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arcticdementor · 4 years ago

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Two years ago, when reviewing “The Benedict Option”, I wrote, “Almost all Dreher’s critics accuse him of crying wolf or being a Chicken Little at best … Meanwhile, I’m saying that Dreher is underestimating his enemy, painting an overly rosy picture, and not being nearly alarmist enough.”

This is still true.

“Wait, what? Totalitarianism! Gulags!”

I know!

Let me explain; I promise hope, this will be shorter than last time.

…

First, Dreher’s critics, while still far too blasé and insouciant about the end-game-level crisis racing straight for them, have at least started to acknowledge that something’s happening here, what it is ain’t exactly clear, but that some greater degree of consternation and freak-out is now warranted.

But they are still far, far behind the power curve on this one.

As a friend of mine put it, “The single biggest problem is lag-seriousness. We are always just at best about grim enough for yesterday’s battle.”

That is where “Dreher’s Law of Merited Impossibility” comes from. “It will never happen, and when it does, you bigots will deserve it.” If it were possible, despite denials, and by pointing out a clear logical implication of progressive ideology – and even going so far as to supplement with the early appearances of those explicit proposals – to scare conservatives enough, early enough, to do whatever it takes to avoid it, then the impossible wouldn’t keep happening to them, over and over again.

But it’s almost never feasible to do this. It turns out this is the one impossibility. The frogs never jump out of the pot in time to avoid another scalding. The need is not to be grim enough for yesterday, but for today, so that tomorrow won’t bring your final sunset.

That puts Dreher in the position of a Cassandra.

…

In “Live Not By Lies”, Dreher seems to assume that something like faithful Christianity as we know it today is going to go through a profoundly difficult era of persecution, but still, its adherents having prepared for it, it will persist at some level despite intense suffering until, well, ‘deliverance’. Perhaps not in the Acts 12:3 sense, but then again, maybe so. How else?

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That’s why even Dreher isn’t radicalized enough yet, because he doesn’t seem to fully grapple with the gloomy prospects for his tradition that is the clear implication of his own arguments about the overwhelming magnitude of the problem. That is: termination. Slow and steady and (mostly) gentle evaporation under the relentless heat of the sun until the last drop of water finally evaporates and the spiritual desert goes completely dry.

It would be like Travis telling the defenders of the Alamo that Santa Anna was sending a force in the morning that outnumbered them ten to one, that supplies were nearly exhausted, and reinforcements too far away to help. But with a tone of brutal optimism, “It’s going to be really rough boys, but if we’re tough enough, we’ll make it.” – “Um, rough? Well Travis, come hell or high water, I’m happy to make a stand and fight by your side. No rendirse! But to be frank, from the way you put it, I reckon it sounds like we’re all going to die.”

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Now, before I explain why, let me get to the second piece of good news and commend Dreher for a wonderful second half of the book, which contained the inspiring and gut-wrenching stories of what it was like for people of faith behind the Iron Curtain to be the subjects of Communist anti-Christian oppression.

As I look over my notes, I see almost no comments or criticisms in that half. The testimonies speak for themselves. These harrowing and moving tales of triumphs of fidelity and perseverance in the face of the hardships and miseries of hard totalitarianism don’t need any gloss. The stories of these brave people deserve your study, and their memories your honor.

However.

What is both terrible and true is that a month later you are probably going to forget all their names, forget the details of their persecution, and come away with the same rough impression and vague understanding you already have. This is that Christians had it really bad in a place where Christianity was once all of life but had been evicted, that some of them nevertheless stayed devoted, and others gave the last full measure of devotion. Others resisted, and some of them even lasted long enough on the road through hell to make it through to the other side.

Though, in a way, it was lucky for them there was the other side: that didn’t happen everywhere. If the Soviets had then what the Chinese have now, likely there would have been no interviews or happy endings. You can’t even forget a martyr’s name if you never got the chance to hear about his martyrdom in the first place.

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Alas, this is not really a manual at all, and regardless of whether Dreher is dropping some kind of Straussian signal with that, it’s surprising that few of his critics have noticed the problem.

An actual manual is more than just general rough guidelines; it has clear, specific, step-by-step instructions for how to accomplish some identified, well-defined task or troubleshoot typical problems. It cannot be a bunch of personal narratives, and, “Follow their lead; just be like them. Refuse to bend, like Benda.”

If one picked up, say, a survival manual, one would expect to emerge knowing how to start a fire and build a shelter. A beginner’s cookbook will at least tell you precisely how long to boil an egg.

What does Dreher tell us to do in an age of persecution? “Embrace Suffering.” “Choose a Life Apart from the Crowd.” “Reject Doublethink and Fight for Free Speech.” “Cherish Truth-Telling but Be Prudent.” “Cultivate Cultural Memory.” “See, Judge, Act.”

He doesn’t get much more specific. I think he believes he got more specific – “form small cells … read other books,” and the recitation of Solzhenitsyn’s Six Hard Rules on page 18 – but it’s not actually the case. “See, Judge, Act” is just a description of any rational decision-making process, and “Yeah, but this is Persecuted Christian decision-making,” doesn’t actually put meat on the bones. These are mostly motivation stimulants and abstract encouragements of the right general attitudes, but those do no a ��manual’ make.

These are like ordering the military to “Be able to fight and win wars,” and then someone else develops the *actual* doctrine and writes the field manuals. These commandments, like the Decalogue itself, just raise a host of questions, “How much suffering? How far apart from the crowd? Which crowd? How do I identify doublethink? Fight for free speech how? Fight for hate speech too? Where is the line between prudence and paying so much lip-service I lose my soul?”

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But how is some ordinary person who needs an actual manual supposed to live not by lies, if the famous, influential guy writing the admonition feels just as compelled by circumstances and prudence to live by omitting the lies?

There should have been at least one page that went like this:

You as a Christian are going to be strongly pressured to “wear the ribbon” and to say the following things which do not accord with the truths of our faith, and in order to live not by lies, you must be willing to sacrifice, suffer if necessary, and never say …

Never say what, exactly? Yes, integrity in general is a virtue, but obviously Dreher is talking about the Big Lies.

But in his book, there is a surprising paucity of actual lies. Isn’t that something? First it’s strange, then it’s puzzling, and then when you solve the puzzle, demoralizing.

My take is the answer to the puzzle of absence is Dreher’s actual manual, the one you are supposed to figure out. The most critically strategic task is to preserve precisely this kind of room for maneuver: the freedom to speak the truth and to condemn the lies. If you still can, if there is still some crack open in the window of opportunity, then you must band together and stop your opponents from being able to impose their rival orthodoxy on you, which forces that absence and omission and uses that dominance to call your lies truth and your love hate.

If you can’t do that, if you missed your chance to make that stand, then like the Alamo, it’s only a matter of time.

…

Otherwise, without the list of lies one lacks a clear idea of the threat one faces, and so vague guidelines are all that are left and there is no possibility of a manual with precise instructions. But with the lies, the enemy hears his own name like the aliens hear a scream in “A Quiet Place”, and then come down on you like a ton of bricks.

VI. From whence the cascade

Well, look, no sense getting some bricks in the face if one can avoid it, that’s just being smart and prudent. Though, inconveniently, it’s Dreher himself who quotes Milosz to argue against this kind of seductive logic.

Better logic would be to say that one can reason that the intended audience probably knows the lies already, and knows that they have been weak, acquiesced, and lived by them. They know what they are supposed to stand up for already, and they know they have failed to do so. They know who their enemies are, and they know they have failed to resist them. You don’t need to list the lies to send a signal to all these people that, by the very fact of this book existing, knowing that it is being digested by so many other people, they are not alone, and they can act differently.

But what the audience still doesn’t know is what to do about it. Dreher may not know either. Notice: a thousand Benedict Option startups have not bloomed. The Benedict Option was criticized as crazy and alarmist, but again, the ugly, gloomy truth is that it’s actually the hopeful, optimistic, and practically wishful-thinking take on things. Most likely, there is no such option.

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The anti-audience already believes Dreher is far more of a kook and Chicken Little than his Christian critics do, and just a continuation of “The Paranoid Style In American Politics.” To them, Dreher can get in the back of the line behind the McCarthyists, “Eisenhower was a Commie!” John Birchers, QAnon conspiracy theorists, and low-status judgment-day-is-just-around-the-corner-all-the-signs-are-actually-happening prepper types. They are once again proclaiming the first half of the law, “It will never happen.”

And without the list of lies, their argument wins the day. It seems fully plausible and convincing. It sounds like this:

Oh look at these idiots going off again. Here we are, just trying to make sure love wins and hate loses. Our ‘radical ideology’ amounts to “Don’t be a bigot, help your fellow man, and keep your toxic hatefulness to yourself.” Everybody should be included, and nobody ought to be unjustly discriminated against. Simple, self-evident, human universals, really, do real, loving Christians really disagree so much with any of those? And because the white supremacist homophobes can’t think of anything else to say in response, the hide behind ‘Christianity’ as a pathetic rationalization for their simple irrational animus, and resort to inventing fantasies like gulags and torture rooms and KGB agents. Like *they’re* the victims! Delusional! What kind of creepy psychological problems do they have to really imagine that with all their wealth, comfort, freedom, privilege, and petty first world problems, that they are remotely spiritual kin with people who endured the worst suffering possible? Crazy!

Do you see the problem? It’s the ‘merited’ part of the law. Dreher wants to respond with the simple truth, “We’re not bigots, and we don’t deserve it.” The response would be, “Ok, let’s find out. What is it exactly that you are going to insist on believing or doing, that we would possibly think was worth throwing you into a gulag?”

He can’t beat around the bush with something general and evasive, “For being devout Christians.”

The response (at least from the rare one who knows anything about Christianity) would be as follows:

Look, we just think your religion is mostly a collection of mythological fantasies and superstitious prohibitions, but combined with a salvageable core of a worthy moral perspective that, like almost all ancient and traditional lines of philosophy, represents an incomplete and imperfect grasping toward the same ethical framework we now hold dear. That’s why Jefferson rewrote the bible, removing all those superfluous distractions. Following the actual bible seems kind of nutty and backward to us, but now that it’s in clear political retreat in terms of numbers and influence, and since most self-identified Christians don’t really seem to live like they take most of it seriously, we regard it as mostly harmless. So long as you keep it to yourselves.

So, nobody is going to throw you in the gulag for going to church. Or for believing Jesus is Lord, that he is the Savior of humanity and God’s only son, that he was born in Bethlehem of the Virgin Mary who in turn was immaculately conceived, that he performed miracles, made water into wine, multiplied bread and fishes, walked upon water, healed the sick, raised the dead, died for our sins, and was resurrected. That he saves his people by means of their repentance and confession to sin and commanded his followers to love each other and their neighbors and their enemies, and to spread his word and the gospel of the good news of their salvation to every soul.

Seriously now, is that not Christian enough or you? Are these not the central claims of Christianity? Is that not enough freedom to be a Christian?

And we aren’t going to do a single thing to anyone for any of that. Why would we even care? Maybe if proselytizing is done obnoxiously in an imposing manner and makes people feel unsafe and not included. But let’s face it, 99.99% of American Christians aren’t ever doing that anymore, so it’s kind of absurd to spook them, right? Now we will insist that you not discriminate against LGBTs, and not to teach people to hate them, and yes, you will indeed get merited punishment if you persist in doing so. But seriously, is Hate the hill you are choosing to die on?

As another friend of mine put it, “We do not want you to subtract from your faith, only to add to it. Just don’t be a jerk and you’ll be just fine.”

One simply cannot give this line of argument anything like an adequate response without getting right into the contrasts between what one believes and what one’s opponents believe, that is, between the truth and the lies. It’s a no-win situation. Without naming the lies, the progressives will suspect Dreher’s audience are closeted bigots. Naming the lies, open bigots. C’est la guerre.

Unlike in the Soviet Union, the progressives don’t see mere belief and worship as inherently threatening, and so aren’t interested in prison and torture for merely belonging to a faith, going to church, being a priest, and so forth. They look at ‘worship’ in “freedom of worship” in the same ’boutique’ manner that Fish explained as the way they look at culture in “multiculturalism”. That is, by definition, non-threatening to the imperialist program of imposing progressive orthodoxy on everyone, everywhere.

In other words, Fake Religious Tolerance, and Fake Multiculturalism. Fake, because it is precisely at the important friction points that the freedom or the multi ends. Now, as Winnifred Sullivan explained, whether genuine religious freedom is even possible in anything like our system is an interesting question, but the point is that one can’t have any coherent discourse on the subject real or fake tolerance, without identifying those points of difference.

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Now, the approach Dreher has taken has been to say that, of course it won’t actually be ‘hard’ torture and gulags, it will be ‘soft’ totalitarianism. Dreher would have given his argument much more punch had he marshaled the parade of horribles of all the “never going to happen”s that are definitely going to happen, probably soon. Without getting into the lies, he could still have collected in one place the likely sequence of escalation of oppressive state policies and mob pressures which will be brought to bear against Christian (and other) holdouts in the mopping-up operations.

They’ll penalize or dis-accredit private school, take away homeschooling, have child protective services yank your kids away if you try, mandate offensively heretical curriculum on core moral issues, kick your kids out of athletic competitions and related chances for scholarships, boycott your businesses, commercially excommunicate you as unhireable, and ineligible to use the internet or transactions system, give your kids abortions or sex hormones behind your back, take away your guns, allow the mob to walk right up to your front door and smash your windows with impunity, and if you try to defend yourself, you’ll be the one who gets arrested.

To his Christian readers, that parade of horribles will feel closer and more plausible and real, thus helping to raise their alarm to more accurate levels. Some may reject these claims at first, but as they start coming true, one after the other, he will seem nothing less than, well, prophetic. Cassandra was cursed, but Dreher can build a track record.

The trouble is, while all these things will happen, unlike in the Soviet system, they will never need to be ubiquitous or even common, so they can always be rhetorically dismissed as rare aberrations. No one is going to publish a ‘study’ with some nice scatter plots showing the increase in the persecution index. In the contemporary media environment, one hanged admiral – a pizza shop, a cake decorator, an expelled student, a heterodox professor – encourages millions of the others, to just give in and side with the strong horse, the cool horse. You only have to hang one or two admirals a year, (only after groveling apologies of course) and soon enough, the whole Navy has surrendered, concludes that those admirals had it coming, and that they “weren’t being smart.”

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The thing about hard totalitarianism is the fact of brutal oppression is inescapably clear to everyone. Sure, it will be rationalized and justified, but that people know it’s there if they step out of line is half the point. And if one is not enjoying being on the delivering end, the common human psychological instinct is to resent such domination.

‘Soft’ is totally different. People will still have choices, but if they choose ‘wrong’ in the eyes of the elites, then they will just be seen as weirdo losers and low-status pariahs, not martyrs. The flip-side of resenting domination is admiring, conspicuously affiliating with, and imitating the prestigious. People – your own fellow Christians too – will look at the refusal to pinch incense for Caesar the same way they look at a hermit’s refusal of all society. When you think about it, the hermit who could fit in if he wanted to is just persecuting himself.

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The perception of dual loyalty would mean that you would be spied on, that your closest friends would be recruited to inform against you, and that you would hit an unacknowledged but hard glass ceiling in your career path, “Performance Assessment: A highly competent and reliable professional with unlimited leadership potential, but … does not adequately demonstrate he fully shares our values and commitment to progress. Pass over for promotion absent a critical personnel shortage in his field.”

And of course, you would never be told: a breeding ground for paranoia and self-doubt. Nevertheless, if you kept your head down otherwise, you could enjoy a normal life and even some measure of personal success and respect.

Sometimes, to remind people who’s boss, an ‘informant’ would be told to make up some baloney accusations and the local priest would get arrested and interrogated, maybe leaned on to make more false accusations of his colleagues. No one would hear about him for days. Then, usually, he was released with a stern warning to watch his back.

When he showed up again at services, what happened? His whole congregation would weep for joy and relief, hugs and handshakes for hours, invitations and offers of support. He would be a kind of minor hero, a kind of minor martyr, honored and dignified. There were thousands of such events in the second half the 20th century. That’s worthy suffering; inspiring, socially productive suffering.

XI. Live Hard

But what about someone who gets ‘canceled’ today? Most of the time, it’s the Big Meh, no welcoming arms and no heroic status in one’s reference social group. Without that, there is no utility in withstanding the suffering, because there is no power of example or remembrance. Today, if you are accused of ‘hate’, things are such that most of your fellows will feel obliged to act like they believe it, dump you like a bag of dirt, and avoid you like the roof over reactor number three.

Dreher and Benda like to use the example of “High Noon”. But try to imagine “Low Noon”, where, at the end, all the townspeople ganged up on the sheriff saying, “What the heck did you do that for, you psycho? Those guys didn’t deserve that! Now you’ve just gone and made trouble for the rest of us. Get the heck out of our town, monster!”

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To throw this into even sharper relief, and to demonstrate the absence of a true ‘manual’, instead of ‘Christianity’, imagine that one is trying to preserve and propagate some even more unpopular views that, while one believes them to be perfectly true, are deeply hated by just about everyone. Any manual for dissidents necessarily works in general for any strain of persecuted dissent, and if it speaks to a particular kind of dissident, it is only because is it written in the language they are best able to comprehend.

Now, imagine a group of scattered people who were trying not to propagate Christianity and persevere as Christians, but as Confederates. Some kind of secret society that saw it all coming since Calhoun and had, against all odds, continued for two centuries to the present day, who believed in the lost cause as the right cause, hereditary racial slavery, and all the rest. What concrete advice does Dreher give that these people could use? What advice could anyone give them?

There isn’t any.

This hypothetical makes it easy for everyone to immediately grasp, at this stage in the game, that it’s an impossible task. The powers that be and 99% of society are fully committed and determined to thoroughly eradicating any remaining trace of those ideas and traditions. They can do it, they will, they are, they are almost done. Either the hypothetical Secret Confederates get nukes, or the protection of someone who has them, or (if they weren’t already extinct), their days are numbered. That’s it, game over.

XIII. Other Feet

The point is, the Soviet context is simply not the proper analogy for our situation. That ideas makes it seem like the familiar image of the Romans throwing Christians to wild beasts in some arena. But the right way to look at it is the other way around, once the Christians had won the upper hand.

The right context is something like Watts’ “The Final Pagan Generation”.

In late antiquity there were still sincere worshipers of Minerva and Apollo and Jupiter, continuing a religious tradition that went back, as it happens, about two thousand years. And then it ended. It’s a long story, and yes there was a fair amount of actual persecution as the shoe gradually moved to the other foot, but it wasn’t the key factor.

Gradually, there were fewer and fewer of these people, until there really was a last one. And when he died, the faith died with him; the chain linking 100 generations was broken, and the line went completely extinct. The last drop of water evaporated and the ground was dry. Now, no one praises Jupiter, because their great-grandparents praised Jupiter.

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Dreher’s “Why Communism Appealed to Russians” is, unfortunately, typical progressive mythological narrative (i.e., widely-swallowed propaganda) and mushy-headed nonsense drawing a line from “poverty and oppression” to the allure of Socialism. The material circumstances of various populations simply do not constitute the proper explanation for how that particular idea – or any idea – spread and came to dominate.

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If our own past is a foreign country, the past of foreign countries is too weird and alien to grasp without extensive immersion in its particular history. We are taught to think of tsarist-era exile in Siberia as a retroactive extension of the Soviet gulags, but it wasn’t like that. Siberia was like their Australia: a far away place you could send prisoners of all kinds with minimal supervision and the understanding that it was really hard to get back. You might even hope they would try to take a go at making a life for themselves out there like colonists, because you needed to populate the vast, mostly unpeopled wilderness.

So “exile” at that time was mockable as a kind of Siberian summer camp. Many of the Bolsheviks who experienced it were practically unguarded and made many successful and attempted escapes. Stalin wrote of his enjoyment fishing with Tunguses, horseback riding, and of fornication (and procreation!) with 13 year old locals like Lidia Pereprygia. Brutal, I tell you.

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By page 41, Dreher admits that “Intellectuals are the Revolutionary Class,” but he might have just said ‘elites’. Major historical events and struggles between groups are always and everywhere a phenomenon of disputes between classes of elites.

But then a few pages later he goes off course, “To be sure, neither loneliness, not social atomization, not the rise of social justice radicalism among power-holding elites – none of these and other factors discussed here meant that totalitarianism is inevitable.”

Unfortunately, when you are dealing with a replacement religion on the rise, and all the elites believe either in the latest edition of it or the version of it from ten years ago, yes it does.

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With Chapter Three Dreher gets into Progressivism as Religion, but instead of accurate anthropology, we get the enemy’s version of the story about themselves, which is, as in all similar cases, slightly less than perfectly reliable.

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If one looks under the hood, one sees that what leftism is mostly about is “redistribution of stuff and status.” The political formula is a tacitly understood bargain to clients that offers, in exchange for political support, the use of state power to take from the enviable and give to those who envy.

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Here’s another example of bad history:

The original American dream – the one held by the seventeenth century Puritan settles – was religion: to establish liberty as the condition that allowed them to worship and to service God as dictated by their consciences.

Actually, the Puritans immediately established a suffocatingly strict theocracy that did not tolerate heretics except by necessity, and in which ministers were public officials. Nathaniel Ward’s or Winthrop’s ‘liberty’ was the liberty to be a pious Puritan, and the lack of liberty to be anything else. If you were not a member of the church, you were officially a second-class citizen, and they would throw you out for anything. The Puritans did not give people freedom to make choices according to their consciences about living virtuously or not, see, e.g., Platform of Church Discipline (1648).

Most of this ‘liberty’ story was retconned in the late 18th century during the establishment of the popular mythology of American History. Once upon a time people like Rothbard thought that perhaps one day American society would come to be so confident and mature that it could replace the white lie mythology with the reality. No such luck. Instead we got a new religion that is just replacing it with a much more sinister and malevolent mythology. That’s how it goes. There is always a de facto state religion, and it will spread the myths it finds most useful.

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Dreher does a good job in summarizing some of the claims of progressivism and “critical theory”, but he presents them as if they are to be taken at face value.

There is no such thing as objective truth, there is only power

Yes, you will hear this kind of rhetoric mindlessly parroted all the time, but it is by no means some kind of metaphysical principle consistently applied. It is little more than an opportunistic tactical pose and a weapon to be deployed only when convenient, just like any double standard. “Out truths are real, whereas your ‘truths’ are just useful lies you can shove down people’s throats and get them to repeat because you can intimidate and bully them into it.” The fact that one can’t tell which side is making that statement about the other is what gives that perspective its robustness.

Progressives believe in rule by (credentialed, prestigious) experts, a rule that is legitimated by appeal to superior knowledge of objective truth. Consider: “Reality-based community” or “Climate change is real. The science is settled.” None of that is compatible with the “no such thing” claim.

What about the “Myth of Progress”

It seems to flow naturally from the Myth of Progress as it has been lived out in our mass consumerist democracy, which has for generations defined progress as the liberation of human desire from limits.

No, just Christian limits. This is an important point, and I think one that Dreher resists or finds hard to appreciate, mostly because progressives usually want mandatory toleration for everything Christianity prohibits.

But progressives are not libertines and have their own comprehensive sexual morality that is in some ways even more restrictive than that of traditional religions. Is it not actually based on “live and let live,” “different strokes for different folks,” or the “anything goes with consenting adults” principle of volenti non fit iniuria, because in the progressive conception ‘true’ voluntariness and consent can only be valid in the absence of a whole host of pressures, undue influences, and power imbalances. Contra Dreher, this imposes all manner of limits on human desire, as one can witness watching any tribunal of sex bureaucrats on any American college campus.

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XX. Woke Capitalism

At the same time, Big Business has moved steadily leftward on social issues. Standard business practice long required staying out of controversial issues on the grounds that taking sides in the culture war would be bad for business” – now not taking sides is bad for business. … A powerful coalition of corporate leaders … threatened economic retaliation against [Indiana] if it did not reverse course.

Somehow I missed the reporting about all the progressives who screamed in outrage at this corporate interference in our democracy.

Still, the reason they were able to make these threats is pretty obvious: no one was credibly threatening back. In a ‘manual’, Dreher would tell his readers what to do about this, but he presents it as a fait accompli and new normal Borg against which all resistance is futile.

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The real issue is the surveillance, and the power of modern capabilities. Without going full ‘technological determinism’, my impression is that the reality of software eating the world coupled with the constant tracking and surveillance by all entities with the wherewithal and reach is inevitable and unavoidable. It is in the basic nature of technological change that once the capability is there, Pandora’s Box cannot remain shut for long. We are already well past the tipping point on that one.

Yes, all the big institutions constantly spying on everything you do for the rest of time is very creepy and disturbing. But if one is worried not so much about privacy in general but about persecution in particular, then from a more abstract perspective, there is really no reason to implicate ‘capitalism’ except as yet another mechanism by which powerful social coalitions can apply extralegal coercive pressure while circumventing the rules limiting direct state action.

If the state tolerates this, it is allowing an effectively collateral state to fill the power vacuum by abandoning the field of certain sovereign prerogatives. This is the real “parallel polis”, much like the mafia is a parallel government on its own turf when the official state is unable or unwilling to take it on. If the state does not protect its claim to a monopoly on all coercion, hard or soft, then someone else is going to pick up the coercion left lying around.

Then again, sometimes the state wants it that way. If the mayor needs an inconvenient opponent to disappear, he probably can’t ask his chief of police to get it done for him. But if he tolerates a Don, he can go to the Don. If the state is not technically allowed to persecute you directly, if it tolerates some persecutors, it can have them do the persecuting. In either case, when you pierce the veil, the rectified name for it is conspiracy. The tragedy is that the veil has countless defenders who will insist that if it didn’t come from behind the veil, no harm no foul.

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Two decades ago, when we started to become aware of this problem, people guessed that a combination of (1) new cultural adaptations to avoid these hazards, (2) new generations being raised from birth to be familiar with the risks of the internet, and (3) an increasingly long track record of lots of people having their lives publicly ruined, would encourage people to “adjust trim” and be much more cautious and prudent.

Some people did just that, but, in general, it hasn’t turned out that way. It seems that psychological effect of the way we interface online – when it seems as if it’s just you and your screen in your own little virtual secret world – makes people feel too “alone and private” to keep their guard up. Unfortunately, if one assumes this isn’t going to get better any time soon, then one can only conclude that in a time of Christian persecution, ordinary people are going to slip up sooner or later if they touch networked devices at all, and if they refuse to do so, they will out themselves all the same. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

What that means is that there is no longer any possibility whatsoever of evading the notice of powerful people who are out to get you. From the perspective of any serious, capable, and determined state (cough, China) this is now a solved problem. There can be no secret meetings or clandestine samizdat printing operations or anything like that. Near the end of the book, Dreher advises, “Christians should educate themselves about the mechanics of running underground cells and networks while they are still free to do so.” As the Uyghurs would tell you, if they could, that ship has already sailed. The old mechanics are obsolete and no longer work, and there are no new mechanics.

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Hard cases make bad law, but there is nothing but a hard choice to make about this undeniable situation. Either one embraces the principle of “they are private companies so they are free to do whatever they like and the state has nothing to do with it,” and accept, well, ‘extinction’. Or one says no, undermines the principles of free enterprise and private property, but creates a terrible state power that, eventually, can and will be used by ones enemies too.

On the other hand, all the undermining and regulation has already been done in every other possible way in every other industry and sector, especially all those rules insisting on equal treatment. Frankly, it’s bizarre to watch advocates insist on straining out the gnat of just this one thing that apparently crosses the line though it threatens half the country with political neutralization, when they are unable to summon up ten percent as much passion for having swallowed as many camels as there are pages in the Code of Federal Regulations.

Speech Is Special. You can’t argue to get it back once it’s gone. There can be genuinely free platform companies, or universally safe platform companies, but if companies are only free to the extent it is safe for our enemies to use the platforms to crush us, then crushed we will be.

…

“The essence of modernity is to deny that there are any transcendent stories, structures, habits, or beliefs to which individuals must submit and that should bind our conduct”

He says ‘modernity’ but my impression is that he means modern, secular, leftist progressivism. But if you are not a progressive, ask yourself, do they seem like they aren’t interested in making you submit and binding your conduct? Do they lack for stories with unfalsifiable elements that explain why they are entitled to do this?

The progressives imagine that they’ve solved for objective morality. There is no “dictatorship of relativism.” The Jacobins are not libertarians “At the heart of liberty is the right to define one’s own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life.” They have a perfectly well-defined concept, and it applies to you too, without any right to define a different one, because error has no rights.

XXV. Velvet Samizdat:

Perhaps nothing helps to highlight the contrast between Soviet-era or North Korean-style Communist oppression and the current circumstances in America than the irrelevance of ‘samizdat’. Yes, there is certainly a fair bit of purging and memory-holing, removal of items from curriculum as well as chilling, suppression, and intimidation out there for present-day writers and publishers who wish to go off-narrative.

But all of it has a mostly prospective, deterrent character. The robust strength of the current system of opinion management is perhaps in no way better demonstrated than by the fact that there is mostly no problem with actual eliminative censorship of the past, with preserving cultural memory, archives, records, and so forth. Because none of that makes any difference.

All the old books are still out there, accessible to anyone, instantaneously, in their own language, and free, and one doesn’t have to go back very far before most of them have the “currently regarded as problematic” volume knob pegged to eleven. Don’t even get me started on Greek philosophy! But almost nobody cares, and it goes unread, and even more unread than one would figure correcting for our increasingly post-literate society. The ‘soft’ system is so much stronger than the ‘hard’, it is nigh invulnerably, such that brazen, obvious, and easily-disproven falsehoods can be printed without any concern on the part of the authors or publishers whatsoever, who know they’ll win prizes anyway.

The counterarguments will be allowed to exist, just not allowed to make a difference. They will never get any attention, buzz, or amplification from prestigious, cool people, and so can be ignored just as if they had been censored. This is deeply demotivating; why even bother? In a way, it’s actually better when your enemies know you’re lying and know you can get away with it. Show’s everyone who’s boss. No need for samizdat, no point.

…

Dreher is particularly inspired by the Bendas and their commitment to turning their home into a sanctuary, place of refuge, and the ‘parallel polis’ of an alternative community.

But Vaclav Benda had advantages. The Communist takeover of his country was recent and had been widely predicted. That meant there was still a large population of people who had grown up in the old days and were formed by that previous order to be loyal to pre-existing commitments, traditions, habits, institutions, and, most importantly, to each other. That includes Benda himself. His activities depended on being able to rely on the remnants of that inheritance, along with the nationalistic perception of a brutally oppressive *foreign* occupation.

But pressure and time wears down all things, and another generation or two of persecution, combined with the psychological enervation from a fully indigenous phenomenon such as that in America, and it would have been impossible.

Benda also lived in a time and place where physical proximity was essential and common. Today it is like herding cats to bring people together, and so the internet is now where all the “private home” discussions are had. There are plenty of virtual Bendas and little digital salons out there. They are a great source of consolation and solidarity for dissidents, and the quality of gallows humor is top notch. But mostly these venues have proven to be impotent and incompetent for any other purpose. Probably the last old pagans gathered around to drink and talk about their plight, and to joke and complain about those darn Christians as they tried to figure out if there was anything else to be done. There wasn’t.

XXVII: Man and SuperBenda

If one doesn’t have a manual, perhaps one can imitate a model. But can the Bendas be models? A model provides an example that an ordinary person can feasibly replicate. But the Bendas put the extra in extraordinary. Inspiring cases of astonishing and, frankly, naturally elite people with incredibly strength of will who are one out of ten thousand are wonderful to hear. But if that’s what it takes, then any project which relies on typical people following in their footsteps is altogether hopeless. Consider:

The Benda family model requires parents to exercise discernment. For example, the Bendas didn’t ops out of popular culture but rather chose intelligently which parts of it they wanted their children to absorb.

I am somewhat less than perfectly confident in the capacity of most ordinary Christians to exercise anything approaching this level of judicious discernment, including the abilities to both choose wisely and intelligently and also to maintain the strict discipline and constant overwatch needed to keep it going, day in, day out. “Be Like Benda” is a tall order, and if we’re being honest, too tall for too many.

This is a different context from the one in which one would encourage sinners to try to live more like saints, or to imitate the lives of the holy family, as every little step in that direction is an improvement. As it is in horseshoes and hand-grenades, so it is in holiness: getting closer counts.

But when it comes to resisting overwhelming social pressures, one has to clear tall hurdles, and if one can’t, one cannot move forward. Imagine you are in the ocean near the beach and someone spots a man-eating shark. Michael Phelps is there and can out-swim the shark to shore, because he is an extraordinary man. We all admire his prowess and we can try to imitate what he does, but in our cases it won’t be enough. Phelps is going to make it, but we will be shark food.

…

Near the end of the book, Dreher writes, “The culture war is largely over— and we lost. The Grand March is, for the time being, a victory parade.” Dreher has repeated this over many years, and I have been reading a similar lines for two decades at least, and it probably goes back long before that. In a way it’s true, and, depending how you define terms, it’s been true before any of us were born. But in a way it’s not true, because there is a great deal of ruin in a culture. As much as has already been taken, there remains so much more territory left to conquer, and it’s odd to say one has lost a war when the battles never end and new fronts keep opening up all the time.

It’s more precise to say that if non-progressives keep doing what they are doing now, following the conventional rules of the game, then like the Pagan, what they are giving up is the capacity to hold ground. That means the best they can do is slow down the advance and retreat and retreat and retreat until, one day, they are on the beach, backs against the ocean.

The real trouble with “Live Not By Lies” is that the encouragement of the stories (which are inspiring) and the instructions of the manual (such as they are), are simply not remotely adequate to arrest the trend of the progressive progression, which ends in The End.

The good news is that it doesn’t have to end like that, and it is still not too late to choose a different destiny. The bad news is that it would require measures far more radical than 99.99% of Christians and other non-progressives are currently prepared to accept. The proper task of a prophet is to expand that acceptance by making them understand they don’t have any better options. At least, not if they don’t want to end up like the Pagans.

#handle #book review #rod dreher #live not by lies #read the whole thing

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monogamyexpiration · 3 years ago

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The 7 year itch-not just a movie

I’m currently married & have been with my husband for over 12 years however prior to this marriage I had a previous that only lasted 7 years. My current husband was also married prior to me, for 7 years. Many of my friends and people I see on social media that are married only stay married for 7 years or less. The ones that stay married longer than 7 years often have trouble around the 7-year mark & their relationship is truly tested. So, it got me thinking, is there such a thing as a 7-year itch? In 1955 Marilyn Monroe stared opposite Tom Ewell in the romantic comedy titled, you guessed it, “The Seven Year itch”. This movie is based on a play with the same namesake that deals with the declining interest in a monogamous relationship after seven years of marriage. This theory isn’t really new it is something psychologist have studied for years. So, are we as humans truly meant to be with one person for eternity or are relationships meant to have expiration dates? I mean many of us change as people, our priorities become different, our passions change, our purpose grows, interest changes, even appearance changes. So, does that mean we can outgrow being married to one person? We often outgrown friendships, think about it there are probably very few ppl you were friends with in junior high that you are friends with currently. Do we have to work with our partner to evolve together? What if your partner does not want to change, evolve, or go along with you on a new journey? What then? Divorce? Divorce is always and option I suppose but for many with children involved it is not the simple. Matters of the heart rarely are simply anyway. How do you beat the 7-year itch? My husband & I went through the 7-year mark troubles. The new wore off, we were busy with work, kids, after school activities, & had very little time for one another. We didn’t really even attempt to make time for one another bc what was the point we knew everything we were every going to know, right? My husband fell in love with my loud, unruly, fun, free thinking, social butterfly, fear less personality and I fell in love with his kindness, gentleness, quietness, consistency, & just the way he was a man’s man. We were perfect opposites & it worked. . .for a while. As time passed the same reason, he fell in love with me were the same reasons he began to resent me. We had a daughter 2.5 years into our relationship & he already had 3 children from a previous marriage & relationship. After our daughter was born, I changed as most new moms do. I saw the world in an entirely new way. I wanted to change & improve things more than ever before. I joined my step sons school PTA, I started to do work for Saint Jude’s, I also got offered to be apart of a board that helped plan events to benefit local nursing homes. Of course, I discussed all these new endeavors with my husband prior to jumping in, & he always fully supported, at first, but that would quickly change. Anytime I had a meeting or event I would make sure it worked around my children’s schedule as well as my husband & I’s work schedule, but it didn’t matter he always found a way to start a fight & I would end up looking like the bad guy. I didn’t understand how eh could go hunting, fishing, whatever & never had to plan out what was happening with the kids nor did he have to worry if I would be upset, however when it came to me doing something I wanted I had to make sure the house was clean, laundry done, kids had a sitter, meals planned, etc My husband would make comments like, “oh you pawning the kids off again”, when I had a event or meeting that I could not bring the kids to which was usually once a month. I didn’t understand how it was considered “pawning” my kids off when I had something I wanted to do but it was considered that for him. I kept quiet which turned out to be the wrong thing bc soon I began to resent him. I hated seeing him drive up at home bc I knew he was going to be unhappy about something. It did not take me long to figure out my husband and I’s differences were far greater than I had initially thought. He is a pessimistic person and I am optimistic. Our vehicles may not be the newest & our home maybe not the biggest but I love it bc it is ours & we work hard for it. We may not have millions or even thousands but our bills are paid, our children are healthy, we are healthy, employed, & free. I use to tell my husband, “One day god is going to test you & take away everything you have, then I bet you will appreciate it.”. You never want to be so busy looking at what others have that you forget all that you have. Despite my husband differing thought process I accepted him, I would never get anger over what he chose to believe, in my mind by me doing that he would do the same t me on my opinions that differed from his. WRONG!!! No matter what I would say or do he had something negative to say. If I was watching something on tv he would start making ugly comments about whatever I was watching, so I stopped watching tv when he was around. If was on the phone with a friend, &he was around he would begin fussing & making ugly comments so I stopped talking on the phone to my friends when he was around. If I would make plans to go eat with friends, he would fuss so I started canceling on my friends. I started my own little side jewelry business I would hand cut metal and stamp it; it was called Creative Metal, & I LOVED it. To be sure it did not interfere with my mom/wife/employee duties I only worked on it at night once the house was clean & everyone was asleep. But it was not good enough my husband would get up in the middle of the night fussing that I was still up, or making noise. So, I gave it up, sold almost all my tools & supplies. . .I’ll be honest it hurt my heart but I wanted peace. The resentment grew & grew to the point that I could not take it anymore, I couldn’t breathe. I longed for an intelligent conversation with a man that thought I was truly amazing, a man that supported my dreams, hopes, etc & even if it was not something he wanted he wouldn’t mind coming along for the ride simply bc he wanted to be with me, support me. There were opportunities where I could have cheated but I am fiercely loyal even when some do not deserve it & the thought of my husband finding out & hurting, I just couldn’t do it. Instead of infidelity, I decided I had enough, I decided I was going to live my life, & if he wanted to support me great, if not oh well his lose. So, I did, I talked on the phone and when he started, I wouldn’t hold back I’d tell my friend, “lemme call you back Travis is fussing bc I am talking to you”. He would immediately get embarrassed, and I would say hey if that’s how you gonna act you need to claim it. I started watching tv when he was there and if he started fussing, Id walk out & go watch tv in another room. I wasn’t going to stop living, existing, & growing bc HE didn’t like it! I started being that girl he fell in love with the one I hid to make him comfortable. I started telling him to Fuck off, & I no longer cried bc he hurt my feelings, I just let it roll off my back. I am not sure if it worked or not but we are now 12 years in, the resentment is no longer there bc I do what I want, say how I feel, & make no apologies. I can honestly say my husband is friend, he can still be a giant douche canoe but I do love him & despite what I may think he doesn’t like me sometimes deep down I know he’s crazy about me. Our children are older now & so are we, we now have more time for one another & actually make the effort to spend time together & usually enjoy said time. We joke back & forth, pick at each other, & do not take things said nearly as personal. Now with all that, I could have just divorced him & started over. . . but who would I be as a person? I can not say I actually “fought” for my marriage as much as I just said Fuck it & made the decision to just live. I know some people are better off apart, divorce is better than marriage, & that’s ok everyone’s journey is different. For me, I had already been through one divorce so if I was going to have a second one it was not going to be my doing. I guess you could say sheer stubbornness is what got my marriage through lol either way I’m glad. Even in years from now we decide to go our separate ways, I will always appreciate the journey we had together. Maybe, extended monogamy isn’t for everyone, & that’s cool too. Just live the best life for you, a life that in the end you are proud of no matter what.

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planbeeeee · 7 years ago

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Alex Smith can win us a Super Bowl

...or at least get the Redskins to play the Patriots in one.

I sat for minutes thinking about a State of the Union joke to start but it’s no time for long-winded introductions...

Let me start by saying... what in the world just happened???

I had a 15-step process to put the Redskins in the right direction. It sat on the foundation of drafting Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson, or Mason Rudolph to be our next franchise quarterback. Grooming them while Colt McCoy makes his last ditch effort in the NFL as the Redskins Day 1 starter.

Trash that...

It’s Alex Smith’s team now... and I’m cool with that.

Look...

Kirk Cousins was LONG GONE! Every time you get the urge to compare Alex Smith (who I think (right now) is better than Kirk Cousins) remind yourself of the inevitable reality that Kirk was all but out of the door. If you want to compare Alex Smith to an alternative here’s the list:

Colt McCoy (Alex Smith is better)

Free Agent QBs set to hit the market (Bradford, Bridgewater, Keenum, Tyrod)- Smith takes this one, too.

Rookie QBs- I think Baker, Lamar, and Mason Rudolph have potential to be better than Smith. I’d have taken this path but I’m fully aware that drafting is a crapshoot. Wish they drafted, but not mad enough to start burning things...yet.

So, you may have some residual frustration over the Redskins mishandling the Kirk contract situation from years back. I do not, I think they handled it right, but I can see why you would. I don’t want to get into Kirk here because, again, he was LONG GONE.

The key to this discussion is asking yourself: Is Alex Smith THAT GUY?

People want this discussion to be about WORTH? Is he worth a 5-year, $111 million deal at $71 million guaranteed, making him the #3 highest paid QB in average salary? Worth sending away a 3rd round pick (pick #78) AND one of the best and still emerging slot CBs in the NFL, Kendall Fuller, for? Steering the discussion in this direction is necessary but only to a point. We’re not talking about a Ricky Williams or RG3 type trade here. This is a hefty, yet reasonable amount of money and trade value the Redskins are giving up. But it draws us back to the question of ALEX SMITH the quarterback.

Here’s my take on two hot takes:

He’s old- He’ll be 34 at the start of the season- Sure, it’s not ideal to have trade for a 12 year vet with 151 games under his belt, sitting as the 6th oldest starting QB in the league. But let’s give it proper context, the NFL now makes it easier for QBs to play at an older age because of the rules they’ve put in place to protect them. 34 is really the new 31, and that’s no more evident than Alex Smith’s 2017 year. The best of his career!

He’s a game manager- This needs to stop. Smith has been a prisoner to his circumstance. In SF he took way too many sacks instead of taking chances. He deserved the game-manager title. Since arriving in KC, that has changed. He has changed. Quietly, Smith has been a Top 10 QB consistently for the last 5 years. Not to mention leading KC to the playoffs 4 out of the last 5 years. He limits turnovers and has been one of the best deep-ball passers in the entire league for the last two years.

When he’s bad he’s not losing you games (very high floor) but when he’s good he’s as good as it gets. Go back and watch Week 1 in New England. Or Week 5 in Houston. Or Week 13 in New York vs. the Jets. The guy can sling it!

The question now is, where do we go from here.

Here’s my plan:

1. Give Alex Smith the keys

Let the man be a starting QB with no real competition behind him for at least one year! Doesn’t mean you can’t draft a QB but if it’s not Baker in the 1st, Jackson in the 2nd or Rudolph in the 4th then don’t do it at all. Also, cutting Colt McCoy will save around $3mil...this should happen.

2. Franchise tag Kirk Cousins and trade him

Kirk would love to sit back and make a decision that would be best for his family. But this is a business. The Redskins need to maximize the value of the Kirk Cousins commodity. We have spent over $40mil on him in two years and if the ROI on that is nothing but a potential 3rd round compensatory pick in 2019, I think we’ve missed the mark.

Tagging Kirk puts the Redskins in the driver’s seat. Kirk will play the cat and mouse game but will reluctantly sign the offer-sheet. The Redskins can now shop him around. The Jets, Broncos, Vikings, Cardinals, Jaguars, Browns, and Bills are all in the mix for Kirk. A team like the Browns or Bills have a harder sell and they know that. But if they can now package a deal with the Redskins instead of selling Kirk on playing for them, it brings them deep into the derby. The Redskins pit teams against each other and maximize their ROI with a bidding war. The Patriots did this with Matt Cassel. If it’s good enough for them... it’s sure good enough for us.

Denver is what is best for Kirk. As a fan of his, I’d love to see him there. I’d love for the Redskins to be able to swap 1st round picks with Denver and get one of their CBs or Emmanuel Sanders. But really anything from a 3rd round pick and up in the 2018 draft is better than nothing. Do it, Bruce!

3. Get him weapons

Take 30 seconds and come up with the best receivers Alex Smith has had at his disposal in his career.

Done? Well the best you could probably come up with is Michael Crabtree. The others would be tight ends Travis Kelce and (reunited with) Vernon Davis. Maaaybe Tyreek Hill but the rest of the list is filled with Josh Morgan types. Give Smith weapons for once and let’s see what he can do. We know the Redskins have a potentially elite offensive line. Let’s bring in a stud rookie RB, a mid-round rookie WR, and a big time FA WR (Sanders or Jarvis Landry) and let him work.

We’ve been down this road before

Not just with McNabb but take the case of Mark Brunell:

Brunell on the last year of his contract and traded to the Redskins; Same with Smith

Brunell traded at the age of 33; Same with Smith

Brunell traded for a 3rd round pick; Same with Smith (add in Fuller though, but it’s close enough)

Jags had Byron Leftwich waiting in the wings; KC has Mahomes

Redskins commit 10-12% of their yearly cap to a long term deal on Brunell; Same with Smith

Brunell was a veteran QB that didn’t make mistakes, threw a great deep ball, and could make things happen with his legs; sound familiar?

Both Brunell and McNabb were not success stories, but just because the precedence didn’t work doesn’t mean it won’t now. The Redskins have an elite play-designer in Jay Gruden. I trust that he can get more out of this veteran, former #1 overall pick, on his last hoorah than either of the guys before him. If I’m him I’m giving this ALL I’VE GOT. This is his LAST SHOT! I’m fine getting a highly motivated guy with stuff still in the tank.

By getting Alex Smith the Redskins continue a theme of stability at the most important position on the field. Free agents would be willing to sign one year, show-me deals because of it, all while being able to potentially groom a QB behind him.

In football there are many paths to success, this move is the first step down one of those paths.

#TrustTheProcess

#Redskins #Washington Redskins #HTTR #NFL #Kirk Cousins #Alex Smith

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junker-town · 5 years ago

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The best NFL Draft picks of the last decade, by round

Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, and Jason Kelce worked out for the teams that drafted them.

Let’s take a look at the 2010s to see who emerged as the biggest success story from each round.

When the 2020 NFL Draft begins, teams across the league will be making decisions that could drastically affect their future. Draft selections teams have made over the years have helped franchises win division titles, playoff games, and Super Bowls.

This year’s draft will be no different — players who will one day be stars in the NFL can be found from Round 1 all the way to Round 7. But it does mark the first draft of a new decade. So before we begin the next 10 years of draft history, let’s take a look back at some of the best picks teams have made in each round of the last decade.

First round: Patrick Mahomes, QB, 2017

The Kansas City Chiefs saw their quarterback of the future and traded up to No. 10 to snag him. The rest, as they say, it history. In his first season as a starter in 2018, Mahomes took home the NFL MVP Award and led the Chiefs to a 12-4 record, before losing in the AFC Championship Game. Although he wasn’t able to replicate his 5,097-yard, 50-touchdown season the next year, he still managed to top himself with a come-from-behind Super Bowl victory against the 49ers.

At just 24 years old, Mahomes became the youngest player in NFL history to win both the league and Super Bowl MVP awards. Mahomes being this good when he’s still so young is what makes him worthy of getting the top spot.

Others considered (in order of when they were drafted)

Von Miller, OLB, 2011: Super Bowl 50 MVP, has 106 sacks in his career

Julio Jones, WR, 2011: Fastest player to ever reach 12,000 receiving yards in NFL history, currently has the highest average of receiving yards per game (96.2)

J.J. Watt, DE, 2011: Second player in NFL history to be a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, joining Lawrence Taylor

Aaron Donald, DT, 2014: Back-to-back Defensive POTY, holds the single-season sack record for an interior defensive lineman (20.5 in 2018)

Keep an eye on: Lamar Jackson, QB, 2018

Jackson is coming off an incredible 2019 season in which he won the NFL MVP Award. If he keeps playing like he did in his first full year as the Ravens’ starter, he could challenge Mahomes for the crown.

Second round: Rob Gronkowski, TE, 2010

The Patriots took Gronkowski with the No. 42 overall pick, and the tight end quickly became Tom Brady’s top weapon. Over his nine-year career with the Patriots, Gronkowski was a five-time Pro Bowler, four-time All-Pro, and three-time Super Bowl champion. He accounted for 7,861 yards and 79 touchdowns, and owns the single-season record for most touchdown catches by a tight end (17 in 2011).

Injuries led to Gronk retiring after the 2018 season, but he’ll be a Hall of Famer one day soon. In the meantime, he’s keeping busy by doing things like winning WWE Championships.

Others considered:

Mitchell Schwartz, OT, 2012: 2018 All-Pro right tackle has started every game of his career, had an impressive streak of 7,894 consecutive snaps played

Bobby Wagner, LB, 2012: Led the league in total tackles in 2016 and 2019, has been a Pro Bowler six straight years and an All-Pro five of the last six

Le’Veon Bell, RB, 2013: Averaged more yards from scrimmage in his first four seasons than anyone in NFL history, fastest player to reach 8,000 yards from scrimmage (63 games)

Michael Thomas, WR, 2016: Has the most receptions and receiving yards in NFL history over his first four seasons, set the NFL’s single-season receptions record (149) in 2019

Keep an eye on: Deebo Samuel, WR, 2019

With 57 catches in 2019, Samuel topped Jerry Rice to become the 49ers’ all-time rookie receptions leader. He also he set a rookie receiver record in the Super Bowl for his 53 rushing yards against Kansas City.

Third round: Russell Wilson, QB, 2012

The Seahawks took a chance on the “smaller” Wilson, who stands at 5’11, and that bet has paid off. The No. 75 pick in 2012 earned the starting job right away and became an instant star. He’s never had a losing season in Seattle and has led the team to the playoffs every year except for 2017. Wilson hasn’t missed a single start through seven seasons, holding the franchise record for consecutive games started (128).

He got his first Super Bowl ring in the 2013 season, and would probably have two had Pete Carroll chosen to run the ball from the 1-yard line the following year against New England.

Others considered:

NaVorro Bowman, LB, 2010: Was a four-time All-Pro, recorded 798 tackles and forced 14 turnovers (9 FFs, 5 INTs) in eight seasons

Jimmy Graham, TE, 2010: Only tight end in NFL history with two 1,200-plus receiving yards and 10-plus receiving TD seasons (2011 and 2013)

Travis Kelce, TE, 2013: His four straight 1,000-plus seasons are an NFL record

Tyrann Mathieu, S, 2013: Two-time All-Pro, ranks second in the 2013 class in interceptions (17) and solo tackles (416)

Keep an eye on: Austin Hooper, TE, 2016

In four years with the Falcons, Hooper accounted for 2,224 yards and 16 touchdowns. The two-time Pro Bowler just signed a four-year, $42 million contract with the Browns, making him the league’s highest-paid tight end. We’ll have to see if he can carry over that production to Cleveland.

Fourth round: Dak Prescott, QB, 2016

Prescott quickly went from a fourth-round draft pick to Dallas’ starter. In his rookie season, Prescott took over for an injured Tony Romo in the preseason and played so well he never gave the starting job back. He won the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award and set an NFL rookie record with a 104.9 passer rating.

Since entering the league, Prescott hasn’t missed a start for the Cowboys. In that time, he has more game-winning drives (14) than any quarterback except Drew Brees, and only Tom Brady has more wins (40). In 2019, Prescott finished second in the league in passing yards (4,902) and fourth in passing touchdowns (30).

Others considered:

Geno Atkins, DT, 2010: The most Pro Bowl nods of any defensive player in Bengals franchise history (8), only two-time All-Pro DT this decade who wasn’t a first-round pick

Everson Griffen, DE, 2010: Fourth in Vikings history with 74.5 sacks, four Pro Bowl nods in the last six seasons

Kirk Cousins, QB, 2012: Both Washington’s and the Vikings’ all-time leader in passer rating, ranks second in NFL history in completion percentage (66.9)

David Bakhtiari, OT, 2013: Started in all 106 games he’s appeared in as Aaron Rodgers’ left tackle, had the highest pass block win rate in 2019

Keep an eye on: Maxx Crosby, DE, 2019

Crosby suffered a broken hand during preseason, and only started 10 games as a rookie. Still, he led the Raiders with 10 sacks, 14 QB hits, and four forced fumbles. If he can keep it up, he could end up being the pass-rushing star the Raiders have been missing since trading Khalil Mack away.

Fifth round: Richard Sherman, CB, 2011

In the nine years since Sherman was drafted by the Seahawks, he’s solidified himself as one of the most dominant corners in the league. In the last decade, no player has more interceptions (35) than Sherman, who has also allowed an NFL-low completion percentage of 49.6 when targeted.

The five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro corner was a key member of Seattle’s Legion of Boom defense. He signed with the 49ers in 2018, and negotiated his own contract with them. He made an extra $3 million in incentives due to his high level of play.

Others considered:

Kam Chancellor, S, 2010: Four-time Pro Bowler and Legion of Boom mainstay, forced 12 interceptions, nine fumbles, and four more turnovers in the playoffs

Stefon Diggs, WR, 2015: Led the league on deep targets in 2019, has two top-10 finishes in receiving TDs in the league

Tyreek Hill, WR, 2016: Four-time Pro Bowler has most punt return TDs since entering the league (4) and most total TDs of any WRs (41)

George Kittle, TE, 2017: Set an NFL record for the most receiving yards (1,377) by a tight end in a single season in 2018, first 49ers TE to have back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons

Keep an eye on: Michael Dickson, P, 2018

A native of Australia, Dickson didn’t start punting for American football until he was recruited by Texas. Seattle made a statement by trading up for the punter in the fifth round, but Dickson’s impressive tenure with the Longhorns justified the move. Dickson made the Pro Bowl during his rookie season and has dazzled with dropkicks. He downed a team-record 34 punts inside the 20-yard line in 2019, helping the Seahawks in the field position battle.

Sixth round: Jason Kelce, C, 2011

The Eagles took Kelce at 191 overall out of Cincinnati, and he’s been Philadelphia’s starting center ever since. He ranks first in consecutive starts (89) among active centers in the league, having not missed a start since 2014. Kelce is a three-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro.

Others considered:

Antonio Brown, WR, 2010: Named an All-Pro for four straight seasons (2014-17), also a two-time NFL receiving yards and receptions leader and the 2018 receiving touchdowns leader

Tyrod Taylor, QB, 2011: Pro Bowler with the Bills, joins Cam Newton and Russell Wilson as the only QBs with at least 8,000 passing yards and 1,500 rushing yards since 2015

Danny Trevathan, LB, 2012: Eight career INTs, six forced fumbles, 609 tackles in 77 starts (96 total games) with the Broncos and Bears

Latavius Murray, RB, 2013: 2015 Pro Bowler averages 908.8 total yards per season, ranks in top 10 in rushing TDs since entering the league

Keep an eye on: Gardner Minshew, QB, 2019

Minshew Mania was in full force in Jacksonville after the rookie QB came off the bench for Nick Foles in Week 1. Despite showing some inconsistencies, Minshew finished the season with 3,271 yards and 21 touchdowns. Jacksonville appears fully committed to Minshew as their starter, especially after trading Foles to the Bears. Minshew just needs to be more even keel in 2020 to improve upon his rookie season.

Seventh round: Trent Brown, OT, 2015

Brown, who was selected at 244th overall by the 49ers, has done pretty well for himself for a seventh-rounder. After starting 28 games for the 49ers in his first three seasons, he was traded to the Patriots and won a Super Bowl as their starting left tackle. He turned that season into a four-year, $66 million deal with the Raiders which made him the highest-paid tackle at the time. In his first season with the Raiders, he gave up just one sack at right tackle and made his first Pro Bowl.

Others considered:

Kurt Coleman, S, 2010: Has played in 146 games, his 21 career interceptions are more than any other seventh-rounder this millennium

Malcolm Smith, LB, 2011: Seahawks’ Super Bowl 48 MVP after accounting for 10 tackles, a fumble recovery, and an interception returned for a touchdown against the Broncos

Jalen Mills, DB, 2016: Full-time starter for the Eagles since 2017, has 37 passed defended and four INTs

Harrison Butker, K, 2017: Led NFL in field goals made in 2019 (34), set a Chiefs record for most points scored by a kicker in a single season (143)

Keep an eye on: Auden Tate, WR, 2018

Tate was having a breakout season before getting injured in 2019. Still, he’s accounted for 610 yards and a touchdown in just 19 games with the Bengals. If Tate can stay healthy for a whole season, he could be a major part of Cincinnati’s offense.

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damienshaw · 3 years ago

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MYSTIC: TASK #002 FAMILY TREE/CHARACTER RELATIONSHIPS

► 001. FAMILY.

Kieran Shaw (Jeff Bridges) | Father

Once upon a time Kieran was the apple of his son’s eye. He was the one who instilled most of the lessons that Damien still inhabits until this day, yet couldn’t even follow himself. Growing up Kieran never spoke about his childhood, he was saving it for the “self proclaimed” autobiography he had been working on for years. And despite being a romantic with an adventurous streak in him, the constant failure of being unable to make his dreams a reality had broken him down into someone unrecognizable. The first time Damien saw, then felt, his father’s hands being placed upon his mother and himself, his world completely shattered. He was only ten then, coping by keeping all of his emotions and feelings as tempered as could be so as not to incite his father’s anger. He grew to hate Kieran, eventually protecting his mother in self defense before they ran away. From time to time, he might’ve heard some word about his father having remarried and moved on but he never allowed anyone to finish their statements since there is nothing but bad feelings associated with the man. Damien has’t seen or heard from Kieran in over twenty-years and he has no problem keeping it that way.

Elizabeth Cross (Juliane Moore) | Mother

Lizzie Cross came from a nuclear family. Her father was a partner in a highly successful law firm placed in the heart of New York City. Her mother was a stay at home mom, taking care of her daughter and husband’s needs always without complaint. It was a life Elizabeth didn’t want, so she skipped college and went on her own journey across country where she met Kieran, fell in love, and had Damien less than two years later. Though their demise would say otherwise, there was a time when his parents truly loved each other. So much so that, before things went to shit, he idolized their love. Even though his mother had made questionable decisions herself when she was younger she had always remained gentle and kind to her one and only child. Understanding and real. She never deserved the bad things his father did to her. Even in adulthood, his mother remains his best friend and biggest fan. They talk every day no matter where he happens to be and, sometimes, he flies her out on his assignments.

The Great Wonder (Tom Holland) | Son

Perhaps there was a time when Damien wanted children. Truthfully he couldn’t remember, but after all of the abuse his father had subjected him to he had given up on such a thought. Despite the fact that he would never hurt anyone unless it was called for, Damien felt that he had other ugly aspects of his father that he never wanted to pass down to a child. His blood, his genes, were simply tainted. Damaged goods. Even after going steady with Jamie Reid at the age of fifteen and losing their virginities to each other a year later, it never dawned on Damien that the possible reasoning for Jamie’s apparent ghosting was because she was pregnant. Twenty-two years later and Damien still doesn’t have a clue that one of his worst nightmares has been a reality for more than half of his life.

Sasha Shaw | Fur Baby

The absolute love of his life, Damien saved Sasha from a kill shelter as a puppy. Having been badly malnourished and thrown away in a box, the veterinarian had no idea if she would survive but Damien insisted that they do whatever needed to be done and he would gladly pay for it. Seven months later and Sasha was fully healed and they were stuck at the hip... the rest is history. As a fairly active man, there is no place that Damien will go without Sasha. Whether it’s traveling for work or various adventures throughout his day—dog park, hiking, jogging, walking to the corner store in New York, etcetc—Sasha is by his side 9 times out of 10 and there’s nothing anyone tell him about it.

The Other Family (UTP 0/3) | Step Siblings

While Kieran was off on those adventures without Damien and his mother, he had come across a few women in his time. It was an arrangement that Lizzie had no problem with as long as he didn’t get emotionally invested, but regardless of what was agreed upon, Kieran had found himself breaking that promise much like many others. While Lizzie and Damien were left in the dark, Kieran had gotten another woman pregnant when Damien was just twelve years old... and continued to throughout the years before and after he ran back to the mystery woman to lick his wounds. Not that this is information that Damien has become privy to even now.

► 002. FRIENDS & ACQUAINTANCES.

John Reid (Liam Neeson) | Father-Figure

One would argue that if Damien didn’t have John Reid as his mentor, he wouldn’t have been as successful in his career path or life. John was everything that his father thought he was—or rather, who Kieran pretended to be. A true artist who inspired with kindness, direction and wise words rather than beaten down deterioration. Their relationship is one that has spanned exactly twenty-four years and, much like his own mother, Damien calls and visits the man whom he considers family till this very day when time allows it.

Nora Broderick (Tessa Thompson) | Best Friend

Right as Damien was beginning to get more traction in his career, he moved to California for a time where he happened to be introduced to Nora’s then husband, and eventually, Nora herself. They hit it off quite well—bonding exceptionally quick much to Damien’s surprise—and were there for each other when various situations were especially difficult in each other’s lives. It’s a bond that has withstood the span of time, even with Damien constantly on the go for work. He would do anything for Nora and he was sure that she would definitely do the same for him.

Matty Razo (Peter Gadiot) | Mentee

The little brother he never knew he wanted, when Damien first met Matty the younger male wasn’t quite ready to show off his artistic skills but somehow Damien was lucky enough to be the first to make him feel comfortable. Knowing the true power of being saved by your passion first hand, he returned the favor and simply did for Matty what John Reid did for him many years ago. When he found out that Matty stopped being a cop and instead opened his own tattoo shop, Damien couldn’t have been more proud—even if he still hasn’t visited yet, they kept in touch, maintaining the close relationship they built in New York.

Marcus Turner (Jesse Williams) | Friend

Introduced through Jamie when they were teenagers, at first Marcus and Damien got along like apples and oranges. The complete opposite of each other, Damien learned how to not simply be the wallflower in the background because of Marcus’ influence. In their older age, Damien often let’s Marcus know whenever he’s back in town for a drink or to chill with him at whatever high end New York elite party Marcus drags him to. One thing they both avoid, however, is the mention of Jamie—and Damien has always been thankful that Marcus has always seemed to have a quiet understanding on the matter. Though he has no idea that Marcus is currently in Mystic and the circumstances that made it so.

Travis Hawthorne (Matt Bomer) | Fellow Book Nerd

After meeting on during the beach event in the Coastline (taking pictures of the townsfolk and filming “positive” testimonies), both men got to chatting as Damien started packing his gear for the day. In that time span, both learned that they had some things in common—mostly, their love for literature. Deciding to exchange numbers, they have made their very own two-man book club here in Mystic.

Emir Turel (Kerem Bürsin) | Business Associates

Though not the closest of friends there is one thing that Emir and Damien share: a healthy respect for anyone who has pushed themselves to succeed. It’s something that they both relate to heavily, having been around the same circles, and worked with each other in the past to great results. When it comes to business their minds are very similar: get the job done.

Johanna Malcom (Bethany Joy Lenz) | Acquaintance

While Jamie and him were dating, Jamie had gushed constantly about her friends. Most notably Jo. Though they haven’t officially met in person, he did recognize Johanna from the pictures that he has seen even from all of those years ago.

► 003. ROMANTIC.

Jamie Reid (Alexandra Breckenridge) | Baby Momma/First Love

The epitome of the one who got away, Damien has been haunted by Jamie ever since she first disappeared twenty-three years ago. Even after they bumped into each other again in their early twenties in Europe purely by chance, did he find himself unable to let go emotionally. They were star-crossed; perfect for each other but unable to be together due to various inconveniences. So, they moved on and it was supposed to be that—despite the lack of questions asked on his part to keep him from spiraling down a rabbit hole. Still, he never forgot about her and has a weakness fondness for her til this very day.

Mia Valentine (UTP) | Ex-Girlfriend

The second woman he’s ever allowed himself to fall for. Though their personalities were completely different (with Mia being a complete Type A personality to the T), Damien adored Mia in his own way. In fact, she was the first woman since Jamie that he had allowed himself to be emotionally available for. She was the ying to his yang; the woman who strengthened every one of his weakness and vice versa and they were very happy for four years despite their bickering. Until she started talking about marriage... and children. Knowing that he wouldn’t be able to give her what she wanted, Damien broke it off after Mia proposed.

#mystic: task #mentions of:#abuse tw

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flauntpage · 6 years ago

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A Few Clues About the Future? Thoughts After Flyers 5, Maple Leafs 4

So, the Flyers won last night, defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs in a shootout 5-4.

It allowed them to officially stave off elimination for at least one more night. Good for them. They didn’t have to bow out of the season in front of the home crowd. They gave the faithful a nice effort against a pretty good team. Good for the Flyers.

However, at this point, they would have to win their last five games, Montreal would have to lose their last five, with at least four of them coming in regulation, and Columbus would have to lose five-of-six with their lone win coming against Montreal tonight and then four of those five losses would have to come in regulation.

Or, if one of those teams doesn’t comply, Carolina would need to lose their last six games, all in regulation.

I know, I know, you know they aren’t going to make the playoffs. I just wanted to throw that out there for the Lloyd Christmases among you who will scream, “So you’re saying there is a chance?”

Additionally, it’s not worth even diving into the breakdown of the game. Here’s all you need to know on that front:

Carter Hart won his first NHL shootout by not allowing a goal.

It was the first shootout all season for Toronto, which seems impossible, but it’s true.

Sean Couturier scored the lone shootout goal. He was 2-for-20 in his career before last night.

Couturier also scored his 32nd goal of the season, a career high.

The other goals for the Flyers were scored by Travis Konecny, Radko Gudas and Ryan Hartman.

That about covers it.

But, there were a few interesting things that occurred in and around the game that I do want to talk about as they will most likely have a greater impact on the team moving forward.

1. Cam Talbot

This certainly wasn’t the most interesting or noteworthy nugget from last night, but it was definitely the first one I noticed. After riding Brian Elliott in lieu of Talbot when Hart was hurt and then also relying on Elliott as the backup for Hart while the team was still in playoff contention, the Flyers dressed Talbot in place of Elliott for the first time against Toronto.

Talbot never saw the ice after warm-ups and did his good backup goalie duty and opened and closed the bench door for players going on and coming off the ice, but I definitely found it subtly interesting that Talbot is backing up Hart now that the Flyers are switching from contending mode to evaluation mode.

With the Flyers in need of a backup goalie for Hart next season, Talbot is more likely to be re-signed than Elliott (both are unrestricted free agents). The Flyers seem to think Elliott is a slightly better goalie than Talbot – as evidenced by him being part of the push for the playoffs while Talbot was often a healthy scratch, but the Flyers value Talbot’s durability more in the future, which is why he’ll likely be re-signed to a new contract before July 1 to be the Flyers backup.

For his part, Elliott has done all he can, except stay healthy. He’s had a significant injury in each of the past two seasons after being pretty durable throughout his career before that. He has come back and played through pain in both seasons and done a fine job.

His perseverance earned him the nomination from the Philadelphia chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association for the NHL’s Bill Masterton Memorial Award given annually to the player in the NHL who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

Each city nominates one player and then a final vote among those 31 players is taken to determine the winner.

Three Flyers have won in the past Bobby Clarke (1972), Tim Kerr (1989) and Ian Laperriere (2011).

Anyway, Elliott is as sure as gone and may have played his last game as a Flyer already as I’m betting it’s Hart and Talbot the rest of the way.

2. Sam Morin

The long-awaited season debut of Flyers defensive prospect/project Sam Morin occurred against Toronto. He dressed for the game – his first NHL action in a year after a crushing knee injury. And even though he only played a short period of time – roughly eight minutes – he didn’t look bad.

A lot of fans want to see Morin as a defensive regular for this team moving forward. After all, the Flyers invested a lot of time and energy – and a high first round pick – on him back in 2013.

Morin, who was selected 11th overall in that draft, was always viewed as a long-term project with high upside, but the Flyers were hoping it wouldn’t take this long. Last night was only his sixth game at the NHL level.

That’s the second-fewest games played in the NHL of any of the first round picks from 2013. In fact, 56 players drafted in rounds 2-through-7 from that year have played more in the NHL than Morin.

Morin will turn 24 this summer and is under contract at a very affordable cap hit ($700,000) for two more seasons, so the Flyers can still be patient, but at some point, there has to be a concern that he just might not be cut out for the NHL game.

I know it’s hard to judge a guy based on six career games in the NHL, and it’s why I think he’ll be given one more shot to make this team as a bottom pair or seventh defenseman next season, but I don’t think there’s a long leash here.

Frankly, knowing the Flyers plan to be very aggressive this summer in changing the roster (more on that later) it wouldn’t surprise me if a rebuilding team would take a shot on Morin and the Flyers move him in a trade.

The Flyers are certainly going to be looking for one defenseman, maybe two, and how GM Chuck Fletcher feels about Morin will certainly play into that offseason plan.

For my money, Morin will never be more than a 6/7 defenseman at the NHL level. If the Flyers want to give him one last chance to prove otherwise, that’s fine, but expectations, at this point, are pretty low.

3. Travis Sanheim and Shayne Gostisbehere

Sanheim actually won the game for the Flyers in overtime with a goal that was waved off when referee Brian Pochmara said he blew the whistle before the puck crossed the goal line.

Um. He didn’t:

#LetsGoFlyers have a goal waived off in OT (Sanheim) because the referee blew the whistle before the puck went in. Regardless of when whistle actually went, all that matters is the 'intent to blow the whistle'. Refs got together after the call to discuss #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/E7SHizhcsg

— Nathan Kanter (@NathanKanter11) March 28, 2019

This is the old, “intent to blow the whistle” rule which is fine if he puts the whistle to his mouth and blows right away, but as you can see, he had the whistle in place for a couple seconds before actually blowing it. Pochmara blew this one. This should have ended the game.

But, that’s all irrelevant.

The point is, Sanheim had a really good game. This coming on the heels of him telling erstwhile Flyers.com writer and HockeyBuzz Flyers analyst Bill Meltzer in an interview earlier this week that he hasn’t been at his best in the last couple weeks but that he’s a more confident player than he’s been in the past and feels he can recover from it better now than he used to do.

Last night was case in point.

The most interesting development from last night was Sanheim took all of Shayne Gostisbehere’s usual shifts in the overtime 3-on-3.

Ghost didn’t see the ice at all.

Now, Ghost had a terrible game. He had a double turnover scenario which led to a goal for the Maple Leafs and although the first Toronto goal wasn’t really his fault but rather a lack of help from weak-side winger Ryan Hartman, at first glance it looked like Ghost could have done more, but didn’t.

Needless to say, Sanheim being asked to play in a spot where Gostisbehere used to flourish, is something of note.

I asked coach Scott Gordon about it after the game:

“It just worked out with the whistles and delays that [assistant coach Rick Wilson] only went pretty much with two defenseman the whole overtime. So, Provy and Travis and he actually had Phil Myers up a couple times, but he just kept going back to those two guys they were playing well. Travis just has a great ability to get up and down the ice, obviously he’s a skilled defenseman and open ice is for those types of players it’s a great opportunity.”

The most interesting part of that quote to me is that Myers would have been the third defenseman in the rotation. Gostisbehere was nowhere to be found.

I know I took a lot of grief for suggesting right before the trade deadline that the Flyers are ready to move on from Ghost, and I felt that unless they were overwhelmed with a deal at the deadline that it would most likely take place in the offseason.

I now believe that more than ever.

The writing is on the wall. Ghost is definitely fourth in the pecking order here as far as future behind Ivan Provorov, Sanheim and Myers. And it’s no secret that the Flyers want to go get another defenseman in the offseason either by trade or free agency.

Whispers are already starting to leak out that the Flyers might go after Erik Karlsson in free agency. I’m not sure of that fit, although he is a dynamic player when fully healthy, but there are other options on defense.

The Flyers could throw an offer sheet at Winnipeg’s Jacob Trouba as the Jets have a slew of RFA’s and have to decide where they want to spend their money (Patrick Laine is also an RFA, so it could get interesting in the Great White North).

I’ve also heard that the Flyers could try and swing a deal with Minnesota for Jared Spurgeon, who has one year left on his deal. That makes sense because Fletcher knows and likes Spurgeon a ton. Would you swap Ghost for Spurgeon? I would.

Anyway you slice it, the Flyers are going to actively be looking for an upgrade on defense and no matter who that upgrade is, it would push Ghost to a third pair role. Is Ghost the kind of player you want on a third pair? Especially if guys like Sanheim and potentially Karlsson could do the same things as Ghost if not better?

The answer is no.

Sanheim’s emergence has relegated Gostisbehere to the category of expendable – yet still valuable.

It’s really a good position for the Flyers to be in, to be honest.

The Flyers will pursue help at forward too. Probably third line center and a scoring winger. And I’m told they will be aggressive in this area too.

Could Travis Konecny be on the move in a trade? I wouldn’t do it because despite his faults, he brings a certain chutzpah to the team that is lacking elsewhere. But, I’d be lying to you if I said I hadn’t heard his name come up as well.

All told, watching the Flyers over these final five games, while the results might not matter, what happens can certainly provide a few clues as to the direction this team is headed in certain spots for the offseason.

The post A Few Clues About the Future? Thoughts After Flyers 5, Maple Leafs 4 appeared first on Crossing Broad.

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auburnfamilynews · 6 years ago

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In case you haven’t heard, there’s a pretty significant basketball game taking place at Auburn Arena today.

Date: Saturday January 19th

Opponent: Kentucky Wildcats

Location: Auburn Arena

Time: 3:00PM

Network: ESPN, Auburn Radio Network

Well ladies and gentlemen, we’ve had this game on our calendars since August and we have made it! Today is a huge day in the history of Auburn Basketball. National TV games on ESPN in a prime Saturday slot is what Bruce Pearl dreamed about when he became the coach here in 2014. Today is a chance to show the country what Auburn Basketball is all about. From the team to the fanbase, this is an opportunity for Auburn to state their case as one of the teams to beware of as we get deeper into SEC play. This game can go a long way to putting America on notice about the Auburn Tigers. Heck, it’s such a big game, legendary Hall of Fame broadcaster Dick Vitale will be on the call for today’s game and I’ve been told it’s been about 20 years since he’s done a game in Auburn. Regardless of how people may feel about him, that’s big time! It’s a golden opportunity to show the country what this team is capable of this season. Yes, there’s been ups and downs so far this year but all of Auburn’s goals are still in front of them. Both teams come into today’s game at 13-3 with Kentucky sitting 3-1 in the SEC while Auburn is 2-1.

Get to Know Kentucky...

Kentucky and Coach John Calipari brings another talented group of Wildcats into Auburn Arena this season. Auburn has defeated Kentucky 75-70 and 76-66 in the last 2 meetings inside Auburn Arena. Like Auburn, Kentucky has had ups and downs this season, the bad losing by 34 on opening night to Duke, while also losing close games against Seton Hall and Alabama. However, the good is the Wildcats have wins over North Carolina and Louisville and come into today’s game fresh off a 20 point win at Georgia Tuesday evening. Kentucky has also given up fewer than 50 points in their last 2 games and have become more reliant on defense to win games this year.

Normally I start these highlighting the leading scorer but today, the first Wildcat you need to know about is freshmen point guard (#2) Ashton Hagans. Hagans reclassified to play on this year’s Kentucky team and after a slow start, Hagans has found his role and the Wildcats have flourished due to his leadership While only averaging 7.6 points a game so far this year, he’s primarily dangerous because of his defense. Hagans is the first Wildcat ever to have 3 or more steals in 6 consecutive games. His streak started in his breakout game, when he recorded 8 steals against the Tar Heels. In league play, he’s scored in double figures in all 4 games, including a career high 23 in his home state of Georgia Tuesday night. How he fares guarding Jared Harper is one of the keys to today’s game.

Kentucky’s leading scorer is freshman guard (#3) Keldon Johnson, averaging 14.6 points a game. He comes into this game after going scoreless against Georgia so look for him to be looking to score in this contest. Auburn has done a good job on opposing teams leading scorers in SEC play.

In Auburn's first 3 SEC games, they have done an outstanding job on opposing teams leading scorers. Breein Tyree of Ole Miss had just 5 points, Rayshaun Hammonds from Georgia had 9 points, and T.J. Starks of Texas A&M had just 6 points.

— Will McLaughlin (@ShootyHoopsWill) January 17, 2019

The same can’t be said for team’s second leading scorers as the trio of Terence Davis (Ole Miss) scored 27 points against Auburn, Nicolas Claxton (Georgia) scored 15 and Savion Flagg (Texas A&M) scored 22 points against the Tigers. So the person that has me concerned tomorrow for Kentucky is freshmen guard (#14) Tyler Herro. He leads the team in 3 pointers made and attempted and has the ability to knock down at least 4-5 3-pointers in today’s game. Auburn has to do a good job of containing him and hoping he doesn’t get hot from long range.

We’ve talked exclusively about Kentucky’s guards so far so now it’s time to move into the paint for some matchups I’m excited to see. Tomorrow we get to see Chuma Okeke, Austin Wiley, Anfernee McLemore and Horace Spencer go up against Reid Travis, P.J. Washington, Nick Richards and former Auburn commit E.J. Montgomery.

Travis (#22) is the highly regarded graduate transfer from Stanford who hasn’t had the level of success so far in SEC play expected out of him. Travis is 3rd on the team in scoring with 12.8 points a game along with 6.4 rebounds a game. Then there’s sophomore (#25) P.J. Washington who is one of the few current Wildcats that have played at Auburn Arena before. Washington has had some inconsistencies throughout his Kentucky career but when fully engaged, he can easily be one of Kentucky’s best players on the court. He is averaging 11.8 points a game and is the team’s leading rebounders at 7.9 rebounds a game. Richards (#4) and Montgomery (#23) give Coach Cal about 10-15 minutes each off the bench to round out Kentucky’s frontcourt.

Finally, rounding out Kentucky’s rotation is freshmen guards (#5) Immanuel Quickley, an offensive minded point guard and (#13) Jemarl Baker Jr. who has seen increased minutes since the beginning of SEC play.

What to Look for from Auburn...

Auburn has got to make their 3 point shots today in order to win today and throughout 15 games, Auburn is shooting 35.9% on the season. Auburn has made at least 8 3s in every home game this year and are shooting 39.3% at home while away from home, that percentage drops to 31.5% away from Auburn Arena. The good news of course is that this game is in Auburn Arena.

The guard play in this game is another matchup to watch as Jared Harper goes up against Ashton Hagans at the point guard spot. I look for Auburn to run and try to speed Kentucky up to not allow the Wildcats to get into their half-court defense which has been terrific lately. As we know, Auburn plays much better up tempo than in the half court so this is another must for Auburn.

Next, Anfernee McLemore has come on strong the last 2 games and in last year’s contest, he was the best player on the floor down the stretch for either team. He had 13 points and 11 rebounds that and made several key plays that created separation in the final 6 minutes of that game. The team seems to be more energized with McLemore’s re-emergence and while I expect him to continue coming off the bench, it gives the Tigers yet another interior body to lean on that can come in and make 3s while also blocking shots.

Finally, I look for Chuma Okeke to build off of Wednesday’s game against Texas A&M where he was more aggressive on the offensive end and posted his first double figure scoring performance in SEC play with 10 points and 7 rebounds. He has a much tougher task today than he did on Wednesday but hopefully with guys all over the court capable of making 3-pointers, it opens holes in the Kentucky defense to allow Auburn to go to work in the paint.

Score Prediction

The atmosphere in Auburn Arena will be one of the best, if not the best atmosphere in College Basketball this weekend.

Agree with Jimmy here. I was in Auburn last year for the Kentucky game and the atmosphere rivaled just about any I had seen in college hoops in a while. https://t.co/gdF9TnBHG2

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) January 18, 2019

Some people at ESPN have been hyping this game up for a few weeks now.

You may have heard me mention Kentucky-Auburn as “an event for the ages.” Here’s the video proof of that. pic.twitter.com/ONYHKpuP8Z

— Will McLaughlin (@ShootyHoopsWill) January 19, 2019

This is a golden opportunity for Auburn to jump back into the Top 10 with several teams in front of Auburn already losing this week. Auburn averages about 91 points a game at home but I think this will be a lower scoring game than what we usually see inside Auburn Arena as both teams are solid defensively. If this game was in Lexington, I’d lean towards the Cats but this game’s in Auburn Arena and because of that, I think Auburn pulls out a nail-biter.

Auburn 69 Kentucky 66

from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2019/1/19/18189041/14-auburn-vs-12-kentucky-game-preview-and-open-thread

#IFTTT #Blogger #auburn #auburn fast #wareagle #AuburnFamilyNews #war eagle #sec #football news #aubu

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dpinoycosmonaut · 6 years ago

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A BREAKTHROUGH TRIUMPH

by Bert A. Ramirez / November 18, 2018

Everybody knows by now that the Magnolia Hotshots beat arch-rival Giñebra 112-108 in Game 4 of their semifinal showdown for a slot in the finals of the 2018 Governors’ Cup. Everybody knows as well that the Hotshots had to work hard and overcome seemingly insurmountable odds (both import Romeo Travis and star guard Paul Lee were hobbled by injuries and the referees, as expected, tried to help the Gin Kings in crucial stretches) in order to survive this game and hold on for the win. The victory, of course, clinched for the Hotshots this semis matchup and eliminated the two-time defending champion Gin Kings in the season-ending conference 3-1 while laying to waste the “three-peat” bid of Giñebra coach Tim Cone, Justin Brownlee and company.

What people didn’t fully realize is the fact that the series victory represented a breakthrough for Magnolia. This is because this is the first playoff matchup win for the franchise over the Gin Kings since Tim Cone was pulled from its bench and handed over to Giñebra in the 2015 offseason obviously to try to end the latter’s eight-year championship drought.

Just look: in the 2016 Philippine Cup, Giñebra knocked the then-Star team out in the quarterfinals, coming from behind an 18-point fourth-quarter deficit to force overtime and eventually win it 92-89 on LA Tenorio’s buzzer-beating three-pointer. Then in the 2017 Philippine Cup, the Gin Kings came from behind 2-0 and 3-2 deficits in the semifinals to beat the Hotshots in seven games and frustrate the latter’s bid to get into their first finals since Cone left. After losing the last two games of that series, the Hotshots would lose five more games in succession to their arch-rivals in the ensuing conferences, extending their losing skid in their Manila Clasico rivalry to seven games.

It was only in this just-concluded semifinal matchup between them that the Hotshots finally snapped that seven-game losing streak to Giñebra, beating the Gin Kings in the first game 106-98 and in the second 101-97 before the Gin Kings came back to pull out a 107-103 victory in the third.

The Gin Kings in Game 4 then looked like they were going to extend the Hotshots to a fifth and deciding contest, and, quite possibly, prolong their playoff frustration against them as they led by as many as 10 points in the opening period. But Travis, who carried the Hotshots on his shoulders in this game with a career-high 50 points just after finishing with a career-low 12 because of a pulled left hamstring in the previous contest, kept Magnolia in the game with 20 points as Giñebra took a 53-51 lead at the half.

It was obvious, however, that the referees were at least willing to help extend this series to the limit, calling touch fouls on the Hotshots while allowing the Gin Kings to get away with more than what’s supposed to be tolerated. Jio Jalalon, for example, was tagged with three early fouls right in the first quarter while Marc Barroca had five by the end of the third period. The Gin Kings, meanwhile, did whatever they pleased, perhaps knowing that the refs, as is usual in big games, were on their side. In one blatant sequence, for instance, Tenorio sent Barroca sprawling on the floor as the Gin Kings guard intercepted the ball, but the refs let it go as if there was no contact at all. They then called a foul right on the next play against Lee.

The Hotshots, not surprisingly, got into penalty way early in every quarter while Giñebra hardly had any problem at all in that regard, as borne out by the 19 total fouls called on the Gin Kings and the 31 called on Magnolia. In the third quarter, for instance, the refs put the Hotshots in penalty as early as the eight-minute mark while allowing Giñebra to foul with hardly any call, and this no doubt helped the Gin Kings keep it close despite PJ Simon and Robbie Herndon heating up for the Hotshots to keep them ahead 81-79 at the end of the period.

This went on in the fourth quarter as the Gin Kings capitalized on the Hotshots’ getting into penalty with more than six minutes left, cashing in from the charity stripe (they were 25-of-31 from there compared to the Hotshots’ 19-of-20) to erase a six-point Magnolia lead and inch ahead at 92-91 before Travis put the Hotshots back on top with a three-point play 97-95.

But the worst call (or non-call) of the evening came with a little less than two minutes left. With Giñebra ahead 103-101, Lee drove on a fastbreak play and banked in a layup, but Brownlee (as the TV replays confirmed) swatted it away after it hit the backboard. The refs, however, never made a goal-tending call to the chagrin of Magnolia coach Chito Victolero, who almost instinctively entered the court in reaction and got a technical foul that Tenorio converted into a free throw to make it 104-101. Brownlee then added two more freebies after a Lee turnover to pad it to five 106-101, time down to 1:44.

If anyone expected the Hotshots to capitulate at that point, that would be understandable. The world and the refs, after all, seemed to have conspired against them under the circumstances. Except that Travis and his mates still had one big fight left in them. Travis scored inside for 106-103, and Jalalon then made two clutch free throws to make it 106-105. After another stop by the Hotshots, Travis then scored his 48th, 49th and 50th point on a three-point play to put Magnolia back up 108-106 with 44 seconds to play.

One more stop led to two more pressure-packed free throws by Jalalon for 110-106, and though Brownlee scored with 15 seconds left to end that nine-point binge by Magnolia and make it 110-108, Lee countered with two clutch free throws of his own to seal the outcome with 14.7 seconds to go as Joe Devance and Scottie Thompson both missed desperation three-point tries in the end.

Travis, of course, was the big difference in this landmark victory for Magnolia, but the rest of the Hotshots also contributed big time, particularly Lee who could have partly shed off that bad reputation in the clutches, Jalalon, Ian Sangalang who chipped in 14 points, six rebounds and six assists (including that feed that led to Travis’ lead-regaining three-point play near the end), Simon and Herndon, whose three-point shots kept the Hotshots in the driver’s seat in the third period.

The 33-year-old Travis, a high-school teammate of LeBron James who got a congratulatory message from the NBA great right after his 50-point, 13-rebound, three-steal and two-assist performance, really defied the odds as he shot 20-of-26 from the floor, punctuating that performance with 21 points in the final quarter despite having been a game-day decision because of that hamstring injury.

“It’s definitely a special day for me. I’ve never had scored points like this before in my life,” Travis said even as he revealed he just decided to keep his cool even when things seemed to have turned bleak for the Hotshots. “Just stay the course. Throughout the game, there will be good times and bad times. As long as you stay the same, and you stay to your principles, everything will stay out fine.”

Former Purefoods franchise coach Ryan Gregorio, meanwhile, believed that the Hotshots showed their fighting heart after that non-call on the goal-tending infraction committed by Giñebra.

“Great fight-back!” RG said. “Fantastic turnaround after the no-call goal tend.”

For the Hotshots, the real journey has now begun. They’ll be shooting for the crown and trying to prove they can win without Tim Cone on the bench when they tangle with Alaska in the best-of-seven championship series that starts on December 5. And for those who have witnessed their series against Giñebra, it will be hard to bet against them. That’s what breaking through against a heavily-favored team and proving one’s toughness against the odds does for you.

(Photo from ESPN)

#Magnolia Ginebra PBA

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cover32-yahoopartner-blog · 7 years ago

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Chargers Best-Case Scenario: Week 10

Currently sitting at 3-5 and third in the AFC West standings, the Los Angeles Chargers are attempting to become the second team in NFL history to start the season 0-4 and still make the playoffs. The first team, the San Diego Chargers in the 1992 season. However, at this point, if Los Angeles wants to have a chance at playing in January, they will not only need exceptional play but the football gods blessing.

So let’s take a look at where the Chargers could end up come this time next week.

Best Case Scenario

Now before we get ahead of ourselves, this is more of a realistic best-case scenario. I am not just going to automatically give the Chargers a 50 point blowout against a team much more talented than them. But with that said, let’s jump into it. The Chargers will face off against a Jacksonville Jaguars team that is sporting a 5-3 record. Heading into this game, Jacksonville is a slight four-point favorite at home which is more than fair for a team which has looked rather solid to this point in the season. Thus, far this season, the Jaguars have been better than L.A. in just about every statistical category but Passing. But with a Chargers defense that held their own against New England last week and proved that, if challenged, they can contain an elite offense, I’m not so sure how big of an advantage that is for Jacksonville.

As for the rushing game, L.A. has been very hit-and-miss this season as Melvin Gordon has struggled to find a consistent rhythm. But this is the best case scenario, so let’s hope Gordon can follow up last week’s solid performance with a near 100-yard rushing game along with a touchdown or two. As for the passing game, I fully expect the future Hall-Of-Famer in Philip Rivers to take the edge over the young buck in Blake Bortles. And lastly, as long as the Chargers special teams don’t cost them as many points as last week(and all season for that matter), I could easily see the Chargers walking away with a 24-21 victory in Jacksonville.

Chargers running back Melvin Gordon (28) Photo cred (chargers.com)

As for the rest of the AFC West, things won’t change up as much as the Chargers are hoping for. The Denver Broncos are riding a four-game losing streak which will unlikely end this Sunday as they face a streaking Patriots team. This loss would keep them at the bottom of the division, and most likely out of playoff contention. As for the division front-runner in the Kansas City Chiefs, they will be entering their bye week along with the Oakland Raiders as both teams will get a chance at rejuvenating some of their banged up/injured players.

Quick Recap

Just to summarize everything I said above, here’s a short recap. If the Chargers’ defense can contain Jacksonville and their powerful running game while also getting a 100+ yard rushing game from Melvin Gordon, and keep the Rivers interceptions below two, they should best the Jaguars in Jacksonville. However, it would help give some padding between L.A. and Denver if the Broncos lose to a Patriots team that has seemed to have hit that mid-season form everybody was waiting for. This loss along with a Chargers win would place L.A. at second in the division with a 4-5 record moving Oakland down to third and keeping Kansas City and Denver in their current positions.

-Travis Baker is a Staff Writer and covers the Los Angeles Chargers for cover32.com/Chargers. Follow him on Twitter @SportsFollower0

AROUND COVER32

The Truth about Jared Goff and Carson Wentz

The Forgotten Star: La’el Collins

McMagic vs Fitzpatrick: Jets prepare for showdown

Sam Bradford may be heading to I.R.

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yahoo-big-league-stew-blog · 8 years ago

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MLB season preview: Mets pitchers are healthy and expectations are sky high

yahoo

What’s that saying? With great pitching comes great expectations?

OK, maybe that’s not exactly it, but that sure is the gist of the season for the 2017 New York Mets, who lost in the wild-card game last season after their 2015 World Series run. There’s no shame in losing that wild-card game. The Mets went through so many pitching injuries last season that it’s a wonder they made the postseason. If they’d advanced any further, it would’ve been Noah Syndergaard and Bartolo Colon leading their rotation.

[Sign up for Yahoo Fantasy Baseball: Get in the game and join a league today]

That brings us to the bad news and the good news for 2017: Bartolo is gone, off to Atlanta to be another team’s treasure. But the other Mets pitchers, they appear to be back. Also back are the big expectations. The sky is the limit for a team with Syndergaard, Jacob DeGrom and Matt Harvey. Some of the injury questions persist, sure, like whether Harvey still has his velocity or whether Syndergaard’s elbow is still OK. So we’ll watch those things, plus David Wright’s health.

No team in baseball is immune from injuries, that’s a part of the game. No team in baseball also has a starting-pitching ceiling as high as the Mets. And you’ll probably take the former if you can get the latter.

ADDITIONS & SUBTRACTIONS Additions: N/A Subtractions: Bartolo Colon, James Loney

Well, this is awkward. The Mets didn’t make any major additions during the offseason. Sure, players like Tom Gorzelanny and Ben Rowan were added, but both figure to provide minor-league depth. That doesn’t mean the Mets are hopeless, though. Their biggest move of the offseason doesn’t technically apply. Re-signing Yoenis Cespedes doesn’t count as an addition since he was with the club last year. It’s a huge move, obviously, and one that we can’t simply ignore. On top of that, the Mets are hoping to have Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Steven Matz and Zack Wheeler back and fully healthy after all four players dealt with injuries in 2016. It’s not yet clear whether Wheeler will be ready for opening day. Getting any of them for a full season is better than any addition the Mets could have made in the offseason. (Chris Cwik)

A big question for the Mets: What will they get out of Matt Harvey in 2017? (AP)

KEY PLAYER There aren’t a lot of expectations of Matt Harvey going into 2017. He had an abysmal 2016 season which ended in July when he had surgery to treat thoracic outlet syndrome. His injury helped explain why he never really looked right last year, and what the Mets want is for him to get back to 2015 Matt Harvey. Or 2013 Matt Harvey, pre-Tommy John surgery. There have been concerns this spring about Harvey’s velocity being down, so that’s something to watch as the season begins.

Even though they showed they can contend without Harvey, it would be so much easier for them to do it with him. The Mets’ season doesn’t rest on Harvey’s return to form, but if he doesn’t there are some tough decisions to make down the road. (Liz Roscher)

PROJECTED LINEUP & ROTATION Lineup 1. Jose Reyes, 3B (.267/.326/.443, 8 HR, 24 RBI) 2. Curtis Granderson, CF(.237/.335/.464, 30 HR, 59 RBI, 88 R) 3. Yoenis Cespedes, LF (.280/.354/.530, 32 HR, 86 RBI) 4. Jay Bruce, RF (.250/.309/.506, 33 HR, 99 RBI, 74 R) 5. Neil Walker, 2B (.282/.347/.476, 23 HR, 55 RBI) 6. Asdrubal Cabrera, SS (.280/.336/.474, 23 HR, 62 RBI) 7. Lucas Duda, 1B (.229/.302/.412, 7 HR, 23 RBI) 8. Travis d’Arnaud, C (.247/.307/.323, 4 HR, 15 RBI)

Rotation 1. Noah Syndergaard (14-9, 2.60 ERA, 183.2 IP, 218 K) 2. Jacob deGrom (7-8. 3.04 ERA, 148 IP, 143 K) 3. Matt Harvey (4-10, 4.86 ERA, 92.2 IP, 76 K) 4. Zack Wheeler (11-11, 3.54 ERA, 185.1 IP, 187 K) 5. Robert Gsellman (4-2, 2.42 ERA, 44.2 IP, 42 K)

Yoenis Cespedes is back with the Mets after signing another big contract. (AP)

BEST-CASE SCENARIO They don’t need 30 starts from each of their five starting pitchers, but if they’re all healthy come August the Mets will be in good shape. The offense might need a boost at the trade deadline, but there’s potential here for 90 wins, a division championship and much more if the rotation holds up. (Mark Townsend)

WORST-CASE SCENARIO They’re forced to call up Tim Tebow! Trust us, it won’t get that desperate, but there are some concerning possibilities surrounding the health of key players, particularly in the starting rotation. If the arms can’t stay healthy, if David Wright never gets right and if Michael Conforto doesn’t take a step forward, the Mets will finish over .500 but fall to the fringe of playoff contention. (Townsend)

PRESSING FANTASY QUESTION Q: What’s the story down on the hot corner? Jose Reyes played pretty well after joining the Mets in early July, finishing the final three months of the ’16 campaign as a borderline top 70 offensive player in roto leagues. His 162-game pace was for 21.6 home runs, 24.3 steals and 121.5 runs. So it’s clear that the 33-year-old still offers intrigue if he can find his way into more regular playing time, something that could very well happen at third base, where David Wright is trying to stave off back issues and hold things down in ’17, something he hasn’t managed to do since ’14 – he’s played less than 40 games each of the past two seasons. Coming off of neck surgery, Wright is just starting to partake in the simplest of baseball activities (playing catch), which is to say he remains a major question mark heading into the spring.

[Elsewhere: Read more pressing fantasy questions about the Mets]

The Mets also have a considerable question mark at first base in Lucas Duda, who has been fighting back issues for the past couple seasons and was limited to just 47 games last season. With that in mind, in addition to Wright’s health, there has been some thought to giving Wright some time at first base in ’17. All of this is to say that there’s a very good chance Reyes, who can also fill-in at shortstop and even second base (in a pinch), ends up with something close to 500 at-bats, especially if he proves to be able to keep up his run-scoring pace from last year (again, the Mets scored the fifth-fewest runs in the league in ’16). As a 3B/SS-eligible player being drafted in just 42 percent of Yahoo leagues, and going well outside the top 200 on average, Reyes could end up being one of the better deep sleepers in ’17 drafts. (Brandon Funston)

BEST FOLLOW By the hammer of Thor, there is but one Mets player you should be following.

How about a "short hair" heads up one time @chrishemsworth ….you're killing me man ????‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/z8iZWkildH

— Noah Syndergaard (@Noahsyndergaard) March 16, 2017

There isn’t anyone in baseball who has more fun than Noah Syndergaard. He’s constantly dunking on Mr. Met, he makes great jokes about his hair and “Game of Thrones” (he’s a fan), and he’s even funny when he’s tweeting an advertisement. (Roscher)

BEST REASON TO ATTEND A GAME It’s New York, so you shouldn’t have a problem finding more great things to do when you’re visiting Citi Field. That includes the standard sights we’ve all come to expect from the Big Apple. But if you target being closer to the ballpark, we’re here to help.

You can attempt to check out the USTA National Tennis Center or Arthur Ashe Stadium. Both are located within a mile from Citi Field. If tennis isn’t your thing, that’s fine. The New York Hall of Science, Louis Armstrong House Memorial, Queens Zoo and the Unisphere are all located less than a mile away from the park as well. Again, it’s New York … you’re going to have plenty of options. (Cwik)

ALSO IN THIS SERIES: San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Angels, Atlanta Braves, Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers, Colorado Rockies, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers, New York Mets, Houston Astros, Washington Nationals, San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs

More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:

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– – – – – –

Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz

#mlb season preview #mets #_author:Yahoo Sports Staff #_lmsid:a077000000CFoGyAAL #baseball #_uuid:f3f004dc-4a27-34ea-b576-bc95d0436201 #_revsp:6b24cdb1-fb0e-4eae-8f3f-41b3d8741f6b

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viralhottopics · 8 years ago

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Here’s 12 reasons why you should probably #DeleteUber

CEO of the online transportation network company Uber, Travis Kalanick, talks at the internet conference NOAH in Berlin, 8 June 2016

Image: BRITTA PEDERSEN/PICTURE-ALLIANCE/DPA/AP IMAGE

Uber’s a game-changer for millions of people, providing full-time income (or at least some extra cash) for drivers worldwide, and a (generally) safe, quickly-accessed ride between two points for passengers.

But the ride-share startup doesn’t do itself any favors when it comes to its own public image. Racism, sexism, and all stripes of gross behavior are a quick Google search away (or a conversation with anyone in Silicon Valley) when the topic of Uber comes up.

Over the past weekend, former Uber engineer Sarah Fowler became the company’s loudest whistleblower yet, by exposing the sexism she faced at the startup, bringing more scrutiny to a problem that’s now fully-metastasized inside Uber HQ. But you know what they say: The past doesn’t repeat itselfit rhymes. And this ain’t Uber’s first rodeo with PR trouble of their own making.

Here are 12 of the most damning examples of Uber-bad behavior that came before Fowler:

1. Uber defends driver accused of assault, and blames the media (Sept. 2013)

Washington D.C. resident Bridget Todd took to Twitter, and accused her Uber driver of choking her. No charges were made by either party, but Valleywag published the tweets before Todd made her account private.

Uber responded to the criticism, not with an apology, but rather, with a statement from the driver sent to Business Insider.

Again, without an apology, CEO and Cofounder Travis Kalanick sent an email to Uber’s press team, where he accused the medianot his contractorsof bad behavior. As Valleywag wrote,

In the email, Kalanick blamed the media for thinking that Uber is “somehow liable for these incidentsthat aren’t even real in the first place.” Kalanick also stressed that Uber needs to “make sure these writers don’t come away thinking we are responsible even when these things do go bad.”

2. ‘Boob-er’ (Feb. 2014)

A lot of incredible (read: disgusting) examples of Kalanick’s attitude toward women emerged from a February 2014 profile in GQ. One of the more notorious lines was Kalanick’s causal use of the phrase “Boob-er.”

Yes: “Boob-er.” As in, “women on demand.”

Observe (emphasis ours):

Not to make assumptions, but Kalanick probably wasn’t the first kid in his class to lose his virginity. But the way he talks nowwhich is largehe’s surely making up for lost time. When I tease him about his skyrocketing desirability, he deflects with a wisecrack about women on demand: Yeah, we call that Boob-er.

3. Kalanick blames the media, again (Feb. 2014)

In that same GQ profile of Kalanick, they gave him the opportunity to apologize for his handling of Todd’s case. And of course, he did…not:

When asked about it now, he repeats flatly that the incident just didn’t happen and passes on the chance to walk back his remarks.

4. Uber CEO would rather be partying than lobbying (Feb. 2014)

Let’s say you’re an investor in Uber. Or even, maybe, a driver who depends on it for a living. At the time of the GQ profile, Uber was illegal in Miami, and so, Kalanick made trips to meet with city officials.

And unfortunately for Kalanick, that meant…less time in the club, getting lit:

Without getting too far into the weeds, it’s currently against the law for a black car to be dispatched in under an hour. This surely protects limo drivers, who’ve invested in medallions. But it’s also crazy. Says Kalanick: I’m spending a lot of time with city officials in Miami when I would much rather be at the Shore Club. Or the SLS.

5. #winning = money (Feb. 2014)

Last one, from the GQ profilewhich was obviously chock full of gemsinsight into the mind of Kalanick, where “winning” or (groan) “hashtag winning” means lowering costs. Which isn’t a bad thing! Sounding like an insufferable ass, however, is:

Well-being of employees and the customers? Tbd.

“If you can get a Prius for cheaper than a taxi, you just changed 100,000 people’s lives in a city. If you can get it reliably? Holy shit. Kalanick pauses to sum up the experience, then says unabashedly: That’s hashtag winning.

6. Sexy girl ad campaign in France (Oct. 2014)

Then there was that time Uber had a promotion in Lyon, France that was in partnership with an app called “Avions de chasse,” a French colloquialism for sexy girls,” according to BuzzFeed.

The app itself sends photos of attractive women to users. For Uber, they were offering its users an opportunity to be driven by “sexy girls” for up to 20 minutes.

Shortly following the report from BuzzFeed, Uberremoved the ad campaign from its website. No apology.

7. ‘God View’ (Oct. 2014 – onward)

The idea of Uber having an internal tool used to stalk users first surfaced via Kashmir Hill of Forbes in Oct. 2014.

The GPS party trick would be an illegal sharing of location information, with Uber breaching its contract with users like Sims. Uber still regularly trots out “God View” at launch parties, but a source familiar with the matter said ‘Creepy Stalker View’ is not a regular offering.

It continued to be brought up as Uber’s Senior VP of Business Emil Michael (see below) brought up the idea of digging up dirt on journalists the next month.

In November, BuzzFeed news reporter Johana Bhuiyanclaimed she’d been tracked going to a meeting with General Manager of Uber New York Josh Mohrer in an Uber. As Bhuiyan wrote, Mohrer allegedly said, “I was tracking you,” and pointed to his phone.

Uber paid a $20,000 fine after an investigation from New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.

8. The not-at-all-secret-plan to dig up dirt on journalists (Nov. 2014)

Uber, one of the most valuable startups in the world, has a lot of cash on hand. Back in November 2014, Emil Michael, senior vice president of business, suggested the company should invest their money in discrediting the media.

Michael, over a dinner in New York where BuzzFeed Editor-In-Chief Ben Smith was in attendance, specifically named Sarah Lacy, editor of the Silicon Valley website PandoDaily, who had recently accused Uber of sexism and misogyny.

“Over dinner, [Michael] outlined the notion of spending ‘a million dollars’ to hire four top opposition researchers and four journalists. That team could, he said, help Uber fight back against the press they’d look into ‘your personal lives, your families,’ and give the media a taste of its own medicine,” Smith wrote on BuzzFeed.

Michael apologized for his actions in a statement to BuzzFeed at the time but has seemingly not been reprimanded any further. An opportunity to take a stand for respect once again lost.

9. Jokes about hiring a racist blogger (Jan. 2015)

Kalanick is active on Twitterlike so many people on Twitter, perhaps to a fault. On Jan. 1, 2015, Charles C. Johnson tweeted:

To which Kalanick replied,

What that means is Kalanick, jokingly or not, just endorsed a man who, as Pando noted, threatened to publicly name the alleged victim in Rolling Stone‘sUniversity of Virginia rape story and referred to the case of Eric Garner as a “fake chokehold story.”

The exchange has since been deleted. The internet never forgets.

10. Lawsuit of employees stalking exes and Beyonc (Dec. 2016)

Ward Spangenberg, a former forensic investigator for Uber, sued the company for wrongful termination, age discrimination and defamation, according to court documents first reported by the Center for Investigative Reporting.

The lawsuit also brought back “God View,” alleging that sensitive information collected by Uber was widely available to employees, who then used it to “track high profile politicians, celebrities and even personal acquaintances of Uber employees, including ex-boyfriends/girlfriends, and ex-spouses.”

An Uber spokesperson said that Spangenberg’s claims are “absolutely untrue.” The company, the spokesperson said, built a system of administrative controls that limits who can see user data.

11. #DeleteUber (Jan. 2017)

A movement with the hashtag #DeleteUber began earlier this year in connection with two main issues both of which involved the company’s connection to President Donald Trump.

First, Kalanick agreed to be a part of Trump’s business advisory council.

Second, Uber turned off surge pricing shortly after a taxi strike in opposition of Trump’s travel ban.

More than 200,000 people deleted their Uber accounts, according to the New York Times. It caused so much of a stir that Uber admitted to having to build a better system to improve the process. Before, deleting your Uber account was not automated.

Kalanick later stepped down from the council. He also agreed, as of last week, to meet with diversity advocate Rev. Jesse Jackson to discuss initiatives. Given Fowler’s remarks and all the examples above, they’ll clearly have a lot to talk about.

12. Kalanick hasn’t tried

At the top, Kalanick is seemingly reactionary rather than proactive in all of these situations. The worst part about it all: a guest post in Fortune by Chris Sacca, an investor in Uber and friend of Kalanick, shows that if Kalanick wanted to change, he could.

But that day in Truckee, I was reminded of how tireless and obsessive Travis can be when it comes to achieving goals he sets out for himself.

He doesnt sleep. He doesnt lose focus. He will even forget to eat. He executes again and again, inspiring those around him to have the same passion for the end game as he does. So, if Travis decides he wants to provide a cleaner, safer, easier experience than the current taxi system, he will make that work.

BONUS: This flying motorcycle is straight out of Star Wars