her hand.  

“You like her,” Abby states. “She likes you. I don’t see what the problem is.”

“She likes me?” Riley asks, knowing that she’s probably giving away all her hope in her voice.  

(Okay, in some weird, convoluted way, she knows Maya likes her already. She’s not completely useless, contrary to popular lesbian stereotype. Just an—

“-Idiot,” she hears, a deadpan chastisement that she rolls her eyes at, “What are you even waiting for?”

“I — I’m not — I don’t know, okay? I’m not—”

The ghosts of her ex-girlfriends in the background, go — Good at being emotionally available. Good at being committed. Good at loving people. Good.

Abby stays quiet.

“I don’t think I can make her happy,” Riley says, finally.

There’s the sound of a sigh on the other end. “What if you already do?”  

*****

“Again,” she says, as she’s walking backwards, “I am so, so sorry.”

Maya, who has been waiting for her to get done with her surgeries since two hours now, and will probably have to wait another couple of them, waves her phone in the air, laughs. “I’ll read a book until you get back, okay? Go do your thing.”

She’s on an ob-gyn rotation, but thankfully, the delivery goes smoothly. And a good thing it is, because her head is all over the place. Two warring factions are on a rampage — one that’s raring to go tell the girl of Riley’s dreams that she is, in fact, that girl of Riley’s dreams, and the other equally strong battalion that is standing there with flags raised, flags that read – But what if it goes wrong?  

Here’s the second thing about Riley: Love barely ever goes right around her.

Oh, she’s dated people before. Loved them, adored them. And yet, things always start falling apart after a while, start shattering into pieces. Honestly, she doesn’t even blame them. Who wants someone who barely has time to talk for an hour because she’s almost always busy, who is ridiculously tired most days, and barely has the time or energy to grow a relationship?  

(So it will happen when it happens, but also, when it happens, Riley has a tendency of scrambling for cover)

She walks into the main hall with the paperwork, and stands at the nurses’ station, lets out a deep breath.

“Your girl tuckered out an hour ago,” Shaqueel tells her, leaning against the table, casually interested. She can see the rest of the nurses leaning in for better quality audio.

“Not my girl,” she tells him, fighting to keep a straight face.

“Really?” Julie asks, face resting on her elbow, an expression Riley can only describe as sappy on her face. “Because she would like to be, that’s for sure.”

Riley turns to Danny. “I told you to make sure none of these,” she waves a hand towards all of them, “busybodies talk to her!”

He shrugs. “What can I say? They were determined.”

“Useless,” she says, already walking away. There’s so much damage control to be done.

Danny texts her a “She’s a keeper”, as she’s walking, and even though she’s mad at all of them, part of her is inclined to agree.

*****

Maya is sleeping.

Riley knows the tone in which she’s thinking this is certainly not the one two strictly platonic buddies would take while referring to each other and yet the tenderness seeps in, anyways. She looks at the hair falling over her askew glasses and wants to brush it off; looks at her dozing with her mouth open and the sight is such a perfect mixture to utterly absurd and adorable that she wants to wake up to it in the morning. Every day.

She takes a deep breath, presses at all of her wants and urges until they’re packed, once again, in the already filled box related to all things Maya in her head. Kneels so she’s almost at her level, and gently taps Maya on the shoulder.

(Waking up comes as beautifully to Maya as do all things, and Riley is most definitely an idiot in love)

“I’m sorry I fell asleep,” she says, softly, her eyes still squinty from the last remnants of her nap.

“Don’t apologize,” Riley replies, equally as soft. “I fall asleep all the time on the phone.”

“Eh, you save babies. It’s alright.”

“I’m sorry I kept you waiting so long.”

“Riley,” Maya tells her, very seriously. “I would wait a lot longer for you.”

(And because being stupid is a fundamental quality of Riley being in love, there’s absolutely no way she isn’t swooning at that, inside)

She’s sleepy and tired and stupid right now, so it’s probably coloring her judgement, but she’s done caring. Riley Johnson is not letting this one get away.

“Would you,” she starts, slowly, “consider waiting two more days so you can take me out to a fancy restaurant on Saturday?”

There’s a light in Maya’s eyes that she can only classify as hope. “Depends. Would you open the door for me and pull my chair out?”

Riley’s smiling so wide her cheeks hurt. “Absolutely.”

“Well, then,” Maya says, leaning in, “It’s about fucking time.”

[themaskedwriter]

This Little Game

Pairing: 1940′s Bucky x Reader

Summary: Someone catches the eye of a handsome Sergeant, but it doesn't seem luck is on his side.

*Based on an episode of the Dick Van Dyke Show :D

Warnings: FLUFF! with a hint of sarcasm and a friend who thinks he’s cooler than he really is

Word Count: 2,598

Clues: Her fics make you want nothing more than to spend all your time reading them even when you ought to be making history. They’re timeless and so is she.

 When Bucky had signed up for the army, he did so with an understanding that the threat of war was unshakeable. He did so, understanding that the world wasn’t as safe as everybody hoped it would become. The ‘war to end all wars’ had ignited and had settled, and yet it seemed it had failed at keeping the world at peace. The misplaced optimism at striking peace after that war only lasted a few years before the European nations found themselves once again at odds.

Staying positive was quite the ordeal for the men that joined Bucky at camp as they awaited their orders. Being alone with your thoughts could be dangerous as they often led you down a dark and deep spiral. The vibrant thoughts of the friends and families left back home lacked their usual comfort. They only brought made the fact that they were hundreds of miles away, all too real.

The men often found refuge in the one place where a bit of that vibrancy from back home seemed to still shine. They guarded this ray of light with all they had. The Recreation Hall; where the men could find a bit of entertainment as they waited for their orders to officially ship out to Europe. Sure, war awaited them. The chance to prove their courage, fight for their country. They knew death could be waiting for them at the other side of the pond, but for a moment, those fears and worries could be shoved as far back in their minds as possible. Those worries were still present, but not all consuming, forcefully pushed back in order for the men to get a brief chance to breathe more peacefully, to momentarily hang up the burden they all carried, and enjoy a tiny sliver of normalcy.

The army band left their army music sheets in their rooms, and instead complied with requests shouted by men longing for home. Melodies that all the men recognized filled the room, their feet tapping, bodies ready to spring up from their chairs and prove that they really were as a great a dancer as they’d told everybody they were.

Those who considered themselves comedians would bravely get up on stage and hope the men in the audience were unable to find tomatoes or anything more painful to hurl at them when they didn’t enjoy the punchline.

And on special nights, the USO would bring a show of their own. One that was better organized and better choreographed than the riot the men tended to put up themselves.

Tonight, was one of those nights. The Rec Hall was packed full as word had spread that the USO girls would be performing. Sure, war was ever present in the soldiers’ minds, but who among them would pass up the chance at watching pretty girls dance? Not Bucky, that’s for sure.

“Hey, Sarge!” Bucky heard a voice call for him as he tried to find an empty seat in the sea of men eagerly waiting to see the show despite there being almost an hour left before it was scheduled to begin. He looked around seeing familiar faces but not one that matched the voice that had called out for him. “Back here!”

With a turn of his head Bucky found the source of the call. Sully, one of the friends he had made here at the camp, was poking his head from behind the curtains on stage, excitedly gesturing with his hand for Bucky to join him.

“Hey, Sully,” Bucky greeted him as he stepped behind the curtains. Sully stood by a table with shoes, papers, and costumes spread across it while the USO girls rehearsed behind him. “Good show tonight?”

Sully managed the talent of the performances. Managed in its most basic form. He would make the list of the acts scheduled to go up every night and tried to make the show run as smoothly as possible. He was successful, on occasion.  

“I don’t know, Sarge,” Sully said with a short sigh. “All they keep doing is them crazy exercises,” he gestured to the dancers.

The girls were stretching their limbs then giving a few practice steps, counting out loud, trying to keep each other on beat.

“Well it’s the USO, so I wouldn’t worry too much,” Bucky tried to calm his friend.

“You should go up there tonight,” Sully replied, bumping Bucky’s shoulder with his own. “Do that drunk bit you did that time.”

“Sul, this is a USO show, they don’t need me,” Bucky said with a chuckle remembering how hard Sully had laughed when he imitated one of his neighbor’s back home who seemed to be drunk at all times of the day. Steve avoided him, mostly. But Bucky seemed to purposely look for him just to get a little chuckle at the nonsense he spewed.

The night he had shown sully his bit. He had scrunched up his face, messed up his hair, and stood with a slouch, while slurring his way through the inappropriate things his neighbor would say.

“And if I remember correctly that bit was never to be brought up again,” Bucky said, eyes drifting behind Sully where the girls still stretched.

“Oh, come on Sarge, just do the face! A little bit of the face come on!”

When Sully wanted to, he could be louder than bombs, and Bucky hated it.

He was very close to caving, just to get his friend to quiet down as some of the USO girls had let their eyes wander to where the two men stood. But then he caught sight of her.

The backstage door had opened with a burst of light. Her figure only a silhouette as the bright light from the outside illuminated her from behind. His eyes were glued to her as she ran to meet with the rest of the girls, a look of worry etched across her features.

“Shhh!” Bucky found himself saying to Sully who kept insisting.

He watched as she reached the other girls, uttering a few apologies for being late. She was met with a few reprimands, but the girls quickly went back to practicing their steps and stretching, resuming the never ending count to eight.

Bucky couldn’t take his eyes off her. The other girls were undeniably pretty, but there was something about her. Like she had somehow demanded all his attention even though she hadn’t even casted a glance in his direction.

“Who’s that girl?” he asked Sully who had followed his gaze and understood just who he was talking about.

“Oh Sarge, no,” Sully said as he tried to snap Bucky’s attention away from her. “Don’t even bother. That girl is as stuck up as they come. Don’t go wasting your time.”

“And how do you know she’s stuck up?” Bucky asked, looking back to Sully for just a second before his gaze naturally fell back on her.

“Well I know her! I know that girl. I went up to her the other day. Very nice, I was very nice. I said, ‘How do you do, sweetie? How about you and I take a hop down and I’ll spring for a couple of beers. Maybe I can take you on a quick roundabout the camp.’ And that girl comes with her stuck-up answer. An answer that you’d never believe!”

“What’d she say?” Bucky asked, curiosity taking over him as he waited for Sully to answer. He had just seen her for the first time but surely no answer coming from her lips could ever be anything but delightful.  

“She said, ‘No, thank you.’”

“Sul, come on!” Bucky said as he shoved his friend lightly, eyes somehow finding their way back to her again. She now joined the girls in counting aloud, and he swore he had never been so mesmerized by counting. “How is that stuck up?”

“Well she’s here to entertain the troops, right?” Bucky nodded, his eyes still trained on you as you marched along to the beat, “Well, ain’t I a troop?”

“She’s not here for that kind of entertainment, Sully. And besides, you’re probably not even her type of troop, maybe she’s more into Sergeants,” Bucky responded, suddenly standing up straight as she and the girls stopped rehearsing.

The girls dispersed, each of them fiddling with a different part of their wardrobe. Somehow, he had missed the fact that she was yet to be in the standard USO dress. Bucky almost hated to admit he must’ve been too distracted with her hair, and eyes, and lips, to worry about how she was dressed. He cleared his throat as he saw her approaching him and Sully.

“Hey, sweetie,” he heard Sully call out to you. Bucky groaned hoping she wouldn’t stop to pay attention to Sully who had the idea that this approach would get anything other than a roll of her eyes and an even louder groan. Yet he did stop, gave Sully a look over, eyes showing very little interest, probably replaying the lackluster offer he had presented her with before. “This my friend James Barnes, he’s got eyes for you. How about the three of us head down to grab a couple of beers?”

If the Earth was ever waiting for the right time to swallow him whole, now would be the best. Whatever shot Bucky had at talking to her, was promptly being ruined by Sully and his running mouth. He looked at her, mentally trying to tell her he had no part in whatever Sully was proposing.

“No, thank you,” came her reply, voice cold. Of course, who would blame her? Her eyes briefly looked towards Bucky with the same look of indifference you had offered Sully.

“See,” Sully began as you walked away. “Stuck up!”

“My god, she’s beautiful,” Bucky said, a smile spreading across his lips as she walked towards the dressing rooms. Ignoring Sully’s comment, he knew he was done for. Seeing her from far was already causing him to lose his mind but seeing her eyes just a few feet in front of him made his heart race.  

“I would get over it, Sarge. Girl doesn’t even like beer. Beer! You’re just wasting your time,” Sully responded before leaving Bucky behind as he went to arrange a few props the USO dancers needed for their performance.

Bucky’s eyes remained on her. She looked back just before you entered the dressing room. Almost as if teasing Bucky. As if letting him know she was not planning on ever paying attention to him.

“Oh, but what a way to waste it,” Bucky mumbled as he saw her finally close the door.

Bucky looked around the backstage area trying to come up with a plan to talk to her. She had yet to emerge from the dressing room, and when she did Bucky hoped to have figured something out to approach her.

Leaning on the table, he and Sully had been standing by, his eyes landed on the pair of shoes that rested on it. They seemed to match the ones being worn by the USO dancers and suddenly the perfect plan flashed across his mind as he noticed a name written on the inside of the shoe. The shoes apparently belonged to a woman named Dolores but that would in no way derail the plan he had quickly put together.

He grabbed the shoes and almost ran to the dressing room door, eagerly knocking on it.

She emerged after a few knocks, dressed in the red, white, blue dress he had previously seen on the other dancers, and he knew she was wearing the same one, so why did it look so much nicer on her? He tried to recover quickly, holding onto the plan he hoped would work.

“Hi there,” he said, trying to put on his most charming smile, the one even he would admit often made women swoon. She looked unimpressed, though, looking around him probably hoping somebody else had knocked on the door. “Sorry to bother you,” Bucky continued despite the fact that his ego had been shattered, “You seemed to have dropped these,” he held up the shoes to show them to her.

“Those aren’t mine,” she replied, and god could he get used to hearing your lovely voice! “I’m wearing mine,” she said as she looked down to her shoes.

“These say Dolores, though,” he pressed.

With a questioning look on her face, she had shared her name trying to prove those shoes weren’t her.

Bucky, though, beamed. He had learned her name.

“It’s very nice to meet you,” he chuckled trying his best not to sound smug. “My name is Bucky.”

“You must be very proud of yourself, Bucky,” she responded unamused. “But I’ll have you know I don’t really talk to people who steal other people’s shoes.”

“Well what’s the matter with a sneaker sneak thief?” Bucky mused, turning up his charm as much as he could. He let his voice take on a deeper tone, hoping that would make her laugh. He would put on a red nose and wig if it made her smile.

“So, you admit you stole Dot’s sneakers,” she said as she crossed your arms.

“To meet you,” Bucky smirked, “I would’ve stolen the Declaration of Independence. How about I show you around camp after your show. It might be tough to find a place worthy of a pretty dame like yourself, but I’m sure I’ll manage.”

“I don’t think so, Sergeant,” she replied, tone still uninterested.

“Well come on now,” Bucky said giving her his best puppy eyes. “Could you please just give me a chance here?”

“For starters,” she began, “We’re not allowed to date service men and–"

“Service men?” Bucky dramatically said as he gestured to the uniform he was wearing. “See, this is just a disguise to trick the army. Underneath this uniform is a plain ol’ civilian from Brooklyn who loves to read, go out to catch some pictures, and visit Coney Island for some wholesome fun. I also don’t bite my nails, have decent table manners, and can delight any set of parents you put in front of me. I’m more than ready to listen to what your day has been like, your likes and dislikes, and most importantly your thoughts about the very smitten Sergeant standing right in front of you. Whatta you say?”

“I see,” she said as a smile spread across her lips. “Let me get this straight. You want to hear my thoughts about you?”

“Nothing would make me happier,” Bucky replied, feeling his already racing heart beat even faster at the beauty of her smile. God, she was beautiful. 

“Even if it’s not what you’re hoping for?”

“Not knowing is key in this little game we’re playing,” he said, a smirk easing its way onto his lips. “Makes it even more fun.”

“You think this is fun?” she said, taking a few steps out the dressing room.

“It could be even more fun,” he winked, hoping he hadn’t stepped over any lines.

“Well then I’ll tell you,” she began, those perfect lips of hers that had Bucky hypnotized slowly turning up into a charming smile, a smile that already had his heart. “I think you are just one more arrogant soldier in need of some fun who steals shoes and has no respect. Is that fun enough for you?” 

And with that she turned on her heel and shut the door. 

“I think I’m in love,” Bucky whispered into the air, a permanent smile on his face.

[your-dietician]

Bold NBA Trade Ideas for Damian Lillard, Ben Simmons, Kemba Walker and More | Bleacher Report

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/nba/bold-nba-trade-ideas-for-damian-lillard-ben-simmons-kemba-walker-and-more-bleacher-report/

Bold NBA Trade Ideas for Damian Lillard, Ben Simmons, Kemba Walker and More | Bleacher Report

0 of 4

Jacob Kupferman/Associated Press

NBA trade machines are running at full tilt.

The 2021 offseason has already arrived for 26 teams, and in a matter of weeks, it will feature all 30 squads. From restless fanbases to forward-thinking front offices, just about everyone is firing off hypothetical swaps that could reshape the basketball landscape.

That makes it tricky to drum up potential deals you’ve never seen before.

But we aren’t ones to shy away from a challenge, so we threw on our thinking caps, doused them in creativity and played matchmaker to conjure up realistic fake trades that haven’t come across your radar a thousand times.

1 of 4

Charles Krupa/Associated Press

Miami Heat receive: Kemba Walker and Kenrich Williams

Oklahoma City Thunder receive: Goran Dragic, KZ Okpala and 2025 first-round pick (lottery-protected)

Despite carefully cultivating salary-cap space for this offseason, the Heat almost assuredly won’t land a difference-maker in free agency. Kawhi Leonard is the only superstar on the market, and considering he’s back at home with the conference finalist Los Angeles Clippers and alongside his handpicked co-star, Paul George, it’s tough to see Leonard wanting out.

But Miami, which just fell from a Finals appearance to a first-round sweep in one year’s time, needs to do something to shake up this roster, improve its 18th-ranked offense and try to open a championship window with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.

Lacking the trade ammo to fetch a Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal, the Heat could shift their sights to a discounted Kemba Walker. The 31-year-old is admittedly clearance-priced for a reason, as a lengthy battle with his balky left knee limited his availability and, at times, his effectiveness this season.

Even then, though, the four-time All-Star averaged better than 19 points and four assists for the sixth consecutive season. Only six other players have matched that streak. Butler was Miami’s only player to clear both marks in 2020-21.

Walker’s shot-creation could scratch perhaps the Heat’s biggest offensive itch. They landed outside the top 50th percentile on isolations (45th) and plays finished by a pick-and-roll ball-handler (28th). A healthy Walker can carve up defenders on the ball, and he’s a sharp enough shooter from distance (career 36.0 percent) to spot up alongside Butler and Adebayo.

This trade would force Miami to lift its lottery protection on the 2023 first-rounder it already owes to OKC, so it could put the 2025 pick in play. That’s a steep concession given Walker’s knee problems, which is why Kenrich Williams enters the equation. Nicknamed Kenny Hustle, he’d be an easy fit with the Heat’s famed #Culture, describing himself as “no maintenance” to ESPN’s Zach Lowe.

Unofficially, this would be draft pick gazillion collected by the Thunder, who’d effectively get a pair of draft assets out of the exchange with the removed protections. They would also get a dice roll on KZ Okpala, a raw 22-year-old with enviable length and athleticism. They should also have enough shots to let Goran Dragic run wild and perhaps elevate his value to unlock a deadline deal to a contender that nets OKC yet another asset.

2 of 4

Jacob Kupferman/Associated Press

Charlotte Hornets receive: Ben Simmons

Philadelphia 76ers receive: Gordon Hayward and No. 11 pick

Gordon Hayward helped the Hornets get their buzz back. Now, he could help bring back a 24-year-old All-Star to bulk up what has quietly become one of the Association’s better young cores.

Charlotte could give Ben Simmons the freedom he needs not just to bounce back from a brutal postseason, but also to evolve into something greater than his current form. Repurposed as a small-ball big man, he would be a creative solution to the Hornets’ search for an interior upgrade and a fascinating co-star for Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball.

Charlotte would become a blur in the open court, as Ball, Simmons or Terry Rozier could lead the break with shooters and athletes sprinting alongside. Once the game slowed down to half-court offense, Simmons could set screens for Ball (or vice versa) and either explode to the basket or feed open shooters once defenses collapse on the short roll.

It would be a risk for the Hornets, who got a ton of mileage out of Hayward and saw, as everyone else did, Simmons shrink on the playoff stage. But it would also be a wager that they could create an environment more conducive to growth than the win-now, Joel Embiid-centric Sixers could.

If the gamble paid off, Charlotte would suddenly have two young stars leading its roster and a slew of complementary role players around them. The success could be higher reaching and more sustainable long-term than anything the Hornets can achieve with the 31-year-old Hayward.

For Philly, though, this would swap out Simmons for a better fitting Embiid co-star. Hayward may not have a go-to elite skill, but that’s kind of the point. His ability to shape-shift between secondary scoring, playmaking, shot-creating and shooting roles would allow him to complement Embiid however needed and coexist with the likes of Tobias Harris, Seth Curry and whomever else the Sixers retain on their roster.

Netting the first-round pick—largely accounting for the age gap between Simmons and Hayward—would give president Daryl Morey a potentially critical trade chip to help make this roster championship-ready around Embiid.

3 of 4

Steve Dykes/Associated Press

Minnesota Timberwolves receive: Damian Lillard and Robert Covington

Portland Trail Blazers receive: Anthony Edwards, Malik Beasley, Ricky Rubio, Leandro Bolmaro, 2022 first-round pick (top-five protected), 2024 first-round pick (top-three protected) and 2026 first-round pick

Brace yourselves, Portland. Damian Lillard, the rock-solid centerpiece of the Blazers franchise who is loyal to his core, might be ready to scope out a scenery change.

“The enormous backlash from the Portland Trial Blazers’ process to hire a new coach and his concerns on whether a championship contender can be built have become factors that may push the franchise player—Damian Lillard—out the door,” Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes reported.

The Timberwolves won’t be mentioned often (if at all) during Lillard trade talks, because they haven’t won in recent history and aren’t a destination team. But maybe Minnesota has a pulse in this race. With 2020 top pick—and Rookie of the Year runner-up—Anthony Edwards leading the charge, the Wolves could put an awfully enticing trade package on the table.

With free agency awaiting D’Angelo Russell in 2023 and Karl-Anthony Towns the following summer, Minnesota should be looking to win sooner than later. To that end, the team reportedly has an interest in trading for Ben Simmons, per SKOR North’s Darren Wolfson (h/t NBC Sports Philadelphia). Simmons might be fun in the Gopher State, but Lillard would be transformational.

He is an all-caps SUPERSTAR who could team with Towns and Russell to turbo-charge this attack into a top-five unit. Either guard can pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop with Towns while the other shreds nets as a catch-and-shoot sniper. The defense wouldn’t be great—though reuniting with Robert Covington, who was in the Gopher State until February 2020, would help a little bit—but if the offense hits its ceiling, that may not matter much.

The Timberwolves may not be a tier-one contender after the trade, but if Towns and Russell time their hot streaks just right, this club could score its way into the conference finals.

Portland, meanwhile, would embrace an inevitable post-Lillard rebuild with Edwards front and center of the redesign. Leandro Bolmaro could be a long-term keeper, Malik Beasley is a productive 24-year-old, and Ricky Rubio can help either push for next season’s playoffs or be flipped for someone or something that helps with future postseason pursuits. Throw in the draft picks, and the Blazers should be set to start their next chapter on solid ground.

4 of 4

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

Golden State Warriors receive: Jimmy Butler and Andre Iguodala

Miami Heat receive: Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman, Eric Paschall, No. 7 pick, No. 14 pick and 2026 first-round pick (top-three protected)

Would Heat president Pat Riley, 76 years young and competitive as all get out, ever sign off on a rebuild? Probably not.

But if he was ever open to the idea, this might secretly be the right summer to explore it. Miami has just five players with guaranteed contracts for next season. Bam Adebayo is the second-oldest of that group at 23 years old. In that context, the 31-year-old Jimmy Butler—32 before next season tips—stands out as the proverbial “one of these things is not like the others.”

Butler can contribute to a championship run right now, but the Heat aren’t necessarily positioned to make one with their cap-space situation.

Get Butler to Golden State with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and a healthy Klay Thompson, though, and the Dubs could be on the light-years expressway to title contention. Butler and Green burn the same hypercompetitive fire, and they could extinguish opposing scorers of all sizes and styles. While there might be spacing concerns with that pairing, those could be alleviated by deploying one more sniper with the Splash Brothers.

This wouldn’t be without risk for the Warriors, since their core four would all be on the wrong side of 30, and both Curry and Butler can hit unrestricted free agency in 2022. But considering the reward is a world title, that might be a risk worth taking.

For the Heat, they’d pivot into a rebuild around Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman (or whatever he’d bring back in a trade if they don’t like his fit with Adebayo) and a suddenly strong asset collection. That core could also include restricted free agents Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn, though the organizational shift would surely spell the end of Victor Oladipo’s short tenure in South Beach.

Eric Paschall could inject some second-team scoring, the picks could be developed or traded, and the cap space could be splurged on an up-and-comer who fits the core like John Collins, Lonzo Ball, Gary Trent Jr. or Talen Horton-Tucker.

              Stats courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball Reference unless otherwise noted.

Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @ZachBuckleyNBA.

<!-- window.INITIAL_STORE_STATE = "ads":"cnn":false,"embedded":false,"layout":"default","override":false,"social":"false","krux_id":"ITb9Q03y","zone":"slideshow","writer":"Zach Buckley","team":"none","tags":"NBA,Rankings_List,Kemba_Walker,Jimmy_Butler,Gordon_Hayward,Damian_Lillard,Ben_Simmons","tag_id":19,"site":"NBA","render_strategy":"slideshow","league":"NBA","gp_flag":"","fantasy":"none","event":"none","division":"none","buzz":"top10","article":2945318,"articles":"tracks":["url_hash":"f8de44262406c4bb0fb5f3b2de3649527b2c639decf1db435f9f0636c6e9dba0","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2945318-bold-nba-trade-ideas-for-damian-lillard-ben-simmons-kemba-walker-and-more","updated_at":"2021-06-30T22:10:40Z","tag":"unique_name":"philadelphia-76ers","tag_id":179,"short_name":"76ers","logo":"philadelphia_76ers.png","display_name":"Philadelphia 76ers","color2":"002fa7","color1":"911919","status":"active","position":2,"playlist_type":"ts","playlist_tag_name":"philadelphia-76ers","playlist_id":33335,"permalink":"/articles/track/6580627251-new-nba-trade-ideas-","performed_by":"ehabbel@bleacherreport.com","original_url_sha":"f8de44262406c4bb0fb5f3b2de3649527b2c639decf1db435f9f0636c6e9dba0","original_url_hash":116462542,"notification":null,"is_locked":true,"is_featured":false,"internal_position":"12467.2514648438","id_str":"6580627251","id":6580627251,"href":"https://djay.bleacherreport.com/playlists/philadelphia-76ers_ts/tracks/6580627251","hide_from_regions":[],"hidden_attributes":[],"group_tags":[],"expires_at":null,"created_at":"2021-06-30T18:14:16Z","content_type":"external_article","content":"title":"New NBA Trade Ideas 😯","thumbnail_url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/f_auto,w_1440,q_auto,c_fill/br-cms/d9/30/90/5c/42f0/4020/859b/09301c92c0f4/crop_exact_GettyImages-1230958799.jpg","metadata":"title":"Bold NBA Trade Ideas for Damian Lillard, Ben Simmons, Kemba Walker and More","thumbnails":"original_url":"https://cdn.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/d9/30/90/5c/42f0/4020/859b/09301c92c0f4/GettyImages-1230958799.jpg","media_item_href":"https://cms.bleacherreport.com/media/items/d930905c-42f0-4020-859b-09301c92c0f4.json","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/img/slides/photos/004/462/316/hi-res-0c8446d12c0a3e9b3323e6a647b26168_crop_exact.jpg?w=900&h=600&q=75","stub_id":null,"share_url":"https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2945318-bold-nba-trade-ideas-for-damian-lillard-ben-simmons-kemba-walker-and-more","provider_url":"https://bleacherreport.com","provider_name":"Bleacher Report","photo_credit":"Jacob Kupferman/Associated Press","personalized":null,"genres":["analysis","rumors"],"description":"NBA trade machines are running at full tilt. The 2021 offseason has already arrived for 26 teams, and in a matter of weeks, it will feature all 30 squads...","author_name":"Zach Buckley","amp_url":null,"media_width":null,"media_url":null,"media_id":null,"media_height":null,"hook_type":"photo","commentary":"title":"New NBA Trade Ideas 😯","mentioned_users":["username":"zachbuckley","id":"9c1c6b69-40d1-4e14-a65d-35faa4e0a913"],"description":"Simmons joins LaMelo? Dame lands in Minnesota? @zachbuckley cooks four bold trades you may not have seen before 📲","attachments":[],"url_hash":"f8de44262406c4bb0fb5f3b2de3649527b2c639decf1db435f9f0636c6e9dba0","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2945318-bold-nba-trade-ideas-for-damian-lillard-ben-simmons-kemba-walker-and-more","updated_at":"2021-06-30T22:10:40Z","tag":"unique_name":"portland-trail-blazers","tag_id":198,"short_name":"Blazers","logo":"portland_trail_blazers.png","display_name":"Portland Trail Blazers","color2":"202020","color1":"911919","status":"active","position":2,"playlist_type":"ts","playlist_tag_name":"portland-trail-blazers","playlist_id":23744,"permalink":"/articles/track/6580627253-new-nba-trade-ideas-","performed_by":"ehabbel@bleacherreport.com","original_url_sha":"f8de44262406c4bb0fb5f3b2de3649527b2c639decf1db435f9f0636c6e9dba0","original_url_hash":116462542,"notification":null,"is_locked":true,"is_featured":false,"internal_position":"9799.1562500000","id_str":"6580627253","id":6580627253,"href":"https://djay.bleacherreport.com/playlists/portland-trail-blazers_ts/tracks/6580627253","hide_from_regions":[],"hidden_attributes":[],"group_tags":[],"expires_at":null,"created_at":"2021-06-30T18:14:17Z","content_type":"external_article","content":"title":"New NBA Trade Ideas 😯","thumbnail_url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/f_auto,w_1440,q_auto,c_fill/br-cms/d9/30/90/5c/42f0/4020/859b/09301c92c0f4/crop_exact_GettyImages-1230958799.jpg","metadata":"title":"Bold NBA Trade Ideas for Damian Lillard, Ben Simmons, Kemba Walker and More","thumbnails":"original_url":"https://cdn.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/d9/30/90/5c/42f0/4020/859b/09301c92c0f4/GettyImages-1230958799.jpg","media_item_href":"https://cms.bleacherreport.com/media/items/d930905c-42f0-4020-859b-09301c92c0f4.json","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/img/slides/photos/004/462/316/hi-res-0c8446d12c0a3e9b3323e6a647b26168_crop_exact.jpg?w=900&h=600&q=75","stub_id":null,"share_url":"https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2945318-bold-nba-trade-ideas-for-damian-lillard-ben-simmons-kemba-walker-and-more","provider_url":"https://bleacherreport.com","provider_name":"Bleacher Report","photo_credit":"Jacob Kupferman/Associated Press","personalized":null,"genres":["analysis","rumors"],"description":"NBA trade machines are running at full tilt. The 2021 offseason has already arrived for 26 teams, and in a matter of weeks, it will feature all 30 squads...","author_name":"Zach Buckley","amp_url":null,"media_width":null,"media_url":null,"media_id":null,"media_height":null,"hook_type":"photo","commentary":"title":"New NBA Trade Ideas 😯","mentioned_users":["username":"zachbuckley","id":"9c1c6b69-40d1-4e14-a65d-35faa4e0a913"],"description":"Simmons joins LaMelo? Dame lands in Minnesota? @zachbuckley cooks four bold trades you may not have seen before 📲","attachments":[],"url_hash":"f8de44262406c4bb0fb5f3b2de3649527b2c639decf1db435f9f0636c6e9dba0","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2945318-bold-nba-trade-ideas-for-damian-lillard-ben-simmons-kemba-walker-and-more","updated_at":"2021-06-30T22:10:40Z","tag":"unique_name":"charlotte-hornets","tag_id":187,"short_name":"Hornets","logo":"charlotte_hornets.png","display_name":"Charlotte Hornets","color2":"f26532","color1":"1d8caa","status":"active","position":2,"playlist_type":"ts","playlist_tag_name":"charlotte-hornets","playlist_id":11065,"permalink":"/articles/track/6580627250-new-nba-trade-ideas-","performed_by":"ehabbel@bleacherreport.com","original_url_sha":"f8de44262406c4bb0fb5f3b2de3649527b2c639decf1db435f9f0636c6e9dba0","original_url_hash":116462542,"notification":null,"is_locked":true,"is_featured":false,"internal_position":"6527.0468750000","id_str":"6580627250","id":6580627250,"href":"https://djay.bleacherreport.com/playlists/charlotte-hornets_ts/tracks/6580627250","hide_from_regions":[],"hidden_attributes":[],"group_tags":[],"expires_at":null,"created_at":"2021-06-30T18:14:16Z","content_type":"external_article","content":"title":"New NBA Trade Ideas 😯","thumbnail_url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/f_auto,w_1440,q_auto,c_fill/br-cms/d9/30/90/5c/42f0/4020/859b/09301c92c0f4/crop_exact_GettyImages-1230958799.jpg","metadata":"title":"Bold NBA Trade Ideas for Damian Lillard, Ben Simmons, Kemba Walker and More","thumbnails":"original_url":"https://cdn.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/d9/30/90/5c/42f0/4020/859b/09301c92c0f4/GettyImages-1230958799.jpg","media_item_href":"https://cms.bleacherreport.com/media/items/d930905c-42f0-4020-859b-09301c92c0f4.json","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/img/slides/photos/004/462/316/hi-res-0c8446d12c0a3e9b3323e6a647b26168_crop_exact.jpg?w=900&h=600&q=75","stub_id":null,"share_url":"https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2945318-bold-nba-trade-ideas-for-damian-lillard-ben-simmons-kemba-walker-and-more","provider_url":"https://bleacherreport.com","provider_name":"Bleacher Report","photo_credit":"Jacob Kupferman/Associated Press","personalized":null,"genres":["analysis","rumors"],"description":"NBA trade machines are running at full tilt. The 2021 offseason has already arrived for 26 teams, and in a matter of weeks, it will feature all 30 squads...","author_name":"Zach Buckley","amp_url":null,"media_width":null,"media_url":null,"media_id":null,"media_height":null,"hook_type":"photo","commentary":"title":"New NBA Trade Ideas 😯","mentioned_users":["username":"zachbuckley","id":"9c1c6b69-40d1-4e14-a65d-35faa4e0a913"],"description":"Simmons joins LaMelo? Dame lands in Minnesota? @zachbuckley cooks four bold trades you may not have seen before 📲","attachments":[],"url_hash":"f8de44262406c4bb0fb5f3b2de3649527b2c639decf1db435f9f0636c6e9dba0","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2945318-bold-nba-trade-ideas-for-damian-lillard-ben-simmons-kemba-walker-and-more","updated_at":"2021-06-30T22:10:40Z","tag":"unique_name":"golden-state-warriors","tag_id":201,"short_name":"Warriors","logo":"golden_state_warriors.png","display_name":"Golden State Warriors","color2":"ffcc33","color1":"112762","status":"active","position":2,"playlist_type":"ts","playlist_tag_name":"golden-state-warriors","playlist_id":19363,"permalink":"/articles/track/6580627473-new-nba-trade-ideas-","performed_by":"ehabbel@bleacherreport.com","original_url_sha":"f8de44262406c4bb0fb5f3b2de3649527b2c639decf1db435f9f0636c6e9dba0","original_url_hash":116462542,"notification":null,"is_locked":true,"is_featured":false,"internal_position":"17286.8139853478","id_str":"6580627473","id":6580627473,"href":"https://djay.bleacherreport.com/playlists/golden-state-warriors_ts/tracks/6580627473","hide_from_regions":[],"hidden_attributes":[],"group_tags":[],"expires_at":null,"created_at":"2021-06-30T18:15:30Z","content_type":"external_article","content":"title":"New NBA Trade Ideas 😯","thumbnail_url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/f_auto,w_1440,q_auto,c_fill/br-cms/d9/30/90/5c/42f0/4020/859b/09301c92c0f4/crop_exact_GettyImages-1230958799.jpg","metadata":"title":"Bold NBA Trade Ideas for Damian Lillard, Ben Simmons, Kemba Walker and More","thumbnails":"original_url":"https://cdn.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/d9/30/90/5c/42f0/4020/859b/09301c92c0f4/GettyImages-1230958799.jpg","media_item_href":"https://cms.bleacherreport.com/media/items/d930905c-42f0-4020-859b-09301c92c0f4.json","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/img/slides/photos/004/462/316/hi-res-0c8446d12c0a3e9b3323e6a647b26168_crop_exact.jpg?w=900&h=600&q=75","stub_id":null,"share_url":"https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2945318-bold-nba-trade-ideas-for-damian-lillard-ben-simmons-kemba-walker-and-more","provider_url":"https://bleacherreport.com","provider_name":"Bleacher Report","photo_credit":"Jacob Kupferman/Associated Press","personalized":null,"genres":["analysis","rumors"],"description":"NBA trade machines are running at full tilt. The 2021 offseason has already arrived for 26 teams, and in a matter of weeks, it will feature all 30 squads...","author_name":"Zach Buckley","amp_url":null,"media_width":null,"media_url":null,"media_id":null,"media_height":null,"hook_type":"photo","commentary":"title":"New NBA Trade Ideas 😯","mentioned_users":["username":"zachbuckley","id":"9c1c6b69-40d1-4e14-a65d-35faa4e0a913"],"description":"Simmons joins LaMelo? Butler in The Bay? @zachbuckley cooks four bold trades you may not have seen before 📲","attachments":[],"url_hash":"f8de44262406c4bb0fb5f3b2de3649527b2c639decf1db435f9f0636c6e9dba0","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2945318-bold-nba-trade-ideas-for-damian-lillard-ben-simmons-kemba-walker-and-more","updated_at":"2021-06-30T22:10:17Z","tag":"unique_name":"nba","tag_id":19,"short_name":"NBA","logo":"nba.png","display_name":"NBA","color2":"","color1":"","status":"active","position":null,"playlist_type":"ts","playlist_tag_name":"nba","playlist_id":42168,"permalink":"/articles/track/6580626230-new-nba-trade-ideas-","performed_by":"ehabbel@bleacherreport.com","original_url_sha":"f8de44262406c4bb0fb5f3b2de3649527b2c639decf1db435f9f0636c6e9dba0","original_url_hash":116462542,"notification":null,"is_locked":false,"is_featured":false,"internal_position":"4734.7152891771","id_str":"6580626230","id":6580626230,"href":"https://djay.bleacherreport.com/playlists/nba_ts/tracks/6580626230","hide_from_regions":[],"hidden_attributes":[],"group_tags":[],"expires_at":null,"created_at":"2021-06-30T18:09:07Z","content_type":"external_article","content":"title":"New NBA Trade Ideas 😯","thumbnail_url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/f_auto,w_1440,q_auto,c_fill/br-cms/d9/30/90/5c/42f0/4020/859b/09301c92c0f4/crop_exact_GettyImages-1230958799.jpg","metadata":"title":"Bold NBA Trade Ideas for Damian Lillard, Ben Simmons, Kemba Walker and More","thumbnails":"original_url":"https://cdn.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/d9/30/90/5c/42f0/4020/859b/09301c92c0f4/GettyImages-1230958799.jpg","media_item_href":"https://cms.bleacherreport.com/media/items/d930905c-42f0-4020-859b-09301c92c0f4.json","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/img/slides/photos/004/462/316/hi-res-0c8446d12c0a3e9b3323e6a647b26168_crop_exact.jpg?w=900&h=600&q=75","stub_id":null,"share_url":"https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2945318-bold-nba-trade-ideas-for-damian-lillard-ben-simmons-kemba-walker-and-more","provider_url":"https://bleacherreport.com","provider_name":"Bleacher Report","photo_credit":"Jacob Kupferman/Associated Press","personalized":null,"genres":["analysis","rumors"],"description":"NBA trade machines are running at full tilt. The 2021 offseason has already arrived for 26 teams, and in a matter of weeks, it will feature all 30 squads...","author_name":"Zach Buckley","amp_url":null,"media_width":null,"media_url":null,"media_id":null,"media_height":null,"hook_type":"photo","commentary":"title":"New NBA Trade Ideas 😯","mentioned_users":["username":"zachbuckley","id":"9c1c6b69-40d1-4e14-a65d-35faa4e0a913"],"description":"Simmons joins LaMelo? Dame lands in Minnesota? @zachbuckley cooks four bold moves you may not have seen before 📲","attachments":[],"url_hash":"f8de44262406c4bb0fb5f3b2de3649527b2c639decf1db435f9f0636c6e9dba0","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2945318-bold-nba-trade-ideas-for-damian-lillard-ben-simmons-kemba-walker-and-more","updated_at":"2021-06-30T22:10:17Z","tag":"unique_name":"nba-rumors","tag_id":6471,"short_name":"NBA Rumors","logo":"nba_rumors.png","display_name":"NBA Rumors","color2":"","color1":"","status":"active","position":null,"playlist_type":"ts","playlist_tag_name":"nba-rumors","playlist_id":42139,"permalink":"/articles/track/6580626229-new-nba-trade-ideas-","performed_by":"ehabbel@bleacherreport.com","original_url_sha":"f8de44262406c4bb0fb5f3b2de3649527b2c639decf1db435f9f0636c6e9dba0","original_url_hash":116462542,"notification":null,"is_locked":false,"is_featured":false,"internal_position":"8993.0898437500","id_str":"6580626229","id":6580626229,"href":"https://djay.bleacherreport.com/playlists/nba-rumors_ts/tracks/6580626229","hide_from_regions":[],"hidden_attributes":[],"group_tags":[],"expires_at":null,"created_at":"2021-06-30T18:09:07Z","content_type":"external_article","content":"title":"New NBA Trade Ideas 😯","thumbnail_url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/f_auto,w_1440,q_auto,c_fill/br-cms/d9/30/90/5c/42f0/4020/859b/09301c92c0f4/crop_exact_GettyImages-1230958799.jpg","metadata":"title":"Bold NBA Trade Ideas for Damian Lillard, Ben Simmons, Kemba Walker and More","thumbnails":"original_url":"https://cdn.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/d9/30/90/5c/42f0/4020/859b/09301c92c0f4/GettyImages-1230958799.jpg","media_item_href":"https://cms.bleacherreport.com/media/items/d930905c-42f0-4020-859b-09301c92c0f4.json","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/img/slides/photos/004/462/316/hi-res-0c8446d12c0a3e9b3323e6a647b26168_crop_exact.jpg?w=900&h=600&q=75","stub_id":null,"share_url":"https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2945318-bold-nba-trade-ideas-for-damian-lillard-ben-simmons-kemba-walker-and-more","provider_url":"https://bleacherreport.com","provider_name":"Bleacher Report","photo_credit":"Jacob Kupferman/Associated Press","personalized":null,"genres":["analysis","rumors"],"description":"NBA trade machines are running at full tilt. The 2021 offseason has already arrived for 26 teams, and in a matter of weeks, it will feature all 30 squads...","author_name":"Zach Buckley","amp_url":null,"media_width":null,"media_url":null,"media_id":null,"media_height":null,"hook_type":"photo","commentary":"title":"New NBA Trade Ideas 😯","mentioned_users":["username":"zachbuckley","id":"9c1c6b69-40d1-4e14-a65d-35faa4e0a913"],"description":"Simmons joins LaMelo? Dame lands in Minnesota? @zachbuckley cooks four bold moves you may not have seen before 📲","attachments":[],"url_hash":"f8de44262406c4bb0fb5f3b2de3649527b2c639decf1db435f9f0636c6e9dba0","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2945318-bold-nba-trade-ideas-for-damian-lillard-ben-simmons-kemba-walker-and-more","updated_at":"2021-06-30T18:13:14Z","tag":"unique_name":"fire","tag_id":95875,"short_name":"Fire","logo":"fire.png","display_name":"Fire","color2":"","color1":"","status":"active","position":null,"playlist_type":"al","playlist_tag_name":"fire","playlist_id":1606514,"permalink":"/articles/2945318-bold-nba-trade-ideas-for-damian-lillard-ben-simmons-kemba-walker-and-more","performed_by":"ehabbel@bleacherreport.com","original_url_sha":"f8de44262406c4bb0fb5f3b2de3649527b2c639decf1db435f9f0636c6e9dba0","original_url_hash":116462542,"notification":null,"is_locked":false,"is_featured":false,"internal_position":"28008.0664493327","id_str":"6580627242","id":6580627242,"href":"https://djay.bleacherreport.com/playlists/fire_al/tracks/6580627242","hide_from_regions":[],"hidden_attributes":[],"group_tags":[],"expires_at":null,"created_at":"2021-06-30T18:09:07Z","content_type":"internal_article","content":"title":"NBA Trade Ideas You Never Thought Of 😯","thumbnail_url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/f_auto,w_900,h_600,q_auto,c_fill/br-img-slides/004/462/316/hi-res-0c8446d12c0a3e9b3323e6a647b26168_crop_exact.jpg","metadata":"title":"Bold NBA Trade Ideas for Damian Lillard, Ben Simmons, Kemba Walker and More","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/img/slides/photos/004/462/316/hi-res-0c8446d12c0a3e9b3323e6a647b26168_crop_exact.jpg?w=900&h=600&q=75","stub_id":null,"share_url":"https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2945318-bold-nba-trade-ideas-for-damian-lillard-ben-simmons-kemba-walker-and-more","provider_url":"https://bleacherreport.com","provider_name":"Bleacher Report","photo_credit":"Jacob Kupferman/Associated Press","personalized":null,"genres":["analysis"],"description":"NBA trade machines are running at full tilt. The 2021 offseason has already arrived for 26 teams, and in a matter of weeks, it will feature all 30 squads...","author_name":"Zach Buckley","article_type":"slideshow","article_id":2945318,"media_width":null,"media_url":null,"media_id":null,"media_height":null,"hook_type":"photo","commentary":"title":"NBA Trade Ideas You Never Thought Of 😯","mentioned_users":["username":"zachbuckley","id":"9c1c6b69-40d1-4e14-a65d-35faa4e0a913"],"description":"Simmons joins LaMelo? Dame lands in Minnesota? @zachbuckley cooks four bold trades you may not have seen before 📲","attachments":[],"url_hash":"f8de44262406c4bb0fb5f3b2de3649527b2c639decf1db435f9f0636c6e9dba0","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2945318-bold-nba-trade-ideas-for-damian-lillard-ben-simmons-kemba-walker-and-more","updated_at":"2021-06-30T22:10:40Z","tag":"unique_name":"miami-heat","tag_id":188,"short_name":"Heat","logo":"miami_heat.png","display_name":"Miami Heat","color2":"202020","color1":"7f1a2f","status":"active","position":2,"playlist_type":"ts","playlist_tag_name":"miami-heat","playlist_id":27397,"permalink":"/articles/track/6580627472-new-nba-trade-ideas-","performed_by":"ehabbel@bleacherreport.com","original_url_sha":"f8de44262406c4bb0fb5f3b2de3649527b2c639decf1db435f9f0636c6e9dba0","original_url_hash":116462542,"notification":null,"is_locked":true,"is_featured":false,"internal_position":"10409.5318298341","id_str":"6580627472","id":6580627472,"href":"https://djay.bleacherreport.com/playlists/miami-heat_ts/tracks/6580627472","hide_from_regions":[],"hidden_attributes":[],"group_tags":[],"expires_at":null,"created_at":"2021-06-30T18:15:30Z","content_type":"external_article","content":"title":"New NBA Trade Ideas 😯","thumbnail_url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/f_auto,w_1440,q_auto,c_fill/br-cms/d9/30/90/5c/42f0/4020/859b/09301c92c0f4/crop_exact_GettyImages-1230958799.jpg","metadata":"title":"Bold NBA Trade Ideas for Damian Lillard, Ben Simmons, Kemba Walker and More","thumbnails":"original_url":"https://cdn.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/d9/30/90/5c/42f0/4020/859b/09301c92c0f4/GettyImages-1230958799.jpg","media_item_href":"https://cms.bleacherreport.com/media/items/d930905c-42f0-4020-859b-09301c92c0f4.json","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/img/slides/photos/004/462/316/hi-res-0c8446d12c0a3e9b3323e6a647b26168_crop_exact.jpg?w=900&h=600&q=75","stub_id":null,"share_url":"https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2945318-bold-nba-trade-ideas-for-damian-lillard-ben-simmons-kemba-walker-and-more","provider_url":"https://bleacherreport.com","provider_name":"Bleacher Report","photo_credit":"Jacob Kupferman/Associated Press","personalized":null,"genres":["analysis","rumors"],"description":"NBA trade machines are running at full tilt. The 2021 offseason has already arrived for 26 teams, and in a matter of weeks, it will feature all 30 squads...","author_name":"Zach Buckley","amp_url":null,"media_width":null,"media_url":null,"media_id":null,"media_height":null,"hook_type":"photo","commentary":"title":"New NBA Trade Ideas 😯","mentioned_users":["username":"zachbuckley","id":"9c1c6b69-40d1-4e14-a65d-35faa4e0a913"],"description":"Simmons joins LaMelo? Butler in The Bay? @zachbuckley cooks four bold trades you may not have seen before 📲","attachments":[],"url_hash":"f8de44262406c4bb0fb5f3b2de3649527b2c639decf1db435f9f0636c6e9dba0","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2945318-bold-nba-trade-ideas-for-damian-lillard-ben-simmons-kemba-walker-and-more","updated_at":"2021-06-30T22:10:40Z","tag":"unique_name":"minnesota-timberwolves","tag_id":197,"short_name":"Timberwolves","logo":"minnesota_timberwolves.png","display_name":"Minnesota Timberwolves","color2":"50c878","color1":"213d6f","status":"active","position":2,"playlist_type":"ts","playlist_tag_name":"minnesota-timberwolves","playlist_id":36010,"permalink":"/articles/track/6580627252-new-nba-trade-ideas-","performed_by":"ehabbel@bleacherreport.com","original_url_sha":"f8de44262406c4bb0fb5f3b2de3649527b2c639decf1db435f9f0636c6e9dba0","original_url_hash":116462542,"notification":null,"is_locked":true,"is_featured":false,"internal_position":"7578.0468750000","id_str":"6580627252","id":6580627252,"href":"https://djay.bleacherreport.com/playlists/minnesota-timberwolves_ts/tracks/6580627252","hide_from_regions":[],"hidden_attributes":[],"group_tags":[],"expires_at":null,"created_at":"2021-06-30T18:14:17Z","content_type":"external_article","content":"title":"New NBA Trade Ideas 😯","thumbnail_url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/f_auto,w_1440,q_auto,c_fill/br-cms/d9/30/90/5c/42f0/4020/859b/09301c92c0f4/crop_exact_GettyImages-1230958799.jpg","metadata":"title":"Bold NBA Trade Ideas for Damian Lillard, Ben Simmons, Kemba Walker and More","thumbnails":"original_url":"https://cdn.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/d9/30/90/5c/42f0/4020/859b/09301c92c0f4/GettyImages-1230958799.jpg","media_item_href":"https://cms.bleacherreport.com/media/items/d930905c-42f0-4020-859b-09301c92c0f4.json","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/img/slides/photos/004/462/316/hi-res-0c8446d12c0a3e9b3323e6a647b26168_crop_exact.jpg?w=900&h=600&q=75","stub_id":null,"share_url":"https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2945318-bold-nba-trade-ideas-for-damian-lillard-ben-simmons-kemba-walker-and-more","provider_url":"https://bleacherreport.com","provider_name":"Bleacher Report","photo_credit":"Jacob Kupferman/Associated Press","personalized":null,"genres":["analysis","rumors"],"description":"NBA trade machines are running at full tilt. The 2021 offseason has already arrived for 26 teams, and in a matter of weeks, it will feature all 30 squads...","author_name":"Zach Buckley","amp_url":null,"media_width":null,"media_url":null,"media_id":null,"media_height":null,"hook_type":"photo","commentary":"title":"New NBA Trade Ideas 😯","mentioned_users":["username":"zachbuckley","id":"9c1c6b69-40d1-4e14-a65d-35faa4e0a913"],"description":"Simmons joins LaMelo? Dame lands in Minnesota? @zachbuckley cooks four bold trades you may not have seen before 📲","attachments":[]],"author":"id":337962,"name":"Zach Buckley","photo_url":"https://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/users/photos/000/337/962/This_is_1_crop_100x100.jpg","title":"National NBA Featured Columnist","twitter_handle":"@ZachBuckleyNBA","author_gatekeeper_id":"9c1c6b69-40d1-4e14-a65d-35faa4e0a913","breport_id":2945318,"contains_geoblocked_content":false,"description":"NBA trade machines are running at full tilt. The 2021 offseason has already arrived for 26 teams, and in a matter of weeks, it will feature all 30 squads...","elements":["content_type":"slide","elements":["content":"credit":"Jacob Kupferman/Associated Press","full_width":true,"url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/f_auto,w_340,h_234,q_auto,c_fill/br-img-slides/004/462/316/0c8446d12c0a3e9b3323e6a647b26168_crop_exact.jpg","content_type":"image","id":105098218,"id":929026,"type":"media slot","content":"html":"NBA trade machines are running at full tilt.","content_type":"paragraph","id":30154134,"content":"html":"The 2021 offseason has already arrived for 26 teams, and in a matter of weeks, it will feature all 30 squads. From restless fanbases to forward-thinking front offices, just about everyone is firing off hypothetical swaps that could reshape the basketball landscape.","content_type":"paragraph","id":62875170,"content":"html":"That makes it tricky to drum up potential deals you&apos;ve never seen before.","content_type":"paragraph","id":71306954,"content":"html":"But we aren&apos;t ones to shy away from a challenge, so we threw on our thinking caps, doused them in creativity and played matchmaker to conjure up realistic fake trades that haven&apos;t come across your radar a thousand times.","content_type":"paragraph","id":121421100],"id":58316330,"slide_number":0,"title":"Bold NBA Trade Ideas for Damian Lillard, Ben Simmons, Kemba Walker and More","content_type":"slide","elements":["content":"credit":"Charles Krupa/Associated Press","full_width":true,"url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/f_auto,w_340,h_234,q_auto,c_fill/br-img-slides/004/462/317/9c7de9c5bd85bc22ba3f1bc9378b6b63_crop_exact.jpg","content_type":"image","id":47984794,"id":929026,"type":"media slot","content":"html":"<strong>Miami Heat receive: Kemba Walker and Kenrich Williams","content_type":"paragraph","id":31772688,"content":"html":"<strong>Oklahoma City Thunder receive: Goran Dragic, KZ Okpala and 2025 first-round pick (lottery-protected)","content_type":"paragraph","id":51237792,"content":"html":"Despite carefully cultivating salary-cap space for this offseason, the Heat almost assuredly won&apos;t land a difference-maker in free agency. Kawhi Leonard is the only superstar on the market, and considering he&apos;s back at home with the conference finalist Los Angeles Clippers and alongside his handpicked co-star, Paul George, it&apos;s tough to see Leonard wanting out.","content_type":"paragraph","id":104839653,"content":"html":"But Miami, which just fell from a Finals appearance to a first-round sweep in one year&apos;s time, needs to do something to shake up this roster, improve its 18th-ranked offense and try to open a championship window with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.","content_type":"paragraph","id":38499664,"content":"html":"Lacking the trade ammo to fetch a Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal, the Heat could shift their sights to a discounted Kemba Walker. The 31-year-old is admittedly clearance-priced for a reason, as a lengthy battle with his balky left knee limited his availability and, at times, his effectiveness this season.","content_type":"paragraph","id":120829039,"content":"html":"Even then, though, the four-time All-Star averaged better than 19 points and four assists for the sixth consecutive season. Only six other players have matched that streak. Butler was Miami&apos;s only player to clear both marks in 2020-21.","content_type":"paragraph","id":113456957,"content":"html":"Walker&apos;s shot-creation could scratch perhaps the Heat&apos;s biggest offensive itch. They landed outside the top 50th percentile on isolations (45th) and plays finished by a pick-and-roll ball-handler (28th). A healthy Walker can carve up defenders on the ball, and he&apos;s a sharp enough shooter from distance (career 36.0 percent) to spot up alongside Butler and Adebayo.","content_type":"paragraph","id":6181870,"content":"html":"This trade would force Miami to lift its lottery protection on the 2023 first-rounder it already owes to OKC, so it could put the 2025 pick in play. That&apos;s a steep concession given Walker&apos;s knee problems, which is why Kenrich Williams enters the equation. Nicknamed Kenny Hustle, he&apos;d be an easy fit with the Heat&apos;s famed #Culture, describing himself as "no maintenance" to ESPN&apos;s Zach Lowe.","content_type":"paragraph","id":65480363,"content":"html":"Unofficially, this would be draft pick gazillion collected by the Thunder, who&apos;d effectively get a pair of draft assets out of the exchange with the removed protections. They would also get a dice roll on <span>KZ Okpala, a raw 22-year-old with enviable length and athleticism. They should also have enough shots to let Goran Dragic run wild and perhaps elevate his value to unlock a deadline deal to a contender that nets OKC yet another asset.","content_type":"paragraph","id":124384517],"id":63973156,"slide_number":1,"title":"Heat Gamble on Kemba; Thunder Add Another Pick to the Pile","content_type":"slide","elements":["content":"credit":"Jacob Kupferman/Associated Press","full_width":true,"url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/f_auto,w_340,h_234,q_auto,c_fill/br-img-slides/004/462/321/hi-res-309782c974c603155bb6a65c5c82db9d_crop_exact.jpg","content_type":"image","id":67873895,"id":929026,"type":"media slot","content":"html":"<strong>Charlotte Hornets receive:<span> Ben Simmons","content_type":"paragraph","id":79430464,"content":"html":"<strong>Philadelphia 76ers receive:<span> Gordon Hayward and No. 11 pick","content_type":"paragraph","id":93028156,"content":"html":"Gordon Hayward helped the Hornets get their buzz back. Now, he could help bring back a 24-year-old All-Star to bulk up what has quietly become one of the Association&apos;s better young cores.","content_type":"paragraph","id":46316741,"content":"html":"Charlotte could give Ben Simmons the freedom he needs not just to bounce back from a brutal postseason, but also to evolve into something greater than his current form. Repurposed as a small-ball big man, he would be a creative solution to the Hornets&apos; search for an interior upgrade and a fascinating co-star for Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball.","content_type":"paragraph","id":22817770,"content":"html":"Charlotte would become a blur in the open court, as Ball, Simmons or Terry Rozier could lead the break with shooters and athletes sprinting alongside. Once the game slowed down to half-court offense, Simmons could set screens for Ball (or vice versa) and either explode to the basket or feed open shooters once defenses collapse on the short roll.","content_type":"paragraph","id":113152501,"content":"html":"It would be a risk for the Hornets, who got a ton of mileage out of Hayward and saw, as everyone else did, Simmons shrink on the playoff stage. But it would also be a wager that they could create an environment more conducive to growth than the win-now, Joel Embiid-centric Sixers could.","content_type":"paragraph","id":4246885,"content":"html":"If the gamble paid off, Charlotte would suddenly have two young stars leading its roster and a slew of complementary role players around them. The success could be higher reaching and more sustainable long-term than anything the Hornets can achieve with the 31-year-old Hayward.","content_type":"paragraph","id":53966980,"content":"html":"For Philly, though, this would swap out Simmons for a better fitting Embiid co-star. Hayward may not have a go-to elite skill, but that&apos;s kind of the point. His ability to shape-shift between secondary scoring, playmaking, shot-creating and shooting roles would allow him to complement Embiid however needed and coexist with the likes of Tobias Harris, Seth Curry and whomever else the Sixers retain on their roster.","content_type":"paragraph","id":92965870,"content":"html":"Netting the first-round pick—largely accounting for the age gap between Simmons and Hayward—would give president Daryl Morey a potentially critical trade chip to help make this roster championship-ready around Embiid.","content_type":"paragraph","id":41261163],"id":93124741,"slide_number":2,"title":"Sixers Add Hayward; Simmons to Buzz City","content_type":"slide","elements":["content":"credit":"Steve Dykes/Associated Press","full_width":true,"url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/f_auto,w_340,h_234,q_auto,c_fill/br-img-slides/004/462/320/hi-res-7224f3918fd59a2543ac71619b795aa0_crop_exact.jpg","content_type":"image","id":3888570,"id":929026,"type":"media slot","content":"html":"<strong>Minnesota Timberwolves receive: Damian Lillard and Robert Covington","content_type":"paragraph","id":29703702,"content":"html":"<strong>Portland Trail Blazers receive: Anthony Edwards, Malik Beasley, Ricky Rubio, Leandro Bolmaro, 2022 first-round pick (top-five protected), 2024 first-round pick (top-three protected) and 2026 first-round pick","content_type":"paragraph","id":58066983,"content":"html":"Brace yourselves, Portland. Damian Lillard, the rock-solid centerpiece of the Blazers franchise who is loyal to his core, might be ready to scope out a scenery change.","content_type":"paragraph","id":11404361,"content":"html":""The enormous backlash from the Portland Trial Blazers&apos; process to hire a new coach and his concerns on whether a championship contender can be built have become factors that may push the franchise player—Damian Lillard—out the door," Yahoo Sports&apos; Chris Haynes reported.","content_type":"paragraph","id":7683879,"content":"html":"The Timberwolves won&apos;t be mentioned often (if at all) during Lillard trade talks, because they haven&apos;t won in recent history and aren&apos;t a destination team. But maybe Minnesota has a pulse in this race. With 2020 top pick—and Rookie of the Year runner-up—Anthony Edwards leading the charge, the Wolves could put an awfully enticing trade package on the table.","content_type":"paragraph","id":4144006,"content":"html":"With free agency awaiting D&apos;Angelo Russell in 2023 and Karl-Anthony Towns the following summer, Minnesota should be looking to win sooner than later. To that end, the team reportedly has an interest in trading for Ben Simmons, per SKOR North&apos;s Darren Wolfson (h/t NBC Sports Philadelphia). Simmons might be fun in the Gopher State, but Lillard would be transformational.","content_type":"paragraph","id":69505578,"content":"html":"He is an all-caps SUPERSTAR who could team with Towns and Russell to turbo-charge this attack into a top-five unit. Either guard can pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop with Towns while the other shreds nets as a catch-and-shoot sniper. The defense wouldn&apos;t be great—though reuniting with Robert Covington, who was in the Gopher State until February 2020, would help a little bit—but if the offense hits its ceiling, that may not matter much.","content_type":"paragraph","id":15810098,"content":"html":"The Timberwolves may not be a tier-one contender after the trade, but if Towns and Russell time their hot streaks just right, this club could score its way into the conference finals.","content_type":"paragraph","id":129772598,"content":"html":"Portland, meanwhile, would embrace an inevitable post-Lillard rebuild with Edwards front and center of the redesign. Leandro Bolmaro could be a long-term keeper, Malik Beasley is a productive 24-year-old, and Ricky Rubio can help either push for next season&apos;s playoffs or be flipped for someone or something that helps with future postseason pursuits. Throw in the draft picks, and the Blazers should be set to start their next chapter on solid ground.","content_type":"paragraph","id":59701002],"id":132494506,"slide_number":3,"title":"Surprise Winner of Damian Lillard Sweepstakes","content_type":"slide","elements":["content":"credit":"Jeff Chiu/Associated Press","full_width":true,"url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/f_auto,w_340,h_234,q_auto,c_fill/br-img-slides/004/462/319/bbd46e8f10d1f2d94d963015803a02d2_crop_exact.jpg","content_type":"image","id":68757891,"id":929026,"type":"media slot","content":"html":"<strong>Golden State Warriors receive: Jimmy Butler and Andre Iguodala","content_type":"paragraph","id":9156270,"content":"html":"<strong>Miami Heat receive: Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman, Eric Paschall, No. 7 pick, No. 14 pick and 2026 first-round pick (top-three protected)","content_type":"paragraph","id":110810563,"content":"html":"Would Heat president Pat Riley, 76 years young and competitive as all get out, ever sign off on a rebuild? Probably not.","content_type":"paragraph","id":96373285,"content":"html":"But if he was ever open to the idea, this might secretly be the right summer to explore it. Miami has just five players with guaranteed contracts for next season. Bam Adebayo is the second-oldest of that group at 23 years old. In that context, the 31-year-old Jimmy Butler—32 before next season tips—stands out as the proverbial "one of these things is not like the others."","content_type":"paragraph","id":85294803,"content":"html":"Butler can contribute to a championship run right now, but the Heat aren&apos;t necessarily positioned to make one with their cap-space situation.","content_type":"paragraph","id":72518209,"content":"html":"Get Butler to Golden State with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and a healthy Klay Thompson, though, and the Dubs could be on the light-years expressway to title contention. Butler and Green burn the same hypercompetitive fire, and they could extinguish opposing scorers of all sizes and styles. While there might be spacing concerns with that pairing, those could be alleviated by deploying one more sniper with the Splash Brothers.","content_type":"paragraph","id":84638661,"content":"html":"This wouldn&apos;t be without risk for the Warriors, since their core four would all be on the wrong side of 30, and both Curry and Butler can hit unrestricted free agency in 2022. But considering the reward is a world title, that might be a risk worth taking.","content_type":"paragraph","id":89810721,"content":"html":"For the Heat, they&apos;d pivot into a rebuild around Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman (or whatever he&apos;d bring back in a trade if they don&apos;t like his fit with Adebayo) and a suddenly strong asset collection. That core could also include restricted free agents Duncan Robinson and Kendrick Nunn, though the organizational shift would surely spell the end of Victor Oladipo&apos;s short tenure in South Beach.","content_type":"paragraph","id":3291308,"content":"html":"Eric Paschall could inject some second-team scoring, the picks could be developed or traded, and the cap space could be splurged on an up-and-comer who fits the core like John Collins, Lonzo Ball, Gary Trent Jr. or Talen Horton-Tucker.","content_type":"paragraph","id":76404353,"content":"html":"             ","content_type":"paragraph","id":14254738,"content":"html":"<em>Stats courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball Reference unless otherwise noted.","content_type":"paragraph","id":106383528,"content":"html":"<em>Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, <a href="https://twitter.com/ZachBuckleyNBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@ZachBuckleyNBA.","content_type":"paragraph","id":56781856],"id":8992896,"slide_number":4,"title":"Warriors Build Big 4; Heat Hit Reset Button"],"hide_author":false,"hide_flyin":false,"hide_published_at":false,"hide_skin":false,"image":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/img/slides/photos/004/462/316/hi-res-0c8446d12c0a3e9b3323e6a647b26168_crop_exact.jpg?w=900&h=600&q=75","permalink":"2945318-bold-nba-trade-ideas-for-damian-lillard-ben-simmons-kemba-walker-and-more","published_at":"2021-06-30T12:56:32-04:00","render_strategy":"slideshow","slide_count":5,"social_title":"Bold NBA Trade Ideas for Damian Lillard, Ben Simmons, Kemba Walker and More","tag_list":"19,7023,8347,17954,21869,22988,95193","title":"Bold NBA Trade Ideas for Damian Lillard, Ben Simmons, Kemba Walker and More","updated_at":"2021-06-30T13:46:25-04:00","tags":["unique_name":"ben-simmons","type":"Person","tickets_link":"","team_color":"ED174C","tag_id":95193,"site":null,"short_name":"Ben Simmons","shop_url":"","parent_id":179,"newsletter_enabled":false,"logo":"ben_simmons.png","href":"http://faust-cached.bleacherreport.com:4015/tags/ben-simmons","display_name":"Ben Simmons","color2":"002fa7","color1":"911919","abbreviation":"","unique_name":"damian-lillard","type":"Person","tickets_link":"","team_color":"061922","tag_id":22988,"site":null,"short_name":"Damian Lillard","shop_url":"","parent_id":198,"newsletter_enabled":false,"logo":"damian_lillard.png","href":"http://faust-cached.bleacherreport.com:4015/tags/damian-lillard","display_name":"Damian Lillard","color2":"","color1":"","abbreviation":"","unique_name":"gordon-hayward","type":"Person","tickets_link":"","team_color":"1D1160","tag_id":21869,"site":null,"short_name":null,"shop_url":"","parent_id":187,"newsletter_enabled":false,"logo":"gordon_hayward.png","href":"http://faust-cached.bleacherreport.com:4015/tags/gordon-hayward","display_name":"Gordon Hayward","color2":"008CA8","color1":"1D1160","abbreviation":"","unique_name":"jimmy-butler","type":"Person","tickets_link":"","team_color":"98002E","tag_id":17954,"site":null,"short_name":"Jimmy Butler","shop_url":"","parent_id":188,"newsletter_enabled":false,"logo":"jimmy_butler.png","href":"http://faust-cached.bleacherreport.com:4015/tags/jimmy-butler","display_name":"Jimmy Butler","color2":"00A94F","color1":"005083","abbreviation":"","unique_name":"kemba-walker","type":"Person","tickets_link":"","team_color":"007DC3","tag_id":8347,"site":null,"short_name":"Kemba Walker","shop_url":"","parent_id":8248,"newsletter_enabled":false,"logo":"kemba_walker.png","href":"http://faust-cached.bleacherreport.com:4015/tags/kemba-walker","display_name":"Kemba Walker","color2":"F05133","color1":"007DC3","abbreviation":"","unique_name":"nba","type":"League","tickets_link":"https://www.stubhub.com/nba-tickets/grouping/115/?gcid=chAFF-_-geoUS-_-genNBA-_-dt170312-_-cmpBR_NBA-_-partBleacherReport","team_color":"","tag_id":19,"site":null,"short_name":"NBA","shop_url":"http://br.fanatics.com/NBA","parent_id":7,"newsletter_enabled":false,"logo":"nba.png","href":"http://faust-cached.bleacherreport.com:4015/tags/nba","display_name":"NBA","color2":"FFFFFF","color1":"006BB6","abbreviation":"NBA"],"page":"zone":"slideshow","writer":"Zach Buckley","team":"none","tags":"NBA,Rankings_List,Kemba_Walker,Jimmy_Butler,Gordon_Hayward,Damian_Lillard,Ben_Simmons","tag_id":19,"site":"NBA","render_strategy":"slideshow","league":"NBA","gp_flag":"","fantasy":"none","event":"none","division":"none","buzz":"top10","article":2945318,"videoList":[],"video_playlist_ids":[73840,73572,73538,73555,73210,71933,70844,70833,70503,67676,67555,66902,66764,66332,66130,65626,65494,64327,63878,64141],"video_playlist":"63878":"url_hash":"fb4e8523bf716f6507d2ce3cd4392784e11bcb053353cfbbe0e075fc938c997c","url":"http://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/63878","updated_at":"2019-02-22T15:31:50Z","tag":"unique_name":"nba","tag_id":19,"short_name":"NBA","logo":"nba.png","display_name":"NBA","color2":"","color1":"","status":"active","position":null,"playlist_type":"v","playlist_tag_name":"nba","playlist_id":42181,"permalink":"/post/nba/412d05d4-bd47-4fb8-813f-b04425bc9f91","performed_by":"gmarchetti@bleacherreport.com","original_url_sha":"fb4e8523bf716f6507d2ce3cd4392784e11bcb053353cfbbe0e075fc938c997c","original_url_hash":69813255,"notification":null,"is_locked":false,"is_featured":false,"internal_position":"845.0000000000","id_str":"6485448057","id":6485448057,"href":"https://djay.bleacherreport.com/playlists/nba_v/tracks/6485448057","hide_from_regions":[],"hidden_attributes":[],"group_tags":[],"flagged":null,"expires_at":null,"created_at":"2019-02-22T15:31:50Z","content_type":"video","content":"title":"Two Years Ago, the Kings Shipped Boogie to the Pelicans","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/3d/4c/f2/12/c264/49df/8f78/742cfc691138/crop_exact_gettyimages-912381300-612x612.jpg?h=344&q=90&w=611","metadata":"video_url":"https://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/63878/akamai.json","video_id":63878,"title":"Two Years Ago, the Kings Shipped Superstar DeMarcus Cousins to the Pelicans","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/3d/4c/f2/12/c264/49df/8f78/742cfc691138/crop_exact_gettyimages-912381300-612x612.jpg?h=344&q=90&w=611","tags":["nba","demarcus-cousins","apple-video"],"stub_id":"412d05d4-bd47-4fb8-813f-b04425bc9f91","share_url":"http://bleacherreport.com/post/nba/412d05d4-bd47-4fb8-813f-b04425bc9f91","provider_url":"http://bleacherreport.com","provider_name":"Bleacher Report","personalized":null,"mp4_url":"https://bleachertrans-a.akamaihd.net/prod-cms-video/prod-cms-video-delivery/68/57/68572499-abd9-4884-a922-04a7d1d04735/02192019_SOCIAL_NEWS_BOOGIE_TRADE_MD_V3_800k.mp4","impression_tracking":null,"hls_url":"https://bleacherreptrans-a.akamaihd.net/prod-cms-video/prod-cms-video-delivery/68/57/68572499-abd9-4884-a922-04a7d1d04735/02192019_SOCIAL_NEWS_BOOGIE_TRADE_MD_V314a6ea93-170e-336d-6258-f12e46f22289.m3u8","genres":null,"embed_code":"<iframe src="https://bleacherreport.com/video_embed?id=63878&library=video-cms">","duration":60,"description":"Two years ago today, the Sacramento Kings traded DeMarcus Cousins to the Pelicans. The trade paired him with Anthony David and created a star-studded front court. Watch the video above for more about the blockbuster deal.nnnnBleacher Report is the go-to destination for basketball fans everywhere. B/R's NBA coverage delivers must-see on-court analysis and highlights on a daily basis. Connect to the NBA stories, teams, athletes and highlights that make the game more than a game.nnDownload the free Bleacher Report app to catch all the moments that matter in one place. Get the app to get the game. n ","cc_url":null,"author_name":"Bleacher Report","analytics":"video_id":63878,"title":"Two Years Ago, the Kings Shipped Superstar DeMarcus Cousins to the Pelicans","stream":"featured","published_at":"2019-02-20T18:37:34","person":"demarcus-cousins","league":"nba","id":"b8d63464-d4b8-4af3-880f-f92eb3b4b35d","editorial":"apple-video","ad_stitched_url":null,"media_width":null,"media_url":null,"media_id":null,"media_height":null,"hook_type":"photo","commentary":"title":"Two Years Ago, the Kings Shipped Boogie to the Pelicans","mentioned_users":[],"description":"n ","autoplay":false,"attachments":[],"64141":"url_hash":"0045b614b7c77942a819d1dda7b3261311b34656d5d89dfd0cf2133dbaa94434","url":"http://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/64141","updated_at":"2019-02-22T15:30:29Z","tag":"unique_name":"nba","tag_id":19,"short_name":"NBA","logo":"nba.png","display_name":"NBA","color2":"","color1":"","status":"active","position":null,"playlist_type":"v","playlist_tag_name":"nba","playlist_id":42181,"permalink":"/post/nba/80b8dd9c-89a4-4d17-b22f-470dbe679c0a","performed_by":"gmarchetti@bleacherreport.com","original_url_sha":"0045b614b7c77942a819d1dda7b3261311b34656d5d89dfd0cf2133dbaa94434","original_url_hash":60355017,"notification":null,"is_locked":false,"is_featured":false,"internal_position":"844.0000000000","id_str":"6485447920","id":6485447920,"href":"https://djay.bleacherreport.com/playlists/nba_v/tracks/6485447920","hide_from_regions":[],"hidden_attributes":[],"group_tags":[],"flagged":null,"expires_at":null,"created_at":"2019-02-22T15:30:22Z","content_type":"video","content":"title":"ASG Will Be Competitive Again If the NBA Raises the Stakes","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/0c/c6/ff/e5/62d2/495d/8f00/18ac291254fe/crop_exact_gettyimages-1125522089-612x612.jpg?h=344&q=90&w=611","metadata":"video_url":"https://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/64141/akamai.json","video_id":64141,"title":"The NBA All-Star Game Will Be Competitive Again If the League Raises the Stakes","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/0c/c6/ff/e5/62d2/495d/8f00/18ac291254fe/crop_exact_gettyimages-1125522089-612x612.jpg?h=344&q=90&w=611","tags":["nba","apple-video"],"stub_id":"80b8dd9c-89a4-4d17-b22f-470dbe679c0a","share_url":"http://bleacherreport.com/post/nba/80b8dd9c-89a4-4d17-b22f-470dbe679c0a","provider_url":"http://bleacherreport.com","provider_name":"Bleacher Report","personalized":null,"mp4_url":"https://bleachertrans-a.akamaihd.net/prod-cms-video/prod-cms-video-delivery/bb/48/bb48f1dd-02d5-42c7-a795-b254e10738a9/02212019_BECK_SPOTLIGHT_ASG_FORMAT_MD_V2_800k.mp4","impression_tracking":null,"hls_url":"https://bleacherreptrans-a.akamaihd.net/prod-cms-video/prod-cms-video-delivery/bb/48/bb48f1dd-02d5-42c7-a795-b254e10738a9/02212019_BECK_SPOTLIGHT_ASG_FORMAT_MD_V214a6ea93-170e-336d-6258-f12e46f22289.m3u8","genres":null,"embed_code":"<iframe src="https://bleacherreport.com/video_embed?id=64141&library=video-cms">","duration":60,"description":"Last year's NBA All-Star Game was amped-up and had a thrilling finish. This year? Not so much. Watch the video above to find out why Howard Beck says a change in format could help make the NBA All-Star Game competitive again.nnnnBleacher Report is the go-to destination for basketball fans everywhere. B/R's NBA coverage delivers must-see on-court analysis and highlights on a daily basis. Connect to the NBA stories, teams, athletes and highlights that make the game more than a game.nnDownload the free Bleacher Report app to catch all the moments that matter in one place. Get the app to get the game. ","cc_url":null,"author_name":"Bleacher Report","analytics":"video_id":64141,"title":"The NBA All-Star Game Will Be Competitive Again If the League Raises the Stakes","stream":"featured","published_at":"2019-02-21T21:59:54","league":"nba","id":"b511f7a1-b956-4215-b1f7-bac5a13739ed","editorial":"apple-video","ad_stitched_url":null,"media_width":null,"media_url":null,"media_id":null,"media_height":null,"hook_type":"photo","commentary":"title":"ASG Will Be Competitive Again If the NBA Raises the Stakes","mentioned_users":[],"description":null,"autoplay":false,"attachments":[],"64327":"url_hash":"f08dd43428927c5b64ffd3b7ccab8b4b390ca7b4687bfee4231efd1c73281daa","url":"http://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/64327","updated_at":"2019-02-22T15:32:14Z","tag":"unique_name":"nba","tag_id":19,"short_name":"NBA","logo":"nba.png","display_name":"NBA","color2":"","color1":"","status":"active","position":null,"playlist_type":"v","playlist_tag_name":"nba","playlist_id":42181,"permalink":"/post/nba/2893ded7-da64-4d5a-bd41-b7b28a91af44","performed_by":"gmarchetti@bleacherreport.com","original_url_sha":"f08dd43428927c5b64ffd3b7ccab8b4b390ca7b4687bfee4231efd1c73281daa","original_url_hash":42549679,"notification":null,"is_locked":false,"is_featured":false,"internal_position":"846.0000000000","id_str":"6485448099","id":6485448099,"href":"https://djay.bleacherreport.com/playlists/nba_v/tracks/6485448099","hide_from_regions":[],"hidden_attributes":[],"group_tags":[],"flagged":null,"expires_at":null,"created_at":"2019-02-22T15:32:14Z","content_type":"video","content":"title":"Eight Years Ago, the Nuggets Traded Melo to the Knicks","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/84/96/79/72/4806/447e/b19d/be1c1cd3e06d/crop_exact_gettyimages-136301493-612x612.jpg?h=344&q=90&w=611","metadata":"video_url":"https://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/64327/akamai.json","video_id":64327,"title":"Eight Years Ago, the Nuggets Traded Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/84/96/79/72/4806/447e/b19d/be1c1cd3e06d/crop_exact_gettyimages-136301493-612x612.jpg?h=344&q=90&w=611","tags":["nba","carmelo-anthony","apple-video"],"stub_id":"2893ded7-da64-4d5a-bd41-b7b28a91af44","share_url":"http://bleacherreport.com/post/nba/2893ded7-da64-4d5a-bd41-b7b28a91af44","provider_url":"http://bleacherreport.com","provider_name":"Bleacher Report","personalized":null,"mp4_url":"https://bleachertrans-a.akamaihd.net/prod-cms-video/prod-cms-video-delivery/29/21/2921cb6e-77fb-41df-8b31-74bf2b31a518/02202019_SOCIAL_NEWS_MELO_TRADE_MD_V2_800k.mp4","impression_tracking":null,"hls_url":"https://bleacherreptrans-a.akamaihd.net/prod-cms-video/prod-cms-video-delivery/29/21/2921cb6e-77fb-41df-8b31-74bf2b31a518/02202019_SOCIAL_NEWS_MELO_TRADE_MD_V214a6ea93-170e-336d-6258-f12e46f22289.m3u8","genres":null,"embed_code":"<iframe src="https://bleacherreport.com/video_embed?id=64327&library=video-cms">","duration":54,"description":"Eight years ago today, the Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks made a blockbuster trade to send Carmelo Anthony to New York. Watch the video above for more about the deal that made Melo a fan favorite on Broadway.nnnnBleacher Report is the go-to destination for basketball fans everywhere. B/R's NBA coverage delivers must-see on-court analysis and highlights on a daily basis. Connect to the NBA stories, teams, athletes and highlights that make the game more than a game.nnDownload the free Bleacher Report app to catch all the moments that matter in one place. Get the app to get the game.","cc_url":null,"author_name":"Bleacher Report","analytics":"video_id":64327,"title":"Eight Years Ago, the Nuggets Traded Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks","stream":"featured","published_at":"2019-02-22T14:33:21","person":"carmelo-anthony","league":"nba","id":"dcdbc1d5-5128-44d7-8ba2-a7ef1360147d","editorial":"apple-video","ad_stitched_url":null,"media_width":null,"media_url":null,"media_id":null,"media_height":null,"hook_type":"photo","commentary":"title":"Eight Years Ago, the Nuggets Traded Melo to the Knicks","mentioned_users":[],"description":"","autoplay":false,"attachments":[],"65494":"url_hash":"b9257a362d41d3e3c995da8946a6b60c87f30c21a1d8977a7d37060d02954e0f","url":"http://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/65494","updated_at":"2019-02-28T16:20:33Z","tag":"unique_name":"nba","tag_id":19,"short_name":"NBA","logo":"nba.png","display_name":"NBA","color2":"","color1":"","status":"active","position":null,"playlist_type":"v","playlist_tag_name":"nba","playlist_id":42181,"permalink":"/post/nba/bfc1c8c0-606e-4089-96db-ff61694cef0f","performed_by":"gmarchetti@bleacherreport.com","original_url_sha":"b9257a362d41d3e3c995da8946a6b60c87f30c21a1d8977a7d37060d02954e0f","original_url_hash":50993149,"notification":null,"is_locked":false,"is_featured":false,"internal_position":"847.0000000000","id_str":"6485918994","id":6485918994,"href":"https://djay.bleacherreport.com/playlists/nba_v/tracks/6485918994","hide_from_regions":[],"hidden_attributes":[],"group_tags":[],"flagged":null,"expires_at":null,"created_at":"2019-02-28T16:20:33Z","content_type":"video","content":"title":"Warriors Fans Go Wild After Unforgettable Moments with Steph","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/f6/6d/9d/3c/aee3/422a/8ad7/a0da9375a53c/crop_exact_gettyimages-1097531590-612x612.jpg?h=344&q=90&w=611","metadata":"video_url":"https://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/65494/akamai.json","video_id":65494,"title":"Warriors Fans Go Wild After Unforgettable Moments and Gifts from Steph Curry","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/f6/6d/9d/3c/aee3/422a/8ad7/a0da9375a53c/crop_exact_gettyimages-1097531590-612x612.jpg?h=344&q=90&w=611","tags":["stephen-curry","nba","golden-state-warriors","apple-video"],"stub_id":"bfc1c8c0-606e-4089-96db-ff61694cef0f","share_url":"http://bleacherreport.com/post/nba/bfc1c8c0-606e-4089-96db-ff61694cef0f","provider_url":"http://bleacherreport.com","provider_name":"Bleacher Report","personalized":null,"mp4_url":"https://bleachertrans-a.akamaihd.net/prod-cms-video/prod-cms-video-delivery/23/98/23989380-4256-4d2c-a85a-dfa4dd5cdff9/02202019_SOCIAL_NEWS_CURRY_FANS_MD_V3_800k.mp4","impression_tracking":null,"hls_url":"https://bleacherreptrans-a.akamaihd.net/prod-cms-video/prod-cms-video-delivery/23/98/23989380-4256-4d2c-a85a-dfa4dd5cdff9/02202019_SOCIAL_NEWS_CURRY_FANS_MD_V314a6ea93-170e-336d-6258-f12e46f22289.m3u8","genres":null,"embed_code":"<iframe src="https://bleacherreport.com/video_embed?id=65494&library=video-cms">","duration":61,"description":"Steph Curry is always giving back to Warriors fans, and their reactions don't disappoint. From giving away signed pairs of sneakers, to throwing a free concert in Oakland, Curry is the fans' player. Watch the video above for some of his most unforgettable moments with Golden State fans. nnnnBleacher Report is the go-to destination for basketball fans everywhere. B/R's NBA coverage delivers must-see on-court analysis and highlights on a daily basis. Connect to the NBA stories, teams, athletes and highlights that make the game more than a game.nnDownload the free Bleacher Report app to catch all the moments that matter in one place. Get the app to get the game.","cc_url":null,"author_name":"Bleacher Report","analytics":"video_id":65494,"title":"Warriors Fans Go Wild After Unforgettable Moments and Gifts from Steph Curry","team":"golden-state-warriors","stream":"featured","published_at":"2019-02-28T15:48:12","person":"stephen-curry","league":"nba","id":"f2de95a9-716c-4112-93a4-4917a76fd628","editorial":"apple-video","ad_stitched_url":null,"media_width":null,"media_url":null,"media_id":null,"media_height":null,"hook_type":"photo","commentary":"title":"Warriors Fans Go Wild After Unforgettable Moments with Steph","mentioned_users":[],"description":"","autoplay":false,"attachments":[],"65626":"url_hash":"7cdf1941e605c45583112fc41050fc1e71955561f5cb6d6a4490f3f9780a78da","url":"http://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/65626","updated_at":"2019-03-03T15:15:32Z","tag":"unique_name":"nba","tag_id":19,"short_name":"NBA","logo":"nba.png","display_name":"NBA","color2":"","color1":"","status":"active","position":null,"playlist_type":"v","playlist_tag_name":"nba","playlist_id":42181,"permalink":"/post/nba/8c57fb83-4058-426e-8bba-9d544812d35c","performed_by":"gmarchetti@bleacherreport.com","original_url_sha":"7cdf1941e605c45583112fc41050fc1e71955561f5cb6d6a4490f3f9780a78da","original_url_hash":115741891,"notification":null,"is_locked":false,"is_featured":false,"internal_position":"848.0000000000","id_str":"6486169423","id":6486169423,"href":"https://djay.bleacherreport.com/playlists/nba_v/tracks/6486169423","hide_from_regions":[],"hidden_attributes":[],"group_tags":[],"flagged":null,"expires_at":null,"created_at":"2019-03-03T15:15:32Z","content_type":"video","content":"title":"Wade's #OneLastDance Dominated February","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/7a/9c/32/9c/186e/4c20/8abc/4c6fac703fac/crop_exact_gettyimages-1132700908-612x612.jpg?h=343&q=90&w=612","metadata":"video_url":"https://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/65626/akamai.json","video_id":65626,"title":"Miami Heat Legend Dwyane Wade's #OneLastDance Dominated February","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/7a/9c/32/9c/186e/4c20/8abc/4c6fac703fac/crop_exact_gettyimages-1132700908-612x612.jpg?h=343&q=90&w=612","tags":["apple-video","nba"],"stub_id":"8c57fb83-4058-426e-8bba-9d544812d35c","share_url":"http://bleacherreport.com/post/nba/8c57fb83-4058-426e-8bba-9d544812d35c","provider_url":"http://bleacherreport.com","provider_name":"Bleacher Report","personalized":null,"mp4_url":"https://bleachertrans-a.akamaihd.net/prod-cms-video/prod-cms-video-delivery/bf/dc/bfdc1f8e-412c-4b7c-b9ca-4a66ae8aef1a/03012019_SOCIAL_NEWS_D_WADE_MD_V2_800k.mp4","impression_tracking":null,"hls_url":"https://bleacherreptrans-a.akamaihd.net/prod-cms-video/prod-cms-video-delivery/bf/dc/bfdc1f8e-412c-4b7c-b9ca-4a66ae8aef1a/03012019_SOCIAL_NEWS_D_WADE_MD_V214a6ea93-170e-336d-6258-f12e46f22289.m3u8","genres":null,"embed_code":"<iframe src="https://bleacherreport.com/video_embed?id=65626&library=video-cms">","duration":60,"description":"Dwyane Wade is going off on his retirement tour. How did the Miami Heat legend dominate NBA headlines in February? Watch above to experience Wade's #OneLastDance.nnBleacher Report is the go-to destination for basketball fans everywhere. B/R's NBA coverage delivers must-see on-court analysis and highlights on a daily basis. Connect to the NBA stories, teams, athletes and highlights that make the game more than a game.nnDownload the free Bleacher Report app to catch all the moments that matter in one place. Get the app to get the game.","cc_url":null,"author_name":"Bleacher Report","analytics":"video_id":65626,"title":"Miami Heat Legend Dwyane Wade's #OneLastDance Dominated February","stream":"featured","published_at":"2019-03-01T19:29:47","league":"nba","id":"a3fcad9c-fdb2-4009-8c15-c29860ca7cef","editorial":"apple-video","ad_stitched_url":null,"media_width":null,"media_url":null,"media_id":null,"media_height":null,"hook_type":"photo","commentary":"title":"Wade's #OneLastDance Dominated February","mentioned_users":[],"description":"","autoplay":false,"attachments":[],"66130":"url_hash":"526441f6692b461e4586d32efaedc2a77b156fd964584ba430882fdefb495bb8","url":"http://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/66130","updated_at":"2019-03-04T15:24:51Z","tag":"unique_name":"nba","tag_id":19,"short_name":"NBA","logo":"nba.png","display_name":"NBA","color2":"","color1":"","status":"active","position":null,"playlist_type":"v","playlist_tag_name":"nba","playlist_id":42181,"permalink":"/post/nba/fc2dff5e-0062-4afb-a51c-bd4359d099f7","performed_by":"gmarchetti@bleacherreport.com","original_url_sha":"526441f6692b461e4586d32efaedc2a77b156fd964584ba430882fdefb495bb8","original_url_hash":36238296,"notification":null,"is_locked":false,"is_featured":false,"internal_position":"849.0000000000","id_str":"6486247011","id":6486247011,"href":"https://djay.bleacherreport.com/playlists/nba_v/tracks/6486247011","hide_from_regions":[],"hidden_attributes":[],"group_tags":[],"flagged":null,"expires_at":null,"created_at":"2019-03-04T15:24:51Z","content_type":"video","content":"title":"LeBron and 2 Chainz Form a Superteam to Release a New Album","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/1d/5f/a0/c2/6828/490b/a093/ddfad54f9bed/crop_exact_gettyimages-1125539698-612x612.jpg?h=344&q=90&w=611","metadata":"video_url":"https://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/66130/akamai.json","video_id":66130,"title":"LeBron James and 2 Chainz Form a Superteam to Release a New Album","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/1d/5f/a0/c2/6828/490b/a093/ddfad54f9bed/crop_exact_gettyimages-1125539698-612x612.jpg?h=344&q=90&w=611","tags":["social-news","nba","apple-video"],"stub_id":"fc2dff5e-0062-4afb-a51c-bd4359d099f7","share_url":"http://bleacherreport.com/post/nba/fc2dff5e-0062-4afb-a51c-bd4359d099f7","provider_url":"http://bleacherreport.com","provider_name":"Bleacher Report","personalized":null,"mp4_url":"https://bleachertrans-a.akamaihd.net/prod-cms-video/prod-cms-video-delivery/33/8a/338ab94b-bf5a-4c7a-ba99-5679572111f9/A&R%20Bron_Social%20News_V2_800k.mp4","impression_tracking":null,"hls_url":"https://bleacherreptrans-a.akamaihd.net/prod-cms-video/prod-cms-video-delivery/33/8a/338ab94b-bf5a-4c7a-ba99-5679572111f9/A&R%20Bron_Social%20News_V214a6ea93-170e-336d-6258-f12e46f22289.m3u8","genres":null,"embed_code":"<iframe src="https://bleacherreport.com/video_embed?id=66130&library=video-cms">","duration":54,"description":"LeBron James and 2 Chainz linked up to drop a new album. James served as A&R on the rapper's latest release "Rap or Go to the League." Watch the video above for more about why fans have dubbed King James, "A&R Bron."nnnnBleacher Report is the go-to destination for basketball fans everywhere. B/R's NBA coverage delivers must-see on-court analysis and highlights on a daily basis. Connect to the NBA stories, teams, athletes and highlights that make the game more than a game.nnDownload the free Bleacher Report app to catch all the moments that matter in one place. Get the app to get the game.","cc_url":null,"author_name":"Bleacher Report","analytics":"video_id":66130,"title":"LeBron James and 2 Chainz Form a Superteam to Release a New Album","stream":"featured","published_at":"2019-03-04T14:42:15","league":"nba","id":"5ab7b9a8-6808-4163-8541-c4ee815745c1","event":"social-news","editorial":"apple-video","ad_stitched_url":null,"media_width":null,"media_url":null,"media_id":null,"media_height":null,"hook_type":"photo","commentary":"title":"LeBron and 2 Chainz Form a Superteam to Release a New Album","mentioned_users":[],"description":"","autoplay":false,"attachments":[],"66332":"url_hash":"a411902e7c59b66673d4e25c8b2d8bdaa3a9bdd850bced6a0f4d2c43bbbf0928","url":"http://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/66332","updated_at":"2019-03-06T17:49:59Z","tag":"unique_name":"nba","tag_id":19,"short_name":"NBA","logo":"nba.png","display_name":"NBA","color2":"","color1":"","status":"active","position":null,"playlist_type":"v","playlist_tag_name":"nba","playlist_id":42181,"permalink":"/post/nba/84dc1169-b968-42f7-9316-35aedaf63bf1","performed_by":"gmarchetti@bleacherreport.com","original_url_sha":"a411902e7c59b66673d4e25c8b2d8bdaa3a9bdd850bced6a0f4d2c43bbbf0928","original_url_hash":106768801,"notification":null,"is_locked":false,"is_featured":false,"internal_position":"850.0000000000","id_str":"6486398529","id":6486398529,"href":"https://djay.bleacherreport.com/playlists/nba_v/tracks/6486398529","hide_from_regions":[],"hidden_attributes":[],"group_tags":[],"flagged":null,"expires_at":null,"created_at":"2019-03-06T17:49:59Z","content_type":"video","content":"title":"Young's Hot Streak Is Heating Up the ROY Race with Luka","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/d9/31/98/46/39b7/434a/bba4/4218f959f24e/crop_exact_gettyimages-1053054896-612x612.jpg?h=344&q=90&w=611","metadata":"video_url":"https://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/66332/akamai.json","video_id":66332,"title":"Trae Young's Hot Streak Is Heating Up the ROY Race with Luka Doncic","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/d9/31/98/46/39b7/434a/bba4/4218f959f24e/crop_exact_gettyimages-1053054896-612x612.jpg?h=344&q=90&w=611","tags":["nba","apple-video"],"stub_id":"84dc1169-b968-42f7-9316-35aedaf63bf1","share_url":"http://bleacherreport.com/post/nba/84dc1169-b968-42f7-9316-35aedaf63bf1","provider_url":"http://bleacherreport.com","provider_name":"Bleacher Report","personalized":null,"mp4_url":"https://bleachertrans-a.akamaihd.net/prod-cms-video/prod-cms-video-delivery/1b/6e/1b6e4d1a-1983-4d58-9e81-1982971f1dce/03052019_SOCIAL_NEWS_TRAE_YOUNG_MD_V2_800k.mp4","impression_tracking":null,"hls_url":"https://bleacherreptrans-a.akamaihd.net/prod-cms-video/prod-cms-video-delivery/1b/6e/1b6e4d1a-1983-4d58-9e81-1982971f1dce/03052019_SOCIAL_NEWS_TRAE_YOUNG_MD_V214a6ea93-170e-336d-6258-f12e46f22289.m3u8","genres":null,"embed_code":"<iframe src="https://bleacherreport.com/video_embed?id=66332&library=video-cms">","duration":59,"description":"The campaign for NBA Rookie of the Year is heating up between Trae Young and Luka Doncic. Did Atlanta make the right decision in the Trae-Luka swap? Watch the video above for more about Young's breakout season. Bleacher Report is the go-to destination for basketball fans everywhere. B/R's NBA coverage delivers must-see on-court analysis and highlights on a daily basis. Connect to the NBA stories, teams, athletes and highlights that make the game more than a game. Download the free Bleacher Report app to catch all the moments that matter in one place. Get the app to get the game.","cc_url":null,"author_name":"Bleacher Report","analytics":"video_id":66332,"title":"Trae Young's Hot Streak Is Heating Up the ROY Race with Luka Doncic","stream":"featured","published_at":"2019-03-05T23:18:52","league":"nba","id":"127e85bd-c54e-4b8f-bd61-b3c4f1140ae1","editorial":"apple-video","ad_stitched_url":null,"media_width":null,"media_url":null,"media_id":null,"media_height":null,"hook_type":"photo","commentary":"title":"Young's Hot Streak Is Heating Up the ROY Race with Luka","mentioned_users":[],"description":"","autoplay":false,"attachments":[],"66764":"url_hash":"cc093d9a733ca28e7efe860f0809566703adb34591654d3c812118850684054b","url":"http://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/66764","updated_at":"2019-03-07T19:19:52Z","tag":"unique_name":"nba","tag_id":19,"short_name":"NBA","logo":"nba.png","display_name":"NBA","color2":"","color1":"","status":"active","position":null,"playlist_type":"v","playlist_tag_name":"nba","playlist_id":42181,"permalink":"/post/nba/2b14ca64-3068-4c4f-a582-15e0e26141ab","performed_by":"gmarchetti@bleacherreport.com","original_url_sha":"cc093d9a733ca28e7efe860f0809566703adb34591654d3c812118850684054b","original_url_hash":30276357,"notification":null,"is_locked":false,"is_featured":false,"internal_position":"851.0000000000","id_str":"6486489460","id":6486489460,"href":"https://djay.bleacherreport.com/playlists/nba_v/tracks/6486489460","hide_from_regions":[],"hidden_attributes":[],"group_tags":[],"flagged":null,"expires_at":null,"created_at":"2019-03-07T19:19:52Z","content_type":"video","content":"title":"LeBron Keeps Shredding NBA Record Books","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/02/fd/0f/0c/4bf3/4a4b/9c62/1425c64bf537/crop_exact_gettyimages-1134174130-612x612.jpg?h=344&q=90&w=611","metadata":"video_url":"https://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/66764/akamai.json","video_id":66764,"title":"LeBron Passes Jordan on All-Time Scoring List, Keeps Shredding NBA Record Books","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/02/fd/0f/0c/4bf3/4a4b/9c62/1425c64bf537/crop_exact_gettyimages-1134174130-612x612.jpg?h=344&q=90&w=611","tags":["nba","lebron-james","apple-video"],"stub_id":"2b14ca64-3068-4c4f-a582-15e0e26141ab","share_url":"http://bleacherreport.com/post/nba/2b14ca64-3068-4c4f-a582-15e0e26141ab","provider_url":"http://bleacherreport.com","provider_name":"Bleacher Report","personalized":null,"mp4_url":"https://bleachertrans-a.akamaihd.net/prod-cms-video/prod-cms-video-delivery/63/9e/639ece2c-78bb-492f-96ef-9aefed1e7948/03072019_SOCIAL_NEWS_LBJ_PASSES_MJ_MD_V2_800k.mp4","impression_tracking":null,"hls_url":"https://bleacherreptrans-a.akamaihd.net/prod-cms-video/prod-cms-video-delivery/63/9e/639ece2c-78bb-492f-96ef-9aefed1e7948/03072019_SOCIAL_NEWS_LBJ_PASSES_MJ_MD_V214a6ea93-170e-336d-6258-f12e46f22289.m3u8","genres":null,"embed_code":"<iframe src="https://bleacherreport.com/video_embed?id=66764&library=video-cms">","duration":61,"description":"LeBron James just passed Michael Jordan on the NBA's all-time scoring list. His 32,311 career points put him alone in fourth place all-time. Watch the video above for more about this milestone moment.nnnnBleacher Report is the go-to destination for basketball fans everywhere. B/R's NBA coverage delivers must-see on-court analysis and highlights on a daily basis. Connect to the NBA stories, teams, athletes and highlights that make the game more than a game.nnDownload the free Bleacher Report app to catch all the moments that matter in one place. Get the app to get the game.","cc_url":null,"author_name":"Bleacher Report","analytics":"video_id":66764,"title":"LeBron Passes Jordan on All-Time Scoring List, Keeps Shredding NBA Record Books","stream":"featured","published_at":"2019-03-07T19:13:42","person":"lebron-james","league":"nba","id":"f7e6c32d-48f1-47d9-8fdd-6f9c340d8f3f","editorial":"apple-video","ad_stitched_url":null,"media_width":null,"media_url":null,"media_id":null,"media_height":null,"hook_type":"photo","commentary":"title":"LeBron Keeps Shredding NBA Record Books","mentioned_users":[],"description":"","autoplay":false,"attachments":[],"66902":"url_hash":"f1c6cc2ddc330abbebbb4a472030373d231a35dfbddc55d489e51eb3761033c0","url":"http://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/66902","updated_at":"2019-03-08T20:07:26Z","tag":"unique_name":"nba","tag_id":19,"short_name":"NBA","logo":"nba.png","display_name":"NBA","color2":"","color1":"","status":"active","position":null,"playlist_type":"v","playlist_tag_name":"nba","playlist_id":42181,"permalink":"/post/nba/d18a3f3c-2c52-4f16-820f-9f03c8d18507","performed_by":"gmarchetti@bleacherreport.com","original_url_sha":"f1c6cc2ddc330abbebbb4a472030373d231a35dfbddc55d489e51eb3761033c0","original_url_hash":94607090,"notification":null,"is_locked":false,"is_featured":false,"internal_position":"852.0000000000","id_str":"6486559381","id":6486559381,"href":"https://djay.bleacherreport.com/playlists/nba_v/tracks/6486559381","hide_from_regions":[],"hidden_attributes":[],"group_tags":[],"flagged":null,"expires_at":null,"created_at":"2019-03-08T20:07:26Z","content_type":"video","content":"title":"Pat Beverley Has the Clippers Stealing the LA Shine","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/bc/94/34/86/8118/43e6/b671/8ca11d9052e6/crop_exact_gettyimages-1128958484-612x612.jpg?h=344&q=90&w=611","metadata":"video_url":"https://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/66902/akamai.json","video_id":66902,"title":"Step Aside Lakers, Pat Beverley Has the Clippers Stealing the LA Shine","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/bc/94/34/86/8118/43e6/b671/8ca11d9052e6/crop_exact_gettyimages-1128958484-612x612.jpg?h=344&q=90&w=611","tags":["nba","apple-video"],"stub_id":"d18a3f3c-2c52-4f16-820f-9f03c8d18507","share_url":"http://bleacherreport.com/post/nba/d18a3f3c-2c52-4f16-820f-9f03c8d18507","provider_url":"http://bleacherreport.com","provider_name":"Bleacher Report","personalized":null,"mp4_url":"https://bleachertrans-a.akamaihd.net/prod-cms-video/prod-cms-video-delivery/c8/3a/c83af200-a45c-44ab-8de4-e0c318d69857/03062019_SOCIAL_NEWS_PAT_BEV_MD_V2_800k.mp4","impression_tracking":null,"hls_url":"https://bleacherreptrans-a.akamaihd.net/prod-cms-video/prod-cms-video-delivery/c8/3a/c83af200-a45c-44ab-8de4-e0c318d69857/03062019_SOCIAL_NEWS_PAT_BEV_MD_V214a6ea93-170e-336d-6258-f12e46f22289.m3u8","genres":null,"embed_code":"<iframe src="https://bleacherreport.com/video_embed?id=66902&library=video-cms">","duration":60,"description":"The Clippers have stolen the Lakers' spotlight in L.A. The Clippers are in a playoff spot and the Lakers are not. Watch the video above for more about why the Clippers, and Pat Beverly, are feeling themselves.nnnnBleacher Report is the go-to destination for basketball fans everywhere. B/R's NBA coverage delivers must-see on-court analysis and highlights on a daily basis. Connect to the NBA stories, teams, athletes and highlights that make the game more than a game.nnDownload the free Bleacher Report app to catch all the moments that matter in one place. Get the app to get the game.","cc_url":null,"author_name":"Bleacher Report","analytics":"video_id":66902,"title":"Step Aside Lakers, Pat Beverley Has the Clippers Stealing the LA Shine","stream":"featured","published_at":"2019-03-08T14:50:39","league":"nba","id":"6f827b35-3380-489b-8e7d-3591a78cb661","editorial":"apple-video","ad_stitched_url":null,"media_width":null,"media_url":null,"media_id":null,"media_height":null,"hook_type":"photo","commentary":"title":"Pat Beverley Has the Clippers Stealing the LA Shine","mentioned_users":[],"description":"","autoplay":false,"attachments":[],"67555":"url_hash":"efb60651f24ba05a5a73cbb77af460410c400e81d8849330de26e55a2ac36720","url":"http://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/67555","updated_at":"2019-03-13T17:13:23Z","tag":"unique_name":"nba","tag_id":19,"short_name":"NBA","logo":"nba.png","display_name":"NBA","color2":"","color1":"","status":"active","position":null,"playlist_type":"v","playlist_tag_name":"nba","playlist_id":42181,"permalink":"/post/nba/f3bfb652-8fde-4302-9b1d-7425d77ff535","performed_by":"gmarchetti@bleacherreport.com","original_url_sha":"efb60651f24ba05a5a73cbb77af460410c400e81d8849330de26e55a2ac36720","original_url_hash":3697059,"notification":null,"is_locked":false,"is_featured":false,"internal_position":"853.0000000000","id_str":"6486991102","id":6486991102,"href":"https://djay.bleacherreport.com/playlists/nba_v/tracks/6486991102","hide_from_regions":[],"hidden_attributes":[],"group_tags":[],"flagged":null,"expires_at":null,"created_at":"2019-03-13T17:13:23Z","content_type":"video","content":"title":"Lou Williams Is Coming for a Repeat of Sixth Man of the Year","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/6b/a7/16/25/0be6/4b0a/b468/7ff4bc8ecef9/crop_exact_gettyimages-1130087483-612x612.jpg?h=344&q=90&w=611","metadata":"video_url":"https://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/67555/akamai.json","video_id":67555,"title":"Lou Williams Is Coming for a Repeat of Sixth Man of the Year","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/6b/a7/16/25/0be6/4b0a/b468/7ff4bc8ecef9/crop_exact_gettyimages-1130087483-612x612.jpg?h=344&q=90&w=611","tags":["nba","lou-williams","apple-video"],"stub_id":"f3bfb652-8fde-4302-9b1d-7425d77ff535","share_url":"http://bleacherreport.com/post/nba/f3bfb652-8fde-4302-9b1d-7425d77ff535","provider_url":"http://bleacherreport.com","provider_name":"Bleacher Report","personalized":null,"mp4_url":"https://bleachertrans-a.akamaihd.net/prod-cms-video/prod-cms-video-delivery/08/af/08af8a15-dd55-4901-aa78-806c60dd6e28/03122019_SOCIAL_NEWS_LOU_WILLIAMS_MD_V2_800k.mp4","impression_tracking":null,"hls_url":"https://bleacherreptrans-a.akamaihd.net/prod-cms-video/prod-cms-video-delivery/08/af/08af8a15-dd55-4901-aa78-806c60dd6e28/03122019_SOCIAL_NEWS_LOU_WILLIAMS_MD_V214a6ea93-170e-336d-6258-f12e46f22289.m3u8","genres":null,"embed_code":"<iframe src="https://bleacherreport.com/video_embed?id=67555&library=video-cms">","duration":59,"description":"Lou Williams is looking to repeat as Sixth Man of the Year with the L.A. Clippers. He just passed Dell Curry for most bench points in NBA history with 11,154. Watch the video above for more about Williams' clutch season. Bleacher Report is the go-to destination for basketball fans everywhere. B/R's NBA coverage delivers must-see on-court analysis and highlights on a daily basis. Connect to the NBA stories, teams, athletes and highlights that make the game more than a game. Download the free Bleacher Report app to catch all the moments that matter in one place. Get the app to get the game.","cc_url":null,"author_name":"Bleacher Report","analytics":"video_id":67555,"title":"Lou Williams Is Coming for a Repeat of Sixth Man of the Year","stream":"featured","published_at":"2019-03-12T22:03:11","person":"lou-williams","league":"nba","id":"5582cd02-f6b6-4488-bb3b-2de2d021f30e","editorial":"apple-video","ad_stitched_url":null,"media_width":null,"media_url":null,"media_id":null,"media_height":null,"hook_type":"photo","commentary":"title":"Lou Williams Is Coming for a Repeat of Sixth Man of the Year","mentioned_users":[],"description":"","autoplay":false,"attachments":[],"67676":"url_hash":"8889da109cc4e755661d3e1ef5af6ebac02166dcf264d40018d538756e832794","url":"http://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/67676","updated_at":"2019-03-13T17:14:39Z","tag":"unique_name":"nba","tag_id":19,"short_name":"NBA","logo":"nba.png","display_name":"NBA","color2":"","color1":"","status":"active","position":null,"playlist_type":"v","playlist_tag_name":"nba","playlist_id":42181,"permalink":"/post/nba/07a2f31f-bd26-4b9f-9b9c-bcdece4cb6e2","performed_by":"gmarchetti@bleacherreport.com","original_url_sha":"8889da109cc4e755661d3e1ef5af6ebac02166dcf264d40018d538756e832794","original_url_hash":66663860,"notification":null,"is_locked":false,"is_featured":false,"internal_position":"854.0000000000","id_str":"6486991159","id":6486991159,"href":"https://djay.bleacherreport.com/playlists/nba_v/tracks/6486991159","hide_from_regions":[],"hidden_attributes":[],"group_tags":[],"flagged":null,"expires_at":null,"created_at":"2019-03-13T17:14:39Z","content_type":"video","content":"title":"Steph Returns to Houston for 1st Time Since His Moon Landing Troll","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/d7/54/c0/54/a7ac/4054/a25c/59e660359949/crop_exact_gettyimages-1129297793-612x612.jpg?h=344&q=90&w=611","metadata":"video_url":"https://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/67676/akamai.json","video_id":67676,"title":"Steph Curry Returns to Houston for the First Time Since His Moon Landing Troll","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/d7/54/c0/54/a7ac/4054/a25c/59e660359949/crop_exact_gettyimages-1129297793-612x612.jpg?h=344&q=90&w=611","tags":["stephen-curry","nba","apple-video"],"stub_id":"07a2f31f-bd26-4b9f-9b9c-bcdece4cb6e2","share_url":"http://bleacherreport.com/post/nba/07a2f31f-bd26-4b9f-9b9c-bcdece4cb6e2","provider_url":"http://bleacherreport.com","provider_name":"Bleacher Report","personalized":null,"mp4_url":"https://bleachertrans-a.akamaihd.net/prod-cms-video/prod-cms-video-delivery/e5/b9/e5b9250b-3996-41a1-8742-28af7ad27093/03132019_SOCIAL_NEWS_STEPH_MOON_MD_V2_800k.mp4","impression_tracking":null,"hls_url":"https://bleacherreptrans-a.akamaihd.net/prod-cms-video/prod-cms-video-delivery/e5/b9/e5b9250b-3996-41a1-8742-28af7ad27093/03132019_SOCIAL_NEWS_STEPH_MOON_MD_V214a6ea93-170e-336d-6258-f12e46f22289.m3u8","genres":null,"embed_code":"<iframe src="https://bleacherreport.com/video_embed?id=67676&library=video-cms">","duration":61,"description":"Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors return to Houston for the first time since Curry speculated the 1969 moon landing was fake. He accepted NASA's invitation and will visit the Johnson Space Center. Watch the video above for more about Curry's moon landing conspiracy troll that caused an internet frenzy.nnnnBleacher Report is the go-to destination for basketball fans everywhere. B/R's NBA coverage delivers must-see on-court analysis and highlights on a daily basis. Connect to the NBA stories, teams, athletes and highlights that make the game more than a game.nnDownload the free Bleacher Report app to catch all the moments that matter in one place. Get the app to get the game.","cc_url":null,"author_name":"Bleacher Report","analytics":"video_id":67676,"title":"Steph Curry Returns to Houston for the First Time Since His Moon Landing Troll","stream":"featured","published_at":"2019-03-13T16:26:38","person":"stephen-curry","league":"nba","id":"77e96b6c-33e1-4444-ad1d-2808f183f540","editorial":"apple-video","ad_stitched_url":null,"media_width":null,"media_url":null,"media_id":null,"media_height":null,"hook_type":"photo","commentary":"title":"Steph Returns to Houston for 1st Time Since His Moon Landing Troll","mentioned_users":[],"description":"","autoplay":false,"attachments":[],"70503":"url_hash":"07c3121b51dcfc283c55830003994a703b2d304610f8c0d5e9fd70e6a8449817","url":"http://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/70503","updated_at":"2019-03-26T19:05:54Z","tag":"unique_name":"nba","tag_id":19,"short_name":"NBA","logo":"nba.png","display_name":"NBA","color2":"","color1":"","status":"active","position":null,"playlist_type":"v","playlist_tag_name":"nba","playlist_id":42181,"permalink":"/post/nba/b67d844c-11f6-4e5c-98bc-bc728a86baad","performed_by":"gmarchetti@bleacherreport.com","original_url_sha":"07c3121b51dcfc283c55830003994a703b2d304610f8c0d5e9fd70e6a8449817","original_url_hash":56478433,"notification":null,"is_locked":false,"is_featured":false,"internal_position":"855.0000000000","id_str":"6488124170","id":6488124170,"href":"https://djay.bleacherreport.com/playlists/nba_v/tracks/6488124170","hide_from_regions":[],"hidden_attributes":[],"group_tags":[],"flagged":null,"expires_at":null,"created_at":"2019-03-26T19:05:54Z","content_type":"video","content":"title":"Bosh Is Getting His Jersey Raised to the Rafters in Miami","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/05/13/99/8b/0d42/4b42/9274/09cca521a23d/crop_exact_gettyimages-463458724-612x612.jpg?h=408&q=90&w=611","metadata":"video_url":"https://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/70503","video_id":70503,"title":"Chris Bosh Is Getting His No. 1 Jersey Raised to the Rafters in Miami","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/05/13/99/8b/0d42/4b42/9274/09cca521a23d/crop_exact_gettyimages-463458724-612x612.jpg?h=408&q=90&w=611","tags":["chris-bosh","nba"],"stub_id":"b67d844c-11f6-4e5c-98bc-bc728a86baad","share_url":"http://bleacherreport.com/post/nba/b67d844c-11f6-4e5c-98bc-bc728a86baad","provider_url":"http://bleacherreport.com","provider_name":"Bleacher Report","personalized":null,"mp4_url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/video/upload/v1553618077/sldkhblgqdvdewaw9qr3.mp4","impression_tracking":null,"hls_url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/video/upload/f_m3u8/sp_hd/v1553618077/sldkhblgqdvdewaw9qr3.m3u8","genres":null,"embed_code":"<iframe src="https://bleacherreport.com/video_embed?id=70503&library=video-cms">","duration":58,"description":"The Miami Heat will retire Chris Bosh's No. 1 jersey in a halftime ceremony on Tuesday. Bosh won two NBA Championships with the Heat. Watch the video above for some of Bosh's best moments before his jersey is raised to the rafters.nnnnBleacher Report is the go-to destination for basketball fans everywhere. B/R's NBA coverage delivers must-see on-court analysis and highlights on a daily basis. Connect to the NBA stories, teams, athletes and highlights that make the game more than a game.nnDownload the free Bleacher Report app to catch all the moments that matter in one place. Get the app to get the game.","cc_url":null,"author_name":"Bleacher Report","analytics":"video_id":70503,"title":"Chris Bosh Is Getting His No. 1 Jersey Raised to the Rafters in Miami","stream":"featured","published_at":"2019-03-26T16:36:43","person":"chris-bosh","league":"nba","id":"c638f655-5138-4019-a503-bc084216d333","ad_stitched_url":null,"media_width":null,"media_url":null,"media_id":null,"media_height":null,"hook_type":"photo","commentary":"title":"Bosh Is Getting His Jersey Raised to the Rafters in Miami","mentioned_users":[],"description":"","autoplay":false,"attachments":[],"70833":"url_hash":"c48247710e8cb6de463ea5a6cb56f454dacd99984bf6052c511143d70b6ee97c","url":"http://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/70833","updated_at":"2019-03-31T18:27:20Z","tag":"unique_name":"nba","tag_id":19,"short_name":"NBA","logo":"nba.png","display_name":"NBA","color2":"","color1":"","status":"active","position":null,"playlist_type":"v","playlist_tag_name":"nba","playlist_id":42181,"permalink":"/post/nba/7f4bbf8a-12de-44dd-9c27-a383319004a9","performed_by":"gmarchetti@bleacherreport.com","original_url_sha":"c48247710e8cb6de463ea5a6cb56f454dacd99984bf6052c511143d70b6ee97c","original_url_hash":97317989,"notification":null,"is_locked":false,"is_featured":false,"internal_position":"856.0000000000","id_str":"6488529356","id":6488529356,"href":"https://djay.bleacherreport.com/playlists/nba_v/tracks/6488529356","hide_from_regions":[],"hidden_attributes":[],"group_tags":[],"flagged":null,"expires_at":null,"created_at":"2019-03-31T18:27:20Z","content_type":"video","content":"title":"29 Years Ago, Jordan Dropped Career-High 69 Points ","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/80/77/19/a9/623e/4237/8763/60fe6a9c331e/crop_exact_gettyimages-71024653-612x612.jpg?h=272&q=90&w=408","metadata":"video_url":"https://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/70833","video_id":70833,"title":"29 Years Ago Today, Michael Jordan Dropped Career-High 69 Points ","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/80/77/19/a9/623e/4237/8763/60fe6a9c331e/crop_exact_gettyimages-71024653-612x612.jpg?h=272&q=90&w=408","tags":["nba","michael-jordan"],"stub_id":"7f4bbf8a-12de-44dd-9c27-a383319004a9","share_url":"http://bleacherreport.com/post/nba/7f4bbf8a-12de-44dd-9c27-a383319004a9","provider_url":"http://bleacherreport.com","provider_name":"Bleacher Report","personalized":null,"mp4_url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/video/upload/v1553781150/qbouoal2abxius3elmkt.mp4","impression_tracking":null,"hls_url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/video/upload/f_m3u8/sp_hd/v1553781150/qbouoal2abxius3elmkt.m3u8","genres":null,"embed_code":"<iframe src="https://bleacherreport.com/video_embed?id=70833&library=video-cms">","duration":50,"description":"29 years ago, Michael Jordan dropped a career-high 69 points in a victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was the fourth time the GOAT scored more than 60 points in a regular season or playoff game. Watch the video above for more about this historic moment.nnnnBleacher Report is the go-to destination for basketball fans everywhere. B/R's NBA coverage delivers must-see on-court analysis and highlights on a daily basis. Connect to the NBA stories, teams, athletes and highlights that make the game more than a game.nnDownload the free Bleacher Report app to catch all the moments that matter in one place. Get the app to get the game.","cc_url":null,"author_name":"Bleacher Report","analytics":"video_id":70833,"title":"29 Years Ago Today, Michael Jordan Dropped Career-High 69 Points ","stream":"featured","published_at":"2019-03-28T13:55:14","person":"michael-jordan","league":"nba","id":"988bbfda-17d9-432b-a64b-922520b4f094","ad_stitched_url":null,"media_width":null,"media_url":null,"media_id":null,"media_height":null,"hook_type":"photo","commentary":"title":"29 Years Ago, Jordan Dropped Career-High 69 Points ","mentioned_users":[],"description":"","autoplay":false,"attachments":[],"70844":"url_hash":"29a2f7a01f70bac68d2028b3ea967bef1eb75b7f4032c4dc24ec92cff1b4c28e","url":"http://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/70844","updated_at":"2019-03-31T18:27:43Z","tag":"unique_name":"nba","tag_id":19,"short_name":"NBA","logo":"nba.png","display_name":"NBA","color2":"","color1":"","status":"active","position":null,"playlist_type":"v","playlist_tag_name":"nba","playlist_id":42181,"permalink":"/post/nba/45290a84-c305-471f-bc5d-6682776058c3","performed_by":"gmarchetti@bleacherreport.com","original_url_sha":"29a2f7a01f70bac68d2028b3ea967bef1eb75b7f4032c4dc24ec92cff1b4c28e","original_url_hash":112640185,"notification":null,"is_locked":false,"is_featured":false,"internal_position":"857.0000000000","id_str":"6488529372","id":6488529372,"href":"https://djay.bleacherreport.com/playlists/nba_v/tracks/6488529372","hide_from_regions":[],"hidden_attributes":[],"group_tags":[],"flagged":null,"expires_at":null,"created_at":"2019-03-31T18:27:43Z","content_type":"video","content":"title":"Devin Booker Makes History with Scoring Tear","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/39/37/02/91/f50e/4b38/8487/998efd53d9c4/crop_exact_gettyimages-1138675250-612x612.jpg?h=408&q=90&w=611","metadata":"video_url":"https://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/70844","video_id":70844,"title":"Phoenix Suns' Devin Booker Makes History with Scoring Tear","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/39/37/02/91/f50e/4b38/8487/998efd53d9c4/crop_exact_gettyimages-1138675250-612x612.jpg?h=408&q=90&w=611","tags":["nba","devin-booker"],"stub_id":"45290a84-c305-471f-bc5d-6682776058c3","share_url":"http://bleacherreport.com/post/nba/45290a84-c305-471f-bc5d-6682776058c3","provider_url":"http://bleacherreport.com","provider_name":"Bleacher Report","personalized":null,"mp4_url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/video/upload/v1553805257/hg9yy0l9pvtucblvpjit.mp4","impression_tracking":null,"hls_url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/video/upload/f_m3u8/sp_hd/v1553805257/hg9yy0l9pvtucblvpjit.m3u8","genres":null,"embed_code":"<iframe src="https://bleacherreport.com/video_embed?id=70844&library=video-cms">","duration":49,"description":"Devin Booker just became the youngest player in NBA history with back-to-back 50-point games. The Phoenix Suns star is also only the seventh player in the league to accomplish the feat. Watch the video above for more about Booker's historic scoring tear.nnnnBleacher Report is the go-to destination for basketball fans everywhere. B/R's NBA coverage delivers must-see on-court analysis and highlights on a daily basis. Connect to the NBA stories, teams, athletes and highlights that make the game more than a game.nnDownload the free Bleacher Report app to catch all the moments that matter in one place. Get the app to get the game.","cc_url":null,"author_name":"Bleacher Report","analytics":"video_id":70844,"title":"Phoenix Suns' Devin Booker Makes History with Scoring Tear","stream":"featured","published_at":"2019-03-28T20:36:14","person":"devin-booker","league":"nba","id":"1f6abb93-3601-460b-9531-c5e7b7a35f21","ad_stitched_url":null,"media_width":null,"media_url":null,"media_id":null,"media_height":null,"hook_type":"photo","commentary":"title":"Devin Booker Makes History with Scoring Tear","mentioned_users":[],"description":"","autoplay":false,"attachments":[],"71933":"url_hash":"48c2d63360b075082ec7b7033f59e400d243399ac13fbf91ba33c41410bbf21d","url":"http://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/71933","updated_at":"2019-04-04T17:05:50Z","tag":"unique_name":"nba","tag_id":19,"short_name":"NBA","logo":"nba.png","display_name":"NBA","color2":"","color1":"","status":"active","position":null,"playlist_type":"v","playlist_tag_name":"nba","playlist_id":42181,"permalink":"/post/nba/293217d9-3b28-455f-8f65-a0c1ec6b3837","performed_by":"gmarchetti@bleacherreport.com","original_url_sha":"48c2d63360b075082ec7b7033f59e400d243399ac13fbf91ba33c41410bbf21d","original_url_hash":130008051,"notification":null,"is_locked":false,"is_featured":false,"internal_position":"858.0000000000","id_str":"6488829997","id":6488829997,"href":"https://djay.bleacherreport.com/playlists/nba_v/tracks/6488829997","hide_from_regions":[],"hidden_attributes":[],"group_tags":[],"flagged":null,"expires_at":null,"created_at":"2019-04-04T17:05:50Z","content_type":"video","content":"title":"Westbrook Makes History While Honoring Nipsey Hussle","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/82/28/7e/5d/311f/4261/8a5d/d53c13d630da/crop_exact_gettyimages-1134542997-612x612.jpg?h=408&q=90&w=611","metadata":"video_url":"https://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/71933","video_id":71933,"title":"OKC’s Russell Westbrook Makes NBA History While Honoring Nipsey Hussle","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/82/28/7e/5d/311f/4261/8a5d/d53c13d630da/crop_exact_gettyimages-1134542997-612x612.jpg?h=408&q=90&w=611","tags":["russell-westbrook","nba"],"stub_id":"293217d9-3b28-455f-8f65-a0c1ec6b3837","share_url":"http://bleacherreport.com/post/nba/293217d9-3b28-455f-8f65-a0c1ec6b3837","provider_url":"http://bleacherreport.com","provider_name":"Bleacher Report","personalized":null,"mp4_url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/video/upload/v1554321447/ufz9d3yer8mm2kcdyr4v.mp4","impression_tracking":null,"hls_url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/video/upload/f_m3u8/sp_hd/v1554321447/ufz9d3yer8mm2kcdyr4v.m3u8","genres":["br_originals"],"embed_code":"<iframe src="https://bleacherreport.com/video_embed?id=71933&library=video-cms">","duration":58,"description":"Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder made history with a 20-20-21 night. It is just the second 20-20-20 game in NBA history. Watch the video above for more about the historic game Russ says was in honor of his friend Nipsey Hussle.nnnBleacher Report is the go-to destination for basketball fans everywhere. B/R's NBA coverage delivers must-see on-court analysis and highlights on a daily basis. Connect to the NBA stories, teams, athletes and highlights that make the game more than a game.nnDownload the free Bleacher Report app to catch all the moments that matter in one place. Get the app to get the game.","cc_url":null,"author_name":"Bleacher Report","analytics":"video_id":71933,"title":"OKC’s Russell Westbrook Makes NBA History While Honoring Nipsey Hussle","stream":"featured","published_at":"2019-04-03T19:59:07","person":"russell-westbrook","league":"nba","id":"3b0ec1e1-9934-486c-b0b1-a8aac79feda8","ad_stitched_url":null,"media_width":null,"media_url":null,"media_id":null,"media_height":null,"hook_type":"photo","commentary":"title":"Westbrook Makes History While Honoring Nipsey Hussle","mentioned_users":[],"description":"","autoplay":false,"attachments":[],"73210":"url_hash":"c82e74e3cdf4441c8f9cddf3c52aeddbb9cf5de76464701cbda5f62b307fa0d2","url":"http://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/73210","updated_at":"2019-04-10T16:30:52Z","tag":"unique_name":"nba","tag_id":19,"short_name":"NBA","logo":"nba.png","display_name":"NBA","color2":"","color1":"","status":"active","position":null,"playlist_type":"v","playlist_tag_name":"nba","playlist_id":42181,"permalink":"/post/nba/0726d5fe-d51d-4446-9883-5eb4d9cf4398","performed_by":"gmarchetti@bleacherreport.com","original_url_sha":"c82e74e3cdf4441c8f9cddf3c52aeddbb9cf5de76464701cbda5f62b307fa0d2","original_url_hash":26218049,"notification":null,"is_locked":false,"is_featured":false,"internal_position":"859.0000000000","id_str":"6489288115","id":6489288115,"href":"https://djay.bleacherreport.com/playlists/nba_v/tracks/6489288115","hide_from_regions":[],"hidden_attributes":[],"group_tags":[],"flagged":null,"expires_at":null,"created_at":"2019-04-10T16:30:52Z","content_type":"video","content":"title":"Wade's Jersey Swaps Created Epic Moments This Season","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/dc/b1/6c/bc/9aca/4496/aac2/8902c9e0f690/crop_exact_gettyimages-1071604560-612x612.jpg?h=409&q=90&w=612","metadata":"video_url":"https://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/73210","video_id":73210,"title":"Dwyane Wade's Jersey Swaps Created Epic Moments This NBA Season","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/dc/b1/6c/bc/9aca/4496/aac2/8902c9e0f690/crop_exact_gettyimages-1071604560-612x612.jpg?h=409&q=90&w=612","tags":["nba"],"stub_id":"0726d5fe-d51d-4446-9883-5eb4d9cf4398","share_url":"http://bleacherreport.com/post/nba/0726d5fe-d51d-4446-9883-5eb4d9cf4398","provider_url":"http://bleacherreport.com","provider_name":"Bleacher Report","personalized":null,"mp4_url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/video/upload/v1554909170/avjtyp2p4amiw3muyr0h.mp4","impression_tracking":null,"hls_url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/video/upload/f_m3u8/sp_hd/v1554909170/avjtyp2p4amiw3muyr0h.m3u8","genres":["br_originals"],"embed_code":"<iframe src="https://bleacherreport.com/video_embed?id=73210&library=video-cms">","duration":60,"description":"Throughout the NBA season, Dwyane Wade made jersey exchanges with players as part of his retirement tour. Now he has a season-long collection of jerseys and can retire in style. Watch the video above for all of the epic moments between Wade and other NBA stars.nnnnBleacher Report is the go-to destination for basketball fans everywhere. B/R's NBA coverage delivers must-see on-court analysis and highlights on a daily basis. Connect to the NBA stories, teams, athletes and highlights that make the game more than a game.nnDownload the free Bleacher Report app to catch all the moments that matter in one place. Get the app to get the game.","cc_url":null,"author_name":"Bleacher Report","analytics":"video_id":73210,"title":"Dwyane Wade's Jersey Swaps Created Epic Moments This NBA Season","stream":"featured","published_at":"2019-04-10T15:14:41","league":"nba","id":"d5cd5622-454f-4156-b3de-7002c02367e3","ad_stitched_url":null,"media_width":null,"media_url":null,"media_id":null,"media_height":null,"hook_type":"photo","commentary":"title":"Wade's Jersey Swaps Created Epic Moments This Season","mentioned_users":[],"description":"","autoplay":false,"attachments":[],"73538":"url_hash":"0e611d2381ff143efe69dc532b7cc3a0e53790750329103d43b804823a979ff0","url":"http://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/73538","updated_at":"2019-04-11T23:04:03Z","tag":"unique_name":"nba","tag_id":19,"short_name":"NBA","logo":"nba.png","display_name":"NBA","color2":"","color1":"","status":"active","position":null,"playlist_type":"v","playlist_tag_name":"nba","playlist_id":42181,"permalink":"/post/nba/c57d82d4-1311-45bb-a06e-cb59ded29063","performed_by":"gmarchetti@bleacherreport.com","original_url_sha":"0e611d2381ff143efe69dc532b7cc3a0e53790750329103d43b804823a979ff0","original_url_hash":96577574,"notification":null,"is_locked":false,"is_featured":false,"internal_position":"861.0000000000","id_str":"6489392966","id":6489392966,"href":"https://djay.bleacherreport.com/playlists/nba_v/tracks/6489392966","hide_from_regions":[],"hidden_attributes":[],"group_tags":[],"flagged":null,"expires_at":null,"created_at":"2019-04-11T23:04:03Z","content_type":"video","content":"title":"The NBA Got Some Wild Techs This Season","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/e7/c7/43/f1/eeb4/40af/b87f/606719ea1219/crop_exact_gettyimages-1126312246-612x612.jpg?h=408&q=90&w=611","metadata":"video_url":"https://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/73538","video_id":73538,"title":"Boogie, Luka and the Rest of the NBA Got Some Wild Techs This Season","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/e7/c7/43/f1/eeb4/40af/b87f/606719ea1219/crop_exact_gettyimages-1126312246-612x612.jpg?h=408&q=90&w=611","tags":["nba"],"stub_id":"c57d82d4-1311-45bb-a06e-cb59ded29063","share_url":"http://bleacherreport.com/post/nba/c57d82d4-1311-45bb-a06e-cb59ded29063","provider_url":"http://bleacherreport.com","provider_name":"Bleacher Report","personalized":null,"mp4_url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/video/upload/v1555015165/b2hclpw2ajocc2jk6roj.mp4","impression_tracking":null,"hls_url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/video/upload/f_m3u8/sp_hd/v1555015165/b2hclpw2ajocc2jk6roj.m3u8","genres":["br_originals"],"embed_code":"<iframe src="https://bleacherreport.com/video_embed?id=73538&library=video-cms">","duration":48,"description":"Technical fouls were wild in the NBA this season. Players and coaches around the league had wild reactions to those fouls too. Watch the video above for some of the best reactions of 2018-19.nn nnBleacher Report is the go-to destination for basketball fans everywhere. B/R's NBA coverage delivers must-see on-court analysis and highlights on a daily basis. Connect to the NBA stories, teams, athletes and highlights that make the game more than a game.nnDownload the free Bleacher Report app to catch all the moments that matter in one place. Get the app to get the game.","cc_url":null,"author_name":"Bleacher Report","analytics":"video_id":73538,"title":"Boogie, Luka and the Rest of the NBA Got Some Wild Techs This Season","stream":"featured","published_at":"2019-04-11T20:40:38","league":"nba","id":"9dafc641-f408-4f8b-bd7d-b51fb5134a0d","ad_stitched_url":null,"media_width":null,"media_url":null,"media_id":null,"media_height":null,"hook_type":"photo","commentary":"title":"The NBA Got Some Wild Techs This Season","mentioned_users":[],"description":"","autoplay":false,"attachments":[],"73555":"url_hash":"644ccd75638dae04b337e6319b56410b8e497aaf59ffe4e20a34e1d2e092fe6b","url":"http://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/73555","updated_at":"2019-04-11T23:03:23Z","tag":"unique_name":"nba","tag_id":19,"short_name":"NBA","logo":"nba.png","display_name":"NBA","color2":"","color1":"","status":"active","position":null,"playlist_type":"v","playlist_tag_name":"nba","playlist_id":42181,"permalink":"/post/nba/a134118a-3943-4a5a-9f56-b07c5b4f5b44","performed_by":"gmarchetti@bleacherreport.com","original_url_sha":"644ccd75638dae04b337e6319b56410b8e497aaf59ffe4e20a34e1d2e092fe6b","original_url_hash":129886093,"notification":null,"is_locked":false,"is_featured":false,"internal_position":"860.0000000000","id_str":"6489392933","id":6489392933,"href":"https://djay.bleacherreport.com/playlists/nba_v/tracks/6489392933","hide_from_regions":[],"hidden_attributes":[],"group_tags":[],"flagged":null,"expires_at":null,"created_at":"2019-04-11T23:03:23Z","content_type":"video","content":"title":"Jarrett Allen Is One of the NBA’s Hottest Rim Protectors","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/a9/ac/a8/c6/6185/405c/a978/0104a0665e0c/crop_exact_gettyimages-1136209714-612x612.jpg?h=408&q=90&w=611","metadata":"video_url":"https://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/73555","video_id":73555,"title":"Jarrett Allen Is One of the NBA’s Hottest Rim Protectors","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/a9/ac/a8/c6/6185/405c/a978/0104a0665e0c/crop_exact_gettyimages-1136209714-612x612.jpg?h=408&q=90&w=611","tags":["jarrett-allen","nba"],"stub_id":"a134118a-3943-4a5a-9f56-b07c5b4f5b44","share_url":"http://bleacherreport.com/post/nba/a134118a-3943-4a5a-9f56-b07c5b4f5b44","provider_url":"http://bleacherreport.com","provider_name":"Bleacher Report","personalized":null,"mp4_url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/video/upload/v1555017748/tlfckppiw39rvfy7lobs.mp4","impression_tracking":null,"hls_url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/video/upload/f_m3u8/sp_hd/v1555017748/tlfckppiw39rvfy7lobs.m3u8","genres":["br_originals"],"embed_code":"<iframe src="https://bleacherreport.com/video_embed?id=73555&library=video-cms">","duration":59,"description":"Brooklyn Nets center Jarrett Allen has broken out as one of the NBA's hottest rim protectors. Who will he add to his tombstone in the playoffs? Watch the video above to see which NBA stars Allen has already crossed off the list.nnnnBleacher Report is the go-to destination for basketball fans everywhere. B/R's NBA coverage delivers must-see on-court analysis and highlights on a daily basis. Connect to the NBA stories, teams, athletes and highlights that make the game more than a game.nnDownload the free Bleacher Report app to catch all the moments that matter in one place. Get the app to get the game.","cc_url":null,"author_name":"Bleacher Report","analytics":"video_id":73555,"title":"Jarrett Allen Is One of the NBA’s Hottest Rim Protectors","stream":"featured","published_at":"2019-04-11T21:23:42","person":"jarrett-allen","league":"nba","id":"e89c5847-649d-44f1-b0d5-2eecaa580083","ad_stitched_url":null,"media_width":null,"media_url":null,"media_id":null,"media_height":null,"hook_type":"photo","commentary":"title":"Jarrett Allen Is One of the NBA’s Hottest Rim Protectors","mentioned_users":[],"description":"","autoplay":false,"attachments":[],"73572":"url_hash":"fd2bcd1835bf2d94d7c731f20747b8f13ec36b613a742027c1b8929c3dd0d18b","url":"http://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/73572","updated_at":"2019-04-13T12:18:12Z","tag":"unique_name":"nba","tag_id":19,"short_name":"NBA","logo":"nba.png","display_name":"NBA","color2":"","color1":"","status":"active","position":null,"playlist_type":"v","playlist_tag_name":"nba","playlist_id":42181,"permalink":"/post/nba/e3f0a3ef-af00-4741-9a2d-84a96ef9711c","performed_by":"gmarchetti@bleacherreport.com","original_url_sha":"fd2bcd1835bf2d94d7c731f20747b8f13ec36b613a742027c1b8929c3dd0d18b","original_url_hash":63118888,"notification":null,"is_locked":false,"is_featured":false,"internal_position":"862.0000000000","id_str":"6489493869","id":6489493869,"href":"https://djay.bleacherreport.com/playlists/nba_v/tracks/6489493869","hide_from_regions":[],"hidden_attributes":[],"group_tags":[],"flagged":null,"expires_at":null,"created_at":"2019-04-13T12:18:05Z","content_type":"video","content":"title":"Stars Invest in Plant-Based Food as Vegetarianism Sweeps NBA","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/bd/16/10/cb/1302/4a5d/b3bc/c39812c01f42/crop_exact_gettyimages-1135652900-612x612.jpg?h=408&q=90&w=611","metadata":"video_url":"https://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/73572","video_id":73572,"title":"Jordan, Irving & Paul Invest in Plant-Based Food as Vegetarianism Sweeps NBA","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/bd/16/10/cb/1302/4a5d/b3bc/c39812c01f42/crop_exact_gettyimages-1135652900-612x612.jpg?h=408&q=90&w=611","tags":["nba"],"stub_id":"e3f0a3ef-af00-4741-9a2d-84a96ef9711c","share_url":"http://bleacherreport.com/post/nba/e3f0a3ef-af00-4741-9a2d-84a96ef9711c","provider_url":"http://bleacherreport.com","provider_name":"Bleacher Report","personalized":null,"mp4_url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/video/upload/v1555087006/dtz6zyr4xun52bal3tht.mp4","impression_tracking":null,"hls_url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/video/upload/f_m3u8/sp_hd/v1555087006/dtz6zyr4xun52bal3tht.m3u8","genres":["br_originals"],"embed_code":"<iframe src="https://bleacherreport.com/video_embed?id=73572&library=video-cms">","duration":60,"description":"Vegetarianism is sweeping the NBA and DeAndre Jordan, Kyrie Irving, and Chris Paul are even investing in a plant-based food company. Watch the video above to see why cutting out meat could be the secret to becoming an elite NBA baller.nnnnBleacher Report is the go-to destination for basketball fans everywhere. B/R's NBA coverage delivers must-see on-court analysis and highlights on a daily basis. Connect to the NBA stories, teams, athletes and highlights that make the game more than a game.nnDownload the free Bleacher Report app to catch all the moments that matter in one place. Get the app to get the game.","cc_url":null,"author_name":"Bleacher Report","analytics":"video_id":73572,"title":"Jordan, Irving & Paul Invest in Plant-Based Food as Vegetarianism Sweeps NBA","stream":"featured","published_at":"2019-04-12T16:38:40","league":"nba","id":"44212e06-0ae6-4e21-976d-329a9b78d0f3","ad_stitched_url":null,"media_width":null,"media_url":null,"media_id":null,"media_height":null,"hook_type":"photo","commentary":"title":"Stars Invest in Plant-Based Food as Vegetarianism Sweeps NBA","mentioned_users":[],"description":null,"autoplay":false,"attachments":[],"73840":"url_hash":"7c377e2aaedeec78a2a78ffe3c2e08be35f74c5de5889e17386a85accf7abc3c","url":"http://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/73840","updated_at":"2019-04-17T11:08:06Z","tag":"unique_name":"nba","tag_id":19,"short_name":"NBA","logo":"nba.png","display_name":"NBA","color2":"","color1":"","status":"active","position":null,"playlist_type":"v","playlist_tag_name":"nba","playlist_id":42181,"permalink":"/post/nba/e5a9e8f5-e6ee-4428-a575-52dea1ab869e","performed_by":"gmarchetti@bleacherreport.com","original_url_sha":"7c377e2aaedeec78a2a78ffe3c2e08be35f74c5de5889e17386a85accf7abc3c","original_url_hash":19154900,"notification":null,"is_locked":false,"is_featured":false,"internal_position":"863.0000000000","id_str":"6489886796","id":6489886796,"href":"https://djay.bleacherreport.com/playlists/nba_v/tracks/6489886796","hide_from_regions":[],"hidden_attributes":[],"group_tags":[],"flagged":null,"expires_at":null,"created_at":"2019-04-17T11:08:06Z","content_type":"video","content":"title":"McCollum and the Blazers Snapped Postseason Losing Streak for "Jennifer"","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/19/58/e2/40/2167/4b4a/8ad4/851d1dd0164e/crop_exact_gettyimages-1137192863-612x612.jpg?h=344&q=90&w=611","metadata":"video_url":"https://vid.bleacherreport.com/videos/73840","video_id":73840,"title":"CJ McCollum and the Blazers Snapped Postseason Losing Streak for "Jennifer"","thumbnail_url":"https://img.bleacherreport.net/cms/media/image/19/58/e2/40/2167/4b4a/8ad4/851d1dd0164e/crop_exact_gettyimages-1137192863-612x612.jpg?h=344&q=90&w=611","tags":["jamr-after-the-buzzer"],"stub_id":"e5a9e8f5-e6ee-4428-a575-52dea1ab869e","share_url":"http://bleacherreport.com/post/nba/e5a9e8f5-e6ee-4428-a575-52dea1ab869e","provider_url":"http://bleacherreport.com","provider_name":"Bleacher Report","personalized":null,"mp4_url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/video/upload/v1555431085/c9ehj6w8vykbqkzpz9po.mp4","impression_tracking":null,"hls_url":"https://media.bleacherreport.com/video/upload/f_m3u8/sp_hd/v1555431085/c9ehj6w8vykbqkzpz9po.m3u8","genres":["br_originals"],"embed_code":"<iframe src="https://bleacherreport.com/video_embed?id=73840&library=video-cms">","duration":60,"description":"CJ McCollum and the Portland Trailblazers finally got a playoff win for "Jennifer." The win snapped a 10-game postseason losing streak for the Blazers. Watch the video above for more about the win and the Twitter exchanged that launched a thousand memes.nnnnBleacher Report is the go-to destination for basketball fans everywhere. B/R's NBA coverage delivers must-see on-court analysis and highlights on a daily basis. Connect to the NBA stories, teams, athletes and highlights that make the game more than a game.nnDownload the free Bleacher Report app to catch all the moments that matter in one place. Get the app to get the game.","cc_url":null,"author_name":"Bleacher Report","analytics":"video_id":73840,"title":"CJ McCollum and the Blazers Snapped Postseason Losing Streak for "Jennifer"","stream":"featured","published_at":"2019-04-16T16:14:20","id":"f3a9e2ea-3063-4641-86d0-d0e8843fb53d","editorial":"jamr-after-the-buzzer","ad_stitched_url":null,"media_width":null,"media_url":null,"media_id":null,"media_height":null,"hook_type":"photo","commentary":"title":"McCollum and the Blazers Snapped Postseason Losing Streak for "Jennifer"","mentioned_users":[],"description":"","autoplay":false,"attachments":[],"video_playlist_status":"flyin":73840,"alertTimeAgo":null,"alerts":0,"tagName":"","careers":,"gamecast":"live_game":"sharing":,"meta":,"programmed":"tracks":[],"social":"tracks":[],"pollingUpdates":,"layout":,"nav":"items":"nfl":"title":"NFL","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/nfl","id":"nfl","subLists":["afc-east","afc-north","afc-south","afc-west","nfc-east","nfc-north","nfc-south","nfc-west"],"subLinks":["nfl","https://www.instagram.com/brgridiron/","fantasy-football","nfl-draft","https://www.stubhub.com/nfl-tickets/grouping/121/?gcid=chDIG-_-geoUS-_-genNFL-_-dt170201-_-cmpBR_Gen-_-partBleacherReport-_-mktgrBRAND"],"afc-east":"title":"AFC East","id":"afc-east","subLists":["buffalo-bills","miami-dolphins","new-england-patriots","new-york-jets"],"buffalo-bills":"title":"Buffalo","url":"/buffalo-bills","id":"buffalo-bills","miami-dolphins":"title":"Miami","url":"/miami-dolphins","id":"miami-dolphins","new-england-patriots":"title":"New England","url":"/new-england-patriots","id":"new-england-patriots","new-york-jets":"title":"NY Jets","url":"/new-york-jets","id":"new-york-jets","afc-north":"title":"AFC North","id":"afc-north","subLists":["baltimore-ravens","cincinnati-bengals","cleveland-browns","pittsburgh-steelers"],"baltimore-ravens":"title":"Baltimore","url":"/baltimore-ravens","id":"baltimore-ravens","cincinnati-bengals":"title":"Cincinnati","url":"/cincinnati-bengals","id":"cincinnati-bengals","cleveland-browns":"title":"Cleveland","url":"/cleveland-browns","id":"cleveland-browns","pittsburgh-steelers":"title":"Pittsburgh","url":"/pittsburgh-steelers","id":"pittsburgh-steelers","afc-south":"title":"AFC South","id":"afc-south","subLists":["houston-texans","indianapolis-colts","jacksonville-jaguars","tennessee-titans"],"houston-texans":"title":"Houston","url":"/houston-texans","id":"houston-texans","indianapolis-colts":"title":"Indianapolis","url":"/indianapolis-colts","id":"indianapolis-colts","jacksonville-jaguars":"title":"Jacksonville","url":"/jacksonville-jaguars","id":"jacksonville-jaguars","tennessee-titans":"title":"Tennessee","url":"/tennessee-titans","id":"tennessee-titans","afc-west":"title":"AFC West","id":"afc-west","subLists":["denver-broncos","kansas-city-chiefs","oakland-raiders","los-angeles-chargers"],"denver-broncos":"title":"Denver","url":"/denver-broncos","id":"denver-broncos","kansas-city-chiefs":"title":"Kansas City","url":"/kansas-city-chiefs","id":"kansas-city-chiefs","oakland-raiders":"title":"Las Vegas","url":"/oakland-raiders","id":"oakland-raiders","los-angeles-chargers":"title":"Los Angeles","url":"/los-angeles-chargers","id":"los-angeles-chargers","nfc-east":"title":"NFC East","id":"nfc-east","subLists":["dallas-cowboys","new-york-giants","philadelphia-eagles","washington-football-team"],"dallas-cowboys":"title":"Dallas","url":"/dallas-cowboys","id":"dallas-cowboys","new-york-giants":"title":"NY Giants","url":"/new-york-giants","id":"new-york-giants","philadelphia-eagles":"title":"Philadelphia","url":"/philadelphia-eagles","id":"philadelphia-eagles","washington-football-team":"title":"Washington","url":"/washington-football-team","id":"washington-football-team","nfc-north":"title":"NFC North","id":"nfc-north","subLists":["chicago-bears","detroit-lions","green-bay-packers","minnesota-vikings"],"chicago-bears":"title":"Chicago","url":"/chicago-bears","id":"chicago-bears","detroit-lions":"title":"Detroit","url":"/detroit-lions","id":"detroit-lions","green-bay-packers":"title":"Green Bay","url":"/green-bay-packers","id":"green-bay-packers","minnesota-vikings":"title":"Minnesota","url":"/minnesota-vikings","id":"minnesota-vikings","nfc-south":"title":"NFC South","id":"nfc-south","subLists":["atlanta-falcons","carolina-panthers","new-orleans-saints","tampa-bay-buccaneers"],"atlanta-falcons":"title":"Atlanta","url":"/atlanta-falcons","id":"atlanta-falcons","carolina-panthers":"title":"Carolina","url":"/carolina-panthers","id":"carolina-panthers","new-orleans-saints":"title":"New Orleans","url":"/new-orleans-saints","id":"new-orleans-saints","tampa-bay-buccaneers":"title":"Tampa Bay","url":"/tampa-bay-buccaneers","id":"tampa-bay-buccaneers","nfc-west":"title":"NFC West","id":"nfc-west","subLists":["arizona-cardinals","los-angeles-rams","san-francisco-49ers","seattle-seahawks"],"arizona-cardinals":"title":"Arizona","url":"/arizona-cardinals","id":"arizona-cardinals","los-angeles-rams":"title":"Los Angeles","url":"/los-angeles-rams","id":"los-angeles-rams","san-francisco-49ers":"title":"San Francisco","url":"/san-francisco-49ers","id":"san-francisco-49ers","seattle-seahawks":"title":"Seattle","url":"/seattle-seahawks","id":"seattle-seahawks","nba":"title":"NBA","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/nba","id":"nba","subLists":["atlantic","central","northwest","pacific","southeast","southwest"],"subLinks":["nba","fantasy-basketball","nba-draft","https://www.instagram.com/br_hoops/","https://www.stubhub.com/nba-tickets/grouping/115/?gcid=chDIG-_-geoUS-_-genNBA-_-dt170201-_-cmpBR_Gen-_-partBleacherReport-_-mktgrBRAND"],"atlantic":"title":"Atlantic","id":"atlantic","subLists":["boston-celtics","brooklyn-nets","new-york-knicks","philadelphia-76ers","toronto-raptors"],"boston-celtics":"title":"Boston","url":"/boston-celtics","id":"boston-celtics","brooklyn-nets":"title":"Brooklyn","url":"/brooklyn-nets","id":"brooklyn-nets","new-york-knicks":"title":"New York","url":"/new-york-knicks","id":"new-york-knicks","philadelphia-76ers":"title":"Philadelphia","url":"/philadelphia-76ers","id":"philadelphia-76ers","toronto-raptors":"title":"Toronto","url":"/toronto-raptors","id":"toronto-raptors","central":"title":"Central","id":"central","subLists":["chicago-bulls","cleveland-cavaliers","detroit-pistons","indiana-pacers","milwaukee-bucks"],"chicago-bulls":"title":"Chicago","url":"/chicago-bulls","id":"chicago-bulls","cleveland-cavaliers":"title":"Cleveland","url":"/cleveland-cavaliers","id":"cleveland-cavaliers","detroit-pistons":"title":"Detroit","url":"/detroit-pistons","id":"detroit-pistons","indiana-pacers":"title":"Indiana","url":"/indiana-pacers","id":"indiana-pacers","milwaukee-bucks":"title":"Milwaukee","url":"/milwaukee-bucks","id":"milwaukee-bucks","northwest":"title":"Northwest","id":"northwest","subLists":["denver-nuggets","minnesota-timberwolves","oklahoma-city-thunder","portland-trail-blazers","utah-jazz"],"denver-nuggets":"title":"Denver","url":"/denver-nuggets","id":"denver-nuggets","minnesota-timberwolves":"title":"Minnesota","url":"/minnesota-timberwolves","id":"minnesota-timberwolves","oklahoma-city-thunder":"title":"Oklahoma City","url":"/oklahoma-city-thunder","id":"oklahoma-city-thunder","portland-trail-blazers":"title":"Portland","url":"/portland-trail-blazers","id":"portland-trail-blazers","utah-jazz":"title":"Utah","url":"/utah-jazz","id":"utah-jazz","pacific":"title":"Pacific","id":"pacific","subLists":["golden-state-warriors","los-angeles-clippers","los-angeles-lakers","phoenix-suns","sacramento-kings"],"golden-state-warriors":"title":"Golden St","url":"/golden-state-warriors","id":"golden-state-warriors","los-angeles-clippers":"title":"LA Clippers","url":"/los-angeles-clippers","id":"los-angeles-clippers","los-angeles-lakers":"title":"LA Lakers","url":"/los-angeles-lakers","id":"los-angeles-lakers","phoenix-suns":"title":"Phoenix","url":"/phoenix-suns","id":"phoenix-suns","sacramento-kings":"title":"Sacramento","url":"/sacramento-kings","id":"sacramento-kings","southeast":"title":"Southeast","id":"southeast","subLists":["atlanta-hawks","charlotte-hornets","miami-heat","orlando-magic","washington-wizards"],"atlanta-hawks":"title":"Atlanta","url":"/atlanta-hawks","id":"atlanta-hawks","charlotte-hornets":"title":"Charlotte","url":"/charlotte-hornets","id":"charlotte-hornets","miami-heat":"title":"Miami","url":"/miami-heat","id":"miami-heat","orlando-magic":"title":"Orlando","url":"/orlando-magic","id":"orlando-magic","washington-wizards":"title":"Washington","url":"/washington-wizards","id":"washington-wizards","southwest":"title":"Southwest","id":"southwest","subLists":["dallas-mavericks","houston-rockets","memphis-grizzlies","new-orleans-pelicans","san-antonio-spurs"],"dallas-mavericks":"title":"Dallas","url":"/dallas-mavericks","id":"dallas-mavericks","houston-rockets":"title":"Houston","url":"/houston-rockets","id":"houston-rockets","memphis-grizzlies":"title":"Memphis","url":"/memphis-grizzlies","id":"memphis-grizzlies","new-orleans-pelicans":"title":"New Orleans","url":"/new-orleans-pelicans","id":"new-orleans-pelicans","san-antonio-spurs":"title":"San Antonio","url":"/san-antonio-spurs","id":"san-antonio-spurs","mlb":"title":"MLB","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/mlb","id":"mlb","subLists":["al-east","al-central","al-west","nl-east","nl-central","nl-west"],"subLinks":["mlb","fantasy-baseball","https://www.stubhub.com/mlb-tickets/grouping/81/?gcid=chDIG-_-geoUS-_-genMLB-_-dt170201-_-cmpBR_Gen-_-partBleacherReport-_-mktgrBRAND"],"al-east":"title":"AL East","id":"al-east","subLists":["baltimore-orioles","boston-red-sox","new-york-yankees","tampa-bay-rays","toronto-blue-jays"],"baltimore-orioles":"title":"Baltimore","url":"/baltimore-orioles","id":"baltimore-orioles","boston-red-sox":"title":"Boston","url":"/boston-red-sox","id":"boston-red-sox","new-york-yankees":"title":"NY Yankees","url":"/new-york-yankees","id":"new-york-yankees","tampa-bay-rays":"title":"Tampa Bay","url":"/tampa-bay-rays","id":"tampa-bay-rays","toronto-blue-jays":"title":"Toronto","url":"/toronto-blue-jays","id":"toronto-blue-jays","al-central":"title":"AL Central","id":"al-central","subLists":["chicago-white-sox","cleveland-indians","detroit-tigers","kansas-city-royals","minnesota-twins"],"chicago-white-sox":"title":"Chi White Sox","url":"/chicago-white-sox","id":"chicago-white-sox","cleveland-indians":"title":"Cleveland","url":"/cleveland-indians","id":"cleveland-indians","detroit-tigers":"title":"Detroit","url":"/detroit-tigers","id":"detroit-tigers","kansas-city-royals":"title":"Kansas City","url":"/kansas-city-royals","id":"kansas-city-royals","minnesota-twins":"title":"Minnesota","url":"/minnesota-twins","id":"minnesota-twins","al-west":"title":"AL West","id":"al-west","subLists":["houston-astros","los-angeles-angels","oakland-athletics","seattle-mariners","texas-rangers"],"houston-astros":"title":"Houston","url":"/houston-astros","id":"houston-astros","los-angeles-angels":"title":"LA Angels","url":"/los-angeles-angels","id":"los-angeles-angels","oakland-athletics":"title":"Oakland","url":"/oakland-athletics","id":"oakland-athletics","seattle-mariners":"title":"Seattle","url":"/seattle-mariners","id":"seattle-mariners","texas-rangers":"title":"Texas","url":"/texas-rangers","id":"texas-rangers","nl-east":"title":"NL East","id":"nl-east","subLists":["atlanta-braves","miami-marlins","new-york-mets","philadelphia-phillies","washington-nationals"],"atlanta-braves":"title":"Atlanta","url":"/atlanta-braves","id":"atlanta-braves","miami-marlins":"title":"Miami","url":"/miami-marlins","id":"miami-marlins","new-york-mets":"title":"NY Mets","url":"/new-york-mets","id":"new-york-mets","philadelphia-phillies":"title":"Philadelphia","url":"/philadelphia-phillies","id":"philadelphia-phillies","washington-nationals":"title":"Washington","url":"/washington-nationals","id":"washington-nationals","nl-central":"title":"NL Central","id":"nl-central","subLists":["chicago-cubs","cincinnati-reds","milwaukee-brewers","pittsburgh-pirates","st-louis-cardinals"],"chicago-cubs":"title":"Chi Cubs","url":"/chicago-cubs","id":"chicago-cubs","cincinnati-reds":"title":"Cincinnati","url":"/cincinnati-reds","id":"cincinnati-reds","milwaukee-brewers":"title":"Milwaukee","url":"/milwaukee-brewers","id":"milwaukee-brewers","pittsburgh-pirates":"title":"Pittsburgh","url":"/pittsburgh-pirates","id":"pittsburgh-pirates","st-louis-cardinals":"title":"St Louis","url":"/st-louis-cardinals","id":"st-louis-cardinals","nl-west":"title":"NL West","id":"nl-west","subLists":["arizona-diamondbacks","colorado-rockies","los-angeles-dodgers","san-diego-padres","san-francisco-giants"],"arizona-diamondbacks":"title":"Arizona","url":"/arizona-diamondbacks","id":"arizona-diamondbacks","colorado-rockies":"title":"Colorado","url":"/colorado-rockies","id":"colorado-rockies","los-angeles-dodgers":"title":"LA Dodgers","url":"/los-angeles-dodgers","id":"los-angeles-dodgers","san-diego-padres":"title":"San Diego","url":"/san-diego-padres","id":"san-diego-padres","san-francisco-giants":"title":"San Francisco","url":"/san-francisco-giants","id":"san-francisco-giants","college-football":"title":"CFB","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/college-football","id":"college-football","subLists":["american-athletic-conference-football","acc-football","big-12-football","big-10-football","pac-12-football","sec-football","independents-football"],"subLinks":["college-football","recruiting","https://www.stubhub.com/ncaa-football-tickets/grouping/122/?gcid=chDIG-_-geoUS-_-genNCAAF-_-dt170201-_-cmpBR_Gen-_-partBleacherReport-_-mktgrBRAND"],"american-athletic-conference-football":"title":"AAC","url":"/american-athletic-conference-football","id":"american-athletic-conference-football","subLists":["cincinnati-bearcats-football","east-carolina-football","houston-cougars-football","memphis-tigers-football","navy-football","smu-mustangs-football","south-florida-bulls-football","temple-football","tulane-football","tulsa-football","ucf-knights-football"],"cincinnati-bearcats-football":"title":"Cincinnati","url":"/cincinnati-bearcats-football","id":"cincinnati-bearcats-football","east-carolina-football":"title":"East Carolina","url":"/east-carolina-football","id":"east-carolina-football","houston-cougars-football":"title":"Houston","url":"/houston-cougars-football","id":"houston-cougars-football","memphis-tigers-football":"title":"Memphis","url":"/memphis-tigers-football","id":"memphis-tigers-football","navy-football":"title":"Navy","url":"/navy-football","id":"navy-football","smu-mustangs-football":"title":"SMU","url":"/smu-mustangs-football","id":"smu-mustangs-football","south-florida-bulls-football":"title":"South Florida","url":"/south-florida-bulls-football","id":"south-florida-bulls-football","temple-football":"title":"Temple","url":"/temple-football","id":"temple-football","tulane-football":"title":"Tulane","url":"/tulane-football","id":"tulane-football","tulsa-football":"title":"Tulsa","url":"/tulsa-football","id":"tulsa-football","ucf-knights-football":"title":"UCF","url":"/ucf-knights-football","id":"ucf-knights-football","acc-football":"title":"ACC","url":"/acc-football","id":"acc-football","subLists":["boston-college-football","clemson-football","duke-football","florida-state-football","georgia-tech-football","louisville-cardinals-football","miami-hurricanes-football","unc-football","nc-state-football","pitt-football","syracuse-football","uva-football","virginia-tech-football","wake-forest-football"],"subLinks":["acc-football"],"boston-college-football":"title":"Boston College","url":"/boston-college-football","id":"boston-college-football","clemson-football":"title":"Clemson","url":"/clemson-football","id":"clemson-football","duke-football":"title":"Duke","url":"/duke-football","id":"duke-football","florida-state-football":"title":"Florida St","url":"/florida-state-football","id":"florida-state-football","georgia-tech-football":"title":"Georgia Tech","url":"/georgia-tech-football","id":"georgia-tech-football","louisville-cardinals-football":"title":"Louisville","url":"/louisville-cardinals-football","id":"louisville-cardinals-football","miami-hurricanes-football":"title":"Miami (FL)","url":"/miami-hurricanes-football","id":"miami-hurricanes-football","unc-football":"title":"North Carolina","url":"/unc-football","id":"unc-football","nc-state-football":"title":"NC State","url":"/nc-state-football","id":"nc-state-football","pitt-football":"title":"Pittsburgh","url":"/pitt-football","id":"pitt-football","syracuse-football":"title":"Syracuse","url":"/syracuse-football","id":"syracuse-football","uva-football":"title":"Virginia","url":"/uva-football","id":"uva-football","virginia-tech-football":"title":"Virginia Tech","url":"/virginia-tech-football","id":"virginia-tech-football","wake-forest-football":"title":"Wake Forest","url":"/wake-forest-football","id":"wake-forest-football","big-12-football":"title":"Big 12","url":"/big-12-football","id":"big-12-football","subLists":["baylor-football","iowa-state-football","kansas-jayhawks-football","kansas-state-football","oklahoma-sooners-football","oklahoma-state-football","tcu-football","texas-longhorns-football","texas-tech-football","wvu-football"],"subLinks":["big-12-football"],"baylor-football":"title":"Baylor","url":"/baylor-football","id":"baylor-football","iowa-state-football":"title":"Iowa St","url":"/iowa-state-football","id":"iowa-state-football","kansas-jayhawks-football":"title":"Kansas","url":"/kansas-jayhawks-football","id":"kansas-jayhawks-football","kansas-state-football":"title":"Kansas St","url":"/kansas-state-football","id":"kansas-state-football","oklahoma-sooners-football":"title":"Oklahoma","url":"/oklahoma-sooners-football","id":"oklahoma-sooners-football","oklahoma-state-football":"title":"Oklahoma St","url":"/oklahoma-state-football","id":"oklahoma-state-football","tcu-football":"title":"TCU","url":"/tcu-football","id":"tcu-football","texas-longhorns-football":"title":"Texas","url":"/texas-longhorns-football","id":"texas-longhorns-football","texas-tech-football":"title":"Texas Tech","url":"/texas-tech-football","id":"texas-tech-football","wvu-football":"title":"West Virginia","url":"/wvu-football","id":"wvu-football","big-10-football":"title":"Big Ten","url":"/big-10-football","id":"big-10-football","subLists":["illinois-fighting-illini-football","indiana-hoosiers-football","iowa-hawkeyes-football","maryland-terrapins-football","michigan-wolverines-football","michigan-state-football","minnesota-golden-gophers-football","nebraska-cornhuskers-football","northwestern-football","ohio-state-football","penn-state-football","purdue-football","rutgers-football","wisconsin-badgers-football"],"subLinks":["big-10-football"],"illinois-fighting-illini-football":"title":"Illinois","url":"/illinois-fighting-illini-football","id":"illinois-fighting-illini-football","indiana-hoosiers-football":"title":"Indiana","url":"/indiana-hoosiers-football","id":"indiana-hoosiers-football","iowa-hawkeyes-football":"title":"Iowa","url":"/iowa-hawkeyes-football","id":"iowa-hawkeyes-football","maryland-terrapins-football":"title":"Maryland","url":"/maryland-terrapins-football","id":"maryland-terrapins-football","michigan-wolverines-football":"title":"Michigan","url":"/michigan-wolverines-football","id":"michigan-wolverines-football","michigan-state-football":"title":"Michigan St","url":"/michigan-state-football","id":"michigan-state-football","minnesota-golden-gophers-football":"title":"Minnesota","url":"/minnesota-golden-gophers-football","id":"minnesota-golden-gophers-football","nebraska-cornhuskers-football":"title":"Nebraska","url":"/nebraska-cornhuskers-football","id":"nebraska-cornhuskers-football","northwestern-football":"title":"Northwestern","url":"/northwestern-football","id":"northwestern-football","ohio-state-football":"title":"Ohio St","url":"/ohio-state-football","id":"ohio-state-football","penn-state-football":"title":"Penn St","url":"/penn-state-football","id":"penn-state-football","purdue-football":"title":"Purdue","url":"/purdue-football","id":"purdue-football","rutgers-football":"title":"Rutgers","url":"/rutgers-football","id":"rutgers-football","wisconsin-badgers-football":"title":"Wisconsin","url":"/wisconsin-badgers-football","id":"wisconsin-badgers-football","pac-12-football":"title":"Pacific-12","url":"/pac-12-football","id":"pac-12-football","subLists":["arizona-wildcats-football","arizona-state-football","cal-bears-football","colorado-buffaloes-football","oregon-ducks-football","oregon-state-football","stanford-football","ucla-football","usc-football","utah-utes-football","washington-huskies-football","washington-state-football"],"subLinks":["pac-12-football"],"arizona-wildcats-football":"title":"Arizona","url":"/arizona-wildcats-football","id":"arizona-wildcats-football","arizona-state-football":"title":"Arizona St","url":"/arizona-state-football","id":"arizona-state-football","cal-bears-football":"title":"California","url":"/cal-bears-football","id":"cal-bears-football","colorado-buffaloes-football":"title":"Colorado","url":"/colorado-buffaloes-football","id":"colorado-buffaloes-football","oregon-ducks-football":"title":"Oregon","url":"/oregon-ducks-football","id":"oregon-ducks-football","oregon-state-football":"title":"Oregon St","url":"/oregon-state-football","id":"oregon-state-football","stanford-football":"title":"Stanford","url":"/stanford-football","id":"stanford-football","ucla-football":"title":"UCLA","url":"/ucla-football","id":"ucla-football","usc-football":"title":"USC","url":"/usc-football","id":"usc-football","utah-utes-football":"title":"Utah","url":"/utah-utes-football","id":"utah-utes-football","washington-huskies-football":"title":"Washington","url":"/washington-huskies-football","id":"washington-huskies-football","washington-state-football":"title":"Washington St","url":"/washington-state-football","id":"washington-state-football","sec-football":"title":"SEC","url":"/sec-football","id":"sec-football","subLists":["alabama-crimson-tide-football","arkansas-razorbacks-football","auburn-football","florida-gators-football","georgia-bulldogs-football","kentucky-wildcats-football","lsu-football","ole-miss-football","mississippi-state-football","missouri-tigers-football","south-carolina-football","tennessee-volunteers-football","texas-am-football","vanderbilt-football"],"subLinks":["sec-football"],"alabama-crimson-tide-football":"title":"Alabama","url":"/alabama-crimson-tide-football","id":"alabama-crimson-tide-football","arkansas-razorbacks-football":"title":"Arkansas","url":"/arkansas-razorbacks-football","id":"arkansas-razorbacks-football","auburn-football":"title":"Auburn","url":"/auburn-football","id":"auburn-football","florida-gators-football":"title":"Florida","url":"/florida-gators-football","id":"florida-gators-football","georgia-bulldogs-football":"title":"Georgia","url":"/georgia-bulldogs-football","id":"georgia-bulldogs-football","kentucky-wildcats-football":"title":"Kentucky","url":"/kentucky-wildcats-football","id":"kentucky-wildcats-football","lsu-football":"title":"LSU","url":"/lsu-football","id":"lsu-football","ole-miss-football":"title":"Mississippi","url":"/ole-miss-football","id":"ole-miss-football","mississippi-state-football":"title":"Mississippi St","url":"/mississippi-state-football","id":"mississippi-state-football","missouri-tigers-football":"title":"Missouri","url":"/missouri-tigers-football","id":"missouri-tigers-football","south-carolina-football":"title":"South Carolina","url":"/south-carolina-football","id":"south-carolina-football","tennessee-volunteers-football":"title":"Tennessee","url":"/tennessee-volunteers-football","id":"tennessee-volunteers-football","texas-am-football":"title":"Texas A&M","url":"/texas-am-football","id":"texas-am-football","vanderbilt-football":"title":"Vanderbilt","url":"/vanderbilt-football","id":"vanderbilt-football","independents-football":"title":"Independents","url":"/independents-football","id":"independents-football","subLists":["army-football","byu-football","liberty-football","notre-dame-football","uconn-football","umass-football"],"subLinks":["independents-football","new-mexico-state-football"],"army-football":"title":"Army","url":"/army-football","id":"army-football","byu-football":"title":"Brigham Young","url":"/byu-football","id":"byu-football","liberty-football":"title":"Liberty","url":"/liberty-football","id":"liberty-football","notre-dame-football":"title":"Notre Dame","url":"/notre-dame-football","id":"notre-dame-football","uconn-football":"title":"UConn","url":"/uconn-football","id":"uconn-football","umass-football":"title":"UMass","url":"/umass-football","id":"umass-football","world-football":"title":"World Football","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/world-football","id":"world-football","subLists":["epl","uefa-champions-league","https://www.instagram.com/brfootball/","la-liga","serie-a","bundesliga","mls","uefa-europa-league","international-football"],"subLinks":["world-football","https://www.instagram.com/brfootball/"],"epl":"title":"Premier League","url":"/epl","id":"epl","subLists":["arsenal","aston-villa","brighton-hove-albion","burnley","chelsea","crystal-palace","everton","fulham","leeds-united","leicester-city-foxes","liverpool","manchester-city","manchester-united","newcastle-united","sheffield-united-fc","southampton","tottenham-hotspur","west-bromwich","west-ham-united","wolverhampton-wanderers"],"subLinks":["transfer-window","aston-villa"],"arsenal":"title":"Arsenal","url":"/arsenal","id":"arsenal","aston-villa":"title":"Aston Villa","url":"/aston-villa","id":"aston-villa","brighton-hove-albion":"title":"Brighton and Hove Albion","url":"/brighton-hove-albion","id":"brighton-hove-albion","burnley":"title":"Burnley","url":"/burnley","id":"burnley","chelsea":"title":"Chelsea","url":"/chelsea","id":"chelsea","crystal-palace":"title":"Crystal Palace","url":"/crystal-palace","id":"crystal-palace","everton":"title":"Everton","url":"/everton","id":"everton","fulham":"title":"Fulham","url":"/fulham","id":"fulham","leeds-united":"title":"Leeds United","url":"/leeds-united","id":"leeds-united","leicester-city-foxes":"title":"Leicester City","url":"/leicester-city-foxes","id":"leicester-city-foxes","liverpool":"title":"Liverpool","url":"/liverpool","id":"liverpool","manchester-city":"title":"Manchester City","url":"/manchester-city","id":"manchester-city","manchester-united":"title":"Manchester United","url":"/manchester-united","id":"manchester-united","newcastle-united":"title":"Newcastle United","url":"/newcastle-united","id":"newcastle-united","sheffield-united-fc":"title":"Sheffield United","url":"/sheffield-united-fc","id":"sheffield-united-fc","southampton":"title":"Southampton","url":"/southampton","id":"southampton","tottenham-hotspur":"title":"Tottenham Hotspur","url":"/tottenham-hotspur","id":"tottenham-hotspur","west-bromwich":"title":"West Brom","url":"/west-bromwich","id":"west-bromwich","west-ham-united":"title":"West Ham United","url":"/west-ham-united","id":"west-ham-united","wolverhampton-wanderers":"title":"Wolverhampton Wanderers","url":"/wolverhampton-wanderers","id":"wolverhampton-wanderers","uefa-champions-league":"title":"Champions League","url":"/uefa-champions-league","id":"uefa-champions-league","subLists":["atalanta","atletico-madrid","ajax","fc-barcelona","bayer-leverkusen","fc-bayern-munich","sl-benfica","borussia-dortmund","chelsea","club-brugge","nk-dinamo-zagreb","fc-salzburg","galatasaray","krc-genk","inter-milan","juventus","lille-osc","liverpool","lokomotiv-moscow","olympique-lyonnais","manchester-city","manchester-united","napoli","olympiakos","paris-saint-germain-fc","rb-leipzig","real-madrid","fk-red-star-belgrade","shakhtar-donetsk","slavia-prague","tottenham-hotspur","valencia-cf","zenit-st-petersburg"],"subLinks":["uefa-champions-league"],"atalanta":"title":"Atalanta","url":"/atalanta","id":"atalanta","atletico-madrid":"title":"Atletico Madrid","url":"/atletico-madrid","id":"atletico-madrid","ajax":"title":"Ajax","url":"/ajax","id":"ajax","fc-barcelona":"title":"Barcelona","url":"/fc-barcelona","id":"fc-barcelona","bayer-leverkusen":"title":"Bayer Leverkusen","url":"/bayer-leverkusen","id":"bayer-leverkusen","fc-bayern-munich":"title":"Bayern Munich","url":"/fc-bayern-munich","id":"fc-bayern-munich","sl-benfica":"title":"Benfica","url":"/sl-benfica","id":"sl-benfica","borussia-dortmund":"title":"Borussia Dortmund","url":"/borussia-dortmund","id":"borussia-dortmund","club-brugge":"title":"Club Brugge","url":"/club-brugge","id":"club-brugge","nk-dinamo-zagreb":"title":"Dinamo Zagreb","url":"/nk-dinamo-zagreb","id":"nk-dinamo-zagreb","fc-salzburg":"title":"FC Salzburg","url":"/fc-salzburg","id":"fc-salzburg","galatasaray":"title":"Galatasaray","url":"/galatasaray","id":"galatasaray","krc-genk":"title":"Genk","url":"/krc-genk","id":"krc-genk","inter-milan":"title":"Inter Milan","url":"/inter-milan","id":"inter-milan","juventus":"title":"Juventus","url":"/juventus","id":"juventus","lille-osc":"title":"Lille","url":"/lille-osc","id":"lille-osc","lokomotiv-moscow":"title":"Lokomotiv Moscow","url":"/lokomotiv-moscow","id":"lokomotiv-moscow","olympique-lyonnais":"title":"Lyon","url":"/olympique-lyonnais","id":"olympique-lyonnais","napoli":"title":"Napoli","url":"/napoli","id":"napoli","olympiakos":"title":"Olympiacos","url":"/olympiakos","id":"olympiakos","paris-saint-germain-fc":"title":"Paris Saint-Germain","url":"/paris-saint-germain-fc","id":"paris-saint-germain-fc","rb-leipzig":"title":"RB Leipzig","url":"/rb-leipzig","id":"rb-leipzig","real-madrid":"title":"Real Madrid","url":"/real-madrid","id":"real-madrid","fk-red-star-belgrade":"title":"Red Star Belgrade","url":"/fk-red-star-belgrade","id":"fk-red-star-belgrade","shakhtar-donetsk":"title":"Shakhtar Donetsk","url":"/shakhtar-donetsk","id":"shakhtar-donetsk","slavia-prague":"title":"Slavia Prague","url":"/slavia-prague","id":"slavia-prague","valencia-cf":"title":"Valencia","url":"/valencia-cf","id":"valencia-cf","zenit-st-petersburg":"title":"Zenit","url":"/zenit-st-petersburg","id":"zenit-st-petersburg","https://www.instagram.com/brfootball/":"title":"B/R Football","url":"https://www.instagram.com/brfootball/","id":"https://www.instagram.com/brfootball/","la-liga":"title":"La Liga","url":"/la-liga","id":"la-liga","subLists":["cd-alaves","athletic-club","atletico-madrid","cadiz-cf","ca-osasuna","celta-da-vigo","eibar","elche-cf","fc-barcelona","getafe-cf","granada","sd-huesca","levante","real-betis","real-madrid","real-sociedad","real-valladolid","sevilla","valencia-cf","villarreal-cf"],"subLinks":["la-liga","transfer-window"],"cd-alaves":"title":"Alaves","url":"/cd-alaves","id":"cd-alaves","athletic-club":"title":"Athletic Club Bilbao","url":"/athletic-club","id":"athletic-club","cadiz-cf":"title":"Cadiz CF","url":"/cadiz-cf","id":"cadiz-cf","ca-osasuna":"title":"CA Osasuna","url":"/ca-osasuna","id":"ca-osasuna","celta-da-vigo":"title":"Celta da Vigo","url":"/celta-da-vigo","id":"celta-da-vigo","eibar":"title":"Eibar","url":"/eibar","id":"eibar","elche-cf":"title":"Elche CF","url":"/elche-cf","id":"elche-cf","getafe-cf":"title":"Getafe","url":"/getafe-cf","id":"getafe-cf","granada":"title":"Granada","url":"/granada","id":"granada","sd-huesca":"title":"Huesca","url":"/sd-huesca","id":"sd-huesca","levante":"title":"Levante","url":"/levante","id":"levante","real-betis":"title":"Real Betis","url":"/real-betis","id":"real-betis","real-sociedad":"title":"Real Sociedad","url":"/real-sociedad","id":"real-sociedad","real-valladolid":"title":"Real Valladolid","url":"/real-valladolid","id":"real-valladolid","sevilla":"title":"Sevilla","url":"/sevilla","id":"sevilla","villarreal-cf":"title":"Villarreal","url":"/villarreal-cf","id":"villarreal-cf","serie-a":"title":"Serie A","url":"/serie-a","id":"serie-a","subLists":["atalanta","benevento-calcio","bologna","cagliari","chievo-verona","fc-crotone","fiorentina","frosinone-calcio","genoa","inter-milan","juventus","lazio","ac-milan","napoli","parma","as-roma","sampdoria","sassuolo","spezia-calcio","torino","udinese","verona"],"subLinks":["serie-a"],"benevento-calcio":"title":"Benevento Calcio","url":"/benevento-calcio","id":"benevento-calcio","bologna":"title":"Bologna","url":"/bologna","id":"bologna","cagliari":"title":"Cagliari","url":"/cagliari","id":"cagliari","chievo-verona":"title":"Chievo","url":"/chievo-verona","id":"chievo-verona","fc-crotone":"title":"FC Crotone","url":"/fc-crotone","id":"fc-crotone","fiorentina":"title":"Fiorentina","url":"/fiorentina","id":"fiorentina","frosinone-calcio":"title":"Frosinone","url":"/frosinone-calcio","id":"frosinone-calcio","genoa":"title":"Genoa","url":"/genoa","id":"genoa","lazio":"title":"Lazio","url":"/lazio","id":"lazio","ac-milan":"title":"Milan","url":"/ac-milan","id":"ac-milan","parma":"title":"Parma","url":"/parma","id":"parma","as-roma":"title":"Roma","url":"/as-roma","id":"as-roma","sampdoria":"title":"Sampdoria","url":"/sampdoria","id":"sampdoria","sassuolo":"title":"Sassuolo","url":"/sassuolo","id":"sassuolo","spezia-calcio":"title":"Spezia Calcio","url":"/spezia-calcio","id":"spezia-calcio","torino":"title":"Torino","url":"/torino","id":"torino","udinese":"title":"Udinese","url":"/udinese","id":"udinese","verona":"title":"Verona","url":"/verona","id":"verona","bundesliga":"title":"Bundesliga","url":"/bundesliga","id":"bundesliga","subLists":["arminia-bielefeld","bayer-leverkusen","fc-bayern-munich","borussia-dortmund","borussia-monchengladbach","eintracht-frankfurt","fc-augsburg","fc-cologne","fc-union-berlin","hertha-bsc","fsv-mainz-05","rb-leipzig","sc-freiburg","schalke-04","tsg-hoffenheim","vfb-stuttgart","vfl-wolfsburg","werder-bremen"],"subLinks":["bundesliga"],"arminia-bielefeld":"title":"Arminia Bielefeld","url":"/arminia-bielefeld","id":"arminia-bielefeld","borussia-monchengladbach":"title":"Borussia Monchengladbach","url":"/borussia-monchengladbach","id":"borussia-monchengladbach","eintracht-frankfurt":"title":"Eintracht Frankfurt","url":"/eintracht-frankfurt","id":"eintracht-frankfurt","fc-augsburg":"title":"FC Augsburg","url":"/fc-augsburg","id":"fc-augsburg","fc-cologne":"title":"FC Cologne","url":"/fc-cologne","id":"fc-cologne","fc-union-berlin":"title":"FC Union Berlin","url":"/fc-union-berlin","id":"fc-union-berlin","hertha-bsc":"title":"Hertha BSC","url":"/hertha-bsc","id":"hertha-bsc","fsv-mainz-05":"title":"Mainz 05","url":"/fsv-mainz-05","id":"fsv-mainz-05","sc-freiburg":"title":"SC Freiburg","url":"/sc-freiburg","id":"sc-freiburg","schalke-04":"title":"Schalke 04","url":"/schalke-04","id":"schalke-04","tsg-hoffenheim":"title":"TSG Hoffenheim","url":"/tsg-hoffenheim","id":"tsg-hoffenheim","vfb-stuttgart":"title":"VfB Stuttgart","url":"/vfb-stuttgart","id":"vfb-stuttgart","vfl-wolfsburg":"title":"VfL Wolfsburg","url":"/vfl-wolfsburg","id":"vfl-wolfsburg","werder-bremen":"title":"Werder Bremen","url":"/werder-bremen","id":"werder-bremen","mls":"title":"MLS","url":"/mls","id":"mls","subLists":["atlanta-united-fc","chicago-fire","colorado-rapids","columbus-crew","dc-united","fc-cincinnati","fc-dallas","houston-dynamo","inter-miami","los-angeles-fc","los-angeles-galaxy","minnesota-united","montreal-impact","nashville-sc","new-england-revolution","new-york-red-bulls","new-york-city-fc","orlando-city","philadelphia-union","portland-timbers","real-salt-lake","san-jose-earthquakes","seattle-sounders-fc","sporting-kansas-city","toronto-fc","vancouver-whitecaps"],"subLinks":["mls"],"atlanta-united-fc":"title":"Atlanta United","url":"/atlanta-united-fc","id":"atlanta-united-fc","chicago-fire":"title":"Chicago Fire","url":"/chicago-fire","id":"chicago-fire","colorado-rapids":"title":"Colorado Rapids","url":"/colorado-rapids","id":"colorado-rapids","columbus-crew":"title":"Columbus Crew","url":"/columbus-crew","id":"columbus-crew","dc-united":"title":"DC United","url":"/dc-united","id":"dc-united","fc-cincinnati":"title":"FC Cincinnati","url":"/fc-cincinnati","id":"fc-cincinnati","fc-dallas":"title":"FC Dallas","url":"/fc-dallas","id":"fc-dallas","houston-dynamo":"title":"Houston Dynamo","url":"/houston-dynamo","id":"houston-dynamo","inter-miami":"title":"Inter Miami","url":"/inter-miami","id":"inter-miami","los-angeles-fc":"title":"LAFC","url":"/los-angeles-fc","id":"los-angeles-fc","los-angeles-galaxy":"title":"Los Angeles Galaxy","url":"/los-angeles-galaxy","id":"los-angeles-galaxy","minnesota-united":"title":"Minnesota United","url":"/minnesota-united","id":"minnesota-united","montreal-impact":"title":"Montreal Impact","url":"/montreal-impact","id":"montreal-impact","nashville-sc":"title":"Nashville SC","url":"/nashville-sc","id":"nashville-sc","new-england-revolution":"title":"New England Revolution","url":"/new-england-revolution","id":"new-england-revolution","new-york-red-bulls":"title":"New York Red Bulls","url":"/new-york-red-bulls","id":"new-york-red-bulls","new-york-city-fc":"title":"NYCFC","url":"/new-york-city-fc","id":"new-york-city-fc","orlando-city":"title":"Orlando City","url":"/orlando-city","id":"orlando-city","philadelphia-union":"title":"Philadelphia Union","url":"/philadelphia-union","id":"philadelphia-union","portland-timbers":"title":"Portland Timbers","url":"/portland-timbers","id":"portland-timbers","real-salt-lake":"title":"Real Salt Lake","url":"/real-salt-lake","id":"real-salt-lake","san-jose-earthquakes":"title":"San Jose Earthquakes","url":"/san-jose-earthquakes","id":"san-jose-earthquakes","seattle-sounders-fc":"title":"Seattle Sounders","url":"/seattle-sounders-fc","id":"seattle-sounders-fc","sporting-kansas-city":"title":"Sporting Kansas City","url":"/sporting-kansas-city","id":"sporting-kansas-city","toronto-fc":"title":"Toronto FC","url":"/toronto-fc","id":"toronto-fc","vancouver-whitecaps":"title":"Vancouver Whitecaps","url":"/vancouver-whitecaps","id":"vancouver-whitecaps","uefa-europa-league":"title":"Europa League","url":"/uefa-europa-league","id":"uefa-europa-league","international-football":"title":"International Football","url":"/international-football","id":"international-football","subLists":["albania-national-football","algeria-national-football","argentina","austria","australia-national-football","belgium-national-football","bosnia-herzegovina-national-football","brazilian-football","cameroon-national-football","chile-national-football","colombia-national-football","costa-rica-national-football","croatia-international-football","czech-republic-national-football","denmark-national-football","ecuador-national-football","egypt","england","france","germany","ghana-national-football","greece-national-football","honduras-national-football","hungary-national-football","iceland-national-football","iran-national-football","ireland","italy","ivory-coast-national-football","japan-national-football","mexico-national-football","morocco-national-football","namibia-national-football","netherlands","new-zealand-national-football","nigeria-national-football","north-korea-national-football","northern-ireland","norway-national-football","panama-national-football","paraguay-national-football","peru-national-football","poland","portugal-national-football","romania-national-football","russia","saudi-arabia-national-football","scotland","senegal-national-football","serbia-national-football","slovakia-national-football","slovenia-national-football","south-africa-national-football","south-korea-national-football","spain","sweden","switzerland","tunisia","turkey-national-football","ukraine","united-states","united-states-womens-football","uruguay-national-football","venezuela-national-football","wales-national-football"],"subLinks":["epl","uefa-champions-league","la-liga","serie-a","bundesliga","mls","transfer-window"],"albania-national-football":"title":"Albania","url":"/albania-national-football","id":"albania-national-football","algeria-national-football":"title":"Algeria","url":"/algeria-national-football","id":"algeria-national-football","argentina":"title":"Argentina","url":"/argentina","id":"argentina","austria":"title":"Austria","url":"/austria","id":"austria","australia-national-football":"title":"Australia","url":"/australia-national-football","id":"australia-national-football","belgium-national-football":"title":"Belgium","url":"/belgium-national-football","id":"belgium-national-football","bosnia-herzegovina-national-football":"title":"Bosnia-Herzegovina","url":"/bosnia-herzegovina-national-football","id":"bosnia-herzegovina-national-football","brazilian-football":"title":"Brazil","url":"/brazilian-football","id":"brazilian-football","cameroon-national-football":"title":"Cameroon","url":"/cameroon-national-football","id":"cameroon-national-football","chile-national-football":"title":"Chile","url":"/chile-national-football","id":"chile-national-football","colombia-national-football":"title":"Colombia","url":"/colombia-national-football","id":"colombia-national-football","costa-rica-national-football":"title":"Costa Rica","url":"/costa-rica-national-football","id":"costa-rica-national-football","croatia-international-football":"title":"Croatia","url":"/croatia-international-football","id":"croatia-international-football","czech-republic-national-football":"title":"Czech Republic","url":"/czech-republic-national-football","id":"czech-republic-national-football","denmark-national-football":"title":"Denmark","url":"/denmark-national-football","id":"denmark-national-football","ecuador-national-football":"title":"Ecuador","url":"/ecuador-national-football","id":"ecuador-national-football","egypt":"title":"Egypt","url":"/egypt","id":"egypt","england":"title":"England","url":"/england","id":"england","france":"title":"France","url":"/france","id":"france","germany":"title":"Germany","url":"/germany","id":"germany","ghana-national-football":"title":"Ghana","url":"/ghana-national-football","id":"ghana-national-football","greece-national-football":"title":"Greece","url":"/greece-national-football","id":"greece-national-football","honduras-national-football":"title":"Honduras","url":"/honduras-national-football","id":"honduras-national-football","hungary-national-football":"title":"Hungary","url":"/hungary-national-football","id":"hungary-national-football","iceland-national-football":"title":"Iceland","url":"/iceland-national-football","id":"iceland-national-football","iran-national-football":"title":"Iran","url":"/iran-national-football","id":"iran-national-football","ireland":"title":"Ireland","url":"/ireland","id":"ireland","italy":"title":"Italy","url":"/italy","id":"italy","ivory-coast-national-football":"title":"Ivory Coast","url":"/ivory-coast-national-football","id":"ivory-coast-national-football","japan-national-football":"title":"Japan","url":"/japan-national-football","id":"japan-national-football","mexico-national-football":"title":"Mexico","url":"/mexico-national-football","id":"mexico-national-football","morocco-national-football":"title":"Morocco ","url":"/morocco-national-football","id":"morocco-national-football","namibia-national-football":"title":"Namibia","url":"/namibia-national-football","id":"namibia-national-football","netherlands":"title":"Netherlands","url":"/netherlands","id":"netherlands","new-zealand-national-football":"title":"New Zealand","url":"/new-zealand-national-football","id":"new-zealand-national-football","nigeria-national-football":"title":"Nigeria","url":"/nigeria-national-football","id":"nigeria-national-football","north-korea-national-football":"title":"North Korea","url":"/north-korea-national-football","id":"north-korea-national-football","northern-ireland":"title":"Northern Ireland","url":"/northern-ireland","id":"northern-ireland","norway-national-football":"title":"Norway","url":"/norway-national-football","id":"norway-national-football","panama-national-football":"title":"Panama","url":"/panama-national-football","id":"panama-national-football","paraguay-national-football":"title":"Paraguay","url":"/paraguay-national-football","id":"paraguay-national-football","peru-national-football":"title":"Peru","url":"/peru-national-football","id":"peru-national-football","poland":"title":"Poland","url":"/poland","id":"poland","portugal-national-football":"title":"Portugal","url":"/portugal-national-football","id":"portugal-national-football","romania-national-football":"title":"Romania","url":"/romania-national-football","id":"romania-national-football","russia":"title":"Russia","url":"/russia","id":"russia","saudi-arabia-national-football":"title":"Saudi Arabia","url":"/saudi-arabia-national-football","id":"saudi-arabia-national-football","scotland":"title":"Scotland","url":"/scotland","id":"scotland","senegal-national-football":"title":"Senegal","url":"/senegal-national-football","id":"senegal-national-football","serbia-national-football":"title":"Serbia","url":"/serbia-national-football","id":"serbia-national-football","slovakia-national-football":"title":"Slovakia","url":"/slovakia-national-football","id":"slovakia-national-football","slovenia-national-football":"title":"Slovenia","url":"/slovenia-national-football","id":"slovenia-national-football","south-africa-national-football":"title":"South Africa","url":"/south-africa-national-football","id":"south-africa-national-football","south-korea-national-football":"title":"South Korea","url":"/south-korea-national-football","id":"south-korea-national-football","spain":"title":"Spain","url":"/spain","id":"spain","sweden":"title":"Sweden","url":"/sweden","id":"sweden","switzerland":"title":"Switzerland","url":"/switzerland","id":"switzerland","tunisia":"title":"Tunisia","url":"/tunisia","id":"tunisia","turkey-national-football":"title":"Turkey","url":"/turkey-national-football","id":"turkey-national-football","ukraine":"title":"Ukraine","url":"/ukraine","id":"ukraine","united-states":"title":"USMNT","url":"/united-states","id":"united-states","united-states-womens-football":"title":"USWNT","url":"/united-states-womens-football","id":"united-states-womens-football","uruguay-national-football":"title":"Uruguay","url":"/uruguay-national-football","id":"uruguay-national-football","venezuela-national-football":"title":"Venezuela","url":"/venezuela-national-football","id":"venezuela-national-football","wales-national-football":"title":"Wales","url":"/wales-national-football","id":"wales-national-football","wnba":"title":"WNBA","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/wnba","id":"wnba","nhl":"title":"NHL","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/nhl","id":"nhl","subLists":["nhl-atlantic","nhl-central","nhl-metropolitan","nhl-pacific"],"subLinks":["nhl","nhl-draft","https://www.stubhub.com/nhl-tickets/grouping/144/?gcid=chDIG-_-geoUS-_-genNHL-_-dt170201-_-cmpBR_Gen-_-partBleacherReport-_-mktgrBRAND"],"nhl-atlantic":"title":"North","id":"nhl-atlantic","subLists":["boston-bruins","buffalo-sabres","detroit-red-wings","florida-panthers","montreal-canadiens","ottawa-senators","tampa-bay-lightning","toronto-maple-leafs"],"boston-bruins":"title":"Boston","url":"/boston-bruins","id":"boston-bruins","buffalo-sabres":"title":"Buffalo","url":"/buffalo-sabres","id":"buffalo-sabres","detroit-red-wings":"title":"Detroit","url":"/detroit-red-wings","id":"detroit-red-wings","florida-panthers":"title":"Florida","url":"/florida-panthers","id":"florida-panthers","montreal-canadiens":"title":"Montreal","url":"/montreal-canadiens","id":"montreal-canadiens","ottawa-senators":"title":"Ottawa","url":"/ottawa-senators","id":"ottawa-senators","tampa-bay-lightning":"title":"Tampa Bay","url":"/tampa-bay-lightning","id":"tampa-bay-lightning","toronto-maple-leafs":"title":"Toronto","url":"/toronto-maple-leafs","id":"toronto-maple-leafs","nhl-central":"title":"Central","id":"nhl-central","subLists":["chicago-blackhawks","colorado-avalanche","dallas-stars","minnesota-wild","nashville-predators","st-louis-blues","winnipeg-jets"],"chicago-blackhawks":"title":"Chicago","url":"/chicago-blackhawks","id":"chicago-blackhawks","colorado-avalanche":"title":"Colorado","url":"/colorado-avalanche","id":"colorado-avalanche","dallas-stars":"title":"Dallas","url":"/dallas-stars","id":"dallas-stars","minnesota-wild":"title":"Minnesota","url":"/minnesota-wild","id":"minnesota-wild","nashville-predators":"title":"Nashville","url":"/nashville-predators","id":"nashville-predators","st-louis-blues":"title":"St. Louis","url":"/st-louis-blues","id":"st-louis-blues","winnipeg-jets":"title":"Winnipeg","url":"/winnipeg-jets","id":"winnipeg-jets","nhl-metropolitan":"title":"East","id":"nhl-metropolitan","subLists":["carolina-hurricanes","columbus-blue-jackets","new-jersey-devils","new-york-islanders","new-york-rangers","philadelphia-flyers","pittsburgh-penguins","washington-capitals"],"carolina-hurricanes":"title":"Carolina","url":"/carolina-hurricanes","id":"carolina-hurricanes","columbus-blue-jackets":"title":"Columbus","url":"/columbus-blue-jackets","id":"columbus-blue-jackets","new-jersey-devils":"title":"New Jersey","url":"/new-jersey-devils","id":"new-jersey-devils","new-york-islanders":"title":"NY Islanders","url":"/new-york-islanders","id":"new-york-islanders","new-york-rangers":"title":"NY Rangers","url":"/new-york-rangers","id":"new-york-rangers","philadelphia-flyers":"title":"Philadelphia","url":"/philadelphia-flyers","id":"philadelphia-flyers","pittsburgh-penguins":"title":"Pittsburgh","url":"/pittsburgh-penguins","id":"pittsburgh-penguins","washington-capitals":"title":"Washington","url":"/washington-capitals","id":"washington-capitals","nhl-pacific":"title":"West","id":"nhl-pacific","subLists":["anaheim-ducks","arizona-coyotes","calgary-flames","edmonton-oilers","los-angeles-kings","san-jose-sharks","seattle-nhl","vancouver-canucks","vegas-golden-knights"],"anaheim-ducks":"title":"Anaheim","url":"/anaheim-ducks","id":"anaheim-ducks","arizona-coyotes":"title":"Arizona","url":"/arizona-coyotes","id":"arizona-coyotes","calgary-flames":"title":"Calgary","url":"/calgary-flames","id":"calgary-flames","edmonton-oilers":"title":"Edmonton","url":"/edmonton-oilers","id":"edmonton-oilers","los-angeles-kings":"title":"Los Angeles","url":"/los-angeles-kings","id":"los-angeles-kings","san-jose-sharks":"title":"San Jose","url":"/san-jose-sharks","id":"san-jose-sharks","seattle-nhl":"title":"Seattle","url":"/seattle-nhl","id":"seattle-nhl","vancouver-canucks":"title":"Vancouver","url":"/vancouver-canucks","id":"vancouver-canucks","vegas-golden-knights":"title":"Vegas","url":"/vegas-golden-knights","id":"vegas-golden-knights","mma":"title":"MMA","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/mma","id":"mma","all-elite-wrestling":"title":"AEW","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/all-elite-wrestling","id":"all-elite-wrestling","college-basketball":"title":"MCBB","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/college-basketball","id":"college-basketball","subLists":["acc-basketball","atlantic-ten-basketball","big-12-basketball","big-east-basketball","big-10-basketball","pac-12-basketball","sec-basketball"],"subLinks":["college-basketball","college-basketball-recruiting","bracketology"],"acc-basketball":"title":"ACC","url":"/acc-basketball","id":"acc-basketball","subLists":["boston-college-basketball","clemson-basketball","duke-basketball","florida-state-basketball","georgia-tech-basketball","louisville-cardinals-basketball","miami-hurricanes-basketball","unc-basketball","nc-state-basketball","notre-dame-basketball","pitt-basketball","syracuse-basketball","uva-basketball","virginia-tech-basketball","wake-forest-basketball"],"subLinks":["acc-basketball"],"boston-college-basketball":"title":"Boston College","url":"/boston-college-basketball","id":"boston-college-basketball","clemson-basketball":"title":"Clemson","url":"/clemson-basketball","id":"clemson-basketball","duke-basketball":"title":"Duke","url":"/duke-basketball","id":"duke-basketball","florida-state-basketball":"title":"Florida St","url":"/florida-state-basketball","id":"florida-state-basketball","georgia-tech-basketball":"title":"Georgia Tech","url":"/georgia-tech-basketball","id":"georgia-tech-basketball","louisville-cardinals-basketball":"title":"Louisville","url":"/louisville-cardinals-basketball","id":"louisville-cardinals-basketball","miami-hurricanes-basketball":"title":"Miami (FL)","url":"/miami-hurricanes-basketball","id":"miami-hurricanes-basketball","unc-basketball":"title":"North Carolina","url":"/unc-basketball","id":"unc-basketball","nc-state-basketball":"title":"NC State","url":"/nc-state-basketball","id":"nc-state-basketball","notre-dame-basketball":"title":"Notre Dame","url":"/notre-dame-basketball","id":"notre-dame-basketball","pitt-basketball":"title":"Pittsburgh","url":"/pitt-basketball","id":"pitt-basketball","syracuse-basketball":"title":"Syracuse","url":"/syracuse-basketball","id":"syracuse-basketball","uva-basketball":"title":"Virginia","url":"/uva-basketball","id":"uva-basketball","virginia-tech-basketball":"title":"Virginia Tech","url":"/virginia-tech-basketball","id":"virginia-tech-basketball","wake-forest-basketball":"title":"Wake Forest","url":"/wake-forest-basketball","id":"wake-forest-basketball","atlantic-ten-basketball":"title":"Atlantic 10","url":"/atlantic-ten-basketball","id":"atlantic-ten-basketball","subLists":["davidson-basketball","dayton-basketball","duquesne-basketball","fordham-basketball","george-mason-basketball","gw-basketball","la-salle-basketball","umass-basketball","rhode-island-rams-basketball","richmond-spiders-basketball","saint-louis-billikens-basketball","st-josephs-basketball","st-bonaventure-basketball","virginia-commonwealth-basketball"],"subLinks":["atlantic-ten-basketball"],"davidson-basketball":"title":"Davidson","url":"/davidson-basketball","id":"davidson-basketball","dayton-basketball":"title":"Dayton","url":"/dayton-basketball","id":"dayton-basketball","duquesne-basketball":"title":"Duquesne","url":"/duquesne-basketball","id":"duquesne-basketball","fordham-basketball":"title":"Fordham","url":"/fordham-basketball","id":"fordham-basketball","george-mason-basketball":"title":"George Mason ","url":"/george-mason-basketball","id":"george-mason-basketball","gw-basketball":"title":"George Washington","url":"/gw-basketball","id":"gw-basketball","la-salle-basketball":"title":"La Salle","url":"/la-salle-basketball","id":"la-salle-basketball","umass-basketball":"title":"Massachusetts","url":"/umass-basketball","id":"umass-basketball","rhode-island-rams-basketball":"title":"Rhode Island","url":"/rhode-island-rams-basketball","id":"rhode-island-rams-basketball","richmond-spiders-basketball":"title":"Richmond","url":"/richmond-spiders-basketball","id":"richmond-spiders-basketball","saint-louis-billikens-basketball":"title":"Saint Louis","url":"/saint-louis-billikens-basketball","id":"saint-louis-billikens-basketball","st-josephs-basketball":"title":"St. Joseph's","url":"/st-josephs-basketball","id":"st-josephs-basketball","st-bonaventure-basketball":"title":"St. Bonaventure","url":"/st-bonaventure-basketball","id":"st-bonaventure-basketball","virginia-commonwealth-basketball":"title":"Virginia Commonwealth","url":"/virginia-commonwealth-basketball","id":"virginia-commonwealth-basketball","big-12-basketball":"title":"Big 12","url":"/big-12-basketball","id":"big-12-basketball","subLists":["baylor-basketball","iowa-state-basketball","kansas-jayhawks-basketball","kansas-state-basketball","oklahoma-sooners-basketball","oklahoma-state-basketball","tcu-basketball","texas-longhorns-basketball","texas-tech-basketball","wvu-basketball"],"subLinks":["big-12-basketball"],"baylor-basketball":"title":"Baylor","url":"/baylor-basketball","id":"baylor-basketball","iowa-state-basketball":"title":"Iowa St","url":"/iowa-state-basketball","id":"iowa-state-basketball","kansas-jayhawks-basketball":"title":"Kansas","url":"/kansas-jayhawks-basketball","id":"kansas-jayhawks-basketball","kansas-state-basketball":"title":"Kansas St","url":"/kansas-state-basketball","id":"kansas-state-basketball","oklahoma-sooners-basketball":"title":"Oklahoma","url":"/oklahoma-sooners-basketball","id":"oklahoma-sooners-basketball","oklahoma-state-basketball":"title":"Oklahoma St","url":"/oklahoma-state-basketball","id":"oklahoma-state-basketball","tcu-basketball":"title":"TCU","url":"/tcu-basketball","id":"tcu-basketball","texas-longhorns-basketball":"title":"Texas","url":"/texas-longhorns-basketball","id":"texas-longhorns-basketball","texas-tech-basketball":"title":"Texas Tech","url":"/texas-tech-basketball","id":"texas-tech-basketball","wvu-basketball":"title":"West Virginia","url":"/wvu-basketball","id":"wvu-basketball","big-east-basketball":"title":"Big East","url":"/big-east-basketball","id":"big-east-basketball","subLists":["butler-basketball","creighton-basketball","depaul-basketball","georgetown-basketball","marquette-basketball","providence-friars-basketball","seton-hall-basketball","st-johns-basketball","uconn-basketball","villanova-basketball","xavier-basketball"],"subLinks":["big-east-basketball"],"butler-basketball":"title":"Butler","url":"/butler-basketball","id":"butler-basketball","creighton-basketball":"title":"Creighton","url":"/creighton-basketball","id":"creighton-basketball","depaul-basketball":"title":"DePaul","url":"/depaul-basketball","id":"depaul-basketball","georgetown-basketball":"title":"Georgetown","url":"/georgetown-basketball","id":"georgetown-basketball","marquette-basketball":"title":"Marquette","url":"/marquette-basketball","id":"marquette-basketball","providence-friars-basketball":"title":"Providence","url":"/providence-friars-basketball","id":"providence-friars-basketball","seton-hall-basketball":"title":"Seton Hall","url":"/seton-hall-basketball","id":"seton-hall-basketball","st-johns-basketball":"title":"St John's","url":"/st-johns-basketball","id":"st-johns-basketball","uconn-basketball":"title":"UConn","url":"/uconn-basketball","id":"uconn-basketball","villanova-basketball":"title":"Villanova","url":"/villanova-basketball","id":"villanova-basketball","xavier-basketball":"title":"Xavier","url":"/xavier-basketball","id":"xavier-basketball","big-10-basketball":"title":"Big Ten","url":"/big-10-basketball","id":"big-10-basketball","subLists":["illinois-fighting-illini-basketball","indiana-hoosiers-basketball","iowa-hawkeyes-basketball","maryland-terrapins-basketball","michigan-wolverines-basketball","michigan-state-basketball","minnesota-golden-gophers-basketball","nebraska-cornhuskers-basketball","northwestern-basketball","ohio-state-basketball","penn-state-basketball","purdue-basketball","rutgers-basketball","wisconsin-badgers-basketball"],"subLinks":["big-10-basketball"],"illinois-fighting-illini-basketball":"title":"Illinois","url":"/illinois-fighting-illini-basketball","id":"illinois-fighting-illini-basketball","indiana-hoosiers-basketball":"title":"Indiana","url":"/indiana-hoosiers-basketball","id":"indiana-hoosiers-basketball","iowa-hawkeyes-basketball":"title":"Iowa","url":"/iowa-hawkeyes-basketball","id":"iowa-hawkeyes-basketball","maryland-terrapins-basketball":"title":"Maryland","url":"/maryland-terrapins-basketball","id":"maryland-terrapins-basketball","michigan-wolverines-basketball":"title":"Michigan","url":"/michigan-wolverines-basketball","id":"michigan-wolverines-basketball","michigan-state-basketball":"title":"Michigan St","url":"/michigan-state-basketball","id":"michigan-state-basketball","minnesota-golden-gophers-basketball":"title":"Minnesota","url":"/minnesota-golden-gophers-basketball","id":"minnesota-golden-gophers-basketball","nebraska-cornhuskers-basketball":"title":"Nebraska","url":"/nebraska-cornhuskers-basketball","id":"nebraska-cornhuskers-basketball","northwestern-basketball":"title":"Northwestern","url":"/northwestern-basketball","id":"northwestern-basketball","ohio-state-basketball":"title":"Ohio St","url":"/ohio-state-basketball","id":"ohio-state-basketball","penn-state-basketball":"title":"Penn St","url":"/penn-state-basketball","id":"penn-state-basketball","purdue-basketball":"title":"Purdue","url":"/purdue-basketball","id":"purdue-basketball","rutgers-basketball":"title":"Rutgers","url":"/rutgers-basketball","id":"rutgers-basketball","wisconsin-badgers-basketball":"title":"Wisconsin","url":"/wisconsin-badgers-basketball","id":"wisconsin-badgers-basketball","pac-12-basketball":"title":"Pacific-12","url":"/pac-12-basketball","id":"pac-12-basketball","subLists":["arizona-wildcats-basketball","arizona-state-basketball","cal-bears-basketball","colorado-buffaloes-basketball","oregon-ducks-basketball","oregon-state-basketball","stanford-basketball","ucla-basketball","usc-basketball","utah-utes-basketball","washington-huskies-basketball","washington-state-basketball"],"subLinks":["pac-12-basketball"],"arizona-wildcats-basketball":"title":"Arizona","url":"/arizona-wildcats-basketball","id":"arizona-wildcats-basketball","arizona-state-basketball":"title":"Arizona St","url":"/arizona-state-basketball","id":"arizona-state-basketball","cal-bears-basketball":"title":"California","url":"/cal-bears-basketball","id":"cal-bears-basketball","colorado-buffaloes-basketball":"title":"Colorado","url":"/colorado-buffaloes-basketball","id":"colorado-buffaloes-basketball","oregon-ducks-basketball":"title":"Oregon","url":"/oregon-ducks-basketball","id":"oregon-ducks-basketball","oregon-state-basketball":"title":"Oregon St","url":"/oregon-state-basketball","id":"oregon-state-basketball","stanford-basketball":"title":"Stanford","url":"/stanford-basketball","id":"stanford-basketball","ucla-basketball":"title":"UCLA","url":"/ucla-basketball","id":"ucla-basketball","usc-basketball":"title":"USC","url":"/usc-basketball","id":"usc-basketball","utah-utes-basketball":"title":"Utah","url":"/utah-utes-basketball","id":"utah-utes-basketball","washington-huskies-basketball":"title":"Washington","url":"/washington-huskies-basketball","id":"washington-huskies-basketball","washington-state-basketball":"title":"Washington St","url":"/washington-state-basketball","id":"washington-state-basketball","sec-basketball":"title":"SEC","url":"/sec-basketball","id":"sec-basketball","subLists":["alabama-crimson-tide-basketball","arkansas-razorbacks-basketball","auburn-basketball","florida-gators-basketball","georgia-bulldogs-basketball","kentucky-wildcats-basketball","lsu-basketball","ole-miss-basketball","mississippi-state-basketball","missouri-tigers-basketball","south-carolina-basketball","tennessee-volunteers-basketball","texas-am-basketball","vanderbilt-basketball"],"subLinks":["sec-basketball"],"alabama-crimson-tide-basketball":"title":"Alabama","url":"/alabama-crimson-tide-basketball","id":"alabama-crimson-tide-basketball","arkansas-razorbacks-basketball":"title":"Arkansas","url":"/arkansas-razorbacks-basketball","id":"arkansas-razorbacks-basketball","auburn-basketball":"title":"Auburn","url":"/auburn-basketball","id":"auburn-basketball","florida-gators-basketball":"title":"Florida","url":"/florida-gators-basketball","id":"florida-gators-basketball","georgia-bulldogs-basketball":"title":"Georgia","url":"/georgia-bulldogs-basketball","id":"georgia-bulldogs-basketball","kentucky-wildcats-basketball":"title":"Kentucky","url":"/kentucky-wildcats-basketball","id":"kentucky-wildcats-basketball","lsu-basketball":"title":"LSU","url":"/lsu-basketball","id":"lsu-basketball","ole-miss-basketball":"title":"Mississippi","url":"/ole-miss-basketball","id":"ole-miss-basketball","mississippi-state-basketball":"title":"Mississippi St","url":"/mississippi-state-basketball","id":"mississippi-state-basketball","missouri-tigers-basketball":"title":"Missouri","url":"/missouri-tigers-basketball","id":"missouri-tigers-basketball","south-carolina-basketball":"title":"South Carolina","url":"/south-carolina-basketball","id":"south-carolina-basketball","tennessee-volunteers-basketball":"title":"Tennessee","url":"/tennessee-volunteers-basketball","id":"tennessee-volunteers-basketball","texas-am-basketball":"title":"Texas A&M","url":"/texas-am-basketball","id":"texas-am-basketball","vanderbilt-basketball":"title":"Vanderbilt","url":"/vanderbilt-basketball","id":"vanderbilt-basketball","womens-college-basketball":"title":"WCBB","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/womens-college-basketball","id":"womens-college-basketball","wwe":"title":"WWE","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/wwe","id":"wwe","golf":"title":"Golf","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/golf","id":"golf","tennis":"title":"Tennis","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/tennis","id":"tennis","boxing":"title":"Boxing","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/boxing","id":"boxing","https://bleacherreportshop.com/?utm_source=Bleacher%20Report&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Bleacher%20Report%20Website%20Menu":"title":"B/R Shop","url":"https://bleacherreportshop.com/?utm_source=Bleacher%20Report&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Bleacher%20Report%20Website%20Menu","id":"https://bleacherreportshop.com/?utm_source=Bleacher%20Report&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Bleacher%20Report%20Website%20Menu","more":"title":"More","id":"more","subLists":["and-more"],"and-more":"title":"And More","id":"and-more","subLists":["sports-odds","united-states-womens-football","united-states","nascar","formula-1","nba2k","little-league-world-series"],"sports-odds":"title":"B/R Betting","url":"/sports-odds","id":"sports-odds","nascar":"title":"NASCAR","url":"/nascar","id":"nascar","formula-1":"title":"Formula 1","url":"/formula-1","id":"formula-1","nba2k":"title":"NBA 2K","url":"/nba2k","id":"nba2k","little-league-world-series":"title":"LLWS","url":"/little-league-world-series","id":"little-league-world-series","shows":"title":"Shows","id":"shows","subLists":["and-shows"],"and-shows":"title":"Shows","id":"and-shows","subLists":["simms-and-lefkoe","http://gameofzones.bleacherreport.com/","the-champions","gridiron-heights","take-it-there","untold-stories","underrated","the-arena"],"simms-and-lefkoe":"title":"The Lefkoe Show","url":"/simms-and-lefkoe","id":"simms-and-lefkoe","http://gameofzones.bleacherreport.com/":"title":"Game of Zones","url":"http://gameofzones.bleacherreport.com/","id":"http://gameofzones.bleacherreport.com/","the-champions":"title":"The Champions","url":"/the-champions","id":"the-champions","gridiron-heights":"title":"Gridiron Heights","url":"/gridiron-heights","id":"gridiron-heights","take-it-there":"title":"Take It There","url":"/take-it-there","id":"take-it-there","untold-stories":"title":"Untold Stories","url":"/untold-stories","id":"untold-stories","underrated":"title":"Underrated","url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7fHozsd-DU&list=PLoqDIJHlyN3N2TDxksypMu0AO1JTJrmfO","id":"underrated","the-arena":"title":"The Arena","url":"/the-arena","id":"the-arena","kicks":"title":"B/R Kicks","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/kicks","id":"kicks","gaming":"title":"B/R Gaming","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/gaming","id":"gaming","gridiron":"title":"B/R Gridiron","url":"https://www.instagram.com/brgridiron/","id":"gridiron","mobile":"title":"Get the App","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/mobile","id":"mobile","lists":"nfl":["afc-east","afc-north","afc-south","afc-west","nfc-east","nfc-north","nfc-south","nfc-west"],"afc-east":["buffalo-bills","miami-dolphins","new-england-patriots","new-york-jets"],"afc-north":["baltimore-ravens","cincinnati-bengals","cleveland-browns","pittsburgh-steelers"],"afc-south":["houston-texans","indianapolis-colts","jacksonville-jaguars","tennessee-titans"],"afc-west":["denver-broncos","kansas-city-chiefs","oakland-raiders","los-angeles-chargers"],"nfc-east":["dallas-cowboys","new-york-giants","philadelphia-eagles","washington-football-team"],"nfc-north":["chicago-bears","detroit-lions","green-bay-packers","minnesota-vikings"],"nfc-south":["atlanta-falcons","carolina-panthers","new-orleans-saints","tampa-bay-buccaneers"],"nfc-west":["arizona-cardinals","los-angeles-rams","san-francisco-49ers","seattle-seahawks"],"nba":["atlantic","central","northwest","pacific","southeast","southwest"],"atlantic":["boston-celtics","brooklyn-nets","new-york-knicks","philadelphia-76ers","toronto-raptors"],"central":["chicago-bulls","cleveland-cavaliers","detroit-pistons","indiana-pacers","milwaukee-bucks"],"northwest":["denver-nuggets","minnesota-timberwolves","oklahoma-city-thunder","portland-trail-blazers","utah-jazz"],"pacific":["golden-state-warriors","los-angeles-clippers","los-angeles-lakers","phoenix-suns","sacramento-kings"],"southeast":["atlanta-hawks","charlotte-hornets","miami-heat","orlando-magic","washington-wizards"],"southwest":["dallas-mavericks","houston-rockets","memphis-grizzlies","new-orleans-pelicans","san-antonio-spurs"],"mlb":["al-east","al-central","al-west","nl-east","nl-central","nl-west"],"al-east":["baltimore-orioles","boston-red-sox","new-york-yankees","tampa-bay-rays","toronto-blue-jays"],"al-central":["chicago-white-sox","cleveland-indians","detroit-tigers","kansas-city-royals","minnesota-twins"],"al-west":["houston-astros","los-angeles-angels","oakland-athletics","seattle-mariners","texas-rangers"],"nl-east":["atlanta-braves","miami-marlins","new-york-mets","philadelphia-phillies","washington-nationals"],"nl-central":["chicago-cubs","cincinnati-reds","milwaukee-brewers","pittsburgh-pirates","st-louis-cardinals"],"nl-west":["arizona-diamondbacks","colorado-rockies","los-angeles-dodgers","san-diego-padres","san-francisco-giants"],"college-football":["american-athletic-conference-football","acc-football","big-12-football","big-10-football","pac-12-football","sec-football","independents-football"],"american-athletic-conference-football":["cincinnati-bearcats-football","east-carolina-football","houston-cougars-football","memphis-tigers-football","navy-football","smu-mustangs-football","south-florida-bulls-football","temple-football","tulane-football","tulsa-football","ucf-knights-football"],"acc-football":["boston-college-football","clemson-football","duke-football","florida-state-football","georgia-tech-football","louisville-cardinals-football","miami-hurricanes-football","unc-football","nc-state-football","pitt-football","syracuse-football","uva-football","virginia-tech-football","wake-forest-football"],"big-12-football":["baylor-football","iowa-state-football","kansas-jayhawks-football","kansas-state-football","oklahoma-sooners-football","oklahoma-state-football","tcu-football","texas-longhorns-football","texas-tech-football","wvu-football"],"big-10-football":["illinois-fighting-illini-football","indiana-hoosiers-football","iowa-hawkeyes-football","maryland-terrapins-football","michigan-wolverines-football","michigan-state-football","minnesota-golden-gophers-football","nebraska-cornhuskers-football","northwestern-football","ohio-state-football","penn-state-football","purdue-football","rutgers-football","wisconsin-badgers-football"],"pac-12-football":["arizona-wildcats-football","arizona-state-football","cal-bears-football","colorado-buffaloes-football","oregon-ducks-football","oregon-state-football","stanford-football","ucla-football","usc-football","utah-utes-football","washington-huskies-football","washington-state-football"],"sec-football":["alabama-crimson-tide-football","arkansas-razorbacks-football","auburn-football","florida-gators-football","georgia-bulldogs-football","kentucky-wildcats-football","lsu-football","ole-miss-football","mississippi-state-football","missouri-tigers-football","south-carolina-football","tennessee-volunteers-football","texas-am-football","vanderbilt-football"],"independents-football":["army-football","byu-football","liberty-football","notre-dame-football","uconn-football","umass-football"],"world-football":["epl","uefa-champions-league","https://www.instagram.com/brfootball/","la-liga","serie-a","bundesliga","mls","uefa-europa-league","international-football"],"epl":["arsenal","aston-villa","brighton-hove-albion","burnley","chelsea","crystal-palace","everton","fulham","leeds-united","leicester-city-foxes","liverpool","manchester-city","manchester-united","newcastle-united","sheffield-united-fc","southampton","tottenham-hotspur","west-bromwich","west-ham-united","wolverhampton-wanderers"],"uefa-champions-league":["atalanta","atletico-madrid","ajax","fc-barcelona","bayer-leverkusen","fc-bayern-munich","sl-benfica","borussia-dortmund","chelsea","club-brugge","nk-dinamo-zagreb","fc-salzburg","galatasaray","krc-genk","inter-milan","juventus","lille-osc","liverpool","lokomotiv-moscow","olympique-lyonnais","manchester-city","manchester-united","napoli","olympiakos","paris-saint-germain-fc","rb-leipzig","real-madrid","fk-red-star-belgrade","shakhtar-donetsk","slavia-prague","tottenham-hotspur","valencia-cf","zenit-st-petersburg"],"la-liga":["cd-alaves","athletic-club","atletico-madrid","cadiz-cf","ca-osasuna","celta-da-vigo","eibar","elche-cf","fc-barcelona","getafe-cf","granada","sd-huesca","levante","real-betis","real-madrid","real-sociedad","real-valladolid","sevilla","valencia-cf","villarreal-cf"],"serie-a":["atalanta","benevento-calcio","bologna","cagliari","chievo-verona","fc-crotone","fiorentina","frosinone-calcio","genoa","inter-milan","juventus","lazio","ac-milan","napoli","parma","as-roma","sampdoria","sassuolo","spezia-calcio","torino","udinese","verona"],"bundesliga":["arminia-bielefeld","bayer-leverkusen","fc-bayern-munich","borussia-dortmund","borussia-monchengladbach","eintracht-frankfurt","fc-augsburg","fc-cologne","fc-union-berlin","hertha-bsc","fsv-mainz-05","rb-leipzig","sc-freiburg","schalke-04","tsg-hoffenheim","vfb-stuttgart","vfl-wolfsburg","werder-bremen"],"mls":["atlanta-united-fc","chicago-fire","colorado-rapids","columbus-crew","dc-united","fc-cincinnati","fc-dallas","houston-dynamo","inter-miami","los-angeles-fc","los-angeles-galaxy","minnesota-united","montreal-impact","nashville-sc","new-england-revolution","new-york-red-bulls","new-york-city-fc","orlando-city","philadelphia-union","portland-timbers","real-salt-lake","san-jose-earthquakes","seattle-sounders-fc","sporting-kansas-city","toronto-fc","vancouver-whitecaps"],"international-football":["albania-national-football","algeria-national-football","argentina","austria","australia-national-football","belgium-national-football","bosnia-herzegovina-national-football","brazilian-football","cameroon-national-football","chile-national-football","colombia-national-football","costa-rica-national-football","croatia-international-football","czech-republic-national-football","denmark-national-football","ecuador-national-football","egypt","england","france","germany","ghana-national-football","greece-national-football","honduras-national-football","hungary-national-football","iceland-national-football","iran-national-football","ireland","italy","ivory-coast-national-football","japan-national-football","mexico-national-football","morocco-national-football","namibia-national-football","netherlands","new-zealand-national-football","nigeria-national-football","north-korea-national-football","northern-ireland","norway-national-football","panama-national-football","paraguay-national-football","peru-national-football","poland","portugal-national-football","romania-national-football","russia","saudi-arabia-national-football","scotland","senegal-national-football","serbia-national-football","slovakia-national-football","slovenia-national-football","south-africa-national-football","south-korea-national-football","spain","sweden","switzerland","tunisia","turkey-national-football","ukraine","united-states","united-states-womens-football","uruguay-national-football","venezuela-national-football","wales-national-football"],"nhl":["nhl-atlantic","nhl-central","nhl-metropolitan","nhl-pacific"],"nhl-atlantic":["boston-bruins","buffalo-sabres","detroit-red-wings","florida-panthers","montreal-canadiens","ottawa-senators","tampa-bay-lightning","toronto-maple-leafs"],"nhl-central":["chicago-blackhawks","colorado-avalanche","dallas-stars","minnesota-wild","nashville-predators","st-louis-blues","winnipeg-jets"],"nhl-metropolitan":["carolina-hurricanes","columbus-blue-jackets","new-jersey-devils","new-york-islanders","new-york-rangers","philadelphia-flyers","pittsburgh-penguins","washington-capitals"],"nhl-pacific":["anaheim-ducks","arizona-coyotes","calgary-flames","edmonton-oilers","los-angeles-kings","san-jose-sharks","seattle-nhl","vancouver-canucks","vegas-golden-knights"],"college-basketball":["acc-basketball","atlantic-ten-basketball","big-12-basketball","big-east-basketball","big-10-basketball","pac-12-basketball","sec-basketball"],"acc-basketball":["boston-college-basketball","clemson-basketball","duke-basketball","florida-state-basketball","georgia-tech-basketball","louisville-cardinals-basketball","miami-hurricanes-basketball","unc-basketball","nc-state-basketball","notre-dame-basketball","pitt-basketball","syracuse-basketball","uva-basketball","virginia-tech-basketball","wake-forest-basketball"],"atlantic-ten-basketball":["davidson-basketball","dayton-basketball","duquesne-basketball","fordham-basketball","george-mason-basketball","gw-basketball","la-salle-basketball","umass-basketball","rhode-island-rams-basketball","richmond-spiders-basketball","saint-louis-billikens-basketball","st-josephs-basketball","st-bonaventure-basketball","virginia-commonwealth-basketball"],"big-12-basketball":["baylor-basketball","iowa-state-basketball","kansas-jayhawks-basketball","kansas-state-basketball","oklahoma-sooners-basketball","oklahoma-state-basketball","tcu-basketball","texas-longhorns-basketball","texas-tech-basketball","wvu-basketball"],"big-east-basketball":["butler-basketball","creighton-basketball","depaul-basketball","georgetown-basketball","marquette-basketball","providence-friars-basketball","seton-hall-basketball","st-johns-basketball","uconn-basketball","villanova-basketball","xavier-basketball"],"big-10-basketball":["illinois-fighting-illini-basketball","indiana-hoosiers-basketball","iowa-hawkeyes-basketball","maryland-terrapins-basketball","michigan-wolverines-basketball","michigan-state-basketball","minnesota-golden-gophers-basketball","nebraska-cornhuskers-basketball","northwestern-basketball","ohio-state-basketball","penn-state-basketball","purdue-basketball","rutgers-basketball","wisconsin-badgers-basketball"],"pac-12-basketball":["arizona-wildcats-basketball","arizona-state-basketball","cal-bears-basketball","colorado-buffaloes-basketball","oregon-ducks-basketball","oregon-state-basketball","stanford-basketball","ucla-basketball","usc-basketball","utah-utes-basketball","washington-huskies-basketball","washington-state-basketball"],"sec-basketball":["alabama-crimson-tide-basketball","arkansas-razorbacks-basketball","auburn-basketball","florida-gators-basketball","georgia-bulldogs-basketball","kentucky-wildcats-basketball","lsu-basketball","ole-miss-basketball","mississippi-state-basketball","missouri-tigers-basketball","south-carolina-basketball","tennessee-volunteers-basketball","texas-am-basketball","vanderbilt-basketball"],"more":["and-more"],"and-more":["sports-odds","united-states-womens-football","united-states","nascar","formula-1","nba2k","little-league-world-series"],"shows":["and-shows"],"and-shows":["simms-and-lefkoe","http://gameofzones.bleacherreport.com/","the-champions","gridiron-heights","take-it-there","untold-stories","underrated","the-arena"],"topLevelLinks":["nfl","nba","mlb","college-football","world-football","wnba","nhl","mma","all-elite-wrestling","college-basketball","womens-college-basketball","wwe","golf","tennis","boxing","https://bleacherreportshop.com/?utm_source=Bleacher%20Report&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Bleacher%20Report%20Website%20Menu","more"],"leagueLinks":["nfl","nba","mlb","college-football","world-football","wnba","nhl","mma","all-elite-wrestling","college-basketball","womens-college-basketball","wwe","golf","tennis","boxing","https://bleacherreportshop.com/?utm_source=Bleacher%20Report&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Bleacher%20Report%20Website%20Menu","more"],"nonLeagueLinks":["shows","kicks","gaming","gridiron","mobile","https://bleacherreportshop.com/?utm_source=Bleacher%20Report&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Bleacher%20Report%20Website%20Menu"],"dropdownStack":[],"leagueOverflow":[],"links":"nfl":"title":"Home","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/nfl","id":"nfl","https://www.instagram.com/brgridiron/":"title":"B/R Gridiron","url":"https://www.instagram.com/brgridiron/","id":"https://www.instagram.com/brgridiron/","fantasy-football":"title":"Fantasy","url":"/fantasy-football","id":"fantasy-football","nfl-draft":"title":"Draft","url":"/nfl-draft","id":"nfl-draft","https://www.stubhub.com/nfl-tickets/grouping/121/?gcid=chDIG-_-geoUS-_-genNFL-_-dt170201-_-cmpBR_Gen-_-partBleacherReport-_-mktgrBRAND":"title":"Tickets","url":"https://www.stubhub.com/nfl-tickets/grouping/121/?gcid=chDIG-_-geoUS-_-genNFL-_-dt170201-_-cmpBR_Gen-_-partBleacherReport-_-mktgrBRAND","id":"https://www.stubhub.com/nfl-tickets/grouping/121/?gcid=chDIG-_-geoUS-_-genNFL-_-dt170201-_-cmpBR_Gen-_-partBleacherReport-_-mktgrBRAND","buffalo-bills":"title":"Buffalo","url":"/buffalo-bills","id":"buffalo-bills","miami-dolphins":"title":"Miami","url":"/miami-dolphins","id":"miami-dolphins","new-england-patriots":"title":"New England","url":"/new-england-patriots","id":"new-england-patriots","new-york-jets":"title":"NY Jets","url":"/new-york-jets","id":"new-york-jets","baltimore-ravens":"title":"Baltimore","url":"/baltimore-ravens","id":"baltimore-ravens","cincinnati-bengals":"title":"Cincinnati","url":"/cincinnati-bengals","id":"cincinnati-bengals","cleveland-browns":"title":"Cleveland","url":"/cleveland-browns","id":"cleveland-browns","pittsburgh-steelers":"title":"Pittsburgh","url":"/pittsburgh-steelers","id":"pittsburgh-steelers","houston-texans":"title":"Houston","url":"/houston-texans","id":"houston-texans","indianapolis-colts":"title":"Indianapolis","url":"/indianapolis-colts","id":"indianapolis-colts","jacksonville-jaguars":"title":"Jacksonville","url":"/jacksonville-jaguars","id":"jacksonville-jaguars","tennessee-titans":"title":"Tennessee","url":"/tennessee-titans","id":"tennessee-titans","denver-broncos":"title":"Denver","url":"/denver-broncos","id":"denver-broncos","kansas-city-chiefs":"title":"Kansas City","url":"/kansas-city-chiefs","id":"kansas-city-chiefs","oakland-raiders":"title":"Las Vegas","url":"/oakland-raiders","id":"oakland-raiders","los-angeles-chargers":"title":"Los Angeles","url":"/los-angeles-chargers","id":"los-angeles-chargers","dallas-cowboys":"title":"Dallas","url":"/dallas-cowboys","id":"dallas-cowboys","new-york-giants":"title":"NY Giants","url":"/new-york-giants","id":"new-york-giants","philadelphia-eagles":"title":"Philadelphia","url":"/philadelphia-eagles","id":"philadelphia-eagles","washington-football-team":"title":"Washington","url":"/washington-football-team","id":"washington-football-team","chicago-bears":"title":"Chicago","url":"/chicago-bears","id":"chicago-bears","detroit-lions":"title":"Detroit","url":"/detroit-lions","id":"detroit-lions","green-bay-packers":"title":"Green Bay","url":"/green-bay-packers","id":"green-bay-packers","minnesota-vikings":"title":"Minnesota","url":"/minnesota-vikings","id":"minnesota-vikings","atlanta-falcons":"title":"Atlanta","url":"/atlanta-falcons","id":"atlanta-falcons","carolina-panthers":"title":"Carolina","url":"/carolina-panthers","id":"carolina-panthers","new-orleans-saints":"title":"New Orleans","url":"/new-orleans-saints","id":"new-orleans-saints","tampa-bay-buccaneers":"title":"Tampa Bay","url":"/tampa-bay-buccaneers","id":"tampa-bay-buccaneers","arizona-cardinals":"title":"Arizona","url":"/arizona-cardinals","id":"arizona-cardinals","los-angeles-rams":"title":"Los Angeles","url":"/los-angeles-rams","id":"los-angeles-rams","san-francisco-49ers":"title":"San Francisco","url":"/san-francisco-49ers","id":"san-francisco-49ers","seattle-seahawks":"title":"Seattle","url":"/seattle-seahawks","id":"seattle-seahawks","nba":"title":"Home","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/nba","id":"nba","fantasy-basketball":"title":"Fantasy","url":"/fantasy-basketball","id":"fantasy-basketball","nba-draft":"title":"Draft","url":"/nba-draft","id":"nba-draft","https://www.instagram.com/br_hoops/":"title":"B/R Hoops","url":"https://www.instagram.com/br_hoops/","id":"https://www.instagram.com/br_hoops/","https://www.stubhub.com/nba-tickets/grouping/115/?gcid=chDIG-_-geoUS-_-genNBA-_-dt170201-_-cmpBR_Gen-_-partBleacherReport-_-mktgrBRAND":"title":"Tickets","url":"https://www.stubhub.com/nba-tickets/grouping/115/?gcid=chDIG-_-geoUS-_-genNBA-_-dt170201-_-cmpBR_Gen-_-partBleacherReport-_-mktgrBRAND","id":"https://www.stubhub.com/nba-tickets/grouping/115/?gcid=chDIG-_-geoUS-_-genNBA-_-dt170201-_-cmpBR_Gen-_-partBleacherReport-_-mktgrBRAND","boston-celtics":"title":"Boston","url":"/boston-celtics","id":"boston-celtics","brooklyn-nets":"title":"Brooklyn","url":"/brooklyn-nets","id":"brooklyn-nets","new-york-knicks":"title":"New York","url":"/new-york-knicks","id":"new-york-knicks","philadelphia-76ers":"title":"Philadelphia","url":"/philadelphia-76ers","id":"philadelphia-76ers","toronto-raptors":"title":"Toronto","url":"/toronto-raptors","id":"toronto-raptors","chicago-bulls":"title":"Chicago","url":"/chicago-bulls","id":"chicago-bulls","cleveland-cavaliers":"title":"Cleveland","url":"/cleveland-cavaliers","id":"cleveland-cavaliers","detroit-pistons":"title":"Detroit","url":"/detroit-pistons","id":"detroit-pistons","indiana-pacers":"title":"Indiana","url":"/indiana-pacers","id":"indiana-pacers","milwaukee-bucks":"title":"Milwaukee","url":"/milwaukee-bucks","id":"milwaukee-bucks","denver-nuggets":"title":"Denver","url":"/denver-nuggets","id":"denver-nuggets","minnesota-timberwolves":"title":"Minnesota","url":"/minnesota-timberwolves","id":"minnesota-timberwolves","oklahoma-city-thunder":"title":"Oklahoma City","url":"/oklahoma-city-thunder","id":"oklahoma-city-thunder","portland-trail-blazers":"title":"Portland","url":"/portland-trail-blazers","id":"portland-trail-blazers","utah-jazz":"title":"Utah","url":"/utah-jazz","id":"utah-jazz","golden-state-warriors":"title":"Golden St","url":"/golden-state-warriors","id":"golden-state-warriors","los-angeles-clippers":"title":"LA Clippers","url":"/los-angeles-clippers","id":"los-angeles-clippers","los-angeles-lakers":"title":"LA Lakers","url":"/los-angeles-lakers","id":"los-angeles-lakers","phoenix-suns":"title":"Phoenix","url":"/phoenix-suns","id":"phoenix-suns","sacramento-kings":"title":"Sacramento","url":"/sacramento-kings","id":"sacramento-kings","atlanta-hawks":"title":"Atlanta","url":"/atlanta-hawks","id":"atlanta-hawks","charlotte-hornets":"title":"Charlotte","url":"/charlotte-hornets","id":"charlotte-hornets","miami-heat":"title":"Miami","url":"/miami-heat","id":"miami-heat","orlando-magic":"title":"Orlando","url":"/orlando-magic","id":"orlando-magic","washington-wizards":"title":"Washington","url":"/washington-wizards","id":"washington-wizards","dallas-mavericks":"title":"Dallas","url":"/dallas-mavericks","id":"dallas-mavericks","houston-rockets":"title":"Houston","url":"/houston-rockets","id":"houston-rockets","memphis-grizzlies":"title":"Memphis","url":"/memphis-grizzlies","id":"memphis-grizzlies","new-orleans-pelicans":"title":"New Orleans","url":"/new-orleans-pelicans","id":"new-orleans-pelicans","san-antonio-spurs":"title":"San Antonio","url":"/san-antonio-spurs","id":"san-antonio-spurs","mlb":"title":"Home","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/mlb","id":"mlb","fantasy-baseball":"title":"Fantasy","url":"/fantasy-baseball","id":"fantasy-baseball","https://www.stubhub.com/mlb-tickets/grouping/81/?gcid=chDIG-_-geoUS-_-genMLB-_-dt170201-_-cmpBR_Gen-_-partBleacherReport-_-mktgrBRAND":"title":"Tickets","url":"https://www.stubhub.com/mlb-tickets/grouping/81/?gcid=chDIG-_-geoUS-_-genMLB-_-dt170201-_-cmpBR_Gen-_-partBleacherReport-_-mktgrBRAND","id":"https://www.stubhub.com/mlb-tickets/grouping/81/?gcid=chDIG-_-geoUS-_-genMLB-_-dt170201-_-cmpBR_Gen-_-partBleacherReport-_-mktgrBRAND","baltimore-orioles":"title":"Baltimore","url":"/baltimore-orioles","id":"baltimore-orioles","boston-red-sox":"title":"Boston","url":"/boston-red-sox","id":"boston-red-sox","new-york-yankees":"title":"NY Yankees","url":"/new-york-yankees","id":"new-york-yankees","tampa-bay-rays":"title":"Tampa Bay","url":"/tampa-bay-rays","id":"tampa-bay-rays","toronto-blue-jays":"title":"Toronto","url":"/toronto-blue-jays","id":"toronto-blue-jays","chicago-white-sox":"title":"Chi White Sox","url":"/chicago-white-sox","id":"chicago-white-sox","cleveland-indians":"title":"Cleveland","url":"/cleveland-indians","id":"cleveland-indians","detroit-tigers":"title":"Detroit","url":"/detroit-tigers","id":"detroit-tigers","kansas-city-royals":"title":"Kansas City","url":"/kansas-city-royals","id":"kansas-city-royals","minnesota-twins":"title":"Minnesota","url":"/minnesota-twins","id":"minnesota-twins","houston-astros":"title":"Houston","url":"/houston-astros","id":"houston-astros","los-angeles-angels":"title":"LA Angels","url":"/los-angeles-angels","id":"los-angeles-angels","oakland-athletics":"title":"Oakland","url":"/oakland-athletics","id":"oakland-athletics","seattle-mariners":"title":"Seattle","url":"/seattle-mariners","id":"seattle-mariners","texas-rangers":"title":"Texas","url":"/texas-rangers","id":"texas-rangers","atlanta-braves":"title":"Atlanta","url":"/atlanta-braves","id":"atlanta-braves","miami-marlins":"title":"Miami","url":"/miami-marlins","id":"miami-marlins","new-york-mets":"title":"NY Mets","url":"/new-york-mets","id":"new-york-mets","philadelphia-phillies":"title":"Philadelphia","url":"/philadelphia-phillies","id":"philadelphia-phillies","washington-nationals":"title":"Washington","url":"/washington-nationals","id":"washington-nationals","chicago-cubs":"title":"Chi Cubs","url":"/chicago-cubs","id":"chicago-cubs","cincinnati-reds":"title":"Cincinnati","url":"/cincinnati-reds","id":"cincinnati-reds","milwaukee-brewers":"title":"Milwaukee","url":"/milwaukee-brewers","id":"milwaukee-brewers","pittsburgh-pirates":"title":"Pittsburgh","url":"/pittsburgh-pirates","id":"pittsburgh-pirates","st-louis-cardinals":"title":"St Louis","url":"/st-louis-cardinals","id":"st-louis-cardinals","arizona-diamondbacks":"title":"Arizona","url":"/arizona-diamondbacks","id":"arizona-diamondbacks","colorado-rockies":"title":"Colorado","url":"/colorado-rockies","id":"colorado-rockies","los-angeles-dodgers":"title":"LA Dodgers","url":"/los-angeles-dodgers","id":"los-angeles-dodgers","san-diego-padres":"title":"San Diego","url":"/san-diego-padres","id":"san-diego-padres","san-francisco-giants":"title":"San Francisco","url":"/san-francisco-giants","id":"san-francisco-giants","college-football":"title":"Home","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/college-football","id":"college-football","recruiting":"title":"Recruiting","url":"/recruiting","id":"recruiting","https://www.stubhub.com/ncaa-football-tickets/grouping/122/?gcid=chDIG-_-geoUS-_-genNCAAF-_-dt170201-_-cmpBR_Gen-_-partBleacherReport-_-mktgrBRAND":"title":"Tickets","url":"https://www.stubhub.com/ncaa-football-tickets/grouping/122/?gcid=chDIG-_-geoUS-_-genNCAAF-_-dt170201-_-cmpBR_Gen-_-partBleacherReport-_-mktgrBRAND","id":"https://www.stubhub.com/ncaa-football-tickets/grouping/122/?gcid=chDIG-_-geoUS-_-genNCAAF-_-dt170201-_-cmpBR_Gen-_-partBleacherReport-_-mktgrBRAND","cincinnati-bearcats-football":"title":"Cincinnati","url":"/cincinnati-bearcats-football","id":"cincinnati-bearcats-football","east-carolina-football":"title":"East Carolina","url":"/east-carolina-football","id":"east-carolina-football","houston-cougars-football":"title":"Houston","url":"/houston-cougars-football","id":"houston-cougars-football","memphis-tigers-football":"title":"Memphis","url":"/memphis-tigers-football","id":"memphis-tigers-football","navy-football":"title":"Navy","url":"/navy-football","id":"navy-football","smu-mustangs-football":"title":"SMU","url":"/smu-mustangs-football","id":"smu-mustangs-football","south-florida-bulls-football":"title":"South Florida","url":"/south-florida-bulls-football","id":"south-florida-bulls-football","temple-football":"title":"Temple","url":"/temple-football","id":"temple-football","tulane-football":"title":"Tulane","url":"/tulane-football","id":"tulane-football","tulsa-football":"title":"Tulsa","url":"/tulsa-football","id":"tulsa-football","ucf-knights-football":"title":"UCF","url":"/ucf-knights-football","id":"ucf-knights-football","acc-football":"title":"ACC Home","url":"/acc-football","id":"acc-football","boston-college-football":"title":"Boston College","url":"/boston-college-football","id":"boston-college-football","clemson-football":"title":"Clemson","url":"/clemson-football","id":"clemson-football","duke-football":"title":"Duke","url":"/duke-football","id":"duke-football","florida-state-football":"title":"Florida St","url":"/florida-state-football","id":"florida-state-football","georgia-tech-football":"title":"Georgia Tech","url":"/georgia-tech-football","id":"georgia-tech-football","louisville-cardinals-football":"title":"Louisville","url":"/louisville-cardinals-football","id":"louisville-cardinals-football","miami-hurricanes-football":"title":"Miami (FL)","url":"/miami-hurricanes-football","id":"miami-hurricanes-football","unc-football":"title":"North Carolina","url":"/unc-football","id":"unc-football","nc-state-football":"title":"NC State","url":"/nc-state-football","id":"nc-state-football","pitt-football":"title":"Pittsburgh","url":"/pitt-football","id":"pitt-football","syracuse-football":"title":"Syracuse","url":"/syracuse-football","id":"syracuse-football","uva-football":"title":"Virginia","url":"/uva-football","id":"uva-football","virginia-tech-football":"title":"Virginia Tech","url":"/virginia-tech-football","id":"virginia-tech-football","wake-forest-football":"title":"Wake Forest","url":"/wake-forest-football","id":"wake-forest-football","big-12-football":"title":"Big 12 Home","url":"/big-12-football","id":"big-12-football","baylor-football":"title":"Baylor","url":"/baylor-football","id":"baylor-football","iowa-state-football":"title":"Iowa St","url":"/iowa-state-football","id":"iowa-state-football","kansas-jayhawks-football":"title":"Kansas","url":"/kansas-jayhawks-football","id":"kansas-jayhawks-football","kansas-state-football":"title":"Kansas St","url":"/kansas-state-football","id":"kansas-state-football","oklahoma-sooners-football":"title":"Oklahoma","url":"/oklahoma-sooners-football","id":"oklahoma-sooners-football","oklahoma-state-football":"title":"Oklahoma St","url":"/oklahoma-state-football","id":"oklahoma-state-football","tcu-football":"title":"TCU","url":"/tcu-football","id":"tcu-football","texas-longhorns-football":"title":"Texas","url":"/texas-longhorns-football","id":"texas-longhorns-football","texas-tech-football":"title":"Texas Tech","url":"/texas-tech-football","id":"texas-tech-football","wvu-football":"title":"West Virginia","url":"/wvu-football","id":"wvu-football","big-10-football":"title":"Big Ten Home","url":"/big-10-football","id":"big-10-football","illinois-fighting-illini-football":"title":"Illinois","url":"/illinois-fighting-illini-football","id":"illinois-fighting-illini-football","indiana-hoosiers-football":"title":"Indiana","url":"/indiana-hoosiers-football","id":"indiana-hoosiers-football","iowa-hawkeyes-football":"title":"Iowa","url":"/iowa-hawkeyes-football","id":"iowa-hawkeyes-football","maryland-terrapins-football":"title":"Maryland","url":"/maryland-terrapins-football","id":"maryland-terrapins-football","michigan-wolverines-football":"title":"Michigan","url":"/michigan-wolverines-football","id":"michigan-wolverines-football","michigan-state-football":"title":"Michigan St","url":"/michigan-state-football","id":"michigan-state-football","minnesota-golden-gophers-football":"title":"Minnesota","url":"/minnesota-golden-gophers-football","id":"minnesota-golden-gophers-football","nebraska-cornhuskers-football":"title":"Nebraska","url":"/nebraska-cornhuskers-football","id":"nebraska-cornhuskers-football","northwestern-football":"title":"Northwestern","url":"/northwestern-football","id":"northwestern-football","ohio-state-football":"title":"Ohio St","url":"/ohio-state-football","id":"ohio-state-football","penn-state-football":"title":"Penn St","url":"/penn-state-football","id":"penn-state-football","purdue-football":"title":"Purdue","url":"/purdue-football","id":"purdue-football","rutgers-football":"title":"Rutgers","url":"/rutgers-football","id":"rutgers-football","wisconsin-badgers-football":"title":"Wisconsin","url":"/wisconsin-badgers-football","id":"wisconsin-badgers-football","pac-12-football":"title":"Pac-12 Home","url":"/pac-12-football","id":"pac-12-football","arizona-wildcats-football":"title":"Arizona","url":"/arizona-wildcats-football","id":"arizona-wildcats-football","arizona-state-football":"title":"Arizona St","url":"/arizona-state-football","id":"arizona-state-football","cal-bears-football":"title":"California","url":"/cal-bears-football","id":"cal-bears-football","colorado-buffaloes-football":"title":"Colorado","url":"/colorado-buffaloes-football","id":"colorado-buffaloes-football","oregon-ducks-football":"title":"Oregon","url":"/oregon-ducks-football","id":"oregon-ducks-football","oregon-state-football":"title":"Oregon St","url":"/oregon-state-football","id":"oregon-state-football","stanford-football":"title":"Stanford","url":"/stanford-football","id":"stanford-football","ucla-football":"title":"UCLA","url":"/ucla-football","id":"ucla-football","usc-football":"title":"USC","url":"/usc-football","id":"usc-football","utah-utes-football":"title":"Utah","url":"/utah-utes-football","id":"utah-utes-football","washington-huskies-football":"title":"Washington","url":"/washington-huskies-football","id":"washington-huskies-football","washington-state-football":"title":"Washington St","url":"/washington-state-football","id":"washington-state-football","sec-football":"title":"SEC Home","url":"/sec-football","id":"sec-football","alabama-crimson-tide-football":"title":"Alabama","url":"/alabama-crimson-tide-football","id":"alabama-crimson-tide-football","arkansas-razorbacks-football":"title":"Arkansas","url":"/arkansas-razorbacks-football","id":"arkansas-razorbacks-football","auburn-football":"title":"Auburn","url":"/auburn-football","id":"auburn-football","florida-gators-football":"title":"Florida","url":"/florida-gators-football","id":"florida-gators-football","georgia-bulldogs-football":"title":"Georgia","url":"/georgia-bulldogs-football","id":"georgia-bulldogs-football","kentucky-wildcats-football":"title":"Kentucky","url":"/kentucky-wildcats-football","id":"kentucky-wildcats-football","lsu-football":"title":"LSU","url":"/lsu-football","id":"lsu-football","ole-miss-football":"title":"Mississippi","url":"/ole-miss-football","id":"ole-miss-football","mississippi-state-football":"title":"Mississippi St","url":"/mississippi-state-football","id":"mississippi-state-football","missouri-tigers-football":"title":"Missouri","url":"/missouri-tigers-football","id":"missouri-tigers-football","south-carolina-football":"title":"South Carolina","url":"/south-carolina-football","id":"south-carolina-football","tennessee-volunteers-football":"title":"Tennessee","url":"/tennessee-volunteers-football","id":"tennessee-volunteers-football","texas-am-football":"title":"Texas A&M","url":"/texas-am-football","id":"texas-am-football","vanderbilt-football":"title":"Vanderbilt","url":"/vanderbilt-football","id":"vanderbilt-football","independents-football":"title":"Independents Home","url":"/independents-football","id":"independents-football","new-mexico-state-football":"title":"New Mexico State","url":"/new-mexico-state-football","id":"new-mexico-state-football","army-football":"title":"Army","url":"/army-football","id":"army-football","byu-football":"title":"Brigham Young","url":"/byu-football","id":"byu-football","liberty-football":"title":"Liberty","url":"/liberty-football","id":"liberty-football","notre-dame-football":"title":"Notre Dame","url":"/notre-dame-football","id":"notre-dame-football","uconn-football":"title":"UConn","url":"/uconn-football","id":"uconn-football","umass-football":"title":"UMass","url":"/umass-football","id":"umass-football","world-football":"title":"Home","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/world-football","id":"world-football","https://www.instagram.com/brfootball/":"title":"B/R Football","url":"https://www.instagram.com/brfootball/","id":"https://www.instagram.com/brfootball/","transfer-window":"title":"Transfers","url":"/transfer-window","id":"transfer-window","aston-villa":"title":"Aston Villa","url":"/aston-villa","id":"aston-villa","arsenal":"title":"Arsenal","url":"/arsenal","id":"arsenal","brighton-hove-albion":"title":"Brighton and Hove Albion","url":"/brighton-hove-albion","id":"brighton-hove-albion","burnley":"title":"Burnley","url":"/burnley","id":"burnley","chelsea":"title":"Chelsea","url":"/chelsea","id":"chelsea","crystal-palace":"title":"Crystal Palace","url":"/crystal-palace","id":"crystal-palace","everton":"title":"Everton","url":"/everton","id":"everton","fulham":"title":"Fulham","url":"/fulham","id":"fulham","leeds-united":"title":"Leeds United","url":"/leeds-united","id":"leeds-united","leicester-city-foxes":"title":"Leicester City","url":"/leicester-city-foxes","id":"leicester-city-foxes","liverpool":"title":"Liverpool","url":"/liverpool","id":"liverpool","manchester-city":"title":"Manchester City","url":"/manchester-city","id":"manchester-city","manchester-united":"title":"Manchester United","url":"/manchester-united","id":"manchester-united","newcastle-united":"title":"Newcastle United","url":"/newcastle-united","id":"newcastle-united","sheffield-united-fc":"title":"Sheffield United","url":"/sheffield-united-fc","id":"sheffield-united-fc","southampton":"title":"Southampton","url":"/southampton","id":"southampton","tottenham-hotspur":"title":"Tottenham Hotspur","url":"/tottenham-hotspur","id":"tottenham-hotspur","west-bromwich":"title":"West Brom","url":"/west-bromwich","id":"west-bromwich","west-ham-united":"title":"West Ham United","url":"/west-ham-united","id":"west-ham-united","wolverhampton-wanderers":"title":"Wolverhampton Wanderers","url":"/wolverhampton-wanderers","id":"wolverhampton-wanderers","uefa-champions-league":"title":"Champions League Home","url":"/uefa-champions-league","id":"uefa-champions-league","atalanta":"title":"Atalanta","url":"/atalanta","id":"atalanta","atletico-madrid":"title":"Atletico Madrid","url":"/atletico-madrid","id":"atletico-madrid","ajax":"title":"Ajax","url":"/ajax","id":"ajax","fc-barcelona":"title":"Barcelona","url":"/fc-barcelona","id":"fc-barcelona","bayer-leverkusen":"title":"Bayer Leverkusen","url":"/bayer-leverkusen","id":"bayer-leverkusen","fc-bayern-munich":"title":"Bayern Munich","url":"/fc-bayern-munich","id":"fc-bayern-munich","sl-benfica":"title":"Benfica","url":"/sl-benfica","id":"sl-benfica","borussia-dortmund":"title":"Borussia Dortmund","url":"/borussia-dortmund","id":"borussia-dortmund","club-brugge":"title":"Club Brugge","url":"/club-brugge","id":"club-brugge","nk-dinamo-zagreb":"title":"Dinamo Zagreb","url":"/nk-dinamo-zagreb","id":"nk-dinamo-zagreb","fc-salzburg":"title":"FC Salzburg","url":"/fc-salzburg","id":"fc-salzburg","galatasaray":"title":"Galatasaray","url":"/galatasaray","id":"galatasaray","krc-genk":"title":"Genk","url":"/krc-genk","id":"krc-genk","inter-milan":"title":"Inter Milan","url":"/inter-milan","id":"inter-milan","juventus":"title":"Juventus","url":"/juventus","id":"juventus","lille-osc":"title":"Lille","url":"/lille-osc","id":"lille-osc","lokomotiv-moscow":"title":"Lokomotiv Moscow","url":"/lokomotiv-moscow","id":"lokomotiv-moscow","olympique-lyonnais":"title":"Lyon","url":"/olympique-lyonnais","id":"olympique-lyonnais","napoli":"title":"Napoli","url":"/napoli","id":"napoli","olympiakos":"title":"Olympiacos","url":"/olympiakos","id":"olympiakos","paris-saint-germain-fc":"title":"Paris Saint-Germain","url":"/paris-saint-germain-fc","id":"paris-saint-germain-fc","rb-leipzig":"title":"RB Leipzig","url":"/rb-leipzig","id":"rb-leipzig","real-madrid":"title":"Real Madrid","url":"/real-madrid","id":"real-madrid","fk-red-star-belgrade":"title":"Red Star Belgrade","url":"/fk-red-star-belgrade","id":"fk-red-star-belgrade","shakhtar-donetsk":"title":"Shakhtar Donetsk","url":"/shakhtar-donetsk","id":"shakhtar-donetsk","slavia-prague":"title":"Slavia Prague","url":"/slavia-prague","id":"slavia-prague","valencia-cf":"title":"Valencia","url":"/valencia-cf","id":"valencia-cf","zenit-st-petersburg":"title":"Zenit","url":"/zenit-st-petersburg","id":"zenit-st-petersburg","la-liga":"title":"La Liga Home","url":"/la-liga","id":"la-liga","cd-alaves":"title":"Alaves","url":"/cd-alaves","id":"cd-alaves","athletic-club":"title":"Athletic Club Bilbao","url":"/athletic-club","id":"athletic-club","cadiz-cf":"title":"Cadiz CF","url":"/cadiz-cf","id":"cadiz-cf","ca-osasuna":"title":"CA Osasuna","url":"/ca-osasuna","id":"ca-osasuna","celta-da-vigo":"title":"Celta da Vigo","url":"/celta-da-vigo","id":"celta-da-vigo","eibar":"title":"Eibar","url":"/eibar","id":"eibar","elche-cf":"title":"Elche CF","url":"/elche-cf","id":"elche-cf","getafe-cf":"title":"Getafe","url":"/getafe-cf","id":"getafe-cf","granada":"title":"Granada","url":"/granada","id":"granada","sd-huesca":"title":"Huesca","url":"/sd-huesca","id":"sd-huesca","levante":"title":"Levante","url":"/levante","id":"levante","real-betis":"title":"Real Betis","url":"/real-betis","id":"real-betis","real-sociedad":"title":"Real Sociedad","url":"/real-sociedad","id":"real-sociedad","real-valladolid":"title":"Real Valladolid","url":"/real-valladolid","id":"real-valladolid","sevilla":"title":"Sevilla","url":"/sevilla","id":"sevilla","villarreal-cf":"title":"Villarreal","url":"/villarreal-cf","id":"villarreal-cf","serie-a":"title":"Serie A Home","url":"/serie-a","id":"serie-a","benevento-calcio":"title":"Benevento Calcio","url":"/benevento-calcio","id":"benevento-calcio","bologna":"title":"Bologna","url":"/bologna","id":"bologna","cagliari":"title":"Cagliari","url":"/cagliari","id":"cagliari","chievo-verona":"title":"Chievo","url":"/chievo-verona","id":"chievo-verona","fc-crotone":"title":"FC Crotone","url":"/fc-crotone","id":"fc-crotone","fiorentina":"title":"Fiorentina","url":"/fiorentina","id":"fiorentina","frosinone-calcio":"title":"Frosinone","url":"/frosinone-calcio","id":"frosinone-calcio","genoa":"title":"Genoa","url":"/genoa","id":"genoa","lazio":"title":"Lazio","url":"/lazio","id":"lazio","ac-milan":"title":"Milan","url":"/ac-milan","id":"ac-milan","parma":"title":"Parma","url":"/parma","id":"parma","as-roma":"title":"Roma","url":"/as-roma","id":"as-roma","sampdoria":"title":"Sampdoria","url":"/sampdoria","id":"sampdoria","sassuolo":"title":"Sassuolo","url":"/sassuolo","id":"sassuolo","spezia-calcio":"title":"Spezia Calcio","url":"/spezia-calcio","id":"spezia-calcio","torino":"title":"Torino","url":"/torino","id":"torino","udinese":"title":"Udinese","url":"/udinese","id":"udinese","verona":"title":"Verona","url":"/verona","id":"verona","bundesliga":"title":"Bundesliga Home","url":"/bundesliga","id":"bundesliga","arminia-bielefeld":"title":"Arminia Bielefeld","url":"/arminia-bielefeld","id":"arminia-bielefeld","borussia-monchengladbach":"title":"Borussia Monchengladbach","url":"/borussia-monchengladbach","id":"borussia-monchengladbach","eintracht-frankfurt":"title":"Eintracht Frankfurt","url":"/eintracht-frankfurt","id":"eintracht-frankfurt","fc-augsburg":"title":"FC Augsburg","url":"/fc-augsburg","id":"fc-augsburg","fc-cologne":"title":"FC Cologne","url":"/fc-cologne","id":"fc-cologne","fc-union-berlin":"title":"FC Union Berlin","url":"/fc-union-berlin","id":"fc-union-berlin","hertha-bsc":"title":"Hertha BSC","url":"/hertha-bsc","id":"hertha-bsc","fsv-mainz-05":"title":"Mainz 05","url":"/fsv-mainz-05","id":"fsv-mainz-05","sc-freiburg":"title":"SC Freiburg","url":"/sc-freiburg","id":"sc-freiburg","schalke-04":"title":"Schalke 04","url":"/schalke-04","id":"schalke-04","tsg-hoffenheim":"title":"TSG Hoffenheim","url":"/tsg-hoffenheim","id":"tsg-hoffenheim","vfb-stuttgart":"title":"VfB Stuttgart","url":"/vfb-stuttgart","id":"vfb-stuttgart","vfl-wolfsburg":"title":"VfL Wolfsburg","url":"/vfl-wolfsburg","id":"vfl-wolfsburg","werder-bremen":"title":"Werder Bremen","url":"/werder-bremen","id":"werder-bremen","mls":"title":"MLS Home","url":"/mls","id":"mls","atlanta-united-fc":"title":"Atlanta United","url":"/atlanta-united-fc","id":"atlanta-united-fc","chicago-fire":"title":"Chicago Fire","url":"/chicago-fire","id":"chicago-fire","colorado-rapids":"title":"Colorado Rapids","url":"/colorado-rapids","id":"colorado-rapids","columbus-crew":"title":"Columbus Crew","url":"/columbus-crew","id":"columbus-crew","dc-united":"title":"DC United","url":"/dc-united","id":"dc-united","fc-cincinnati":"title":"FC Cincinnati","url":"/fc-cincinnati","id":"fc-cincinnati","fc-dallas":"title":"FC Dallas","url":"/fc-dallas","id":"fc-dallas","houston-dynamo":"title":"Houston Dynamo","url":"/houston-dynamo","id":"houston-dynamo","inter-miami":"title":"Inter Miami","url":"/inter-miami","id":"inter-miami","los-angeles-fc":"title":"LAFC","url":"/los-angeles-fc","id":"los-angeles-fc","los-angeles-galaxy":"title":"Los Angeles Galaxy","url":"/los-angeles-galaxy","id":"los-angeles-galaxy","minnesota-united":"title":"Minnesota United","url":"/minnesota-united","id":"minnesota-united","montreal-impact":"title":"Montreal Impact","url":"/montreal-impact","id":"montreal-impact","nashville-sc":"title":"Nashville SC","url":"/nashville-sc","id":"nashville-sc","new-england-revolution":"title":"New England Revolution","url":"/new-england-revolution","id":"new-england-revolution","new-york-red-bulls":"title":"New York Red Bulls","url":"/new-york-red-bulls","id":"new-york-red-bulls","new-york-city-fc":"title":"NYCFC","url":"/new-york-city-fc","id":"new-york-city-fc","orlando-city":"title":"Orlando City","url":"/orlando-city","id":"orlando-city","philadelphia-union":"title":"Philadelphia Union","url":"/philadelphia-union","id":"philadelphia-union","portland-timbers":"title":"Portland Timbers","url":"/portland-timbers","id":"portland-timbers","real-salt-lake":"title":"Real Salt Lake","url":"/real-salt-lake","id":"real-salt-lake","san-jose-earthquakes":"title":"San Jose Earthquakes","url":"/san-jose-earthquakes","id":"san-jose-earthquakes","seattle-sounders-fc":"title":"Seattle Sounders","url":"/seattle-sounders-fc","id":"seattle-sounders-fc","sporting-kansas-city":"title":"Sporting Kansas City","url":"/sporting-kansas-city","id":"sporting-kansas-city","toronto-fc":"title":"Toronto FC","url":"/toronto-fc","id":"toronto-fc","vancouver-whitecaps":"title":"Vancouver Whitecaps","url":"/vancouver-whitecaps","id":"vancouver-whitecaps","uefa-europa-league":"title":"Europa League","url":"/uefa-europa-league","id":"uefa-europa-league","epl":"title":"Premier League Home","url":"/epl","id":"epl","albania-national-football":"title":"Albania","url":"/albania-national-football","id":"albania-national-football","algeria-national-football":"title":"Algeria","url":"/algeria-national-football","id":"algeria-national-football","argentina":"title":"Argentina","url":"/argentina","id":"argentina","austria":"title":"Austria","url":"/austria","id":"austria","australia-national-football":"title":"Australia","url":"/australia-national-football","id":"australia-national-football","belgium-national-football":"title":"Belgium","url":"/belgium-national-football","id":"belgium-national-football","bosnia-herzegovina-national-football":"title":"Bosnia-Herzegovina","url":"/bosnia-herzegovina-national-football","id":"bosnia-herzegovina-national-football","brazilian-football":"title":"Brazil","url":"/brazilian-football","id":"brazilian-football","cameroon-national-football":"title":"Cameroon","url":"/cameroon-national-football","id":"cameroon-national-football","chile-national-football":"title":"Chile","url":"/chile-national-football","id":"chile-national-football","colombia-national-football":"title":"Colombia","url":"/colombia-national-football","id":"colombia-national-football","costa-rica-national-football":"title":"Costa Rica","url":"/costa-rica-national-football","id":"costa-rica-national-football","croatia-international-football":"title":"Croatia","url":"/croatia-international-football","id":"croatia-international-football","czech-republic-national-football":"title":"Czech Republic","url":"/czech-republic-national-football","id":"czech-republic-national-football","denmark-national-football":"title":"Denmark","url":"/denmark-national-football","id":"denmark-national-football","ecuador-national-football":"title":"Ecuador","url":"/ecuador-national-football","id":"ecuador-national-football","egypt":"title":"Egypt","url":"/egypt","id":"egypt","england":"title":"England","url":"/england","id":"england","france":"title":"France","url":"/france","id":"france","germany":"title":"Germany","url":"/germany","id":"germany","ghana-national-football":"title":"Ghana","url":"/ghana-national-football","id":"ghana-national-football","greece-national-football":"title":"Greece","url":"/greece-national-football","id":"greece-national-football","honduras-national-football":"title":"Honduras","url":"/honduras-national-football","id":"honduras-national-football","hungary-national-football":"title":"Hungary","url":"/hungary-national-football","id":"hungary-national-football","iceland-national-football":"title":"Iceland","url":"/iceland-national-football","id":"iceland-national-football","iran-national-football":"title":"Iran","url":"/iran-national-football","id":"iran-national-football","ireland":"title":"Ireland","url":"/ireland","id":"ireland","italy":"title":"Italy","url":"/italy","id":"italy","ivory-coast-national-football":"title":"Ivory Coast","url":"/ivory-coast-national-football","id":"ivory-coast-national-football","japan-national-football":"title":"Japan","url":"/japan-national-football","id":"japan-national-football","mexico-national-football":"title":"Mexico","url":"/mexico-national-football","id":"mexico-national-football","morocco-national-football":"title":"Morocco ","url":"/morocco-national-football","id":"morocco-national-football","namibia-national-football":"title":"Namibia","url":"/namibia-national-football","id":"namibia-national-football","netherlands":"title":"Netherlands","url":"/netherlands","id":"netherlands","new-zealand-national-football":"title":"New Zealand","url":"/new-zealand-national-football","id":"new-zealand-national-football","nigeria-national-football":"title":"Nigeria","url":"/nigeria-national-football","id":"nigeria-national-football","north-korea-national-football":"title":"North Korea","url":"/north-korea-national-football","id":"north-korea-national-football","northern-ireland":"title":"Northern Ireland","url":"/northern-ireland","id":"northern-ireland","norway-national-football":"title":"Norway","url":"/norway-national-football","id":"norway-national-football","panama-national-football":"title":"Panama","url":"/panama-national-football","id":"panama-national-football","paraguay-national-football":"title":"Paraguay","url":"/paraguay-national-football","id":"paraguay-national-football","peru-national-football":"title":"Peru","url":"/peru-national-football","id":"peru-national-football","poland":"title":"Poland","url":"/poland","id":"poland","portugal-national-football":"title":"Portugal","url":"/portugal-national-football","id":"portugal-national-football","romania-national-football":"title":"Romania","url":"/romania-national-football","id":"romania-national-football","russia":"title":"Russia","url":"/russia","id":"russia","saudi-arabia-national-football":"title":"Saudi Arabia","url":"/saudi-arabia-national-football","id":"saudi-arabia-national-football","scotland":"title":"Scotland","url":"/scotland","id":"scotland","senegal-national-football":"title":"Senegal","url":"/senegal-national-football","id":"senegal-national-football","serbia-national-football":"title":"Serbia","url":"/serbia-national-football","id":"serbia-national-football","slovakia-national-football":"title":"Slovakia","url":"/slovakia-national-football","id":"slovakia-national-football","slovenia-national-football":"title":"Slovenia","url":"/slovenia-national-football","id":"slovenia-national-football","south-africa-national-football":"title":"South Africa","url":"/south-africa-national-football","id":"south-africa-national-football","south-korea-national-football":"title":"South Korea","url":"/south-korea-national-football","id":"south-korea-national-football","spain":"title":"Spain","url":"/spain","id":"spain","sweden":"title":"Sweden","url":"/sweden","id":"sweden","switzerland":"title":"Switzerland","url":"/switzerland","id":"switzerland","tunisia":"title":"Tunisia","url":"/tunisia","id":"tunisia","turkey-national-football":"title":"Turkey","url":"/turkey-national-football","id":"turkey-national-football","ukraine":"title":"Ukraine","url":"/ukraine","id":"ukraine","united-states":"title":"USMNT","url":"/united-states","id":"united-states","united-states-womens-football":"title":"USWNT","url":"/united-states-womens-football","id":"united-states-womens-football","uruguay-national-football":"title":"Uruguay","url":"/uruguay-national-football","id":"uruguay-national-football","venezuela-national-football":"title":"Venezuela","url":"/venezuela-national-football","id":"venezuela-national-football","wales-national-football":"title":"Wales","url":"/wales-national-football","id":"wales-national-football","wnba":"title":"WNBA","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/wnba","id":"wnba","nhl":"title":"Home","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/nhl","id":"nhl","nhl-draft":"title":"Draft","url":"/nhl-draft","id":"nhl-draft","https://www.stubhub.com/nhl-tickets/grouping/144/?gcid=chDIG-_-geoUS-_-genNHL-_-dt170201-_-cmpBR_Gen-_-partBleacherReport-_-mktgrBRAND":"title":"Tickets","url":"https://www.stubhub.com/nhl-tickets/grouping/144/?gcid=chDIG-_-geoUS-_-genNHL-_-dt170201-_-cmpBR_Gen-_-partBleacherReport-_-mktgrBRAND","id":"https://www.stubhub.com/nhl-tickets/grouping/144/?gcid=chDIG-_-geoUS-_-genNHL-_-dt170201-_-cmpBR_Gen-_-partBleacherReport-_-mktgrBRAND","boston-bruins":"title":"Boston","url":"/boston-bruins","id":"boston-bruins","buffalo-sabres":"title":"Buffalo","url":"/buffalo-sabres","id":"buffalo-sabres","detroit-red-wings":"title":"Detroit","url":"/detroit-red-wings","id":"detroit-red-wings","florida-panthers":"title":"Florida","url":"/florida-panthers","id":"florida-panthers","montreal-canadiens":"title":"Montreal","url":"/montreal-canadiens","id":"montreal-canadiens","ottawa-senators":"title":"Ottawa","url":"/ottawa-senators","id":"ottawa-senators","tampa-bay-lightning":"title":"Tampa Bay","url":"/tampa-bay-lightning","id":"tampa-bay-lightning","toronto-maple-leafs":"title":"Toronto","url":"/toronto-maple-leafs","id":"toronto-maple-leafs","chicago-blackhawks":"title":"Chicago","url":"/chicago-blackhawks","id":"chicago-blackhawks","colorado-avalanche":"title":"Colorado","url":"/colorado-avalanche","id":"colorado-avalanche","dallas-stars":"title":"Dallas","url":"/dallas-stars","id":"dallas-stars","minnesota-wild":"title":"Minnesota","url":"/minnesota-wild","id":"minnesota-wild","nashville-predators":"title":"Nashville","url":"/nashville-predators","id":"nashville-predators","st-louis-blues":"title":"St. Louis","url":"/st-louis-blues","id":"st-louis-blues","winnipeg-jets":"title":"Winnipeg","url":"/winnipeg-jets","id":"winnipeg-jets","carolina-hurricanes":"title":"Carolina","url":"/carolina-hurricanes","id":"carolina-hurricanes","columbus-blue-jackets":"title":"Columbus","url":"/columbus-blue-jackets","id":"columbus-blue-jackets","new-jersey-devils":"title":"New Jersey","url":"/new-jersey-devils","id":"new-jersey-devils","new-york-islanders":"title":"NY Islanders","url":"/new-york-islanders","id":"new-york-islanders","new-york-rangers":"title":"NY Rangers","url":"/new-york-rangers","id":"new-york-rangers","philadelphia-flyers":"title":"Philadelphia","url":"/philadelphia-flyers","id":"philadelphia-flyers","pittsburgh-penguins":"title":"Pittsburgh","url":"/pittsburgh-penguins","id":"pittsburgh-penguins","washington-capitals":"title":"Washington","url":"/washington-capitals","id":"washington-capitals","anaheim-ducks":"title":"Anaheim","url":"/anaheim-ducks","id":"anaheim-ducks","arizona-coyotes":"title":"Arizona","url":"/arizona-coyotes","id":"arizona-coyotes","calgary-flames":"title":"Calgary","url":"/calgary-flames","id":"calgary-flames","edmonton-oilers":"title":"Edmonton","url":"/edmonton-oilers","id":"edmonton-oilers","los-angeles-kings":"title":"Los Angeles","url":"/los-angeles-kings","id":"los-angeles-kings","san-jose-sharks":"title":"San Jose","url":"/san-jose-sharks","id":"san-jose-sharks","seattle-nhl":"title":"Seattle","url":"/seattle-nhl","id":"seattle-nhl","vancouver-canucks":"title":"Vancouver","url":"/vancouver-canucks","id":"vancouver-canucks","vegas-golden-knights":"title":"Vegas","url":"/vegas-golden-knights","id":"vegas-golden-knights","mma":"title":"MMA","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/mma","id":"mma","all-elite-wrestling":"title":"AEW","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/all-elite-wrestling","id":"all-elite-wrestling","college-basketball":"title":"Home","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/college-basketball","id":"college-basketball","college-basketball-recruiting":"title":"Recruiting","url":"/college-basketball-recruiting","id":"college-basketball-recruiting","bracketology":"title":"Bracketology","url":"/bracketology","id":"bracketology","acc-basketball":"title":"ACC Home","url":"/acc-basketball","id":"acc-basketball","boston-college-basketball":"title":"Boston College","url":"/boston-college-basketball","id":"boston-college-basketball","clemson-basketball":"title":"Clemson","url":"/clemson-basketball","id":"clemson-basketball","duke-basketball":"title":"Duke","url":"/duke-basketball","id":"duke-basketball","florida-state-basketball":"title":"Florida St","url":"/florida-state-basketball","id":"florida-state-basketball","georgia-tech-basketball":"title":"Georgia Tech","url":"/georgia-tech-basketball","id":"georgia-tech-basketball","louisville-cardinals-basketball":"title":"Louisville","url":"/louisville-cardinals-basketball","id":"louisville-cardinals-basketball","miami-hurricanes-basketball":"title":"Miami (FL)","url":"/miami-hurricanes-basketball","id":"miami-hurricanes-basketball","unc-basketball":"title":"North Carolina","url":"/unc-basketball","id":"unc-basketball","nc-state-basketball":"title":"NC State","url":"/nc-state-basketball","id":"nc-state-basketball","notre-dame-basketball":"title":"Notre Dame","url":"/notre-dame-basketball","id":"notre-dame-basketball","pitt-basketball":"title":"Pittsburgh","url":"/pitt-basketball","id":"pitt-basketball","syracuse-basketball":"title":"Syracuse","url":"/syracuse-basketball","id":"syracuse-basketball","uva-basketball":"title":"Virginia","url":"/uva-basketball","id":"uva-basketball","virginia-tech-basketball":"title":"Virginia Tech","url":"/virginia-tech-basketball","id":"virginia-tech-basketball","wake-forest-basketball":"title":"Wake Forest","url":"/wake-forest-basketball","id":"wake-forest-basketball","atlantic-ten-basketball":"title":"Atlantic 10 Home","url":"/atlantic-ten-basketball","id":"atlantic-ten-basketball","davidson-basketball":"title":"Davidson","url":"/davidson-basketball","id":"davidson-basketball","dayton-basketball":"title":"Dayton","url":"/dayton-basketball","id":"dayton-basketball","duquesne-basketball":"title":"Duquesne","url":"/duquesne-basketball","id":"duquesne-basketball","fordham-basketball":"title":"Fordham","url":"/fordham-basketball","id":"fordham-basketball","george-mason-basketball":"title":"George Mason ","url":"/george-mason-basketball","id":"george-mason-basketball","gw-basketball":"title":"George Washington","url":"/gw-basketball","id":"gw-basketball","la-salle-basketball":"title":"La Salle","url":"/la-salle-basketball","id":"la-salle-basketball","umass-basketball":"title":"Massachusetts","url":"/umass-basketball","id":"umass-basketball","rhode-island-rams-basketball":"title":"Rhode Island","url":"/rhode-island-rams-basketball","id":"rhode-island-rams-basketball","richmond-spiders-basketball":"title":"Richmond","url":"/richmond-spiders-basketball","id":"richmond-spiders-basketball","saint-louis-billikens-basketball":"title":"Saint Louis","url":"/saint-louis-billikens-basketball","id":"saint-louis-billikens-basketball","st-josephs-basketball":"title":"St. Joseph's","url":"/st-josephs-basketball","id":"st-josephs-basketball","st-bonaventure-basketball":"title":"St. Bonaventure","url":"/st-bonaventure-basketball","id":"st-bonaventure-basketball","virginia-commonwealth-basketball":"title":"Virginia Commonwealth","url":"/virginia-commonwealth-basketball","id":"virginia-commonwealth-basketball","big-12-basketball":"title":"Big 12 Home","url":"/big-12-basketball","id":"big-12-basketball","baylor-basketball":"title":"Baylor","url":"/baylor-basketball","id":"baylor-basketball","iowa-state-basketball":"title":"Iowa St","url":"/iowa-state-basketball","id":"iowa-state-basketball","kansas-jayhawks-basketball":"title":"Kansas","url":"/kansas-jayhawks-basketball","id":"kansas-jayhawks-basketball","kansas-state-basketball":"title":"Kansas St","url":"/kansas-state-basketball","id":"kansas-state-basketball","oklahoma-sooners-basketball":"title":"Oklahoma","url":"/oklahoma-sooners-basketball","id":"oklahoma-sooners-basketball","oklahoma-state-basketball":"title":"Oklahoma St","url":"/oklahoma-state-basketball","id":"oklahoma-state-basketball","tcu-basketball":"title":"TCU","url":"/tcu-basketball","id":"tcu-basketball","texas-longhorns-basketball":"title":"Texas","url":"/texas-longhorns-basketball","id":"texas-longhorns-basketball","texas-tech-basketball":"title":"Texas Tech","url":"/texas-tech-basketball","id":"texas-tech-basketball","wvu-basketball":"title":"West Virginia","url":"/wvu-basketball","id":"wvu-basketball","big-east-basketball":"title":"Big East Home","url":"/big-east-basketball","id":"big-east-basketball","butler-basketball":"title":"Butler","url":"/butler-basketball","id":"butler-basketball","creighton-basketball":"title":"Creighton","url":"/creighton-basketball","id":"creighton-basketball","depaul-basketball":"title":"DePaul","url":"/depaul-basketball","id":"depaul-basketball","georgetown-basketball":"title":"Georgetown","url":"/georgetown-basketball","id":"georgetown-basketball","marquette-basketball":"title":"Marquette","url":"/marquette-basketball","id":"marquette-basketball","providence-friars-basketball":"title":"Providence","url":"/providence-friars-basketball","id":"providence-friars-basketball","seton-hall-basketball":"title":"Seton Hall","url":"/seton-hall-basketball","id":"seton-hall-basketball","st-johns-basketball":"title":"St John's","url":"/st-johns-basketball","id":"st-johns-basketball","uconn-basketball":"title":"UConn","url":"/uconn-basketball","id":"uconn-basketball","villanova-basketball":"title":"Villanova","url":"/villanova-basketball","id":"villanova-basketball","xavier-basketball":"title":"Xavier","url":"/xavier-basketball","id":"xavier-basketball","big-10-basketball":"title":"Big Ten Home","url":"/big-10-basketball","id":"big-10-basketball","illinois-fighting-illini-basketball":"title":"Illinois","url":"/illinois-fighting-illini-basketball","id":"illinois-fighting-illini-basketball","indiana-hoosiers-basketball":"title":"Indiana","url":"/indiana-hoosiers-basketball","id":"indiana-hoosiers-basketball","iowa-hawkeyes-basketball":"title":"Iowa","url":"/iowa-hawkeyes-basketball","id":"iowa-hawkeyes-basketball","maryland-terrapins-basketball":"title":"Maryland","url":"/maryland-terrapins-basketball","id":"maryland-terrapins-basketball","michigan-wolverines-basketball":"title":"Michigan","url":"/michigan-wolverines-basketball","id":"michigan-wolverines-basketball","michigan-state-basketball":"title":"Michigan St","url":"/michigan-state-basketball","id":"michigan-state-basketball","minnesota-golden-gophers-basketball":"title":"Minnesota","url":"/minnesota-golden-gophers-basketball","id":"minnesota-golden-gophers-basketball","nebraska-cornhuskers-basketball":"title":"Nebraska","url":"/nebraska-cornhuskers-basketball","id":"nebraska-cornhuskers-basketball","northwestern-basketball":"title":"Northwestern","url":"/northwestern-basketball","id":"northwestern-basketball","ohio-state-basketball":"title":"Ohio St","url":"/ohio-state-basketball","id":"ohio-state-basketball","penn-state-basketball":"title":"Penn St","url":"/penn-state-basketball","id":"penn-state-basketball","purdue-basketball":"title":"Purdue","url":"/purdue-basketball","id":"purdue-basketball","rutgers-basketball":"title":"Rutgers","url":"/rutgers-basketball","id":"rutgers-basketball","wisconsin-badgers-basketball":"title":"Wisconsin","url":"/wisconsin-badgers-basketball","id":"wisconsin-badgers-basketball","pac-12-basketball":"title":"Pacific-12 Home","url":"/pac-12-basketball","id":"pac-12-basketball","arizona-wildcats-basketball":"title":"Arizona","url":"/arizona-wildcats-basketball","id":"arizona-wildcats-basketball","arizona-state-basketball":"title":"Arizona St","url":"/arizona-state-basketball","id":"arizona-state-basketball","cal-bears-basketball":"title":"California","url":"/cal-bears-basketball","id":"cal-bears-basketball","colorado-buffaloes-basketball":"title":"Colorado","url":"/colorado-buffaloes-basketball","id":"colorado-buffaloes-basketball","oregon-ducks-basketball":"title":"Oregon","url":"/oregon-ducks-basketball","id":"oregon-ducks-basketball","oregon-state-basketball":"title":"Oregon St","url":"/oregon-state-basketball","id":"oregon-state-basketball","stanford-basketball":"title":"Stanford","url":"/stanford-basketball","id":"stanford-basketball","ucla-basketball":"title":"UCLA","url":"/ucla-basketball","id":"ucla-basketball","usc-basketball":"title":"USC","url":"/usc-basketball","id":"usc-basketball","utah-utes-basketball":"title":"Utah","url":"/utah-utes-basketball","id":"utah-utes-basketball","washington-huskies-basketball":"title":"Washington","url":"/washington-huskies-basketball","id":"washington-huskies-basketball","washington-state-basketball":"title":"Washington St","url":"/washington-state-basketball","id":"washington-state-basketball","sec-basketball":"title":"SEC Home","url":"/sec-basketball","id":"sec-basketball","alabama-crimson-tide-basketball":"title":"Alabama","url":"/alabama-crimson-tide-basketball","id":"alabama-crimson-tide-basketball","arkansas-razorbacks-basketball":"title":"Arkansas","url":"/arkansas-razorbacks-basketball","id":"arkansas-razorbacks-basketball","auburn-basketball":"title":"Auburn","url":"/auburn-basketball","id":"auburn-basketball","florida-gators-basketball":"title":"Florida","url":"/florida-gators-basketball","id":"florida-gators-basketball","georgia-bulldogs-basketball":"title":"Georgia","url":"/georgia-bulldogs-basketball","id":"georgia-bulldogs-basketball","kentucky-wildcats-basketball":"title":"Kentucky","url":"/kentucky-wildcats-basketball","id":"kentucky-wildcats-basketball","lsu-basketball":"title":"LSU","url":"/lsu-basketball","id":"lsu-basketball","ole-miss-basketball":"title":"Mississippi","url":"/ole-miss-basketball","id":"ole-miss-basketball","mississippi-state-basketball":"title":"Mississippi St","url":"/mississippi-state-basketball","id":"mississippi-state-basketball","missouri-tigers-basketball":"title":"Missouri","url":"/missouri-tigers-basketball","id":"missouri-tigers-basketball","south-carolina-basketball":"title":"South Carolina","url":"/south-carolina-basketball","id":"south-carolina-basketball","tennessee-volunteers-basketball":"title":"Tennessee","url":"/tennessee-volunteers-basketball","id":"tennessee-volunteers-basketball","texas-am-basketball":"title":"Texas A&M","url":"/texas-am-basketball","id":"texas-am-basketball","vanderbilt-basketball":"title":"Vanderbilt","url":"/vanderbilt-basketball","id":"vanderbilt-basketball","womens-college-basketball":"title":"WCBB","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/womens-college-basketball","id":"womens-college-basketball","wwe":"title":"WWE","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/wwe","id":"wwe","golf":"title":"Golf","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/golf","id":"golf","tennis":"title":"Tennis","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/tennis","id":"tennis","boxing":"title":"Boxing","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/boxing","id":"boxing","https://bleacherreportshop.com/?utm_source=Bleacher%20Report&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Bleacher%20Report%20Website%20Menu":"title":"B/R Shop","url":"https://bleacherreportshop.com/?utm_source=Bleacher%20Report&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Bleacher%20Report%20Website%20Menu","id":"https://bleacherreportshop.com/?utm_source=Bleacher%20Report&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Bleacher%20Report%20Website%20Menu","sports-odds":"title":"B/R Betting","url":"/sports-odds","id":"sports-odds","nascar":"title":"NASCAR","url":"/nascar","id":"nascar","formula-1":"title":"Formula 1","url":"/formula-1","id":"formula-1","nba2k":"title":"NBA 2K","url":"/nba2k","id":"nba2k","little-league-world-series":"title":"LLWS","url":"/little-league-world-series","id":"little-league-world-series","simms-and-lefkoe":"title":"The Lefkoe Show","url":"/simms-and-lefkoe","id":"simms-and-lefkoe","http://gameofzones.bleacherreport.com/":"title":"Game of Zones","url":"http://gameofzones.bleacherreport.com/","id":"http://gameofzones.bleacherreport.com/","the-champions":"title":"The Champions","url":"/the-champions","id":"the-champions","gridiron-heights":"title":"Gridiron Heights","url":"/gridiron-heights","id":"gridiron-heights","take-it-there":"title":"Take It There","url":"/take-it-there","id":"take-it-there","untold-stories":"title":"Untold Stories","url":"/untold-stories","id":"untold-stories","underrated":"title":"Underrated","url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7fHozsd-DU&list=PLoqDIJHlyN3N2TDxksypMu0AO1JTJrmfO","id":"underrated","the-arena":"title":"The Arena","url":"/the-arena","id":"the-arena","kicks":"title":"B/R Kicks","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/kicks","id":"kicks","gaming":"title":"B/R Gaming","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/gaming","id":"gaming","gridiron":"title":"B/R Gridiron","url":"https://www.instagram.com/brgridiron/","id":"gridiron","mobile":"title":"Get the App","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/mobile","id":"mobile","notification":"email_confirmation":false,"privacy_notice":false,"smart_banner":false,"mobile_interstitial":false,"page":"cnn":false,"embedded":false,"force_promo":false,"fromCNNApp":false,"fromNonCNNPartner":false,"layout":"default","returnUrl":"","site":"NBA","social":"false","tsm":0,"tst":0,"zone":"slideshow","id":"2945318","type":"article","writer":"Zach Buckley","team":"none","tags":"NBA,Rankings_List,Kemba_Walker,Jimmy_Butler,Gordon_Hayward,Damian_Lillard,Ben_Simmons","tag_id":19,"render_strategy":"slideshow","league":"NBA","gp_flag":"","fantasy":"none","event":"none","division":"none","buzz":"top10","article":2945318,"playlists":,"profiles":,"promo":,"schedules":"selectedTeam":"2945318","todayGames":"isTopGames":false,"gameGroups":["games":["name":null,"id":"384f467b5592adbe826dce0471dd4fea","descriptions":["text":"West Finals - PHX wins series 4-2"],"game_date":"2021-07-01T01:00:00Z","sport":"basketball","site":"NBA","league":"nba","status":"closed","box_score":null,"gamecast":"phoenix-suns-vs-los-angeles-clippers-2021-6-30-17-00","team_one":"name":"Suns","short_name":"Suns","abbrev":"PHX","rank":2,"is_winner":true,"logo":"https://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images/team_logos/164x164/phoenix_suns.png","score":"130","record":"(4-2)","odds":"-16.5","colors":["#E56020","#1D1160"],"permalink":"phoenix-suns","team_two":"name":"Clippers","short_name":"Clippers","abbrev":"LAC","rank":4,"logo":"https://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images/team_logos/164x164/los_angeles_clippers.png","score":"103","record":"(2-4)","odds":"ou:231.5","colors":["#ED174C","#006BB6"],"permalink":"los-angeles-clippers","game_progress":"primary":"Final","footer":"Today","game_state":null,"current":false,"game_end_date":"2021-07-01T03:47:32Z"],"league":"NBA"],"league":"NBA","search":"site":"query":"","results":[],"tags":"query":"","results":[],"sections":,"stub":,"tags":"ben-simmons":"unique_name":"ben-simmons","type":"Person","tickets_link":"","team_color":"ED174C","tag_id":95193,"site":null,"short_name":"Ben Simmons","shop_url":"","parent_id":179,"newsletter_enabled":false,"logo":"ben_simmons.png","href":"http://faust-cached.bleacherreport.com:4015/tags/ben-simmons","display_name":"Ben Simmons","color2":"002fa7","color1":"911919","abbreviation":"","damian-lillard":"unique_name":"damian-lillard","type":"Person","tickets_link":"","team_color":"061922","tag_id":22988,"site":null,"short_name":"Damian Lillard","shop_url":"","parent_id":198,"newsletter_enabled":false,"logo":"damian_lillard.png","href":"http://faust-cached.bleacherreport.com:4015/tags/damian-lillard","display_name":"Damian Lillard","color2":"","color1":"","abbreviation":"","gordon-hayward":"unique_name":"gordon-hayward","type":"Person","tickets_link":"","team_color":"1D1160","tag_id":21869,"site":null,"short_name":null,"shop_url":"","parent_id":187,"newsletter_enabled":false,"logo":"gordon_hayward.png","href":"http://faust-cached.bleacherreport.com:4015/tags/gordon-hayward","display_name":"Gordon Hayward","color2":"008CA8","color1":"1D1160","abbreviation":"","jimmy-butler":"unique_name":"jimmy-butler","type":"Person","tickets_link":"","team_color":"98002E","tag_id":17954,"site":null,"short_name":"Jimmy Butler","shop_url":"","parent_id":188,"newsletter_enabled":false,"logo":"jimmy_butler.png","href":"http://faust-cached.bleacherreport.com:4015/tags/jimmy-butler","display_name":"Jimmy Butler","color2":"00A94F","color1":"005083","abbreviation":"","kemba-walker":"unique_name":"kemba-walker","type":"Person","tickets_link":"","team_color":"007DC3","tag_id":8347,"site":null,"short_name":"Kemba Walker","shop_url":"","parent_id":8248,"newsletter_enabled":false,"logo":"kemba_walker.png","href":"http://faust-cached.bleacherreport.com:4015/tags/kemba-walker","display_name":"Kemba Walker","color2":"F05133","color1":"007DC3","abbreviation":"","nba":"unique_name":"nba","type":"League","tickets_link":"https://www.stubhub.com/nba-tickets/grouping/115/?gcid=chAFF-_-geoUS-_-genNBA-_-dt170312-_-cmpBR_NBA-_-partBleacherReport","team_color":"","tag_id":19,"site":null,"short_name":"NBA","shop_url":"http://br.fanatics.com/NBA","parent_id":7,"newsletter_enabled":false,"logo":"nba.png","href":"http://faust-cached.bleacherreport.com:4015/tags/nba","display_name":"NBA","color2":"FFFFFF","color1":"006BB6","abbreviation":"NBA","template":"html":"className":"no-js","lang":"en","title":"Bold NBA Trade Ideas for Damian Lillard, Ben Simmons, Kemba Walker and More ,"tracks":,"ui":"assetURL":"https://static-assets.bleacherreport.net","bundleName":"https://static-assets.bleacherreport.net/js/bundle.8bd2c713e793d5ecbb561c33682ed099.js","comments":true,"oneTrust":"scriptUrl":"https://cdn.cookielaw.org/scripttemplates/otSDKStub.js","domainScript":"be71acc0-d805-4c8f-a50e-e29974a22fb1","enableDebugging":false,"scrollPlay":true,"showCommentsUpsell":true,"showCommentsUpsellInApp":false,"showEmailSignup":false,"showNewsletterSubsModule":true,"showScoreCardCarousel":true,"showTve":true,"showWebAlerts":"True","skinAd_exists":true,"teamStreamLimit":60,"teamStreamLoading":false,"topAd_exists":true,"trendingLimit":60,"tveAuthContext":"authBlock":null,"context":null,"tveProviderLogo":"","userAgent":"family":"Chrome","major":"83","minor":"0","patch":"4103","device":"family":"Other","major":"0","minor":"0","patch":"0","os":"family":"Mac OS X","major":"10","minor":"14","patch":"6","videosInViewport":[],"referrer":"http://www.bing.com/","hideGettyCopyright":false,"hideFooterLinks":false,"hideNav":false,"hideShare":false,"hide":,"isEmbedded":false,"isFromCnn":false,"customBrowser":false,"isMobileDevice":false,"os":null,"unavailableImageUrl":"https://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images/unavailable_content/5.jpg","isSettingCookie":false,"theme":"light","pageType":"article","currentPage":"2945318","url":"https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2945318","user":"orbisSession":"userID":null,"sessionToken":null,"device_id":false,"league":false,"bio":null,"country":"US","default_tags":[22,23,18,19,16,20],"first_name":null,"id":null,"is_br_verified":false,"is_suspended":false,"last_name":null,"photo_path":null,"profile_id":null,"tags":[],"title":null,"type":"Anonymous","updated_at":null,"username":null,"siteLocale":"USA","trackingId":"66099128-4796-425f-bc6a-2323bf9b73e8","session":"count":1,"isFirstPageView":true,"name":"null null","identities":,"visitorRegion":"US","user_post":; --> Source link

[droughtofapathy]

Great Comet Experience Part Two

I had to split this up because it’s stupidly long. We’re talking like 10k words. You’ll never find a more indepth description anywhere.

Letters:

·       Act two commences with another air siren. I love this song. And got so into it when listing to the recording.

·       Everyone enters the same door which is the only time this happens. Most of them are in their regular costumes. Hélène is back in her black based with green underskirts dress, Mary has on her shapeless frock again. But Marya (while having on the same blouse as usual, and similar patterned skirt has something different. The skirt is one of those that’s really more of a wrap and it’s completely open in the front. She’s got on these tight leather pants (same Marya shoes as always), and wow.

·       Okay so, the company takes their places sitting on the stairs, and facing the audience directly. So I made direct eye contact with Alex Gibson during one show for like a full thirty seconds. And at one point I like raised my eyebrow and he mimicked me and we both just spend a good time smirking at each other. I played it cool, but during another showing when I had eye contact with Grace McLean and she looked at me seductively I’m pretty sure I was close to swooning. Gods, I’m so gay.

·       I never got a letter though and I’m so sad. Because during one point, everyone in the company gives the audience letters, and apparently one of the ensemble members (Heath if I’m not mistaken) always writes a different, innuendo laden letter.

·       Pierre is so set on killing Napoleon. Dude chill.

·       Dolokhov looks so smug when he says he composed the love letter.

·       Also while the company is singing the whole “A love letter” they’re all seated and bopping along so well. Marya takes on a lot of Hélène’s manerisms I’ve noticed. She’s so seductive, and drapes herself across the stairs much like Hélène does. Also her (really long and very leather clad) legs are everywhere.

·       So when Natasha passes her letter off to Hélène to give to Anatole they both look so excited.

·       And the whole audience participation when the letter is passed down the line til the last person gets on stage to give it to Natasha is so cute. Hélène enthusiastically directs it down, and Natasha looks to excited to receive it. During one show, a man didn’t want to get onstage, so the girl in the next row, leapt up and practically flew up stage.

·       So, Mary’s letter to Natasha is so full of affection and love. Mary is so in love with Natasha, and in the books they’re like attached at the hip and kiss and hug each other and go out together. It’s so much better than the tense dislike from before.

·       Side note: while I love the Natasha/Mary pairing, I’m a huge fan of Sonya/Mary because not only is it a nod to Ghost Quartet (where Brittain Ashford and Gelsey Bell play lovers at one point and it’s so adorably dark) but also both these characters need love and affection and this is way better than what actually happens where Sonya is left alone forever.

·       So during the whole “say yes” bit, Anatole gets down on his knee, and asks Natasha like three times, and keeps pulling her closer by her waist (which like, creepy dude), and she looks so confused and conflicted, but in the end gives in.

Sonya & Natasha: (Side note: they really love their ampersands)

·       So Natasha is asleep on the stairs and Sonya enters and snatches the letter. Reading in horror.

·       Lemme just say, Sonya is so much more sassy live than the recording leads you to believe.

·       During the entire song, Sonya is just following Natasha around rolling her eyes, and looking so exasperated by everything Natasha says.

·       Other than what the song suggests, there really aren’t any other actions that you can’t figure out from the words. But Sonya just runs off at the end when Natasha yells at her.

·       So, this is the point Sonya stops looking exasperated and looks just so heartbroken. This is her best friend, and she’s just screamed that she hates her. This is the part you start crying.

Sonya Alone:

·       So wow Brittain Ashford fuck me up. The real and raw emotions are just so mesmerizing. This is the point I wish I was at the final performance because I know this would be the most emotional of them all.

·       She starts off conflicted about what to do. Like, does she let her best friend follow her heart, or does she help?

·       And as the song goes on she gets more and more sure of what she wants to do. Yes, it is on her, and no she will not let Natasha go to ruin. This is her family, her best friend. And Sonya is completely and utterly devoted to her. She’d give up everything to make sure Natasha doesn’t go to ruin.

·       I’ve got a friend like Sonya, and it makes things so much more heartbreaking.

Preparations:

·       Mood whiplash in three, two, one.

·       Anatole enters Pierre’s office circle with a carpet bag and Pierre is dead drunk. I saw Josh Groben such a long time ago, that I just remember Dave’s performance better, but Dave does drunk word slurring so well.

·       He hands Anatole fifty rubles, but Anatole reaches over and snatches the rest of the wad of cash like an ass. Really. Then he goes to the mirror and starts to do his shaving routine.

·       So Dolokhov launches into his patter verse. And it is a bop. When he says Natasha and Sonya’s names they are lit up by spotlights. Hélène enters and hands him a cup of tea before going to Anatole. She also laces up her “Abduction vest” thing.

·       During this song, Dolokhov grabs hold of Anatole and pins him against the railing to try to talk some sense into him. Then follows him around groaning, and glaring. While Anatole is doing his part of the song, Nick Choksi is off-mic screaming “no no no” in such a done voice.

Balaga:

·       So, Balaga begins and everyone bursts onto stage. There are egg shakers and I’ve now got two and I’m so happy. Everyone is dancing, audience included and it’s such a wonderful moment.

·       There’s so much twirling. And everything.

·       Hélène starts out playing the drum on the top layer. She plays so deadpan (imitation of her total girlfriend Marya D. anyone???) and her eyebrows are quirked up in such a haughty way. Then when the beat kicks up, she hands the sticks off to Marya.

·       And Marya is having the time of her life up there. She swings the sticks down on the drum, and waves around, kicking her legs up. It’s great.

·       So Balaga is pretty much everywhere during this. He goes from the main stage to the mezzanine, to the main stage again. And I don’t even know how he gets there so fast.

·       When he does his “and I never ask for rubles” the company roars their love for him, and when they sing “and we like balaga too” they all practically lurch to him. Marya flings her arm at him and points with her drum stick.

·       The whole “woah” parts everyone just gets into position for the real fun. And my favorite part is coming up soon. Also Anatole is doing his twirly routine.

The Abduction:

·       Everyone, (and sometimes they encourage the audience to sing this part too) does the “goodbye my g*psy lovers” part and the word is actually a slur, so I’m conflicted. Dave Malloy wrote a really long explanation for why he did this, and it’s logical, but like slurs. So I sometimes like to replace G*psy with either tipsy or pretty. Sometimes I get so into it I forget though.

·       Okay so everyone raises their glasses (audience members included) and at one point Grace McLean shouts to her section that “I don’t care if your drinking or you’re not. Raise em up!” and it’s the growl again. I’m hooked. Actually though.

·       When Anatole sings goodbye to Matryosha it’s Katrina who passes by with her accordion. We all sway and shake our shakers. It’s the best.

·       Then the chaos begins. And you’ve got to see it to believe it. I notice something new every time. (Though I admit I miss most of it because I’m staring at Marya and Hélène, but can you blame a baby dyke?)

·       Everyone is screaming and dancing all over the place, there’s some organized dancing, like the circle line. Nick Choksi shoves his guitar at an audience member at one point and screams to hold it because “I gotta go dance” and they do the circle thing. I really love that because the joy of everyone is so visible.

·       Then the music gets deliberate, and Alex Gibson and another male ensemble member in the mezzanine have this dance off and they mirror each other and it’s awesome.

·       Then comes the real chaos. The music becomes jerky, and everyone just goes wild. Mary is up in the mezzanine flailing about looking so overjoyed. Sonya is backed into a corner by Pearl Rhein with her bow string as a weapon. Heath Saunders just rips his hair out of its bun and starts swinging it wildly. Pages of War and Peace rain down from the mezzanine. There’s a fist fight between Andrey and an ensemble member (Azudi Onyejekwe).

·       And of course, my favorite moment. The kiss between Marya D. and Hélène. While everyone else is running about chaotically, they just jump each other. It’s basically a contest to see who can smear their lipstick on the other’s face more. During it, Hélène hoists Marya’s leg around her hip (holy shit she’s got such long legs) and they just rut against each other. Hands are groping everywhere it’s the best And during the second to last show (the last one I saw) they were so into the kissing and grinding that they could find a balance, and they couldn’t get Marya’s leg up long enough.

·       Apparently this part of the chaos was entirely Grace and Amber’s idea and they wouldn’t take no for an answer, so I formally thank them for their existence.

·       Then, the end of the chaos comes and everyone just collapses where they stand. Ashley Perez Flanagan is seated on an audience member’s lap, Mary is down for the count. Lauren Zakrin is splayed out on the floor. And Marya and Hélène just cling to each other with lipstick everywhere. Even the orchestra just collapses back into their chairs.

·       During this point, everyone’s panting and dying, and Dave Malloy has to gasp every time before he launches into his “here’s to happiness freedom and life” part. And at that point everyone launches back up with astounding energy. There’s even more dancing and skirt flinging, and really there’s no reason for Marya and Hélène to be so into each other if they’re not actually dating so Marya/Hélène is real fite me!

·       Then balaga is like “let’s get out of here” and they all dash up the steps towards the big doors. At this point, Gelsey, Brittain, and Marya slip out to costume change. And the whole wait sit down bit is so necessary. During the shut the doors part, Balaga is off-mic saying “doors what doors? Oh wow, those are big doors” and it’s so funny.

·       Sitting in banquette seating you can see every cast member. Everyone is panting heavily and look like they’re gonna pass out. Sweat is just everywhere. And it would be gross, but it’s just so impressive. Lucas Steele sits down next to an audience member and slings his arm around them.

·       Then they’re just about to get up and go when Dolokhov is all like wait a fucking minute here. And Balaga groans and is all like what now?

·       But the fur cloak routine is fantastic. So Pearl is wrapped up in it, and I only noticed in the last show I saw that the cloak also has like a gauzy salmon colored part of it in addition to just the fur. But during this part, Dolokhov steals her bow and she plays the fiddle with her fingers, while he plays her. There’s that fiddle symbol thing painted on her stomach, and its such a great detail. She delivers the cloak to Anatole who kisses her (c’mon man not the time!)

·       Then they finally head out. Everyone is so excited and ready. Anatole dashes up the stairs towards the big doors (I got hit by the flapping coat), the maidservant (Gelsey Bell you beast) does this amazing Operaesque line. And the doors open, there’s red colored smoke and everything.

·       But it’s not Natasha. It’s Marya D. and shit’s about to get real. She just glares at Anatole and the audience goes crazy. If looks could kill…

·       So sometimes she starts out with restrained anger during the “you will not enter…” and the growl comes out during “my house, scoundrel” but the last time I saw it she just scream/growls the entire thing and either way I am very turned on and very afraid at the same time.

·       Anatole sprints away with a look of terror on his face, and really that’s the only sensible thing he’s ever done.

In My House:

·       Okay so while the Prologue is my favorite song, this is the best one.

·       So Marya starts off restrained. Scoffing, and smirking with disbelief and rage. When she calls Natasha a hussy, Natasha looks shocked, and Sonya reaches for her from across stage.

·       Then she sings “now you listen to me when I speak to you,” twice the first time is calm, and then she fucking screams it and terrifies everyone.

·       During the line “do you hear what I’m saying or not” she holds out the last word so much longer live and the t ending is so sharp.

·       Sonya just sounds horrified and devastated. Like she wants nothing more than to hug Natasha and never let go.

·       Grace McLean deserves a fucking tony like jesus Christ.

·       Everything is very pantomime, but at one point when Marya calls Anatole a scoundrel and a rat she grabs Natasha’s chin and Natasha shoves her arm away. Marya stares at her arm in shock, before turning away scoffing like a mother when her kid does something really wrong. Like “oh you think you’re going to act like this, think again bitch”

·       But then Natasha screams that they all hate and despise her, and Marya looks so horrified and hurt. She knows she fucked up with how angry she was, and runs over to her. She has to rein in all this anger and shock because it’s definitely not what Natasha needs.

·       She screams “Natasha” with such desperation that my heart just snapped. She tells us what she does to comfort her goddaughter and looks just so horrified and heartbroken.

·       While Natasha sings what she does, Marya is sitting among the tables writing her letter to Pierre. She sends it off with a grandiose gesture.

A Call to Pierre:

·       The servant wakes Pierre from his drunken stupor and Dave Malloy really plays a great drunk.

·       He heads off to the Dimetrievna household, and Marya starts off restrained but quickly grows desperate. She pleaded with him and explains, with such urgency that I felt my anxiety welling up. And all that rage that she tempered down comes back with a vengeance.

·       Holy shit, so this role is usually a very low voice part, with a lot of that glorious growling. But this song has full on high belting and Grace McLean slays it every time. When she screams “Anatole Kuragin” you know that man is a dead man if Marya D. ever gets her hands on him.

·       And when Pierre reveals that Anatole is a married man (gasp! it’s mentioned earlier during the Duel but there’s so much going on that many people miss that moment), Marya is just blown away. During one performance she was like “I fucking knew something was up with this bastard” and during another she was shocked and horrified like “oh shit we are all so fucked”

·       And when she orders Pierre to find Anatole, wow. It’s basically the last thing Marya says, and Grace McLean never fails to go out with a bang.

Find Anatole:

·       The music turns urgent, and Pierre does more running around than he has ever done before. He goes to the club, and the ensemble are in the mezzanine and on the stairs just gossiping. When Pierre assures them nothing is wrong they all look so disappointed. These people love their gossip.

·       So Anatole enters the Bezukhov house stumbling in, and looking completely distraught. Hélène rushes to him, devastated.

·       Back at Marya’s house, Marya and Sonya break the news that Anatole is married, and the sheer pain, and anguish on Natasha’s face could make anyone sob. Her denial that he just can’t be married is the moment she realizes the true gravity of the situation.

·       Pierre returns home to find Anatole (and really he could have avoided all the running, if he just went home).

·       He yells at Hélène and tells her how repulsed he is by her. And holy shit. Okay so let’s dissect this for a minute. Before Hélène mostly spoke and looked at Pierre with a mocking or dismissive tone, but here she looks absolutely terrified of him. When he comes closer, she shrinks back against Anatole. I could see her visibly trembling. She rushes down the stairs and throws herself over one of the banquette booths.

·       When Pierre crosses her to get to Anatole she physically recoils and lifts her hand to shield herself from her husband. And maybe this is just a reaction to the visceral rage Pierre gives off, but you can’t tell me Pierre hasn’t or won’t in the future raise his hand to her. She just looks so terrified, and no one ever seems to notice this. And I just want to take her away from that home right now because she’s not safe. She’s not safe at all.

Pierre & Anatole:

·       So this is the big fight scene.

·       Pierre starts out like Marya. Restrained. But as Anatole gets more and more cocky, Pierre just grabs him and it’s truly glorious.

·       Anatole is practically shaking. But quickly recovers when Pierre realizes he’s gone too far. Side note: why the fuck can Pierre back down to Anatole and forgive him when he can’t even do that with his own wife, who is totally way less at fault here. Fucking misogyny that’s what it is.

·       So when he is all like “amuse yourself with women like my wife” Helene bolts up from where’s she’s been hunched over on the floor. The look she gives him, part terror, part rage, part disbelief like “how dare you say me or any other woman should have to go through this?” Hélène deserves better. Someone bring her to Marya’s house so they can kiss and make up.

·       During this, Natasha crosses to the middle of the stage with a glass of water. She holds it above her head and pours the arsenic into the cup. It’s such a devastating moment. And if you don’t know what’s going to happen you think she’s actually going to die. First she hunches over retching. Then after several beats, she shrieks in horror when she realizes what she’s just done. Somewhere in this, both Marya and Sonya spring up from where they’ve been waiting. Sonya looks devastated and disbelieving and as she runs after Natasha, she’s off-mic just saying no no no over and over. And Marya? Oh gods. Marya looks like she’s going to start sobbing. When she jumps up, she reaches out to Natasha desperately. Just her facial expression. Grace McLean Fuck me up.

·       Anatole takes off to Petersburg and the note he hits at the end. It’s truly a fascinating moment.

·       Hélène stares at him leaving and her heart is just shattered. She turns to Pierre as though pleading, but he just gives her this horrible glare, and she turns to lean over the banister, clinging to it to stay upright. Someone give this woman a tony for fuck’s sake.

Natasha Very Ill:

·       The song begins with sirens. Sonya crosses Marya’s path and for the first time there’s a moment of true affection between them. They’re united in their love for Natasha. Sonya looks at Marya with such devastation, and Marya reaches out to comfort her and assure her as best she can, but it’s not very effective when Marya looks as lost as she does.

·       Pierre enters the house, and leads Marya into a chair. Marya knows what to do, she always knows what to do, but now she just looks so small and helpless. There are tears pouring down her face, and just wow.

·       On the opposite side Hélène is seated. Hunched over and looking horrified and devastated over Natasha. I think Hélène, even if she wanted to shake things up, genuinely cares for Natasha (after all she is the goddaughter of her girlfriend).

·       When Sonya sings that Andrey is to return, the doors open, and the bright light once again illuminates the person coming out. When this happens, the entire cast shields their eyes, looking at him with such a variety of emotions. Marya is anxiously waiting for the axe to come, Hélène looks terrified, Sonya dreads everything. Only Pierre looks somewhat happy to see his best friend, even if it’s heaving mixed with sadness.

Pierre & Andrey:

·       So both Nicholas and Blaine deliver the “there’s a war going on” line differently. Nicholas says it with sorrow and exhaustion. Blaine says it angrily like “do you all know what’s happening? And I have to come back for this?”

·       He slaps the letters into Pierre’s hand.

·       So I’ve got some thoughts about the whole “but I didn’t say I could forgive” because on one hand if Andrey had asked Natasha to marry him again, they’d never be able to move past this. It would always be a sore spot in their life, and it probably would be a terrible marriage. But on the other hand, you fucking hypocrite. I understand where you’re coming from, but c’mon.

·       But the clincher is when Andrey returns home. It’s this exchange between him and his sister that condemns him forever for me. Mary is waiting for her brother in her father’s chair. And when she sees him she knows things are bad, but she’s just so happy to see her brother home from war and alive. She rushes to embrace him but he just shoves past her and slumps into his father’s chair. Mary’s face though. Frightened just like she was with her father, and you just know she knows the cycle is going to start up again. Because he is her father’s son. She’s completely defeated, and slumps back onto the floor at the foot of the chair. And you can’t help but wonder if she’s thinking it’s all her fault. Because that’s the kind of person Mary is… and if she had just been nicer, if she hadn’t driven Natasha away that first time…

Pierre & Natasha:

·       Natasha comes out in this shapeless shift, and I was just struck by how thin and helpless she looked.

·       This whole exchange between them is heartbreaking. Like when Pierre asks her if she loved that bad man, Natasha raises her voice telling him not to call Anatole bad. And people have said this before, but she’s just thinking that if he’s a bad man, what does that make her to fall for him?

·       When Natasha doubles over and starts to sob, your entire person feels her pain. In the last performance I saw, she sobbed even louder than I’d heard before. Because the show was ending tomorrow, and emotions were high. And I’m still not okay after that.

·       And when Pierre does his spoken line, the entire theater is dead quiet. No music, no nothing. (Side note: during my last show, the woman next to me – who kept snottily telling me that they’d take my phone away if I was using it or recording (and I wasn’t thank you very much) – her phone vibrated at this exact moment, and I can’t tell you how satisfied I was with that. I only regret that she didn’t see the amazing side eye I was giving her. And then during the next song she starts trying to make a call. Like fucks sake!!!)

The Great Comet of 1812:

·       So during this song I couldn’t help but think Dave Malloy looked a bit maniacal. His shoulders were hunched, and he had his head tilted into one of them. And he had this stupid little grin on his face. All in all, so Pierre.

·       Natasha is the comet, pass it on.

·       When the entire cast joins him, it crescendos into this beautiful, and devastating melody.

·       I was watching Grace (no surprise there) and she was physically struggling to hold it together. She kept wiping her nose and dabbing at her eyes with the handkerchief. And when the song ended she had to pull herself up and together to finish the bows. I know I’d be a sobbing mess, so she’s just that good!

Bows:

·       So the non-instrument playing ensemble comes to the circle around Pierre’s office, and they all take turns with their bows. Then the instrument people come and circle around. The fiddles get their spotlight, and the clarinet, and the accordions. The opera dancers get a spotlight too.

·       Then, almost in reverse order from the Prologue intros, the main cast comes out. First Balaga dances around. Mary and Andrey/Bolkonsky do their thing. Everyone is still in character because Mary is so sweet, and thankful, and when the actor for Andrey/Bolkonsky switches between roles, he turns puts on the glasses and shakes.

·       Dolokhov does this fantastic air guitar motion, and everyone cheers.

·       Then the music changes to something so joyful and upbeat with this rockesque feel. Hélène saunters around (and I forgot to mention her costume from Find Anatole to now is just this super extra dressing down, a corset, her stockings, and undergarments. It’s really something. I want one). During this Marya is just like, “ugh please” but it’s with this exasperated affection (for her girlfriend!)

·       The music changes again and Marya spins around bowing. I just really love Grace McLean.

·       She then hands it off to Sonya. And then we go to Anatole and yeah he always gets a cheer. Like Lucas Steele totally deserves it, and probably that tony as well. But like Anatole, what a fuckboy.

·       Then from the big doors, Natasha and Pierre emerge. There’s a shitton of cheering, and once they’ve acknowledged the orchestra (who all have their own costumes too!) it’s ended.

·       And we must say goodbye to our lovers once last time.

 Final Thoughts:

·       Dave Malloy is a genius who deserves better. The whole cast deserves better honestly, but they’re going on to great things.

·       Ghost Quartet is going to be coming to off-broadway for a month, and I want to go so badly.

·       Gelsey Bell isn’t real. She’s some otherworldly being with a voice of an angel.

·       Brittain Ashford is so pure, and good.

·       Denee Benton captures Natasha so well, and I’ve never seen such beauty.

·       Amber Gray? More like Amber Gay, amirite? Seriously though, I could listen to this woman all day long. Her voice could melt glaciers. And Hadestown better bring back Amber Gray because I need to hear her sing those songs.

·       If I could write an entire thing on how much I adore Grace McLean we’d be here for the rest of time. So I’ll just say that we don’t deserve this woman in our lives. She is amazing and talented, and beautiful, and is both life and wife goals.

·       But that, is all I am permitted to say.

[hmel78]

In conversation with Brian Parrish ...

1973 - the year in which emerging talent included ‘AC/DC’, ‘Bachman Turner Overdrive’, ‘Bad Company’ , ‘Stillwater’, ‘Television’, ‘The Tubes’ ; albums were released by ‘Wishbone Ash’, ‘Nazareth’, ‘Uriah Heep’, ‘Thin Lizzy’, ‘Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band’, ‘Aerosmith’, ‘Mike Oldfield’ ... to name just a few. ‘YES’ were already big on the scene, as were ‘The Rolling Stones’, ‘The Who’, ‘David Bowie’, ‘Black Sabbath’, ‘Led Zeppelin’, ‘Wings’ - it’s really quite a mind-blowing list isn’t it? A seriously exciting time to be around for any music lover, but imagine being a musician at the heart of that scene ... Enter Brian Parrish. 

For many of you reading this, Brian Parrish will already be a familiar name -  amongst many fans of ‘prog’, he is held in high regard as the guitarist / vocalist with ‘Badger’, but this is by no means all that he should be remembered for, or associated with. In fact, to document ALL of his history would require an entire magazine edition of it’s own! ‘Badger’ were co-founded by keyboardist Tony Kaye after he left ‘Yes’, along with David Foster - the pair found drummer Roy Dyke, who thus suggested Parrish, and voila!  Rehearsals began in September 1972, a deal with Atlantic Records followed in quick succession, and with the dawn of 1973 came their first album “One Live”. From a ‘fame’ perspective, it might seem that ‘Badger’ was the point at which Parrish suddenly appeared on radar, but prior to this he really hadn’t been a stranger in the music industry. Parrish had grown up in the “Skiffle” era and says that he “saw the Light“ when he heard Lonnie Donegan, and the wealth of American Roots music at the time.  He Received his first guitar at the age of 11, and despite passing his 11+ exam a year early, cites “once I had a guitar in my hands I had no more interest in, or use for, formal education” - by the time he was 17, he was in a touring band, and shortly after that the doors opened wide to the world of music and songwriting, on landing his first ‘professional’ job as lead guitarist for rock n roll legend Gene Vincent. During the next few years of touring, and residencies at the Star Club in Hamburg with ‘The Londoners’ [aka ‘The Knack’], Parrish had also landed himself a publishing deal and achieved success with songs that he wrote for Johnny Hallyday, & ‘Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich’ amongst others. He was in demand for sessions, playing on albums for Jerry Lee Lewis, Graeme Edge (‘TheMoody Blues’), Jon Lord (‘Deep Purple’) and on hits for the likes of ‘Medicine Head’ (“One and One”), and all the while striving towards his own solo career. Whilst preparing demos for a solo album, Brian ran into old friend Paul Gurvitz (formerly of ‘The Londoners’ / ‘The Knack’) who agreed to help with vocals. The blend of harmonies was so good that they decided to make it a joint project - ‘Parrish & Gurvitz’. George Martin (the 5th Beatle) heard the P&G tapes, and subsequently signed them to his newly formed production company - the resulting album which he produced was hailed as the debut of the “next Beatles”, however it wasn’t long afterwards that ‘Parrish & Gurvitz’ went their separate ways. ‘Badger’ marked the next milestone in Parrish’s career - “One Live” entered the U.S. Billboard charts, and was widely acclaimed. The band had already toured with YES, and Black Sabbath ; and then suddenly, in what he describes as the hallmark of his “bad timing” , Brian Parrish elected to leave the band more or less on the eve of their American tour ... A solo deal with Chas Chandler (manager of Jimi Hendrix and Slade) followed, but his debut album “Love On My Mind” proved to be less successful than he anticipated. From there he moved increasingly into production and writing, becoming what they call a “back room boy” rather than a performer. Whilst he continued to take session work, his live performances all but stopped-  yet throughout the years, he has never stopped writing. Brian suffered a brain tumour in the late 90s - the ensuing surgery, whilst 100% successful in removing the tumour, left him without hearing in his right ear ; meaning he has had to re-learn the recording process in the absence of a “stereo” picture - it did not, by any stretch of the imagination, deter him from carrying on with his career in music! In 2004 Brian returned to the stage when invited to perform in Hamburg as a special guest for a “Star Club Night”.   In 2007 he released “End Game” - his first album of original songs for 30 years, and also formed a band. They still play regularly. This year [2016] saw the release of “Traveller” - a ‘concept’ album in which BP takes us on 13 of life’s journeys, with notes to the listener along the way : “We are all travellers with a one way ticket for our own unique journey through life – and our choices define us”. One thing is for certain, Brian’s choices have certainly defined him, and his life has indeed, so far, been a colourful one in which he muses “Music has dominated my journey, intensifying my experience” , and hopes that his own music is enjoyed as part of yours. He continues to work, exploring new directions, and tells us that “the best is yet to come”! If the new album “Traveller” is anything to go by then we will all be in for a treat. “Traveller” itself is one of those timeless records which contains something that will appeal to just about every taste in music. We caught up with Brian recently - curious to know more about “Badger” as there is very little documented, and also the bits before, inbetween, and afterwards, that have formed the road map of his own journey ... Helen Robinson : By the time Badger’s “One Live” was recorded you were already a ways towards carving a successful career in music ; your first professional gig was with Gene Vincent - how did you land that?

Brian Parrish : I started young.  Somehow getting a publishing deal at around age 17 ( I am not necessarily saying my songs were good, but the publishers obviously thought I might make some money for them - that´s how it works). Our band had done tours of American Army bases in Europe with success, especially among the black soldiers - I believe this was due to our material being R&B (black) influenced. I knew nothing of “race” issues - quite naive, I was! Upon our return we got the opportunity to try out with Gene Vincent, as Paul’s [Gurvitz] father was working for Don Arden, who handled Gene in the UK. I think our musicianship was limited at that point, especially when you consider that Cliff Gallup (one of the all time greats!) had been Genes guitar player in the original ‘Blue Caps’ ; Jeff Beck still cites Gallup as a great influence. Where we scored, was stagecraft - we had been learning from the get go ... and possibly because we were cheap! Both, I imagine!

HR : From there you toured and recorded quite extensively with ‘The Londoners’, and you also had a brief stint with ‘New York Public Library’ - so what made you want to go solo?

‘The Londoners’ worked pretty much nonstop through 64 / 65, scoring heavily in the “Star Club” Hamburg, where we were hugely popular. We also worked and recorded under the name ‘The Knack’, and had a near hit with a Ray Davis song. ‘The Kinks’ connection also came about through Paul’s father, who by then was working for their management. We recorded 4 or 5 other singles - one may have been written by me.  They went nowhere. Finally, shortly before Christmas, I announced that I wished to be home for Christmas Day, so please accept no gig if offered.   There was a job offered in maybe Scotland or Wales (I am not sure, but in pre-motorway Britain it would have been a slog) and the money was good, but I said “I am not doing it!” They gave me an ultimatum: Play or leave the band.    I left, of course. In order to keep playing I joined ‘NYPL’, who as ‘The Cherokees’ had played the “Star Club” with us. They had a hit under their belts but opted for a new name and a fresh start. We released some singles, not all of them bad, some written by me, and all of them died.  For collectors only, I am afraid! When I had the offer to do something solo, I took it.

HR : You became highly sought after as a session musician, and made an impact within the song writing world - what’s the most memorable thing in that period of your career?

BP : I played more sessions than I can remember. Things with Roger Cook, a bunch for ‘Dave Dee, Dozy, Mick & Titch’, for whom I also wrote some songs. It was all very eclectic. I would like to say I stayed true to blues roots, or whatever, but the truth is, the work came up and I took the jobs. Ken Dodd was one, for example. For credibility points I would add that I did a couple of sessions for Paul Jones. In the following years I would play with Jerry Lee Lewis, Tony Ashton (another Star Club friend) and Jon Lord, but there were many that I do not remember. Someone told me I was on a session with Robin Gibb. I really do not remember! Complete blank. I did have some early songwriting success with Johnny Hallyday - Huge in France and Europe. I remember the publishers were very pleased, although Paul Gurvitz (know as Curtis then) asked “Who is he?”

HR : You actually teamed up with Paul Gurvitz next, and were signed up by none other than George Martin! That’s kind of a big deal isn’t it?

BP : The way that happened was that I started a solo project with Lou Reizner, and began working up material in his Knightsbridge apartment, which he gave me the keys for while he was away in the States ...  Me and a Revox . I was taking a break and walking in the street nearby when Paul drove up - “Whats happening ?” etc.  I told him what I was doing and said “Come and listen”. Paul and the drummer from ‘The Knack’ had formed a trio with brother Adrian, calling themselves “Gun”. They had a respectable hit , but 2 albums later had called it a day, so Paul was free and I invited him to sing harmonies with me on my project. Our voices have always jelled, so when Lou returned from the U.S. I said “what about if we did this as a double act?”. In the spirit of the times he said “OK if that’s what you want”. I persuaded Paul to call himself Gurvitz (his real name). I said “it’s more memorable and has authenticity. Think of Art Garfunkle”. We recorded a pretty good album at Island studios, with the guys who would later be our band. Lou drafted in a manager from Canada, and he ran to George Martin with the tapes, without Lou Reizner´s  knowledge. Et Tu Brute? He was a snake really. Long story short , George loved us but wanted to re-record the songs, jettison a couple, and most importantly produce the album. ‘The Beatles’ had just disbanded, and had been huge, so this WAS a big deal. We were not overawed, but were ready to learn stuff and listen to his comments and suggestions. He absolutely respected our instincts, but was able to enhance everything when scoring string parts. Also having worked with John and Paul he was very open to experimentation sonically. No digital effects and limitless tracks in those days! He demystified everything for me, and there is no occasion in front of a mixer, or working on harmonies when I do not draw on what I learned.  A master-and a gentleman. Being hailed as the “new Beatles” was ultimately the kiss of death. We needed time to develop our own identity free from misconceptions and a public who did not WANT a NEW Beatles! We had inherited the infrastructure but we were not ‘The Beatles’, nor wanted to be!

HR :  No, no I see how that would have been detrimental, even with the backing of such major business influences - so,  ‘Parrish & Gurvitz’ was short lived?

BP : Yes. We toured the States with our band a good six months after the album came out. Disastrous timing. No-one would invest the kind of money and logistics demanded of touring without a current “product” to promote and sell. Also we had started on the second album - a more electric, rockier thing than the acoustic vibe of the first one. The band were great but the style of presentation was unexpected, and the new songs not known even to those who had heard the first album. The management were inexperienced in this, and we had already moved on stylistically. We were not about to bow to the demands of the U.S. Record labels “We didn´t sign a ROCK band!” - so the plug was pulled two weeks before the end of the tour. We returned to the UK, and went into the studio to finish the second album, but the honeymoon was over and we could no longer keep paying the band. They joined ‘Peter Frampton’ as an already slick working unit. We dumped the management. Paul and I separated - he going into a project with his brother and Ginger Baker, and I was approached by my friend Roy Dyke who was playing with Tony Kaye. “We need songs, a guitar player and a singer” he said, “I can do those things” I said. Cut to next scene : the rehearsal rooms where Badger would be formed.

HR : Ha! Yes - ‘Badger’. I would like to just sidestep there for a moment though, if I may ... It’s 1972 - that point in music history may well have been the ‘peak’ when you look at the wealth of talent and genuine passion for music that existed ; and remarkably the fact, as you’ve already pointed out, that by that time ‘The Beatles’ had disbanded ; Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin were already gone - what was it like to be a working musician throughout that time?

BP : An unbelievable time, Yes ... We hung out with a lot of these people. I saw Jimi at a club called Blaizes for the first time. Looking like a black Bob Dylan playing “Like a Rolling Stone” with an upside down Stratocaster - but sounding otherworldly. I could not figure out what he was doing, never mind how he was doing it. I was barely three feet away. He played someone else’s guitar upside down (left hander, was Jimi). He freaked everybody, Eric [Clapton] included. We would meet all of these folks in the clubs. Janis chased our bass player all around the Revolution club I remember. He was quite innocent and the Jack Daniels toting Lady would have devoured him for breakfast! As you say, these artistes were all gone by ´72. I do not know if there were “lows” on a conscious level, but the substance use had hit high levels and I nearly died on a couple of occasions. I was rehearsing at one point with Paul Kossoff, who was in a worse mess than I - and as we know, he died sometime later. Keith Moon, who had been a friend was another. There is quite a list of drug casualties. Better not to dwell upon it. Mostly it was still an amazing time for creativity and one still had the feeling that everything was possible. We were in the vanguard of the counter culture and we were changing the world. HR : I’m in awe Brian, actually ... It really did change the world - certainly the face of music. To be a part of that would have been exhilariating, I’m sure.  I’m fascinated, because I missed it all in person - there was so much going on politically, and musically - including  the birth of ‘prog’ ...

BP : Well, The “prog” thing which was often quasi-classical and Gothic in tone, may have been started in ‘67 with “Whiter Shade of Pale”.  All the classically trained players - Emmerson, Wakeman etc. thought “Right! We´re on now!”  - By 71 /72 it was in full swing. West Coast music flourished, Blues music was marginalised but “Soul”  with a message thrived (Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Staples Singers) -even the Godfather of Soul, James Brown was  smart enough to catch the Zeitgeist -“I´m Black and I´m Proud” he sang and it all resonated with the Civil Rights movement.

HR : It all goes hand in hand. But ... going back to You , and to add further perspective to what you were doing in 1972 - Elvis was still around, Lennon and McCartney had gone solo, and many of the UK’s (even the worlds) best known, best loved, bands and artists were already established in the public eye  - ‘The Who’, ‘The Rolling Stones’, ‘David Bowie’, ‘Pink Floyd’, ‘Elton John’, ‘Led Zeppelin’ , ‘Genesis’, ‘Queen’, ‘Black Sabbath’, ‘YES’ etc  ... taking all of the afore mentioned artists into account - they were the people you hung out with, but how conscious were you of them as competition?

BP : I think any musicians forming a band at that time just got on with the job in hand. There were plenty of acts I really liked, but I regarded none as competition. David (Bowie) was a primped up Marcel Marceau acolyte, who would brilliantly morph into whatever took his fancy, exploring Dadaism and so on. Great - but nothing to do with my universe. ‘Zeppelin’ were huge of course (we sat together in Madison Square Gardens to watch Elvis during the Parrish & Gurvitz time) ; ‘Paul McCartney & Wings’ were flying (the correct verb I assume),and I had been privileged to be around Air Studio when Paul with orchestra arranged by George Martin recorded “Live and Let Die”. Breathtaking. ‘Queen’ were nothing like as successful as they would become, but the others you mention were already very big. When Tony Kaye left ‘Yes’ and we began to rehearse ‘Badger’, I had little interest in what ‘Yes’ had been doing - seeing our music simply as the best we could do together without labels, and by extension no comparison, let alone competition with anyone in particular ; certainly not Tony´s ex band. I wasn´t even sure we were that good, to be honest - and I was always insecure about my own playing. We have had enough compliments over the years (my guitar playing included) that I am able now to accept it with good grace and gratitude!

HR : And so you should ... Not only was “One Live” your debut album, but it was also Live (funnily enough!), which was somewhat of a rare thing to do - why did you release that as opposed to a studio recording?

BP : It was not an artistic choice, but a practical one. We were playing  with ‘Yes’ who had ‘the Stones’ Mobile Studio on hand to do a “live” concert recording. To record ‘Badger’ also, was going to cost a few reels of tape and some mixing time to follow. I was not sure it would work, but I remember the “Rolling Stone” review at the time said it was the favourite album (of the reviewer) and if this was what ‘Badger’ could do live, may they never feel the need to set foot in a recording studio. It was a fluke really.

HR : Is it completely Live, or did you work on it afterwards?

There was just a little overdubbing /repair work. Notably on one song (would you believe I forget which one?). We had recorded the songs on two separate nights, and as we listened to a version of the song in question all of the vocal mikes went down half way through. Not in the auditorium, but the recording microphones. The version was great, and there were tempo discrepancies with the recording from the second night. In the digital age this would call no problem, but at that time this was a big problem. Could we lift the vocal from the second night? Splice the 2 halves together despite the tempo problems? Some of the instruments spilled onto the mikes we were singing in, so to re sing in the studio would still leave us with a significant change in sound. Our engineer Geoff Haslam helped us mix and match various parts with minimal re-singing. We tried to keep it as “live” as possible for the sake of integrity. Actually the night following the Rainbow concerts we played in Glasgow, and this was without question a much better performance. It was not recorded! HR : Typical! When you consider the impact this album had, amongst all those other huge albums in 1973 - did you feel that the band should have been bigger, or lasted longer than it did?

BP : Well one sees everything differently with the benefit of hind sight. The “business” or “career” head might have advised “Stick with it. Ride the train! The band is getting such a reaction, growing in popularity, so with touring and so on you could push the album higher in the U.S. charts, to further cement what you have done-and in time, maybe come up with a good second album”. We will never know. I would be interested to hear what the others might answer to this question. I left the band pretty much on the eve of the U.S. tour, as you know. The drug intake was prodigious to say the least, and I was becoming disenchanted with the work rate in terms of working up new material. Frustrated songwriter stuff, but not being “sober”, of sound mind and body (!) my judgement might have been impaired. I may have been too hasty. The others thought it was a tantrum, or something I could be talked out of, but it wasn´t. It was a lousy business move on my part, I would be in a better position today, if I had stayed with the band whose popularity was increasing (and if I had not died, as so many did!). Whatever. I dropped the band in the lurch, and still feel a little guilty about that. I liked them all, and still do. We had something……. Writing wise I was travelling in an altogether funkier direction - and whatever ‘Badger’ were, they weren´t funk (I reject the “prog” label). What happened next was Jackie Lomax replaced me and lo and behold, took them in a funkier direction, with the addition of Kim Gardener on bass. Jackie was a great talent, but the public did not want a reinvented ‘Badger’, so the second album more or less bombed, and my solo album did little better.

HR : Well “One Live” has certainly stood the test of time and secured some loyal fans! Given that you were the main songwriter, how do you feel about the fact that so many people still cite it as a pivotal moment in their musical journey?

BP : At the time I was not so impressed with it. A little bemused even. I was arrogant enough to think there would always be another door opening for me, with something interesting behind it. I had always bumped into people who liked what I did and assumed it would stay that way. I forgot a crucial factor, which is that a young artiste / band is much more marketable. That´s another theme, however. Over the years, right up to the present day I have heard from many people who hold “One Live” in special regard. I also have had feedback from many young people, including musicians, who love it. I think it has to do with the energy. I included a ‘Badger’ song in a concert last year and it seemed so fast! I thought “My God did we really play a whole set at this pace?” It was exhilarating on one level, exhausting on another. Overall I am much more comfortable with ‘Badger’ these days. I think it was a very good album in retrospect. I feel vindicated in respect of the writing (although there are lyrics I would change if I were to do it today) - I would definitely change the album credits to reflect the fact that I wrote four of the six pieces. ‘Badger’ has given me a little cult status. Just a little, mind you, but enough to prove I lived and played on the planet. Oh ... and I am not finished yet!

HR : Well that’s good to hear - we like having you around ... I’m curious about another dynamic of the album - “One Live” - it was produced by Jon Anderson of ‘YES’, but with the departure of Tony Kaye from their unit, were the band friends, or foe?

BP : Should I talk about Jon? First of all I like him. We are very different kinds of people - and certainly his approach to recording is a little more “clinical” than mine, shall we say? I believe that if anyone “produced” ONE LIVE it was Geoff Haslam, the engineer who spent every studio hour with the band and technically and creatively had as much to do with the finished product as we, the writers and musicians. He was great at recreating the live ambience and getting it on tape. Jon came in very little and tended to focus on vocals more than anything. Long story short - I think the folks who would take care of marketing fancied the idea of having Jon’s credit on the sleeve. This would maintain the link with the ‘Yes’ fan base. I see that, of course. Certainly, whatever the undercurrents might have been between Tony and the ‘Yes’ guys, we were all friends. I greatly admired Steve Howe, without wishing to do what he was (is) capable of. I was more pentatonic based, as is David Gilmour, for example, but Steve was perfect for the band. Rick Wakeman too, was a good mate. Great player, funny, intelligent guy and fond of a drink. He fit very well with us on a social level. Remember we played the concerts with them when the recording took place. All friendly.

HR : Happy Campers! You also toured with Black Sabbath - knowing Ozzy, I can only imagine the shenanigans! Would we be wrong to assume that it was one big party?

BP : A detailed answer to that question would be mostly unprintable. Shenanigans does not begin to cover it. We had a break in the tour - 5 days, a week maybe. Ozzy did not want to break the party up. He loved us and said “Come and stay at our house - all of you”, including road crew. We tore it up. I am not sure his wife was amused. She kept a pretty low profile. On the road it was all the smashed TV sets, drink and nonsense you would expect. We were thrown out of a hotel in Italy (Bologna, I believe), passport numbers taken and both bands and the entire crew - perhaps 25 / 30 people were banned for life. This was at 4.30 in the morning, and not in any way to do with noise, breakages (for which we paid) but something less than respectful our party did to a statue of the Pope, which was on the same floor as all our rooms. There were Mafia related events which took place during the Italian leg of the tour which would take a lot of space here and these stories are perhaps best left untold. A party, certainly. I paid my bill in brain cells, I fear.

HR : Hmmm. I’m laughing, but ... not at the brain damage!   Maybe it was for the best that you left the ‘Badger’ party when you did?! You next signed a deal with Chas Chandler, which really marked your biggest step towards becoming a solo artist didn’t it?

BP : Yes it did. I had some material which had not “clicked” with ‘Badger’, and having left the fold I knew that whatever happened next, songs would be a valuable currency. I had friends with connections to Chas. He had managed Jimi, who had recently passed, and was already back on comfortable (pop) territory with ‘Slade’.  He loved my stuff and told me he was starting a new label and that I could have complete control over the recording. I believe I should have had a co producer, or at least a second pair of ears in retrospect. That is another theme, however. HR : That album “Love On My Mind” was tagged as “Blue Eyed Soul” on account of it’s funk / soul vibe ... You were essentially being true to the style of music you loved, but did you enjoy making the record?

BP : White boys can´t do soul - or they are certainly not supposed to! Actually I think the songs were good and, in the main, came out as I would have wished. Good arrangements, some great musicians. I found my own performance less convincing. My singing always seemed detached to my ears. If I had not been wearing the producers hat, concentrating on arrangements and so forth , we might have got a performance. Few could do that. Prince showed us all how its done subsequently. As it is, the notes and arrangements are OK, everything in its place, but it seems emotion free, at least to me. Blue Eyed soul indeed! I am far better equipped to produce myself today, but would always wish for a co producer (as I have in the shape of Steff Ulrich on TRAVELLER). You have to stretch yourself, and it helps when someone is pushing, and offering creative criticism. I bowed to Steffs instincts more than once whilst making TRAVELLER, although I could have pulled rank and said “My songs, brother. I´m the boss” - I think the album is better for my not having done that. Ah humility at last! I am sure we will talk about that later.

HR : Sure ... and we’ll talk more about “Traveller” too, but around the time of “Love On My Mind”, Did something change for you at that point? It seems that after working so hard for your first solo release, you then made a move towards the production side of the business, becoming - as you say yourself, “A back room boy” - were you more comfortable there?

BP : This was never planned or envisioned. I had publishing deals as folks always liked my writing.  I should have stuck out for recording deals in tandem with publishing, ensuring that records would come out with my name on. At the very least some level of success might have been on the cards as some were still anticipating some news from the guy who had been with ‘Badger’. It was a strange time. I had no band, no records out, some sessions certainly - but publishers pushing me for material. Most publishers were not what I would call working publishers as they once had been. Less and less were we seeing covers generated by publishers. This was the beginning of the “writer/producer” era. Many people were finding artistes as vehicles for their material and producing them.  Alan Tarney is a case in point, producing Leo Sayer, Cliff Richard, Barbara Dixon and so on. I did a little of this, producing Alvin Stardust, for example. Not my finest hour I think. I was still torn between the need to play and sing and not to be limited to one genre and the fact that the publishers vision was often at odds with the labels. I was kind of fading into the background rather than choosing it. There was a point where I was getting “clean and sober” as the popular expression would have it, so there was important stuff to focus on there, and I never for a moment stopped writing ...

HR : You also worked on the “Many People, One Planet” project through the United Nations?

BP : This was an interesting, and somewhat unexpected detour. The concept was to provide education resource packs for underprivileged Italian school children. There is a huge divide between those schools which had computers and up to date visual aides, and the poorer schools where, for example, if the roof of the school needed fixing the parents would give up their time to do the work. A North / South divide basically. The resource packs were re usable, and so passed along to the other students in succeeding years. My job was to persuade companies to get behind it financially. In return for which they would receive a small credit on the laminated packs. Many people became involved, including Zucchero - something of an Italian musical icon. The high point for me was to travel to Rome to meet some very excited school children, attend the launch at the UN headquarters there, and the director had privately asked me if I could formulate some words to address the UN ! I had the experience of hearing my “speech” delivered in Italian. Of course we were provided with headphones and little handsets where we could select a language. There were live translators speaking French, English, Spanish and so on. Quite exciting. I thought “I am addressing the UN!”. I wasn´t of course, but actually seeing the joy on the faces of the kids was a necessary humility shot.

HR : Sounds like a rewarding detour ... meanwhile, a 30 year gap between solo records ensued ...

BP : A gap between publicly released recordings, certainly - I suppose it must seem that I just disappeared, although I never stopped writing or working in music, as I said. You may know I was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 1999, which was kind of a banana skin in the road at that point. I had been experiencing unpleasant symptoms, including hearing problems for some time. No need to dwell on any of this as I am super fit these days! I had the successful operation to remove it early in 2000. I was left deaf in my right ear, so some re-training was necessary. All far behind me now ... but my first foray into live music following this was in Hamburg in 2004. It was strange as the information I was getting onstage soundwise was completely different. It wasn´t easy, but I resolved to work as much as possible in this altered “soundscape”. More gigs followed, some in Germany, and to make a long story short I have lived here since 2006. I wanted to see how I could function recording-wise . In the 5 or 6 years since the operation - my “recovery years” if I can put it that way, a lot had changed technically. I opted for a small multi track digital recorder, which I had then to learn to use. It was not only that I had dropped off the Radar from a public standpoint. I had missed stuff!

HR : So along comes “End Game” in 2007 - It’s a completely solo album in that, on top of the writing, you play ALL the instruments too. Did you feel a greater reward from producing a record like that?

BP : It was a “necessity as the mother of Invention” scenario, I would say. I was alone working with my digital recorder laying tracks alone as I had for a long time when I made demos. So I played guitar tracks, of course, but also bass , some keyboards (which was laborious as my skills are less than rudimentary). I did all vocals. I have much experience with harmonies. ( you may notice that many tracks on the new TRAVELLER album have harmony vocals by me - not all though, as I love the texture of girls voices. The “amen corner” as Ray Charles used to call it)  I also worked with a digital drum machine. I was not really wonderful with it - there are people who could do it so much better. I think the ENDGAME songs are pretty good, and it was an important stepping stone for me. That said, I would like to re record the material utilising the recording methods (and musicians) I had for TRAVELLER. Actually I have started tinkering with some of them in my studio. I think you are familiar with the “live” version of “Many Moons Ago” (from ENDGAME). There is a vid on YouTube. This is an example of a good song (in my opinion!) changing, especially dynamically, with the participation of a group of musicians.

HR : Yes - it is a good song, I will vouch for that - I love the album - Time and Tide particularly. I would urge people to seek it out ... You’ve touched briefly on your hearing, and having to work around that these days -  You’ve found a new love for performing , so apart from your ‘altered soundscape’, is it a different experience to when you were playing at first?

BP : Very different. In some ways I am more confident as I have a better idea of what I am doing these days. I can draw on a lot of material from my back catalogue. When I started I was too nervous about introducing my own songs into the act, and our focus was in being creative with other songs which we liked. I always tried to make some kind original statement in the interpretation of other material. That is something which continues today. I enjoy performing R&B tunes, for example - but if you want to hear the familiar arrangements get a juke box or go see a cover band! These days I love contact with the audience. Some musicians are less comfortable in a stage environment and just get their heads down and play, probably speaking very little. We don´t do lasers and dancing(!) but there is a performance element, which I like. Bruce Springsteen has talked about a time required to psych himself up, to go out and “be Bruce Springsteen”. I identify a lot because there is a zone which I find I must enter in order to pull it off. It´s a “front man” thing, probably.

HR : Haha! You know, I have learned over the years not to invade a ‘front man’s’ zone before he goes onstage ... I’m not sure people who haven’t grown up around the business ever truly appreciate what it takes to psyche yourself up, but - we’re onto at least the 3rd different theme if we go down that road now! Which, talking of 3rds, brings us nicely to your 3rd album - “Traveller” - which you’ve mentioned a couple of times there. It’s just been released, and is sort of a retrospective collection of songs about your own journey through life ... was it an emotional album to make?

BP : Well I am not sure it is ALL about my journey through life. Some of it has to be of course, but I wanted it not only to be about an individual experience but through character songs, which most are, to reference a commonality. You must have experienced that thing of thinking “I wonder if other people have felt this way? “ ... This is personal, individual, as I perceive it, but with millions of people on the planet I can´t be “the only one”. Some of TRAVELLER was personal and emotions do come into play, yes . I had a lot of material so the final choice of songs, the sequence, even the time between tracks was something I paid a lot of attention to. In an age where few people play an album right through and listen as we used to, this was perhaps, superfluous, but I wanted the experience to be there for anyone who elected to listen in this manner. HR : How did you decide on which tracks, or journeys, to include?

I had around fifty songs - some accumulated over time and others newly written. I had the song “Traveller” and had wanted to loosely base an album around the idea of each of us being a traveller and that each of life´s experiences may be perceived as a small journey, each of which contribute to our life story and the greater journey. My task then was to choose songs which would reflect some of these experiences. I knew right away that I could reference various musical styles - dip into musical waters I have sailed in, and that this might enhance the sense of variation in our experiences. I threw out any ideas of chronology right away. It is not, nor is it meant to be, my life story. The label calls it an “acoustic road movie” and I like that. My deliberations regarding sequence was about taking the listener through a series of moods. The opening song “Land of the Night Games” is about falling into the dream state. Dreams do not follow any conscious logic. They just are. I wanted to start with this as a preparation. To give myself and the listener permission to go anywhere. In this way themes like sex, loss, our spiritual quest, death, faith, joy, reflection etc. can be explored whether I have written from a personal perspective or in character, which I do quite a lot. “Angel of Death” for example, is not about me, although each of us will cross that bridge eventually. I could talk at length about how this came about, as I could with each of the songs if time and space would allow. I am not sure how important or even interesting this would be. Suffice to say that there was a song called “Oh Death” which was part of the African American blues / folk story which I never forgot. Library of Congress stuff. Alan Lomax was the Marco Polo of American folk music. Without his obsession and tireless enthusiasm we would have none of these recordings. There is more to this shit than Robert Johnson!

HR : HAHA! Well, musically, I think it’s fairly eclectic - for anyone wishing to check it out, there’s some blues, rock n roll, funk, a good helping of classic rock, some great guitar work, it’s a little jazzy in places, with a hint of country, and even a ‘nod’ to Bruce Springsteen -  generically the influences are clear, but how much have you been influenced by other musicians?

BP : Now we are into an area I enjoy talking about, because this relates to my own journey! I have inevitably been influenced by everything I have heard. I have been required to play in different styles / situations so I guess it is not too difficult to slot into different genres. As a writer my only limitations are to do with technical ability. First and foremost I am a music fan, so when I am noodling and something comes up, some kind of shape, I try not to hinder the process. I try to get Brian out of the way and listen. At some point I might think “ah this is kind of an R&B thing”. The task then becomes trying not to be too generic - not to churn out a musical cliche´. On TRAVELLER I had no problem developing the songs consciously drawing upon different genres - so that “Slow Riding” for example is absolutely recognizable as coming from a “soul” tradition, but hopefully with modern production values and some arrangement features which are not purely from that time. Your comment about different styles on the album is precisely the obstacle which kept labels from getting involved in the 80s and beyond. “We don´t know how to market you. Are you Rock? Blues? Soul / Funk? Prog?” The answer would have been “yes”  .

HR : At least you have the freedom to create now ... We talked earlier about your musical peers in the 70s - many of whom WE, the fans, would call our ‘heroes’, but I guess to you they were just friends - so beyond them, have you any defining moments where you’ve met or worked with the people you’ve looked up to? BP : It is always great to play with people who are good at what they do. In my early teens I saw what you might call a “pop exploitation” film which included Little Richard and a clip of Gene Vincent doing “Be Bop-Alula” which galvanised me. Just a couple of years later I was playing with him. For a young musician it was like winning the lottery. I was and still am in awe of George Martin, from whom I learned a great deal. Peter Green was a good friend of mine back in the day, although we lost contact as he became increasingly withdrawn and suffered mental problems.  A truly gentle soul - and I am glad that he is around and still playing. Herbie Hancock got up with my band a year or two after my solo album came out and blew us away.  He only inspired me to practice! I worked with Eric Burdon, as you may know, and played a Wembley concert with him and Carlos Santana. I met Carlos and his wonderful band back stage and marvelled at what they were doing together. Their example of interaction is something I took away with me. Years later I wrote a Latin style tune - not really my forte ´style wise, but a good song and maybe I was drawing on the Santana experience. I think a writer is like a magpie ! Those birds steal things, and I strictly avoid that, but I certainly borrow stuff. I have contact to many people whom I hold in high regard. I met Albert Lee on a Jerry Lee Lewis session in the 70s and we catch up when he gets to Germany - He lives in California where some of my British musical friends (Tony Kaye, Brian Chatton ) are living. They hang out together certainly, but I am happily ensconced miles away, here in North Germany where I have a small circle of musicians as friends. Otherwise I meet some great musicians who come through to play the Music Hall where I live, including my big favourites - Little Feat, our friend Eric Burdon played here not long ago. I get to meet them when they come through but writing is mostly a solitary occupation, so I am pretty much in studio captivity. I do socialise a little and for example Blue Weaver, veteran keyboard man from the Strawbs, Bee Gees and before that, Amen Corner is a really good friend who lives here in the village. Not surprisingly he is on a couple of tracks of TRAVELLER , and he is my “go to “ guy if I have technical problems - He is way better than me with technology. A half a step away from being a gadget freak. He is always telling me of the new toys he has bought for his studio. So there are dinners and inevitable improv sessions.

HR : I saw that Blue is on the album too - It’s a really interesting record, and you’ve paid a great deal of attention to the ‘whole package’ - the artwork etc ... in a way you’ve referenced an answer to this question already. With regards to the way that people listen to, and experience an album in a digital age - do you feel that somewhere in the evolution music, we’ve genuinley lost something?

BP : Each generation believes that their time is the best. The young discover sex and somehow think they are the first despite the biological contradictions inherent in having parents! It is common for the older generation to be nostalgic and trumpet “It was better in our day!”. So maybe if we accept that knowledge as a given we might still consider that some things may actually have been genuinely better even when not viewed through the rose coloured glasses of age. So, yes, the packaging was definitely an attempt to provide an interesting visual aide as with some of the album sleeves from the classic rock times.  There are the obvious examples among the “prog rock” fraternity. I designed a booklet with lyrics and photo montage illustrations, fully realising that most people today do not listen to music in the depth that we used to, much less sit reading the sleeve notes and illustrations. A 12 “ album sleeve was of course a better canvass to work on. I need glasses to read my booklet ! I hope the music stands up well alone. It is not in the Gothic / mock Classical style we might think of if we talk of “concept” albums, But I am fond of saying I have just released the last concept album - but hopefully it is not all too cerebral. I want the layers to be there if you look for them, but equally the listener can read the lyrics, comments and credits and just enjoy the pictures without seeking any explanation. In an age where everything is commodity music is not regarded as “art” by most people. It has to compete with video games, all kinds of apps and other entertainment options, so the sense of wonder has left the planet, and creative people are less revered. Folks mainly think that everything is digitally programmed! Few think about the writing I suspect. There is an interesting documentary on the late Tom Dowd, legendary producer of Coltrane, Aretha, Allman Brothers, Eric Clapton and many more. He could accept that times and methods change but lamented the fact that so little music today is performance driven. He talks about computers and plug ins from “Toys R Us” and the heavy use of samples etc. Understandably he maintained we have lost something. We have so many programmes and techniques used to recreate the sound and excitement generated in a time when the tracks were recorded live on analogue machines. It is supremely ironic.

I know I am being very “wordy” in my answer to this question. Simply put, I know that most download one song at a time and have little patience to sit and listen to an entire album created as a single piece of work. The concept is alien. Many cannot even listen to one song without looking at selfies on their cell phones, texting a friend.  Multi tasking is seldom spiritual. People are not in the moment, are seldom able to do one thing at a time. The attention span of people these days is ridiculously short. I have noticed some people are incapable of listening to one song through without talking, interjecting . It is disrespectful to the artiste, of course, but people do not intend this.  

I had a decision to make. In the face of some of negativity, people were saying “why produce a CD? Almost no one buys them” and “ Forget about doing a book. Who will read it? Put the information on your website if you wish. That way your true fans can access it-but otherwise forget it”  ... I did the book despite this and the label love it, thankfully.  I wanted to make some kind of statement. The album and booklet are there in one package should you wish to listen and experience the project as we used to. I doubt that I will do anything like this in future, although songs are already in the pipeline.

HR : Well I, and I am sure anyone reading this will also be interested in whatever you produce for us down the line ...  but for now - do you have any great words of wisdom to impart to your fellow travellers?

BP : I do not really do “words of wisdom”! I have learned a little and this is a process which continues, however - these lessons are for me hopefully informing the way I spend my time. I practiced Buddhism for some years and became a leader in the lay organisation. At some point I realised that this was the biggest joke of my life - and the joke was on me. I had nothing special to impart to anyone else! I learned more about Spirituality, if you will, from alcoholics and addicts in recovery who had reached a point of acceptance and purpose through suffering. Most do not want to pay the price of love. If there is a reason for our being here I believe it is to learn to love.  As we travel we understand “love” differently. It is quite hormonal when we are young. Later we might confuse sentimentality with love, or sympathy. There is no love without suffering, without sacrifice - but love is everything, I believe. Big topic. One for the book, perhaps. No words of wisdom for fellow travellers, then - I would merely say “Good luck” ...

[fibula-rasa]

She Couldn’t Afford a Date

But those days are over, for now Claudette Colbert gets what she wants -- when she wants it

By Nanette Kutner

Like Claudette Colbert’s best picture… it happened one night… a rough twelve years ago.

Mark Hellinger, then a long-legged columnist bordering upon the skinny, accidentally met me and, out of the corner of his mouth, muttered something about having a pair of tickets for an opening to which nobody wanted to go. “So will you?”

Such an invitation was anything but flattering. But I went.

“I don’t think it will be much good,” said Mark.

Neither did I.

We were wrong. Not only was it much good, it was a riot.

There was an actor in it called Walter Huston. You know what happened to him. There was a new likeable chap named Norman Foster. There was also a girl. She didn’t wear any smart costumes, this girl. She wore a tailored suit costing twenty-seven dollars. A tailored suit with a very short skirt and you noticed her legs in the sheerest of stockings. Then you noticed her acting. The girl’s name was Claudette Colbert. The play, incidentally, was “The Barker.”

During intermission, the first night big-wigs stood around the lobby. There was a kind of scared young man there also. He didn’t know much about the theatre and the first nighters didn’t know anything about him. But there he was -- Claudette Colbert’s brother -- and he was going to find out whether his sister was in a hit -- or bust.

So he simply walked straight up to one of the critics. He picked a good one, Walter Winchell.

“What do you think of the play?” he asked.

Mr. Winchell’s answer was no answer to give anybody’s brother. Mr Winchell is alleged to have said, “How can I think of the play when all anyone can think about is that girl’s legs!”

And the moral of the story, and it has one, is this…

Claudette Colbert tells me she paid for those stockings herself. And she had to buy a new pair every night. And she didn’t have any too much money either. You see, this was her first hit. Before, there had been long stretches of no work, many rehearsals, short runs and salaries that were promises.

“Yet I had to have the stockings.” said Claudette. “They were too sheer to be good for more than one wearing. They cost plenty. Still, they were worth it, for I wore them in order to call attention to my legs.

“You know what competition is on the stage or, for that matter, in any field. The beginner has to stand out. If I couldn’t act, it would have been a different story. They might have notice my legs, yes, but that would have been that. I knew I had the ability to back up the attention I received. It was just that in order to attract it first, I had to take advantage of every point.

“This business of standing out from the rest, of not being lost among the herd, that’s something.” She sighed, adding, “I don’t mean now, when I can afford my permanents. I mean at the start.

“Listen.” She leaned forward eagerly. “There was a time I couldn’t afford a boy friend. Honest. I had exactly five dollars as spending money for three whole months.

“Now, how many boys will invite a girl out, a girl who can’t possibly keep up? Don’t misunderstand, I think that after a boy grows to know a girl and her real values, what she wears doesn’t matter so much. But you’ve got to catch his eye first -- like the stockings in the play. That’s one reason why it costs to be a girl, only,” and she laughed that every ready laugh of hers, “don’t you dare call this piece ‘The Woman Pays.’

“I do think few men realize what it actually does cost, in plain dollars and cents, for a girl to go out with them. Young boys are always grumbling about their expenses, how they have to squander their allowance on the girl friend, dinner, a movie, perhaps a soda later, maybe a taxi or gas for the car. I’ll bet it never dawns on them what it costs the girl -- a new dress, a hair set, stockings, a hat to go with the dress.

“The ‘go with’ part is always the worst. Years ago, a best beau presented me with a bright red leather pocketbook. I owned absolutely nothing that went with it. So I had to pawn a ring in order to hie myself out and buy a complete outfit, or he would have been insulted upon seeing me not carry his gift.

“And when a girl likes a boy she goes out of her way to please him. I know a girl who fell in love with a man who wanted her to learn to rhumba. She spent twenty-five dollars on a series of lessons and,” here came the Colbert laugh again, “before she had taken them all, she had lost the man. She only had the remainder of the lessons -- and the bill.

Girls always feel they have to dress to attract men. I marvel when I pass an office building and see the young women come swarmig from the place, each one looking spotless, smart, dressed to kill, her skirt the correct length, her coar the right coat. This is especially true of American girls.

“They can say what they want about the French, but actually it is only the very wealthy French woman, the one with unlimited funds at her command, who is capable of outdoing others. She makes a career out of clothes. The little midinette you are always hearing about could take a few pointers from the American girl.

“I look at her -- our truly unbeatable American girl. An I’m glad to have this chance to express my admiration. I (Continued on page 86)

know how much pinching and scraping goes into that Sunday best. Believe me, I know.” She smiled reminiscently.

“See these,” she held out her hand for me to examine her fingernails.

They were nails that didn’t look as if they belonged to a movie star. Here were no long pointed claws. Here were just normal nails covering the tips of nice shaped fingers, used to working. They were neatly, evenly polished, these nails, and not too red.

“I manicure them myself,” said Claudette Colbert.

“What, you!”

“Yes, me. You see, when I was broke, I had to do it. And I got so in the habit that now I can’t bear ro have anyone touch my fingers.”

We were interrupted by a knock on the door. It was the maid carrying a tray crowded with tea things.

“Right here, please.” directed Colbert, pointing to the low table in front of the sofa.

Without the slightest trace of formality, she was on her knees, pouring tea, carelessly shoving plates around, childishly stuffing a piece of sponge cake into her mouth and making an awful face after she had tasted it.

She was acting all over the place, and she was doing this to be kind, to show me she was regular and to make me feel at home.

This was her dressing-room at the studio, a room with a homey look, a room that didn’t appear too new, a room giving the effect of sunshine although little sun entered, of gay drapes and upholstery and maple and a certain youthful daintiness, a room like the Claudette of pictures, Claudette of the heart-shaped face.

She’s not like that. She has re-decorated her home for the third time. And her face is not so heart shaped. And her manner not so girlish. Instead, there is something surer about her, something sturdy. She knows what she wants. She gets what she wants. She has a strength and a poise and a will of her own. You feel it, every minute.

Her laugh is deep and hearty and always ready, a shade too ready. It is a spotlight, vacuum cleaner kind of laugh, picking up everything and seemingly glad to turn on herself.

“I know I’m difficult copy,” she remarked.

I tried to analyze why she is difficult copy. She isn’t like a blank wall star, the kind that never speaks unless you dig for the words. No, Claudette Colbert rattles on and on. She dominates and steers the works. I have only seen this conversational competence, this deliberate willingness-to-talk in one other person… Grace Moore.

Yet, nearly everything she said, when analyzed, was nothing, was the talk of a clever woman, chatter, chatter, in and out, swiftly, smartly skirting danger signals.

So it got to be small talk. Talk about shoes.

“I always wear opera pumps. It makes a woman’s foot look prettier. And I’ve suddenly acquired -- growing of the feet! I’ve gone from Triple A to Double A and I see in the future just a plain ordinary A!”

Talk about cigarettes. She smokes the nicotineless kind.

Talk about hair. Hers is lighter than you’d expect. She wears it short with the bang curly, and it’s soft like Shirley Temple’s.

Talk as mixed as a salad. Her house is being fumigated against termites. Her sinus is totally cured. A lunatic wrote threatening letters and how wonderful she thinks the G-men are. And, suddenly, excited talk about the picture, just completed.

“Ben Hecht wrote it. He’s called it ‘It’s a Wonderful World.’ When he was asked why, he said because most people are worried to death nowadays. When they discover a title like that shining at them, ‘It’s a Wonderful World,’ they’ll want to go right in and see it. Maybe he’s right.”

She is thrilled about this picture because she worked with Director Woody Van Dyke.

“His technique is unique. Imagine, we finished in fifteen days instead of the customary eight to nine weeks. Why, it usually takes me fifteen days to powder my nose.” Claudette laughed.

“We went right through that picture, all one takes. That’s his method. Then he previews it, sees what’s wrong, and goes to it with re-takes. It’s a marvelous, exhilarating method, perhaps, the method of the future.”

She talked about the theatre, and she talked as someone talks who loves the theatre. She knew all the good plays. She has great faith in good dialogue.

Look at ‘It Happened One Night.’ That was all in the dialogue. Why, we did it again on the air, only the other evening, and it still sounded swell.”

Another knock on the door, this time a young man to get her to choose a still from “Zaza.”

“It’s to be given to a perfume manufacturer because he makes my favorite kind.”

When I left her she stood in the doorway in her print dress, green and garnet colored, a large pin looking like a garnet colored starfish at her throat, a garnet colored coat on the chair behind her, while outside, a patient chauffeur sitting at the wheel of a limousine.

There she stood, Claudette Colbert, with all the accessories, all the trimmings, far, far away from the girl with five dollars, the girl who couldn’t afford a date. And not really far away at all, because she still remembers and understands and is very grateful. She hasn’t forgotten how to put herself in your place, and so, you like her a lot.

Claudette Colbert feature from Modern Screen, August 1939.

[words-writ-in-starlight]

Okay, for Steve Rogers prompts: Steve is leaving the grocery store and hears some guy yelling at the little Girl Scouts selling cookies about how Feminism Is Ruining This Country and Girl Scouts Are Evil for Supporting Abortion and Lesbians. (Because this actually happens, it happened to me when I was a kid. And once you are like 13 you are allowed to sell without an adult, so me and my friend were alone).

Ahahaha yeah, good times, been there, donethat.  Right, so, I’m picturing this aslike a month or two after Avengers, while Steve is still Figuring Out the2000’s.  Also featuring: Steve swearinglike a Brooklyn kid who went into the Army, and my weird obsession withtime-displaced super soldiers who are angry about bananas.  WARNING: 100% WISH FULFILLMENT.  Some general assholery and Steve losing his temper a little under the cut because…this is longer than I meant it to be.

Steve was sure it would shock any number of people, but his biggestproblems with the 21st century weren’t the televisions, phones, orcoffee makers (thank you, Stark).  Therewas a learning curve, but it was reminiscent of the learning curve after he’dgotten the serum—hell, he’d gone from a colorblind, partly deaf asthmatic withmore chronic illnesses than you could fit on a chart to a walking talkingsuperhuman.  The whole world had beenbrighter, louder, and faster-paced than Steve had ever been remotely preparedto deal with, so he went onto stages and into battles until he adapted.  The 21st century was brighter,louder, and faster-paced than the forties could have dreamed, so Steve got onhis bike and went to tour the country without help.  By the time he got back, he was pretty surehe could manage technology well enough to Google shit like ‘what is Facebook.’

(Google was good.  Steve fuckingloved Google.  All the answers were onGoogle.  Including answers to questionshe never needed answered, but he had gotten better at choosing his searchterms.)

No, Steve’s biggest problems with the 21st century, otherthan the obvious fact that it wasn’t hiscentury, mostly revolved around money.

Example: who in their right goddamn mind paid seven dollars for a poundof apples?  Had anyone ever heard ofaffordable bread?  What the fuck washappening with the price of potatoes—potatoes,for the love of God.

“Inflation’s a bitch,” a passing college student said in dry amusement,obviously picking up on his bitter muttering. Steve’s scowl deepened and he put the apples in his cart.

For the first time in his life, Steve actually didn’t have to worryabout money—apparently seventy years of back pay totaled up to a significantamount of cash—but that didn’t mean that he didn’t wince as he did the math forhis food.  If this was usual for oneperson, what the hell were families paying? Bucky’s family had been Bucky, his ma, his dad, and all three of thegirls, plus sometimes Steve.  How was afamily of seven affording thisfood?  He added it to his mental list ofthings to Google, along with what iswrong with bananas.

Bananas.  Of all the things forthe future to fuck up, fucking bananas were weird bland not-bananas now.  Steve hadnever had strong opinions on bananas before, but live and goddamn learn,apparently.

Anyway.  The money thing was why,upon entering the grocery store,Steve hadn’t paused at the table set up just inside the door, save to read thesign hanging in front of it—it was good to see that the Girl Scouts hadsurvived.  Nonetheless, he could bakecookies his own self and probably get a better net value than six bucks for atiny box, thanks.  To be polite, he’dwaved a little to the girls at the table, both wearing green sashes and winningsmiles as they did a slow but respectably steady business, and then he’d goneon his damn way like a civilized human being.

But God forbid that otherpeople could do the same.  Steve checkedout with his apples and cereal and soup ingredients (and no bananas), put themin pair of reusable grocery bags, and started for the door just in time to hearraised voices.

Well.  A raised voice.  It soundedlike a man, older, with a neutrally middle American accent.  The table where the Girl Scouts had beenselling their cookies was ringed by a small crowd, steadily growing larger bythe moment, and Steve had to mutter a string of ‘scuse-me-sorry-ma’am-can-I-just-yeah-thanks under his breath as heshouldered through to see what was happening.

The voice belonged to a guy in his fifties, thickset but not out ofshape, with dark hair just going salt-and-pepper.  His face was flushed red, twisted into abitter snarl as he shouted at the two stiff-backed girls behind the table.  Steve noted that the girls, both wide-eyedand pale with a sort of primal panic, couldn’t be more than twelve or thirteenat the most.

“—nothing but needy bitches looking to take advantage of men!  This,” the man snarled, slamming a hand downon the table so hard that it shook, “is a cult, designed to convince our children that ‘feminism’ is good forthe country instead of being an excuse for women to work less and get paidmore.”

“Can you hold onto this for me?” Steve murmured, turning and offeringone of his bags to the young woman to his left, and she nodded absently, takingthe bag without letting her phone shake as she recorded the situation.

“Besides,” the man continued, clearly getting into his rant, “the GirlScouts support homosexual behavior—are you two girlfriends?  Are you dykes,or are you waiting to get older so that you can get knocked up by some guy andabort your baby?  Maybe you’re justplanning to have the kid,” he spat, “and get on welfare so that the rest of uscan pay for everything you need.”

“Hey,” Steve said to the guy on his right, “can you take this?”  The guy took his other bag, a nauseated lookon his face.

“What, are you going to cry?” the man sneered down at the two girls infront of him—one of them did look like she was about to cry, almost shaking ashe loomed over her.  “I thought youfemi-nazi cunts were supposed to be tougher than–”

“That is enough,” Steve said,stepping forward and catching the man’s arm. He had a not-insignificant height advantage—Steve was a clean and evensix feet, but the man was perhaps five inches shorter, enough that Steve couldloom just as effectively as the man had been doing over the two girls.  “You’re done.”

“Let me go, you fucking–”

The man spun, and made a critical mistake.  He threw a punch.

Steve caught him by the wrist, twisted, and the man dropped to one kneewith a yelp like a rabbit in a trap, his arm angled sharply up behind his back.  Steve pressed down a little, the barest fractionof his strength, and got a string of curses in reply.

“Now,” Steve said in his most reasonable voice, feeling the bubblinganger fill his chest and make his head light. “Why don’t you walk away before this gets any messier?”

“Who the fuck are you?” theman panted through clenched teeth.

“My name’s Steve,” Steve said.  Hisheart was beating with the bone-rattling speed he remembered from when he was akid, getting into fights on the streets of Brooklyn—now, he took care not tolet it make his hands shake.  If he lostfocus and closed his fist any harder, he might break the man’s wrist.  If he broke any bones, Steve intended to doso on purpose.  “I don’t like bullies.  So. How about you just get the hell out of here, now, before I have one ofthese nice folks call the police?”

“Oh, um, I did that,” a voice said, and a woman about two ranks back inthe crowd shakily held her phone up as proof. A little girl clung to one of her hands. “Sorry, I just–”

“No, that’s great, ma’am,” Steve interrupted with a smile.  “That was real smart of you.”

“You cocksucking freak,” the man snarled up over his shoulder, and Stevepressed down a bit harder on the arm locked across his back.  He could feel the man’s shoulder creakingdangerously, threatening to dislocate as the man made a shrill sound of pain.

“I don’t like that kind of language, either,” Steve said sternly.  He looked up at the two girls, who werewatching him with something very close to tearful awe.  “Are you two kids okay?” he asked, trying tosound as gentle as he could manage.  Oneof them nodded slowly, and jabbed her friend with an elbow until the other girlnodded too.

“Um,” the first girl said, “do you mind if I—are you Captain America?”

Steve winced a little, offered her a wry smile.  “Steve, please.  So, am I just real obvious?”

“Yes,” she said baldly, and Steve chuckled at that, earning a shaky grinfrom the girls.

“Bullshit,” the man on his knees hissed, and Steve felt the fine threadof his self-control snap.  The pop of thedislocating shoulder was quick and loud in the crowd, and Steve dropped the manin disgust.

“You listen to me,” Steve said, struggling to keep his voice even as hegave the man an ungentle prod with his knee, forcing him to look up at Stevestanding over him.  “I’ve known women inthe Army who could hand your ass to you on a plate, and girls in telephonecenters and diners who could outtalk, outthink, and outfight half the guys Iserved with.  Lesbians too.  And every last one of ‘em was being paid shitfor their work and ignored every second of the time they weren’t being hit onby scum-suckin’ trash like you.  You wantto crucify someone for being pro-abortion, you can pick on someone your owndamn size.  The Tower ain’t that hard tofind, I’m sure you can have a nice talk with the Widow about women’s health.”

“I wasn’t–”

“And as long as we’re on the subject,” Steve continued, raising hisvoice to drown out the man on the ground. “How goddamn dare you throwaround words like ‘Nazi’ about people who just want to be treated like humanbeings.  These two girls are fucking teenagers,what the hell were you thinking?  Don’tanswer that,” he said mercilessly, crouching down to be on a level.  “Because listen real close, pal, but youweren’t in the right seventy years ago and you ain’t in the right now, and I’mstill real fucking tired of hearing your bullshit.”  

Steve stood up and turned to the young woman who had taken one of hisgrocery bags, realizing with a burst of rueful amusement that he was facing awall of phone cameras recording him.  

“So, uh, folks,” he said, already mentally drafting the apology letter hewould need to write to the PR team Pepper and SHIELD had assigned to theAvengers, “when you inevitably put that online, it would be real great if youcould forward it to Fox News so they stop calling me.  Can I have my groceries back, please?”

[caveartfair]

These Photographers Captured the Fearless Youth of the 1970s

The youth of the 1970s came of age amid powerful countercultural movements that took root during the previous decade and then blossomed internationally. In the ’70s, political upheaval and social change continued its immutable course: Americans against the Vietnam War were further disillusioned by the Watergate scandal; the U.K. fell into a deep recession and was debilitated by IRA bombings; Africans faced all of the rapid changes of a newly decolonized continent; and Japan continued to rebuild and find its identity in the wake of World War II.

Amid all of these shifts, youth culture flourished in skate parks, dark discotheques, and other communal spaces that young people made their own. The LGBTQ community began organizing in earnest in Washington, D.C., while punk bands shouted for anarchy across the pond. Below, we share nine photographers who captured the bold generation of youth who defined the era.

Bill Bernstein

New York

Paradise Garage DJ Larry Levan, 1979. Bill Bernstein David Hill Gallery

During its three-year heyday, nightclub Studio 54 ignited New York’s nightlife in the late 1970s. The disco sanctuary became known for its red-velvet-rope exclusivity and anything-goes atmosphere as the chosen watering hole for the glittering elite of gritty Manhattan.

“This was post-‘Saturday Night Fever,’ post-Stonewall, and pre-AIDS; disco, which hadn’t yet succumbed to punk rock’s counterpunch, was at its glorious height,” wroteTheNew Yorker’s Lauretta Charlton, setting the stage for one of the acclaimed photographers of the era, Bill Bernstein.

Mudd Club Bathroom, 1979. Bill Bernstein David Hill Gallery

Studio 54 Couch, 1979. Bill Bernstein David Hill Gallery

Studio 54 Moon and Spoon, 1978. Bill Bernstein David Hill Gallery

Empire Roller Disco #2, 1979. Bill Bernstein David Hill Gallery

Studio 54 Couple, 1977, . Bill Bernstein Aperture Foundation

Le Clique #1, 1979. Bill Bernstein David Hill Gallery

2001 Odyssey Dance Floor, 1979. Bill Bernstein David Hill Gallery

In 1977, Bernstein was a fledgling photographer at the Village Voice when an assignment brought him to Studio 54 to photograph a UNICEF event for President Jimmy Carter’s mother, Lillian (whose date for the night was Andy Warhol). Bernstein stayed after to witness the hustle of the discotheque at night and, as the story goes, bought 10 more rolls of film to capture it.

The photographer then made regular pilgrimages to the legendary dance floor, photographing at Studio 54, as well as Paradise Garage in Greenwich Village and 2001 Odyssey in Bay Ridge—the hallowed Brooklyn club where iconic scenes from Saturday Night Fever (1977) were filmed.

Bernstein’s black-and-white images capture the spirit of the era: bodies moving under neon lights, or over 2001 Odyssey’s illuminated floor; leather-clad limbs sprawled across couches; jubilant friends forming a line at the roller disco. But they don’t picture the celebrities of the era, like Warhol���s nightly coterie, or Bianca Jagger entering the club on a white horse. Instead, Bernstein understood that everyone on the dance floor was a famous face—if only for just that night.

Hugh Holland

Los Angeles

Hugh Holland, Team Line-Up (No. 60), 1976. Courtesy of M+B Photo.

Chances are, if you’ve sought out images of American skateboarding culture, you’ve come across the work of Hugh Holland. An autodidact who picked up a camera in 1968 and worked out of a makeshift darkroom, he went on to capture the quintessential spirit of skaters in Southern California during the second half of the 1970s. His sundrenched color photographs—which were an inspiration for the 2005 Heath Ledger flick Lords of Dogtown—have been exhibited since 2006, but in 2017, Holland unveiled a never-before-seen collection of black-and-white images of the same subject.

Hugh Holland, The Gymnast Handstand, Del Mar, San Diego County, 1975. Courtesy of M+B Photo.

Hugh Holland, Tube Socks on Board, Marina Del Rey Skate Park (No. 61), 1977. Courtesy of M+B Photo.

Hugh Holland, Solo, Kenter Canyon Elementary, 1976. Courtesy of M+B Photo.

Hugh Holland, The Concrete Swell, Viper Bowl, Hollywood, CA, 1976. Courtesy of M+B Photo.

Hugh Holland, Sidewalk Surfer Pit Stop, Huntington Beach (No. 70), 1975. Courtesy of M+B Photo.

Hugh Holland, Off the Blocks, San Fernando Valley, CA, 1977. Courtesy of M+B Photo.

Hugh Holland, Ninth Avenue Locals, San Francisco, CA, 1977. Courtesy of M+B Photo.

In 1975, Holland, then 32, began training his lens on young skaters in the city after an encounter with a group of skateboarders riding the drainage ditches in Los Angeles’s Laurel Canyon Boulevard. The following year, he captured the rise of bowl skateboarding, wherein riders would drop into drained outdoor swimming pools, which were ubiquitous during the drought that plagued California from 1976 to ’77.

Holland only spent three years photographing skate culture, but during that period, he traveled around Los Angeles and San Francisco; Reno, Nevada; and Baja California, Mexico, in search of the adrenaline-fueled camaraderie that underpins the community. He immortalized the riders in their chosen uniforms—long, tousled hair; striped tube socks; light-wash denim; and colorful knee pads—and their natural habitat of sun and concrete.

Raphael Albert

London

Raphael Albert, (unidentified) Miss West Indies in Great Britain, late 1970s/80s, from “Black Beauty Pageants.” © Raphael Albert/Autograph ABP. Courtesy of Autograph.

On the night of the 1968 Miss America pageant, entrepreneur J. Morris Anderson staged the first Miss Black America pageant to contest the white beauty standards that dominated the country. Though Miss America officially allowed women of color to enter after 1940, it was still a climate where the idea of a black woman winning was unthinkable (it wasn’t until 1983 that Vanessa Williams would finally do so). And as the “Black is Beautiful” movement took root in Civil Rights–era America, its effects could be seen in the U.K., as well. There, photographer Raphael Albert documented and organized pageants that celebrated black female beauty.

Untitled, 1960-1980. Raphael Albert Autograph ABP

Raphael Albert, (unidentified) beauty queen, ca. 1970s, from “Black Beauty Pageants.” © Raphael Albert/Autograph ABP. Courtesy of Autograph.

Raphael Albert, Yvonne Hinds, Miss Dyke & Dryden with fellow contestants, 1972, from “Black Beauty Pageants.” © Raphael Albert/Autograph ABP. Courtesy of Autograph.

Untitled, 1960-1980. Raphael Albert Autograph ABP

Raphael Albert, Holly posing at Blythe Road, early 1970s, from “Black Beauty Pageants.” © Raphael Albert/Autograph ABP. Courtesy of Autograph.

Albert was born and raised in Grenada, and moved to London in 1953, photographing for British newspapers like the Caribbean Times. In 1970, he began organizing and promoting a host of contests for black women, including Miss Black and Beautiful, Miss West Indies in Great Britain, and Miss Grenada. His images from the pageants throughout the 1970s and ’80s show elated contestants exchanging kisses on one another’s cheeks, or posing confidently, crowned and robed with sashes.

In 2007, two years before his death, Albert co-curated an exhibition for Black History Month of the pageant images that he and his peers had taken. However, Albert’s photographs were largely unseen until 2015, when London’s Autograph ABP began managing his archive and opened his first major solo exhibition, “Miss Black and Beautiful.” The curator, Renée Mussai, told the New York Times Lens blog that Albert’s images are “imbued with an exquisite, revolutionary sensuality and a certain joie de vivre,” showing a new generation of black women coming of age in Britain.

Joan E. Biren and Donna Gottschalk

New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.

Donna Gottschalk, Katz in the big chair, San Francisco, 1972. Courtesy of the artist and the Leslie-Lohman Museum.

Though they never photographed together, Joan E. Biren (or JEB) and Donna Gottschalk are inextricably linked through their work. Biren—a renowned documentary photographer and filmmaker—first met Gottschalk—whose photography was only recently uncovered—in New York City around 1969 as young artists and activists for lesbian rights and representation.

Biren, who is originally from Washington, D.C., moved back there to begin organizing in earnest, and Gottschalk, enamored with her peer, followed. But Gottschalk grew tired of D.C. politics, and left for San Francisco in 1971, around the time that Biren co-founded The Furies, a lesbian-feminist collective. In 1979, Biren debuted her photography with the book Eye to Eye: Portraits of Lebsians, which focused on the daily lives, love, and rituals of queer women. It was the type of imagery that Biren never had access to when she was growing up.

Donna Gottschalk, Helaine on her girlfriend’s lap, Provincetown, 1974. Courtesy of the artist and the Leslie-Lohman Museum.

Donna Gottschalk, Self-portrait in Maine, 1976. Courtesy of the artist and the Leslie-Lohman Museum.

Donna Gottschalk, Donna and Joan, E. 9th St., 1970. Courtesy of the artist and the Leslie-Lohman Museum.

Donna Gottschalk, Marlene resting with a Beer, Oregon, 1974. Courtesy of the artist and the Leslie-Lohman Museum.

Donna Gottschalk, Revolutionary Women’s Conference, Limerick, PA, 1970. Courtesy of the artist and the Leslie-Lohman Museum.

“I couldn’t picture being a lesbian, life as a lesbian, because there were no lesbians living out lives to see,” she told Vogue in a 2017 interview.

Meanwhile, Gottschalk established a life for herself and her siblings in San Francisco. She joined a lesbian-feminist activist group and sometimes hosted their East Coast counterparts. During her time in New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., Gottschalk amassed an archive of black-and-white portraits she took of the women in her life—her friends and lovers—as well as a body of work on her transgender sister, Myla, who passed away in 2013.

But Gottschalk didn’t take photos to exhibit them; they were meant for herself. She told CNN last year that she explained to her sitters: “If I get to be old, I want to remember you. I want to remember you just the way you are now.”

Joan E. Biren, Mailing out The Furies newspaper, Washington, DC, 1972. Left to right: Ginny Berson, Susan Baker (not a member of the Furies Collective), Coletta Reid (standing), Rita Mae Brown, Lee Schwing. © 2019 JEB (Joan E. Biren). Courtesy of the artist.

Too many people in Gottschalk’s life died young: They were poor, living on the fringes of society, and dealing with realities such as drug addiction, prostitution, and illness. As more people in her life passed away, Gottschalk became reticent to share her negatives; she kept them private until recently, when Biren asked to introduce them to New York’s Leslie-Lohman Museum. Last summer, Gottschalk debuted her work there in the solo exhibition “Brave, Beautiful Outlaws.” It is a remarkable and highly personal archive of the lives of young lesbians in the late 1960s and ’70s, kept secret for decades.

Sanlé Sory

Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso

Sanlé Sory, Le malien et ses chaussures têtes de nègre, 1975, from the series “Peuple de la Nuit.” Courtesy of the artist and David Hill Gallery, London.

In 1960, the year that Sanlé Sory began apprenticing in photography, 17 African nations decolonized, including his native Burkina Faso. That decade, photo studios sprung up around Africa, and within a few years, Sory opened up his own, Volta Photo, in the cultural capital Bobo-Dioulasso.

For more than two decades, Sory framed the youth of the newly independent nation through tens of thousands of 6x6 black-and-white photographs. In his studio, he strung up cloth backdrops to offset his subjects, such as two women in matching Ghanaian nsu bura prints; or a young man in head-to-toe paisley, cigarette in mouth and a framed picture of French singer Eddy Mitchell in hand.

Sanlé Sory, Les danseurs de makossa, 1976, from the series “Peuple de la Nuit.” Courtesy of the artist and David Hill Gallery, London.

Sanlé Sory, Le diable noir, 1975, from the series “Peuple de la Nuit.” Courtesy of the artist and David Hill Gallery, London.

Les amoureux timides, 1975. Sanlé Sory David Hill Gallery

Jeune Fan D’Eddy Mitchell, 1974. Sanlé Sory David Hill Gallery

Les Deux Amies au Pagne, 1972. Sanlé Sory Yossi Milo Gallery

Sanlé Sory, Les Trois Cowboys de la Brousse, 1971, from the series “Peuple de la Nuit.” Courtesy of the artist and David Hill Gallery, London.

Sanlé Sory, Le plein chez Total, route de Banfora, 1974, from the series “Peuple de la Nuit.” Courtesy of the artist and David Hill Gallery, London.

At night, Sory used high flash to capture the city’s revelrous youth, wearing cowboy hats, halter tops, or white bootcut slacks, and exuding playful confidence in front of his lens. Sory became more entrenched in the music scene and began shooting album covers for artists like Volta Jazz and Echo del Africa; it was those images that finally elevated his international profile—but not until this decade.

At nearly 70 years old, Sory was contacted by French record producer and writer Florent Mazzoleni, who discovered the photographer’s album covers in his research. The photographer was in the process of burning his negatives when he invited Mazzoleni to his studio; the producer recalled to the New York Times Lens blog last year that Sory was convinced that nobody cared about his old work. Mazzoleni looked through Sory’s archives and asked if he could have a box of negatives. That relationship blossomed: Mazzoleni helped the photographer preserve his archive and curated his first solo exhibition, leading to wider recognition of Sory’s work later in his life. Today, he is represented by Yossi Milo Gallery in New York and David Hill Gallery in London.

Katsumi Watanabe

Tokyo

Katsumi Watanabe, Untitled, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, 1972. Courtesy of Andrew Roth and PPP Editions, New York.

Katsumi Watanabe, Untitled, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, 1970. Courtesy of Andrew Roth and PPP Editions, New York.

In the aftermath of World War II, much of central Tokyo had to be rebuilt due to the United States’s firebombing air raids. The residential neighborhood Tsunohazu was one of them, and it was eventually re-christened Kabukicho—the city planned to turn it into a kabuki theater hotspot. Though that proposal never came to fruition, discotheques and red-light attractions set up shop instead (that area of Shinjuku is still known for its love hotels and adult-entertainment venues).

Photographer Katsumi Watanabe was born in 1941 in Morioka City, Iwate, a northeastern prefecture. In 1962, he moved to Tokyo, where he apprenticed in a portrait studio by day and sought out Shinjuku’s most compelling faces at night. Prostitutes, drag queens, and young revelers populate his frames, as well as members of the yakuza, Japan’s organized crime gangs. Watanabe deftly cracked the exteriors of his subjects to reveal their interior lives under the bright flash of his strobe.

Katsumi Watanabe, Untitled, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, 1975. Courtesy of Andrew Roth and PPP Editions, New York.

Katsumi Watanabe, Untitled, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, 1970. Courtesy of Andrew Roth and PPP Editions, New York.

Katsumi Watanabe, Untitled, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, 1972. Courtesy of Andrew Roth and PPP Editions, New York.

Katsumi Watanabe, Untitled, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, 1971. Courtesy of Andrew Roth and PPP Editions, New York.

The photographer garnered recognition in the 1970s and released his first monograph, The Gangs of Shinjuku, in 1973, but his work was not widely known during his lifetime. (Watanabe passed away in 2006.) His Japanese peers, however, such as the photographers Daido Moriyama and Nobuyoshi Araki, regarded him as a master of his craft.

Though Watanabe is often described as an “itinerant photographer,” a drifter who captured the people and moments who passed by his lens, Shinjuku was his true north, his fixed subject even as it changed through the decades. His practice was not always lucrative—at one point he sold sweet potatoes on Tokyo’s sidewalks to support himself—but he never lost interest in the eccentricities of Kabukicho.

John Ingham

London

John Ingham, Ray Burns aka Captain Sensible (The Damned) at the Sex Pistols show, Notre Dame de France, 1976, from “Spirit of 76,” published by Anthology Editions. Courtesy of Anthology Editions.

John Ingham, Audience at the Sex Pistols, Notre Dame de France, 1976, from “Spirit of 76,” published by Anthology Editions. Courtesy of Anthology Editions.

The end of the U.K.’s Swinging Sixties was a hopeful period; the country’s teens and twentysomethings had catalyzed a fruitful era of music, fashion, and art. But in 1973, a deep recession hit, leading to continual strikes, high youth-unemployment rates, and IRA bombings. The unrest and anger in the U.K. called for a new type of rock and roll to match it, and amplify it.

John Ingham was a journalist for the weekly magazine Sounds when he first heard about a new band called the Sex Pistols. “When I saw the name ‘Sex Pistols’ in the press I was electrified—it was the best band name in ages,” he told Dazed in a 2017 interview. “When I saw them I was convinced.” He felt like British rock and roll had lost its energy, but here was a band with an unlimited supply and a frontman, Johnny Rotten, whose charisma lit up the stage.

John Ingham, The Clash at the Royal College of Art, 1976, from “Spirit of 76,” published by Anthology Editions. Courtesy of Anthology Editions.

John Ingham, Audience at the Sex Pistols, Notre Dame de France, 1976, from “Spirit of 76,” published by Anthology Editions. Courtesy of Anthology Editions.

John Ingham, Audience at the Sex Pistols, Notre Dame de France, 1976, from “Spirit of 76,” published by Anthology Editions. Courtesy of Anthology Editions.

John Ingham, The Damned at Hope & Anchor, 1977, from “Spirit of 76,” published by Anthology Editions. Courtesy of Anthology Editions.

John Ingham, Audience at the Sex Pistols, Notre Dame de France, 1976, from “Spirit of 76,” published by Anthology Editions. Courtesy of Anthology Editions.

John Ingham, The Clash at the Royal College of Art, 1976, from “Spirit of 76,” published by Anthology Editions. Courtesy of Anthology Editions.

As a writer, Ingham attended gigs for the Pistols, followed by the Clash. But he didn’t see photographers present, so he picked up a camera to document the emergence of a new era of music. In 2017, he released the aptly titled book Spirit of 76: London Punk Eyewitness, which features early images from 1976 of punk’s visionaries, including the Pistols and the Clash, as well as Billy Idol, the Damned, and Subway Sect.

But punk was more than just a music movement—it changed the mindset of U.K. youth. “Punk was started by misfits who created an opportunity to carve out the future they wanted to have and by sheer force of will made it happen,” Ingham added. “Its success gave us the confidence to do what we wanted and be successful at it.”

Susan Meiselas

New York

Susan Meiselas, USA. Dee and Lisa on Mott Street, Little Italy, New York City, 1976. © Susan Meiselas/Magnum Photos.

Before Susan Meiselas left the United States at the end of the 1970s to create a seminal body of work on Nicaragua’s Sandinista revolution, she photographed a topic much closer to home, at the corner of Mott and Prince Streets in New York’s Little Italy.

For “Prince Street Girls” (1976–79), Meiselas befriended a group of Italian-American preteens who spent their afternoons and weekends hanging out together on the block where the photographer lived. “I was fascinated by their relationships with each other. They simply liked to hang out together,” Meiselas wrote in her book On the Frontline (2017). “There was no story, no narrative. We didn’t plan our encounters. If we met in the market or at the pizza parlor, they would reluctantly introduce me to their parents but I was never invited into any of their homes. I was their secret friend, and my loft became a kind of hideaway when they dared to cross the street, which their parents had forbidden.”

On-the-A-train-to-Rockaway-Beach-NYC, 1978. Susan Meiselas Galerie Catherine et André Hug

-After-school-on-the-corner-of-Prince-and-Mott-Streets , 1976. Susan Meiselas Galerie Catherine et André Hug

JoJo,-Carol-and-Lisa-on-the-corner-of-Prince-and-Mott-streets,-Little-Italy-NYC, 1978. Susan Meiselas Galerie Catherine et André Hug

Pebbles, JoJo, and Roe on Baxter Stret, Little Italy, 1978-printed 2008. Susan Meiselas The Watermill Center: Benefit Auction 2018

After her initial set of images in 1976, Meiselas photographed the young women again two years later, by which point the whimsy and awkwardness of adolescence had vanished. The girls had exchanged their plaid school-uniform skirts for short shorts, and their playful camaraderie for the self-assurance of a teenage clique. Meiselas traveled with her subjects away from the familiarity of their block, photographing them on the subway and Rockaway’s beaches, their arms crossed and hips cocked; or shielding each other from the wind to light cigarettes.

The series might have become a longer view of womanhood, but Meiselas left for Nicaragua in 1978, and though she returned intermittently, she didn’t move back to New York until a decade later. The girls were grown up then, some with kids of their own, and the photographs came to represent a fleeting moment in their lives. But it wasn’t the end of Meiselas’s relationship with the Prince Street Girls—though they moved out of the neighborhood, they’ve visited Meiselas with their families in Little Italy, where the photographer still resides.

from Artsy News

[papermoonloveslucy]

Lucy and Paul Winchell

S5;E4 ~ October 3, 1966

Synopsis

Lucy convinces ventriloquist Paul Winchell to appear at the Annual Banker's Banquet.  When Winchell is running late, he asks Lucy to stop by and pick up his dummies.  When she accidentally leaves them in a taxi the understudy 'dummy' has to go on – Lucy!  

Regular Cast

Lucille Ball (Lucy Carmichael), Gale Gordon (Theodore J. Mooney)

Mary Jane Croft (Mary Jane Lewis) does not appear in this episode but Lucy does have a phone conversation with her.

Guest Cast

Paul Winchell (Himself) was born Paul Wilchinsky in 1922.  Coming into the public eye in 1948, he became one of the most famous ventriloquists since Edgar Bergen.  He hosted the enormously popular children's television show “Winchell-Mahoney Time” (1964-68) in which he shared the spotlight with Jerry Mahoney, one of his most popular characters. Sadly, in a legal dispute over the syndication rights to the show, all nearly 300 episodes were destroyed.  Winchell is fondly remembered as the voice of Winnie the Pooh's pal Tigger and (later) Papa Smurf. He returns to “The Lucy Show” to play Doc Putnam in two linked episodes, “Main Street U.S.A.” (S5;E17) and “Lucy Puts Main Street on the Map” (S5;18), as well as doing two episodes of “Here's Lucy.” Surprisingly, Winchell was also an inventor who is credited with the artificial heart, among other innovations. He died in 2005.  

Snitchy the Snail appeared with Winchell on “The Dick Van Dyke Show” six months before this “Lucy Show” appearance.

Tessie Mahoney was Jerry's platinum blonde cousin.  She was named after Winchell's wife Tessie Nina Moore.  Many accused Tessie of just being Jerry Mahoney in drag!  Like Winchell, Tessie was from Brooklyn (and sounded it).  

Jerry Mahoney (above left) was 'born' around 1935.  He was Paul Winchell's co-host on “Winchell-Mahoney Time.”  Jerry Mahoney was named after Winchell's grade-school teacher, who encouraged him to pursue ventriloquism. He was carved by Chicago-based figure maker Frank Marshall. The original Marshall-carved Jerry Mahoney is now 'living' at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC.  

Knucklehead Smiff (above right) was 'born' in 1951, sculpted by Winchell from a copy of Jerry Mahoney's head. He co-starred with Winchell and Jerry Mahoney on “Winchell-Mahoney Time” and many other shows. Like Jerry Mahoney, he now resides at the 'Smiffsonian' Institution, although neither are currently accepting visitors!

Sid Gould (Show Announcer Voice) made more than 45 appearances on “The Lucy Show,” all as background characters. He also did 40 episodes of “Here’s Lucy.” Gould (born Sydney Greenfader) was Lucille Ball’s cousin by marriage to Gary Morton.

Gould performed this same kind of uncredited voice over introduction when “Lucy and George Burns” (S5;E1) performed together.  

Marge, a voice on Lucy's intercom is uncredited, as is the female voice of the long distance operator.  Marge was also the name of Lucy Carmichael's sister, a character seen in “Lucy's Sister Pays a Visit” (S1;E15).  

Having Paul Winchell as a guest star was Lucille Ball's attempt to attract younger viewers to “The Lucy Show.”  

Lucille Ball seems to be having occasional vocal problems during this episode.

Upon meeting Paul Winchell, Lucy says “I always read your column” mistaking him for journalist Walter Winchell.  Paul Winchell quickly corrects her. She then says “I just get hysterical watching you and Charlie McCarthy” mistaking her for ventriloquist Edgar Bergen.  Again, Winchell quickly corrects her. Walter Winchell (1897-1972) was the narrator of Desilu's “The Untouchables” and did the same function for a parody episode on “The Lucy Show” titled “Lucy the Gun Moll” (S4;E25).  Edgar Bergen (1903-1978) appeared with Lucille Ball in the 1941 film Look Who's Laughing.

Lucy explains the bank's interest rates to Paul Winchell:  

Lucy gave away toasters for new savings accounts back in Danfield when “Lucy Takes a Job at the Bank” (S2;E21).  

In the previous episode, “Lucy the Bean Queen” (S5;E3) Lucy was redecorating her apartment.  The reveal is delayed as this episode has no scenes taking place in Lucy’s home.  

Mr. Mooney returns to the office after failing to find a celebrity to entertain at the Bankers Annual Banquet show.  Bob Hope is doing a show for the Girl Scouts in Pismo Beach; Jack Benny is on a tour of Fort Knox; Dean Martin just had an operation to remove a brass rail pressing on his foot. All three of these performers have guest starred on “The Lucy Show.”  Pismo Beach was thought to be a funny sounding name and was often used as a punch line in comedy.  Fort Knox is an Army base in Kentucky where much of the nation's gold supply is held, so the reference trades on Jack Benny's characterization of a being a miser. Dean Martin's comic persona was that of a heavy drinker, so the reference is to the foot rail found at bars.  

Lucy: Oh, gee, aren't there any other movie actors you could call? Mr. Mooney: Yes, yes, but they're all too busy running for public office.  

Mr. Mooney is likely referring to Ronald Reagan, who ran for Governor of California in 1966 and won (after this episode aired).  He held office until 1975 before setting his sights on the Presidency.  In 1980 he was elected 40th President of the United States, an office he held until 1989.  His screen acting career began in 1937 and lasted right up until he became Governor. Reagan appeared with Lucille Ball on two episodes of “The Ed Sullivan Show” in the mid-1950s.  

Paul Winchell gets a phone call from someone named Gary asking him to play golf.  This is probably and inside joke about Production Consultant (and Lucille Ball's husband) Gary Morton's fondness for playing golf.

In the opening scene at Paul Winchell's home, his character Irving Think (a mouse) is standing next to the telephone and Ozwald (with another figure's head attached) is propped up on the sofa. Ozwald was a commercially available doll resembling Humpty Dumpty that required the user to paint eyes and a nose on his or her own chin and hang the puppet upside down to create the character.  

After Winchell offers to lend Lucy one of his dummies, Lucy and the episode enters (what Winchell later calls) “the twilight zone.” Winchell's most famous dummies, Jerry Mahoney and Knucklehead Smiff, become animated on their own, without any help from Winchell (although he may still be providing the voices live).  It is a surreal moment for a show that tries to keep one foot in a somewhat farcical version of reality (except perhaps for “Lucy the Superwoman” S4;E26).  

Lucy describes her boss as Diamond Jim Mooney after Winchell says he sounds like “the last of the big spenders.”  James Buchanan Brady (1856–1917) was an American businessman, financier and philanthropist of the Gilded Age who had a particular affinity for precious stones and jewelry.  His had a longtime relationship with actress and singer Lillian Russell. At one point, a TV biopic was planned starring Jackie Gleason with Lucille Ball as Russell, but it never came to pass.

Jerry Mahoney and Knucklehead Smiff have a food fight with spaghetti, eggs, and cream pies, something they often did on “Winchell-Mahoney Time.”  

Mr. Mooney gets a telephone call from his boss, Mr. Cheever, a character who won't actually appear until the end of the season (played by Roy Roberts).  

Although Lucille Ball was game to conquer any comic task the writers created for her, becoming an accomplished ventriloquist in a week was a tall order, so Mrs. Carmichael's lips move when manipulating the dummy she borrows from Paul Winchell as workplace therapy.  

The Bankers Annual Banquet and Show is being held at the Beverly Ritz Hotel. Backstage there is a Fallout Shelter sign. After the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1961 (the beginning of the 'Cold War' between Russian and the United States), President Kennedy instructed that sturdy large-capacity structures be designated fallout shelters in case of attack. The yellow and black sign with three triangles inside a circle was used to alert the public that the building was designated such a structure.  The saloon door scenery used in the silent movie sketch of “Lucy Meets Mickey Rooney” (S4;E18) is also there, although the painted side is turned away from the camera.

As Tessie Mahoney, Lucy suggests that they sing “Your Dime is My Dime” because they are performing for an audience of bankers. This is a pun on the song “My Time is Your Time” written by Leo Dance and Eric Little in 1924. It was made famous by Rudy Valle who guest starred as himself on “Lucy Takes a Cruise to Havana” (1957), the first “Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour,” and does so again in a 1970 episode of “Here's Lucy.”  

Winchell (voicing Lucy / Tessie and himself) sings “What Does This Audience Want?” an original song written especially for this episode.  The lyrics reference Milton Berle, who appeared in “Lucy Saves Milton Berle” (S4;E13).  

Callbacks! 

Ventriloquist Max Terhune played himself in "Ricky Loses His Temper” (ILL S3;E19). Terhune was a skilled vaudevillian who specialized in ventriloquism. On the Orpheum Circuit his dummy was known as Skully Null but was re-named Elmer Sneezeweed in the movies. Terhune was listed as one of the top ten money-making stars in Westerns for 1937, 1938 and 1939, appearing as Max ‘Alibi’ Terhune in a string of B-movie 'oaters.’  

Actually a call forward – to the stage and film musical Chicago in which a woman (Roxie Hart) becomes a ventriloquist's doll during the musical number “We Both Reached for the Gun.”  Here, Lucy takes on the persona of Tessie Mahoney, sitting on Paul Winchell's knee wearing a platinum blonde wig and pink dress singing “What Does This Audience Want?”

Blooper Alerts

Paul Winchell wants to open a savings account at Westland Bank.  Although certainly this is within the bounds of reality, it is likely that a big star like Paul Winchell would have his finances administered by a Business Manager and would not be going to a local bank for a savings account.  

Mr. Mooney's Dictaphone explodes just by Lucy touching it.  

None of Lucy's file cabinets are labeled.  With Lucy's wacky filing system it doesn't really matter anyway!

“Lucy Meets Paul Winchell” rates 4 Paper Hearts out of 5 

[artificialqueens]

In Bloom {Biadore} Chapter 1 - Taurus's Splattered C*nt

SO YA’ll WANTED A TWIST EH? COME ON AQ LET’S GET SICKENING!!! Author’s note: Hello everyone! You may have been wondering where on earth Splatt, Taurus and C*nt have gone? Well we’ve formed a super trio, Taurus’s Splattered C*nt. We hope you enjoy this first chapter of our little soulmate AU, it’s been super fun to write and collaborate (across 3 different timezones) and we’re dying to hear your thoughts! We hope you all love this as much as we do! Also we hope this story works your pussy out x

Every single person was destined to have a soulmate. That’s what Danny Noriega believed, anyway. He knew some people never found theirs, but he was determined to meet his as soon as possible. He had always thought that the first person he loved would be it, his one and only soulmate. But, when his ex boyfriend’s mark- a little bird- came up on his arm in black with no color to differentiate him from the other marks showing his love for family and friends, he realized it wasn’t going to be so easy finding whoever was destined to be his one and only.

His mom, Bonnie, had always said to exercise caution when it came to romance. She had her heart broken many times throughout her life, mainly because she was a sensitive spirit just like Danny, and it showed in the faded (and fading) black marks that painted her body like seemingly near-permanent reminders, as it could take days or years for a person to get over a lost love completely enough for the mark to disappear. He had always been one to love fiercely and passionately, unlike his mom who had guarded her heart instead. Already in his short 23 years, his body was littered with little black pictures representing the people he loved, and a few faded and nearly invisible ones of people he had grown apart from.

She was a supportive mother though, always encouraging Danny to be himself, whoever that person may be. In high school, he had started wearing makeup and growing his hair out; blurring the lines of gender before it was in the mainstream media. He had even made it on such a public well loved show as American Idol, which he auditioned for twice and the second time made it to the top thirteen with his mother’s support. He was a unique, artistic person. Wearing makeup and experimenting with his hair color and style thus resulted in creating his drag persona, Adore Delano.

Danny was known for being more shy, self doubting, and sad, while Adore was known for being outgoing, a party animal, and an overall loveable queen. Adore had decided to audition for RuPaul’s Drag Race, hoping her charismatic and bubbly video would land her a spot on the coveted show. Thankfully, a few months later she had gotten the call and was then whisked off to West Hollywood to begin filming.

- On the other side of the country lived Roy Haylock, a comedian and an extremely talented seamstress for some of Broadway’s biggest productions. After Hurricane Katrina had devastated his hometown of New Orleans, he had made the bold move to New York City a lot more successfully than most people. At night, he would emerge in the gay bars and clubs as the hateful comedy queen, Bianca Del Rio. Often, she would host the premiere parties for RuPaul’s Drag Race, where Michelle Visage would appear as well, and often tell her to audition for the show. It was after Season 4 and 5, and seeing the unique talents of Jinkx Monsoon and Sharon Needles, that she had decided to audition for the show as well. Lady Bunny had encouraged her for years to do it, and was elated to see her finally go on her way to the west coast.

Roy’s parents had been madly in love for years, and they had the matching colored soulmate marks over their hearts to prove it. His mom had described finding his dad as the most amazing experience of her life. However Roy had been through multiple relationships in his life, and at 37 years old he believed he would be one of the very few people to never find their soulmate. This was what he based his drag persona on, the grim reality of his love life and the more realistic (and often hilariously hateful) approach to everything that was thrown at him.

He had gotten on the plane from New York to Los Angeles and obsessed anxiously the whole 6 hours of the flight. Would he be stylish enough for the runway? Would he get read for wearing the same silhouette all the time, oe would they love that Bianca had her own “brand” as her friend Fame from back home in NYC would say? Would it all be young queens? Would he end up the odd one out, as the other queens alienated him for not being “fishy” enough? Or maybe they would love the fact that he was different, unlike so many of the beautiful young pageant queens who were all looks and no talent. Bianca was known for a more butch, almost cartoonish look to go along with her gravelly man voice, which usually didn’t bother her however, she had always thought of Drag Race as a show for younger queens, so this might go against her.

She knew going into this competition that she would have to make sure she was a more “universal” queen, especially with her humor and theater background. On stage, she was notorious for her cut throat humor: not limited to making fun of everyone and calling other gays faggots, dykes, and everything in between, which mainstream America and the rest of the world would probably not understand. Or they would, and just not like it. Bianca wasn’t going to take the chance of being handed a bad “edit”, she planned on staying professional the entire time and not letting the other queens see her sweat. She was ready. And she was only moderately terrified.

- When Adore walked into that bright pink workroom for the first time, she immediately felt overwhelmed with a nervous excitement. She was disappointed to see that she was the first one in, but nonetheless she smiled for the cameras and picked a seat. Adore took a second to glance around the room before the next person came in. Then another. And another.

She was relieved when Laganja Estranja walked in, and laughed in relief that she knew at least one of the other queens. Maybe having one of the queens Adore had started out with would help her, and give her someone to talk to who already knew her. It helped her feel less nervous.

Her relief, however, was short lived, because only seven queens had entered the workroom when the TV sounded. Seven queens? It seemed like a really small cast, and Adore thought it was weird. Maybe this thing would be over quicker than she thought.

“You’ve got shemail!” bellowed across the room, grabbing their attention.

The queens joyfully clapped and cheered when Ru walked in for the first time, and suddenly the first mini-challenge had started. It was a baptism of fire - she knew the competition would be tough, but she wasn’t expecting to be leaping off a platform to her death on the first day. She tried to give the best face she could, but with her legs flying everywhere, she was pretty sure she hadn’t won.

Adore sat looking curiously at all of the queens as they de-dragged, wondering who would get the advantage in the main challenge, and of course she was glad when it was announced that her old friend Ganja won. But something struck her the wrong way about the energy she felt coming from the blonde queen in a way that she hadn’t noticed before in the outside world. Sure enough, that feeling ended up with her narrowly avoiding being in the bottom in her very first main challenge after Ganja stitched her up with the Honey Boo Boo box,even though she had told her she wanted Golden Girls. According to Ganja, she ‘didn’t hear her’ whispering that she wanted it, and gave it to BenDelaCreme. Of course the Golden Girls garment won, and she was convinced that that would have been her if Laganja had just listened to her muttering what show she wanted.

She just hoped Laganja’s energy was just nerves, and that it would change once they met the other queens a few days later.

~._.-._.~ Bianca sauntered into the workroom, hit her mark, and grinned. When she realized no one else was in the room yet, she groaned.

“A drag queen who’s early? That never happens.” she muttered and took a seat to wait for the rest of the girls.

A blonde queen walked in, and Bianca’s interest was piqued. She had always had a thing for twinks, and this bitch couldn’t have fit the bill of Bianca’s usual trade better if she had picked the queen’s genes herself. She had heard of Courtney Act before, but Bianca didn’t think she had any reason to really be nervous about the pretty girl competing against her. Still, she definitely made it all more interesting especially since she was an aussie import. Bianca had always had a thing for foreign trade.

Bianca was confused about the mess left in the workroom from whatever had happened the night before, but she had seen the past seasons of Drag Race, and she knew not to question anything Ru wanted. She was more concerned with deciding which queens would be trouble, first, anyways.

After a pillow fight with some pretty hot guys, the winner of the mini challenge was announced, and Bianca was genuinely surprised that Courtney didn’t come out at the head of the pack in a challenge about being sexy. She was impressed by Trinity’s picture when it came up on the screen. Trinity had seemed more shy and quiet, but she definitely knew how to take a sexy picture.

There was a commotion in the corner that caught Bianca’s attention when everyone was de-dragging. A bubbly giggle rang out and Courtney squealed happily.

“What’s it like? Being with your soulmate?” The blonde asked.

The other pretty little queen with the great ass, Joslyn, smiled widely. “It’s great. We’re engaged, and I couldn’t be happier. See? His mark really stands out from the others because it’s bright blue, and of course it’s right over my heart. This pretty little flower right here? That’s his favorite flower. I get them for him whenever he has a bad day. My half of the mark is the pink paw print and a pink diamond.” She told them all excitedly. “We found the marks a few months into dating, and it all just made sense. It kinda feels wrong to be away from him, you know?”

Courtney nodded along. “That’s so sweet. I bet my soulmate will be a sweet man who’ll bring me flowers when I have a bad day, too.”

Bianca laughed. “Yeah right. He’ll hear your whiny voice and turn tail.” She went back to her sewing, determined to win her first main challenge. This wasn’t the time for her to be talking about soulmates, but if the others wanted to waste their time, that was fine by her.

And win she did, but her elation was short lived as she led the group back into the workroom to find the other seven queens waiting there for them.

The other group of queens were sitting at the workroom tables, trying too hard to look like hot shit, if Bianca thought so herself. Especially the one with the bright neon green hair, flicking her much too long nails at the other queens. That one immediately put a sour taste in Bianca’s mouth. She couldn’t help but think that the bright green baby queen looked like the human personification of a migraine.

However, there was a particularly pretty one sitting next to the green haired girl. She had curly strawberry blonde hair and was twisting the ringlets around her finger as she tried her hardest to look “bad”. Bianca couldn’t help but think it just made her look ditsy. Bianca raised an eyebrow at the sight of her. That queen had to be one of the youngest ones here. She’d probably go home next, Bianca noted as she scanned her cheap looking outfit. Especially if she kept hanging around that bright green headache.

Courtney shifted around nervously feeling incredibly awkward, and decided to finally break the silence.

“Hi everyone!” Courtney exclaimed, walking towards the 6 other queens. She embraced the nearest one to her in a tight hug. The groups took that as their cue to mold together, and Bianca approached the green haired queen first, curiously.

“Hi, I’m Bianca.” Bianca outstretched her hand.

“Oh hey girl! My name is Laganja Estranja honey darling! Oh come on natch!” Laganja exclaimed, jumping up from her seat and embracing the older queen in a hug. Bianca cringed as she awkwardly hugged the younger queen back. Oh god, she already knew this one was going to be trouble.

She met the rest of the queens, recognising Vivacious from New York. She also met a queen called BenDeLaCreme, who seemed a little hyper and had a strange voice that Bianca sincerely hoped the queen was just putting on for her character. Bianca wasn’t sure what to make of her just yet, but made a mental note to watch out for her when she heard one of the other queens say BenDeLaCreme had won the first challenge in their group. The rest of the group seemed to have a lot of young queens around Laganja’s age, and they all worked their way around, introducing themselves to everyone. She thought April was pretty, quieter than the other younger queens in the group, less annoying. The latina queen seemed to be having a bit of a hard time with the rapid fire English coming from the other queens, though, and Bianca wondered if that would end up hurting her in the long run. It wasn’t long before the petite Japanese queen - was her name Gia? - was reading their entire group. Or trying to, anyways. Bianca was quick to take her down with an insult; she had no time for that kind of arrogant bullshit. And then there was Adore, the girl with the curly hair. She was beautiful, but didn’t say much to begin with, although she did fall backwards off her stool like a dumbass. Bianca briefly wondered if that was on purpose or if her first instinct was right and the young queen really was just that ditsy. She had watchful eyes, and seemed to take her time sussing everybody out. As Bianca spoke to Vivacious, she noticed Adore and Courtney speaking to each other, and overheard something about idols, which seemed weird. Then again, Bianca knew Courtney was kind of a big deal in Australia. Adore could be admiring the older queen for that. There was something strange about Adore, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it yet. After Courtney started speaking to BenDeLaCreme, Bianca finally caught eyes with Adore, who smiled and walked over.

“Hi, I’m Adore.” she said, holding out her hand for Bianca to shake. Bianca looked her up and down. Her outfit looked a little cheap and messy, Bianca guessed she was probably either poor, new to drag or both. She was tall though, and had a gorgeous face. Bianca wondered briefly if that was the girl’s paint making her look so beautiful or if she just had a pretty face to work with. Bianca shook her hand, and gave her a quick smile. “Bianca.” she said in return. “And I’ll be fucked if I remember all these names.” she said, dismissing Adore and walking back over to Courtney. Adore’s face visibly fell behind Bianca, as she left her in her dust. There was no point getting to know this bitch, she might be pretty but she had “filler” written all over her. Bianca saw her walk over to that loud green-haired bitch Laganja and Gia, and it all made sense. She was part of that posse of young harpies. They were going to get on her nerves, she could tell. She’d just have to make sure she got rid of them early before they all really did give her a headache.

Adore walked away from Bianca a little weirded out and confusingly disappointed. It was like Bianca took one look at her and dismissed her for some reason, and Adore wanted to know why. Adore prided herself at being great at reading people’s energy, and something about Bianca’s energy was off. She could immediately tell Bianca didn’t think much of her. She hardly bothered speaking to her, and she didn’t seem friendly at all. Adore figured that was just how it would be with the older queens looking down on the younger girls. For some reason, there was a tingling kind of want in the back of her mind for Bianca to at least not hate her. Bianca’s face was unique in a theatrical, draggy kind of way, definitely a signature, and that was interesting, but overall she just reminded Adore of bitchy queens from her home bar who thought she was worthless. Adore didn’t like her energy at all, and had a feeling that they were going to clash throughout the competition.

The next morning in the workroom, Adore took a look around to see the other group’s queens out of drag. Some of them were unrecognisable. Considering Courtney in drag was so fishy, Adore was surprised to see that she was pretty masculine-looking out of drag, if a little twinky. She recognised Milk mainly due to that unmistakeable height. Milk was hot, Adore realised, and Trinity looked like Adore had pictured out of drag. She didn’t recognise Bianca at all, and only realised that this tanned, dimpled, admittedly cute guy was the same bitchy queen who’d read the whole first group by process of elimination.

When Ru arrived and asked them to pair up with someone from the opposite team, Adore chose Milk straight away, partly because they were already standing beside each other and partly because, well, Milk was pretty. One bizarre yet exciting mini-challenge (involving sitting on top of Milk!) later, and Adore and Milk were winners and team captains.

The groups split into their groups from the first challenge, which was surprising to no one, and Adore was looking over the script anxiously. She knew that they would have very limited time to rehearse and memorize lines, so she started glancing at the characters and assigning them randomly. They needed to get to work quickly, and in her mind it really didn’t matter who got which part. She told her group to focus on memorizing their lines and tried to do so herself, as well.

On the other side of the room, Bianca watched as the young queen just randomly threw out parts instead of assigning them according to who fit the roles best. Bianca continued to scan the room and noticed that the other group of queens were pretty much what she expected out of drag, except for BenDeLaCreme who was completely unclockable. The only reason she even realized who the dark haired man with the pale skin was, was because she had heard his distinctive voice from across the room.

However, Adore was also not what she was expecting to see out of drag. Adore had shiny dark brown hair that rested on her forehead. Her green eyes stood out against her porcelain skin, and her tattoos and punk rock choice in attire had completely thrown Bianca off. She thought for sure that Adore would be wearing something preppy and obnoxious like Laganja. She was actually pretty good looking as a boy, Bianca thought. She wondered what her boy name was briefly before Adore started talking to her team again. She didn’t seem to know what the fuck she was doing, and she was all over the place. Bianca rolled her eyes. This kid may be good looking, but she didn’t seem to know her ass from her elbow as far as preparedness and leadership was concerned. She was clearly a young, arrogant queen who thought she could charm her way through without doing anything productive, and Bianca had no time for that. Anyway, judging by the way she seemed to be trying to run her team she was probably going to go home either this episode or next, and even if Adore stayed longer than that, she wasn’t anything of a threat to Bianca if she kept up this erratic nonsense.

The challenge came, and Adore was feeling pretty confident. She loved 80s horror movies, and knew she had a knack for comedy, so she thought she’d do pretty well. They hadn’t really rehearsed, but rehearsing didn’t really line up with Adore’s work style, she was more comfortable on the fly. Once filming started, however, the group started to fall apart. People didn’t suit their parts, the timing was off, and Adore was forgetting lines. Admittedly, she had only really glanced at the script, usually she learned things pretty quickly so she didn’t think it was going to be an issue. Boy, was she wrong. She was genuinely worried she may go home early. She still thought she had managed to be pretty funny, though, and hoped they wouldn’t go too hard on her as leader. How was she supposed to know that memorizing lines would be so hard? She really had thought that she would pick them up as easily as she did song lyrics.

Bianca was paired with Courtney for filming, and they had great fun working together. She really liked Courtney, she was funny, dry-humoured and professional. She didn’t fuck around, and they went in and got the job done easily. It also didn’t hurt that Courtney was attractive, so while filming they had natural chemistry from the get go. They did well, and Bianca was feeling confident. She was slightly reluctant to admit it, but she liked being flirty and close to Courtney in their scene.

The judges went in on Adore for not leading properly, and she felt like shit knowing that it was partially her fault that someone in her group would be going home. She was used to only working for herself, and she hadn’t really thought about the trouble the group would have meshing together. She had assumed everyone would be able to work on the fly and get the material the way she knew she naturally would, and that hadn’t happened.To make matters worse, she barely even got through her lines on set. She felt like an idiot, and she was worried this would land her in the bottom and maybe even send her home before she could really even prove to the judges that she really did have the talent to stay to the end.

As the queens walked backstage during deliberation, Bianca was starting to feel more than a little bit irritated with Adore. She wasn’t prepared, didn’t lead her team, and then started crying on stage? Please. Bianca never understood how all these young queens could audition for this show that they’ve obviously seen before, and expect to do well right out the gate. Especially when they don’t know how to sew, learn lines for a script or dance and sing, and then they have the audacity to complain about it! Adore just seemed like one of those queens that relied on their charisma to Bianca. She doubted the queen had any discernable talents other than being an annoying whore.

Then back in the lounge, once the two groups joined together for the last bit of untucked, the young queen even had the audacity to say she didn’t want to work with Bianca! Not that she particularly disagreed, but Bianca still thought Adore was a cunt for saying it.

“I just wouldn’t want to work with you.” Adore’s bitchy comment kept ringing through her head. Usually it took a lot more than a shady read from a clearly inexperienced queen to get to her like that, but she just didn’t understand why she wouldn’t want to work with her. She definitely had some nerve. It really got under her skin, and why the hell that upset Bianca so much, the older queen did not know.

Adore was already feeling like shit about the way she performed in the challenge, and having drama with one of the older queens was the last thing she needed. It really bugged her that Laganja had grinned as Bianca dismissed her as a nobody filler queen. Laganja was supposed to back her up and be her friend, not be against her because they had started out in drag together. Ganja should automatically have her back based on that alone. For some reason, that wasn’t the only thing that was bothering her. The fact that Bianca had just brushed her off like she was scum and so much less than her so easily was really getting to her. Usually, when the older queens back home would read her “trashy” aesthetic she would just brush it off. But this time, it just really irritated her for some reason. She didn’t even know Bianca that well, so she was surprised she had managed to get under her skin in the way that she did.

On the way back to the shuttle, the queens filed in one by one. Of course, Bianca was with Courtney, and they got in first and scurried to the back of the van. Adore and Ben had followed closely after, taking the seats directly in front of them. Soon the van was full and the queens were on their way back to the hotel.

“That fight was crazy.” Courtney whispered. Bianca rolled her eyes and shrugged.

“Not really. She’s a fucking mess, do you really think she’s going to make it far?” Bianca started. “Besides, she’ll probably only be here for another day, two tops.”

“Agreed. Did you see what she was wearing?” Courtney asked disgusted.

“You guys act like I can’t hear you.” Adore snapped, eyes boring into Bianca’s. Despite them being brown, they were actually quite pretty and had some sort of warmth to them. Adore shook that thought out of her mind as she glared at the two of them. She was sure they could see plainly written across her face how hurt she was, but it had been a long few days and she was too tired to try to hide it.

Adore’s eyes shooting daggers into Bianca’s really felt uncomfortable to her. Bianca had gotten a lot of glares shot at her in her lifetime, but the fact that this queens in particular was bothering her so much was odd. She could feel her chest tighten as she saw the anger and disappointment in her eyes.

“Well I wasn’t trying to be discreet, queen. You should be giving it your all every challenge, and clearly you’re not in it to win it with the way that you lead your group.”

“Whatever, bitch. I don’t even know you like that. You don’t know me like that, either. You should be more concerned with the way you perform.”

Adore turned back and faced the front of the van and sighed heavily. She was tired of arguing with people who just didn’t want to understand the way she worked. She would just have to try harder next challenge, and apply herself to it a little bit more. “I’m sure you’re not good at everything, bitch.” she grumbled.

Bianca glared at her. “Maybe not, but at least I work at it and try instead of just pointing to people and saying ‘do this’ without even rehearsing.”

The queens in the van heard that comment. Adore heard someone go “Oh shit.” before she responded.

“Okay Bianca, you just know it all, don’t you? You’re the wisest queen here. You win.” Adore said with spite. Suddenly the van stopped and they were finally at their hotel.

“Thank God.” Courtney muttered as the queens started exiting the shuttle. She followed the pack out, and then turned to Bianca once everyone was out of earshot. “God, she just doesn’t know when to quit!”

Bianca sighed in relief when she saw Adore get out of the van and go straight to her hotel room. The last thing she wanted was for her to wait for her so they could argue more.

“She really doesn’t. It’s so annoying. Here I was thinking I’d be more annoyed by her hippie friend, but nope, this bitch takes the cake.” Bianca chuckled. “I don’t know why, but she’s really getting under my skin.”

“Don’t let her get to you. By the way, good job today by the way. I think we make a pretty dynamic duo.” Courtney grinned as they made their way to their hotel rooms.

“Yeah, we did good didn’t we?” Bianca grinned. She pushed the button on the elevator to go up to the second floor.

“I’d say so. God, your dimples are so cute!” Courtney exclaimed, reaching out to squeeze Bianca’s cheeks. Bianca could feel her cheeks turning red as she grabbed them, smiling to herself.

“I didn’t know you could see my ass.” Bianca joked.

Courtney glanced down and craned her neck to see Bianca’s ass. “I can’t, but maybe I should.” she laughed.

“There’s not much to look at sadly.” Bianca joked as they slowed to a stop right in front of Bianca’s room. “Then again, my ass isn’t what needs to be big. I’m a top.” she hinted. “Well this is me. I’ll see you tomorrow Courtney.”

“Yes you will.” Courtney bit her lip seductively giving Bianca a good up and down look before going to her room.

“Goodnight Courtney.” Bianca laughed awkwardly. She didn’t find herself “sexy” per se, so it was weird when someone like Courtney Act was making it clear that she was attracted to her. She was definitely not bad to look at, that was for sure.

The next morning, the queens made their way back into the workroom again for their next challenge. The groups were starting to mesh together to become more like one solid unit, except for Adore and Bianca who avoided each other like the plague and set their vanities as far away from each other as possible.

After the mini challenge, Adore and Ben won again much to Bianca’s disdain. Ru announced that they would be doing a musical theatre challenge. Adore and Ben were team captains, and not surprisingly, Adore picked everyone she could except Bianca. For some reason that annoyed her, but she was on the better team if she could say so herself. Courtney, Trinity, Darienne, Gia, herself and Ben were a pretty well rounded team. She had seen how well Ben had acted in the last challenge, and she knew Courtney could sing well so the only people she was worried about were Darienne and Trinity, and even with them, Darienne had already proven to be almost as hateful and funny as Bianca.

Suddenly, she heard a beautiful melodic voice coming from the other side of the room. The group all looked up at once and saw Adore singing her heart out as Bad Penny, and she was killing it. Bianca felt chills go down her spine as she listened to the voice. Her mind went blank save for one word. Wow. What the hell was wrong with her?

“Team Courtney!” Bianca yelled and the group laughed in unison.

Adore stopped singing mid sentence and glared over at the other group. Bianca was really starting to get on her nerves.

“Let her feel her fantasy girl. We all know you’re going to win.” Laganja said to Adore, encouragingly.

The two groups finished rehearsing and getting ready for the live performance, and finally Adore was waiting backstage anxiously. She could hear Courtney tearing the house down with her vocals, which just meant she had to outshine her. She would put her whole soul into that performance, and at this point she really really wanted to win, if only to shove it in Bianca’s face later. She knew Bad Penny was the best role she could possibly have in the performance, and she hoped beyond hope that she could prove she belonged here just as much as the older, more seasoned queens.

Finally, their act was finished and Bianca sighed in relief. She loved musical theatre, but being in a competition where every line and every moment counted was stressful, since she knew she most definitely was not a singer. Especially next to Courtney, and now apparently Adore. They scurried backstage where then, the other group made their way onto the mainstage.

“This should be interesting.” Courtney smirked triumphantly, elbowing Bianca.

The performance began and the minute Adore started singing, Bianca was hooked. She had no idea such a soulful voice was trapped inside that irritating young ball of energy. She could feel every emotion as Adore sang, and for a second she almost wanted her to win.

“Wow, she’s actually really good.” Ben commented.

Bianca nodded. It was true, as much as she hated to admit it. Would it be enough for her to win though?

The critiques and the judging went well for Adore for the most part, other than Michelle reading her for not wearing a proper waist cincher. She was happy when she was considered a contender for the win, but then crushed when it was Courtney that had won. She knew she’d never hear the end of it back in the workroom.

When Adore’s face dropped at the announcement of the winner, Bianca actually felt the slightest bit disappointed. There was a brief, fleeting second where the older queen wanted to go pat Adore on the back and tell her she should have won, but she shoved that feeling down as soon as it bubbled up. Still, she could see how much it hurt Adore to lose at something she so obviously wanted to be the best at, and she could reluctantly admit that she felt bad for the queen. Not that she would admit that she had been wrong in saying the night before that Adore had no talent.

The queens gushed over Courtney’s performance back in the work room, leaving Adore to roll her eyes and de-drag in silence.

“Adore, I didn’t know you had it in you! Your voice was amazing.” Ben exclaimed from across the room.

“It was.” Bianca admitted. “But not amazing enough to win.” She cackled, but was one of the only ones laughing.

“Dude, what’s your damage?” Adore asked angrily. This shit needed to stop, and now.

“My damage? My ‘damage’ is that you’re not listening to critiques, wearing a dress that’s clearly meant for a corset without one, and apparently you’re lazy because you have talent that no one in this room expected, given your past performances. If you can perform like that, why the fuck did you do so badly yesterday? You obviously don’t care.”

“I don’t have a fucking traditional lace up corset. Not everyone works on Broadway and has access to fancy garments. I’m from a poor ass Mexican family, yeah I went out and bought shit before I came here, did I know the difference between a cincher from Ross and a traditional one? No, otherwise I wouldn’t be getting this critique! I’m not lazy and I care so fucking much, so don’t fucking talk bullshit to me, and to be told that ‘oh, you’re so talented your voice is amazing, but you aren’t the winner’ is hard. Music is my fucking life man. It’s all I care about, and all I have, and you don’t fuck with my music.” Adore huffed, storming off.

For the first time in a long time, Bianca was speechless. She had no idea what the younger queens financial struggles were like, and she didn’t realize she literally had no help preparing for the competition before she came here. She felt bad now, and it took a lot for her to feel that way.

Courtney pushed her chair out noisily and made her way over to console Adore, who seemed pissed off and sad. Even though she didn’t know her that well, she felt bad that Bianca had made her that upset. She stood next to Adore silently for a second waiting for her to acknowledge her.

“What?” Adore snapped. “Do you want to rub it in more?”

Courtney smiled sadly and pulled the younger girl in for a crushing hug. It took a while for Adore to respond, but she eventually wrapped her arms around Courtney and rested her head on the blonde’s shoulder with a sigh.

Courtney rubbed her back soothingly. “You did great. You have a great voice, and we’re all proud of you for doing well.” she said quietly and let go to walk back to her station, sending a quick warning glance to Bianca before pretending nothing was wrong.

When they got into the van once again, Courtney and Bianca once again sat in the far back so they could talk.

“You went too far.” Courtney casually told her.

Bianca nodded, and that was that. The conversation was over.

The next day, the mood in the room was more excited than usual. The queens were slowly getting closer to the crown, so it would be interesting to see how everyone started behaving.

Ru came into the room after the shemail buzzer went off, and announced that the next challenge was going to be Snatch Game!

Bianca and Adore were both excited, they had planned out their snatch game characters as soon as they had found out they were on the show. Bianca was surprised to learn that Judge Judy was Ru’s favorite show ever, thus making her incredibly nervous for the first time in the competition. It didn’t help that Courtney was taunting her being in the bottom 2 if she fucked up, and for the first time she was the last person in the competition who she wanted to talk to.

Adore was going to play her favorite icon, Anna Nicole Smith. She had been impersonating her casually since her death in 2007. She knew she had this one in the bag for sure. So when Ru came over to check on her, she gladly jumped into her character.

Bianca heard the young queen doing an impersonation across the room for Ru and looked up confused. Was she really going to do Anna Nicole? She was already naturally loud and obnoxious, a perfect fit really. Ru was doubled over in laughter, so it must’ve been a good impression. Interesting, she wouldn’t have taken her to be a comedy queen. She’d have to keep an eye on that one. Maybe it wouldn’t be as easy as she thought to get rid of her.

Soon, the queens finished getting ready and done up to look like their favorite celebrities. They were escorted to the room and to Adore’s dismay, she was seated right next to Bianca. Fucking great. She readied herself for a day full of berating and hateful comments.

“The producers really hate us don’t they?” Bianca muttered to Adore as they sat down.

“I’d say so.” Adore admitted as she cracked a reluctant smile.

Snatch Game began shortly after that, and Bianca was thoroughly impressed with Adore’s performance. So much so, she had to bite her lip to stop herself from cackling so many times that it was starting to feel numb.

Adore knew she was killing the performance when she looked over at Bianca who looked like she was trying not to piss herself laughing. Bianca’s Judge Judy was very funny too, she kept going after the other queens and even had an Officer Byrd puppet. This was the first time Adore had really enjoyed herself with Bianca, and her heart felt lighter because of it.

They had split the runway and the challenge into two days, so the next day when the queens arrived back in the workroom Adore pulled out her long purple dress. The runway theme tonight was “Night Of A Thousand Ru’s”, and that was the most RuPaul dress she could find. She sighed internally as she realized Michelle would most likely read her again for not cinching her waist, since this dress was form fitting.

She decided to start her makeup and not worry about it too much. She saw the other girls pull out their dresses and it made her feel even more self conscious. Her dress didn’t even compare to the likes of some of these other queens gowns. Gia’s in particular, was basically a carbon copy of one of Ru’s gowns. She frowned as she felt like a small fish in a big pond.

“Adore!” Bianca called from her table. She was still doing her makeup at a work room table, with her makeup and other accessories spread out on top of it.

Adore snapped her head around to the voice.

“Yes baby?” Adore asked automatically, without even thinking. Yes baby? Why the fuck would she call Bianca baby? Adore cursed herself in her head.

“I know Michelle has read you the last few challenges for not cinching your waist. Well, I have an extra cincher if you want to borrow it. I can lace you up in it if you’d like.” Bianca smiled as she spoke. Her heart fluttered as she saw the younger queens frown spread to a wide grin.

“I’m down!” Adore exclaimed, feeling her heart burst with a warm happiness that she had very much not been expecting. Bianca smiled widely back at her and nodded her head.

“Great. Let me finish getting ready and then I’ll lace you up.”

After about an hour, Adore came back over to Bianca’s side of the work room. Bianca felt her eyes resting on the younger queens body, far longer than she planned to. It was nice, not too skinny but not fat either. She was covered in soul marks from friends. She clearly had a friendly heart.

“You ready to get rid of your hog body?” Bianca joked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Adore laughed.

She put the corset over the younger queen’s head and started fitting it to her mid section. She felt a jolt of electricity when her fingers made contact with her skin, and felt what could only be described as calmness spread through her body. Almost as if she was comfortable with this person, even though it hadn’t been that long since they had met. Maybe they had just gotten off on the wrong foot? Bianca let her fingertips linger for just a half a second and hoped that Adore didn’t notice.

“That should do it.” Bianca said, tying the laces in a bow.

“Thanks. I can’t breathe but this is what they want so I have to give it to them.” Adore laughed.

“Beauty is pain, beauty is pain. I’m glad to see you’re willing to take direction, bitch.” Bianca stated as she went to her corner of the room to change.

Adore hadn’t noticed before, but Bianca had a rocking body. It was slender but tan, and she had really nice long legs.

Before anyone saw her gawking, she started putting her dress and wig on for the runway. Weirdly, she was starting to actually like Bianca, even though she’d been a complete asshole up until now.

After they had walked the runway, they awaited their critiques. Adore thought she had won the challenge, but realized she had been outdone by Ben yet again. She saw Bianca make a disgusted face out of the corner of her eye at the win and smiled, glad to know she wasn’t the only one feeling that way.

“Adore, you have finally given me the silhouette I’ve been waiting for! You need to do this everytime you walk on this runway, it changes everything. You look great.” Michelle gushed.

Adore thanked Michelle and then smiled over at Bianca who returned the gesture. Bianca was happy that she was able to help Adore get a good critique, but for some reason she was filled with much more happiness than she expected. Maybe helping the younger queen was just really rewarding.

On the ride back to the hotel, Courtney and Bianca claimed their seats in the back again.

“You and Adore seemed to be getting along well today. Did you kiss and make up?” the blonde asked.

Bianca snorted and rolled her eyes. “I just felt bad about putting her down the other day, so I thought I’d help her out with the corset.”

Courtney grinned. “Yeah, and you two cackling over in your corner in the Snatch Game? Admit it. You were having fun with her. She did really well today. You both did.”

Bianca relented. “Yeah, the kid did good. We had a good time.”

“You like her.” Courtney teased. “You want to be the baby queen’s friend.”

“Shut the fuck up, cunt. All I’m saying is that the past couple days she really started proving she deserves to be here.” Bianca admitted.

In the seat in front of them, Adore smiled to herself.

[fereality-indy]

Gravity Falls Valor Force Rangers Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Friday June 10th, 2016

Gravity Falls

The One That Got Cafe

“Thompson?”, Tambry called from where the gang was sitting at the counter.

“I was wondering how long it would take you guys,” the guy who ordered espresso said as he stood. While the facial features were similar, the rest of him had changed. He appeared to have grown another six or seven inches and had shed a lot of weight.

“What in the world happened to you man?”, Nate asked as Thompson made it over to the counter.

“Well, shortly after the first semester started I met this great girl. We really hit it off and she started hitting the gym, so I joined her.”, Thompson explained as he waved a hand to show off his physique, “And as you can see it worked out, even if she and I didn't.”

“크래커에 거룩한 쓰레기, 그는 뜨거워. 나는 기꺼이 그녀를 대신 할 것이다.”*, Candy said as she finally got a good look at Thompson. She recognized him sitting down, but standing up she finally saw the difference and she was openly staring.

“고마워요 캔디, 나는 영광 스럽다.”**, Thompson said as he turned towards the startled teen waitress.

The gang all looked between the two not knowing what was going on. Thompson just stood there with a small smile as he watched Candy's reaction.

Candy suddenly got flustered and blushing profusely. She turned away muttering, “What, how? 너는 나를 이해하기로되어 있지 않았다.”***

“What was that?”, Nate asked as he, along with everyone else, tried to figure out what the two were saying.

“Oh she was just congratulating me on the weight loss and I thanked her. Before you ask the ex was from Korea so I got a copy of Behistun Inscription for Korean and nearly blew my Economics course working on it.”, Thompson said as he finally sat down.

“That was sweet, I bet she loved it man.”, Lee said as he handed Thompson his espresso.

“Unfortunately no, by the time I was able to hold conversations with a couple of the others who speak Korean at school something happened.”, Thompson said before he took a sip of his drink, “I went to see her one day and heard a male voice coming out of her dorm room. In Korean he was talking about the idiotic white boy and she told him she was just stringing him on as a way to get a visa.”

“Oh man, I'm so sorry.”, Tambry said as she put a hand across his.

“What's her name, man?”, Wendy asked as she envisioned egging the girl who messed with her friend's heart.

“Not saying,” Thompson replied as he saw the malevolent smirk on her ginger haired friend. Looking at the rest of the group he changed the subject, “So what were you guys talking about before you finally recognized me?”

“Oh just whether or not Wendy and Dipper are finally gonna hook up,” Lee said as he made a french vanilla latte for a customer of Grenda's.

“So I still have a chance to win?', Thompson said with a smirk as Wendy started blushing anew.

Out In The Abandoned Mines Outside Of Town

Lord Tulka and Lady Vane are exploring the caverns, examining the work they put into the lair over the last few days. There were countless black artist mannequin looking humanoids moving about cleaning, setting up furniture, etc.  When the pair enter the large inner chamber they see several oddities had been installed. There was a large bowl that seemed to be connected to a frame contain a blank canvas, a pile of knick-knacks (which included the old Questiony the Question Mark costume, an old postal box, several bear traps (most of which were pried of the legs of the black figures),  and other non essential items the black figures had gathered during there investigations of the modern world.

On the other side of the room there sat a raised dais that held a single white wooden chair that had come from the fenced in pond the drones had found during their searches. It was here that Lord Tulka stopped his explorations and sat, his spear now resting in the slot that once held the umbrella.  Pleased with the way the lair was shaping up he gestured for his companion to come forward.

“Lady Vane, are our troops ready to test this world and see if it is to be found fit?”, the hirsute Lord Tulka called as she approached.

“My lord, I have been creating Cryptizones,” she replied as she swept her hands towards the black wooden figures, “from the local flora and our forces have been collecting artifacts for me to study. Soon I'll be able to help create more servants for your command. But until then we should send an advance squad in to gauge the strength of our enemies.”

“Tomorrow we shall send out Vodak, he will give us a decent idea on the town's strength.”, Lord Tulka said before he took another look around the chamber, “Where is he? That cone headed buffoon is never here when I want him.”

In the chamber there were several of the Cryptizones working on a mural along one wall depicting Lord Tulka holding the world in his arms. From the hall to the right of the mural in walks what on first glance looks like a six foot tall Gnome. But on the second glance you can tell that nothing that he is not a normal Gnome. The first issue (besides his size) is the gray leathery look of his skin and the brownish-green tint of his hair. Then there was his beard, while the same color as his hair was cut in a van dyke instead of the full beard. Next is his state of dress, while the overalls and shirt were the norm for Gravity Falls Gnomes the colors weren't. The overalls were as dirty black and ripped in several places while the light brown shirt had had the sleeves ripped off. And his hat (which if he took it off would leave him standing at just five feet tall) was a deep brown and as dirty as the rest of him. Sleeved up his right arm there appeared to be some sort of forearm guard that covered from his elbow to his wrist.      

“There you are, Vodak!”, Lord Tulka called as the giant Gnome came into his line of sight, “And just where have you been?”

“My liege, I was out procuring food as you had commanded.”, Vodak said holding up several cloth bags that appeared to have at one time been bedsheets, “I was able to gather some fresh venison and I was able to abscond a supply of human for for the two of you to try.”

He handed off the sacks that held the venison to a Cryptizone who took them off to the kitchen chamber. He sat the other two down on a table in the chamber and began pulling items out to show his 'master' and his true mistress. He pulled out boxes of cereal, a wheel of cheese, a couple bags of jerky, a six pack of Tubby Tusk Root Beer in bottles and one of Pitt Cola, and a stack of granola bars. The jerky and the soda he bought forth to Lord Tulka.    

“An offering to you my liege, cured meats and beverages to wash it down.”, Vodak said as he offered the snacks to Lord Tulka. He then turned and walked towards Lady Vane and as he passed the table he reached into the smaller sack and pulled out a box of chocolate bonbons, “and for the lady I offer sweet for the sweet.”

As she took the offered candies they heard a loud pop and turned to see Lord Tulka drinking from the neck of the bottle of soda as it appeared that he bit the cap off and swallowed it.  

“Buuurrrrppp!”, Lord Tulka belched as he released the pressure of the carbonated drink. Turning towards Vodak he said, “Tomorrow you shall take a squad of Cryptizones into the town and find a large gathering to test the worthiness of the town.”

“Yes Lord Tulka,” Vodak replied. As he headed to take the remaining snack items to the kitchen chamber a malicious thought came to him, 'And I know just where to attack, those brats that always gave Geoff problems are returning tomorrow and while I was procuring these supplies I remember one of the townsfolk mention a party at the old tourist trap where they used to live. I can kill two birds with one stone, test the troops an show up Geoff by getting rid of those brats.'

Saturday June 11th, 2016 12:15 PM  

Gravity Falls Bus Terminal

As the Speedy Beaver bus pulled up to the terminal the small group of people that appear to be waiting for it stretch out a sign that reads, 'Welcome Back, Dipper & Mabel!!!' Among those holding the sign was Stan, Ford, Wendy, Candy, Grenda, & Pacifica. Soos and Melody stayed at the Shack to finish the last minute preparations for the party. The bus hadn't even started to stop before they heard a familiar voice yelling, “They're here, they're here. I told you Dip Dop.”

When the door to the bus finally opened a sixteen year old Mabel Pines practically flew out of the bus and stage dived into her friends and family. After all of the hugs were finished she pulled back and everyone got a chance to actually see her for the first time since the end of the previous summer. At five foot ten inches she hadn't grown any taller, but she had cut her hair in a pageboy style and a light blue sweater was tied around her waist. She had on midnight blue leggings that were speckled with stars, a black tiered skirt, and a gray camisole with a picture of Jasper the Genial Specter doing a backstroke on the front of it.

“You're looking good pumpkin,” Stan said as he pulled her into a hug, “We're gonna have to keep the boys away by force this year.”

“I do have some new stun gloves I need to test out,” For added as he took his turn hugging her.

“You guys,” Mabel giggled as she swatted the two elder twins. She then headed towards her friends.

“You know Mabel, you could have helped me.”, a somewhat familiar voice called from the door of the bus.

Most heads turned towards the voice as Mabel called out, “Hey you lost the bet fair and square mister!”

While they saw Wendy's old hat, it didn't seem to be on a person they recognized. The last year had been good to Dipper it seems. When the twins left last year he was still a good two inches shorter than Mabel, but he now appeared to be towering a good four inches over her. He also had lost the last of the baby fat he had had when they left. With a jaw line not quite a square as his Grunkles, it was still decently defined and had the start of a soul patch just below his lip. And while he was still somewhat skinny, there was some noticeable start of definition in his arms and calves. Like his sister his look had evolved some also. He had on a pair of denim cargo shorts, a black A-shirt, and a short sleeved green flannel. He was pulling along two rolling suitcases and had a backpack hanging off each shoulder. While he walked over to the crowd, the driver had gotten off and was unloading four more suitcases.

“Well guys, we're back for the summer!”, he exclaimed as he dropped the two backpacks and let go of the suitcases.      

“Who are you and what did you do to my nibbling of a nephew?”, Stan asked with a chuckle in his voice that said he was joking.

“It's good to see you Dipper,” Ford said as he held out a hand.

“Aw come here you two fogeys,” Dipper said as he pulled his two Grunkles into a hug. As he pulled back he felt his hat being lifted off of the top of his head.

“Well Dip, time for this bad boy to come back where it belongs.”, Wendy said as she held up the trappers cap.

Dipper reached out to take either the trapper's cap or his old pinetree hat and Wendy attempted to keep both hats away from him as she has done the previous three years. But unlike the previous years he was now as tall as her, so he reached out and grabbed the pinetree hat which he placed back on his head.

“Hey there Wendy,” he said as he pulled her into a hug. He held this hug longer than any other hugs than have been exchanged so far.

“Alright you two break it up, we need to get to the shack. Soos and Melody are waiting for us,” Stan said as he smirked at the two teens.

Fifteen Minutes Later At The Shack

“Alright Doods, let's get the party started.”, Soos called out from the DJ booth as he worked the sound system.

As Dipper watched, couples gathered out on the dance floor. Blubs and Durland, Robbie and Tambry, Nate and the girl from the pizza joint at the mall, even Mabel and her girls were all out there dancing. Actually it seemed that Mabel, Candy, and Grenda were dancing in a circle around Pacifica who was laughing along with their antics. He also saw several others from around town there on the floor. Lee and Thompson, man he thought he had changed a lot over the school year but Thompson was almost a new man, were seated on the sofa against the other wall.

“Same ol Dip, huh.” he heard a familiar voice ask from his side. When he turned his head he saw that Wendy had snuck up beside him while he was watching the crowd.

“Wha, what do you mean?”, he asked the his long time friend.

“Well the party is out there and yet here you are hugging the wall,” she said as she leaned back against the wall with him.

“Oh well you know, parties really aren't my thing.”, he said as he bobbed his head along with the music.

“Sure, with the way you filled out I'm betting you're having to beat the girls off with a stick. They're probably are trying to get you out to dances all the time man.”

“Eh, I've had a couple ask, but they weren't y...”, Dipper was saying as he looked over at the beautiful red head at his side, when he caught a strange sight out of the corner of his eye. Walking into the dance room was a giant gray Gnome and he was heading straight for the girls.

Realizing something was off for once Blubs and Durland interposed themselves between the coming creature and the girls.

“Just what do you think you're doing here mister?”, the off duty sheriff asked before the hulking Gnome backhanded him sending him flying across the room. Durland called out for his husband as he abandoned his defense of the girls to rush to his side.

“Stand behind me girls,” Grenda called out as she pulled her friends behind her. At five foot eleven inches she was easily the tallest and she still carried her bulky muscular frame.

Dipper looked around for his Grunkles as he and Wendy moved away from the wall and headed towards the creature. He remembered Ford had begged off of the party shortly after they arrived and as he looked he saw Stan on the ground outside the door the Gnome came in. as they moved he saw Thompson had also gotten up and was heading towards the aggressor. They got there in time to see Grenda slump to the floor with Candy rushing to her side. By now most of the other party goers had escaped out through the gift shop exit, though a few had stayed around long enough to get pictures of the creature. Soos and Melody had even made it back around to the other side to check on Stan. Once they had made he was ok they carefully got him to safety.

Looking over at Candy, Thompson called out. “Get her out of here, we'll cover your exit.”

Wendy looked over at Pacifica and Mabel and added, “You two should probably get out of here also.”

“No way!”, Pacifica declared as she dropped into a wide stance, “I've been studying martial arts since I was eight and now I get a chance to use them. Besides this guy hurt my friends, I'm staying.”

“Yeah, broseph there isn't the only one who's been training at our godfather's gym back home.”, Mabel pointed out as she started cracking her knuckles, “And this way we outnumber him five to one.”

“Oh, oh cute. You all think I'm alone,” Vodak chided with a chuckle. Behind him a dozen black painter's mannequins suddenly appeared. In what appeared to be both fluid and jerky in their movements, they all slowly moved out from behind him.

As the creatures came forward and worked their way around the five friends as to surround them.

“CRYPTIZONES, ATTACK!”, Vodak ordered and as one the black mannequins charged towards Wendy, Dipper, Mabel, Pacifica, & Thompson.

===============================

Well all here is the second chapter of the Valor Force Rangers. First we find out some of Thompson's back story and why his appearance has changed over the last two years. Then we get a look into the villains HQ and get a small look at their motives. Next the Twins are finally back in town. And finally Vodak interrupts the Welcome back party.

From Korean thanks to Google Translate

* Holy crap on a cracker, he's gotten hot. I will gladly take her place.

** Thank you Candy, I'm flattered.

*** You were not supposed to understand me.

Also remember to check out my other Gravity Falls works here:

Gravity Heroes, A Superhero AU. A few months after the Mystery Twins head home from Gravity Falls Mabel gets a call from Soos telling her that Dipper was found turned to stone out in the woods. The problem is Dipper is standing right next to her. This leads them off to a new adventure.

Gravity Heroes: Sidetracks, a series on one shots & drabbels that are stories that are in the Gravity Heroes-verse but aren’t necessarily required to read the main story-line. It’s essentially my take on the classic Marvel Comics Presents.

Welcome To The Gravity Falls Region, My take on the Pokemon AU. Follow the adventures of the potential Pokemon Master Dipper Pines and his sister Mabel, Pokemon Coordinator extraordinaire, while they travel through the Gravity Falls Region.

The Curse, thanks to a misunderstanding Wendy is targeted by a fairy curse. This is a short story following what happens afterwards.

I also would feel honored if any of my works inspire any art. If you do I would love to see them. Thanks again to all who have read this far. I have received art now from Deviou5, Siryleleen, & Polydactyly Zodiac. These will be posted soon in my Deviant Art account as fan art and credited to them. Thanks again you three. I’m happy to see different interpretations of the characters from the Gravity Heroes AU. Let me know by PM if you do and I’ll send out a list of the full descriptions to you. The art is now up at fereality. deviantart just remove the spaces. A new pic of Yami is now up.

Again I’d like to give a shout out to dusk4224, EZB, SuperGroverAway, ddp456, & A Pleasant Dream. It was their stories that made me want to get back into writing and to want to start with Gravity Falls. Please check out their stories if you haven’t already.

Please review. I’m always open to constructive and helpful criticism, though if you’re gonna troll please move on.