#also first day since Sunday with no fever. the crowd cheered!

[misseyres]

Russian class was an absolute shit show bc the teacher placed me in too advanced of a class but hey at least I looked good even though I wanted to die from humiliation

[pscottm]

Noted local criminal Mark McCloskey played host to a barbecue/political rally on Sunday afternoon, drawing tens of admirers to the sweltering parking lot of a closed outlet mall in St. Louis County to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the time he pulled a gun on a crowd of people who otherwise would never have noticed or cared he existed.

Despite the fact that none of the big names who had been billed to speak at the June 27 event showed up, and despite the fact that ticket sales were so dismal attendance was opened to the public for free at the last minute, St. Louis' most gun-surrendering lawyer plowed right ahead with the First Annual Pink Shirt Guy BBQ and RINO Roast in the St. Louis Mills parking lot.

Grievance and untethered delusion topped the menu at the event, with McCloskey and a roster of speakers largely unknown outside the fever swamps of the far right taking turns condemning everything from critical race theory (their newest and most nonsensical bogeyman) to "cultural Marxism" (George Soros' fault of course, but how dare you level accusations of antisemitism) to the "radical left" agenda of (hahahahaha) Joe Biden. The whole gun-and-pony show was in service of McCloskey's deeply stupid run for U.S. Senate, because if there's one thing that qualifies a man for public office in the Republican party in 2021 it's a willingness to point a firearm at those with whom you disagree politically.

Initially, fellow criminal and proponent of armed coups Michael Flynn was scheduled to speak, but he was subbed out for North Carolina Congressman and notably dumb guy Madison Cawthorn, who also did not show up. But the show must go on, as they say, and so we were instead primarily treated to the emcee abilities of former radio host Jamie Allman, who lost his longtime job back in 2018 after taking to Twitter to pontificate about ramming a hot poker up a teenager's ass. The event kicked off around 2 p.m. with a pig roast and photo op with the McCloskeys, Mark clad in his pink-shirt finery and Patricia sporting the Hamburglar costume for which she is best-known. At least one man brought his rifle for the pair to sign, which of course they did, after which the man could be heard excitedly discussing how much money it was now worth.

After a sound check with local Deep Purple cover band Perfect Strangers, whose singer Terry Luttrell was the original vocalist for REO Speedwagon before parting ways with the band over its earlier, more politically motivated lyrics, the show kicked off with the singing of the national anthem, followed by a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a moment of prayer. With all the hits out of the way, Allman brought up a parade of speakers of varying infamy, one of whom (who can remember who) walked us all through the Declaration of Independence as an encore for good measure. There was federally charged St. Louis chiropractor Eric Nepute, best-known for recommending Schweppes tonic water as a COVID-19 cure early on in the pandemic; JeffCo gun store owner Ian McFarland, who recently sold McCloskey a new gun when the latter handed his over to the state after pleading guilty to the crimes he'd committed; and State Rep. Nick Schroer (R-O'Fallon), one of the legislators leading an effort that failed in the Senate to defund Planned Parenthood in the state. Pillow magnate and unhinged lunatic Mike Lindell piped in a prerecorded message of support, as did war criminal Oliver North, probably as a consolation prize since Flynn was presumably too busy plotting out his own future crimes to make an appearance. There were others as well, but this event suffered from the rookie mistake of having too many openers, which led to some noticeable fatigue in the small crowd who had gathered to gawk at the spectacle. All of the above took turns rattling off the exhausting culture war talking points that dominate right-wing media nowadays, with fevered rants against critical race theory, cancel culture, cultural Marxism and good old-fashioned communism as practiced by noted leftist Joe Biden (hahahahahahaha) being the order of the day. Allman also tossed out bracelets in support of rioter Ashli Babbitt, who was killed in the U.S. Capital on January 6 after refusing to comply with the commands of officers, and who Allman claimed was "assassinated by her government." That would seem to fly in the face of the usual "if he/she just complied he/she would still be alive" script of the allegedly pro-police crowd, but Babbitt was on their team, so naturally the very concept of ideological consistency is thrown right out the window. At long last, after a gushing introduction in which Allman described Mark and Patricia as "everyone's favorite neighbors" (a characterization with which their actual neighbors whole-heartedly disagree), McCloskey took to the stage to bask in the adulation of the not even half-full seating area of his adoring fans. He insisted gravely that the crowd of people who were walking past his house that fateful day a year ago would have murdered him and his wife and their dog and then burned their house down had he not waddled his ass outside barefoot to threaten them with a rifle, which is pretty confusing seeing as how literally none of McCloskey's neighbors did the same and yet they all somehow came out unscathed. It also doesn't fit with the findings of special prosecutor Richard Callahan, who noted in a statement upon the McCloskeys' guilty plea that: "The protesters on the other hand were a racially mixed and peaceful group, including women and children, who simply made a wrong turn on their way to protest in front of the mayor’s house,” noting further that absolutely no evidence was ever found to show that any of the protesters were armed or intent on harming the couple.

But that didn't matter to McCloskey, nor did it matter to the sparse crowd who had come to watch him hump a gun on a Sunday afternoon. Naturally, McCloskey used his speech to heap praise on the likes of Donald Trump, Josh Hawley, Mark Meadows and others, while directing scorn at the likes of Kim Gardner, Cori Bush and Rasheen Aldridge. That the former group is a bunch of white guys and the latter are Black probably didn't have anything to do with McCloskey's opinions of them, and how dare you even think such a thing. McCloskey ended his speech by bringing his wife up on stage, and the two of them posed with a gun to the cheers of the crowd. One gets the distinct impression that those cheers were more for the gun itself than its owner though, and that more likely than not the crowd would probably prefer to vote for an actual firearm to be senator instead, if only there was some way to get one on the ballot. Honestly Mark is just a mascot, not unlike Ronald McDonald. As the main event wrapped up, Allman directed everyone to the merch tent, where McCloskey was selling bottles of barbecue sauce for $20 a pop. With the crowd thoroughly cleared out and a storm rolling in, Perfect Strangers took to the stage and started serving up Deep Purple cuts for the enjoyment of about ten people. Lightning cracked in the sky during the classic track "Stormbringer," adding a fun bit of synchronicity, if also a sense of foreboding. Equally synchronized and foreboding was one of the lines from the 1974 track, delivered as it was at the McCloskey-led event: "He's got nothing you need." Here's hoping Missouri's voters are smart enough to see it that way too.

[lorajackson]

Michigan conservatives hail protest success – and set sights on Trump's re-election

Protesters backed by rightwing donors believe their growing movement can ‘dwarf the Tea Party’ and keep Trump in the White HouseIt started with a Zoom call.Five members of the Michigan Conservative Coalition – a rightwing non-profit with ties to the Trump administration – decided they needed to do something to protest against Michigan’s stay-at-home order, designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus.Over a video chat in mid-April, they conceived a “gridlock” protest outside Michigan’s state capitol. It led to thousands of people blocking streets with their cars and hundreds assembling, in contravention of social distancing guidelines.The rally had a bigger impact than they could have imagined. Promoted by wealthy rightwing groups, pushed by Fox News, and tacitly endorsed by Donald Trump, the Michigan protest has sparked copycat rallies across the US with further protests planned, and is spiraling into a movement which one conservative activist said could “dwarf the Tea Party”.“We were blown away,” said Meshawn Maddock, a co-founder of the Michigan Conservative Coalition and a member of the advisory board for Women for Trump – an official arm of Trump’s re-election campaign.“We’ve organized some pretty big things, but I don’t think Michigan … I don’t know that the nation has seen anything like what just happened.”The rally was also supported by the Michigan Freedom Fund – which has received more than half a million dollars from the family of Trump’s education secretary, Betsy DeVos – but soon even bigger groups were jumping on board, each with their own rightwing agendas to promote.FreedomWorks, a conservative special interest group which pushed the Tea Party movement, opposed Barack Obama’s healthcare reforms, and has downplayed climate change, has directed resources to the movement. The group now hopes to turn the anti-lockdown protests into a movement which could help re-elect Trump in November.The Tea Party Patriots, another group forged amid the Tea Party movement of 2009, has also weighed in, promoting the rallies to its 3 million members nationwide, while a group of gun-enthusiast activist brothers bought up webpages in an effort to further the movement’s aims.The Tea Party supported lower taxes, but was also accused of representing a racist reaction to the election of the first black president. It is also a prime example of “astroturfing” – where corporations jumped on to an activist group presented as a grassroots movement. It had some undoubted success, particularly in electing a number of extremely rightwing Republicans to office during the midterm elections, but some of those behind the current protests say this movement could eclipse it.“This movement that’s starting right now has the potential to even dwarf the size of Tea Party,” said Noah Wall, the vice-president of advocacy at FreedomWorks.“The Tea Party was started in response to excessive government spending and bailouts in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. This is affecting Americans across the board. You don’t have to have an opinion on government spending to not want to be forced to stay at home and not be able to work.”Wall stressed that activists are organizing the protests, but FreedomWorks is pulling out all the stops to help them do so. The organization has set up an online ��planning guide” for people to hold anti-stay-at-home rallies, complete with printable rally signs and tips on promoting the events online.Meanwhile, it has promoted the events to its 5 million members through emails and social media posts.The influence of rightwing groups has rarely been made clear to the aggrieved Americans heading out to the protests.Maddock and her Michigan Conservative Coalition co-founder Marian Sheridan claimed the Michigan rally was bipartisan, despite scores of protesters waving Trump 2020 campaign signs and sporting Maga hats. Others paraded Confederate flags.Sheridan is the grassroots vice-chair of the Michigan Republican party, and said although this wasn’t an official Republican protest, “I’m sure that the party supports this”.“There were lots of our legislators at the rally,” Sheridan pointed out.Tony Daunt, the executive director of the DeVos-backed Michigan Freedom Fund, downplayed the group’s involvement in the rally – saying it was limited to spending $250 to advertise the event – but he did attend the protest.“The rally was, I think, a huge success,” Daunt said.Daunt and the Michigan Conservative Coalition said they had supported Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s initial stay-at-home order until she introduced stricter measures on 10 April, including limiting the number of people allowed in stores.Polls show a majority of Michiganders support Whitmer’s handling of the crisis. More than 2,800 people have died from coronavirus in the state – the third highest tally in the US – with African Americans accounting for 40% of the deaths.Despite minorities having been most affected by coronavirus in the state, the Michigan crowd appeared to be majority white.Fox News covered the Michigan event throughout the day, with hosts including Laura Ingraham and Jeanine Pirro – neither of whom have risked abandoning social distancing to attend a protest – championing the effort.Fox News’s bombardment of anti-lockdown messaging soon reached a particularly influential audience member. “Liberate Michigan!” Trump tweeted two days after the Michigan protest, minutes after another favorable report by Fox News. On Sunday, he denied the protesters had put people at risk.“They’ve got cabin fever,” Trump told reporters at a White House briefing. “They want their lives back. These people love our country. They want to get back to work.”As Trump and Fox News, plus other rightwing outlets, cheered the Michiganders, plans for rallies in other states began to emerge. Since the Michigan effort, protests have taken place in Maryland, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Virginia – a rally organized, in part, by a Virginia gun rights group.Other protests, promoted by FreedomWorks and Tea Party Patriots, are planned in Alaska, Delaware and Kansas.Jenny Beth Martin, honorary chairman of Tea Party Patriots, stressed that the protests had not been organized by the top of the organization, but by Tea Party Patriots activists in different states.“They let us know about reopen events that are happening in their own state,” Martin said. “As long as the event is listing that the social distancing guidelines must be followed then we are sharing the event with our supporters in the geographic area by email.”That possibly underplays the Tea Party Patriots’ influence, given it has 3 million supporters and hundreds of thousands of Twitter followers. Wall, at FreedomWorks, was also keen to stress it did not organize events, but the organization’s ability to reach its 5 million members is hardly a small matter in promoting the events.In any case, the protests and the fawning news coverage by the rightwing media serve as a handy shot in the arm for less-publicized work both organizations are doing behind the scenes.FreedomWorks and Tea Party Patriots have joined with the American Legislative Exchange Council, a controversial rightwing network that pushes policies by creating model legislation, to create a “Save Our Country” coalition, which is quietly lobbying Trump to reopen the economy. The protests are likely to help them make their case – potentially having consequences that far outweigh the few thousand who have turned out to defy stay-at-home orders.In the meantime, FreedomWorks is hoping to turn the rallies into a force in electoral politics, another avenue the original organizers did not conceive.“We train activists on how to influence elections. Any new members who are interested we will absolutely be providing training and resources for them to get involved and be able to affect the elections,” Wall said.“What’s happening in the coming weeks will absolutely affect the November elections.”

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[googlenewson]

Podiums get sanitized before the candidate steps up to speak. Fist or elbow bumps take the place of handshakes, and kissing babies is out of the question. Rallies are canceled, leaving candidates speaking to a handful of journalists and staffers instead of cheering crowds of thousands.

This is campaigning in the age of the coronavirus, when fears of the new pandemic’s rapid spread are upending Joe Biden’s and Bernie Sanders’ campaigns. The urgency of the issue comes at a pivotal time in the Democratic presidential primary, as Biden is beginning to pull ahead as a front-runner for the nomination and as Sanders is scrambling to catch up.

“If coronavirus has the lasting impact that we all fear it will, it will also dramatically reshape the way a presidential campaign unfolds,” said Jesse Ferguson, a veteran Democratic strategist and former spokesman for Hillary Clinton’s campaign.

“Politics is fundamentally about leaders interacting with the people who they represent, and if a pandemic forecloses that ability, it changes everything — how you campaign, how you knock doors, how you do events and how you do the retail part of politics.”

While coronavirus concerns have been building as new cases crop up daily and as Democrats criticize President Donald Trump for what they consider a lackluster response, Tuesday marked the first moment the issue affected the campaigns in a substantive way. Both Biden and Sanders decided to cancel planned election-night rallies in Ohio at the advice of local health officials.

And so Biden — who won at least four of the six states voting Tuesday — delivered a victory speech to a crowd almost entirely composed of media and dozens of staffers who had wandered over from headquarters. It was hardly the big celebration Biden had hoped for on one of the biggest nights of his 2020 campaign.

It’s not the first time a major national crisis has upended the contours of a presidential race. During the 2008 campaign, as the economy was in free fall, Republican nominee John McCain returned to Washington to work on the congressional response to the crisis in an effort to revive his flagging campaign.

Steve Schmidt, McCain’s top adviser, has said the coronavirus crisis could be particularly problematic for Sanders — and for Trump.

“The raw politics of this is that it freezes the Democratic race in place for Bernie Sanders, who is on his last legs. You can’t have a revolution without rallies,” he said.

Trump, meanwhile, delights in turning out tens of thousands of supporters to his events and has kept up a steady calendar of rallies in recent months.

“The Trump show is sustained by rallies,” he said.

While they have not said they are holding off on rallies, Trump’s campaign doesn’t have any on the schedule — a rare break to his persistent counterprogramming.

The campaign postponed a “Women for Trump” bus tour through Michigan, citing “scheduling conflicts,” after the husband of a participant came into contact with someone who tested positive for the virus at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington.

Yet Trump is set to leave Thursday for a Western swing that will include a pair of fundraisers and an appearance at the annual gathering of the Republican Jewish Coalition in Las Vegas — just the kind of event that public health officials have been urging people to avoid.

The 73-year-old president has also continued to shake hands and speak at large gatherings, despite public health warnings directed at people his age.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover. In mainland China, where the virus first exploded, more than 80,000 people have been diagnosed and more than 58,000 have so far recovered.

While Trump continues his handshaking, those warnings from officials could affect the way Biden campaigns. While the former vice president typically holds smaller events and has only consistently turned out crowds in the thousands since winning South Carolina on Feb. 29, he’s known for his personal, often physical interactions with voters. He often doles out hugs or goes forehead-to-forehead with a voter to share an emotional moment.

Rick Hasen, an election law expert and professor at the University of California’s Irvine School of Law, joked that Biden may have “some things to learn about social distancing.”

Indeed, even Biden’s senior adviser Anita Dunn was trading elbow bumps instead of handshakes with a reporter on the trail this week.

It’s not just rallies that face restrictions with the spread of the new coronavirus. The Democrats’ next debate, being held Sunday in Arizona, will not have a live audience at the request of both campaigns.

One major concern for the candidates is turnout — particularly among older voters, who make up a key portion of Biden’s base.

“I certainly think that it has the potential to cause both voters and poll workers to want to stay away from places where people gather,” Hasen said.

Election officials in Ohio and Chicago announced they’re moving polling centers out of senior centers and nursing homes, which could make it tougher for seniors to vote and create confusion for voters.

Some Democratic operatives have expressed concerns that some states could see a shortage in volunteers on Election Day. Election officials in Florida, where early voting is underway, are sanitizing voting machines hourly with disinfectant wipes.

Kelly Dietrich, CEO of the National Democratic Training Committee, a group that trains Democrats who want to run for office or work on a campaign, said they’re already seeing a decline in people who have registered to participate in their training over fear of showing up to large gatherings.

“That fear is a prime motivator. It’s going to affect your campaign. It needs to be taken into account,” Dietrich added.

The Sanders campaign held a call with staff and advisers to go over new organizing protocols on Wednesday. Signs of heightened concern could be seen on the Biden campaign trail earlier this week. His press aides offered liberal doses of hand sanitizer as his traveling press boarded their plane. And at a high-dollar fundraiser this week in Detroit, boxes of disinfectant wet wipes were placed on the cocktail tables.

But even as the outbreak scrambles the campaigns’ operational plans, it offers Democrats an opportunity to draw a contrast with Trump on presidential leadership.

“In a situation like this, coronavirus or a financial crisis, you see in real time how the candidates would react if they were president,” Schmidt said.

Seeking to calm financial markets during an election year, Trump has repeatedly downplayed the threat posed by the virus, insisting that it will simply sort itself out. But his administration on Wednesday appeared to be coming to terms with the widespread impact as it considered more drastic measures.

To that effect, Biden is giving an address Thursday outlining how he would address the outbreak as president. On Wednesday, he announced the formation of a “Public Health Advisory Committee,” comprised of five doctors and a former Obama counterterrorism adviser, that will “provide science-based, expert advice” to the campaign on ways it can minimize health risks.

Sanders has argued that the outbreak underscores the need for “Medicare for All” to avoid steep hospital bills for people who contract — or think they may have contracted — the new coronavirus.

“This crisis, this absurd health care system, is becoming more and more obvious to the American people as we face the challenge of a coronavirus pandemic,” he said Wednesday. “Imagine facing a pandemic and having 87 million people who are having a difficult time going to a doctor when they need.”

More must-read stories from Fortune:

—Bloomberg, Sanders, and Warren want to use post offices as banks —Politics with your coffee? These cafés are taking sides —Are we undergoing an industrial revolution or a phase change? —How the 2020 election could influence your personal finances —WATCH: What happens to leftover campaign funds once a candidate drops out?

Get up to speed on your morning commute with Fortune’s CEO Daily newsletter.

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[junker-town]

The 2018 PGA was imperfect, but Tiger Woods and St. Louis made it unforgettable

Sure, yes, Bellerive was not the best. But thanks to a St. Louis crowd that was maybe the largest and loudest ever for a major, and a little vintage magic from Tiger, the PGA became a classic.

Janet is 75-something years old, white-haired and in life’s final stanza, but also smarter than the rest of us fighting through one of the several pedestrian bottlenecks near Bellerive’s entrance. It’s just another one of the many points that signals to your brain that, well, maybe we shouldn’t be here. The logistics aren’t great, the course is soggy, damp, and forgettable — a less than ideal set-up for a PGA Championship that follows Augusta National, Shinnecock Hills, and Carnoustie.

Janet also doesn’t give a shit. She’s pulled herself out of the standstill foot traffic and is sitting on a flipped-over bucket, tearing through Marlboros like Angel Cabrera on a mid-aughts major championship back nine. She spots my media lanyard and hollers from the side of the path at me mid-puff.

“How the f*** is Tiger doing?”

This is not an unexpected shout toward anyone with a red media lanyard on Sunday — there’s something of a leaderboard shortage on the grounds. An older, white-haired woman ripping cigarettes and swearing from several feet away intrigues me, so I stop to chat. My short update on the day’s main act leads to talk about the venue, the city, the field. She’s heard the chatter that maybe the PGA shouldn’t be here. I ask her if it bothers her, a lifelong St. Louisian, to hear such complaints.

“Ahh, hell, let ‘em think what they want. Cards are out of town. Gonna be so many people here today they’ll forget about that real fast. This is a sports town like you’ve never seen.”

Janet was right, and so were the critics. This weekend, maybe Bellerive sucked. It was wet, slow, soggy, and a standard pedestrian big Rees Jones ballpark. It was hard to get a damn beer, or move in any direction.

No one ever will remember. And for good reason.

If there’s a moment that embodies Sunday’s pandemonium in St. Louis, it’s maybe a few minutes where not one golf shot was hit. Gary Woodland’s approach to the 12th green damaged the cup, and we waited around 10 or so minutes for the grounds crew to play rescue on national TV. Tiger stood and waited through what became an unintentional icing by Woodland and the PGA — and it’s maybe where our afternoon turned. Fresh off leaving one on the lip on the short par-4 11th, Tiger turned right around on the 12th and threw his approach four feet from the hole.

With a short putt remaining to move to solo 2nd place and within two of leader Brooks Koepka, we then waited. For 10 or 15 minutes, and what felt like an hour, Bellerive’s exhausted grounds crew repaired and repainted the cup. That delay hardly sucked the air out of the place — hooting and hollering and cheering followed for the younger grounds crew workers sprinting up and down the edge of the 12th fairway from a maintenance shed as if they were halftime entertainment. This did feel like a basketball game more than a golf tournament. We just subbed out some hustling crew members running with spray paint for Red Panda.

Then, it broke out.

LET’S GO TIGER. Clap clap, clap clap clap.

You’ll have chants that break out at golf tournaments from time to time, most originating from no more than a trio of quite-sauced bros and none lasting for more than a second or two. This was not that. The chant enveloped the entire 12th green, from the hill on the right-side, all the way around the green complex to where the absolute throng of media types stood. Full chant, on the back nine of a golf tournament, as the sport’s best-ever competitor (sorry, Jack) that we once left for dead charged up to fight for his 15th major title.

Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Tiger waits at the 12th green while grounds crew repairs the cup.

And Tiger, yeah, he felt it too. He talked about the scene, the fans here in St. Louis — perhaps never like we’ve heard him sing the praises of a gallery ever before. In that moment on the 12th, you could see a grin growing underneath the trademark black Nike hat, head down, perhaps a bit bashful but empowered by such wild support. It was a look of man, I’ve missed this if I’ve ever seen one.

From there, we entered catharsis. Tiger’s back nine run up the board sent echoes through the golf course. Golf-starved fans provided an electric current through the course that made the Rees Jones redesign feel more like Busch Stadium than a suburban country club. Eight and nine-deep at points following Tiger throughout on a still well-lubricated Sunday, they were loud, boisterous, buzzing, and, weirdly enough, respectful and positive. There were no shouts of MASHED POTATOES, no phones ringing in backswings. They were knowledgeable. For a city largely new to the professional golf circuit, that’s, uh, not normal.

“The people here were so positive, the energy was incredible, but the positiveness of it all. Everyone was willing every shot that everyone hit. There was no negative comments, no one was jeering, no one was making snide remarks, everyone was just very positive,” Tiger said after the round “They’re excited, yeah. They sometimes pick sides, yes. But they were respectful. I wish we could play in front of crowds like this every single week because this is a true pleasure.”

I wrote about it earlier in the week, but what isn’t here is maybe the first thing that strikes you as you visit the venue that hasn’t hosted a major championship since 1992. It’s been that long maybe for good reason. Space is limited, the simple task of moving people here and there from opening gate to merchandise tent to golf course felt like I-64 at rush hour. There are a grand total of maybe 1.35 memorable holes on the course that will stick with you from an afternoon walk. It’s wet, it’s soggy, it’s damp. Ingress and egress from the course for general attendees can be difficult. Oh, and that’s not to mention the most common complaint: there are far too few beer stands for a city that loves its Budweiser products.

But you don’t need substances, or perfect architecture, or passable walking paths when you have the scene we had on Sunday. Young and old, of all walks of life, of multiple backgrounds — packed like sardines to collectively will an icon into a triumph that would classify as one of the greatest moments in the history of sport.

St. Louisians have heard the complaints, and bring it up with the wrong set and you’ll strike a nerve. It’s a city that has hemorrhaged population. It’s a city that hosted the damn Olympics and a World’s Fair and is now also known as a place that’s lost its NFL team twice. Ask the wrong person about Bellerive’s suitability for a major, and you’ll get a prickly, defensive response. Think about it a bit longer, and it starts to make sense.

Maybe that’s what made Sunday so raucous and memorable. This is a city, perhaps like Tiger Woods, that’s been left for dead before. It’s best days are maybe behind it, thanks in part to some combination of time, competition, and self-inflicted damage. It loves a winner, and it loves something, someone that might love it back. For one insane day, Tiger and St. Louis were at the summit.

Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

And maybe that’s the start of something. For Tiger, maybe this is the start of a run to again chase Jack — a return to his past form where majors become the trend rather than the exception. Maybe St. Louis becomes a semi-regular home for the PGA, growing the sport and breaking down barriers in a city that’s historically treated membership at golf courses more like a caste system than an equal opportunity for all. Maybe that collective boisterous mass of humanity that provided Sunday’s backdrop forces Bellerive into the regular rota, design flaws be damned.

Or maybe it doesn’t — because nothing is that simple. Sports moments, no matter how powerful, don’t serve as a cure-all for real problems. But it was easy to get lost in the day, lost in a scene that would’ve felt like a fever dream just one year ago.

[ultrasfcb-blog]

World Cup 2018: England fans reflect on death of dream

World Cup 2018: England fans reflect on death of dream

World Cup 2018: England fans reflect on death of dream

Image copyright AFP

It’s the morning after the night before and English hearts are both full to bursting and strangely drained. The dream is over; the pride lingers.

So near – and yet, so far. Life gets back to normal, routine kicks in; it-could-happen fades into what might have been.

In years to come, reflecting on the golden early days of this summer won’t quite conjure the hazy glow of an improbable hope come true, but might still evoke the quietly pleased feeling of a good job well done.

Across the country, in market squares and commuter towns, sleepy villages, bustling quaysides, high streets, back alleys, the suburbs and the city centres, this is the mood of England today.

‘Sharing the wins and losses’

Burton-upon-Trent is the home of the England team – its St George’s Park base opening in 2012, so here, people feel attached to a squad who train down the road.

In a town famous for its brewing, spirits that are high, despite the grey and overcast morning.

Tony Lampitt and wife Sharon have run Tony’s Butchers for 24 years and say they’ve never seen a summer like it.

At the family business adorned in England bunting, there’s been a bumper barbecue trade – and it’s not just the till that’s been buzzing.

“The atmosphere is lifted, people are just happier,” says Tony.

“It’s taken things like Brexit off my mind and has given us something to talk about rather than politics. I can speak to customers about the football, and even if they don’t like it they will give you an opinion – everyone’s a critic.”

But has he served any players?

“They don’t pop in, unless they are coming in disguise. They’d get a free burger if they did.”

Outside The Lord Burton pub is David Gibbs – he’s waiting for his cup of tea.

He saw England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford play for Burton Albion – this morning he sees a united country.

“We all came together to support our team. It’s all nationalities, all religions together – we are all there and all sharing the wins and losses together.”

‘It’s brought the “great” back’

A neon-bright tourist resort renowned for its night-time revelry, Newquay in Cornwall hosted an animated football crowd or two.

This morning, the sky is a brilliant blue, the town waking to its stunning backdrop of a vast sea.

Fishermen say that whenever England scored in the tournament, cheers from the seaside pubs echoed across the steep cliffs, almost shaking the sandy coves.

Boat trip organiser Chris Lowe says excited customers brought “a real buzz” aboard his craft recently.

“Very, very disappointed for England of course – gutted. They have done extremely well though and it has brought the ‘great’ back into Great Britain,” he says.

Julie Fillingham moved to Newquay from Wigan to run a guesthouse. She’s out with her dog Boo and described the mood as “solemn” after last night’s match.

“The first half was really good to watch… but in the second half I felt very let down.

“We would have liked to have seen the final and had something to look forward to – but life’s not that bad, especially living down here. We’ll probably go out instead.”

‘Everyone was happy’

The streets of Derby are waking up after England’s defeat last night. Most shops are still closed but it’s getting busier with workers and students.

A couple of St George’s flags can be seen still hanging in windows.

Elisha Nyakabau stopped off at a Greggs on his way to work as a bus driver. On match-days he and his colleagues were allowed to wear England shirts.

“There is football fever everywhere. Even on my bus I could feel it – the difference was, everyone was happy.”

This spread of good feeling was also noticed by bank worker Cara-Leigh Lloyd: “Even the customers coming in seem chilled out – you can feel the excitement.

“Everyone was in good spirits, lots of houses and cars had flags on and kids were playing football with their England shirts on.

“There is a sense of pride again, along with the sadness, this morning.”

‘No black or white, no religion’

Image caption Chris Wilson says England’s performances brought communities together

Sheffield’s fanzone in Devonshire Green was packed with thousands of hopeful, briefly joyous but ultimately heartbroken football fans.

The big screen has come down and piles of empty cans, pizza boxes and broken bottles are all that remain of the World Cup roadshow.

Despite defeat, there is a feeling among people walking to work that the team has helped restore national pride.

“Nobody expected us to do as well as we did, to almost reach the final,” says Chris Wilson, who watched last night’s game at home with his wife and son.

“I felt it was quite phenomenal, actually. I’ve watched World Cup matches before but I’ve never really got into it like this; I don’t think many people have.

“There was something like 5,000 people out here last night, but while they are sat watching they are all the same: there’s no black or white, no religion; everyone is just sat feeling the same.

“Hopefully, that can continue and this will keep a smile on people’s faces for a while.”

‘It is the first time I have seen such happiness’

One of the few England flags still hanging in the breeze in Colchester’s town centre is outside the shop of Samad Nejad.

The 43-year-old Iranian immigrant said he had not experienced anything like the euphoria created by Gareth Southgate’s team since moving to the country in 2002.

“It is the first time I have seen that much happiness,” he says.

“For the Sweden game I went out on my own and everybody was so happy, so excited. Everyone knows something if you are talking about football.

“I asked my brother in Iran and he said no-one had followed the football that closely because there is so much else going on. Here it has been completely different.”

Mr Nejad says all the schoolchildren had been coming in talking about Harry Kane and his team-mates.

“Because they are young it helps you connect.

“When I put the flags up people asked me why; they said I would just be disappointed again but they have done very well.

“I think it will be good for the country – it has certainly been good for the economy, with people spending, but it has also created happiness which is something money can’t buy.”

‘They lifted our souls’

The rain during the morning rush hour in Bristol reflected the change in football fortune.

As people travelled to work it was heads down and headphones on, but there was clearly one thing on their mind.

Working at Bristol Children’s Hospital has taught Anne O’Reilly a thing or two about heartbreak.

So while she was upset to see England bow out on Wednesday night, her memories of the tournament will be the camaraderie it inspired.

“I went to a pub for the Sweden game and it was amazing.

“Everybody was singing the national anthem. Everybody was talking with each other and passionate about their country.

“Everybody was putting their arms around each other and jumping around.

“I really felt proud to be English.”

‘Football has the power to lift people’s spirits’

The tower of the Church of St Mary the Virgin looms above the small picturesque village of Wheatley, nestled among rolling hills five miles east of Oxford.

Theresa May got married here, and her father, the Reverend Hubert Brasier, served as vicar from 1970 until his death in 1981. But people here have been glad to have a distraction from talk of the prime minister.

In Cornfield Bakery – a family business that’s been here since 1972 – Geoff Coleman is taking a selection of treats out of the ovens.

“I haven’t really got my emotions together yet, to be honest. I’m gutted. It really was a game of two halves. Overall, Croatia deserved victory but we were close.

“Football has the power to lift people’s spirits but then it dumps them back down again, that’s the problem.”

Next door is Crick’s Butchers. “There’s a lot of doom and gloom at the minute so it’s been really good,” says Nicky Robinson who runs the shop with her husband, Jason.

“It’s brought a lot of people together with a good atmosphere.

“It’s been a bit like a New Year’s Eve when everybody’s in a good mood and they’re jolly… people have been talking more. It’s been nice.”

‘Every round was a bonus’

The streets of Brixton bustle under a blanket of grey cloud.

Street cleaners sweep up discarded beer cans and plastic cups in front of The Ritzy cinema, which is advertising a screening of last night’s match.

As commuters stream to the Tube trains and buses, traders set up their stalls along Electric Avenue.

Fruit seller Harriet Hunter has a line of England flags above her produce.

“We’re keeping them up till Sunday”, she says.

While she’s disappointed Croatia won, she remains proud of what England’s players achieved.

“I didn’t expect them to get as far as they did. Every round felt like a bonus.”

‘A right to be proud’

Cloud and drizzle cloaks Birkenhead this morning but that hasn’t dampened the pride felt by the town in an England team that “so exceeded expectations”.

“There’s been an absolute buzz,” says Andy Porter as he set up his market stall. “It’s brought young and old together – and was positive for a change.”

He’s selling his England merchandise at knock-down price today, but says he’s “made up” such a young team made it so far.

“With all the bad news over the last few months – Russia, Brexit, moor fires – this is great for England,” he said, summing up the mood in the town.

The streets were particularly quiet – perhaps a slow start after a stressful evening.

But chatter among the market traders could be heard above the seagulls squawking overhead: “Disappointed but they gave it their best shot”; “Heartbreaking but they did so well”.

Kevin Goodman thinks the wave of feeling that took over here will carry on.

“It was like a ghost town when they played because everyone was watching… there were flags out on all the houses,” he said.

“It brought a bit of patriotism back.”

‘It was a bit different this year’

In Middlesbrough, the mood in the town centre was decidedly downcast.

Among people rushing to catch buses or get to the office, they muttered things such as “disappointing” and “frustrating”.

One mum, waiting on her morning latte in Costa, said her little boy was “devastated” at the result.

Daniel Depeiza, 33, said: “You can’t deny they are good, and it was a bit different this year.

“They seem more humble this time – you don’t really hear anything negative of them in the press. It’s better and would encourage me to watch more.”

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Returning to Donington Park for the 16th year, Download Festival returns bigger and better with headline performances from acclaimed rock stars, Avenged Sevenfold, Guns ‘n’ Roses and Ozzy Osborne.

As campers scatter from venue to venue, it’s clear a certain dress code is only accepted here… black, with a dash of black, and perhaps more black? “This is the first year since 2013 that it hasn’t pissed down with rain.” Says a fan passing by. Held in the South side of Derbyshire, Download Festival is an acclaimed British, rock Festival held for the masses.

Running from Friday 8th and ending on Sunday 11th, the Festival gave a warm welcome to fans as they opened up the campsite Wednesday afternoon, enabling fans to settle in days before the Festival.

Here’s a log of the 15 acts we caught at Download Festival this year.

Jonathan Davis: Often referred to as JD, the American singer-songwriter was the first act we got a glimpse of at Download this year. Playing a hectic show at the Zippo stage, Davis’s audience filled every speck of open space and roared with excitement alongside each of his songs. Throughout his set he merged nonchalant, psychedelic, trance sounds underneath his screamed lyrics. Thrashing out a ton of tricks from under his sleeve, Davis rocked out a grunge-inspired, dark show when playing his 2007 hit, ‘Forsaken.’ Nicely accompanied by thousands of devil horns enthusiastically thrown from the members of his audience. Ending with his Gothic, metal track, ‘What it Is,’ taken from his debut album Black Labyrinth, the audience all sing with great passion and rage alongside him. “Download, it is what is it ya’ll.” Adds Davis.

Bullet for My Valentine: With just five minutes left until Bullet hit main stage for a dominant set, a fan scatters through the audience and asks a stranger, “do you guys know where the mosh area is?” An encore of, “Bullet,” is bellowed from the audience as they all cheer for the band to come on stage. With theatrical music coursing through the background and a beam of daunting lights, Bullet rock on stage, alongside the gusts of fire that shoot out only inches away from their feet. ‘Your Betrayal,’ kicked up a storm as fans threw their arms around with rage and excitement, “Holy fucking shit Download 2018.” Says front man Matt Tuck before bursting into their next hit, ‘4 words.’ Fans crowd surf, cups of beer are being flung around in numerous directions, and a nude flash from a crazed teen appears on the main screen. “It’s been five long years… fists in the air!” Instructs Tuck, before introducing their next track, ‘The Lost Flight.’ Bullet played an intense set, with inflamed guitar riffs, powerful thuds from Michael Thomas on drums. Playing some of their best acclaimed tracks such as, ‘Tears don’t Fall,’ the band also played their newest single, ‘Letting you Go,’ taken from their latest album Gravity.

Hell is for Heroes: We caught a glimpse of Hell is for Heroes playing at Zippo Friday evening. “This one’s called 5 kids,” Justin Schlosberg frontman says as introducing their next track.  Schlosberg brought a great sack of energy to each track, skipping on stage, bouncing with enthusiasm and engaging with his audience. Walking off the stage and into the photography pit, the singer says, “How’s everyone feeling, we alright?” Returning to stage with a wheel of cartwheels, and head bangs, Hell is for Heroes thrash their instruments into their penultimate track, ‘I can Climb Mountains,’ taken from their 2003 album, The Neon Handshake.

You Me @ Six: Playing a disappointing show at the same stage, the praised, alternative rock band set their show off with a river of poorly performed songs. A stream of fans descend from the main stage and head towards Zippo, it’s clear You Me @ Six have a large audience to please.  As the band get on stage they start with a steady, adrenaline-driven introduction, applauding the attention of all fans. With a clear, engaging introduction, the track is shortly ruined by the company of poorly out of tuned lyrics screamed by frontman Josh Franceschi. The band set the  show off with, ‘Room to Breathe,’ followed by, ‘Fresh Start Fever,’ and ‘Lived a Lie,’ all taken from their forth studio album Cavalier Youth. Unable to give their most acclaimed rock tracks any justice, it’s clear their full potential of putting on a good show just wasn’t executed this weekend.

Avenged Sevenfold: Setting a far better influence were headliners Avenged Sevenfold closing off the Friday evening at main stage. Opening with their militant, hard-core track, ‘Hail to the King,’ with a encore of  hails screamed by their audience, the heavy metal band threw some shade the moment they stepped on stage. With a roaring audience packed from the front of stage and almost stopping at the Dog Tooth venue, it’s fair to say Avenged Sevenfold had a meaty crowd amongst them. “How many of ya’ll are seeing Avenged Sevenfold for the first time? Welcome to our fucked up family.” Shouts frontman Matthew Sanders, otherwise referred to as M. Shadows. Playing at neck-break speed with beast-like guitar patterns, memorable lyrics and bursts of flame, the band illuminated the stage with a staggering performance ten minutes short from two hours long. Playing alongside a mix of great stage backdrops, the metal-band threw a militant show from start to finish with reels of energy.

WSTR: The pop-punk quartet kicked up a fuss at Download’s Avalanche venue, hosted by Kerrang! Magazine. Originally formed in Liverpool, the band consists of frontman Sammy Clifford, guitarist Tom Hawkins, bassist Alex Tobijanski and drummer Andy Makin. “Download up,” screams Clifford. The band show great similarities to that of, Sum 41 and Blink 182. Their stage presence is manic, and wildly energetic. With melodic guitar riffs and fun, parody lyrics, they’re great fun to watch live. It’s been a while since a good pop-punk band took a stance in the music industry, but I can assure you, if you haven’t already seen them live before, they’re worth watching. “I wanna see a fucking circle pit, I’ve always wanted to make a circle pit at Download.” Roars Clifford. As demanded, the front of the venue divides from those not willing to partake, and a small mosh pit is formed ladies and gentlemen. Their crowd was wild, bright hair colours bobbed their way through the venue in t-shirts with WSTR written on them. ‘Punchline,’ went down a treat, their was one crowd surfer who was taken down, not once but twice during this number. WSTR, you must be doing something right.

The Struts: Consisting of half a standing and seated crowd, The Struts played an awesome set. Entering In a dazzling gold suit, and black eyeliner smudge across his eyes, frontman Luke Spiller thrusted and skipped himself onto stage, with a wave of frantic hand gestures. I present to you Luke Spiller, the wonderful epitome of 21st century glam rock. Opening with,’ ‘Put your Hands Up,’ the band put on a flamboyant, fun and energetic show. “How you doing Download?” Says Spiller. As the crowd roar a response, the  group move onto introducing their next track. Having mentioned working on a new album, for the third song, the band throw out an unexpected new single, ‘body talks.’ A sizzling, pop-rock track with melodically fetching chord patterns. The crowd took this single well. Ending the show on, ‘Where did She Go,’ it’s fair to say The Struts played a buyout show at Zippo stage that day.

Asking Alexandria: Playing the same stage, and opening with waves of glitchy electronics, are  metal band Asking Alexandria. Walking alongside a burst of flames shooting out from the stage (this happens a lot at Download,) the band make a powerful entrance before bursting into their first track, ‘Into the Fire.’ In the far distance of the audience, a set of banana costumed teens have all set up a small circle and mosh alongside the bands next track, ‘Run Free.’ Drummer James Cassells threw militant thuds, whilst thunderous guitar riffs bellowed. With lyrics roared with rage and passion from frontman Danny Worsnop, the England born group played an epic show.

Parkway Drive: Trailing from down under, the Australian hardcore band walk on stage to a militant, enthusiastic and rage infused set of fans. Setting a long introduction, the audience all head bang with encouragement, as the band open their first track, ’12 Years.’ There’s only three words that can describe a band like Parkway Drive; Boisterous, hardcore and aggressive. The heavy roars of screamed vocals performed by vocalist and frontman Winston McCall were beautifully spoken. It isn’t often you see a hard-core metal band in this day and age who don’t show hints of punk, pop-punk or rock. Parkway Drive have stapled a strong and consistent heavy metal to their sound and they portray it so well. Screaming every inch he can give McCall is bright red with passion, fury and commitment. Playing acclaimed tracks such as,’ Prey,’ ‘Karma,’ and ‘The Void,’ it’s fair to say their set wasn’t short from a riot… A rock riot of course.

Guns ‘N’ Roses: Closing the show with a headlining set of two hours and 50 minutes were acclaimed heavy metal band Guns ‘n’ Roses. Having recently reunited last year for the first time since 1993, Guns ‘n’ Roses returned to Download still fresh as ever. Having played over 100 shows in the past, Saturday nights performance was the reunion a lot of fans had been waiting their entire lives for. Opening with their first ever single,  ‘It’s so Easy,’ taken from their studio album Appetite for Destruction; it’s fair to say their fans had an appetite for a hectic show of classic, Guns ‘n’ Roses anthems. Acclaimed tracks ‘Live and Let Die,’ ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine,’ and ‘Black Hole Sun,’ were also thrown into the mix, accompanied by vibrant, 3D production on stage.

Neck Deep:  With inflatable balls flying around, blistering stage lights beaming across the venue and a tent full of thousands of people- Neck Deep managed to catch themselves a giddish crowd. “Make some noise if you’ve had a really fucking good day,” crowd cheers, “that’s what I like to hear- we’re about to make it a whole lot better.” Says frontman Ben Barlow before thrashing into their next track, ‘Citizens of Earth.’ Throwing a�� burst of pop-punk energy onto stage, the bands backdrop graphics are bold, eccentric and fun. With bursts of confetti littering the venue and screams from crazed fans, it’s fair to say the north Wales, quintuple boy-band have a strong support system of fans around them.

Black Veil Brides: Strutting unapologetically onto stage eleven minutes late are Ohioan formed, glam-metal group, Black Veil Brides. “How you fucking doing Download?” Says Andy Biersack after playing their first track, ‘Faithless.’ Skipping up and down main stage as he tries to engage with all corners of his audience, Biersack screams into their next song, ‘Coffin.’ Throwing a 60 minute show of Gothic metal realness, the US band threw in some of their most acclaimed tracks, ‘Fallen Angels,’ and ‘Rebel Love Song.’ In January this year they dropped their latest album Vale, on Sunday night they played us one of their newest singles, ‘Wake Up,’ taken from the album. Ending on, ‘In the End,’ Black Veil Brides successfully tug the hearts of many emo teens.

Shinedown: Shinedown are a pretty mediocre, yet acclaimed rock band, with cheesy punchlines and basic riffs. “England have you brought your singing voices with you today?” Asks frontman Brent Smith, I hadn’t realised I was going to feel like I was at a school assembly at this performance, but perhaps I was wrong? Needless to say, Shinedown still tore up a good show, playing lauded tracks , ‘Killed your Consciousness,’ ‘Enemies,’ and closing the show with, ‘Devil,’ taken from their latest album, Attention Attention.

Marilyn Manson: The king of controversy, Marilyn Manson took on Download Festival main stage Sunday evening. Heaven Upside Down and Remix and Repent were his two album backdrops on stage, until his encore, where the graphics reflected a distorted and delayed live stream of him on stage. Playing a set of his best Manson hits and some from his latest 2018 album, it’s fair to say a lot of us were sad he wasn’t the headlining act of the evening. Opening, ‘Beautiful People,’ by tapping a set of drum sticks amongst the strings of Tyler Bates guitar, the track was unclear for the first few taps, until drummer Gil Sharone stepped in. A roar of cheers and fists pumps- as people threw themselves into the air with excitement. Tracks, ‘BeOBSCENE,’ ‘Kill4Me,’ and ‘This is the New Shit’ kicked up a storm as fans screamed the lyrics back and forth. Setting a far better performance than his 2012 live show at Download Festival, this year Manson took back his crown and took ownership of main-stage.

Ozzy Osborne: This is it, the end of an era… or perhaps just a three day rock Festival that I’m yet to come to terms with is officially over. Concluding a weekend of rock, metal and punk music is heavy metal, Prince of the Darkness, Ozzy Osborne. For many his show was astounding, the perfect end to a perfect weekend, however, for someone who knows hardly any of his music, it was pretty hard to get into the swing of his performance. The trouble with these, ‘rock Gods,’ is that they have a specific audience demographic, hardly any millennial’s were there for his show. Nonetheless, that doesn’t suggest for a bad performance, Osborne still wears his underlying talent on his sleeve. Having previously played Download’s main stage fronting as the lyricist of Black Sabbath, this year Osborne treated us with their 70s hit, ‘War Pigs,’ taken from the bands second studio album, Paranoid.

Here’s to Download Festival 2018, until next time.

All images taken from the official site of Download Festival Instagram account.

15 ACTS WE SAW AT DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL 2018 (LIVE REVIEW) Returning to Donington Park for the 16th year, Download Festival returns bigger and better with headline performances from acclaimed rock stars, Avenged Sevenfold, Guns 'n' Roses and Ozzy Osborne.