#In 2015 he lost to Kenny which is fair

[methinmycoffee]

Fun South Park fact!

In the 2020 South Park Character Bro-Down, (where they asked the fans to vote on their favorite characters), Tweek lost in the 3rd round.

He lost to Towlie!!! (/neg)

There is no justice in the world

Here is the link to a site with all the info if you want to get mad about how your favorite character lost too:

[shefanispeculator]

Blake Shelton has 28 career No. 1 songs on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, and another seven that have reached the Top 10. It'd be easy just to stick with the singles in making a list of his best songs, but who likes easy?

Find plenty of deep cuts on this list of Shelton's 50 best songs, including his spiritual songs. Those are sprinkled all over the playlist — The Voice coach is a rare singer who can sing about drinking and heartache with as much conviction as his relationship with God. Fans will find a new one called "Bible Verses" on his Body Language album. It does well on this staff and reader partnership.

Songs with ex-wife Miranda Lambert and fiancee Gwen Stefani make the list as well, but the Top 10 Blake Shelton songs are all solo efforts ... with one exception. Is it strange that his most convincing bedroom ballad was a collaboration with a different "Gwen"? Cover songs by George Jones and Conway Twitty, collaborations with RaeLynn and Trace Adkins, and a co-write with Earl Thomas Conley all make this list of Shelton's top songs. Which is your No. 1?

Top Blake Songs: His Greatest Hits + Best Deep Cuts

Taste of Country staff opinion, and the commercial success of tracks from Shelton's 12 studio albums were certainly considered in making this list of the top songs. More than anything, we sought fan input, via sales and direct input. What's your favorite Blake Shelton song, and does it agree with our No. 1?

Below are the The Voice coach's 50 best songs. Lyrical integrity and production were also considered in this ranking. Really it's hard to argue against any of the Top 5, but we understand if there's a debate about placement. Heck, we encourage it!

Warner Music Nashville

No. 50: "She's Got a Way With Words"

Songwriters Andy Albert, Marc Beeson and Wyatt Earp wrote a clever country lyric, but the problem is, it felt too personal from Blake Shelton in 2016. This is the song that stopped Shelton's impressive streak of No. 1 singles. Sonically, very few songs from this era stand apart from one another.

No. 49: "Gonna"

" isn't a bad song — a strong case could be made that it's better than some of the singles ranked ahead of it on this list of the top 50 Blake Shelton songs, actually — the love story from 2014 just isn't memorable in any way. Think about it: At best you said, "I remember that song" but more likely thought, "which one is that?"

No. 48: "The Wave"

" is a unique metaphor for how a good love can wash away all of your troubles. Blake Shelton's song from Texoma Shore is another fan favorite. The mid-tempo track displays his voice nicely.

No. 47: "When the Wine Wears Off"

," an album track from Texoma Shore that could have been a single. The song's structure and flow is very similar to so many hits from this era of Blake Shelton.

No. 46: "Anyone Else"

When asked which deep cut they like most, Blake Shelton fans chose "

," an album cut from Bringing Back the Sunshine. This ballad shows a bitterness that's rare across the singer's discography, and certainly this list of 50 songs. It's packaged in a fairly unoffensive arrangement, but his lyrics really sting.

No. 45: "Over"

Blake Shelton gives a great vocal performance of a fairly ordinary song during "

," his fourth straight No. 1 single from the Red River Blue album.

No. 44: "I'll Just Hold On"

Shelton relied on a sitar to make this song stand out. It only worked to get him a Top 10 hit. The remainder of "

" is arranged more conventionally, making the outsider instrument something of a gimmick.

No. 43: "All Over Me"

" will always hold a special place for Shelton, as he co-wrote it with an idol, Earl Thomas Conley. The piano-led ballad finds the singer doing something truly unique: Showcasing a timid falsetto during the chorus of this poignant, pure country single. Lyrically it's difficult to keep up with, but sonically it's bold, like so many of his early hits.

No. 42: "Every Time I Hear That Song"

In retrospect, very few songs from Shelton's post-divorce album stack up against his earliest and most recent singles and deep cuts. "

" relies on a vocal hook, but the performance lacks urgency. Still, it hit No. 1 easily.

No. 41: "Sure Be Cool If You Did"

Shelton's Based on a True Story ... album started with "

," but every single that followed is far better and more engaging. This love ballad doesn't hurt for warmth, but the arrangement is milquetoast at best.

Rick Diamond, Getty Images

No. 40: "Drink on It"

Real life couple Jessi Alexander and Jon Randall joined Rodney Clawson for this track from Shelton's Red River Blue album. While still a No. 1 hit, "

" gets a little lost among other more dynamic performances and arrangements on this list of his 50 best songs.

No. 39: "I'll Name the Dogs"

" cast Blake Shelton as a husband in waiting, something his fans and the world in general were hoping for in his real life. The No. 1 hit from 2017 went Platinum on the strength of a pop-rock chorus and a charming lyrical hook.

No. 38: "Happy Anywhere"

" — the second of two straight single collaborations with Gwen Stefani — hit No. 1 and is a total earworm. It's hard to criticize the feel-good jam, but we'll say "Nobody But You" is a superior duet for the country couple.

No. 37: "Neon Light"

In a vacuum, "Neon Light" — a No. 1 hit, released in 2014 — is a funky, country and hip fusion that works. Across Blake Shelton's full catalog of hits and album cuts, however, it tries to do too many things that this singer does better elsewhere. For that reason, this track rates a bit low on this list of Shelton's best songs.

No. 36: "Granddaddy's Gun"

Aaron Lewis' version of this same song was more convincing, but Blake Shelton's "

" wasn't trying to act tough. The more sensitive singer's rendition was more sensitive and polished. The two men were targeting different country audiences.

No. 35: "A Guy With a Girl"

Blake Shelton celebrates his woman during "

" a No. 1 hit from If I'm Honest. The song is a sweet gesture, made atop a radio-ready arrangement.

No. 34: "Nobody But You"

The first of two straight, Gwen Stefani duets to country radio finds the couple trading lines as they tell a love story that can only be described as genuine. The No. 1 hit reached a very pleasing one million downloads quickly. "

" should not be confused with another song on this list. It's a progressive, pop-friendly ballad that truly simmers.

No. 33: "When Somebody Knows You That Well"

Of all of Blake Shelton's official singles, "

" faired the worst. It barely cracked the Top 40, possibly due to an outdated, string heavy arrangement. But it's not a bad little song. Harley Allen co-wrote this ballad and Shelton does OK in finding the right perspective. 'A' for effort, big fella.

No. 32: "Doin' What She Likes"

This charming No. 1 hit is best remembered for a music video in which a bumbling Blake Shelton burns the house down trying to cook a romantic dinner for Miranda Lambert, who makes a vocal cameo early. Sans video, "

" is a warm love song that's fit for a squeeze.

No. 31: "Just South of Heaven"

Another fan favorite from deep in Shelton's catalog, "

" finds the singer relying on a familiar mood over a welcome acoustic guitar and fiddle combination.

No. 30: "Came Here to Forget"

If you expected Blake Shelton's post-divorce album to include some heartache, you were right. "

is a dark country lyric atop an R&B-infused guitar line. His twang keeps it country, but the song is among his most progressive No. 1 hits. Often when he stretches the genre, it's done with a wink — not this time.

No. 29: "Sangria"

Few songs on this list of Blake Shelton's best smolder like "

." The love song rides a warm melody that covers for a barely-there hook. This 2015 hit was one in a string of No. 1 hits for Shelton, most of which went Gold or Platinum.

No. 28: "Jesus Got a Tight Grip"

When Blake Shelton does sit down to write, what comes out is often spiritual. Deep love songs and reflections on a higher power make up his short songwriting catalog. Jessi Alexander helped him with "

," a plucky country-rocker from 2019.

No. 27 Draggin' the River

" tells a dark story of two lovers escaping together, and in that way, it's very Miranda. Shelton's polished vocals and a sweetened production make this track from the All About Tonight EP very Blake, however. While not a single, it was a fan favorite back when they were a couple. We still dig it.

No. 26: "Minimum Wage"

Blake Shelton's blue-collar love song is no "Friends in Low Places" but the spirit of this song still hits today. There's not a lot of love-conquers-all messaging across his catalog, at least not as much as that of storytellers like

" is a mainstream effort that did its job of introducing a new album, but it's hard to put it high on this list of Shelton's 50 best at this point.

No. 25: "Footloose"

Blake Shelton didn't deviate much from Kenny Loggins' original version. The country "

" wasn't a radio hit, but it went Gold and introduced the country singer to an all-genre audience that was just beginning to learn of him via The Voice.

No. 24: "Some Beach"

One could make a case for "

" as Shelton's most important song, as it saved a career that was spiraling after a trio of Top 40 country airplay hits. This is the first time fans got to witness his sense of humor and sarcasm — remember, there was no Twitter in 2004. A pre

Rory Feek co-wrote "Some Beach," showing how wide the singer reached for great songs early in his career.

No. 23: "Bible Verses"

" is the faith song on Blake Shelton's 2021 album Body Language, and it's truly a highlight on the project. The singer approaches the topic with genuine humility that feels as honest as any love or drinking song he has recorded. A great play on a phrase pushes the song higher up on this Top 50 list.

No. 22: "Hillbilly Bone" with Trace Adkins

Blake Shelton proved he's a dynamic duet partner with this partnership with Trace

" is among his most well-known songs, even if it's not a Top 10 song on our list. Amid a catalog of songs with sexy, delicate women, this rocker with tough guy Adkins stands up and demands you pay attention. Even the haters have to smile!

No. 21: "Nobody But Me"

Did you even know that Shelton has a hit song called "Nobody But You" and "

"? The former is his most recent hit with Gwen Stefani, but the 2005 love ballad is the one that deserves a celebration. A jazzy piano carries the country singer atop this pleading love song. It's both memorable and effective.

No. 20: "Savior's Shadow"

Jessi Alexander returns to this list of the best Blake Shelton songs to offer a gentle message about faith and peace. "

" is Shelton's only Hot Christian Songs hit, reaching No. 14 in 2016. He's rarely, if ever, performs the song live.

No. 19: "The More I Drink"

," a Top 10 hit for Blake Shelton in 2007. The singer's early rompers are unmistakably genuine. In his later years, a certain polish would change the raw messaging, but that doesn't exist in this Brent Rowan production.

No. 18: "Playboys of the Southwestern World"

This is a song about best friends. "

" is a critic's pick for this list because we can recall him playing it live. The song is largely shelved now, but it still cooks. As a storyteller, few artists do better than Shelton, as some of the highest ranked songs on this list will prove. Playboys (No. 24 in 2003) is a different kind of story.

No. 17: "Lonely Tonight"

Give Shelton credit: At a time when few solo females could break in country music, he was doing what he could to celebrate talent.

is just one example of the hitmaker looking past stars who would have furthered his career to support Nashville's best. This dark ballad about a one night stand is a provocative conversation that just burned in 2014, a time where Blake Shelton was king. During "

No. 16: "Turnin' Me On"

Blake Shelton hasn't written very many of the songs found on this list of his 50 best. "

" is a rare case where he set out to write a song that became a hit, albeit a minor one. The simmering love song only reached the Top 10 after its 2018 release, but charts aren't everything. Years later it really stands apart from the rest of the songs he released to radio. You can feel his passion as he sings a song that he clearly had girlfriend Gwen Stefani in mind for.

No. 15: "I Lived It"

This Top 5 hit for Blake Shelton seemed to come and go, but we wish it would have stuck around as a catalog cut for the singer. "

" is among his best late model songs as it treads into new, nostalgic territory for a singer who is so often singing of love and love lost.

No. 14: "The Baby"

Blake Shelton cemented himself as one of country music's most promising young storytellers with three of his first four singles, including "

." The heartbreaking mother-son story is a gut punch for older country music fans. Melodically, the chorus gives it wings. This song from The Dreamer would become his second No. 1 hit.

No. 13: "All About Tonight"

" for Blake Shelton, and it's a song that will forever hold a place in his live show. It's kind of the theme song for any country concert, isn't it? In truth, Shelton hasn't released too many all-out jams like this one in the last decade, so it stands out a decade later.

No. 12: "Boys 'Round Here" With Pistol Annies and RaeLynn

Every once in awhile Blake Shelton drops a song that reminds you he doesn't take himself too seriously. It's critical to his artistry and an integral part of his longevity. "

" was his early 2010s version of that song. It's a sort of hip-hop-inspired redneck stomp with callback lyrics and his then-wife's supergroup supporting him. The song is just so much fun to bop along with, even a decade later.

No. 11: "God Gave Me You"

Blake Shelton took Dave Barnes' "

God Gave Me You

" and turned it into a Grammy-nominated, chart-topping country song. But that's just part of the story. The emotive love ballad is also what gave the singer the kick in the pants he needed to propose marriage to then-girlfriend Miranda Lambert. This is a tremendous vocal performance and certainly worthy of a high placement on the singer's best songs list.

No. 10: "My Eyes"

Blake Shelton and

Gwen Sebastian

kept a brother-sister kind of relationship after her time on The Voice. She even joined his band. That changed with "

," a true bed burner that beckons, "Come a little closer, come a little closer / Come a little closer, love the way you look tonight / My eyes are the only thing I don't wanna take off of you."

"My Eyes" was the last of a trio of great male/female collaborations that truly put new female artists on a pedestal. RaeLynn and Pistol Annies joined him for "Boys 'Round Here," Ashley Monroe jumped in for "Lonely Tonight" and Sebastian for "My Eyes." This was a time when women struggled mightily at country radio, but the singer did what he could to help introduce new talent.

Warner Music Nashville

No. 9: "Home"

You see a real change in Blake Shelton's commercial success beginning with his cover of "

" in 2008. One could argue this is his most important radio release, and his vocals stand up to anything else he's put out. Prior to his version of the Michel Bublé song, Top 20 was where he lived. After that, he rattled off a string of No. 1 hits as long as anyone ever: Nineteen of Shelton's next 20 singles hit No. 1.

Warner Music Nashville

No. 8: "Goodbye Time"

There is more than one famous cover among Blake Shelton's 50 best songs. "

" was a

Conway Twitty

hit in 1988, and the younger singer did it justice with a piano-led arrangement that showcased him as a premier vocalist. This song also exemplifies why he was hit-and-miss at radio in the mid 2000s. It followed the chart-topping "Some Beach," which followed a Top 40 song called "When Somebody Knows You That Well." It's good to go back and forth between good times and heartache, but with Shelton, the pendulum swung too far every time. It was hard to figure out who he was for most of a decade.

No. 7: "Ol' Red"

" is not Blake Shelton's best song, but it's his signature song. He can't play a live show without telling this story of a prisoner, a dog and a warden who gets fooled. Early in his career, Shelton wasn't shy about covering other artists, including Conway Twitty and (in this case) George Jones. His tie to the past has loosened in recent years, which is a bummer because songs like this are far more interesting than anything on the radio today.

Warner Music Nashville

No. 6: "Honey Bee"

There's not an easier song in Blake Shelton's catalog to enjoy than "

," his slightly saccharine, but still grinning love song from 2011. The track went triple-Platinum and is perhaps his most recognizable song worldwide today.

No. 5: "Who Are You When I'm Not Looking"

Joe Nichols

cut this song several years before Shelton would make it his best love song. Both versions are exemplary. It starts with the songwriting. Lyrically, "

" is more sensitive and poetic than anything else on this list. Each line is phrased as a question, and each question is one any woman can relate to. The magic is in this hitmaker's personal delivery. His range isn't needed for a subtle romancer that the greats would be proud of. Few country women will resist a warm smile when this No. 1 hit begins.

Warner Music Nashville

No. 4: "God's Country"

God's Country

" rejuvenated Blake Shelton's career. The country-rock song paints a vivid picture but it works so well because everyone who touched the song went for it 100 percent. The chart-topping hit is arguably his best of the last half-decade and an easy pick for Top 10 on this list of his greatest songs.

No. 3: "She Wouldn't Be Gone"

There's no song in Blake Shelton's catalog that paints a breathtaking picture with the same ease of "

She Wouldn't Be Gone

," his No. 1 song from 2008. He begins with, "Red roadside wild flower if I'd only picked you / Took you home set you on the counter" before his second metered stanza that goes, "Yellow sunset slowly dipping down in the rear view / Oh, how she'd love to sit and watch you / I could have done that a whole lot more."

The chorus of this song is where the tension lies, however. Shelton has told great stories before and delivered strong vocal performances plenty of times, but few songs find him so recklessly emotional as this ballad. It's almost unnerving to listen to.

No. 2: "Mine Would Be You"

" is a Top 5 Blake Shelton song because of the twist at the end that just crushes your heart. It's a love song, until suddenly it isn't. Jessi Alexander and company wrote it, but it's the singer's energy that makes the song special. As with "She Wouldn't Be Gone," there's a sense of panic so rare on the radio today. Shelton seems like such a cool character most of the time, but moments like this remind us of his gifts.

No. 1: "Austin"

Fans have, and will continue to, make a case for "

" as Blake Shelton's best song. It's certainly an all-time great debut single — one that would work in any era of country music. Early in his career, the Oklahoma native relied on veteran songwriters and producers like Bobby Braddock to shape his sound. These days everything comes with a little more polish, which is fine and probably even necessary.

You can't compare 20-year-old tracks like "Austin" with modern songs like "I'll Name the Dogs." Lyrically, his newest material lacks depth when held up against the rich tapestry of these early hits. So many songs from Shelton's first two albums make the Top 10 or even Top 20 of this list for this reason. "Austin" at No. 1? It's tempting to select another for the sake of being bold, but doing so would just be dishonest.

[lastsonlost]

Estranged wife of ex-racing driver WINS the right not to be left out of his £11m fortune despite signing

FUCKING THREE PRE-NUPS!

- because 'he whipped out papers for her to sign in bed'

Kenny Brack was awarded more than £10million of £11million fortune in court 

But Anita Brack, who was left with £500,000, has won appeal on the decision 

She called for prenuptial agreement and two similar arrangements to be torn up 

Yesterday Anita Brack, 51, won her case against retired Swedish driver Kenny Brack after taking him to court when she was left with 'almost nothing'.

The former IndyCar champion got his bride-to-be to sign a pre-nup when they were 'lying in bed, relaxing' on a romantic weekend to Niagara Falls ahead of their marriage in December 2000.

But Ms Brack claimed she was made to sign two more pre-nups in different countries as her husband's career took the pair around the world.

She was left with just £500,000 while the 52-year-old businessman took more than £10million in the Family Division of the London court. 

But she said the court made a mistake and demanded that half the family money should be hers after the couple divorced after two children and 15 years of marriage.

Lady Justice King said yesterday that each party made equal contributions to the marriage.

She pointed out that the wife had no assets of her own but was landed with debt, some of which was owed to the husband.

'In my judgement the judge did fall into error in going so far as to conclude... that the wife had inevitably lost her sharing claim by reason of the prenuptial agreement,' she added.   

It comes after another divorce judge rejected Ms Brack's claim for an equal share of the money due to her signing the agreement in full knowledge of what they meant.

Mr Brack told that judge he was 'not bothered' about marrying her and would have refused to had she not signed the pre-nups.   

London's Appeal Court heard the Swedish couple married in December 29, 2000, after Mr Brack made her sign pre-nups in Canada, Sweden and the USA. They had been living together for six years prior to the marriage.

Mr Brack was an Indycar star in America at the time and had featured in the Hollywood film 'Driven', alongside Sylvester Stallone and Burt Reynolds.

A serious crash during a race in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2003 nearly killed him but he since resumed to driving. He had been a chief test driver for McClaren since May this year.

The pair raised their children at a £3million, five-bedroom property with a swimming pool in Cookham, Berkshire.

Mr and Mrs Brack both filed for divorce - the husband in Sweden and wife in the UK - in February 2015 and separated a month later. 

A hearing about splitting the family money came before Mr Justice Francis in the Family Court in December 2016.

He said: 'I do not believe it to be fair, after a marriage of this length and with these contributions and these children, for the wife to be left with almost nothing and for the husband to be left with almost everything.

The overwhelming majority of the assets were generated during the marriage,' he added.

But he went on to rule that the pre-nups must bite on the wife, as she knew what she was signing.

'I have found that the wife did understand that she was signing a pre-nuptial agreement that would govern the financial consequences of the marriage if it ended,' he said.

'The court should accord respect to the decision of a married couple as to the manner in which their financial affairs should be regulated,' he added.

He pointed to a diary entry made by the wife after signing the first pre-nup on the romantic break in Niagara whilst they were engaged.

It read: 'Vacation. Cosied up in the morning. Went to Niagara Falls. Back to the hotel and had a massage and pedicure! Went for a walk and ate at a worthless Italian restaurant. Was at hotel and watched a video. Signed the marriage papers.'

'These did not appear to be the musings of a person who was shocked by the request that she sign a pre-nuptial agreement after so many years together,' the judge commented.

He went on to say: 'I found the husband to be rather cold and matter of fact...I find his current approach towards the wife and the knock-on effect it would have on the children to be both mean-spirited and mean.'

'I find the husband to be financially mean...I accept as probably correct that he told the wife he would not marry her if she did not sign a pre-nuptial agreement.

'I find that the husband was far less bothered about the prospect of marrying than the wife. He was happy to carry on being unmarried.

'I reject the wife's assertion that the husband was guilty of serious misrepresentation in relation to the pre-nuptial agreements.

'It is important to bear in mind, at least in relation to the American agreement, the wife had independent legal advice and elected to ignore that advice.

'I cannot accept that the wife, on three separate occasions, signed a pre-nuptial agreement imagining it to be irrelevant,' the judge concluded.

The £3million family home was sold on order of the judge, with Mrs Brack getting half of the £2million equity as it was in both their names.

Yet after she had to pay back debts, including money owed to her husband, she was left with £560,000 compared to more than £10million of her husband.  

He also ordered the husband to provide a £2m housing fund for his ex and the children on top of that, to be repaid to him when the kids grow up.

He was also told to pay £95,000-a-year for child maintenance and a carers allowance to his wife for looking after them.

Patrick Chamberlayne QC, for the wife, today challenged the judge's ruling, claiming he 'made crucial errors of law' when he rejected an equal division of the family wealth.

'He misunderstood the law relating to pre-nuptial agreements and as a result misdirected himself to the effect that, despite having found the pre-nuptial agreements to be unfair, he was precluded form making an award on a sharing basis, whether 50/50 or at all,' the barrister said.

Mr Chamberlayne also said the judge 'misread' clauses relating to an agreement that a needs-based award for maintenance must be dealt with in Sweden.

And he told Lords Justice Lewison, King and Peter Jackson that new email evidence has emerged since the Family Court hearing which proves that Mrs Brack didn't understand what she was signing.

'The emails make clear that the wife was telling the truth at trial when she said that, at the time she signed the agreements, the husband had told her that they would not govern the actual financial provision he would make for her.

'At trial, the husband had denied giving any such promise to the wife. The judge accepted his evidence. Had he seen the emails he would not have done so,' the barrister argued.

Martin Pointer QC, for Mr Brack, argued that Mr Justice Francis's ruling was correct. The Appeal Court hearing continues.    

[save-the-flying-unicorns]

3rd Rewatch Descendants 2

Intro: 2 years ago I did a series of this, I got up to 18 re-watches and posted several updates.  Okay, blah blah I’m boring myself.  Just like last time,  a little about me so you know what perspective I’m coming from.  I’m 23 years old, college student, actress, singer, dancer. Open minded.

Disney Descendants 2 is the sequel to the 2015 DCOM Descendants.  Writing done once again, by Josann McGibbon and Sara Pariott.

Descendants 2 had a lot to live up to following the first film; the corniness and Disney Channel-ness (yes I’m still using that word even if it’s completely made up) once again made some aspects of the film hard to watch.   In this post I will point out details that either helped or hindered the film in my opinion.  SPOILERS will follow so you have been warned.

PREVIOUSLY...

The little things that were icing on the cake… SPOILERS!

- opening musical number “Ways to be Wicked” okay right off the bat: explosive opening musical number.  Catchy tune, and goodness the choreography is INCREDIBLE!  (also the paper throwing, just like in HSM 2 “What Time is it?”  I see you Kenny Ortega!)

- “Is your mother still a lizard?”

- Fairy Godmother taking on the reporters; so motherly!

- Jane getting in everybody’s face but only because she’s trying to be the most helpful person ever and just wants to please everyone.  The green glass samples being thrown into Ben’s face!  “Audrey is on vacation with Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather.” LOL

- Good buildup for Mal’s mental break, they did a great job from the daydream to all of the interactions afterwards.  With the other students, Ben, to the final climax at the picnic where she declares everything about her is fake.  Trying to be the perfect girlfriend.  

- LONNIE!  “If my mother thought that way, she would’ve lost the war.”

- Gil, has the brains of his father.  

- “What’s My Name?” pardon my French but HELL YES! So many things I can point out, I’ll get to them.  Watch out for future posts.  For now I’ll just leave you with this: “Hook me!”

- Dizzy, cute character.  Cute concept.  Cute delivery.  Cute.  Which is just what she intended to be.  “Great… more sweeping.”

- Mal’s first interaction with Harry; we get some of that VK in Mal back finally.  So freaking sassy.  

- Evie reaction to going back to the Isle, being back on the Isle, and the interaction she has with the little ones on the Isle.  

- Ben’s abduction, Harry’s creepy entrance “We nicked him.”  Also, does he bark at Carlos?  Because that’s what is looks like.

- Uma, that scene.  “Life ain’t fair!”

NEW...

- Audrey on vacation with Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather.  I see you Disney.

- The chereography is even more complex, and it’s is freaking fantastic.  Just one example: What’s My Name.  

- “But she could be so much more.” okay Disney, getting deep on us.  I mean, okay.

- “Space Between”, y’all.

- Everything Uma.  Everything Hook. 

- Gaston’s interaction with Ben.  “And, before you go, uh, tell your mama Gaston says hi.  And also tell your dad that my dad wishes he finished off your dad when he had the chance.”  I paused and played until I got that shit down word for word (again sorry for the language I’m currently drinking wine)

- SWORD FIGHT 

What makes it hard to watch… SPOILERS!

PREVIOUSLY...

- there were several times the storyline relied too much on nostalgia from the previous film.  It weakened the overall story, it should have been avoided.

- It’s part of her character, I get it but Evie’s line “Look at these shoes!” right after an emotional scene too.  There’s that corniness.

- Chad’s character was stupidly annoying.  I’m sure it was done on purpose, and I see how he was needed to further the plot but it drove me nuts.

- Mal talking to herself in her room crying, “I don’t belong here.”  I know why they did it, but the way it was delivered just seemed off.  (before any of you blow up at me, please understand I think Dove Cameron is an extremely talented individual.  Ridiculously talented.)  

- There was less Isle of the Lost used then I would have liked.  They had much more in the first film, here they reused the same areas for every scene.  I’ll get into specifics later.

- “I brought the limo, it’s a sweet ride.”  facepalm.

NEW...

- “Not a lot of there, there.”  Okay, there’s no need to re-visit that line.  

- “Rulebook.  Rulebook.”  Chad needs to go away.  If that’s what they were going for, kudos.  I hate the character.

- The CGI -_- I get it tv production but c’mon

- okay I get it’s a fantasy, but seriously Mal just opens the book and finds the spell she needs? also the spells rhyme on purpose... meaning there are specific spells for whichever occasion.  Honestly the only way this is believable is if whatever spell Mal needs appears whenever she opens the book and disappears when the book is closed.  Otherwise that book isn’t nearly big enough.  Rant over.

- it’s hard tough because I know it was crucial to the plot point but the whole thing with the 3D printer...

- enough with the montages, show us the whole damn song, you did the same thing with “If Only” it’s unnecessary and it makes the anthems weaker.  ENOUGH.

- Lonnie’s “Okay!  Really?” girl I was so happy and proud of you.  You ruined it.

- WTF is up with the way Ben is tied up?  Is this a Disney thing, no bondage allowed or something?

- Ben, his “serious” moment needed more work.  Close, but no cigar.

- Hamilton vibes from It’s Going Down.  Anyone else?

-So just anyone with a spell book can cast spells?  I don’t think that’s how that works.  You have to have magic.  Plot hole.

- That CGI again.  For smoke?  Really?

Descendants 2 much like it’s predecessor has it’s ups and downs, but overall was a good film.  The story preaches for you to stay true to yourself.  An important message for kids, and as long as they get that message that is what is important.  Like I said with the last film, don’t shoot it down because of it’s concept… (It is an evolved Disney story. Things change… Adaptation and evolution is a part of life. If you don’t evolve, you die out.).  

I’ll continue to post these for the sequel, click on the tag “auradon rewatches” to check out the newest and latest update on this thread.

[cordlock7-blog]

Bills a work in progress in preparing to host surging Titans

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -- Confident and rosy-eyed as Josh Allen might be, the Buffalo Bills rookie quarterback understands he was going to take his fair share of lumps this season.

Allen needed only to refer to the struggles Titans starter Marcus Mariota had in going 3-9 as a rookie in 2015.

''Sometimes you need to make those mistakes and you need to learn by trial and error, so that's what I'm doing now,'' Allen said, when asked about Mariota, as the Bills (1-3) get set to host Tennessee (3-1) on Sunday.

''We're getting better. I'm learning, I'm growing with every opportunity I get.''

It might not look that way yet for Allen, whose inconsistencies have been apparent since taking over midway through a 47-3 season-opening loss at Baltimore.

After taking one step forward in a 27-6 win at Minnesota, the seventh player selected in the draft took several backward in being sacked seven times during a three-turnover outing (two interceptions and a fumble) in a 22-0 loss at Green Bay last weekend.

The 22-year-old remains undeterred of the steep learning curve he faces while overseeing an offense with a patchwork line, a sputtering ground game and a mostly unproven group of receivers.

''It doesn't scare me,'' Allen said. ''I know where I want to be, and I've got a long way to improve, a long way to grow. And I'm looking forward to the entire process.''

Mariota might not be a finished product 3+ years since being selected with the No. 2 pick. And yet he's overcome the challenges of working under his third head coach, Mike Vrabel, and third coordinator, Matt LaFleur, to have the Titans off to their best start since 2013 while coming off a season in which he led Tennessee to its first playoff victory in 14 years.

He earned his fourth AFC offensive player of the week honor Wednesday after rallying the Titans from a 17-3 third-quarter deficit for a 26-23 overtime win over the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. Mariota capped his 11th career fourth-quarter/overtime game-winning drive with a 10-yard pass to Corey Davis with 5 seconds remaining.

The Titans have won three straight, all by three-point margins, and Mariota has shaken off a season-opening hand injury to go 42 of 61 for 444 yards passing, with two touchdowns and an interception, along with a TD rushing.

The production might not be eye-popping, which led to Mariota shrugging off a question of the Titans playing a boring brand of offense.

''People can have those opinions. We can't control that,'' Mariota said. ''All we can do is just focus on how we get better every single day, and hopefully continue to win games.''

PRESSURING ALLEN

Tennessee already has 12 sacks and 48 quarterback pressures with nine Titans having at least one sack. They intend to continue applying pressure against Allen, who has been sacked a league-most 18 times.

''Every time he comes out there, we got to make sure in the back of his mind he knows it's possible there's going to be a chance he's probably going to be hit,'' Titans defensive tackle Jurrell Casey said.

STUCK IN NEUTRAL

The Bills' once-prominent LeSean McCoy-led running attack has gone nowhere. McCoy, who missed one game with a rib injury, has 21 carries for 85 yards. ''The coaches know I want to be involved,'' McCoy said. ''We're just trying to figure it out. It's hard to get the ball a lot when we're getting penalties, we're getting first-and-15s, second-and-20s.''

Coach Sean McDermott can only sympathize with McCoy, saying: ''I can understand why he's frustrated.''

TRAP GAME

The Titans remember the previous time they went on the road while sitting atop the AFC South. Last December, they lost consecutive games at Arizona and San Francisco to cost themselves the division title and a home playoff game. ''I do remember those, and we never want that to ever happen again,'' linebacker Brian Orakpo said.

The Bills are the one team with a losing record Tennessee will face through the first two months this season, sandwiched between last week's win against Philadelphia and a visit on Oct. 14 from Baltimore (3-1).

INJURIES

The Titans will be without starting safety Kenny Vaccaro (right elbow). So Kendrick Lewis is expected to start alongside All-Pro safety Kevin Byard. The Bills' depth at safety could be tested with starter Micah Hyde's status questionable with a groin injury and backup Rafael Bush nursing a shoulder injury.

BAD BILLS

Take away a four-quarter stretch spanning the second half of a 31-20 loss to the Chargers and the first half against Minnesota, and Buffalo has been outscored 106-9. The Bills haven't scored a TD in a span of 102 minutes and 14 seconds, since Allen's 1-yard run early in the second quarter against Vikings.

---

AP Pro Football Writer Teresa M. Walker in Nashville, Tennessee, contributed to this report.

---

More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/tag/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP-NFL

Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/bills-progress-preparing-host-surging-titans-172817546--nfl.html?src=rss

[thewisemankey]

The Wise Mankey Commission: Part The Sixty Ninth by AlanES

♪ “Bad Apple!!” by RichaadEB and Cristina Vee

“The American Legend is dead. Long live The UWA Legend.”

The transformation is complete, thanks to @allrightfinegeez’s help. Now I’m #BulletClub4Life in every aspect. For the longest time I honestly never considered “turning heel,” but you look at the success it’s brought Daniel Bryan and Becky Lynch just to name a few over the years and can’t deny that it ends up being the best thing for their careers.

And honestly, it probably was a long time coming to embrace my dark side. I can’t always agree with the wrestling fandom as a whole when they go from making Roman Reigns the 2014 Superstar of the Year (under VERY strange circumstances) to booing his ass out of the 2015 Royal Rumble. If you’re gonna make someone one of yours, take the responsibility to go all the way with him, I say. FICKLE, as Bryan puts it. Me on the other hand, never liked Roman Reigns and DEFINITELY never will after the shit he pulled at Mania 33. My convictions, unlike the people, have NEVER changed.

That and there were a LOT of things that went wrong when I was in the UWA. Losing my debut match in a team that was doomed to fail which I didn’t want to be a part of in the first place, STRIKE ONE.

Losing the United States and Intercontinental Titles without being pinned or submitted, STRIKE TWO.

Finally, having absolutely NO momentum but ALL the pressure to defend the UWA Heavyweight Title even when the rules and stipulations were completely fair, only to fail, lose the title, and all my previous successes felt rendered meaningless, STRIKE THREE, MIGHTY MANKEY HAS STRUCK OUT.

So I figure...why be the good guy who lets management hold the leash anymore? Why not follow in the footsteps of Finn Balor, AJ Styles, or most of all, Kenny Omega? It was high time to stop thinking to myself “I’m the god damn hero, I SHOULD win” and outright say “I will NEVER lose again.” Who cares about what’s best for the higher-ups and the fair-weather fans when I can get everything I lost back and be over as F*CK regardless of how I act? It’s what’s best for ME. The ones who love it can get ready for the ride of their life, and the ones that don’t will just have to deal with it. Hell, if people have a problem with my happiness, who’s the REAL bad guy in that exchange in the end?

Don’t think this is the last you’ll see of “The UWA Legend,” I got plenty more Bullet Club shenanigans going on.

It’s FOR REAL, it’s FOR LIFE, and it’s JUST TOO SWEET!

[junker-town]

The Texans can save Deshaun Watson by following the Colts’ example

The Colts showed the Texans the blueprint on how to build an offensive line and protect a quarterback.

The Houston Texans’ offensive line was woeful once again in their 21-7 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the Wild Card Round. Deshaun Watson was sacked 62 times in the regular season — the most ever for a quarterback on a playoff team. On Saturday, he was sacked three times and the Texans allowed three more tackles for loss on just 16 rushing attempts. Oh yeah, Watson was hit eight times in the game as well!

Getting the offensive line right has to be the top priority for the Texans now that they’re officially transitioning into the offseason. Houston is projected to have $72 million in cap space this offseason and no one would blame the Texans if they spent every last penny of that $72 million on the offensive line.

Watson was great on the ground, but struggled in the passing game

Watson ran the ball eight times for 76 yards against the Colts — and even though most were on scrambles, he looked good doing it. His passing game was another story. He threw the ball 49 times and only managed to rack up 235 passing yards — just 4.8 yards per pass — and one touchdown.

He also had this interception to Kenny Moore at the end of the first quarter, which was an especially bad pass.

Kenny Moore steps in front of this Deshaun Watson pass for the INT! (via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/eiLwcmS7Rd

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) January 5, 2019

We do know Watson is adept at throwing the ball, though. Watson completed 68.3 percent of his passes and had a 103.1 quarterback rating in his second season in the league. His poor passer showing against the Colts can’t be completely chalked up to the offensive line, but it did play a huge factor. He was often rushed and had to make quick, short throws.

After the game, he noted that the pockets were tough to work with:

Watson said he wasn't able to regularly step into his throws and didn't have a consistent clean pocket. #Texans

— Brian T. Smith (@ChronBrianSmith) January 6, 2019

The way the Texans can fix their offensive line is by putting resources into the group — something they didn’t do last offseason.

The returns on the Texans’ offensive line match the investments they made

Watching the Texans’ offensive line this season has been incredibly frustrating, but their performance makes more sense when you look at their lack of investment in it.

Here is the starting group that they walked into their playoff game with.

Left tackle: Julie’n Davenport, 2017 fourth-round pick Left guard: Senio Kelemete, 2012 fifth-round pick on his third team Center: Nick Martin, 2016 second-round pick Right guard: Zach Fulton, 2014 sixth-round pick on his second team Right tackle: Kendall Lamm, undrafted in 2015

Houston can’t even blame injury for its offensive line problems. The team lost one offensive lineman to injured reserve: Seantrel Henderson, a 2014 seventh-round pick from the Buffalo Bills.

To be fair, the Texans didn’t have a first- or a second-round pick to upgrade the line in the 2018 NFL Draft after trading up for Deshaun Watson in 2017 and trading away Brock Osweiler, but their collection of talent had to be somewhat alarming coming into the season.

This offseason, the Texans have a first-round pick for the first time in two years. They also have two second-round picks: their own and the one that they received from Seattle after trading left tackle Duane Brown last season.

With those picks, they should consider replicating what the Colts have done and invest heavily in the offensive line.

Indianapolis showed why Houston should upgrade the offensive line

Compare that Texans line to what the Colts came into this game with.

Left tackle: Anthony Castonzo, 2011 first-round pick Left guard: Quenton Nelson, 2018 first-round pick Center: Ryan Kelly, 2016 first-round pick Right guard: Mark Glowinski, 2015 fourth-round pick on his second team Right tackle: Braden Smith, 2018 second-round pick

The talent that Colts have poured into their offensive line showed in their win over the Texans. They didn’t allow any sacks and only allowed one tackle for loss in the first quarter of the game. It’s been a similar story this whole season, but it wasn’t always that way in Indianapolis.

From 2012-16, Andrew Luck was sacked 2.2 times per game and the offensive line allowed 12.4 pressures per game, both third-highest in the NFL according to the ESPN broadcast. In 2018, those number were down to 1.1 sacks and 9.3 pressures per game, the lowest marks in the league.

The Colts made it a priority to protect Luck, who missed nine games in 2015 and another game in 2016 before sitting out the entire 2017 season with a shoulder injury. Houston needs to do the same for Watson. The Texans went 11-5 and won the AFC South with Watson for a full 16-game season. They went 4-12 when Watson’s rookie season ended prematurely due to an ACL tear.

Watson isn’t just a good player that the Texans should keep healthy; he’s their best chance of offensive success and an integral part of their future. He’s the most productive quarterback the Texans have had since Matt Schaub was hurling passes to Andre Johnson in the mid-2000s — keeping him healthy and upright is imperative, especially if they want to be more than a one-and-done in the playoffs.

[chorusfm]

Today we’re happy to bring you part two of our “In the Spotlight” feature. We’ve got another group of 25 artists that we think are worthy of your time and ears. Our contributors have made their picks, put together blurbs, and pulled out recommended songs.

If you missed part one, you can find that here.

MUNA

by Jason Tate

MUNA are a three piece out of Los Angeles that craft a dark synth-pop sound right in my musical wheelhouse. They released their debut LP, About U, earlier this year and it’s been in constant rotation as the weather shifts in Rain City between annoyingly wet and cold to slightly less annoyingly cold. The pulsating percussion over well-weaved vocal melodies mixes perfectly with the season. It’s the kind of music that can sit in the background at a party and at one point or another you’ll find all of the guests nodding along, or it can be experienced between headphones alone in a dark room with a stiff drink.

Recommended Track: “Winterbreak”

RIYL: Lany, Banks, Fickle Friends

Mandolin Orange

by Craig Manning

Playful, tongue-in-cheek band name aside, Mandolin Orange write and perform some of the most beautifully understated and intimate music out there these days. A folk duo featuring singer/songwriters Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz, Mandolin Orange have been around since 2010, but have really started to pick up steam in the past two years. Their most recent record, last year’s Blindfaller, was a socially-conscious set of folk tunes that rings even more true after what happened in November. But the band’s crowning achievement at this point is 2015’s Such Jubilee, a record that has sneakily become one of the most-played albums in my vinyl collection. Marlin and Frantz’s songs are gentle and pleasant enough to play in the background—whether you are working, chatting, or sleeping—but they also have the power to enchant and entrance when you listen closely. Case-in-point is “Blue Ruin,” a song about the Sandy Hook shootings that avoids self-righteous sloganeering in favor of tortured resignation, quiet rage, bottomless sadness, and unanswerable questions. It’s one of the most haunting songs written this decade.

Recommended Track: “Blue Ruin”

RIYL: The Lone Bellow, Nickel Creek, Field Report

Milkshakes

by Aj LaGambina

Milkshakes, hailing from Connecticut, are an alt-rock/power-pop powerhouse that released their first LP, Juvenilia, in November of last year. Focusing on huge, 90’s throwback instrumentation and relatable musical themes, the band stands out as one of the gems of the CT music scene.

Recommended Track: “Past Tragedies””

RIYL: Basement, Superheaven, Microwave

IDLES

by Kyle Huntington

Very rarely will a band be both tied to their influences in a way that allows them to exist on their own platform whilst simultaneously feeling very worthy amongst said classics and also come along at just. the. right. time. Bristol, England based band IDLES released their debut album Brutalism in March and it’s the most perfect call-to-arms, the rally-round, the gang mentality against the injustices and divisions so prevalent in the world lately. Spilling over with angry fuck yous, relentless rhythm sections and wired guitars whilst maintaining a sense of humour throughout, there’s few albums as directly raw sonically and as on-point culturally as this in 2017.

Recommended Track: “Mother”

RIYL: Pissed Jeans, Iceage, The Fall

Weller

by Deanna Chapman

Weller is a recent find for me. It’s the solo project of Harrison Nantz out of Philadelphia. He came around after I had already left the city, and it left me a bit bummed. Weller’s music, however, is well worth a listen. The Philadelphia music scene does not disappoint. Weller fits right in with the bands that have come out of there. Career Fair has bouncy melodies that you just want to jam out to. The music is well-crafted. The most recent release is a split with Rue from October 2016 and I’ll just be over here waiting for more.

Recommended Track: “Buck”

RIYL: Sorority Noise, Pinegrove, Modern Baseball

Post Modern

by Zac Djamoos

While the might have one of the least-Googleable band names ever, Post Modern’s music more than makes up for it. Their 2015 EP The Current was promising, displaying a knack for crafting hard-hitting post-hardcore. They’ve released a string of singles since which have only built on that promise. They’re gearing up to release a new record this year, and if it’s as good as the singles suggest, Post Modern is name we’ll be hearing for a long time.

Recommended Track: “Speak Soft”

RIYL: Thrice, Circa Survive, Have Mercy

Sonnder

by Craig Ismaili

This Philadelphia area band has drawn attention from alternative radio stations in the region, including Radio 104.5. This is in part because their music displays a boundless ear for melody that belies a pop act underneath the wall of sound of an alterntive act. It’s also in part because their live sets are at once filled unbridle exuberance and yet still remarkably polished. But perhaps the biggest asset Sonnder displays is their malleability. On their debut album Entanglement, released a little over a year ago, they display the ability to shape-shift to fit different perceptions of the band seamlessly, from the hard-charging “New Direction,” the opening track off Entanglement and also often the intro to their live performances, to the harmonic balladry of “Late October,” to the dance-pop of “Siren Calling.” In an era where the biggest single on the radio could be anything from a bubblegum pop song, to a piano ballad, to a folk-pop track, their ability to make an immediately captivating song in any genre will serve them well in the future. They are working on new music now which should be released later this year.

Recommended Track: “New Direction”

RIYL: Smashing Pumpkins, Silversun Pickups, Toyko Police Club

The New Respects

by Greg Robson

Nashville quartet The New Respects offer up a confident slice of soul-based rock with equal amounts of R&B, funk and even radio-ready pop. Vocalist Jasmine Mullen has a natural charisma and swagger but draws on the strength of her bandmates (drummer Darius Fitzgerald, guitarist Zandy Fitzgerald and bassist Alexis Fitzgerald) to do much of the heavy lifting. Their new EP Here Comes Trouble (Credential Recordings/Caroline Distribution) is sleek, sexy and scintillating. The strongest of the EP is the soon-to-be pop smash “Trouble” and the sultry ballad “Come As You Are.” The band’s youth is probably their greatest asset and their rise to larger stages seems almost inevitable.

Recommended Track: “Trouble”

RIYL: Alabama Shakes, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, St. Paul and the Broken Bones

King Neptune

by Becky Kovach

Singer/songwriter Ian Kenny has been a part of the New York scene for a while now – his previous band NGHBRS began in 2010 and made waves in 2013 with their album 21 Rooms – but it’s with his latest project King Neptune that Kenny seems to have finally found his footing. I was initially drawn to the band by “Black Hole,” the first song released under the new moniker. It’s dark and angry, fueled by static-y guitars and a volatile chorus about no longer knowing a person you once loved. Kenny’s voice is rich and gritty – the kind that can go from growling to smooth and back in a single measure. King Neptune’s debut EP A Place To Rest My Head has been out since last October and is still in constant rotation on my iPod/Spotify/stereo.

Recommended Track: “All Night”

RIYL: Envy On The Coast, Cage The Elephant, Heavy English

Crystal Clear

by Aj LaGambina

Crystal Clear are a six piece based out of West Haven, CT that focus on a bright and energetic indie-pop sound. Their debut EP, Rough Draft hit bandcamp at the end of March and provides a perfect soundtrack for the New England springtime. The three original songs, and a unique take on Britney Spears’ “Womanizer” make for a breezy listen, though there’s plenty of musical layers to dive in to if critical listening is more your thing. The title track especially, with it’s big chorus and bouncy, ukulele-driven instrumental begs for sing-alongs in the car.

Recommended Track: “Rough Draft”

Souvenirs

by Zac Djamoos

Souvenirs’ 2014 debut You, Fear, and Me was a pleasant slice of indie rock, but it’s their sophomore outing that’s really going to turn heads. Posture of Apology finds the Carpinteria, CA, band leaning more heavily on the indie than the rock, trading in the booming choruses and distorted guitars for sparkling keys and spurts of electronics. And, hell, it pays off. “Bend and Break” feels like a poppier take on latter-day Copeland, and “Proof” is proof (ha) that Souvenirs are just as good at writing subtle, slowburning pop songs as they are at writing massive, shout-your-lungs-out ones. Even still, you might want to shout your lungs out to a song like “4th and Holly” anyway.

Recommended Track: “Roman Candle”

RIYL: Death Cab for Cutie, The American Scene, Mansions, All the Day Holiday

Danny Black

by Jason Tate

Danny Black is the project name for Good Old War’s Daniel Schwartz. The music is instrumental and guitar based, but it inhabits an atmosphere of driving on a backroad in the middle of summer. Dream-like, carefree, and uninhibited. Danny Black’s debut (and perfectly titled) album, Adventure Soundtrack, came out earlier this year and is impossibly easy to get lost in.

Recommended Track: “High Tide”

RIYL: Days Away, Good Old War

Steve Moakler

by Craig Manning

What does Steve Moakler’s music sound like, you may ask? Like the greatest summertime soundtrack you’ve never heard. With his breakout 2017 album, Steel Town, Moakler is slinging the sunniest choruses in country music—and that’s saying something, for a genre whose mainstream stars really, really love their summertime. The songs on Steel Town range from wistful heartbreakers (“Summer without Her,” with a vibe reminiscent of Dashboard Confessional’s “Dusk and Summer”) to pure song-of-the-summer pop tunes (the undeniable “Suitcase,” which needs to be on your playlist come June). Moakler, like many of Nashville’s brightest talents, hasn’t yet broken through in his own right—though he has penned a few songs for major stars like Dierks Bentley. But between Steel Town and 2014’s Wide Open, Moakler’s got pop songs that will appeal to country fans, country songs that will appeal to pop fans, and enough heartfelt, nostalgic lyrics to fill any summer night. Check him out now—before he’s one of the biggest names in music.

Recommended Track: “Suitcase”

RIYL: Will Hoge, Matt Nathanson, Twin Forks

Black Foxxes

y Zac Djamoos

Sometimes you want to drop the pretenses and just rock, and that’s what Black Foxxes do best. The Exeter, England trio delivered one of the best no-frills rock albums of 2016 – a year that saw no shortage of great rock albums. I’m Not Well stood out due to the raw energy Back Foxxes bring to the table. Whether it’s an unexpected scream breaking through a quiet verse or the sudden drum fill that introduces the title track’s massive hook, there’s always a burst of energy to keep you on your toes. With Black Foxxes racking up festival dates left and right, they’re showing no signs of slowing down. Trust me, you’ll want to be able to say you were a fan before they take over the world.

Recommended Track: “River”

RIYL: Brand New, The Felix Culpa, Manchester Orchestra, Microwave

Phoebe Bridgers

by Craig Ismaili

“Smoke Signals,” the first song Bridgers released from her as of yet unfinished debut album is a remarkable achievement in a song transporting the listener to a specific place. You see, the world within “Smoke Signals” is lived in. This is not a love song in the abstract. The etching of the passage of time is written all over it, from the tragic passings of Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead and David Bowie memorialized in song, to an entire verse about The Smiths’ “How Soon is Now.” The celebrity deaths speak to some innate desire to transform one’s life for the better, or just to escape the enormity of it while (“It’s been on my mind since Bowie died / Just checking out to hide from life / and all of our problems / I’m gonna solve them.”). So it’s not at all an escapism fantasy, as so many other songs are, no it’s a journal of a life “lived deliberately” as Thoreau would say in the name-checked Walden. It’s a remarkable testament to the power of Bridgers as a songwriter and a storyteller that she can paint a picture so vividly in just a few simple phrases. The singer/songwriter, who has recorded with Ryan Adams and is signed to his Pax Am label imprint, is a rare, once-or-twice-in-a-generation talent, and I urge you to get aboard the hype train with me before it has passed you by.

Recommended Track: “Smoke Signals”

RIYL: Julien Baker, Elliot Smith, Ryan Adams, Gillian Welch

Hippo Campus

by Kyle Huntington

An early blueprint for this Minnesotan band’s music was seeing people having fun at their shows and continuing to create music that engaged a crowd into a sense of joy and elation. This serves as a great and inclusive foundation, but it’s on their debut album landmark where Hippo Campus evolve and flourish in the nuances and more sombre tones. These moments ice the top of every portion of the album and consequently deliver an outstanding debut. Each song is its own entity whilst remaining a part of a cohesive whole. Bon Iver collaborator BJ Burton handles production duties allowing transitions between tracks to be sequenced thoughtfully and there’s diverse soundscapes from piano-led tracks to more heavy guitar-driven songs that are relentless in their force – but nothing is ever confused or lacking in an identity, in fact landmark boasts a very authentic stamp. Lyrics, handled by guitarist/vocalist Nathan Stocker, are reminiscent of a young Morrissey in their self aware and often humorous ‘coping mechanism’ style and they’re delivered with the heartfelt, floaty vocal tones of frontman Jake Luppen for truly effective measure. landmark is an indie-rock album that doesn’t have a weak moment, consistently great from start to finish with some of the most memorable musical compositions I’ve heard in some time.

There’s that rare type of hype around the band, a non-claustrophobic buzz, which allows their unique breed of infectious, outrageously pop-sensible and intelligent indie music to bloom.

Recommended Track: “Way It Goes”

RIYL: Bombay Bicycle Club, Vampire Weekend, Bleachers

Creeper

by Becky Kovach

There’s no replacing My Chemical Romance. However, British newcomers (or at least new to me) Creeper are giving the kings of the goth scene a run for their money. The band’s debut Eternity, In Your Arms, is drenched in the same dark and theatrical nuances that MCR became known for. If you missed them on tour with Too Close To Touch and Waterparks, have no fear – they’ll be back this summer on the Vans Warped Tour. Time to break out the eyeliner.

Recommended Track: “Misery”

RIYL: My Chemical Romance, Alkaline Trio, AFI

Shallows

by Anna Acosta

You’d hardly know synth-pop duo Shallows are newer faces on the LA music scene to look at the year they’ve had. Marshall Gallagher’s meticulous production combined with front-woman Dani Poppitt’s hauntingly addictive vocals peppered 2016 with festival-ready singles. The lyrics dance around themes of longing with no shortage of clever wordplay, transmitting their message so effectively that the listener can’t help but want to hear more. With Poppitt at the helm, Shallows have achieved that ever-so-elusive feat: to embody everything current about the LA music scene, while feeling in no way derivative. The good news? They’ve got an EP coming out later this year. One thing is for sure: this band won’t be underground for long.

Recommended Track: “Matter”

RIYL: Lorde, Lana Del Rey, Halsey

White Reaper

by Craig Manning

White Reaper aren’t quite a hair metal band, but they sure sound like they could have been hustling up and down the Sunset Strip 35 years ago. Situated on the musical spectrum somewhere between Van Halen, KISS, and Japandroids, White Reaper tear through one party-ready rock song after another on this year’s (un)ironically named The World’s Best American Band. Loud, raucous, glammy to the nth degree, and loaded with arena rock signifiers—chugging guitars, ripping solos, pounding drums that reverberate through your entire chest, bellowed vocals, and sugar-rush melodies that double their enjoyment factor with every beer you drink—this record feels tailor-made for loud-as-hell car listens this summer. If you thought that Japandroids LP from earlier this year was too overproduced or too stuck in a mid-tempo rut, White Reaper have the antidote.

Recommended Track: “Judy French”

RIYL: ‘80s hair metal filtered through a modern alt-rock prism

Posture and the Grizzly

by Zac Djamoos

Posture and the Grizzly are a puzzling band. I Am Satan contains a nearly even split of pop-punk and post-rock, sometimes within the very same song (see opener “I Am Not a Real Doctor”). They manage to combine the best aspects of both genres to create an impressive and expansive album that’s also just fun as hell. There’s beauty and space in “Star Children,” there’s catharsis in “Acid Bomb,” there’s a monstrous earworm in “Kill Me,” and there’s a great record in I Am Satan.

Recommended Track: “I Am Not a Real Doctor”

RIYL: blink-182, Runaway Brother, The World Is…

Blaenavon

by Kyle Huntington

There’s a danger with debuts that are a long-time coming, a momentum can be lost. A spark can fade a little or fickle fans can just lose interest. The Hampshire, England band may have taken five years to produce their debut album That’s Your Lot, which was released in April, but it’s so self-assured in its brooding wonder and euphoria that any potentials pitfalls another band may encounter are bypassed without a second glance by Blaenavon. Produced by Jim Abbiss who has a masterful touch on so many staple indie-debuts (Arctic Monkeys, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Temper Trap and…Adele) the record is best summed up by frontman Ben Gregory himself: “That’s Your Lot is five years of our lives condensed into 59 minutes of yours. Youth, capriciousness, duality, duplicity, love, bitterness, fate. Songs from the human core: some malleable, long considered – others pure, direct, cruelly honest. An album to bathe in and appreciate the inevitable end.”

Recommended Track: “Orthodox Man”

RIYL: Bombay Bicycle Club, Foals, The Maccabees, The Temper Trap

Lindsay Ell

by Craig Manning

Lindsay Ell built her following on YouTube, covering songs by other artists. For the past few years, though, she’s been slowly making a name for herself in mainstream country music, releasing hooky one-off pop-country singles like the bubblegum kiss-off “By the Way” or the infectiously ebullient “All Alright.” It wasn’t until this spring, though, that Ell really showed the world what she was capable of. With the release of her debut EP, Worth the Wait, the 28-year-old Canadian country singer has cast off the usual constraints of pop country for a soulful, versatile set of songs. Her producer, Kristian Bush of the band Sugarland, encouraged her to pick her favorite album and record a cover version of the whole thing, to get a better sense of what makes the songs tick and what she wanted to accomplish with her own music. Ell, a whiz of a guitar player, chose John Mayer’s 2006 masterpiece Continuum. Unsurprisingly, the influence of that record is splashed all across the songs that make up Worth the Wait—and not just in the closing cover of “Stop This Train.” Still, the most intriguing moments here are all Ell’s, from the soulful blues-pop of “Waiting for You” to the kinetic “Criminal,” all the way to the goosebump-inducing title track. Trust me: this girl is one to watch.

Recommended Track: “Worth the Wait”

RIYL: John Mayer, Sheryl Crow, Logan Brill

Sam Outlaw

by Craig Manning

A former ad executive turned country singer, Sam Outlaw sounded charming but somewhat limited two years ago when he released his first LP, 2015’s Angeleno. The songwriting was very solid, and Outlaw’s voice—not far removed from Jackson Browne—was butter. However, most of the songs were so old fashioned—with sweeping strings, mariachi horns, and more than a few hat tips to classic California country—that the record didn’t engage me quite as much as other more forward-thinking roots music records from that year. Outlaw’s second disc, this year’s Tenderheart sees the singer/songwriter breaking out of his traditionalist mode a bit, widening the palette for something that feels more his own. The highlight is lead-off track “Everyone’s Looking for Home,” an aching slow-burn that modernizes Outlaw’s sound a bit without sacrificing intimacy. But the whole record—from the title track, which calls back to the melody of Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’” to “Look at You Now,” the Ryan Adams-style ballad that sits in the closing slot—is the direct opposite of a sophomore slump.

Recommended Track: “Everyone’s Looking for Home”

RIYL: Dawes, Jackson Browne, other Laurel Canyon country/folk acts

For Everest

by Zac Djamoos

I think there’s a For Everest song for everything. Want something snappy and infectious? Listen to “Autonomy.” Something slow and building? “Vitamins.” Want to shout along to something angry? “I’m in a Boxcar Buried Inside a Quarry.” Their debut We Are at Home in the Body runs the whole gamut of human emotions in nine songs, and toys around with just about every style. The two songs they’re released on their upcoming split with Carb on Carb only have me more convinced that For Everest can do no wrong. They’re one of the most creative and refreshing new bands around, and they’re only one album in. Strap yourself in and start singing along.

Recommended Track: “Autonomy”

RIYL: The World Is…, Dowsing, Everyone Everywhere, Paramore

Nikita Karmen

by Craig Manning

If you’re looking for a “song of the summer” candidate, Nikita Karmen’s new self-titled EP has two of them. “First” is the most obvious pick, an instantly hummable song about the kind of vindictive, petty jealousy that sets in when your ex moves on before you do. But “Love in a Thrift Shop” is sunny and sugary-sweet, too, with a big hook that sounds exactly like something Nashville radio could latch onto. Karmen’s wheelhouse is pop-country, but her music is refreshingly bare, with sparser and more organic arrangements than what you’d hear from many of her (overproduced) contemporaries. “First” starts out with nothing more than a lightly picked guitar and Karmen’s voice. It’s reminiscent of Adele’s Max Martin co-write, “Send My Love to Your New Lover,” only way catchier. And Karmen’s ballads—wrenching girl-next-door tales like “Curfew” and “Nobody with Me”—are similarly understated, allowing her pleasant voice and impressive songcraft to shine through. Pairing the pop-country cuteness of early Taylor Swift with the take-no-shit attitude of Maren Morris, Karmen might just be the next big thing.

Recommended Track: “First”

RIYL: Kelsea Ballerini, Maren Morris, Colbie Caillat

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[torentialtribute]

10 things we learned from the Champions League after Liverpool’s win in Madrid

The Champions League reached its conclusion on Saturday evening when Liverpool lifted their sixth European Cup after a forgettable 2-0 win over Tottenham .

The final in Madrid may not have lived up to expectations, but the competition as a whole provided plenty of drama, intrigue and wonderful stories along the way.

Here, Sportsmail's Rob Draper reflects on what he learned this season, from the resurgence of the Premier League to getting caught up in Messi -mania.

Liverpool lifted the Champions League trophy after beating Tottenham 2-0 on Saturday night

1. TERRIBLE FINALS ARE BACK

Frankly we've been spoiling. Anyone under the age of 20 must be wondering just where that cliché about tight, dull finals originated.

For the last nine years, the Champions League has delivered a succession of humdingers. Personal favorites would be a sublime Barcelona taking apart Manchester United at Wembley in 2010; Atletico so nearly getting across the line against Real Madrid in 2014; Barca, again, extraordinary in 2015; Mandzukic's goal in 2017 and Bale's in 2018; and last year's Real Madrid-Liverpool clash with more plot twists than a Jed Mercurio screenplay.

But there is no hiding from the truth: this was a terrible game of football. The only real mitigating factor was that Spurs played reasonably well and created chances in a 25-minute spell in the second half.

Harry Kane struggled to make an impact as Liverpool squeezed fits Tottenham in Madrid

But take heart: it wasn't the worst ever. Much worse were AC Milan-Juventus (0-0 and 3-2 on pens) in 2003 * and Steaua Bucharest-Barca (0-0 and 2-0 on penalties) in 1986. Yes, you read that right: 2-0 on pens! Barca missed all their penalties. Big football occasions used to be routinely awful. Hopefully this was an aberration.

* A colleague was trying to argue the 2003 final was technically better than last weekend. To which I would say, when you're playing at 10mph, most of us look pretty good, technically.

In fairness, to be absolutely sure it was the worst ever, I'd have to go back and watch it again. Which is something I'm never going to do. Obviously.

2. AND … THE ENGLISH ARE BACK!

Well, the Premier League at least. You can trace the decline of the Premier League from 2011 onwards (Chelsea's win in 2012 was a weird outlier from an aging team that had been much better four years before).

Last season indicated signs of a revival. But the real clincher was watching Barca – especially Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez – struggle with the intensity of Liverpool's pressing in the semi-finals. The uncontested procession towards La Liga title doesn't offer that level of football. And it showed.

Lionel Messi and Barcelona were no match for Liverpool in the second leg of their semi-final

3. AND ENGLISH FANS ARE BACK … IN A GOOD WAY

Take 100,000 English fans, book them in a baking hot European city and just add beer to ensure carnage. That's the rule.

And though I doubt that it was without incident, generally it seems over the weekend in Madrid that, actually, you can turn up, party and not trash a city, throw bicycles in a canal, upturn tables or scrap about who's got the biggest team.

The excellent fan parks help – so hat tip to Madrid authorities – but if Spurs and Liverpool can do it and still be singing together in pubs at 3am, then why can't more clubs?

Liverpool fans sing inside the Wanda Metropolitano shortly before kick-off on Saturday night

4. AND ENGLISH TACTICS ARE BACK (THANKS TO A GERMAN AND ARGENTINE)

English sides dominated Europe from 1977 to 1984, with Liverpool winning it three times, Nottingham Forest twice and Aston Villa once. That's not a coincidence.

Such a run usually occurs when a club, culture or region is tactically better. Being English we prefer to talk in terms of heart and commitment. But in essence, from memory, English teams in that era pressed harder and spooked their opponents with the intensity of their game.

This was a period when Italian teams were still enormously influenced by catenaccio and low-risk football while German clubs were wedded to 3-5-2 and expected time and space.

Nottingham Forest's John Robertson, Ian Bowyer and Kenny Burns celebrate victory in 1979

What happened? English teams were banned for five years after Heysel and by the time they returned 1990, the splendid isolation meant the English game had fallen in love with the long ball, which was easy to beat for most Euro clubs.

But meanwhile, thanks to Marcelo Bielsa and Jurgen Klopp / Ralf Rangnick, Latin and Germanic countries discovered the joy of pressing and intensity without losing their passing skills.

So, in a way, we're back full circle. Though, technically better than ever before (not that you would have noticed on Saturday) and much fitter.

5. WRITE WHAT YOU SAW, NOT WHAT YOU THINK YOU SAW

I'm as guilty as anyone on this. After the Camp Well semi-final, it was all about Messi. Journalists love a narrative arc. Messi is the easiest one in the game. Stuff the team. It makes it all about the individual and that's a much simpler story to write.

"Siri: write me a generic Messi match report." It will certainly include the phrases: "diminutive genius, little Argentine and immortal extra-terrestrial." I know. I've done it.

We all got caught up in the Messi-mania that night but it's not what actually happened. In the second half you could see Barca, just in the safety of their Well Camp home, simply couldn't cope with the pace of the game. Liverpool were significantly better. Still, it's a good writer to take that piece on after a 3-0 defeat.

Messi scored a super free-kick as Liverpool lost 3-0 to Barcelona, ​​despite being the better side

6. PEP STILL HAS ISSUES

A colleague puts Manchester City's elimination down to luck. And it is true they played superbly well in the second leg against Spurs and would ordinarily have won more convincingly.

It's also true that with VAR vs. Liverpool in the second leg last year, they go 2-0 up before half time; without VAR this year, they win 5-3 and go through.

But privately Guardiola has admitted he is getting it wrong in the Champions League. And he's right. THIS DOESN'T MEAN HE'S A TERRIBLE COACH. (Sometimes you need to spell it out for Twitter).

He's super, one of the best, changed the game etc etc. But there is a consistent flaw when he's up against the very best sides.

Since leaving Barcelona, ​​he was eliminated three times in semi-finals with Bayern. In those six games, he conceded 13 goals. At City, he's not got the quarters, and in those ties, he conceded 16 in six games. So, 29 conceded in 12 games. Or almost two-and-a-half a game.

Pep Guardiola reacts after seeing Manchester City knocked out of the Champions League

Just allowing for the fact that by the semi-finals, you're playing the best opposition, that's a lot. If you're conceding 2.5 goals a game, you're unlikely to win anything.

Many of those goals have come in spurts as well (vs Real Madrid 2014, Barca 2015, Liverpool 2018). My premise is that his teams are unsurpassed at steamrollering domestic opposition. But the very best sides can find the flaw in the system. And often do.

7. YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE IS STILL THE BEST FOOTBALL SONG

You can be irritated by Liverpool's 'This means more' campaign and still acknowledge that nothing quite captures the emotion of the game more than 'You' ll Never Walk Alone '.

That unscripted TV clip of Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger looking at the Liverpool fans singing with Mourinho counting the producer not to cut to them, was priceless.

"Mourinho says," This is more beautiful than what we can say, "That's unique, you know," adds Wenger.

Both of them, old softies at heart, deeply in love with fan culture and English football in particular. For a second, you could envisage a teenage Mourinho watching grainy TV pictures or European finals and being captive in a way only a child can be.

Jose Mourinho (left) and Arsene Wenger enjoyed a rendition or 'You'll Never Walk Alone'

ICYMI: One of the iconic moments from last night as Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger are left STUNNED by Liverpool fans 'anthem' You 'll Never Walk Alone' ahead or kick-off.

This is why we love football #beINUCL #UCLFinal pic.twitter.com/oEfufJpAfX

– beIN SPORTS (@ beINSPORTS) June 2, 2019

8. BUT … SORRY CITY AND UNITED FANS. EVERY FAN OF OTHER TEAMS, ACTUALLY. IT REALLY DOES MEAN MORE

I'm not a Liverpool fan. (They robbed my team of the 1976 title and I still bear the scars) But really there is something special about this club and the European Cup, just as there is for Real Madrid and AC Milan.

Forget for a moment the six trophies. In the past 21 competitions, since Manchester United's win in 1999, only Real Madrid (six) and Bayern Munich (five) have been in more finals than Liverpool (four).

Barcelona and United are equal with Liverpool on four. But read the thing: Liverpool hasn't actually been much good about the past 20 years.

They've only participated in 11 of those Champions League campaigns. Meaning, if they qualify to make the final every three years.

Real Madrid, Bayern and Barca have been in 21/21 of those campaigns. United in 19/21. Juventus, on three finals, have also been in 19/21. Manchester City, who have qualified for eight campaigns, haven't got past the semis.

If your history and culture keeps telling you that you're special, that this Cup means more to you than others, that your European nights are better than anything … well, it's obviously a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Steven Gerrard lifts the Champions League trophy after Liverpool's epic comeback in 2005

9. JURGEN KLOPP ISN'T A FRAUD (AND CONTROVERSIALLY, NOR IS MAURICIO POCHETTINO)

Apparently the two Bundesliga titles, won against the odds, and the DFB Cup didn't count. Klopp had lost six consecutive finals.

More importantly: "He'd never won in England!" And, of course, that's the pinnacle of football.

'You might have your glittery Bundesliga shields, but have you ever won the Carling Cup in England,' Juande Ramos taunted at every UEFA coaches' convention, as Jose Mourinho scoffed in the background, while holding up eight fingers to indicate the trophies that really matter to him, the ones he won in England. (I may have made this last anecdote up).

'In all departments of life, including your job, if only the best counts and effort doesn't count then life is s ***. If I'm not as smart as Einstein should I not try just a little bit because I will never be him? ' That's the question True posed prior to beating Manchester United this season, when asked about his trophy count compared to Mourinho's.

Jurgen Klopp lifts his first trophy as Liverpool manager after joining the club in October, 2015

"This season has been a year full of wonderful moments, wonderful moments altogether," he said after the Barca game, before he knew whether he would end the season with a cup or not. "A moment like this is worth more than silverware." And he was right.

Ultimately, you play to win and thus for cups. But as Johan Cruyff used to say, "Who remembers Germany 1974?" (Allright, the Germans do) But finally there is so much more to football and being a good coach that the big shiny thing at the end.

If not, then Ramos, Tony Barton and Roberto Di Matteo are better than Mauricio Pochettino. Which is clearly nonsense.

10. FINALLY … FOOTBALL IS WONDERFUL

That moment: Jordan Henderson clutching his father, Brian both of them sobbing.

You didn't even need to know the back story to be moved. But when you did – Brian having overcome throat cancer – it meant even more.

Add in the fact that Henderson has fought for every grudging ounce or respect in his football life, from Sir Alex Ferguson saying he ran funny to skeptical Liverpool fans.

When he took the captaincy from Steven Gerrard, it seems like an interim phase. Instead he's up there with Emlyn Hughes, Phil Thompson, Graeme Souness and Gerrard. His performance in the second leg against Barca deserves to be mentioned alongside Roy Keane's against Juventus in 1999.

Jordan Henderson got to hug his father Brian in Madrid after he survived throat cancer

Yet there was still more to glean from that picture. Football does so much for parent-child relationships. And that can just be as likely as mother and son and father and daughter. But often it is father and son, given the manner in which the sport has been (wrongly) male dominated.

I've no idea where the Henderson's position in this regard, but often they have issues counting their sons or dads that they really love them. And showing it. To see it demonstrated so viscerally was joyful.

The football, after all, and that big shiny cup, is only a means to an end. It's just a way to hang out together with people. And an expression of our love for team mates or friends, daughters and mothers, son and brothers.

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[jodyedgarus]

Remember The Brooklyn Nets? They’re Good Now.

For more than four years, the Brooklyn Nets had been more or less irrelevant on a national scale. Whenever the team came up in a larger conversation, it was usually to discuss how one of its first-round picks — dealt in that infamous trade for Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce — was benefiting another franchise that got to reap the draft payoff. You have to go back to 2013-14, a full season after the Nets left New Jersey for Brooklyn, to find the last time they finished .500.

All of which makes the Nets — winners of five straight and co-owners of the NBA’s best record over the past month and a half — so compelling. At 26-23, the team is currently holding a playoff position in sixth place in the East. Coach Kenny Atkinson, again, is finding enormous success with his point guards, including D’Angelo Russell, who’s in contention for an All-Star spot. And the club, which in early December was mired in an eight-game skid and couldn’t hold late-game leads, is all of a sudden unbeatable in the clutch. And this is after Brooklyn lost perhaps its best all-around player, Caris LeVert, to a brutal long-term injury.

But underneath all that past losing — and there was a lot of it, given that this team has had three consecutive seasons with fewer than 30 wins — there were several road signs that the Nets were tapping into an array of good strategies to begin a turnaround.

Much of that was rooted in ideology and experimentation, necessities because of how bare the draft-pick cupboard was for a while. The team had to take some creative steps (read: accept salary dumps) in a bid to get some talent on its roster. And the club’s front office, led by Sean Marks, had to identify talent that was being ignored or undervalued, like guard Spencer Dinwiddie, and trust its own ability to help develop players like him into everyday rotation pieces.

The hiring of Atkinson, a longtime NBA assistant, was a key catalyst. Well before the wins started outnumbering the losses, and before there was enough talent to expect playoff berths, the 51-year-old quickly began changing the team’s shot profile on both ends of the floor.

During the 2015-16 campaign, a year before he came on, the Nets ranked 26th out of 30 in quantified Shot Quality, which measures the likelihood of shots going in, if taken by an average NBA player, according to stat database Second Spectrum. The club completely overhauled that at the start of Atkinson’s tenure, though, as Brooklyn finished fifth and fourth in 2016-17 and 2017-18, respectively. And this season, the Nets rank ninth in the metric.

In layman’s terms, the Nets have essentially adopted the same offensive principles as the analytically friendly Houston Rockets, coached by Atkinson mentor Mike D’Antoni. (Fitting that these clubs combined for an NBA-record 106 3-point attempts in a game last week.) Russell, who leads starting ball-handlers with 61.5 pick and rolls per 100 plays, will run you around screens all day, and he and his Brooklyn teammates generally avoid midrange shots, instead probing for much higher-percentage looks. No NBA team has driven to the basket more than the Nets, and this would mark the third consecutive season that Brooklyn ranks in the top 10 in free-throw rate.

Defensively, the story is much the same. The Nets have excelled at forcing opponents to walk the analytics plank, ranking among the top five in 2016-17, 2017-18 and again this season in terms of how often they coax teams into longer midrange 2-pointers. When teams are fortunate enough to get to the basket, they’re often met by 20-year-old Jarrett Allen, a big man who has erased some of the game’s biggest names at the rim while sometimes playing a one-man zone. The Nets also rank near the top of the NBA in boxing out, to finish those defensive possessions.

That combination — continuing to take the most efficient shots possible on offense while taking those same shots away on the other end — has been the NBA equivalent of Andy Dufresne’s rock hammer in “The Shawshank Redemption.” The team’s strategy and talent, combined with its newfound maturation in the clutch, have finally set it free.

Brooklyn basically looked shackled at the ends of games last year and at the start of this season. Whether it was inexperience, consistently bad whistles or a combination of the two, the Nets were managing to find new, devastating ways to lose close contests each night.

But even that’s changed of late. The Nets, who were a dismal 4-10 in clutch situations as of Dec. 1, have since gone 11-4 in those same scenarios.

One noteworthy shift there is rooted in Russell and Dinwiddie’s ability to coexist during the hot streak — something that had consistently backfired from a net-rating standpoint over the past two seasons. (Their ability to play together, or lack thereof, will be worth watching because of the decision the Nets have to make about the future of Russell, who’s a restricted free agent this summer. Yet it looks like Russell will have the show to himself, as Dinwiddie, who just signed a three-year, $34 million extension, will likely miss considerable time with a torn ligament in his thumb.) But other elements also stand out. Joe Harris is one of the NBA’s best perimeter shooters. Latvian forward Rodions Kurucs was a great find and is a fluid scorer at 6-foot-9.

While the Nets are clearly ascending, they still have their issues, too.

Brooklyn has one of the highest turnover rates in the league. The Nets can occasionally find themselves with matchup problems against teams with floor-spacing bigs because of how Allen anchors himself to the paint on defense. The lack of pressure on pick-and-roll ball-handlers hurts their ability to force turnovers. For how well the team gets to the stripe, Russell, its leading scorer, takes fewer free throws than any other volume shooter in the NBA.1 Injuries have nagged Brooklyn all year, and while it’s fair to expect a boost from players if and when they return — especially from LeVert — key players’ roles may have to shrink to accommodate everyone once they’re back. And the Nets, who have enjoyed one of the easiest slates so far, will be thoroughly tested by their upcoming schedule — especially from mid-March to the end of the season.

There’s a reason we hear so much about the Nets eventually landing a player like Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard or Jimmy Butler. Aside from the fact that they’re one of few big-market teams that seemingly has a direction, a blank-enough canvas (in terms of not having a star) and cap space to make something happen, they also would become an instant contender by adding someone of that caliber. Again, the decision on Russell could complicate that. Yet the reality is that getting past the second round likely requires more than this current cast, even at full strength.

For the time being, though, it has been eye-opening to watch the 22-year-old Russell play this well since the turn of the new year, a span in which he’s averaged 24 points and nearly eight assists on 49 percent shooting from the floor, along with his rainbow-arc triples falling at a 44 percent clip.

While he’ll never possess the sort of bounce that some of his counterparts have, the former No. 2 overall pick has leveraged the threat of his pull-up jumper into being able to beat defenders to certain spots. When he senses defenders on his hip, he’ll often make use of ball fakes to buy himself more space before shooting.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Russell.mp4

He’s been more consistent with the ball during that window, too, passing teammates open while logging a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in 2019 — up from 2-to-1 earlier this season and much better than his career ratio of 1.5-to-1 coming into the 2018-19 campaign.

Certain elements of Russell’s offensive run lately, much like the team’s overall, are going to come back down to earth at some point. But with how hellish things have been in Brooklyn for much of the past five years, and with how sound the team’s strategy has been in digging out of that trench, Russell, the Nets and their fans all have ample reason to be enjoying this — even if they aren’t exactly sure what comes next.

Check out our latest NBA predictions.

from News About Sports https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/remember-the-brooklyn-nets-theyre-good-now/

[latesthollywoodnews]

Kendall Jenner Has AWKWARD Run-In With Man in "Kill The Kardashians" Shirt

Kendall Jenner Has AWKWARD Run-In With Man in "Kill The Kardashians" Shirt

Jeremy Brown - Latest News - My Hollywood News

Kendall Jenner Has AWKWARD Run-In With Man in “Kill The Kardashians” Shirt, New Hollywood Celebrities 2017.

New Hollywood Celebrities 2019, Hollywood Celebrities Official Latest Story, Kendall Jenner Has AWKWARD Run-In With Man in “Kill The Kardashians” Shirt.

Hollywood Latest Story Moana Upcoming Celebrity News and HollywoodToon Studios is an American animation studio which creates direct-to-video and occasional theatrical animated feature films. The studio is a division of Walt Hollywood Animation Studios, with both being part of The Walt Hollywood Studios itself a division of The Walt Hollywood Company. The studio has produced 47 feature films, beginning with DuckTales the Celebrity: Treasure of the Lost Lamp in 1990; its most recent feature film is Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast in 2015.

What Hollywood Celebrity has both parents alive?

Mulan, Sleeping beauty, Lady and the Tramp, The Incredibles,One Hundred and One Dalmatians,Peter Pan, Brave, The Lion King 2 and Frozen, but their parents die.

What does Mulan’s name mean?

In the original poem, the heroine’s name is “Mulan.” According to the Chinese- English dictionary, the name means “lily magnolia.” Mulan is often given a last name, “Hua,” which means “flower.” The Chinese pinyin spelling of the name is “Hua Mu-Lan.”

Who runs Hollywood World?

Robert A. Iger is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Hollywood Company. As Chairman and CEO, Mr. Iger is the steward of one of the world’s largest media companies and some of the most respected and beloved brands around the globe.

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Every celebrity in the world has their fair share of lovers and haters and the KarJenners are no exception to this. In fact, Kendall recently ran into a guy who publicly made his hatred for the Kardashian family known and it was awkward to say the least. While going on a milk run earlier this week, Kenny encountered a man in a grocery store wearing a T-shirt that read, “Kill the Kardashians,” and naturally she documented the awkward moment on her Instagram Story. In the post, Kendall zoomed in on the guy’s shirt and captioned it QUOTE, “Popped out to grab some milk.” Um, awkward, much? The man, who has been identified by TMZ as Jason Christopher, revealed that he is a vegan and an animal lover and that his “Kill the Kardashians” shirt is simply his way to protest the family’s fur-wearing values. Well, that shirt is definitely one way to garner attention and shame the KarJenners for wearing fur. We’re not sure if Jason noticed the exact moment Kendall took a photo of his attention grabbing shirt at the store, but it’s pretty obvious he knows it happened now that the story has gone completely viral. Jason probably also doesn’t care and wants Kendall to know that he’s not down with her and her family. Anyway, do you guys think Kendall should’ve confronted the guy or did she handle that awkward situation in the best way possible? Let me know all your thoughts on this in the comment section below. Thanks for watching! Please Click over here to watch another breaking news story and don’t forget to subscribe to our channels. I’m your girl Renee Ariel and I’ll see ya next time!

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Hollywood has been criticized for its influence over children in that it endeavours to appeal to children at a young age and develop their views and interests according to Hollywood’s portrayal of major themes as well as prepare children to become early consumers of their brand. Hollywood Latest Story Moana, Kendall Jenner Has AWKWARD Run-In With Man in “Kill The Kardashians” Shirt.

https://www.myhollywoodnews.com/kendall-jenner-has-awkward-run-in-with-man-in-kill-the-kardashians-shirt/

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[potr1774com]

There are a lot of other issues that the NFL issue has shed light on.  From first amendment freedoms in workplaces, to publicly disrespecting veterans and families of all those who sacrificed their life for their country, to racism and claims of oppression from multimillionaire athletes. What is also now more visible than ever, is how the NFL is weak in that it is influenced by all good and bad political demands.

Understanding The NFL

Lets look at the NFL its self.  Kenny Washington, in 1941, was the first African American player AND was the highest paid player on his professional team.  77 years later and 70% of NFL players drafted and hired by teams are African American.  The average salary of a NFL player is 1.9 million dollars a year (compared to the NBA, average salary $6.4 million [2016], 74.4% African American [2015]).  In 1969, the average professional football player salary was $25,000 which would equate to roughly $156,400 now.  Considering all this, NFL players get paid very very very well and we don’t hear an out cry for diversity either.

We need to also consider that these players that go into the NFL draft, are coming from pretty prestigious colleges.  Most of whom the college is payed for via football or other academic scholarships.  Needless to say, these players graduate from prestigious colleges debt free.  Some may not come from IV League schools, but they get to attend and graduate from a college debt free regardless.  Then the NFL offers HUGE paychecks to play a sport they love.

Now, paying people a lot of money straight out of college can make or break some people.  Since 2000, there have been an estimated 896 players arrested [1].  That’s roughly 49 NFL players a year being arrested.  The three most predominate crimes; DUI, Drugs, and Domestic Violence [2].  Let us not forget the 2005 Minnesota boat sex party and 2006 Michael Vick dog fighting ring.  Granted, the NFL imposes rules and fines for player conduct on and off the field.  This is noble.  And may have actually helped curve the misconduct.  Currently, the NFL has a lower arrest rate than the national average [3].

Whats The Problem?

The NFL brings in 13 billion dollars [2016] of revenue.  The commissioner himself gets paid 34 million dollars annually.  With all that revenue, there is A LOT of money at stake.  It seems like the knee jerk censorship by the NFL came about from banning Superbowl ads.  Lets take aside the banned ads where their primary focus was explicit sexual.  With those aside, we have remaining political ads, or ads the NFL deems political.  In 2009, Catholic Vote had their Superbowl commercial banned because it was pro-life.  In 2010, Focus On The Family had their seemingly pro-life commercial banned, even though if featured and was about a popular NFL player in that time, Tim Tebow.  In 2017, 84 Lumber had their Superbowl commercial banned because it featured a U.S.-Mexico border wall similar to the one proposed by President Donald Trump.  In 2018 a veterans group was going to run an ad for a plea for donations and used the hashtag “#PleaseStand”, and it was banned by the NFL.  The NHL and NBA both accepted the “Please Stand” ad in their programs, according to the group.

Overtly sexual ads aside, it is clear the NFL banns ads from one primary political ideology; conservative.

But the NFL conservative censorship does not end with ads.  In 2016, a Titans linebacker was going to wear 9/11 Attack tribute cleats in remembrance of the world trade terrorist attacks.  The NFL threatened to fine the player if those cleats were worn.  But due to the public outrage the NFL backed off of that threat.  In that same year, around the same time, the NFL denied the Dallas Cowboys’ request to wear a decal on their helmets during the season that would have paid tribute to the five Dallas police officers murdered during an ambush.  YET, in that same year, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick sat during the National Anthem in protest of police violence and that was perfectly acceptable.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a response statement: “The Super Bowl program is designed for fans to commemorate and celebrate the game, players, teams, and the Super Bowl. It has never been a place for advertising that could be considered by some as a political statement.”  Yet, they have allowed political statements from other ideologies; such as airing protests; kneeling for the national anthem.

What about prayer?  In 2014 a Muslim player was flagged for praying after scoring a touch down [4].  Why did the ref feel the need to penalize the player?  The ref had no idea which religion the player was but knew that it was a religious gesture.  Why the default negative response to a religious gesture?  After another public outcry, the NFL came out and said that he should not have been flagged; but that exposed something that the refs are taught; an anti religious stance by default.

Remember when Tim Tebow would kneel on the field before each game in prayer in 2011?  He was criticized by NFL commentators, fellow players and just about everyone.   After players would sack him, they would kneel and mock him.  It even became a phrase “getting Tebowed” and memes sprang up.  He was ridiculed and told to keep his faith and beliefs to himself.  It is true, his display of religious belief was not banned by the NFL; BUT the culture of the NFL shamed it none the less.

TAKING A STEP BACK

Looking at all the actions of the NFL from 2005 to now it is clear that when it comes to political ideologies, one is favored more than another.  The NFL is anti conservative.  They censor and shame veterans, pro-life messages, tributes to 9/11 and murdered police officers, and religiousness.  ALL the while, defending disrespect to veterans and murdered police officers under the claim of ‘first amendment rights’.  But where are the first amendment rights for all those who the NFL censored?

Seeing as how a lot of the NFL fan base is more fair minded, their hypocritical decisions have costed the NFL millions of dollars.  The NFL has lost 20-25% of its viewers in less than 2 years [5] and at the close of the 2017 season, lost 30 million dollars in ad revenue [6].  All their bias and political favory has lead to a big and continuous decline in viewers.  AND THAT is what the NFL cares about.

They don’t care about your rights.  They do favor one political ideology over another, but NOT when it cuts into their bottom line.  The NFL is ultimately worried about MONEY.  That’s why they can throw under the bus all those players who they defended kneeling for the national anthem.  The veterans they have been neglecting and allowing to be disrespected, suddenly, they care about.  The recent NFL policy change regarding the national anthem is about MONEY.

First Amendment Violation?

We hear about how the NFL is now violating the rights of the players they are requiring to stand on the field for the national anthem… but they, either ignorantly or maliciously, ignore is that fact that the player IS NOT REQUIRED TO COME OUT OT THE FIELD FOR THE NATIONAL ANTHEM.  The player is FREE to continue to not respect the anthem or flag.  The only difference is that the NFL does not want to pay for their public displays of protest.  Where were these people at and the out cry for the rights of all those who have been censored?  Suddenly 1st Amendment rights matter for the kneelers, but not for everyone else?

Secondly, when have employees EVER been allowed to protest AT WORK?  There is NO law or court ruling that gives employees the right to protest while on the clock.  It has generally been a no brainier that you should be working at work.  In the case of the NFL, you should be playing football and abiding by NFL polices, while at work, working for the NFL.  Students in school do not have to stand for the national anthem, and players to not need to come out of the locker room for the national anthem.  Just their non-presence is a continuation of their protest.  Boom, still able to exercise their fist amendment at work.  Consider that a gift.

THE NFL

What all this means for the NFL is that they don’t give a crap about your rights or conservative ideologies.  Once the NFL starts making its revenue back, they will just go back to censoring and banning conservative ideals.  The end game is MONEY.  They will claim political avoidance but they have already failed that avoiding political bias.  That is a blatant lie.  Welcome to the new NFL, where MONEY is king and conservative ideals are expendable.  But that is THEIR FREEDOM.  They are free to create policies such as this.

#BoycottNFL, #PleaseStand, #TakeAKnee, or whatever, it doesn’t matter.  The NFL will support and create policies that assist bringing in more revenue and viewers.  How about everyone spends time with family and friends in stead of sitting in front of a TV watching spoiled IV league college grad, millionaire brats, complain about oppression.

  P.S.  Protesting the flag and national anthem is spitting in the face of all those who have died for it and their families who bear the cost.  But, you are more than free to spit on their grave, that’s on you.  #Freedom

     https://ift.tt/2eOvH0d

http://nflarrest.com/

http://nflarrest.com/NFLArrestRate.php

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2014/09/30/nfl-penalizes-muslin-player-for-praying-after-chiefs-touchdown/?utm_term=.ed15f7554b25

https://www.forbes.com/sites/briangoff/2017/10/23/nfl-losing-viewers-at-alarming-rate-but-faces-limits-on-its-response/#477e39e64212

http://www.breitbart.com/sports/2018/01/28/nfl-lost-30-million-ad-revenue-cratering-tv-ratings/

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[save-the-flying-unicorns]

Descendants 2 Re-watch

2 years ago I did a series of this, I got up to 18 re-watches and posted several updates.  Okay, blah blah I’m boring myself.  Just like last time,  a little about me so you know what perspective I’m coming from.  I’m 23 years old, college student, actress, singer, dancer. Open minded.

Disney Descendants 2 is the sequel to the 2015 DCOM Descendants.  Writing done once again, by Josann McGibbon and Sara Pariott.

Descendants 2 had a lot to live up to following the first film; the corniness and Disney Channel-ness (yes I’m still using that word even if it’s completely made up) once again made some aspects of the film hard to watch.   In this post I will point out details that either helped or hindered the film in my opinion.  SPOILERS will follow so you have been warned.

The little things that were icing on the cake... SPOILERS!

- opening musical number “Ways to be Wicked” okay right off the bat: explosive opening musical number.  Catchy tune, and goodness the choreography is INCREDIBLE!  (also the paper throwing, just like in HSM 2 “What Time is it?”  I see you Kenny Ortega!)

- “Is your mother still a lizard?”

- Fairy Godmother taking on the reporters; so motherly!

- Jane getting in everybody’s face but only because she’s trying to be the most helpful person ever and just wants to please everyone.  The green glass samples being thrown into Ben’s face!  “Audrey is on vacation with Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather.” LOL

- Good buildup for Mal’s mental break, they did a great job from the daydream to all of the interactions afterwards.  With the other students, Ben, to the final climax at the picnic where she declares everything about her is fake.  Trying to be the perfect girlfriend.  

- LONNIE!  “If my mother thought that way, she would’ve lost the war.”

- Gil, has the brains of his father.  

- “What’s My Name?” pardon my French but HELL YES! So many things I can point out, I’ll get to them.  Watch out for future posts.  For now I’ll just leave you with this: “Hook me!” 

- Dizzy, cute character.  Cute concept.  Cute delivery.  Cute.  Which is just what she intended to be.  “Great... more sweeping.”

- Mal’s first interaction with Harry; we get some of that VK in Mal back finally.  So freaking sassy.  

- Evie reaction to going back to the Isle, being back on the Isle, and the interaction she has with the little ones on the Isle.  

- Ben’s abduction, Harry’s creepy entrance “We nicked him.”  Also, does he bark at Carlos?  Because that’s what is looks like.

- Uma, that scene.  “Life ain’t fair!”

What makes it hard to watch... SPOILERS!

- there were several times the storyline relied too much on nostalgia from the previous film.  It weakened the overall story, it should have been avoided.

- It’s part of her character, I get it but Evie’s line “Look at these shoes!” right after an emotional scene too.  There’s that corniness.

- Chad’s character was stupidly annoying.  I’m sure it was done on purpose, and I see how he was needed to further the plot but it drove me nuts.

- Mal talking to herself in her room crying, “I don’t belong here.”  I know why they did it, but the way it was delivered just seemed off.  (before any of you blow up at me, please understand I think Dove Cameron is an extremely talented individual.  Ridiculously talented.)  

- There was less Isle of the Lost used then I would have liked.  They had much more in the first film, here they reused the same areas for every scene.  I’ll get into specifics later.

- “I brought the limo, it’s a sweet ride.”  facepalm.

Descendants 2 much like it’s predecessor has it’s ups and downs, but overall was a good film.  The story preaches for you to stay true to yourself.  An important message for kids, and as long as they get that message that is what is important.  Like I said with the last film, don’t shoot it down because of it’s concept… (It is an evolved Disney story. Things change… Adaptation and evolution is a part of life. If you don’t evolve, you die out.).  

I’ll continue to post these for the sequel, click on the tag “auradon rewatches” to check out the newest and latest update on this thread.

[worldcup-news-blog]

It took Liverpool four years to find their perfect manager - Everton can't even afford to wait another four weeks

#NYGvsWAS #INDvSL http://worldcupnews.info/it-took-liverpool-four-years-to-find-their-perfect-manager-everton-cant-even-afford-to-wait-another-four-weeks/

It took Liverpool four years to find their perfect manager - Everton can't even afford to wait another four weeks

#Ashes #ChampionsLeague

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It might not be deemed the most appropriate place to start and it would be understandable if Evertonians chose to stop reading at the end of this paragraph but if you want to know how to hire a manager in the course of a football season, there is a book about Jürgen Klopp that explains how it happens.

There are dates mentioned skilfully in Raphael Honigstein’s Bring the Noise that offer detail Fenway Sports Group did not want you to know. Klopp’s first meeting with Liverpool’s owners, it is claimed, was in the Lexington Avenue offices of law firm Shearman & Sterling in New York on 1 October 2015. This was late on a Thursday afternoon and so, discussions continued the following morning at a nearby hotel. They went well. By the Sunday, Brendan Rodgers had been sacked following a 1-1 draw in the Merseyside derby.

In the aftermath of Klopp’s appointment Fenway were desperate to stress they had gone about their business in “respectfully,” removing Rodgers first and only then moving for Klopp – conscious of the media headlines that might be pointed in theirs and Klopp’s direction if it had seemed like they had gone behind a manager’s back.

Initially, Fenway had hoped to approach the issue this way but as the pressure grew on Rodgers, a cold reality dawned that sacking a manager without having someone else lined up to replace him would potentially leave them in a vulnerable position. By hiring Klopp, they could not be accused of not being pro-active, of lacking vision, nor could anyone accuse them of being complacent; that the right manager would land simply because it was Liverpool.

Liverpool is certainly not a club that does everything right and it is not necessarily one to follow as an example, but this was a process Fenway got right: delivering a manager whose reputation stretched across Europe seven days after first physical sight, with the truth about the circumstances of the deal only really emerging a couple of years later when nobody cared so much about the practice involved.

This has everything to do with Everton, of course, because although Farhad Moshiri has indicated this morning he is “close” to sourcing Ronald Koeman’s replacement, yesterday marked a month since the Dutchman’s dismissal. 

Everton could learn a thing or two from Klopp’s appointment (Getty)

In that time, Moshiri’s first choice Marco Silva has proven unobtainable and after finding out that he was not the leading candidate, Sam Allardyce – who was considered as a back-up option should Silva not happen – has insisted he is out of the running. Since Koeman was fired, meanwhile, Everton have lost four out of six games in all competitions, conceding 15 goals in the period under David Unsworth.

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By going through Jim White to say Everton would soon have a new manager, it would appear to discount Unsworth’s own claim and so, did he find out through Talksport he was no longer in contention?

It has been a strange 24 hours at Everton, one which began with news of a 200-year lease being confirmed on the land where their new stadium at the Bramley-Moore dock is supposed to rise; then their latest defeat at their current home to Atalanta following in the most excruciating fashion – in front of less than 18,000 spectators.

Less than 18k fans turned up for the Atalanta game (Getty)

It would seem Moshiri’s understanding of business and finance is helping Everton push forward off the field, but that has not been matched by what is happening on it. It is easy to lay blame at Ronald Koeman, at Everton’s players, at Steve Walsh, and, indeed, at Bill Kenwright, but Moshiri is making the most important decisions at Everton now so everything that is happening at the moment links back to him.

Listen to those who have spent a fair amount of time with Moshiri and similar stories are told: this is an eccentric who would usually throw himself entirely behind something fresh but at Everton has so far managed to resist, perhaps on Kenwright’s advice – someone who knows through experience that even being Everton’s number 1 fan does not mean love or even trust follows naturally when you are in a position of leadership.

There are some parallels between what is happening now at Everton and what happened when Fenway first came to Liverpool. Everton’s slump has been more dramatic and the chronology is not exactly the same but similar themes are there: the sacking of a manager, the appointment of a short-term replacement in Kenny Dalglish – someone who “gets the club,” a director of football arriving, enormous trust in his judgement and huge investment with questionable at best subsequent outcomes.

It took Fenway four years to find a manager they felt comfortable with. Considering Everton’s league position, they cannot even afford another four weeks.

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[movietvtechgeeks]

Latest story from https://movietvtechgeeks.com/nfl-roundup-branden-albert-wants-back-jaguars-no-sideline-jay-cutler/

NFL Roundup: Branden Albert wants back on Jaguars, no sideline for Jay Cutler

It's not looking likely that the Jacksonville Jaguars will be ready to allow retired offensive tackle Branden Albert back on the team even though he has apparently changed his mind about retiring. Albert asked to return to the team Monday, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to media outlets on the condition of anonymity because neither side has publicly discussed details about Albert's potential return. The 32-year-old Albert surprised coach Doug Marrone last week by walking into his office and saying he planned to retire. Albert abruptly quit after three training camp practices in which he looked out of shape and past his prime. It was never clear why Albert chose to walk away after nine NFL seasons. Was his heart not in it any longer? Did his body not respond like he wanted? Did he realize he was far from a lock to beat out second-round draft pick Cam Robinson? It's equally unclear why Albert wants to return. Under the collective bargaining agreement, the Jaguars had the option to seek a prorated portion of Albert's $8.5 million signing bonus even though Miami paid it in 2014. The Jaguars, who are holding joint practices with the Patriots in New England, declined comment on the situation Monday. Jacksonville placed Albert on the exempt/left squad list last week. He had five days to return to the team before going on the reserve/retired list or being released. The Jaguars acquired Albert in a trade with the Dolphins in March. He skipped most of Jacksonville's offseason program because he wanted a new contract. He was scheduled to make $8.8 million this season and $9.5 million in 2018. Albert was the 15th overall pick by Kansas City in 2008. He spent his first six seasons with the Chiefs and then signed a five-year, $47 million deal in free agency with the Dolphins. Albert missed 20 games over the last five seasons, including seven in 2014 because of a knee injury. He bounced back the following year and was honored with Miami's Ed Block Courage Award. New Miami Dolphins quarterback Jay Cutler won't play in the team's exhibition opener Thursday, but look for him to be starting soon enough. "He didn't come out of retirement to stand on the sideline," coach Adam Gase said. Cutler missed Monday's practice because it took place as he landed in South Florida to sign a $10 million, one-year contract. The 34-year-old Cutler decided to delay the start of his network TV career for the chance to replace Ryan Tannehill and be reunited with Gase, his former offensive coordinator with the Chicago Bears. "A situation like this doesn't come along very often," said Cutler, wearing a polo shirt bearing the Dolphins logo. "I know Adam very well; I know the system. And you're talking about a playoff team with a lot of really, really good players and a lot of potential." Cutler is expected to leapfrog longtime Dolphins backup Matt Moore for the starting job while Tannehill remains out with a left knee injury that likely will sideline him for the entire season. Gase reached out to Cutler shortly after Tannehill was hurt Thursday and said the former Bear needed no persuading to launch a comeback. But Cutler likened the conversations with Gase to college recruiting, saying the decision to return was difficult. He parted with the Bears in March after eight seasons, and was then hired by Fox as an analyst to work in its No. 2 NFL broadcast booth. "The last four months I've been in a different mindset, getting ready for the Fox deal," Cutler said. "I was pretty good with where I was in my life; I was around the kids a lot and felt pretty content. So I went back and forth on this. My wife talked me into it more than anybody else. ... I think she got tired of me being around the house." In 2015, Cutler had a career-best quarterback rating while with Gase, who then joined the Dolphins. What will Cutler's learning curve be with the offensive scheme? "I'm pretty sure he's already got it," Gase said. "He's good." Ramping up Cutler's arm strength may take longer, Gase said. "I'm sure he wasn't in the backyard throwing a hundred balls a day," the coach said. Cutler said his two sons and pickup basketball games at his alma mater, Vanderbilt, helped him stay in shape. He missed time last year with a sprained right thumb and a labrum injury that required season-ending right shoulder surgery in December, but said he's healthy now and confident his arm will be fine. "It'll come back pretty quickly," Cutler said. "I'm not worried about the throwing part. Getting used to the guys and the more detailed stuff, that's what we're going to have to hit the fast-forward button on." The acquisition of Cutler has potential to divide a locker room where Moore enjoys strong support, especially after he helped Miami clinch a playoff berth while Tannehill was sidelined last December. But Gase is popular with his players and said he explained to them why he wanted Cutler. "I was very upfront with everything," Gase said. "We felt this gave us an opportunity to have two really good quarterbacks on our team. We wanted to make sure if something happened, we weren't going to have a falloff. I think our guys understand that." That includes Moore. He said he still considers himself a contender for the starting job after a drama-free conversation with Gase about the need to sign Cutler. "It was very simple and straightforward," he said. "It wasn't very Hollywood. And I get it." Receiver Kenny Stills said that while Moore is "our guy," there's no quarterback controversy among the players. "We're confident in the people upstairs to do the right thing for this team," Stills said. Still to be determined is how quickly Cutler can shake off the rust and lingering doubts about his attitude, toughness, and decision-making, all of which were often questioned in Chicago. He went 51-51 as a Bears starter. Among his teammates was guard Jermon Bushrod, now with Miami. "I know the guy," Bushrod said. "I've seen how he is in the huddle. I've seen how he is in the locker room. The message portrayed by some of the major broadcasting networks isn't what we see or feel. "People are going to have things to say. But if you win games, nobody says anything." The Bears went 9-23 the past two years, but coach John Fox said he was happy with Cutler both seasons and excited for him to get an opportunity in Miami. "He was a smart, tough guy who worked hard," Fox said. "I know everybody here wishes him nothing but the best." Cutler's comeback came about after Tannehill's left knee buckled a week into training camp. Tannehill decided against surgery after missing the final four games of last season with two sprained ligaments in his knee, but the latest injury likely will require an operation. Tannehill stood near midfield Monday watching practice, wearing a brace on his left knee and conversing with the coaching staff and quarterbacks. "We were talking about the stages you go through," Gase said. "We were both saying we keep going out of order - from denial to anger to depressed, and back to denial. It's tough." There's already speculation about Tannehill and Cutler beyond this season, but the Dolphins' new quarterback isn't worried about 2018. He's worried about Tuesday. "I just want to get to the next meeting and figure out where the dining room is," Cutler said. "Then we'll start running the offense and learning some guys' names." Sammy Watkins and the Buffalo Bills receivers aren't as young and untested now that Anquan Boldin is with the group. Boldin returns for a 15th NFL season after signing a contract with the Bills on Monday. The move provides the team leadership, production and an instant boost in credibility to what had been a patchwork position. The 36-year-old is a three-time Pro Bowl selection, was the NFL's 2015 Walter Payton Man of the Year award winner and ranks in the top 25 among several career categories. "The great thing about Anquan is what he brings on the field and off the field," first-time general manager Brandon Beane said. "I think our receiving room is fairly young still. And I think not only is he going to help those guys show what a pro's pro and what it takes on the field (but also) in the meeting rooms, training room." It wasn't lost on Beane that Boldin showed he's still capable of making an impact after spending last season with Detroit, where he had 67 catches for 584 yards and eight touchdowns in 16 games. "Even if his speed is not what it was, and you know he was never a burner, but he still knows how to win," Beane said. "Contested balls? He comes down with his fair share and then some." The Bills spent the past month courting Boldin. He visited the team's facility two weeks ago. The contract terms were completed late last week, with the only holdup involving Boldin determining whether Buffalo could serve as a good fit for him and his family, Beane said. Boldin, who makes his offseason home in Florida, arrived at the Bills training camp facility on Monday and scheduled to take part in his first practice on Tuesday. Though it's unlikely he'll play in Buffalo's preseason opener against Minnesota on Thursday, Boldin was listed as the top backup behind Watkins on the Bills depth chart. He joins a team in transition at the receiver position. Watkins is the only regular who returns from last season. And the 2014 first-round draft pick's future in Buffalo is uncertain after the Bills declined to pick up the fifth-year option on his contract. Watkins fully supported Buffalo's bid to sign Boldin, when asked about the possibility at the start of training camp on July 27. "If we get someone like that, that'd definitely be somebody I can learn from, and the whole room can learn from," Watkins said. The roster spots behind Watkins remain up for grabs after the Bills lost Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin to free agency this past spring. Buffalo previously addressed its needs at receiver by drafting East Carolina product Zay Jones in the second round and also signing a number of not entirely proven free agents, including Andre Holmes, Philly Brown and Rod Streater. Boldin's 1,076 catches for 13,779 yards overall rank third among players since his NFL offensive rookie of the year season in 2003 with Arizona. He played seven seasons with the Cardinals and also had two three-year stints in Baltimore and San Francisco. Overall, he ranks ninth on the NFL career list in catches, 14th in yards receiving and is tied for 23rd with 82 touchdowns receiving. Boldin also has ties to Bills starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor. They spent the 2010-12 seasons together in Baltimore, when Taylor served as Joe Flacco's backup. Boldin caught Taylor's first NFL pass attempt, an 18-yard reception on the final play of a 34-14 loss to San Diego in December 2011. "That's a bonus," Beane said of Boldin's connection with Taylor. "He caught Tyrod's first pass. So hopefully we can get that reconnection going." To make room on the roster, Buffalo designated tight end Keith Towbridge as waived/injured after he injured his right foot in practice on Friday.

Movie TV Tech Geeks News

[junker-town]

The AAC West crown goes through Memphis until proven otherwise

Memphis must replace the two guys you most remember from last year, but the Tigers return virtually everyone else.

Bill C’s annual preview series of every FBS team in college football continues. Catch up here!

We could be witnessing the birth of a fully realized Memphis football program. According to the 247Sports Composite, Norvell just signed the second-best class in the conference, a year after signing the third-best. He inherited a large base of athleticism, and he’s building on it. And in his first year in succeeding Memphis’ most successful coach in a generation, he maybe have improved the product.

Justin Fuente will always be known as the guy who got Memphis off the ground, but there’s a chance Fuente’s success was only the beginning. This is a good time to be a Memphis Tigers fan.

Fair to say, I was pretty bullish on Mike Norvell’s Memphis Tigers heading into last year. The secondary was facing a rebuild, and as it turned out, thanks to injuries the defensive line would, too. I was prepared for defensive regression, but an offense that had scored more than 40 points in four of its last five games returned most of its pieces.

This was a team built for track meets. it is increasingly becoming the Memphis way. In Fuente’s second year as head coach (2013), the Tigers ranked 109th in Off. S&P+; the offense has improved significantly in three of the last four years. In Fuente’s third year, the Tiger defense peaked at 20th in Def. S&P+; it has plummeted twice in three seasons.

Last year, the reversal was complete: Memphis fell all the way to 102nd in defense and rose to fourth on offense. The Tigers averaged 49 points per game and allowed 35. They allowed at least 31 points and won on five occasions. They scored 55 and lost once.

Despite the points allowed, this was the best Memphis team in a generation. After a slow start, at least.

First 4 games (3-1): Avg. score: Opp 36, UM 36 | Avg. yards per play: UM 6.4, Opp 6.0 | Avg. percentile performance: 40% (63% offense, 27% defense) | Avg. performance vs. S&P+ projection: minus-12.3 PPG

Next 7 games (7-0): Avg. score: UM 54, Opp 28 | Avg. yards per play: UM 7.9, Opp 5.3 | Avg. percentile performance: 80% (79% offense, 41% defense) | Avg. performance vs. S&P+ projection: plus-12.3 PPG

From 1962-68, Memphis finished between 11th and 27th in S&P+ five times. Since then, the Tigers had managed only one top-30 finish — they were 29th in 1992, going 6-5, with every loss by five or fewer points, against a rugged schedule.

In 2017, they were 20th. This was the realization of the form Memphis was moving toward for quite a while.

Now it’s time for a new form, at least somewhat.

It’s fair to say that Norvell teams are always going to be pretty pointsy, but with the loss of offensive coordinator Darrell Dickey (now at Texas A&M), quarterback Riley Ferguson, receiver Anthony Miller, and all-conference lineman (and four-year starter) Gabe Kuhn up front, there will be offensive regression. Hell, when you have the No. 4 offense in the country, there’s almost nowhere to go but down.

That means the defense has to improve. It should do just that. Memphis won the AAC West by two games despite having three freshmen and a sophomore among the top six linemen, losing a key linebacker before the season, and having five freshmen and a sophomore in the secondary rotation. Norvell added three JUCO transfers and has a few more exciting young DBs to add to the mix if there’s any room. The defense is built to improve in 2018, then improve again in 2019.

If Norvell has a quarterback — and he’s got some pretty exciting candidates — then this offense will still have a high ceiling. And with fewer freshmen in the rotation, the defense will have a higher floor. It’s easy to proclaim Houston as the West favorite this season because of Ed Oliver, the new offensive coordinator, etc. But S&P+ favors Memphis in 10 of 12 games this fall, and UH has to come to the Liberty Bowl on the last weekend of the regular season. Sounds like we shouldn’t crown the Cougars just yet.

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Mike Norvell

Offense

The best offenses don’t wait until third down. Memphis’ average third-down distance was 7.4 yards, 95th in the country. To that end, it’s impressive that the Tigers managed to rank 32nd in third-down conversion rate. You’ve got to have a good QB to pull that off.

But the secret to Memphis’ success was avoiding third downs altogether. Only 18 percent of the Tigers’ 2017 snaps came on third down — fifth-best in the country behind only Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, UCF, and FAU.

The former (good QB) could be a question mark this fall, at least for a little while. The latter, though? Memphis had the biggest big plays in the country, finishing first in IsoPPP (which measures the magnitude of your successful plays), and while Miller and No. 2 receiver Anthony Mayhue were big reasons for that, so were running back Darrell Henderson (8.9 yards per carry), receiver Damonte Coxie (15.4 yards per catch), tight end Sean Dykes (23.1 per catch), and utility man Tony Pollard (14.9 per catch, 7.7 per carry). And 223-pound running back Patrick Taylor Jr. (5.5 per carry) wasn’t exactly chopped liver.

Memphis returns more proven big-play ability than anyone in the AAC besides maybe UCF. That’s an amazing thing to say considering the big-play ability the Tigers lost.

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Patrick Taylor Jr.

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Darrell Henderson

The Norvell offense, captained by Chip Long (now with Notre Dame) in 2016 and Dickey last year, is a delight. It insists on relentless pace and spacing and utilizes every talent a given skill guy has. It also utilizes a lot of skill guys. Here’s a look at last year’s skill corps in order of intended touches (carries and pass targets), with returnees in bold:

RB Patrick Taylor Jr.: 184 for 1,014 yards (157 carries, 27 targets)

TB Darrell Henderson: 166 for 1,380 yards (130 carries, 36 targets)

WR Anthony Miller: 158 for 1,509 yards (10 carries, 148 targets)

RB/WR Tony Pollard: 90 for 766 yards (30 carries, 60 targets)

WR Phil Mayhue: 64 for 521 (64 targets)

TB Doroland Dorceus: 43 for 237 yards (39 carries, four targets)

QB Riley Ferguson: 34 for 163 yards (33 carries, one target)

TE Joey Magnifico: 30 for 280 yards (30 targets)

WR Damonte Coxie: 29 for 323 yards (29 targets)

TE Sean Dykes: 26 for 353 (one carry, 25 targets)

WR John “Pop” Williams: 18 for 163 (two carries, 16 targets)

Losing Miller hurts. The soon-to-be draftee had 17 games of 100-plus receiving yards in his three-year career and 10 of 150-plus. He damn near carried the Tigers to an AAC title game win over UCF, catching 14 balls for 195 yards and three scores.

Still, he was one of many cogs for this offense, and three other players who accounted for at least 750 combined rushing and receiving yards last year return. And 2017 understudies like Coxie and Williams did everything they could to prove they were ready for more responsibilities. They’ll have to fend off a new batch of youngsters and newcomers, though: JUCO receiver Antonio Gibson, sophomore receiver Jahod Booker, and any number of incoming freshmen like Troy Hurst or Kenny Gainwell.

While Kuhn is gone, he’s the only starting lineman gone. Left tackle Trevon Tate is a three-year starter and all-conference performer, and four other returnees have combined for 75 career starts. Oh yeah, and four-star redshirt freshman Obinna Eze and six other three-star newcomers could round out the rotation.

So yeah, the skill corps is fine, and the line is fine. What about the signal caller? Or the play caller?

Memphis should be fine at QB. Neither sophomore David Moore nor junior Brady White seized control of the job this spring, but both have likely upside. Moore, a mid-three-star sophomore, completed seven of 10 passes for 63 yards and a touchdown while rushing eight times for 47 yards as a backup last year. Meanwhile, White is a former blue-chipper — the No. 68 player (and No. 4 pro-style QB) in the class of 2015 — who originally signed with Arizona State when Norvell was offensive coordinator. There should be enough competition there that the winner clears a pretty high bar.

At offensive coordinator, Norvell went with Kenny Dillingham. It was quite the Todd Graham move. Graham always promoted Norvell to his offensive co-coordinator at Pitt in 2011, when Norvell was just 29 years old. Dillingham? 28. He was an assistant at Chapparal High School in Arizona barely five years ago (Graham was also fond of giving high school coaches chances at the college level) and followed Norvell from ASU to Memphis. He knows the system, and this offense will always have Norvell’s fingerprints on it.

This won’t be a top-five offense again this year, but forgive me if I can’t worry too much about it.

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Brady White

Defense

It’s certainly fair to worry about the defense, though. Chris Ball also came to Memphis from ASU, but he hasn’t found nearly as much traction as the ASU-to-UM transplants on offense. He hasn’t really found any, actually.

At least he had youth to blame last year. The secondary had to replace five of its top seven from 2017, then lost starting safety Shaun Rupert after just three games. And the defensive line, already leaning heavily on sophomore tackle Jonathan Wilson, got just five games out of starting end Ernest Suttles and one out of starting tackle Jared Gentry. That meant lots of playing time for true freshman O’Bryan Goodson and redshirt freshmen John Tate and Joseph Dorceus.

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Curtis Akins (7)

There was plenty of upside: Goodson, Wilson, Dorceus, and senior-to-be Emmanuel Cooper each recorded at least four tackles for loss, and six freshman DBs combined for seven interceptions and 22 pass breakups. Memphis still ranked a healthy 29th in havoc rate (tackles for loss, passes defensed, and forced fumbles divided by total plays) and fifth in DB havoc rate. But freshmen will be freshmen — there were still tons of breakdowns.

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Austin Hall

Memphis still easily won the West, though. And now all those freshmen are sophomores.

The linebacking corps takes a hit with the loss of KAT backer (a DE/OLB hybrid) Genard Avery, who moved from WILL to KAT when Jackson Dillon got hurt and exploded for 22 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks. But at least Dillon’s back now, as are senior WILL Curtis Akins, sophomore MIKE Tim Hart, and junior Bryce Huff, last year’s backup KAT. And you could almost count STAR safety Austin Hall (a nickel back of sorts) as another linebacker — his stature (6’2, 215) and stat line (eight TFLs, eight passes defensed) almost demand it.

There’s attacking talent at every level of this defense, and it’s clear that Ball wants to attack, glitches or no glitches. In theory, experience alone should lead to fewer glitches and a higher defensive rating. But you could rank 90th and still have improved. We’ll see just how much the upside can trump the downside.

Special Teams

UM ranked first in Special Teams S&P+ in 2016, but the loss of star kicker Jake Elliott hurt. Tony Pollard’s terrifying kick returns (he averaged an incomprehensible 40 yards per kick return and scored four times) and decent work from punter Nick Jacobs assured that the Tigers only fell to 42nd in ST S&P+, but it was still a drop. And now Jacobs is gone.

Sophomore Riley Patterson (9-for-10 on FGs under 40 yards but just 2-for-6 beyond 40) needs to find a bit more range, but Pollard alone means Memphis will have the special teams advantage as often as not.

Seriously, though, a 40-yard average and four touchdowns? That shouldn’t be possible.

2018 outlook

2018 Schedule & Projection Factors

Date Opponent Proj. S&P+ Rk Proj. Margin Win Probability 1-Sep Mercer NR 27.2 94% 8-Sep at Navy 85 5.9 63% 14-Sep Georgia State 113 18.7 86% 22-Sep South Alabama 109 17.1 84% 28-Sep at Tulane 98 9.1 70% 6-Oct Connecticut 124 22.3 90% 13-Oct UCF 17 -6.3 36% 20-Oct at Missouri 30 -6.3 36% 3-Nov at East Carolina 125 17.7 85% 10-Nov Tulsa 108 16.7 83% 16-Nov at SMU 74 3.5 58% 23-Nov Houston 59 5.5 62%

Projected S&P+ Rk 42 Proj. Off. / Def. Rk 13 / 103 Projected wins 8.5 Five-Year S&P+ Rk 5.2 (44) 2- and 5-Year Recruiting Rk 71 / 75 2017 TO Margin / Adj. TO Margin* 15 / 13.8 2017 TO Luck/Game +0.4 Returning Production (Off. / Def.) 54% (44%, 64%) 2017 Second-order wins (difference) 9.3 (0.7)

It’s hard to feel fully confident in a team that is replacing a star quarterback, and after throwing for nearly 8,000 yards in two years, I’d say Riley Ferguson qualified for that label. And just because Ferguson himself succeeded the seemingly irreplaceable Paxton Lynch two years earlier doesn’t mean his replacement will automatically be as good.

Still, it’s hard to worry too much, isn’t it? Memphis hasn’t had shaky quarterbacking since 2011 and has had a fun receiving corps since about 2014. The Tigers return a ton of high-end skill guys and won’t be relying on freshman defenders this year.

Memphis probably won’t be as good as it was last year, but Houston and any other West hopeful will still have to catch up to the Tigers, and S&P+ — which projects them 42nd overall — has them favored in seven of eight AAC games.

Until proven otherwise, the AAC West title goes through the Liberty Bowl.

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