#dan jones fort wayne

[jpbjazz]

LÉGENDES DU JAZZ

CURTIS FULLER, LA REMARQUABLE RÉSILIANCE D’UN TROMBONISTE

"Curtis' playing was absolutely incredible... almost mystical. Curtis always said, 'I'm not trying to win any Trombone Olympics.' We all knew he could, but loved him because it was never his concern to 'out-play' anyone. He played too pretty and hip for that. He was all music." 

- Steve Davis

Né le 15 décembre 1932 à Detroit, au Michigan, Curtis DuBois Fuller était le fils de John Fuller, un travailleur de l’industrie automobile, et d’Antoinette Heath. Immigrant originaire de la Jamaïque, le père de Fuller était décédé de la tuberculose avant sa naissance. La mère de Fuller, qui était originaire d’Atlanta, était morte d’une maladie des reins alors qu’il avait seulement neuf ans. Par la suite, Fuller avait passé dix ans à la Children’s Aid Society, un orphelinat opéré par les Jésuites.

Fuller avait commencé à se passionner pour le jazz après qu’une des religieuses de l’orphelinat l’ait emmené à un concert du saxophoniste Illinois Jacquet au Paradise Theatre de Detroit. Participait également au concert le légendaire tromboniste J. J. Johnson. Fuller n’avait jamais oublié sa première rencontre avec Johnson. Il avait précisé:

"He was coming out the side of the theater. He stopped and squeezed my hand, and he gave me that look — the J.J. Johnson look. And throughout the years, he never forgot me. And as I got older and went to school, and then went to the service and came out, I saw him again with Kai Winding, and he remembered me. When I got to New York, he told Miles [Davis] about me and about my progress. And as fate would have it, when he left to do his writing in Hollywood, I was chosen to do the two-trombone thing with Kai Winding and Giant Bones, and we had three albums."

Fuller avait fait ses études secondaires au Cass Tech High School de Detroit aux côtés de futurs grands noms du jazz comme Paul Chambers, Donald Byrd, Tommy Flanagan, Thad Jones et Milt Jackson. À l’époque, la ville de Detroit était en train de devenir une véritable pépinière du jazz. À ce moment-là, Milt Jackson et Hank Jones avaient déjà quitté Detroit pour New York et seraient bientôt suivis par de futures sommités du jazz comme Donald Byrd, les frères Elvin et Thad Jones, Paul Chambers, Louis Hayes, Kenny Burrell, Barry Harris, Pepper Adams, Yusef Lateef, Ron Carter, Sonny Red, Hugh Lawson, Doug Watkins, Tommy Flanagan et plusieurs autres.

À l’âge de seize ans, lorsqu’on avait demandé à Fuller de quel instrument il voulait jouer, il avait fixé son choix sur le violon et le saxophone, mais aucun de ces instruments n’étant disponible, il s’était rabattu sur le trombone. Décrivant sa découverte du trombone, Fuller avait commenté: “I saw symphony orchestras, but I didn’t see anybody like myself. That’s why when I saw J.J. . . . I said, ‘I think I can do this.’” Fuller avait appris le trombone avec des grands maîtres comme J.J. Johnson et Elmer James. Fuller avait été particulièrement influencé par Johnson, Jimmy Cleveland, Bob Brookmeyer et Urbie Green.

Déjà déterminé à devenir musicien de jazz, Fuller avait ajouté deux ans à son âge afin d’augmenter ses chances d’obtenir du travail.

DÉBUTS DE CARRIÈRE

Après avoir décroché son diplome du High School en 1955, Fuller avait fait un séjour dans l’armée dans le cadre de la guerre de Corée. Stationné à Fort Knox, au Kentucky, Fuller avait joué dans un groupe qui comprenait Chambers, Junior Mance et les frères Cannonball et Nat Adderley. Après sa démobilisation en 1955, Fuller avait commencé à se produire dans des clubs locaux tout en poursuivant parallèlement ses études à Wayne State University. Par la suite, Fullers’était joint au quintet du saxophoniste Yusef Lateef, un autre musicien originaire de Detroit. Il avait aussi joué avec Kenny Burrell.

Après s’être installé à New York en avril 1957, Fuller avait enregistré trois albums avec le groupe de Lateef. Un de ces albums avait été produit par Dizzy Gillespie pour les disques Verve. Après avoir enregistré avec le saxophoniste ténor Paul Quinchette, Fuller avait participé en mai de la même année à ses premières sessions d’enregistrement comme leader avec les disques Prestige. Intitulé Transition, son premier album comme leader avait été publié en 1955.

Parmi les membres du groupe de Fuller, on retrouvait Sonny Red au saxophone alto. Comme ses compatriotes Kenny Burrell et Thad Jones l’avaient fait l’année précédente, Fuller utilisait principalement des musiciens de Detroit dans le cadre de ses enregistrements.

Le producteur Alfred Lion, le co-fondateur des disques Blue Note, avait entendu jouer Fuller pour la première fois avec le sextet de Miles Davis au Cafe Bohemia à la fin des années 1950. Fuller avait éventuellement dirigé quatre sessions comme leader pour Blue Note, même si une de ces sessions (mettant en vedette le tromboniste Slide Hampton) n’avait pas été publiée avant plusieurs années. Lion avait également inclus Fuller dans des sessions dirigées par le pianiste Sonny Clark (albums Dial "S" for Sonny et Sonny's Crib enregistrés respectivement en 1957 et 1958) et John Coltrane (sur l’album Blue Trane en 1957).

Après avoir passé seulement huit mois à New York, Fuller était devenu un participant incontournable des sessions organisées par les disques Blue Note. À ce moment-là, Fuller avait déjà enregistré six albums comme leader et avait fait des apparitions sur une quinzaine d’autres sessions dirigées par d’autres musiciens. Fuller expliquait: "Alfred brought me into dates with Jimmy Smith and Bud Powell. And then we did Blue Train with John Coltrane. And I became the only trombone soloist to record with those three artists." C’est d’ailleurs un peu grâce à Fuller que Coltrane avait rebaptisé une des pièces  de l’album "Moment's Notice." Le titre de la pièce faisait référence à une remarque de Fuller qui s’était plaint que le saxophoniste n’avait donné que trois heures à ses musiciens pour se préparer à l’enregistrement des pièces plutôt complexes l’album. Outre Fuller et Coltrane, l’album avait été enregistré avec une formation composée du trompettiste Lee Morgan, du contrebassiste Paul Chambers, du pianiste Kenny Drew et du batteur Philly Joe Jones. De tous les albums auxquels Fuller avait participé, Blue Train était d’ailleurs son préféré.

Peu après avoir enregistré Blue Train, Fuller avait joué avec Lester Young au club Birdland. Il expliquait: "I remember talking to Billie Holiday about being surprised that Lester wanted me. She said, 'Well, he asked for you. He must've wanted you.'" Après la mort de Young, Fuller se préparait à retourner à Detroit lorsqu’il avait reçu une offre du saxophoniste ténor James Moody. Après avoir fait une tournée avec le big band de Dizzy Gillespie, Fuller avait même failli se joindre au groupe de son idole Louis Armstrong. À l’époque, le tromboniste d’Armstrong, le légendaire Trummy Young, était sur le point de quitter le groupe, car il avait décidé de devenir prêtre. Fuller précisait:

"Trummy told me he got $1,500 a week. I started spending the money in my mind. Those were the early days. If you had $300 or $400 a week, you thought you were rich. Trummy was a mainstay with the group, and he was telling Pops about me — I got a little man, you gotta hear him. He took me to rehearse for him, and I heard Pops talking, and he said, 'Nah, too much bebop. I don't like that stuff.' I started crying. Louis Armstrong, my hero, didn't like me. My whole world crashed down on me."

Fuller avait finalement décidé de prendre le rejet d’Armstrong avec philosophie. Comme il l’avait déclaré avec humour: "He didn't like Dizzy, either, so I don't feel bad."

Un des premiers albums de Fuller comme leader, intitulé Bone & Bari (1957), mettait en vedette une formation composée de Tate Houston au saxophone baryton, de Sonny Clark au piano, de Paul Chambers à la contrebasse et d’Art Taylor à la batterie.

Dans le cadre de sa collaboration avec Blue Note, Fuller avait participé à des sessions avec Bud Powell, Jimmy Smith, Clifford Jordan, Hank Mobley (albums The Opener en 1957 et A Caddy For Daddy en 1966), Wayne Shorter (sur l’album Schizophrenia en 1969), Lee Morgan (albums City Lights en 1957 et Tom Cat en 1980) et Joe Henderson (Fuller connaissait bien Henderson pour avoir été son camarade de classe à Wayne State University en 1956). Lorsque sa carrière comme leader avait commencé à s’essoufler, Fuller avait collaboré avec James Moody, Dizzy Gillespie et Billie Holiday. C’est d’ailleurs Billie qui avait conseillé à Fuller de commencer à trouver son propre son dans le cadre de ses improvisations. Fuller expliquait: “When I came to New York, I always tried to impress people, play long solos as fast as I could—lightning fast. And all of a sudden Billie Holiday said, ‘When you play, you’re talking to people. So, learn how to edit your thing, you know?’’’ I learned to do that’’, avait conclu Fuller.

En 1959, Fuller avait fait partie des membres fondateurs du Jazztet d’Art Farmer et Benny Golson. Fuller connaissait déjà Golson pour avoir participé à l’album The Other Side Of Benny Golson à la fin de l’année 1958. La complicité du duo était telle que Fuller avait invité Golson à participer à son album Blues-ette en 1959. La même année, Fuller avait retourné l’ascenseur à Golson en collaborant à trois de ses albums pour Prestige avec différentes sections rythmiques. Le duo avait également collaboré dans le cadre de deux albums de Fuller pour les disques Savoy, ce qui avait jeté les bases du futur Jazztet. Le nouveau groupe, un sextet, avait enregistré son premier album en février 1960. C’est également dans le cadre de cet album que le pianiste McCoy Tyner avait fait ses débuts sur disque. Même si le groupe avait connu un grand succès dès le départ, Fuller et Tyner avaient quitté quelques mois plus tard pour se consacrer à leurs propres projets.

À l’été 1961, Fuller s’était joint aux Jazz Messengers d’Art Blakey, transformant ainsi le groupe en sextet pour la première fois de sa longue histoire. Avec Wayne Shorter, Cedar Walton, Jymie Meritt (bientôt remplacé par Reggie Workman) et Freddie Hubbard, Fuller avait contribué à faire du groupe une des plus importantes formations de hard bop de l’histoire. Fuller était demeuré avec les Jazz Messengers jusqu’en février 1965. Dans le cadre de sa collaboration avec le groupe, Fuller avait perfectionné ses talents de compositeur en écrivant des classiques comme “A La Mode”, “Three Blind Mice” et “Buhaina’s Delight.”

Au début des années 1960, Fuller avait également enregistré deux albums comme leader pour les disques Impulse. Il avait aussi enregistré pour Savoy Records, United Artists et Epic à la fin de son contrat avec Blue Note. À la fin des années 1960, Fuller avait fait une tournée en Europe avec le big band de Dizzy Gillespie qui comprenait également Foster Elliott au trombone.

Dans les années 1970, Fuller avait expérimenté durant un certain temps avec un groupe de hard bop qui utilisait des instruments électroniques. Il avait aussi dirigé un groupe comprenant le guitariste Bill Washer et le bassiste Stanley Clarke. Cette collaboration avait éventuellement donné lieu à la publication de l’album Crankin‘ en 1973.

Après avoir de nouveau voyagé en tournée avec Count Basie de 1975 à 1977, Fuller avait enregistré avec plusieurs compagnies de disques, dont Mainstream, Timeless et Bee Hive. De 1979 à 1980, il avait également co-dirigé le groupe Giant Bones avec le tromboniste Kai Winding. À la fin des années 1970, Fuller avait aussi joué avec Art Blakey, Cedar Walton et Benny Golson.

DERNIÈRES ANNÉES

Dans les années 1980, Fuller avait fait de nombreuses tournées en Europe avec les Timeless All-Stars. Doté d’une remarquable résiliance, Fuller avait de nouveau collaboré avec le Jazztet de Benny Golson après avoir vaincu un cancer du poumon en 1993.

Fuller avait épousé Catherine Rose Driscoll en 1980. Le couple avait eu trois enfants: Paul, Mary et Anthony. Fuller avait également cinq enfants de son mariage précédent avec Judith Patterson: Ronald, Darryl, Gerald, Dellaney et Wellington. Driscoll est décédée d’un cancer du poumon le 13 janvier 2010. Fuller avait enregistré l’album The Story of Cathy & Me l’année suivante pour lui rendre hommage. Tout en continuant de se produire sur scène et d’enregistrer, Fuller enseignait à la New York State Summer School of the Arts (NYSSSA) School of Jazz Studies (SJS). Il avait aussi été professeur à la Hartt School de l’Université Hartford.

Fuller donnait également de nombreuses cliniques dans des collèges et des universités comme le Skidmore College, l’Université Harvard, l’Université Stanford, l’Université de Pittsburgh, l’Université Duke, le New England Conservatory of Music et le John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, où il avait servi de mentor à de jeunes artistes de la relève comme la saxophoniste Caroline Davis et le contrebassiste Dezron Douglas.

Curtis Fuller est mort le 8 mai 2021 dans une maison de retraite de Detroit à l’âge de quatre-vingt-huit ans. Le décès de Fuller avait été confirmé par sa fille Mary Fuller ainsi que par son associée Lilly Sullivan. Même si la cause exacte de la mort de Fuller n’avait pas été dévoilée, il semblait souffrir de problèmes de santé depuis plusieurs années. Fuller avait enregistré un dernier album intitulé Down Home en 2012. Ont survécu à Fuller ses enfants Ronald, Darryl, Gerald, Dellaney, Wellington, Paul, Mary et Anthony, neuf petits-enfants et treize arrière-petits-enfants.  

Fuller avait enregistré plus de trente-six albums comme leader de 1957 à 2018. Il avait également collaboré à environ 400 albums avec d’autres grands noms du jazz comme Bud Powell, Lee Morgan, Quincy Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Jimmy Heath et Count Basie. Reconnu pour sa tonalité riche et profonde, plus particulièrement dans les pièces au tempo rapide, Fuller était également caractérisé par son sens du rythme et sa technique impeccable. Réputé pour son professionnalisme et son tempérament détendu, Fuller était aussi reconnu pour son redoutable sens de l’humour.

Décrivant le style de Fuller, le tromboniste et compositeur Jacob Garchi avait déclaré: "His sound was massive, striking and immediate, a waveform that was calibrated to overload the senses and saturate the magnetic tape that captured it. In our era of obsession with harmony and mixed meters, Curtis Fuller's legacy reminds us of the importance of sound." Penchant dans le même sens, un autre tromboniste et professeur, Ryan Keberle, avait ajouté: "Curtis Fuller's genius can be heard in the warm and vibrant timbre of his trombone sound and the rhythmic buoyancy, and his deeply swinging sense of time." Quant à Mark Sryker, l’auteur de l’ouvrage Jazz From Detroit publié en 2019, il avait commenté: "Fuller was strongly rooted in the fundamentals of blues, swing and bebop, and his improvisations balanced head and heart in compelling fashion. He married a lickety-split technique with soulful expression, and even in his early twenties, he had a distinctive identity ideally suited for the hard-bop mainstream." Le tromboniste et professeur Steve Davis, qui connaissait Fuller depuis le milieu des années 1980, avait précisé:  "Curtis' playing was absolutely incredible... almost mystical. Curtis always said, 'I'm not trying to win any Trombone Olympics.' We all knew he could, but loved him because it was never his concern to 'out-play' anyone. He played too pretty and hip for that. He was all music." 

Fuller semblait d’ailleurs faire l’unanimité auprès des trombonistes. Ainsi, le tromboniste et compositeur Craig Harris avait déclaré: “Curtis Fuller was Gracious and Giving and always encouraging to young musicians. Being a trombone player myself I always marveled the way he combined Spirit, Sound and Skill to create one of the most unique voices on the instrument.” Un autre tromboniste et compositeur, Dick Griffin, avait précisé: “Curtis Fuller what a dear friend and mentor. I really looked up to him as one of the trombone players I put at the top of my list along with the master J.J. Johnson. I really appreciate the respect he gave me as a trombone player.”

Le Berklee College of Music a accordé un doctorat honorifique en musique à Fuller en 1999. Il a été élu ‘’Jazz Master’’ par la National Endowment for the Arts en 2007. Il s’agit du plus important honneur pouvant être accordé à un musicien de jazz aux États-Unis.

©-2024, tous droits réservés, Les Productions de l’Imaginaire historique

[downtownfortwayne]

If you haven’t taken a trip on Sweet Breeze yet, the time to book your tour is now! As summer starts to wind down, the new canal boat from Friends of the Rivers has become one of downtown’s newest and most adventurous assets after a full summer of tours. Sweet Breeze can host up to 40 people and is able to be booked for one seat or a private party.

Enjoy the 90 Minute Tour where you’ll be introduced to our three rivers including the St. Marys, St. Joseph, and Maumee. They’ll cover some river basics such as water quality, points of interest, how you can access our rivers, and the future of riverfront development. If you are looking for a shorter ride, I recommend the 45 Minutes Tour that covers the basics of our three rivers plus a bit of history and discussions on water quality and riverfront development.

The crew was made up of Dan Jones (captain), Mark Meyer (docent), and KC Jones (first mate). They took excellent care of us. They guided through the waters with ease and Mark was as informative as he was comical. He filled us in on the history and the future of our rivers, and its impact on our communities. 

You don’t want to miss this. There are several dates available in the coming weeks that have availability. Book your tour online now!

by Stephen J. Bailey for your Downtown Improvement District

[trans-and-baby-names]

Masculine Names

Aaron  Abdul Abe  Abel Abraham  Abram Ace Achilles  Adair Adam Adonis Adrian Adriel  Ahmed Ajax Ajay Aiden Alan Albert Alejandro Alex Alexander Alfonso Alfred Alistair Alister Allen  Alonzo Amadeo Amadeus Amani Amari Ambrose Amir Anders  Anderson Andre Andreas Andrew Andy Angel Angelo Angus Ansel  Anson Anthony Antonio Apollo Aries Archer Archie Aristotle Arlo  Arnaldo Arnold Arsenio Arthur Arturo Arwin Asa Asher Aslan Atlas  Atticus Aubrey August Augustin Augustine Augustus Aurelio Aurelius Austin Axel  Aziz

Balthazar  Bane Barnabas  Barnaby Barney Baron  Barrett Basil Bastian  Bear Beau Beck Ben Benjamin  Benji Bentley Bernard Bertram Bertrand  Blake Blaze Blue Bobby Bodhi Booker Boris  Boston Bowie Boyd Brad Bradford Bradley Bram  Bramwell Bran Brandon Brandt Braxton Braylen Brayden Brendon  Brent Brett Brian Briar Brick Bridge Bridger Brock Brody Brogan  Bronx Brook Brooks Bruce Bruno Brutus Bryce Bryson Buck Bud Buddha  Buddy Buck Burt Burton Buster Buzz Byron 

Cade  Caden Cain  Cairo Caius Calder  Caleb Callum Calvin Cam  Cameron Camillo Campbell Carl  Carlisle Carlito Carlo Carlos Carlton  Carmine Carson Carter Casper Caspian Cassian  Cassias Cato Cecil Cedar Cedric Cesar Chad Chadwick  Chance Charles Charlton Chase Chauncey Chester Chidi Chip  Christoff Christoph Christopher Christian Chuck Cian Cillian  Clarence Clark Claud Clay Clayton Cliff Clifford Clint Clinton  Clyde Coby Cody Colby Cole Collin Colt Colton Conan Connor Conrad  Constantine Cooper Copper Corbin Cornelius Cory Cosmo Cosmos Costas Craig Crispin Cruz Curt Curtis Cyrus

Dale  Dallas  Dalton Damien  Damon Dan Dane Daniel  Dante Darius Darrel Darren  Dash Dashiell Davey David Dawson  Dax Daxton Deacon Dean DeAndre Declan  Demetrius Denali Dennis Denny Denzel Derek  Derrick Des Desmond Dewey Dex Dexter Diego Diesel  Dion Dirk Dixon Dmitri Dominic Donatello Donovan Dorian  Doug Douglas Draco Drew Duke Duncan Dustin Dusty Dwayne Dwight  Dylan Dyson 

Earl  Easton  Edgar Edmund  Eduardo Edward Edwin  Egon Eli Elijah Elias  Elliott Ellis Elroy Elton  Emanuel Emeric Emerson Emery  Emil Emiliano Emmett Emrys Enrique  Enzo Eric Ernest Ernesto Ernie Esteban  Ethan Eugene Eustace Euvan Evan Evander Everett  Ezekiel Ezra 

Fabian  Fabio Falcon  Faustus Felix Ferdinand  Fergus Ferguson Fernando Fidel  Fido Finbar Findlay Finn Finnley  Fionn Fisher Fitz Fletcher Flint Florence  Florian Ford Forrest Fort Foster Fowler Fox  Francesco Francis Francisco Franco Frank Frankie  Franklin Fred Freddy Fredrick Frederico

Gabe  Gabriel  Gael Gage  Gale Galen Garfield Garrett Gaston Gatsby  Gavin Geoffrey Geordie George  Gerald Gerard Gideon Gil Gilbert  Gilberto Giovanni Glenn Gordon Gordy  Grady Graham Grant Gray Grayson Gregg  Gregory Grey Griffin Griffith Grover Gunner  Gunther Gus Gustavo Guy 

Hades  Hal Hamilton  Hank Hans Harley Harrison  Harry Hawk Hayden Hayes Heath Hector  Henrik Hendrix Henry Herb Herbert Herbie  Hercules Hermes Hershel Hiram Holden Howard  Howie Hudson Hugo Humphrey Hunter Hux Huxley 

Ian Igor Iker Irvin Isaac Isaiah Ivan 

Jace  Jack Jackson  Jacob Jaques Jaden  Jake Jalen Jamal James  Jameson Jared Jason Jax  Jay Jed Jedidiah Jefferson  Jeffrey Jeremiah Jeremy Jerome  Jerry Jesus Jethro Jett Jim Jimmy  Joe Joel Johan Johannes John Johnny Jonah  Jonas Jonathan Jones Jordan Jose Joseph Joshua  Josiah Juan Juanito Judah Judas Judd Jude Jules Julian  Julien Julio Julius Junior Jupiter Jurgen Justice Justin Justus 

Kaden  Kai Kaiser  Kale Kaleb Kane  Keane Keanu Keaton  Keegan Keenan Keith  Kellen Kenan Kendrick  Kenneth Kenzo Keoni Kevin Khalid  Kian Kieran Kiernan Kingsley Kingston Killian  Kip Kwan Kyle

Lachlan  Lake Lamar  Lance Lancelot  Landon Lane Larkin  Larry Lars Laurence Laurent  Lawrence Lawson Lazlo Legend Leif  Leith Leland Leo Leon Leonardo Leopold  Leroy Levi Liam Lincoln Linden Logan Loki  London Lonnie Lonny Lorcan Lorenzo Lou Louie  Louis Luc Luca Lucas Lucian Lucky Luke Lupe Luther

Maddox  Maksim Malachi  Malachy Malakai Malcolm  Malik Manfred Manny Marcel Marcello  Marcellus Marcio Marcius Marco Marcos  Marcus Marian Marino Mario Marius Mark  Marlin Marlon Marmaduke Marques Mars Marshall  Martin Marty Marvel Marvin Massimo Mason Matt Matteo  Matthew Maurice Maverick Max Maximilian Maximus Maxwell  Melvin Mercury Meredith Merritt Micah Michael Miguel Miles  Milo Mitchell Moe Monte Montgomery Murdoch Murphy Murray Murtagh  Murtaugh Myles

Nathan  Nathaniel  Ned Nelson  Nemo Neo Neon  Neptune Neville  Newt Newton Nick  Nicky Nicola Nicolai  Nicholas Niko Noah Noel Nolan  Norm Norman Novak 

Obadiah  Octavio Octavius  Odin Olaf Oleg Oliver  Olivier Omar Orion Orlando  Orville Osborn Oscar Oso Osvaldo  Oswald Ottis Otto Owen Oz Ozzy

Pablo  Palmer Panther  Parker Pascal Patrick Paul  Paxton Pedro Penn Percival Percy Perseus  Peter Peyton Phil Philip Phineas Phoenix Pier  Pierce Pierre Pilot Pluto Porter Poseidon Preston  Prince Prosper

Qadir  Quincy Quinn  Quinton 

Raiden  Ralph Ramone  Ramses Randall Randolph  Randy Raphael Ravi Ray Raymond Red  Reece Reggie Reginald Regis Reid Remington  Reuben Rex Reynald Reynaldo Reynard Rhett Rhys  Ricardo Richard Richie Richmond Rick Ricky Rico Ridge  Riley Rio Riordan River Robert Roberto Robbie Rocco Rocky  Rodney Rodrigo Roger Ricky Riley Rod Rodrick Roger Roland  Roman Romeo Ross Rowan Rudy Rufus Russell Ryder Ryker Rylan Ryland 

Salem  Salvador  Salvator Sam  Samir Sampson Samson  Samuel Sander Sandford Sanjay  Santiago Saul Sawyer Scott Sean Sebastian  Septimus Serge Sergio Seth Seus Seymour Shane  Shawn Shayne Sheldon Shepherd Sherlock Sherman Shin Sidney  Sigmund Silas Silver Silvester Simon Sinclair Sinjin Sirius  Slade Slate Sol Solomon Sonny Sparrow Spartacus Spencer Spike  Soren Stan Stanford Stanley Steele Stephen Steven Stevie Stone Sven Summit  Sullivan Sully Sylvester

Tad  Tag Talon  Tanner Tate  Ted Teddy Teo Teodor  Teodoro Terence Terrell  Terry Tex Thad Thaddeus Thane  Thatcher Theo Theoden Theodore Thomas  Thor Thorn Tiberius Tiger Tito Titus Timothy  Titus Tobias Toby Tommy Tony Topher Trace Travis  Trent Trenton Trev Trevor Trey Tristan Troy Truman Tucker  Tudor Tullio Tullius Tully Tycho Tyler Tyrell Tyrese Tyrone  Tyson

Uberto  Ulric Ulrich  Ulysses Uriah Urban Urijah  Uriel

Van  Vance  Vaugn Victor  Vince Vincenco Vincent  Vinny Virgil Vlad Vladimir 

Wade  Walden  Waldo Walker  Wallace Wally Walt  Walter Warner Warren  Watson Waylon Wayne Wendall  Wesley Westley Weston Wilbert  Wilbur Wilder Wiley Wilfred Will William  Winston Wolf Wolfe Wolfgang Woodrow Wyatt 

Xander  Xavier Xavion  Xenon

Yael  Yahir York Yosef  Yousef Yusef

Zac  Zach Zachariah  Zacharias Zachary Zack  Zander Zane Zayden Zeke  Zeus Ziggy Zion Zoltan

[heroicadventurists]

Comic Con @ Home panel and exhibitor list (so far)

Source: Comic-Con@Home

Source: SDCC unofficial blog

TV & Movies

American Dad: Ever wanted to learn how to draw one of your favorite AD! characters? Now is your chance, join show Supervising Director, Brent Woods, as he teaches the cast and executive producers how to draw Roger! Grab a sketchbook & pens and learn to draw everyone’s favorite alien alongside Rachael MacFarlane (Hayley), Wendy Schaal (Francine), Scott Grimes (Steve), Dee Bradley Baker (Klaus) and EPs Nic Wegener and Joe Chandler as they chat about the current season and look toward the series’ 300th episode airing on TBS this fall.

[NEW] Archer (July 24 at 5PM PT): with Aisha Tyler, Chris Parnell, Judy Greer, Lucky Yates, Amber Nash, and moderated by Casey Willis.

The Blacklist

Bill & Ted Face the Music: with stars Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves, as well as Wyld Stallyns, Samara Weaving, Brigette Lundy-Paine, William Sadler, and director Dean Parisot and writers Ed Solomon and Chris Matheson. Moderated by Kevin Smith.

[NEW] Blast Off with Disney+’s The Right Stuff (July 25 at 1PM PT).

Bless the Harts: Join the Harts, in quarantine of course, for a Paint & Sip! Watch Kristen Wiig (Jenny Hart), Maya Rudolph (Betty Hart), Ike Barinholtz (Wayne Edwards), Jillian Bell (Violet Hart) and Fortune Feimster (Brenda) with executive producers Phil Lord, Chris Miller and Andy Bobrow try to recreate Bless The Harts characters while chatting about their favorite moments from season one, what they’re looking forward to in season two on FOX this Fall and how they’ve kept busy during quarantine while drinking the show’s favorite drink – boxed wine!

Bob’s Burgers: The Emmy Award-winning animated FOX series “Bob’s Burgers” invites fans into their homes for a virtual panel with all of the laughs and surprises they generally bring to the Indigo Ballroom. Creator and executive producer Loren Bouchard will break news about the upcoming season, and the always entertaining cast including H. Jon Benjamin, John Roberts, Kristen Schaal, Eugene Mirman, Dan Mintz and Larry Murphy will have you howling with laughter with never-before-seen footage, followed by a lively panel discussion and fan Q&A.

Constantine: 15th Anniversary Reunion: with Keanu Reeves, director Francis Lawrence, and Akiva Goldsman.

Crossing Swords: Hulu Original Crossing Swordsfollows Patrick, a good hearted peasant who lands a coveted squire position at the royal castle. His dream job quickly turns into a nightmare when he learns his beloved kingdom is run by a hornet’s nest of horny monarchs, crooks and charlatans. Even worse, Patrick’s valor made him the black sheep in his family, and now his criminal siblings have returned to make his life hell. War, murder, full frontal nudity—who knew brightly colored peg people led such exciting lives? With Scott Mantz, Seth Green, Alanna Ubach, Tara Strong, Yvette Nicole Brown, Adam Pally, Tom Root, John Harvatine IV, and Adam Ray.

A Conversation with Nathan Fillion: Showrunner Alexi Hawley (“The Rookie”) talks with Nathan Fillion (“Firefly,” “Castle,” “The Rookie”) about his career in film and television. With special appearances by Joss Whedon, Alan Tudyk, Gina Torres, Mekia Cox, Molly Quinn, Seamus Dever and Jon Huertas.

Director’s on Directing: with Robert Rodriguez, Colin Trevorrow, and Joseph Kosinski.

The Dragon Prince: with creators Aaron Ehasz and Justin Richmond, as well as voice cast Jack Desena, Paula Burrows, Sasha Rojen, Erik Todd Dellums, Jason Simpson, Jesse Inocalla, and Racquel Belmonte

Duncanville: Join executive producers Mike & Julie Scully, executive producer and star, Amy Poehler, along with stars Ty Burrell, Riki Lindhome, Joy Osmanski, Yassir Lester, Betsy Sodaro and guest stars Rashida Jones and Wiz Khalifa for an exclusive first look at the upcoming second season; returning next Spring on FOX.

Emily the Strange: with creator Rob Reger and illustrator Buzz Parker

Family Guy: Join cast Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Mila Kunis, Seth Green and executive producers Rich Appel, Alec Sulkin and Kara Vallow from FOX’s hit animated comedy “Family Guy” as we celebrate 350 episodes with a virtual table read! After, we’ll take a look back at some of our favorite moments from the last 18 seasons, plus a special sneak peek at the hilarity and hi-jinx coming up in our 19th season premiering this fall on FOX!

Fear the Walking Dead: Fear the Walking Dead will present a panel for the series’ upcoming sixth season, premiering later this year. Moderated by Hardwick, the panel will feature Gimple, Showrunners and Executive Producers Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg and cast members Lennie James, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Colman Domingo, Danay Garcia, Karen David, Jenna Elfman and Rubén Blades.

G-Loc: with director Tom Paton, and stars Stephen Moyer, Tala Gouveia, Casper Van Dien, and John Rhys-Davies. Moderated by Jacob Oller.

The Goldbergs: with cast members Wendi McLendon-Covey, Sean Giambrone, Troy Gentile, George Segal, Hayley Orrantia, and Sam Lerner

Helstrom: As the son and daughter of a mysterious and powerful serial killer, Hulu Original Helstrom follows Daimon (Tom Austen) and Ana Helstrom (Sydney Lemmon), and their complicated dynamic, as they track down the worst of humanity — each with their own attitude and skills.

HOOPS: The star-studded voice cast of “Hoops,” a new adult animated series for Netflix launching this summer from 20th Century Fox Television (“The Simpsons,” “Family Guy,” “Bob’s Burgers”), gathered for an irreverent-in-the-best-way conversation about coming together to make this show that follows a foul-mouthed high school basketball coach who is sure he’ll hit the big leagues if he can only turn his terrible team around. Voice stars Jake Johnson, Rob Riggle, Ron Funches, Natasha Leggero, Cleo King and A.D. Miles join creator and executive producer Ben Hoffman and moderator/ guest voice star Max Greenfield (Johnson’s former “New Girl” co-star) for a truly wild and hilarious Q&A. Fans will be treated to an exclusive first look at footage from the premiere episode. “Hoops” comes from writer-comedian Ben Hoffman (“The Late Late Show with James Corden,” “Archer”), Phil Lord and Chris Miller (“The Lego Movie”), with animation produced by Bento Box (“Bob’s Burgers”).

Kevin Smith: You know what this is.

LGBTQ Representation on TV: with Jamie Chung (Once Upon A Time), Jamie Clayton (Roswell: New Mexico), Wilson Cruz (Star Trek: Discovery), Tatiana Maslany (Perry Mason, Orphan Black), Anthony Rapp (Star Trek: Discovery), J. August Richards (Council of Dads, Angel, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Harry Shum, Jr. (Shadowhunters) and Brian Michael Smith (9-1-1: Lone Star). The panel will be moderated by TV Guide Magazine West Coast Bureau Chief Jim Halterman.

[NEW] A Look Inside Marvel’s 616 on Disney+ (July 23 at 1PM PT).

Motherland: Fort Salen: TBA

NEXT: Coming to FOX in Fall 2020, “NEXT” arrives at Comic-Con@Home with a sneak peek of the thrilling opening scene of the propulsive, fact-based thriller about the emergence of a deadly, rogue artificial intelligence that combines pulse-pounding action with an examination of how technology is invading our lives and transforming us in ways we don’t yet understand. “NEXT” stars John Slattery (“Mad Men”) as a Silicon Valley pioneer, who teams with cybercrime agent Fernanda Andrade (“The First”), to fight a villain unlike anything we’ve ever seen. Panelists will include creator and executive producer Manny Coto (“24”), John Slattery, Fernanda Andrade, Michael Mosley (“Ozark”), Jason Butler Harner (“Ozark”) and Eve Harlow (“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”) for a fascinating conversation about the new series and how AI and technology infiltrates all of our lives, moderated by Thrillist’s Esther Zuckerman.

NOS4A2: Moderated by Entertainment Weekly’s Clark Collis, the panel will feature Showrunner and Executive Producer Jami O’Brien, Executive Producer Joe Hill and cast member Zachary Quinto.

[NEW] Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Candace Against the Universe (12PM PT).

Rooster Teeth: Yssa Badiola, Torrian Crawford, Barbara Dunkelman, Fiona Nova, Kerry Shawcross, and special guest F.J. DeSanto are going to virtually smack you in the face with exclusive reveals and new information about Recorded by Arizal, Red vs. Blue Zero, RWBY Volume 8, and Transformers War For Cybertron: Siege.

The Simpsons: They’ll never stop The Simpsons!…from appearing at Comic-Con; this time on zoom. Join Al Jean, Matt Selman, David Silverman, Carolyn Omine, Mike B. Anderson and moderator Yeardley Smith. Find out how the show has surmounted social distancing and turbulent times en route to season 32!

Solar Opposites: Your favorite Shlorpians are getting together for Comic-Con at Home! As Hulu’s most-watched original comedy premiere to date, “Solar Opposites” centers around a team of four aliens who escape their exploding home world only to crash land into a move-in ready home in suburban America. They are evenly split on whether Earth is awful or awesome, while protecting the Pupa, a living super computer that will one day evolve into its true form, consume them and terraform the Earth… Join Justin Roiland (“Korvo”), Thomas Middleditch (“Terry”), Sean Giambrone (“Yumyulack”), Mary Mack (“Jesse”) and executive producers Mike McMahan and Josh Bycel for all things “Solar Opposites” including an exclusive clip from the upcoming second season!

Stumptown: with cast members Jake Johnson, Cobie Smulders, and Michael Ealy

TV Guide Magazine’s Fan Favorites: Hale Appleman (The Magicians), Chris Chalk (Gotham, Perry Mason), Robbie Amell (Upload), Kennedy McMann (Nancy Drew), Jeri Ryan (Star Trek: Picard), Richard Harmon (The 100), Lindsey Morgan (The 100), Harvey Guillen (What We Do in the Shadows), and Alex Newell (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist)

The Walking Dead: The Walking Dead will make its 11th San Diego Comic-Con appearance with a panel spotlighting the Season 10 Finale episode, “A Certain Doom,” which will air as a standalone episode later this year. Moderated by Hardwick, the panel will feature Gimple, Showrunner and Executive Producer Angela Kang, Executive Producer Greg Nicotero, who directed the season finale, and cast members Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lauren Cohan, Josh McDermitt and Paola Lazaro, among others.

The Walking Dead: World Beyond: The Walking Dead: World Beyond makes its Comic-Con International debut as the third series in wildly successful The Walking Dead Universe. Moderated by Hardwick, the series’ panel will feature Gimple, Showrunner and Executive Producer Matt Negrete and cast members Aliyah Royale, Alexa Mansour, Hal Cumpston, Nicholas Cantu, Nico Tortorella, Julia Ormond and Joe Holt.

[NEW] What We Do in the Shadows (July 25 at 5PM PT): with Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, Mark Proksch, Harvey Guillen, Paul Simms, Stefani Robinson, and moderated by Haley Joel Osment.

Wynonna Earp.

COMICS

Celebrating 80 Years of The Spirit: Moderated by Danny Fingeroth.

Decoding the Kirby/Lee Relationship: with Danny Fingeroth.

[NEW] Howard Cruse: The Godfather of Queer Comics.

In Conversation with Robert Kirkman: Creator Robert Kirkman answers fan questions on his titles including THE WALKING DEAD, INVINCIBLE, FIRE POWER, OBLIVION SONG, and more!

[NEW] LGBTQ Comics and Popular Media for Young People.

[NEW] Out in Comics 33: Virtually Yours.

[NEW] Marvel Comics: Next Big Thing: Friday, July 24, 11:00 AM PST

[NEW] MARVEL HQ: Thursday, July 23, 4:00 PM PST

Skybound Presents: Comics & Creators: A panel of Skybound’s comic book creators including Robert Kirkman, the team behind EXCELLENCE, and more come together to discuss their latest projects.

Tribute to Dennis O’Neil: with Danny Fingeroth.

The Wonderful, Horrible History of E.C. Comics: Moderated by Danny Fingeroth.

OTHER

The Art of Collaboration: Duos Behind Top Films, TV Shows, & Video Games.

California Browncoats.

Creative Renaissance: How to Thrive When it’s Hard to Survive. The continued need for social distancing has brought about a creative renaissance in the digital space. Join the conversation with Joe Barrette (Creators, Assemble!), Phil Jimenez (Creators4Comics), Alonso Nunez (Little Fish Comic Book Studio), and Kit Steinaway (Book Industry Charitable Fund) to hear how nonprofit organizations are working with comics creators to support each other and their communities during these challenging times. You will hear about new learning opportunities, collaborations, how to forge new creative friendships in a time of global disconnect and what it means to find your tribe through fandom and shared passion. Moderated by Dan Wood (Comics librarian, EPL).

From Script to Screen: Behind-the-Scenes of Your Favorite Film & TV Shows.

The Future of Entertainment.

GirlsDrawinGirls Presents Industry Professional Women Artists in Quarantine: Balancing Work, Art, Homeschooling, and Life: With Melody Severns, Debbie Mahan, Sherry Delorme, Rehana Khan-Tarin, Aisling Harbert-Phillips, and Christine Chang.

The Legal Geeks.

Making a Living Being Creative: with Lee Kohse, Brendan Hay, Lex Cassar, and Johnny Kolasinski.

Masters of the Illustrated Film Poster.

Music for Animation.

[fromthe-point]

ECHL Transactions - Feb.02

Adirondack Thunder: Desmond Bergin, D || placed on reserve Cooper Jones, D || signed contract / added to active roster Nikolas Olsson, F || activated from injured reserve Michael Sdao, D || placed on reserve

Allen Americans: Mitch Maloney, F || placed on reserve [02.01]

Atlanta Gladiators: David Mazurek, F || released from contract

Brampton Beast: Alex Adams, D || placed on reserve Reggie Traccitto, D || activated from injured reserve

Cincinnati Cyclones: Judd Peterson, F || activated from reserve Brady Vail, F || placed on reserve

Fort Wayne Komets: J.C. Campagna, F || returned from loan to Chicago (AHL) Oskari Halme, D || placed on reserve Jake Kamrass, F || activated from injured reserve Quintin Lisoway, F || added to active roster (traded from Wichita) / placed on reserve Cody Sol, D || activated from reserve

Indy Fuel: Mike Yaremko, G || released as EBUG

Maine Mariners: Ryan Culkin, D || recalled by Laval (AHL) Louis Rowe, F || activated from reserve

Newfoundland Growlers: Griffen Molino, F || recalled by Toronto (AHL) Ryan Moore, F || activated from reserve

Norfolk Admirals: Wes Hunt, G || released as EBUG Jalen Smereck, D || recalled to Tucson (AHL) by Arizona (NHL)

Orlando Solar Bears: Corbin Boes, G || activated from reserve Clint Windsor, G || placed on reserve

Reading Royals: Garret Cockerill, D || assigned by Cleveland (AHL) Tyson Fawcett, F || added to active roster (traded from Jacksonville) Bo Pieper, F || released from contract

South Carolina Stingrays: Shane Eiserman, F || activated from reserve

Tulsa Oilers: Roman Ammirato, F || placed on injured reserve (effective 01.30) Alex Dostie, F || assigned from San Diego (AHL) by Anaheim (NHL)

Utah Grizzlies: Mitch Maxwell, F || team suspension lifted / added to active roster [02.01]

Wheeling Nailers: Dan Fick, D || returned from loan to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) [a.m.] Robbie Hall, D || placed on reserve Jake Schultz, D || activated on reserve Craig Skudalski, D || placed on reserve

Wichita Thunder: Ted Florence, G || added as EBUG [02.02] Ryan Van Stralen, F || placed on reserve [02.01]

Worcester Railers: Malcolm Gould, F || placed on reserve Tommy Kelley, F || activated from reserve

[lignes2frappe]

LES 12 ALBUMS DE RAP US QU'IL NE FALLAIT PAS MANQUER EN 2020

Il y en a pour tous les goûts...

Mais qui sont ces gens qui n’aiment pas le rap en 2020 ? Genre musical en constante évolution, le rap est aujourd’hui tellement divers qu’il faut être sacrément de mauvaise foi pour ne pas trouver chaussure à son pied.

La très subjective sélection qui suit tente à ce titre de rendre compte de cette mosaïque avec des disques qui ne partagent pas grand-chose en commun si ce n’est d’avoir à leur façon marqué les douze derniers mois.

Franchise players, vétérans, nouveaux venus, découvertes, valeurs sûres... l’heure du choix a sonné !

 « Music to Be Murdered By » d'Eminem

Sorti le 17 janvier sur Shady/Aftermath/Interscope.

Que penser d’Eminem en 2020 ? Avec près d’un quart de siècle dans le game au compteur, à 48 ans il semble connaître toutes les peines du monde à composer avec son statut de légende.

Bloqué quelque part au début des années 2000, son rap continue toutefois de remporter un franc succès auprès d’une frange du public qui lui voue une admiration sans borne. Preuve en est avec ce dixième album de suite classé numéro 1 des charts en première semaine (!) qui lui vaut de décrocher une énième certification platine.

Artistiquement parlant en revanche, c’est une autre limonade pour quiconque fatigue de l’entendre encore et toujours s’obséder sur les critiques dont il fait l’objet, et ce d’autant plus que ces dernières sont tout sauf injustifiées (sur son flow un peu trop cabotin, sur ses rimes un peu trop faciles, sur ses provocations un peu trop grossières...).

D’ancien sale gosse à oncle relou il n’y a donc qu’un pas... que Shady évite ici néanmoins de franchir grâce à son savoir-faire : certes Music to Be Murdered By n’est ni de près ou de loin l’album de l’année, mais il est peut-être son meilleur album depuis dix ans.

« My Turn » de Lil Baby

Sorti le 28 février sur Quality Control/Motown Records.

Moins technique que son poto Gunna, moins délirant que son mentor Young Thug, Dominique Armani Jones a beau ne pas être le rappeur le plus excitant qui soit, il réussit à se tirer très honorablement de l’exercice très casse-gueule du second album.

Opportuniste dans le bon sens du terme, il a en effet su exploiter pleinement sa carte maîtresse, la musicalité de son flow, pour proposer une vingtaine de morceaux qui s’écoutent sans jamais forcer l’oreille – cf. entre autres le banger Woah.

N’ayant aucun autre objectif que celui de divertir, il n’hésite d’ailleurs pas à faire appel à plus fort que lui pour garder le rythme (Lil Wayne, Future, Lil Uzi Vert...), quand bien même la comparaison ne joue pas toujours franchement en sa faveur.

Pas dit que l’intéressé s’en soucie plus que ça : fort de deux millions d’exemplaires vendus, Lil Baby peut continuer de profiter les yeux grands ouverts de la vie de rap star.

« Eternal Atake » de Lil Uzi Vert

Sorti le 6 mars sur Generation Now/Atlantic Records.

Il aura donc fallu attendre trois ans pour qu’arrive enfin sur les plateformes le successeur de Luv Is Rage 2. Un laps de temps largement suffisant pour faire retomber n’importe quel soufflé et rendre fébrile jusqu’aux fans les plus acharnés de l’auteur de XO TOUR Llif3.

Pas franchement réputé pour être du genre à tenir la distance, le P’tit Uzi s’est pourtant fixé de redonner ses lettres de noblesse au format album en tentant de conceptualiser une heure de musique autour de la thématique extraterrestre.

Productions futuristes à l’appui, il met ainsi les bouchées doubles pour convaincre qu’Eternal Atake mérite d’être considéré comme une œuvre absolument unique en son genre... ce qui n’est que très partiellement le cas.

Designers, joailleries, bitches dingues de lui... il ressasse poncifs sur poncifs sans jamais vraiment dévier de ce qu’il sait faire.

Moins profond qu’il ne prétend l’être (nul besoin « d’une semaine pour tout comprendre » hein),Eternal Atake pêche par fatuité.

À vous de voir si ce gros défaut vous prive du plaisir d’écouter le plus fort possible les quelques tueries que recèle la tracklist (Venetia, Prices...).

« A Written Testimony » de Jay Electronica

Sorti le 13 mars sur Roc Nation.

Cas de figure similaire au précédent, à ceci près qu’il s’est écoulé cette fois treize ans pour que « le type bizarre aux oreilles pointues et la tête carrée » dixit Erykah Badu donne suite à sa mixtape Act I: The Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge) qui en 2007 avait tant fait parler d’elle.

Tandis que plus personne ne croyait à la sortie d’un quelconque projet de sa part, Jay Electronica s’est finalement jeté dans l’arène, non sans s’enticher de Jay Z qui intervient sur huit des dix pistes présentées.

Façon Raekwon et Ghostface Killah sur Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, les deux emcees font étalage de leur complémentarité sans que techniquement l’un ne prenne l’avantage sur l’autre.

L’ancien Rothschild parvient toutefois à conserver ce qui fait le sel de son univers (en même temps c’est son album), que soit au niveau des sonorités (il compose la majorité des prod') et des thématiques (ses couplets multipliant les allers-retours entre l’islam du pas très net Louis Farrakhan, la rhétorique des 5% et Roc Nation).

Et tant pis si A Written Testimony ne lève pas le voile sur le mysticisme qui entoure sa personne, en vrai c’est sûrement beaucoup mieux comme ça.

« Alfredo » de Freddie Gibbs & Alchemist

Sorti le 29 mai sur ESGN/ALC/EMPIRE.

Dans le genre vieux lascars qui en ont encore sous le pied, voilà une affiche qui met l’eau à la bouche.

Après avoir le doublé Piñata (2014)/Bandana (2019) en binôme avec Madlib, le Omar Little du rap US s’acoquine cette fois du producteur historique de Prodigy des Mobb Deep (mais pas que) pour une master class de 10 titres et 35 minutes.

Petit bijou de concision (zéro filler/zéro couplet à jeter/zéro feat en trop/zéro temps mort), l’opus donne l’impression que les deux hommes se connaissent par cœur depuis toujours.

Bon attention, si les amateurs du son newyorkais des années 90 en ont pour leur argent, Alfredo ne se destine pas uniquement à un public de nostalgiques : rien ne sonne daté ou hors-sujet, bien au contraire.

Qui a dit qu’oublier de citer Freddie Gibbs dans les débats sur les meilleures discographies de la décennie relève de l’un des sept péchés capitaux ?

« RTJ 4 » de Run The Jewels

Sorti le 14 juin sur Jewel Runners/BMG.

Bonne nouvelle pour les fans de Run The Jewels (2013), Run The Jewels 2 (2014) et Run The Jewels 3 (2016) : El-P et Killer Mike élèvent ici encore leur niveau.

Étrangers au débat qui oppose engagement et divertissement, ils tirent à boulets rouges sur les flics racistes, les médias généralistes et les esclavagistes en portrait sur les billets de banque, sans pour autant sombrer dans la morale à gros sabots.

En dignes héritiers de Public Enemy, ils s’en prennent en effet au pouvoir et ses ramifications à coup d’instrus pleines de vacarme, de flows séditieux et de jeux de mots plus futés les uns que les autres.

RTJ 4 ou l’album qui le matin vous fait sauter du lit prêt à en découdre avec l’époque et qui le jour où la révolution éclatera fera office de bande originale.

« Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon » de Pop Smoke

Sorti le 3 juillet sur Victor Victor/Republic.

Fauché quelques jours à peine après la sortie de sa mixtape Meet The Woo 2, Bashar Barakah Jackson avait sur le papier tout pour devenir la prochaine sensation à l’échelle nationale.

Annoncé au mois de mai, cet album posthume avait alors provoqué à égale distance excitation... et appréhension, les précédents en la matière n’inspirant pas nécessairement grande confiance (coucou 2Pac).

Soupir de soulagement, SFTSAFTM est tout sauf une douille. Ce n’est pas l’album parfait, ce n’est peut-être pas l’album que Pop Smoke aurait voulu à la virgule près, mais l’honneur est sauf – son ancien manager, ami et patron de label Steven Victor ainsi que 50 Cent, tous deux crédités en tant que producteurs exécutifs, n’ont pas trahi.

Pensé pour élargir son public, l’opus se veut moins drill que ses travaux précédents (quand bien même son beatmaker attitré, le Londonien 808Melo, est à la manœuvre sur les deux tiers des morceaux) tout en lorgnant gentiment du côté du r&b 90’s (samples de Ginuwine, de Tamia, de Playa...).

Généreusement garni en pépites (Something Special, 44 Bulldog, Got It On Me une réadaptation du Many Men de Fiddy, What You Know bout Love…), SFTSAFTM réussit sur ce point son pari, cimentant-là encore un peu plus le statut de star en devenir de Pop Smoke.

Seul bémol de taille : ce déluge de featurings qui n’apporte rien (Quavo qui intervient à trois reprises, le fils de Puff Daddy qui passe par là...) et qui allonge inutilement le rendu.

« Limbo » de Aminé

Sorti le 7 août sur CLBN/Republic Records.

Attention découverte (ou pas).

Plutôt discret depuis son hit Caroline en 2016, le rappeur le plus loufoque de Portland aujourd’hui âgé de 26 ans change légèrement son fusil d’épaule avec ce troisième projet.

Hanté par le décès soudain de Kobe Bryant qu’il considérait comme une figure paternelle (et dont il s’est fait tatouer son portrait le jour même de sa disparition), Aminé s’est résolu à faire (en partie) le deuil de l’ado qu’il a été.

Paradoxalement, laisser libre cours à sa vulnérabilité et ses angoisses lui permet de gagner énormément en assurance au micro, et ce qu’il chantonne ou qu’il référence les évènements les plus absurdes de la culture pop des années 2000 (Britney Spears qui se rase le crâne, Winona Ryder qui se fait pincer pour vol à l’étalage...).

Épaulé dans sa tâche par un pool de producteurs au top de leur forme (le loyal Pasque, Boi-1da Vinylz et T-Minus d’OVO, Parker Corey d’Injury Reserve...) et des invités qui débarquent sur leur 31 (Young Thug, le toujours roublard Charlie Wilson, Summer Walker...), il équilibre ainsi ingénieusement légèreté et profondeur.

Rendez-vous au prochain épisode pour le classique ?

« The Sharecropper's Daughter » de Sa-Roc

Sorti le 12 août sur Rhymesayers Entertainment.

Année particulièrement riche en révélations féminines (Megan Thee Stallion, Chika, Flo-Milli...), 2020 a également marqué le retour aux affaires de Sa-Roc.

Sa qui ? Sa-Roc, la rimeuse originaire de Washington D.C. qui dans la première partie de la décennie a enregistré 6 albums, 2 EPs et 2 mixtapes avant de signer en 2015 sur le très underground et très réputé label indé Rhymesayers Entertainment.

À partir de là, cinq longues années lui ont été nécessaires pour concocter The Sharecropper's Daughter (« La fille du métayer », la profession de son père), très certainement la perle de sa discographie.

Plus proche de Lauryn Hill et Rapsody que des barbies Cardi B et Doja Cat, sa musique se veut consciente et raffinée.

Alors oui ce peut être parfois un peu trop boom-bap et prêchi-prêcha pour l’auditeur moyen, mais ce n’est pas non plus du slam de fatigués – voir les singles r(E)volution, Forever ou Deliverance.

Oh, et si la réf’ vous parle, sachez que le toujours bienvenu Black Thought y va de son feat gage de qualité.

« King's Disease » de Nas

Sorti le 21 août sur Mass Appeal.

Jadakiss, Busta Rhymes, R.A. The Rugged Man, Arrested Development (!), Killah Priest, Royce Da 5'9''… à en juger par le nombre d’old timers de retour dans les bacs en 2020, c’est à se demander si les tenants « du rap c’était mieux avant » ne scandent désormais pas « le rap c’est mieux maintenant ».

Probablement pas plus emballé que la critique et le public par ses précédents essais (la banane NASIR extrait de la Yeezy Season de 2018 et la demi-molle The Lost Tapes 2 de l’année dernière), pour son treizième album solo et premier véritable long format depuis Life Is Good en 2012, Nas s’est mis en tête de renouer avec sa gloire passée.

Vingt-six ans après Illmatic, King’s Disease se veut une extension du Queensbridge universe de l’ancienne école, le producteur Hit-Boy (un ancien de chez G.O.O.D. Music à qui l’on doit notamment Niggas In Paris ou Sicko Mode) se chargeant de lui fournir des intrus gentiment mises à jour.

En plein dans sa zone de confort, Nasty livre treize pistes solides, efficaces, mais sans réelle surprise.

Contrat rempli.

« Burden of Proof » de Benny The Butcher

Sorti le 16 octobre sur Griselda Records/EMPIRE.

Mais quelle année pour le cartel de Griselda !

Troisième membre du label à balancer son solo après Westside Gunn et Conway the Machine (ses deux cousins), Benny le Boucher, 36 ans, reprend les hostilités pour ce second album produit de A à Z par un Hit-Boy décidément particulièrement en verve.

Au menu : des beats néo boom-bap, des boucles de piano, des refrains entraînants et des invités qui ont bien compris dans quel sens le vent souffle (Lil Wayne, Big Sean, Rick Ross...).

Réputé pour être la plus fine plume du crew, Benny offre ici la pleine expression de son talent avec cette Charge de la Preuve qui fait à la fois figure d’introduction à son univers et de jubilé.

Totalement de quoi justifier l’une de ses toutes dernières lignes du tout dernier morceau, le bien nommé Legend : « Ils disent que bientôt je serais une légende, shit, j’en suis déjà une ».

« While the World Was Burning » de Saint Jhn

Sorti le 20 novembre sur HITCO.

Motivé par le succès surprise du remix kazakh de Roses (un titre datant de 2016) dans les charts, dans les clubs et sur TikTok, sitôt le confinement terminé Saint Jhn s’est empressé d’y aller de son troisième album de sa « collection capsule » pour enfin passer un cap et devenir la superstar qu’il doit être.

Fidèle à ce style qui n’appartient qu’à lui, il accomplit ici une synthèse entre ses précédents Collection 1 (plutôt trap) et Ghetto Lenny's Love Songs (plutôt r&b), à l’image du lead single Suck To Be You langoureux et torturé au possible.

Et histoire de gagner en rotation dans les playlists du moment, ont été débauchés quelques gros noms (Kanye West, Future, DaBaby...) tandis que certains de ses anciens sons comme High School Reunion et Monica Lewinsky ont tout simplement été remixés et rajoutés à la tracklist.

Tous ces beaux efforts n’ont malheureusement pas porté leurs fruits, WTWWB n’a pas fait mieux que la 34ème place du Billboard Hot 100.

Le monde se divise dorénavant en deux catégories.

[cambridgewritersworkshop]

For those writers, editors, and lit fans traveling to the 2020 AWP Conference (March 4-7) in San Antonio, TX this week, come stop by the Cambridge Writers’ Workshop’s AWP Bookfair Table at T2164! Also, check our CWW Creative Director Rita Banerjee’s panel “Dismantling the White Imagination: On Intimacy in Creative Nonfiction” featuring our Summer in Paris Nonfiction Faculty David Shields on Saturday, March 7 from 9-10:15 am in Room 205, Henry B. González Convention Center, Meeting Room Level (San Antonio, TX).

Course registration for our 2020 Spring in New Orleans Writing Retreat (March 19-22) and Summer in Paris Writing Retreat (July 16-21) is now live! Apply by March 10 for our NOLA Retreat and May 30 for our Paris Retreat on cww.submittable.com.

Our 2020 award-winning faculty includes essayist David Shields, playwright Stephen Aubrey, poet Diana Norma Szokolyai, and poet and essayist Rita Banerjee. 

Join the Cambridge Writers’ Workshop for our offsite reading at Rosella Coffee House (203 E Jones Ave, Suite 101) in San Antonio, TX! Featured readers include Rita Banerjee, Madeleine Barnes, Alex Carrigan, Kristina Marie Darling, Charlene Elsby, Adilene Hernandez, Tim Horvath, Samuel Kóláwọlé, Rachel Kurasz, and Mari Pack! Come celebrate with a gorgeous night of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and speculative writing!  More info on the reading & featured authors below!

  Featured Readers:

Rita Banerjee is the Executive Creative Director of the Cambridge Writers’ Workshop and editor of CREDO: An Anthology of Manifestos and Sourcebook for Creative Writing (C&R Press, May 2018).   She is the author of the poetry collection Echo in Four Beats (Finishing Line Press, March 2018), which was nominated for the 2019 Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize at the Academy of American Poets, featured on the Ruth Stone Foundation podcast, and named one of Book Riot’s “Must-Read Poetic Voices of Split This Rock 2018”, and was selected by Finishing Line Press as their 2018 nominee for the National Book Award in Poetry.  Banerjee is also the author of the novella “A Night with Kali” in Approaching Footsteps (Spider Road Press, 2016), and the poetry chapbook Cracklers at Night (Finishing Line Press, 2010).  She is the co-writer and co-director of Burning Down the Louvre (2020), a documentary film about race, intimacy, and tribalism in the United States and in France.  She received her doctorate in Comparative Literature from Harvard and her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Washington, and she is a recipient of a Vermont Studio Center Artist’s Grant, the Tom and Laurel Nebel Fellowship, and South Asia Initiative and Tata Grants.  Her writing appears in the Academy of American Poets, Poets & Writers, PANK, Nat. Brut., The Scofield, The Rumpus, Painted Bride Quarterly, Mass Poetry, Hyphen Magazine, Los Angeles Review of Books, Electric Literature, VIDA: Women in Literary Arts, AWP WC&C Quarterly, Queen Mob’s Tea House, Riot Grrrl Magazine, The Fiction Project, Objet d’Art, KBOO Radio’s APA Compass, and elsewhere. She is the Director of the MFA in Writing & Publishing program at the Vermont College of Fine Arts and an Associate Scholar of Comparative Literature at Harvard.  She is currently working on a novel, a book on South Asian literary modernisms, and a collection of lyric essays on race, sex, politics, and everything cool.  Her writing is represented by agents Jeff Kleinman and Jamie Chambliss of Folio Literary Management.

Madeleine��Barnes is a poet and visual artist from Pittsburgh living in Brooklyn. She is a doctoral fellow at CUNY’s Ph.D. Program in English, and the recipient of a New York State Summer Writers Institute Fellowship, two Academy of American Poets prizes, and the Princeton Poetry Prize. Her second chapbook, Light Experiments, is forthcoming from Porkbelly Press this year, and her protest embroideries were recently featured in Boston Accent Lit. She serves as Poetry Editor at Cordella Magazine.

Alex Carrigan is an associate editor with the American Correctional Association. He has edited and proofed the anthologies CREDO: An Anthology of Manifestos and Sourcebook for Creative Writing (C&R Press, 2018) and Her Plumage: An Anthology of Women’s Writings from Quail Bell Magazine (2019). He has had fiction, poetry, and media reviews published in Quail Bell Magazine, Life in 10 Minutes, Realms YA Fantasy Literary Magazine, Mercurial Stories, Lambda Literary Review, Stories About Penises (Guts Publishing, 2019) and the forthcoming anthologies Closet Cases: Queers on What We Wear (Et Alia Press, 2020) and Whale Road Review (Summer 2020). He currently lives in Alexandria, VA.  

Kristina Marie Darling is the author of thirty books, including Look to Your Left: The Poetics of Spectacle (University of Akron Press, 2020); Je Suis L’Autre: Essays & Interrogations (C&R Press, 2017), which was named one of the “Best Books of 2017” by The Brooklyn Rail; and DARK HORSE: Poems (C&R Press, 2018). Her work has been recognized with three residencies at Yaddo, where she has held both the Martha Walsh Pulver Residency for a Poet and the Howard Moss Residency in Poetry; a Fundación Valparaíso fellowship; a Hawthornden Castle Fellowship, funded by the Heinz Foundation; an artist-in-residence position at Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris; three residencies at the American Academy in Rome; two grants from the Whiting Foundation; a Morris Fellowship in the Arts; and the Dan Liberthson Prize from the Academy of American Poets, among many other awards and honors. Her poems appear in The Harvard Review, Poetry International, New American Writing, Nimrod, Passages North, The Mid-American Review, and on the Academy of American Poets’ website, Poets.org. She has published essays in The Kenyon Review, Agni, Ploughshares, The Gettysburg Review, Gulf Coast, The Iowa Review, and numerous other magazines. Kristina currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of Tupelo Press and Tupelo Quarterly, an opinion columnist at The Los Angeles Review of Books, and a contributing writer at Publishers Weekly.

Charlene Elsby, Ph.D., is the Philosophy Program Director at Purdue University Fort Wayne. Her first novel, HEXIS, was published by CLASH Books. Her second novel, AFFECT, is forthcoming with The Porcupine’s Quill.

    Adilene Hernández is a queer, Latina writer and educator with roots in Atlanta, GA. She earned her B.A. in Creative Writing from Knox College, and she aspires to continue her studies through an M.F.A. program. She is an alumna of the Winter Tangerine Workshop and Cambridge Writers’ Workshop. She is currently at work on her first two novels, both of which focus on family ties and identity in the Latinx culture.

              Samuel Kọ́láwọlé was born and raised in Ibadan, Nigeria. His work has appeared in AGNI, Gulf Coast, Washington Square Review and Consequence amongst other literary journals. Samuel was a finalist for the 2018 Graywolf Prize for Africa and winner of the 2019 Editor-Writer Mentorship Program for Diverse Writers. His fiction has been supported with fellowships, residencies, and scholarships from the Norman Mailer Centre, International Writing Program at the University of Iowa,  Columbus State University’s Carson McCullers Center for Writers and Musicians, Clarion West Writers Workshop, Wellstone Centre in the Redwoods California, and Island Institute. Samuel was educated at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria and holds a Master of Arts degree in Creative Writing with distinction from Rhodes University, South Africa and an MFA in Writing and Publishing at Vermont College of Fine Arts, USA. His debut novel The Road to Salt Sea is forthcoming from Amistad/Harper Collins.

        Rachel Kurasz is a PhD student at Northern Illinois University where she is studying rhetoric/composition and Graphic Novels/Comic Books.  Rachel earned her MFA in Creative Writing from Roosevelt University under the guidance of Christian TeBordo and Kyle Beachy. Rachel also was a Fall 2017 AWP writer to writer under mentor Laura Creedle.  Rachel is currently querying and writing her first graphic novel series entitled “weirdos”.

  Mari Pack is a poet and writer from the suburbs of Washington, D.C. She has an MA from the University of Toronto, and is a current MFA candidate at Hunter College.

        We look forward to seeing you at AWP 2020!

Join the Cambridge Writers’ Workshop at AWP 2020!! For those writers, editors, and lit fans traveling to the 2020 AWP Conference (March 4-7) in San Antonio, TX this week, come stop by the…

[altusfl]

91. The 1991 season --- Team rosters

Team by team breakdown of more noted players in the 1991 season.

Atlanta - QB Walter Lewis, QB Rodney Peete, RB Cleveland Gary, RB Vagus Ferguson, FB Ken Talton, WR Marcus Anderson, WR/KR Cormac Carney,TE Ken Wisenhunt, DE Curtis Anderson, DE/DT Jackie Cline DE/DT Jimmy Walker DL Kevin Middleton  OLB Cornelius Bennett, OLB Aundrey Bruce ILB John Brantley, ILB Kurt Crain FS Riccardo Ingram SS Bubba McDowell P Jim Grupp K Efren Herrera

Arizona- QB Alan Risher, QB Todd Santos RB Leonard Russell, RB Kevin Nelson, RB Randy Johnson RB John Barnett,FB Mack Boatner, WR Jim Sandusky, WR Jackie Flowers,  TE Mark Keel, G Randall McDaniel G Carl Roberts G Frank Kalil, C Mike Katolin OL Jeff Kiewel RG Alvin Powell, DE Skip McLendon, DE Mike Mraz DT Stan Mataele NT Dan Saleamua NT Dave Futrell OLB Ben Apuna, OLB Scott Stephen MLB Byron Evans  CB Anthony Parker DB Lance Shields DB Eddie Brown  DB Gordon Bunch,FS Allen Durden FS Nathan LaDuke SS/OLB David Fulcher SS Chuck Cecil SS Don Schwartz P/K Frank Corral

Baltimore- QB Rick Neuheisel, QB Mike Shula, WR Jeff Graham WR Joey Walters, TE victor Hicks, RB Chris Warren, RB Harry Sydney, DE Mike Fox, DE Willie Broughton,DT Eric Swann DT Bob Nelson DT Wally Klein,

Birmingham- QB Gary Hogeboom,QB Kerwin Bell, RB Brent Fullwood, RB Jerry Mays, RB Scott Stamper FB Tommie Agee  WR Wendell Davis, WR Joey Jones, WR Ron Fredrick,  WR Greg Richardson TE Darryl Mason TE Allama Matthews T Antoine Davis T Pat Phenix, T Robert Woods G Crawford Ker G Pat Saindon, G Buddy Aydelette, C Tom Banks G Dave Drechsler DE Jon Hand DE Tracy Rocker,DE/DT Ronnie Paggett, DT David Rocker DT Doug Smith, NT Benji Roland    OLB Herb Spencer,LB Dallas Hickman, LB Thomas Boyd MLB Keith McCants  CB Ricky Ray CB Dennis Woodberry CB Frank Reed SS Billy Cesare FS Mike Thomas SS Chuck Clanton P Danny Miller K Phillip Doyle

Boston - QB Doug Flutie, QB Shawn Halloran, RB Jaime Morris,RB Troy Stradford, WR Kelvin Martin, WR Darren Flutie, WR Tom Waddle,  TE Mike Bitterman,  T Dave Widell T Scott Hough, T Pat Staub G Joe Wolf G Steve Trapillo G John Schmeding C Mike McLaughlin DE John Bosa,DE Kenny Neil DE Robert Banks DL Justin Strzelcyzk,  NT Mike Ruth OLB Ben Needham OLB Bill Romanowski,ILB Marcus Marek ILB Michael Stonebreaker, ILB Ned Bolcar CB Gordie Lockbaum CB Woorow Wilson S Joe Restic S Pat Eilers S Stan Smagala DB D'Jaun Francisco P Bucky Scribner K John Carney

Carolina - QB Bret Farve,QB Ben Bennett WR Clarkston Hines, WR Sterling Sharpe,  WR Naz Worthen, WR Robert Clark TE Shannon Sharp, RB Kevin Mack,RB Derrick Fenner, G Stacy Long G John Schmeding G Gerry Raymond DE Ray Agnew, DE Malcolm Taylor, DT Micheal Dean Perry, NT Roy Hart,DT Vance Hammond, OLB Vinson Smith,  CB Donnell Woolford,CB Wayne Haddix,CB Joe Johnson,S Brad Edwards,K Steve Christie 

Chicago-QB Jack Trudeau, QB Chuck Hartlieb, RB Bo Jackson, RB Thomas Rooks, FB Keith Byars, FB Howard Griffith WR David Williams,WR/KR Tim Brown, WR Doug Donely, TE Cap Boso, TE Jerry Reese LT Mark Dennis, LT Lee Spivey,LT Duane Wilson,G Jim Juriga,RG Arland Thompson, C Bill Winters DE Tyrone Keys, DE Scott Davis, DT Don Thorp, DT Moe Gardner, DT Mel Agee, NT Paul Hanna DT Tony Suber ILB Pepper Johnson MLB Darrick Brownlow, ILB Jeff Leiding LB Byron Lee LB Scott Leach LB Larry Kolic CB Rod Hill, CB Vince Buck, CB Kerry Glenn, FS Craig Swoope S Henry Jones S Sonny Gordon P Jim Miller K Max Zendejas

Denver- QB Marc Wilson,QB Scott Mitchell RB Eric Bienemy RB Steve Bartalo FB Bill Johnson, WR Frank Lockett,WR Mike Pritchard, WR Aaron Cox, RT Mark Vander Poel, LT Steve Rogers, G Ariel Solomon C Joe Garten  C Tom Davis OL Sid Abramowitz  DE Calvin Turner, DE Kenny Walker DL Chad Hennings,NT Tim Moore, OLB Alfred Williams, OLB Kanavais McGhee, ILB Galand Thaxton ILB John Nevens, LB Greg Gerken CB Dave McCloughan CB David Dumars CB Nate Miller, CB Victor Scott SS Mickey Pruitt, P Jack Weil K/P Jim Asmus

District of Columbia - QB Don Majkowski QB Shawn Moore RB Curtis Bledsoe, WR Herman Moore WR Perry Tuttle, RT Eric Williams, LT Dean Miraldi  NT Chris Zorich K Chris Gardocki 

Hawaii - QB Jack Thompson, QB Robbie Bosco,QB Garrett Gabriel, WR Walter Murray, WR Mark Bellini , WR Glen Kozlowski, RB Aaron Craver, RB/PR/KR Gary Allen,  RB Anthony Edgar RB/PR/KR Vai Sikahema,  FB Lakei Heimuli, FB Tom Tuipulotu, TE Trevor Molini, TE David Mills, RT Jim Mills LT Darryl Haley, T Neal Fort T Vince Stroth, T Nick Eyre, T Wayne Faalafua G Joe Onosai G Louis Wong G Bernard Carvalho, C Kani Kauahi, C Ed Riewerts C Robert Anae DE Al Noga  DE Jason Buck DE Jim Herrmann DE Brandon Flint DE Brad Anae, DE Junior Filiaga,  DT Kit Lathrop DT Tom Tuinei DT Colin Scotts, DT Brad Smith, OLB Kyle Whittigham, OLB Leon White, LB Cary Whittingham, MLB Kurt Gouveia,MLB Marv Allen LB Niko Noga CB Brian Mitchell CB Dana McLemore CB Jeff Griffin  CB Manny Hendrix, CB Rodney Thomas, DB Rodney Rice, DB Kent Kafentzis, FS Blaine Gaison FS Jeff Wilcox FS Rich Miano SS Mark Kafentzis SS Kyle Morrell SS Jeff Sprowls, S Verlon Redd S Troy Long P/TE Clay Brown K Paul Woodside

Houston- QB Jim Kelly, QB Andre Ware WR Richard Johnson, WR Ricky Sanders, WR/PR Gerald McNeil, WR/KR Clarence Verdin, wr Manny Hazard RB Ickey Woods, RB Darren Lewis RB Todd Fowler, RB Chuck Weatherspoon RB Darryl Clark, LT Bryan Dausin RT Tommy Robinson T Ernie Rogers, T Denver Johnson RG Billy Kidd, LG Scott Boucher, C Mike Arthur  C Frank Kalil, DE Pete Catan, DE Cleveland Crosby DE Charles Benson DT Craig Veasey, DT Tony Fitzpatrick DT Hosea Taylor  OLB Andy Hawkins, OLB Mike Hawkins, MLB Kiki DeAyala, LB Lamar Lathon, CB Audrey McMillan,  CB Will Lewis CB Mike Mitchell FS Luther Bradley FS Hollis Hall SS Steve Atwater SS Calvin Eason,S Tommy Myers P Dale Walters K Roman Anderson

Jacksonville- QB Ed Luther, QB Robbie Mahfouz QB Craig Erickson WR Wesley Carroll WR Alton Alexis, WR Perry Kemp, WR Wyatt Henderson  RB Gaston Green KR/RB Tony Boddie, FB Larry Mason FB Melvin Bratton, T Bob Gruber G George Collins C Jay Pennison T Roy simmons C Mike Reuther,RT Ralph Williams, LG Rich garza,DE Anthony Smith, DE Alphonso Carreker, DE Keith Millard, DE Phil Dokes OLB Roman Pfifer WLB Maurice Crum LB Kirk Carruthers OLB tom dinkle OLB Joe Castillo, MLB Bernard Clark, CB Terry McDaniel, CB Van Jakes DB Will White S Don Bessillieu S Chester Gee CB Mark Harper DB Bobby Hosea, P/K Brian Franco

Los Angeles- QB Vinny Testaverde, QB Todd Marinovich QB Doug Gaynor, RB Christian Okoye, RB Reggie Brown   RB/KR Jarvis Redwine, WR Mike Sherrad,  WR Reggie Rembert, WR Willie “Flipper” Anderson, WR Duane Gunn WR John Jefferson TE Tim Wrightman OL Rod Walters, Vince Stroh, Bob Simmons, Doug Hoppock, Perry Harnett, &  Jerry Doerger, G Max Montoya G Mark Tucker C Mike Katolin & G Alvin Powell, C Mike Schad, DE Gary Jeter,DE Lee Williams, DT George Achica, DE Fletcher Jenkins, DE Ben Rudolph DT Eddie Weaver,DE Dennis Edwards, DE Ray Cattage, DE Rich Dimler OLB Ken Norton Jr., OLB Eric Scoggins,LB Scott Ross MLB Marvcus Patton LB Danny Rich  LB Sam Norris CB Darryl Henley CB Wymon Henderson, CB John Hendy CB Tyrone Justin FS/CB Mike Fox SS Tim McDonald P Jeff Partridge K Tony Zendejas,

Memphis- QB Warren Moon, QB Whit Taylor, QB Jeff Francis, WR Derek Holloway  WR/KR Derrick Crawford, WR Greg Moser, WR Alexander Wright, WR Anthony Morgan WR Sam Graddy, WR Ted Wilson, WR Gizmo Williams  RB John Stephens  FB Cornelius Quarles, TE Keli McGregor T Richard Cooper, RG Myke Horton G Bill Mayo  DE Anthony Pleasant, DE Calvin Clark DT Reggie White, OLB Kenny Tippins OLB Tony Hill LB Rod Shoate, LB Mike Brewington MLB Chris Gaines CB Mossy Cade CB Leonard Coleman CB mike thomas DB Terry Love FS Vic Minor SS Barney Bussey P Jimmy Colquitt K Alan Duncan

Miami – QB Browning Nagle, QB Peter Tom Willis RB Rodney Hampton, RB/PR/KR Eric Robinson  FB Dwayne Crutchfield, WR Michael Irvin, WR Eddie Brown, WR/KR Mike Harris WR Greg Taylor, WR Ricky Simmons WR Elmer Bailey TE Willie Smith TE Bob Niziolek LT Mike Sullivan LT Joel Patten RT Jeff Seevy RT/RG Dave Pacella RG Ed Fulton C/G Brian Musselman C Tony Loia  Vaughn Harman DE Ken Fagan DE Danny Stubbs ,DT Jerome Brown, DT Dan Sileo, LDT Bennie Smith  OLB Winston Moss LB Jon McVeigh  MLB George Mira MLB Mike Muller  CB Jeff Brown CB Reggie Sutton  FS Bennie Blades SS Mike Guess   P Jeff Feagles  K Jeff Brockhaus

Michigan – QB Jim Harbaugh, QB Jim Karasatos, RB Lorenzo White, FB Albert Bentley,WR Andre Rison, WR Chris Carter, WR Anthony Allen, TE Eric Kattus TE Duane Young,TE Mike Cobb,TE Donnie Echols  T Chris Godfrey, T Ken Dallafior,G Eric Moten G Dean Dingman G Tyrone McGriff, C Wayne Radloff,C/G George Lilja, DE Al ‘Bubba’ Baker,DE John Corker, DE Mark Messner, DE Matt Vanderbeek  DT/NT David Tipton DT Mike Hammerstein DT/DE Allen Hughes  OLB Dixon Edwards OLB Bobby Abrams, OLB Carlos Jenkins MLB Percy Snow, LB Mike Mallory,   CB Clarence Chapman,CB Brad Cochran CB Vito McKeever CB Oliver Davis CB Ron Osborne FS Garland Rivers SS Harlon Barnett S/PR Tripp Welbourne P Jeff Gossett K Novo Bojovich

Milwaukee-QB John Friesz, QB Bob Lane, RB Anthony Thompson, RB Nick Bell FB Bob Christian WR/KR Mike Bellamy,  WR Jaime Holland RT Jerry Crafts G Kirk Scrafford SDE Don Davey WDE Mike Flores DT Greg Feilds DT Leon Lett, DT Paul Hanna LB Melvin Foster LB Mark Sander OLB Angelo Snipes OLB Kyle Borland ILB Ray Bentley, ILB Robert Pennywell CB Steve Jackson CB Mike McGruder,FS Merton Hanks S Tim Hauk S Pat Eilers,DB Sonny Gordon, SS David Greenwood

New England - QB Mike Buck, QB Tom Ramsey, RB Robert Drummond,RB Mike Mayweather RB Judd Garrett, WR Scott Schwedes,WR John Garrett, WR Clarence Collins WR Walter Broughton WR Tom McConnaughey WR Charlie Smith, TE Brian Forster, TE Gordon Hudson, T Harry Boatswain, G Tim Ryan G Mike Brennan G Dean Brown C Tim Grunhard,ILB Larry Kolic, CB Todd Lyght,P Chris Shale 

New Mexico - QB Todd Dillon, QB Bob Gagliano RB Harvey Williams,RB Eric Pegram RB Del Rodgers, WR Keenan McCardell WR Terrence Mathis WR Kerry Cash, TE Keith Cash, TE Chris Smith DE Michael Sinclair, DE Mitch Donahue,DT Chad Hennings,OLB Marcus Cotton, OLB Galand Thaxton MLB Terry Maki, CB/PR David Martin, CB Tom Rotello CB Sammy Walker, FS Scott Thomas,

New Jersey - QB Don McPherson,  QB Jason Garrett, RB Barry Sanders, RB Kirby Warren,WR Leonard Harris,  WR Brett Perriman, WR Bernard Ford, WR Rob Carpenter, T Jumbo Elliot, T Paul Gruber, DE Rob Burnett,  LB Terry Wooden, CB vince Clark, FS Marcus Paul

New Orleans- QB Tommy Hodson,QB Clemente Gordon, QB Matt Stevens,  RB Marcus Dupree, RB Walter Dean, RB Anthony Steels,WR Jake Reed WR Bobby Slaughter WR Ron Johnson WR Mardye Mcdole TE Andrew Glover LT Charles McRae T Broderick Thompson DT Jerald Bayless, DT Henry Thomas DT Jeff Gaylord, DT Larry McClain, DE Darryl Wilkerson DE Larry White NT Jerry Ball NT Oudious Lee  OLB Micheal Brooks OLB Erick Krumerow KB ray phillips CB Otis Smith CB Lyndell Jones FS Greg Jackson SS Leroy Butler S Charles Harbison S Tim Smith P Dario Casarino, K Tim Mazzetti

New York - QB Steve Young, QB Tom Ehrhardt, RB Freeman McNeil RB Dwight Sullivan RB Kelvin Farmer, FB Maurice Carthon,WR Rob Carpenter,WR/KR Rocket Ismail, WR/KR Marc Lewis, WR Vincent White,  G Billy Ard, C Kent Hull, DE James Lockette, DE Ray Seals, DE Ricky Williamson, DE Freddie Gilbert DT Erik Howard DT Tom Woodland, NT Ted Gregory LB Jim LeClair, LB Mike Weddington CB Kerry Justin,CB Mike Williams CB Terry Daniels S Gregg Johnson DB Tony Thurman P Rick Partridge K Roger Ruzek

Oakland- QB Mike Perez, QB John Paye, QB Troy Taylor  RB Eric Jordan,RB Tim Spencer, RB/KR Elmer James FB Brad Muster WR Ed McCaffery WR Gordon Banks, WR Ken Margerum, WR Lew Barnes WR Kevin Williams, TE Eric Green, TE Brian Williams, LT Gary Zimmerman, RT Mark Treynowicz T Ricky Siglar, G Gerry Raymond,G Mickey Marvin G Tracy Franz, G Jim Leonard C Roger Levasa DE Bruce Thornton, WDE Dave Browning, SDE Greg Feilds,DE Brad Anae, DT Ted Washington DT Rhett Hall DT Monte Bennett,DE/DT Bruce Thornton,DE/NT Mark Buben  DT Brad Smith, OLB Dave Wyman, OLB David Shaw OLB Tim Lucas, ILB Gary Plummer LB Tony Caldwell OLB Mark Stewart RCB Deion Sanders LCB Mark Collins,CB Derrick Martin,FS Tommy Wilcox FS Frank Duncan, SS Marcus Quinn, P Stan Talley, K Sandro Vitiello

Oklahoma – QB Doug Williams, QB Mike Gundy, RB Thurman Thomas, RB Allen Pinkett,RB Gerald Hudson RB Spencer Tillman,  FB Ken Lacy, FB Ted Sample, FB Jim Stone, WR Al Williams, WR Kris Haines, WR Lonnie Turner,WR Derrick Sheppard, TE Keith Jackson,  TE Ron Wheeler, LT Joe Levellis T Mike Perino, RT Jim Bob Lamb,G David Huffman, G Tom Thayer, C Brian Williams C Mark Fischer,  DE Leslie O'Neal DE Bob Clasby, NT Tony Casillas, OLB Kevin Murphy ILB Britt Hager ILB Dante Jones ILB Terry Beeson, LB Vic Koenning, LB Tony Furjanic CB Larry Brown CB Peter Raeford,CB Rock Richmond, CB Barry Copeland, CB Roney McMillan CB Lee Wilson DB Rod Brown SS Herb Williams, S/PR Tim Gordon P Case DeBrujin, K Luis Zendejas

Orlando - QB Steve Walsh, QB Roy Dewalt RB Emmitt Smith, RB Buford McGee, RB Scott Stamper, RB Earl Gant, RB Nuu Faaola, FB Cedric Smith, FB LaRue Harrington FB Leon Perry TE Mike Mularky,WR Ricky Simmons WR Elmer Bailey T Ed Muransky, G Vernice Smith, DE Shane Curry DE Bill Hawkins, DE Willis Peguese, DE Bob Cobb DE/NT Richard Tharpe DT Jimmie Jones, DT Kevin Kellin DT Gurnest Brown LOLB Darnell Dailey ROLB Joe Hines MLB Paul McGowan,LB Ken Kelley CB Richard Fain CB Trent Bryant CB Willie Holley FS Victor Jackson SS Jarvis Williams  P Rick Tuten & The Frozen Fifteen.

Philadelphia- QB Todd Blackledge, QB Jim Crocicchia, HB Paul Palmer, RB Allen Harvin, RB Kelvin Bryant, FB David Riley WR Hart Lee Dykes WR Scott Fitzkee, WR Willie Collier WR Tom Donovan TE Ken Dunek TE Steve Folsom RT Irv Eatman, RG Chuck Commiskey, C Bart Oates, LG George Gilbert LT Mike McClearn D Bill Dugan NT Pete Kugler, DE William Fuller, DE John Walker, DE/DT Willie Rosborough ILB Shane Conlan, ILB Glenn Howard, OLB John Bunting OLB George Cooper LB John Brooks CB Ben Smith, CB Garcia Lane CB John Sutton FS Mike Lush,SS Mike Dumas CB/S Roger Jackson  P Sean Landeta, K David Trout

Pittsburgh- QB Major Harris, QB Raphel Cherry HB Mike Rozier, HB Curvin Richards HB Walter Holman,HB Reggie Taylor, RB/KR/PR Mel Grey FB Amos Lawrence WR Greg Anderson, WR Alvin Harper WR Julius Dawkins, TE Joey Hackett LT Don Maggs RT Tom Ricketts LG Corbin C Correal RG Lukens RT Feilds OL Emil Boures LDE Sam Clancy DE Marc Spindler,RDE Tony Woods DE Doug Hollie DT Mark Gunn DT Tony Siragusa DT Ken Times, DT Mike Morgan, DT Dennis Puha, LDT David Graham RDT Dombrowski DE Ike Griffin NT Laval Short LOLB Rich D'Amico ROLB Ezekial Gadsen LB Mike McKibben MLB Brian Bosworth, MLB Jerry Olsavsky, MLB Jethro Franklin LB Craig Walls CB Jerry Holmes,CB Gary Richard, S Louis Riddick, DB Duffy Cobbs P Brian Greenfield P Larry Swider K Tony Lee

Portland-QB Steve Beurlein, QB Dan McGuire QB Bill Musgrave RB Derrick Loville, RB Blaise Bryant  RB Otis Brown, TE Jay Novacek,WR Erick Affholteras,WR/KR Cornell Burbage,G Gene Williams C Bair Bush, DE Dennis Brown, DL Robert Banks,DE Brad Anae, DE Junior Filiaga, LB Junior Seau, LB Filipo Mokofisi, DB Ben Jessie P Bryan Barker K Mike Lansford

Sacramento-QB David Archer, QB Kevin Sweeney, RB Mike Pringle, FB Derek Hughes,WR Neil Balholm,WR Kelvin Edwards,TE Thornton Chandler LT Pat Harlow DE Dan Owens, DE Simon Fletcher, LB Ken Rose,OLB Ron Burton, OLB Gary Cobb,MLB Howard Carson,  CB Lorenzo Lynch,CB Lemuel Stinson DB Billy Owens DB Gordon Bunch,

San Antonio - QB Steve Pelluer QB Billy Joe Tolliver,RB James Gray, RB/SB/KR/PR Eric Metcalf, RB Heath Sherman,  RB/SB/KR/PR Johnny Bailey, FB Timmy Newsome, RB/SB Andrew Lazarus, FB Timmy Newsome FB/RB Bill Jones WR Anthony Carter, WR Ray Alexander, WR James Maness WR Tyrone Thurman, WR Rod Barksdale, TE Dan Sharp TE Doug Cosbie  LT Daryle Smith RT Stan White G Dave Richards G/C Paul Jetton, G Newt Harrell, C Mike Baab SDE Kevin Brooks WDE Kevin Harris DE Ken Gillen, DT John Randle, DT Mark Whalen NT Artis Jackson,  MLB Chris Speilman, DLB James Francis LB Tracy Simien, LB Jeff Rorher LB John Barefeild, CB Everson Walls CB John Booty CB Eric Everrett CB Ron Fellows CB A.J. Johnson, and FS Michael Downs, FS John Hagy, P Lee Williams K Jeff Ward

Seattle - QB David Woodley, QB Reggie Slack, RB Buford Jordan,RB Greg Lewis FB Jarrod Bunch WR Trumaine Johnson, WR Jerry Gordon,TE Sam Bowers T Randy Theiss G Louis Oubre G Terry Crouch G Jeff Pahukoa, G Dean Kirkland,S Charles Mincy K Brad Daluiso

Tampa Bay – QB Chuck Long QB Jimmy Jordan, QB Chip Ferguson RB Dexter Carter, RB Greg Allen FB Craig Heyward FB Greg Boone, WR Eric Truvillion WR Randall Hill WR Lawrence Dawsey WR Larry Brodsky, WR Willie Gillespie WR Chris Castor TE Marvin Harvey, LT Dan Fike, RT Reggie Smith LG Chuck Pitcock RG Nate Newton C Chris Foote DE Mike Butler DE Don Feilder DE Walter Carter, NT Fred Nordgren, DT Mike Clark DE Jim Ramey ROLB Alonzo Johnson LOLB James Harrell, MLB Kelley Kirchbaum MLB Fred McAllister CB Robert Bailey,CB Jeff George,CB Warren Hanna, FS Zac Henderson SS Louis Oliver SS Blaine Anderson DB Alvin Bailey DB Doug Beaudoin P/K Zenon Andrusyshyn

[welcometomy20s]

May 8, 2018

Article of The Day

Four states, Forty one districts... let’s get right down to it.

IN-01(NW - Gary, Michigan, Lowell): Incumbent - Peter Visclosky (Dem). Challenger - Probably Mark Leyva, who ran in 2014 and lost. PVI:D+8

IN-02(North - South Bend, Plymouth, Wabash): Incumbent - Jackie Walorski (Rep), baby parts and Voter IDs. Challenger - Mel Hall, election geek. PVI:R+11

IN-03(North - Waterloo, Fort Wayne, Decatur): Incumbent -Jim Banks (Rep). Challenger - Courtney Tritch, former marketing exec. PVI:R+18

IN-04(Central - Bloomsburg, West Lafayette, Delphi): Incumbent - Todd Rokita (Rep) NOT RUNNING Replacement - Jim Baird, has no left arm. Challenger - Tobi Beck, Vet and tech security person. PVI:R+17

IN-05(Nine County - Carmel, Elwood, Gas City): Incumbent - Susan Brooks (Rep). Challenger - Dee Thornton, exec and basketball player PVI:R+9

IN-06(Cent/South - Munie, Greenfield, Osgood): Incumbent - Luke Messer (Rep) NOT RUNNING Replacement - Greg Pence, it’s Mike Pence’s big brother! Challenger - Jeannine Lake, someone from Muncie. PVI:R+18

IN-07(Nine County - Indianapolis, Speedway, Cumberland): Incumbent - Andre Carson (Dem), he’s cool. Challenger - Wayne Harmon. PVI:D+11

IN-08(SW - Terre Haute, Washington, Evansville): Incumbent - Larry Bucshon (Rep), a heart surgeon. Challenger - William Tanoos. PVI:R+15

IN-09(South - Bloomington, Salem, Croydon): Incumbent - Trey Hollingsworth, who’s from out of state. Challenger - Liz Watson, who worked in House Committee for Education and Workforce, apparently PVI:R+13

NC-01(Coast - Durham, Roanoke Rapids, Greenville): Incumbent - G.K. Butterfield (Dem). Challenger - Roger Allison, some guy. PVI:D+17

NC-02(Piedmont - Wake Forest, Clayton, Fuquay-Varina): Incumbent - George Holding (Rep). Challenger - Linda Coleman. PVI:R+7

NC-03(Coast - Kitty Hawk, Columbia, New Bern): Incumbent - Walter Jones (Rep), renegade... held off primary challenge. NO CHALLENGERS PVI: R+12

NC-04(Piedmont - Raleigh, Cary, Chapel Hill): Incumbent - David Price (Dem), Iraq war opponent. Challenger - Steve Loor, PVI:D+17

NC-05(Mountain/Piedmont - Boone, Wilkesboro, Winston-Salem): Incumbent - Virginia Foxx (Rep), just bizarre. Challenger - DD Adams, who was in Winston-Salem city council and lobby in state capitol. PVI:R+10

NC-06(Piedmont - Yanceyville, Burlington, Sanford): Incumbent - Mark Walker (Rep), former pastor. Challenger - Ryan Watts. PVI:R+9

NC-07(Coast - Whiteville, Wilmington, Goldsboro): Incumbent - David Rouzer (Rep). Challenger - Kyle Horton, looks like a physician. PVI:R+9

NC-08(Piedmont - Fayetteville, Troy, Concord): Incumbent - Richard Hudson (Rep), birther. Challenger -Frank McNeill, from Indivisible... PVI:R+8

NC-09(Piedmont/Coast - Monroe, Laurinburg, Elizabethtown): Incumbent - Robert Pittenger (Rep). LOST PRIMARY! Replacement - Mark Harris, revenge from 2016... Challenger - Dan McCready, solar energy guy. PVI:R+8

NC-10(Mountains - Asheville, Forest City, Gastonia): Incumbent - Patrick McHenry (Rep). Challenger - David Brown, computer consultant. PVI:R+12

NC-11(Mountains - Sylva, Marshall, Morganton): Incumbent - Mark Meadows (Rep), quite far-right. Challenger - Phillip Price, business owner. PVI:R+14

NC-12(Piedmont - Charlotte, Huntersville, Cornelius): Incumbent - Alma Adams (Dem). Challenger - Paul Wright, former judge. PVI:D+18

NC-13(Piedmont - Greensboro, High Point, Salisbury): Incumbent - Ted Budd (Rep), gun range owner. Challenger - Kathy Manning, lawyer. PVI:R+6

OH-01(SW - Cincinnati, Sycamore, Lebanon): Incumbent - Steve Chabot (Rep). Challenger - Aftab Pureval, rising star immigrant lawyer. PVI:R+5

OH-02(SW -Batavia, Hillsboro, Piketon): Incumbent - Brad Wenstrup (Rep) , low key... Challenger - Jill Schiller, ex-White House staffer. PVI:R+9

OH-03(Mid - Columbus, Whitehall, Minerva Park): Incumbent - Joyce Beatty (Dem). Challenger - Jim Burgess, Tea party person. PVI:D+19

OH-04(NW - Lima, Marion, Norwalk): Incumbent - Jim Jordan (Rep), former wrestler? Challenger - Janet Garrett, retired Oberlin teacher. PVI:R+14

OH-05(NW - Bowling Green, Ottawa, Defiance): Incumbent - Bob Latta (Rep). Challenger - Michael Galbraith, investment manager. PVI:R+11

OH-06(SE - Salem, Steubenville, Marietta): Incumbent - Bill Johnson (Rep). Challenger - Shawna Roberts, why can’t I find good information... PVI:R+16

OH-07(NW/NE/Mid - Avon, Ashland, Canton): Incumbent - Bob Gibbs (Rep). Challenger - Ken Harbaugh, who is Navy vet.... figures. PVI:R+12

OH-08(SW - Hamilton, Greenville, Springfield): Incumbent - Warren Davidson (R), it was Boehner's old seat. Challenger - Vanessa Enoch. PVI:R+17

OH-09(NW/NE - Toledo, Sandusky, Avon Lake): Incumbent - Marcy Kaptur (Dem). Challenger - Steven Kraus, he was convicted of theft?! PVI:D+14

OH-10(SW - Dayton, Centerville, Washington Court House): Incumbent - Mike Turner (Rep). Challenger - Theresa Gasper, businesswoman. PVI:R+4

OH-11(NE - Cleveland, Richfield, Akron): Incumbent - Marcia Fudge (Dem), she’s pretty cool. Challenger - Probably Beverly Goldstein. PVI:D+32

OH-12(Mid - Mansfield, Delaware, Zanesville): Incumbent - Pat Tiberi (Rep) NOT RUNNING Replacement - Probably Troy Balderson. Challenger - Danny O’Connor, Franklin County recorder and very capable person. PVI:R+7

OH-13(NE - Cuyahoga Falls, Alliance, Youngstown): Incumbent - Tim Ryan (Dem), who ran for speaker, remember? Challenger - Chris DePizzo. PVI:D+7

OH-14(NE - Twinsburg, Mentor, Ashtabula): Incumbent - David Joyce (Rep). Challenger - Betsy Rader, civil rights lawyer and also capable. PVI:R+5

OH-15(SW/SE - Wilmington, Circleville, Athens): Incumbent - Steve Stivers (Rep), part of NRCC? Challenger - Rick Neal, also businessman. PVI:R+7

OH-16(NE - Strongsville, Wooster, Green): Incumbent - Jim Renacci (Rep) NOT RUNNING Replacement- Anthony Gonzalez, a football star? Challenger - Susan Moran Palmer, health care professional, presumably. PVI:R+8

WV-01(Parkersburg, Morgantown, Parsons): Incumbent - David McKinley (Rep), has a sweet mustache. Challenger - Kendra Fershee. PVI:R+19

WV-02(Charleston, Elkins, Romney): Incumbent - Alex Mooney (Rep), former legislator for... Maryland? Challenger - Talley Sergent. PVI:R+17

WV-03(Beckley, Craigsville, White Sulphur Springs): Incumbent - Evan Jenkins (Rep) NOT RUNNING Replacement - Carol Miller. Challenger - Richard Ojeda, an absolute maverick who’s making national headlines. PVI:R+23

That’s all the districts, pretty eventful and satisfying primary night.

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1202

Monday, February 26, 2018

 Way to go all the Canadian athletes that competed in the 2018 Winter Olympics. You made us proud. Now we get ready for some March Madness. It might seem like I'm a big sports fan but I'm not. It's just that it's less annoying than a lot of the stuff happening around the world these days. Sure I was sad when the Canadian Women's curling team skipped by Ottawa's Rachel Homan didn't make it to the medal rounds and the Canadian Women's hockey team lost the gold medal game in a shoot-out but I didn't get angry and upset. No one was killed by some idiot.

 Archie #28 - Mark Waid & Ian Flynn (writers) Audrey Mok (art) Kelly Fitzpatrick (colours) Jack Morelli (letters). I only keep reading this book because Betty is in it. I don't like the walking disaster area that is Archie. Nor the smug Jughead. I really hate that big fat jerk Reggie who should be someone's plaything in prison. The fact that I feel so strongly about these characters means that the creators are putting out a very good comic book but I would stop reading if there weren't any likable characters. Classic Catch 22.

 Doctor Strange: Damnation #1 - Nick Spencer & Donny Cates (writers) Rod Reis (art & colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). Stephen may not be Sorcerer Supreme anymore but he's still pretty powerful. Remember how Las Vegas was destroyed during a recent mega crossover? Well now the whole city plus its citizens is back on terra firma. Guess where it's been before being resurrected? Hey, they don't call it Sun City for donuts. There's a glitch in Doc Strange restoring all those lives and landmarks and that's where this 4-issue mini takes off. This is a high stakes game between the Doc and Mephisto and the players will be familiar to Marvel Zombies far and wide. Doc's team is on the cover but you'll have to read this first issue to see who's playing for Mephisto.

 The Brave and the Bold #1 - Liam Sharp (writer & art) Romulo Fajardo Jr. (colours) A Larger World's Troy Peteri (letters). DC's old team-up title is back on the racks with a murder mystery featuring Batman and Wonder Woman. There's a strong fantasy element since the murder takes place in Tir Na Nog, the mystical land of faerie. Liam Sharp drew me back into reading Wonder Woman when he did the Cheetah story and here he gets to go all Irish myths for us with runes and rugged faeriescapes. I like a murder mystery as well as the next Batfan but the profuse flowery prose turned me off. It's a tough decision whether I read the rest of this 6-issue story because I really love the art.

 Mata Hari #1 - Emma Beeby (writer) Ariela Kristantina (art) Pat Masioni (colours) Sal Cipriano (letters). This 5-issue mini comes from Dark Horse's Berger Books imprint. I'm glad Karen is still editing comic books. I met her at a DC Retailer's conference over twenty years ago. I was lucky enough to share a group dinner table with her at a steak house in Fort Worth, Texas. I can still remember how happy I was when I asked if I could order a second steak dinner after the first one failed to fill me up and she gave me the go ahead. She thought I had a hollow leg. This book is beautifully drawn but I found the storytelling a little confusing with it's jumping back and forth in time to show us how the lady spy ended up in her current situation. Mata Hari is a very compelling historical figure so I will keep reading this to learn more about her life and death.

 Infinity Countdown Prime #1 - Gerry Duggan (writer) Mike Deodato Jr. (art) Frank Martin (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Flip the cover and you get an info page quickly telling you about the 6 Infinity Stones and what powers they bestow to whoever possesses them. The story starts promisingly enough with the guy who is the best at what he does fighting off some bad guys and then the new Sorcerer Supreme, for the Infinity Stone that he has. Unfortunately the story deteriorated for me when it came to introducing the other stones. It got way too convoluted what with other dimensions involved and what looks like every dang super hero and super villain to ever exist thrown in. I think I have mega event fatigue. Keeping up with the weekly Avengers: No Surrender story with all those heroes and villains to keep straight makes trying to follow this massive story harder to do. I hope nobody dies.

 Batman: Sins of the Father #1 - Christos Gage (writer) Raffaele Ienco (art) Guy Major (colours) Josh Reed (letters). This 6-issue mini is based on the Batman: The Telltale Series video game with a different back-story than the Batman that we are all familiar with. This Batman's father, Thomas Wayne, was a villain who experimented on people. Bruce is trying to right that wrong and save Wayne Enterprises. You can expect lots of action and the first protagonist is easily recognised. I was super impressed with the art here. Kind of reminded me of Frank Quitely. If the rest of this story looks this good it will be a joy to read.

 Hit-Girl #1 - Mark Millar (writer) Ricardo Lopez Ortiz (art) Sunny Gho (colours) Melina Mikulic (letters). Hot on the heels of the new Kick-Ass book is this 4-issue mini featuring Dave's old partner Mindy. She's looking for a new partner and who she picks is a real winner. This story goes international as the purple-haired perp pulveriser goes to Colombia to deal with the gangs there. I want to see if her new sidekick survives.

 Avengers #681 - Al Ewing, Jim Zub & Mark Waid (writers) Kim Jacinto with Mike Perkins (art) David Curiel (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). No Surrender part 7. It's Kree Captain Glah-Ree's turn to narrate an issue as his Lethal Legion team fights the Falcon's Avengers team for the prize. Some surprise characters pop up right at the end that will make fans clamour for the next issue. Mike Perkins's pages were only subtly different from the rest of the art and that surprised me too.

 Batman #41 - Tom King (writer) Mikel Janin (art) June Chung (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). Everyone Loves Ivy part 1. I was naïve to think that Joelle Jones was the best artist for this book because there are lots of artists that I love out there. Mikel Janin made me gasp after I flipped open the cover and saw the first page. Page 10 made me sigh. His Poison Ivy will haunt your dreams. The Cat and the Bat face a daunting challenge in this new story. This is a great issue to start to find out why I've been raving about this title every issue.

 Moonshine #7 - Brian Azzarello (writer) Eduardo Risso (art & colours) Cristian Rossi (colour assistant) Jared K. Fletcher (letters). Boy was I surprised when this issue hit the racks. I thought #6 finished the story of Lou Pirlo, mob enforcer. Plus, it's been almost a year since #6 came out. This supernatural tale continues with the location changing from the hillbilly hills to New Orleans. I'm thinking some voodoo be due.

 Superman #41 - James Robinson (writer) Ed Benes (art) Dinei Ribeiro (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). The Last Days part 2. I was tolerating this story about Superman and a native scientist trying to save a planet from a Jonestown massacre until the science guy explains how he's going to save his species. He sure didn't take any genetics classes. I do not suffer foolish science gladly. The good news is that this story is over and Jon learns a lesson in tolerance.

 Defenders #10 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) David Marquez (art) Justin Ponsor (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Ah Jessica, Luke, Danny and Matt, we hardly got to know you. I don't know if this team book will continue after this but it won't be the same. This sure looks like Brian Michael Bendis's last issue. David Marquez  made me sigh on page 11 panel 5. I'm glad Felicia is okay.

 Incredible Hulk #713 - Greg Pak (writer) Greg Land (pencils) Jay Leisten (inks) Frank D'Armata (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Return to Planet Hulk part 5. Hulk faces off with the Warlord in the fifth and final gauntlet. The final page had me singing Chuck Berry's Maybellene in my head. Now that we've gone back to Sakaar it's time to revisit another old Hulk story. Get ready for World War Hulk II.

 Damage #2 - Tony S. Daniel & Robert Venditti (storytellers) Danny Miki (inks) Tomeu Morey (colours) Tom Napolitano (letters). I can't say that I am enamoured of the title character since he's just a one hour Hulk but the guest stars are worth the read. Here we have the Suicide Squad and next up is a real hero that I am certainly interested in.

 Amazing Spider-Man #796 - Dan Slott & Christos Gage (writers) Mike Hawthorne (pencils) Terry Pallot & Cam Smith (inks) Erick Arciniega (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Threat Level: Red part 3. The art and writing this issue was very wooden to me. Kind of stiff and predictable. I don't like Peter and Mary Jane getting cozy again either. If it wasn't for what's happening to Norman Osborn I would consider benching this book.

 Super Sons #13 - Peter J. Tomasi (writer) Carlo Barberi (pencils) Art Thibert (inks) Gabriel Eltaeb (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). The Parent Trap part 1. Damian's mom, Talia al Ghul, needs his help for a hit and she's not going to take no for an answer. The boys find themselves in even more trouble when one of the targets is revealed. Robin and Superboy's friendship may not survive. As much as I love Carlo's art I wasn't happy that Talia looks more like Damian's slightly older sister than his mother.

 Astonishing X-Men #8 - Charles Soule (writer) Paulo Siqueira (pencils) Walden Wong & Roberto Poggi (inks) Edgar Delgado (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). A Man Called X part 2. Y'know, I don't think that the guy in Fantomex's body is Charles Xavier. He keeps saying trust me, I can fix this and then he screws things up royally. So, another comic book with amazing art. Psylocke made me sigh on page 3.

 Mighty Thor #704 - Jason Aaron (writer) Russell Dauterman (art) Matthew Wilson (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). The Death of the Mighty Thor continues. Wow, I snagged a larger than usual pile of comic books off the rack to read last week and inadvertently saved the best 'til last. The writing and art was as powerful as can be. The build up to the last page made it a spine tingling experience. This story is going to be another highly recommended collection when it comes out in trade paperback.

[jpbjazz]

LÉGENDES DU JAZZ

CECIL McBEE, MAITRE DE LA CONTREBASSE

Né le 19 mai 1935 à Tulsa, en Oklahoma, Cecil McBee a d’abord étudié la clarinette à l’école et s’était produit avec plusieurs groupes scolaires. Avec sa soeur Shirley, McBee était devenu une grande vedette locale en se produisant dans des duos de clarinette à travers l’État. McBee était passé à la contrebasse à l’âge de dix-sept ans et s’était rapidement produit dans des clubs locaux de jazz et de rhythm & blues.

En raison de sa virtuosité comme clarinettiste, McBee s’était mérité une bourse pour étudier à la Central State University de Wilberforce, en Ohio, mais ses études avaient été interrompues lorsqu’il avait été mobilisé dans l’armée. Comme militaire, McBee avait dirigé durant deux ans le “158th Band” de la base de Fort Knox, au Kentucky. Lors de son séjour dans l’armée, McBee en avait profité pour étudier la composition et l’improvisation.

Une fois démobilisé, McBee avait repris ses études à l’Ohio State University, où il avait obtenu un baccalauréat en musique. McBee, qui avait d’abord eu l’intention de devenir professeur, avait réalisé après avoir obtenu son diplôme qu’il était davantage intéressé par une carrière de musicien de jazz.

Après avoir accompagné la chanteuse Dinah Washington en 1959, McBee s’était installé à Detroit trois ans plus tard, où il avait travaillé avec le sextet de Paul Winter de 1963 à 1964. Dès son arrivée à New York en 1964, McBee était devenu un des contrebassistes les plus en demande du monde du jazz, enregistrant et voyageant autour du monde avec des sommités comme Charles Lloyd, Pharoah Sanders, Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner, Miles Davis, Bobby Hutcherson, Keith Jarrett, Wayne Shorter (1965-1966), Freddie Hubbard, Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, Andrew Hill, Sam Rivers, Michael White, Jackie McLean (1964), Yusef Lateef (1967–1969), Alice Coltrane, Ravi Coltrane, Abdullah Ibrahim, Lonnie Liston Smith, Buddy Tate, Joanne Brackeen, Dinah Washington, Benny Goodman, George Benson, Nancy Wilson, Betty Carter, Art Pepper, Pharoah Sanders, Dave Liebman, Joe Lovano, Billy Hart, Eddie Henderson, Yosuke Yamashita, Billy Harper et Geri Allen.

En 1966, McBee s’était joint au groupe du saxophoniste Charles Lloyd aux côtés de Keith Jarrett et Jack DeJohnette. Il avait ensuite enregistré et fait des tournées avec des grands noms du jazz comme Miles Davis, Yusef Lateef, Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp, Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw, Alice Coltrane (1969-72), McCoy Tyner, Mal Waldron, Kenny Barron, Joanne Brackeen, Abdullah Ibrahim, Art Pepper, Anthony Braxton, Elvin Jones, Clifford Jordan, Chet Baker et Johnny Griffin. Au cours de cette période, McBee avait aussi enregistré sept albums comme leader de ses propres groupes. En 1986, McBee avait également joué avec Freddie Hubbard et Woody Shaw.

En 1988, McBee avait participé à un album-hommage à John Coltrane intitulé ‘’Blues for Coltrane’’, dans le cadre d’un sextet qui comprenait Pharoah Sanders, McCoy Tyner, David Murray, McCoy Tyner et Roy Haynes. L’album s’était d’ailleurs mérité un prix Grammy dans la catégorie de la meilleure performance instrumentale par un individu ou un groupe. Dans le cadre de ses enregistrements et de ses tournées, McBee, qui avait obtenu deux bourses de la National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), avait également interprété ses propres compositions. L’album de Charles Lloyd ‘’Forest Flower’’ (1966) comprenait d’ailleurs une ballade de McBee intitulée “Song of Her” qui était devenue un standard du jazz. Plusieurs des compositions de McBee avaient aussi été enregistrées par d’autres musiciens, dont Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner, Pharoah Sanders et plusieurs autres. Parmi les plus célèbres compositions de McBee, on remarquait “Wilpan’s”, “Peacemaker”, “Slippin’n Slidin’”, “Blues on the Bottom”, “Consequence” et “Close to You Alone.”

Avec le batteur Billy Hart, McBee avait également formé le noyau de la section rythmique de deux groupes majeurs, Saxophone Summit et The Cookers, dans lesquels il avait interprété plusieurs autres de ses compositions. Dans les années 2000, McBee a poursuivi avec succès une compagnie japonaise qui avait ouvert une chaîne de magasins sous son nom sans son autorisation.

Également professeur, McBee avait donné des cours privés et enseigné durant près de quatre décennies dans différents collèges et universités renommés, dont le New England Conservatory de Boston où il avait enseigné durant plus de vingt-cinq ans. McBee avait aussi occupé un poste d’artiste en résidence à l’Université Harvard de 2010 à 2011. Durant cette période, McBee en avait profité pour améliorer ses techniques d’enseignement et travaillé sur un manuel d’instruction novateur pour la contrebasse. Caractérisée par son approche révolutionnaire, la méthode de McBee pouvait également être appliquée aux méthodes d’improvisation de plusieurs autres catégories d’instruments. Reconnu pour sa virtuosité et son style très personnel, McBee a été intronisé en 1991 au sein du Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame.

Compositeur émérite, McBee a participé à des centaines d’enregistrements au cours de sa carrière.

©-2024, tous droits réservés, Les Productions de l’Imaginaire historique

SOURCES:

‘’Cecil McBee.’’ Wikipedia, 2023.

‘’Cecil McBee.’’ All About Jazz, 2023.

[yahoo-roto-arcade-blog]

Stopa Auction League: Navigating 14 teams, Superflex format

Tom Brady takes on extra value in a two-quarterback league (AP)

The Stopa Law Firm is a different kind of fantasy football expert league.

It’s a big-money league (thanks to Mark Stopa, benefactor) and it’s a league about jumbo starting spots (super flex — which strongly encourages two starting quarterbacks — two tight ends, another flex spot) and limited bench space. A modified PPR scoring format is used.

And oh yeah, it’s an auction. And it’s a party that goes down in Las Vegas in mid-July. We can’t post all the photos here, someone would get divorced or arrested.

The challenge is steeper this year, with noted experts Scott Jenstad and Vlad Sedler jumping in, bringing us to 14 teams. We also welcomed back Michael Salfino after a one-year absence.

I asked the league members to comment about their strategy, the auction, or anything they wanted. Here’s what they had to say. Your full auction results are viewable here.

(Keep in mind teams were not required to fill out their starting roster on draft day; several teams passed on defense and kicker).

League History: 2016: Jeff Erickson over Brad Evans 2015: Andy Behrens over Chris Liss 2014: Andy Behrens over Mike Salfino 2013: Dalton Del Don over Scott Pianowski 2012: Scott Pianowski over Dalton Del Don

The 2017 review, in the owner’s own words. (Summary: TL; DR)

Pos Erickson $ Salfino $ Schoenke $ Stopa $ Evans  $ QB Dak Prescott 21 Drew Brees 37 Matt Ryan 30 Tom Brady 40 Mike Glennon 4 RB C. McCaffrey 25 Le’Veon Bell 54 Ezekiel Elliott 48 Mark Ingram 20 Melvin Gordon 39 RB Doug Martin 9 Marlon Mack 3 L. Blount 10 Tevin Coleman 16 LeSean McCoy 36 WR Terrelle Pryor 29 M. Crabtree 13 Jordy Nelson 40 Amari Cooper 32 DeAndre Hopkins 25 WR Doug Baldwin 37 Chris Conley 1 TY Hilton 40 Sammy Watkins 22 Tyreek Hill 22 WR Jarvis Landry 17 Randall Cobb 8 Donte Moncrief 11 J. Crowder 10 Alshon Jeffery 25 TE Zach Ertz 8 Travis Kelce 33 Tyler Higbee 1 Xavier Grimble 1 Jared Cook 2 TE Zach Miller 1 Dwayne Allen 2 Ben Watson 1 Jesse James 1 Antonio Gates 1 K Dan Bailey 1 Mason Crosby 1 D Buffalo 1 Seattle 1 FL Spencer Ware 13 Kenny Britt 3 Alex Smith 5 M. Mitchell 1 Samaje Perine 16 FL Ryan Tannehill 18 Kirk Cousins 30 Frank Gore 7 Aaron Rodgers 48 Sam Bradford 8 B Theo Riddick 7 Ri. Matthews 3 Jamaal Williams 1 Thomas Rawls 3 Bilal Powell 12 B Derrick Henry 5 Adam Thielen 5 Jared Goff 1 Jalen Richard 1 Deshaun Watson 5 B Terrance West 3 Matt Forte 2 Alvin Kamara 1 Latavius Murray 1 Cooper Kupp 1 B Kenneth Dixon 2 Coby Fleener 2 W. Smallwood 1 Dion Lewis 1 Cole Beasley 1 B Taylor Gabriel 1 Tyler Lockett 2 Mike Williams 1 Devin Funchess 1 Zay Jones 1 B Trevor Siemian 3 C Thompson 1 Jeremy Langford 1 Chris Hogan 1 B James White 1 Wayne Gallman 1

  Pos  Del Don  $  Liss $ Funston $ Loza  $ Payne $ QB Marcus Mariota 30 Andy Dalton 21 Blake Bortles 16 Philip Rivers 26 Jameis Winston 30 RB Joe Williams 3 Carlos Hyde 27 Marshawn Lynch 25 L. Fournette 30 Mike Gillislee 21 RB J. Rodgers 1 Charles Sims 2 Joe Mixon 20 Jay Ajayi 39 Ty Montgomery 30 WR Odell Beckham 44 Dez Bryant 36 Michael Thomas 38 John Brown 14 Allen Robinson 24 WR Mike Evans 42 Devante Parker 10 Kelvin Benjamin 10 Martavis Bryant 20 Keenan Allen 13 WR Brandin Cooks 37 Kevin White 3 Quincy Enunwa 3 Jeremy Maclin 5 Stefon Diggs 6 TE David Njoku 1 Rob Gronkowski 34 Julius Thomas 4 Jordan Reed 24 Delanie Walker 16 TE Seferian-Jenkins 1 Jimmy Graham 20 Austin Hooper 3 AJ Derby 1 Greg Olsen 19 K B. McManus 1 Justin Tucker 2 Corey Davis TR C. Cantanazaro 1 D New England 1 New York Giants 1 Arizona 1 LA Rams 1 FL Allen Hurns 1 CJ Prosise 3 Jordan Howard 35 Adrian Peterson 16 Caron Wentz 16 FL Cam Newton 32 Andrew Luck 35 Eli Manning 20 Josh McCown 1 Dalvin Cook 18 B Marqise Lee 2 OJ Howard 2 Jeremy Hill 3 Eddie Lacy 13 Rex Burkhead 1 B S. Shepard 1 D’onta Foreman 1 Brandon Marshall 4 James Connor 2 Devontae Booker 1 B Eli Rogers 1 Robert Turbin 1 Jason Witten TR Jo. Williams 3 Evan Engram 1 B P. Richardson 1 Curtis Samuel 1 Tyrell Williams 7 Robby Anderson 1 Jordan Matthews 1 B JJ Nelson 1 Cody Kessler 1 Jonathan Stewart 6 B. Perriman 3 Will Fuller 1 B Corey Davis TR Gio Bernard 1 B J. Kearse 1

  Pos Pianowski  $ Behrens $ Jenstad/Sedler $ VanRiper  $ QB M. Stafford 19 Russell Wilson 33 Derek Carr 25 Joe Flacco 15 RB Todd Gurley 29 DeMarco Murray 36 David Johnson 52 Lamar Miller 25 RB D. Freeman 37 Isaiah Crowell 26 CJ Anderson 18 Paul Perkins 17 WR Antonio Brown 51 Davante Adams 25 D.Thomas 24 AJ Green 40 WR Golden Tate 17 Pierre Garcon 6 Willie Snead 15 Julio Jones 45 WR C. Meredith 10 Julian Edelman 9 DeSean Jackson 13 E. Sanders 14 TE Cameron Brate 3 Jack Doyle 13 Kyle Rudolph 11 Tyler Eifert 9 TE CJ Fiedorowicz 3 Hunter Henry 9 Charles Clay 1 Marty Bennett 9 K S.Gostkowski 2 Adam Vinatieri 1 Matt Bryant 1 D Houston 1 Minnesota 1 Denver 2 Kansas City 1 FL Brian Hoyer 6 Duke Johnson 3 Ameer Abdullah 11 Carson Palmer 15 FL Larry Fitzgerald 7 Roethlisberger 26 Tyrod Taylor 20 Jamaal Charles 3 B D. Woodhead 8 Kareem Hunt 3 Corey Coleman 2 Rob Kelley 2 B Open Spot TR Eric Decker 6 Mike Wallace 2 Vance McDonald 1 B Eric Ebron TR DeShone Kizer 1 Josh Doctson 1 Darren McFadden 1 B Marvin Jones 1 Darren Sproles 1 De. Washington 1 Tavon Austin 1 B Robert Woods 1 Paxton Lynch 1 Ted Ginn 1 Aaron Jones 1 Shane Vereen 1

Peter Schoenke

Most “experts” don’t want to admit when the screwed up an auction, but I did on this one. Not so much on the players. I got some decent values (Blount $10, Moncrief $11) and don’t hate my team. However, I wanted to spend at WR and QB, but early in the draft I priced enforced on Zeke Elliott and got “stuck” on him at $48. That’s likely $5 less than he’d typically go for but people were sitting on their hands early in the auction. However, it sent me down a path that I don’t think fared as well for me, similar to how when you take a RB in the first round of an auction.

I’m a WR-first guy. I stubbornly decided to still pay for WR and likely overpaid for T.Y. Hilton and Jordy Nelson, but I decided I wanted some high-floor players since we’re drafting so early and about half your roster is going to be picked up in free agency with this league’s thin benches. Those choices had me chasing for QBs and I never was able to pull the trigger on the $15 – $20 QB I desperately needed. As a result, that left me with Alex Smith as my superflex and Jared Goff as my backup QB. There’s a hint of floor and upside in that duo, but not exactly what I had in mind in a 14-team league.

Mark Stopa

In a deep format like this, everyone will have weak spots.. Given how RBs, WRs, and TEs emerge from nowhere each year, I’d rather be weaker at those positions than QB, and I auctioned accordingly.. There’s simply no chance any QB outside the top 20 is going to be someone you want to use each week, and many owners doing so are wasting a valuable bench spot on a third crummy QB to make up for the crummy one in their superflex.

As for the rest … Rawls and Richard are great ways to fade Lacy and Lynch, two guys I won’t be owning in 2017 seasonal.. I like my cheap Pats guys (Lewis, Hogan, Mitchell) because if injuries strike (Cooks, Edelman), they’ll be gold.. Remember, the earlier in 2017 your draft/auction occurs, the more upside on bench matters, as preseason injuries will happen.. Bills D gets the Jets at home Week 1; picking on NYJ will be an ideal way to stream defenses this year.

Kevin Payne

I got a starting lineup with the majority of my money and then went $1 for every bench spot. Didn’t draft a kicker or defense. Drank a lot of vodka. I’d recommend this for all.

Kirk Cousins, face of the Salfino franchise (AP)

Michael Salfino

The story of the draft was that QBs went for too little in this format and WRs went for too much. So I’m thrilled to land Drew Brees ($37) and Brees Jr., Kirk Cousins. The endgame worked for me because I got some really good WR values by my rankings: Britt, Matthews, Thielen, Cobb for a combined 9% of my budget. Britt for $3 thrilled me even though I want to avoid paying for players on teams that are likely to have major QB problems. The thing is, I think Cody Kessler is pretty good — if only I believed the Browns did, too.

I wish I said $53 for David Johnson instead of later having to say $54 for Le’Veon Bell. I have to worry a little about a holdout and Bell is a greater injury risk given their respective histories. My other regret is not saying $4 for Kareem Hunt, who has a David Johnson 2015 vibe.

Scott Jenstad

We came in with a plan for 2 of the top 22 QB (that is where we set our cut off) but not one of the top 3-4, one stud RB and then to play with the depth at WR and attack the mid-range WR after people had spent money on the top WR. I regret $29 total on CJ Anderson and Ameer Abdullah, although I do like Abdullah, but I think we could have bargain shopped for our 3rd RB slot and used that money to upgrade a bit at WR and TE. However, I absolutely love our late bargain WR and I think Coleman, Wallace, Doctson and Ginn for $6 made our depth and is an absurd group for the prices. I worry about 2nd TE in a 2 TE league as we ended up having to go bottom of the barrel there so that is a spot we will need to work on pretty quickly. I regret letting Jeff land Prescott for only $21, I would love to swap out $20 Tyrod Taylor for $21 Dak.

Andy Behrens

We bumped the league size up to 14 teams this year, which is pretty much the outer limit for a two-TE superflex format. The depth of this league led me to balance my spending across positions. I didn’t want to leave the auction with an unfinished team, knowing I had work to do on the wire. Going in, I’d intended to wait on receivers, the position offering the greatest depth; that approach resulted in decent deals on Garcon, Edelman and Decker.

If you guys want to see a roadmap to despair, check out Liss’ team. A disgrace to the fantasy industry.

Derek Van Riper

My plan going into the auction was to have one elite QB (Rodgers, Brady, Brees) and one elite RB (Bell, Johnson, or Elliott). It fell though, however, as the pricing at the top exceeded my expectations, and at 14 teams, I was slightly less adamant about sticking to a stars-and-scrubs approach. The value at the top of the pool came with the elite receivers, leading me to build around Julio Jones and A.J. Green instead. The most unexpected trend from the auction that makes my team vulnerable is the high cost of the mid-range and low-end quarterbacks thanks to two additional teams in the league, and our use of the Superflex. My hope, however, is that the likes of Carson Palmer and Joe Flacco can be within a couple points per game of the options who were priced up $10-15 higher, and that my strength at WR, TE, and lack of a hole (initially) at running back gives me good balance from week-to-week. 

Brad Evans

When tequila happens, you land Mike Glennon, Sam Bradford and Deshaun Watson as your only QBs. Intended at the onset, I purposely ignored the QB and TE positions and instead focused on acquiring high floor RBs/WRs. Though loaded in the latter areas (RBs: McCoy/Gordon/Powell/Perine; WRs: Alshon/Hopkins/Tyreek), it came at a tremendous cost elsewhere. Inevitably, I’ll spin a RB off at some point for a passing upgrade, but my roster-construction experiment could blow up the lab.

Brandon Funston

Overall, I’m happy with the roster I was able to pull together – no glaring positional weaknesses. Miracle of all miracles, I was able to be a patient shopper and not blow my budget in the early-round inflationary period. But maybe I was a tad too patient, as I had $6 to play with at the end when everyone else was pretty much in $1-draft mode. I ended up using that $6 on Jonathan Stewart, but if I think back on how it could have played out better, it would have probably been to pay $8-9 for a tight end like Hunter Henry or Zach Ertz instead of $4 for Julius Thomas and gone with a $1 DeAndre Washington (I have Marshawn Lynch, so it would have made some sense) in the end at RB instead of J-Stew.

(Note: Funston traded Eric Ebron to Pianowski for Corey Davis and Jason Witten, shortly after the draft ended.)

Jeremy Maclin was a July bargain (AP)

Liz Loza

Thank goodness for Grey Goose and Jeremy Maclin. After spending the bulk of my coin on RBs, I needed to snag an undervalued wideout. With over 300 targets up for grabs in Charm City, Maclin is a steal late in drafts… and I got him for just $5!

Dalton Del Don

I entered with a “stars and scrubs” strategy, planning on spending big on quarterbacks and wide receivers. Whether that strategy works (or if I got the right players) remains to be seen, but I certainly executed it. I regret not securing more $1 running back fliers, as I need to get lucky there (my starters are ugly). But this auction took place in mid-July, and RB is by far the most volatile position. I’ll have to be extra aggressive with FAAB at the position.

Chris Liss

Here’s my writeup from Rotowire.

My thoughts are you need to have a decent QB at the QB flex spot. And one who won’t lose his job unless he gets hurt. If I were to do it over again, I’d probably have bought a third instead of Carlos Hyde and punted RB altogether. I’m fairly sure I could trade a $27 QB for a $30-plus back.

I didn’t intend to go big on TE, but you and I were advancing the bid on Gronkowski, who’s worth $40 in this format, and he stopped at $34. I was actually happy to get him even though I probably won’t have him anywhere else.

I went big on Graham because I had some money left, though he was the best player available (again in the two-TE format) and would rather struggle in the end game than leave $ on the table. It cost me a couple Stefon Diggs types, who I could use, but I’m probably better off with Graham.

Scott Pianowski

I agree with most of Peter Schoenke’s comments, up top. I like to go into auctions with a highly agnostic strategy, but this was a league screaming for more urgency at quarterback. Most fantasy players can take that position casually, given the league-wide depth, but that is not the case in a 14-team league where everyone is highly incentivized to play two QBs a week. I should have either gotten three solid starters, or two high-level guys who could land in the Top 10 with a reasonable runout. If we did this auction again tomorrow, I’m sure a bunch of teams would approach the QB position differently.

It’s never a bad idea to make an early overpayment in an auction if it’s something you really want or really need. I should have parked one major QB early, then seen how the market unfolded. Instead, I stuck to my agnostic leanings and probably paid for it.

I do like the rest of my team, but I’m thin at the one position you can’t be thin at. The trade market probably won’t be much; Brad Evans can tell you that. And it’s hard to imagine a lot of QB talent coming into the league, guys we haven’t already drafted.

(Note: After the draft, Pianowski traded Corey Davis and Jason to Witten for Eric Ebron and an open spot, to be filled later).

[othersportsnews-blog]

Lil Wayne has significant plans for Atlanta Falcons linebacker Duke Riley - Atlanta Falcons Weblog

New Post has been published on https://othersportsnews.com/lil-wayne-has-significant-plans-for-atlanta-falcons-linebacker-duke-riley-atlanta-falcons-weblog/

Lil Wayne has significant plans for Atlanta Falcons linebacker Duke Riley - Atlanta Falcons Weblog

Started from the base now we are below

The acquainted lyrics from Drake’s strike tune could have echoed as a result of the brain of rap icon Lil Wayne even though he assessed Duke Riley‘s profile.

The rapper was in research of a marketable athlete to soar-begin Youthful Dollars APAA Sporting activities, which merged with Lil Wayne’s effective Youthful Dollars Entertainment history label. According to the company’s site, Youthful Dollars APAA Sports’ major spots of expertise and execution are deal negotiations, internet marketing alternatives and customer concierge expert services.

It assisted that Riley, the Atlanta Falcons rookie linebacker and third-round draft pick from LSU, is from the New Orleans region wherever Lil Wayne — born Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. — grew up and ascended to fame. But the hometown tie was not the only rationale the two linked.

Falcons rookie linebacker Duke Riley has joined the to start with team of athletes to align with rapper Lil Wayne’s sports offshoot Youthful Dollars. John Rivera/Icon Sportswire

Lil Wayne, an avid football supporter, knows talent when he sees it. He also knows what it truly is like to defeat great odds increasing up in a rugged environment.

“Duke’s travel to be the ideal, his do the job ethic, charisma and identity reminded me of an artist I signed on the audio aspect of Youthful Dollars. The environment knows that audio artist as Drake,” the five-time Grammy winner advised ESPN. “Just as I observed a superstar in Drake from the commencing, I see the similar for Duke Riley.”

Such a strong assertion produces lofty expectations for Riley, a player drafted to deliver a lot more velocity and playmaking ability to an ascending Falcons protection. But he is even now a rookie who has yet to enjoy in an NFL game or even make it as a result of an total education camp.

Riley was humbled to be the to start with player to signal with Youthful Dollars, irrespective of the tension it places on him to create.

“I know it kind of seems corny, but Lil Wayne said I’m the Drake of football. … He in essence said I’m their to start with [sports] guy which is likely to go significant,” Riley said. “They know what sort of person I am. They know I place in the do the job. They know I came out of nowhere and I came from nothing to be wherever I’m at appropriate now. And I’m not even near to wherever I’m likely to be. Youthful Dollars, they are bringing me in as loved ones.”

Jacksonville Jaguars rookie huge receiver Dede Westbrook and Dallas Cowboys rookie defensive end Lewis Neal, along with NBA rookie guard Frank Mason III of the Sacramento Kings, had been among the individuals to follow Riley and come to be the to start with team of athletes to signal offers with Youthful Dollars.

Riley’s new teammates had been well conscious of his one of a kind tie to Lil Wayne even before he officially grew to become a Falcon.

“When I took my [pre-draft] check out, they had been like, ‘You’re rolling with Wayne,'” Riley said. “They by now realized me for the reason that of that. Everyone is a supporter of Wayne, specifically if you like rap audio.”

Falcons mentor Dan Quinn, also a rap supporter, was not initially conscious of the relationship. He is now.

“I want I received to be component of that crew,” Quinn said with a smile. “I do like Lil Wayne.”

A video of Riley’s abnormal exercise session schedule attained him his to start with style of the national highlight as a professional. His affiliation with Lil Wayne is confident to garner even a lot more attention, notably if he performs at a higher amount on a crew coming off a Super Bowl visual appearance.

This is the tale at the rear of how the football/hip-hop partnership was formed and what it means for Riley transferring forward.

Functioning with a ‘living legend’

Lil Wayne and supervisor Cortez Bryant, a internet marketing expert, attended LSU-Alabama game in Baton Rouge past November. It was a challenging-fought energy by Riley and the 13th-rated Tigers, but the major-rated Crimson Tide emerged with a ten- acquire.

After the game, Riley acquired a FaceTime phone from Lil Wayne and fellow Youthful Dollars rapper Mack Maine.

“They advised me they had been commencing this football agency and they needed me to be a component of it,” Riley said. “And they needed to satisfy with me, but I was conference with a ton of individuals at that time.”

Riley ultimately agreed to satisfy with Lil Wayne and his enterprise partners following the college or university football time concluded. The conference took put in Miami, house of the $11.6 million mansion Lil Wayne obtained and, reportedly, a short while ago marketed that bundled his recording studio and personal skate park.

Duke Riley is intent on building Lil Wayne, higher remaining, a Falcons supporter. Courtesy of Duke Riley

“You see like a living legend standing appropriate in front of you,” Riley said of his confront-to-confront with Lil Wayne. “It was kind of insane at to start with. But like as before long as I walked in, he came up to me and had a full conversation. It’s so insane to know how a great deal Wayne basically knows about football. He knows a lot more gamers in the NFL than I do. He knows the routes. He knows the coverages. He knows all that.”

As if teaming up with one particular of his all-time favorite rappers was not adequate, Riley was thoroughly marketed when Lil Wayne and the Youthful Dollars contingent took an interest in Riley’s one-calendar year-outdated son, Elijah.

“They had been the past team I achieved with, and out of anyone I achieved they had been the to start with ones to deliver up my son throughout the job interview,” Riley said. “That was so massive to me for the reason that I’m a loved ones guy, and I know they are all about loved ones. I just needed to be a component of that.

“A ton of individuals had been like, ‘Man, you you should not want to do that,’ just for the reason that they considered [signing with Youthful Dollars] was all about the audio. You will find so a great deal a lot more. They do so a great deal for me.”

Riley basically signed Vincent Taylor of Elite Loyalty as his deal agent and maintains a near every day bond with Taylor. Youthful Dollars assisted established up Riley’s pre-draft education in Fort Value, Texas. The education assisted him drop a few tenths of a next off his 40 time to transform in a 4.fifty eight at the NFL mix, one particular of the swiftest situations among the linebackers. Then Riley created his NFL dreams truth as the draft’s 75th total pick.

When Riley was drafted by the Falcons, the internet marketing approach begun to take form.

“If he would have been picked in the to start with round early, I almost certainly could have completed a lot more on the internet marketing aspect,” said Bryant, who beforehand secured national commercials for Lil Wayne with Samsung and Nicki Minaj with MAC Cosmetics. “But now, I advised Duke it truly is likely to be an energy wherever we are likely to do the job with each other. I advised him the much better he does, the easier it will be for me to market the alternatives.”

Some of the to start with publicity Riley acquired with Youthful Dollars was a signing party hosted by Lil Wayne in May well at an Atlanta nightclub. Riley, who inked a four-calendar year, $3.518 million deal ($889,752 confirmed) with the Falcons, created revenue off the visual appearance as well.

“Mainly you happen to be finding the ideal of both worlds,” Riley said. “It’s kind of like I get to reside a rapper’s way of living. If Wayne’s likely to accomplish somewhere and there is an following party, I can be at the following party. It’s kind of insane for the reason that anyone who is a supporter of Wayne, they are a supporter of me, much too, for the reason that I’m component of Youthful Dollars.”

‘Makings of a real leader’

Riley is initially from Buras, Louisiana, some sixty miles south of New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina forced his total loved ones to relocate.

“We had like seventeen to 20 ft of h2o and when I went house, it was just a slab of concrete,” Riley said. “But honestly, Katrina was like the worst and ideal of factors that at any time transpired to me. I say worst for the reason that I lost a ton of mates and I received divided from my loved ones.

“But wherever I came from, when I was younger, I by no means observed myself in this posture for the reason that anyone in my loved ones — I’m from the swamps — so in essence they either worked offshore in the oil subject [wherever Riley’s father worked], they are fishermen or shrimpers, or they market medicines. It was just individuals three options, so it was great for me to get away from that region.”

Rookie linebacker Duke Riley brings velocity and leadership characteristics to the Falcons. David Goldman/AP

Riley and his loved ones ultimately settled in Belle Chasse, ten miles south of New Orleans. He went to John Curtis Superior University and remaining there as a four-star recruit. He did not begin at LSU right up until his senior time even though taking part in at the rear of potential Bucs linebacker Kwon Alexander and his new Falcons teammate, Deion Jones.

“We observed how Duke’s trajectory came in just a few of a long time,” Bryant said. “From higher school to LSU, just how he moved up. What much better tale than to begin with anyone who is kind of homegrown, and then get at the rear of him and assist him fulfill his desire?”

Now Riley has a new house in Atlanta with the Falcons and a new basis with Youthful Dollars. There is a opportunity Lil Wayne will go to the to start with common-time game at the Falcons’ new $one.5 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It’s Sept. seventeen, a Sunday evening matchup in opposition to Inexperienced Bay.

“Of course, Wayne is a massive Packers supporter,” Riley said. “Brett Favre is my favorite player for the reason that I used to enjoy quarterback, and Wayne the moment posted a photo of himself accomplishing in a Favre jersey. But Wayne is definitely a Falcons supporter now. I by now advised him, ‘I’m likely to get you a jersey.’ I’m pretty confident he could make that game.”

Time will explain to if Riley will be in the commencing lineup by then. Quinn envisions Riley as component of the foundation protection along with Jones and De’Vondre Campbell, a pair of next-calendar year gamers. Riley also could thrust to keep on being on the subject with Jones in the nickel offer.

“He is received quite great football instincts,” Quinn said of Riley. “The way he is likely for it with the early conferences, he wishes to do more to get [it] appropriate. And I assume we have observed some real leadership characteristics there. I assume he is received the makings to be a real chief.”

Supply connection

[cover32-yahoopartner-blog]

Titans sign whatshisname Robbins

Titans sign whatshisname Robbins

This group of articles is a bit late, but there have been several requests to write them anyway. Each will provide some background about undrafted free agents the Tennessee Titans signed. Some undrafted free agents are well-known while others seem to “come out of nowhere.” Over the years, “Whatshisname” became a moniker for all UDFAs.

Cameron (C.J.) Robbins is a defensive tackle from Northwestern University. Draftscout ranked him 55 of 199 defensive tackles. He is curiously listed from 6 foot 3 inches to 6 foot 5 inches tall and also weighs between 300 to 320 pounds.

AROUND COVER32

Around the NFL: Mark Schlereth joins FS1 as newest NFL analyst

What’s Trending: Chiefs hire Brett Veach, an Andy Reed favorite, as new GM

NFL Mount Rushmore: What are the greatest NFL uniforms of all-time

cover32 Debates: Julio Jones vs Rob Gronkowski; which receiver is more dominant

NFL Reaction: Is 40 the beginning of the decline for Tom Brady

Two things jump out about him right away: The Titans have made him a defensive end, not a nose tackle and he is 26 years old. The NCAA approved of a sixth year of eligibility for him in 2014.

I imagine NFL teams like to have some older rookies in camp to bring some maturity and responsibility to the group. His older age is interesting.

Watching him play, I already think the Titans miscast him as a defensive end. I see no speed or ability to get around the edge. What I see is a brute. I see my complimentary phrase of a Human Wall in him. Move him. Go ahead. Try to move this huge man! He’s tough and so well-balanced.

As we’ve discussed many times, an elementary principle of a defense is to funnel all of the plays into the middle where a player will be swarmed or “swallowed up” with nowhere to go. Many years ago, Jim Schwartz’ Titans defense was wonderfully disciplined and performed this beautifully as they funneled everything into Albert Haynesworth. When teams don’t have a stud in the middle of their defense, they need a human wall at nose tackle. As long as he can clog the lanes, everything will work out just fine.

The Titans have not fared well at nose tackle lately. Al Woods got pushed around, which is about the goal of the offensive line. WhatInSamHill was a converted defensive tackle that also got pushed around at nose tackle. Antwaun Woods was exceptional in preseason and in week 17. Jurrell Casey and Karl Klug have moved over to the nose tackle position to “stop the bleeding” sometimes and been effective. Those two don’t belong there though. They are defensive ends and need to wreak havoc on the outside. Dan Williams was signed during the offseason and he had and up N down time in Denver. Austin Johnson didn’t do all that well as a nose tackle last season, yet looked comfortable and surprisingly spry as a defensive end while filling in for Casey. Angelo Blackson is so athletic that he caught a preseason touchdown pass once, but he too is more end than nose tackle. This really has been a struggle for the Titans.

I like Robbins on tape. I’m afraid he will never make the team as an end, yet could be a nice piece of the puzzle if he plays the nose. If Antwaun Woods starts and disrupts the offense and does his thing, the Titans will be fine. When Woods needs a breather, Robbins could come in and “hold the fort.”

Sure, the Titans could use a “try to move me” beast of a man at defensive end and have Brian Orakpo burst around the edge. They absolutely could, but I think this is the type of compensatory thoughts we had when the Titans weren’t a good team. The Titans are far better now and a significantly deeper unit. The Titans of 2017 can flat out stack a defensive line. Casey and Johnson are “at his size he shouldn’t be that fast” athletic specimens. Casey once caught Reggie Wayne from behind and “shouldn’t be that fast.” Outside linebackers Orakpo and Derrick Morgan are downright tenacious at getting after the quarterback. From Dick Lebeau’s career one can simply gather that this is exactly what he wants- to be able to get after the quarterback and intimidate with super athletes. Having a human wall or plug type at end just doesn’t fit, in my opinion. Sure it would work on goalline packages and short yardage situations, but I doubt that will afford a player the opportunity to make a roster.

Robbins needs to be switched to nose and I’ll be watching preseason with hopes this happens.

The post Titans sign whatshisname Robbins appeared first on Cover32.

[itsworn]

Entry Lists Released for U.S. Short Track Nationals at Bristol

The expected entry lists for Bristol Motor Speedway’s U.S. Short Track Nationals have been released.  To no one’s surprise the lists are massive, with over 500 drivers ready to attack the historic facility May 19-21.

The divisions involved are Super Late Models (co-sanctioned by CRA, CARS, and the Southern Super Series), Pro Late Models (sanctioned by CRA), Late Model Stocks (sanctioned by CARS), Modifieds (sanctioned by the National Short Track Racing Alliance), Street Stocks (sanctioned by CRA), and Sport Compacts (sanctioned by Vores Cup)

Just a few weeks ago Bristol requested the participating sanctioning bodies limit each division to a certain number of entrants.  The maximum number set by the Speedway are: 80 Super Late Models, 80 Pro/Crate Late Models, 60 Late Model Stocks, 80 Modifieds, 110 Street Stocks, and 110 Compacts.  The numbers have been exceeded in all but two divisions.

Bristol is now asking those who may not compete to contact their corresponding sanctioning bodies.

For more information visit www.bristolmotorspeedway.com

U.S. Short Track Nationals Entries as of 3/27/17

Super Late Models (CRA/CARS/Southern Super Series # DRIVER CITY ST 1 C Keith Cahela Boaz AL 1 J Cody Coughlin Delaware OH 1 S Derek Scott Franklin TX 1 Jake Crum Taylorsville NC 2 J Kyle Jones Germantown OH 2 L Robby Lyons Seminole FL 2 N Trevor Noles Fuquay-Varina NC 2 W Donnie Wilson Oklahoma City OK 4 A Dalton Armstrong Alexandria IN 4 M Rob Maynor Hartland WI 4 N TBA 4 P Kyle Plott Mareitta GA 4 R Cory Roper Baytown TX 4 X Ben Rowe Turner ME 5 B John Beale Verona WI 5 D Nathan Davis Dora AL 5 S Will Sahutske Northville MI 6 R Logan Runyon Cambridge OH 6 S Brandon Setzer Newton NC 7 C Tyler Church Concord NC 7 D Erik Darnell Huntersville NC 7 E Doug Elliott New Smyrna FL 7 G Weston Griffith Jr Crown Point IN 8 F Tate Fogleman Durham NC 8 N John Hunter Nemechek Mooresville NC 9 C Jeff Choquette Orange Park FL 9 T Jason Timmerman Hicksville OH 12 Harrison Burton Huntersville NC 14 D Chris Davidson Pearland TX 14 G Cale Gale Athens GA 14 O Connor Okrzesik Grand Bay AL 15 H Roy Hayes Concord NC 15 M Joey Miller Lakeville MN 16 Lucas Jones Mooresville NC 17 B Josh Brock Corbin KY 17 M Eddie McDonald Rowley MA 23 S Thomas Skiles Indianapolis IN 23 V Eddie VanMeter Indianapolis IN 26 B Bill Burba Germantown OH 26 P Bubba Pollard Senoia GA 26 S Chandler Smith Jasper GA 26 T Rick Turner Yorktown IN 26 X Travis Braden Wheeling WV 27 Gatlin Lance Morristown TN 29 D Spencer Davis Dawsonville GA 29 S Tommy St.John Indianapolis IN 30 Joshua James Saukville WI 34 Nolan Pope Harrisonville MO 35 Derek Ramstrom Worcester MA 41 B Brandon Johnson Mooresville NC 41 J Hunter Jack Auburn IN 41 L Nick Leitz Chesapeake VA 43 Dennis Schoenfeld Van Buren AR 45 Joey Mucciacciaro Wolcott CT 47 C Brian Campbell Wyoming MI 47 K Allen Karnes Sharpsburg GA 47 S Dakota Stroup Owensboro KY 49 Jeff Batten Nashville NC 51 G Noah Gragson Las Vegas NV 51 N Stephen Nasse Largo FL 51 O Brandon Oakley Dayton OH 51 R Cole Rouse Fort Smith AR 53 J Boris Jurkovic Manhattan IL 53 W Jerry White Concord NC 54 Matt Craig Kannapolis NC 55 TBA 56 Robert Ford Lake City FL 57 C John Coffman Live Oak FL 57 T Cole Timm Mooresville NC 58 A Tyler Ankrum Colton CA 58 F Jeff Firestine Venice FL 62 Cassten Everidge Hudson IN 66 B Logan Beardan Leander TX 66 W Steve Wallace Mooresville NC 71 John VanDoorn Fruitport MI 76 Bubba Wallace Forest City NC 79 Kyle Bryant Navarre FL 81 F Jared Fryar Trinity NC 81 X TBA 83 Joey Padgett Concord NC 87 Mike Mazzagatti Clinton OH 88 Garrett Jones Mooresville NC 93 Dave Russell Clarence NY 96 Blake Jones Sevierville TN 97 Chase Purdy Huntersville NC 98 K Paul Kelly Pendergrass GA 98 M Mason Mingus Nashville TN 99 H Fred Hopkins New Castle IN 99 L Raphael Lessard St-Joseph CAN 99 O Justin Oertel Lincolnshire IL 112 Augie Grill Hayden AL 158 Daniel Webster Polk City FL 354 Chris Nash Portage MI JEGS/CRA ALL STARS TOUR # DRIVER CITY ST 0 Brandon Curron McCalla AL 1 C Cody Coughlin Delaware OH 1 D Dave Duncan Cicero IN 1 L Brandon Johnson Mooresville NC 1 S Jon Beach Watervliet MI 2 John Bolen Jasper AL 4 H Matt Hall Newport MI 4 X TBA 4 Phil Bozell Portage MI 5 C Michael Clancy Jr Ortonville MI 5 H Tyler Hufford Schoolcraft MI 5 L Eric Lee Macomb MI 6 Cody Quarrick Uniontown PA 7 B Jackson Boone Franklin TN 7 C TBA 7 D Cole Daffron Pell City AL 7 P Joey Pontbriand Norway MI 7 X TBA 8 H Hope Hornish Defiance OH 8 N John Hunter Nemechek Mooresville NC 8 T Scott Tomasik Avon IN 9 Jeff Choquette Orange Park FL 11 A Dustin Ash Las Vegas NV 11 C Stacy Crain Brentwood TN 12 B Brandon Brilliant Atlanta GA 12 L Dan Leeck Birch Run MI 14 D Corey Deuser Lanesville IN 14 H Carson Hocevar Portage MI 15 C Trey Craig Louisville KY 15 J Colt James Newton NC 15 T Kevyn Terry Citra FL 17 B Josh Brock Corbin KY 17 S Keith Sterkowitz Cedar Lake IN 20 Jack Dossey Indianapolis IN 22 Jamie Cox Dorcehster ONT 23 C Mandy Chick De Soto KS 23 G Dalton Grindle Flowery Branch GA 23 K Chris Koslek Grand Rapids MI 23 V Billy Van Meter Indianapolis IN 26 A Willie Allen Centerville TN 26 B Bill Burba Germantown OH 26 X Travis Braden Wheeling WV 27 Joe Ross Kansas City MO 28 Jack Smith Clyde OH 29 D Spencer Davis Dawsonville GA 29 K Austin Kunert Batavia IL 30 Memphis Villarreal Corpus Christi TX 32 Kent Baledge Alexandria IN 33 O Dillion Oliver Bowling Green KY 33 S Carter Stokes New Smyrna FL 40 Jordan Miller Breezewood PA 43 Justin South Leeds AL 44 Steve Laking Guelph CAN 46 Cole Williams Borden IN 47 C Brian Campbell Wyoming MI 47 S Dakota Stroup Owensboro KY 48 B Dwayne Baker Stayner CAN 48 C Kent Crane Independence MO 51 F Eddie Fatscher East Northport NY 51 N TBA 51 O Brandon Oakley Dayton OH 53 Kyle Ivey Nashville TN 54 H David Hite Apopka FL 54 T Brandon Thomson Seminole FL 56 Jerry Andrews Kalamazoo MI 66 Nate Walton Hudsonville MI 67 Ben Welch Spring Lake MI 81 Bob Varney Richmond MI 83 Andy Bozell Portage MI 88 Roger Reuse Alabaster AL 89 Bobby Reuse Alabaster AL 96 Marc Jacobs London ONT 97 I Robbie Iverness Escanaba MI 97 J Jaxson Jacobs London ONT 99 Harrison Hall Circleville OH 114 Sterling Marlin Columbia TN 127 David Strode Independence MO 145 Bill Melvin Trussville AL 407 Jason Vail Clermont FL CARS TOUR LATE MODEL STOCK CARS # NAME CITY ST 2 Paul Nogradi Knoxville, TN 2 Myatt Snider Charlotte, NC 2 Cody Haskins Marietta, GA 3 Taylor Jorgenson Stockbridge, GA 4 Mike Chambers Timberlake, NC 5 Jeremy Burns Simpsonville, SC 7 Bradley McCaskill Wendell, NC 7 Justin Crider Statesville, NC 7 Brandon Rogers Canton, NC 4 A Anthony Alfredo Mooresville, NC 8 Deac McCaskill Raleigh, NC 8 Trevor Rizzo Bluffton, SC 11 Jeff Oakley Manquin, VA 12 Ryan Wilson Randleman, NC 12 Paul Wark Winston-Salem, NC 12 Austin McDaniel Harrisburg, NC 12 Ryan Gray Raleigh, NC 14 Ryan Repko Denver, NC 15 Bryson Dennis Chuckey, TN 15 Sheflon Clay Asheville, NC 16 Colby Howard Simpsonville, SC 18 Evan Swilling Cohutta, GA 18 Ty Gibbs Huntersville, NC 21 Tim Allensworth Wallace, NC 21 Travis Swaim High Point NC 23 Zachary Dabbs Mooresville, NC 24 Kevyn Terry Citra, FL 26 Joey Trent Gray, TN 27 Tommy Lemons Troy, NC 29 Jake Ruggles Kannapolis, NC 30 Taylor Coffman Bean Station TN 32 Jerry Miracle Indian Trail NC 32 Brandon Grosso Belle Mead NJ 37 Joel Courage Dublin, CA 38 Hunter Byrd Clarksville, TN 38 J Ricky Jones Angier, NC 39 Grayson Massey Dryfork, VA 42 Craig Stallard Jenkins, KY 44 Justin Johnson Troy, NC 44 M Nate Monteith Bluff City TN 57 Justin Carroll Concord, NC 66 Austin Peters Kingsport, TN 74 Ronald Hill Rougemont, NC 77 Logan Jones Fredericksburg, VA 81 Jared Fryar Trinity, NC 87 Hayden Woods Piney Flats TN 88 Chris Davis Hillsborough, NC 88 B Josh Berry Mooresville, NC 96 Danny O’Quinn Abingdon, VA 97 Dylan Garner Yorba Linda CA 97 William Lester Lexington, NC 98 Stefan Parsons Cornelius, NC 99 Layne Riggs Bahama, NC TOP SPEED MODIFIEDS # NAME CITY ST 0 Tony Dager Grabill, IN 0 R Lucas Ripley Ulrichsville, OH 1 Wayne Jefferson Pinellas Park FL 1 Bill Prietzel West Allis WI 1 B Dan Burden North Canton OH 1 W Wayne Parker Mount Dora FL 1 W Rick Wiecorek Mount Morris MI 3 Kyle Bookmiller Riverview, FL 4 Mike Hadley Jr Greenwood, IN 5 H Bobby Heyink Eaton Rapids MI 5 Al Berry Auburn, IN 5 Greg Fullarton Howell, MI 7 S Bob Sibila Massillon, OH 7 Matt Dimit Huntington, IN 8 Scotty Tomasik Avon, IN 8 Jamie Sites Tipp City OH 9 Cory Nuttle Yoder, IN 9 N RJ Norton III Indianapolis, IN 11 Brian Nester Hamilton, IN 12 Chad Poole Springfield, OH 12 J Josh Nester Edon, OH 12 N Dave Nester Edon, OH 12 X Michael Occhipinti Dearborn, MI 13 Kevyn Terry Citra, FL 13 Kyle Purvis Marion, OH 13 M Sean McPherson Riley, MI 14 Mike Maddox Tupelo, MS 14 Tim Burkett Hamilton, IN 15 Scott Jones Marysville, OH 16 Bill Melvin Trussville, AL 16 Stephen Klinect West Salem OH 17 Chris Cotto Milton, FL 19 Andy Shutts Orient, OH 21 Ross Klingelhofer Quincy, OH 24 Buddy Gray Petoskey, MI 26 Jeff Lane Knightstown, IN 28 Dameron Taylor Indianapolis, IN 30 Y Brad Yunker Swanton, OH 30 Jonathan Martin Fort Wayne IN 31 Parker Pugh Madison, AL 31 L Chad Lemmerman Streetsboro, OH 31 Doug Meyer North Canton OH 32 D Danny McGowan Huntington, WV 33 Jason Morman Seabrook, TX 33 Jeremy Menninger Pataskala, OH 35 Evan Foster Clarkston, MI 36 Darrin Bowman Ambia, IN 39 Dave Christensen Clio, MI 40 Chris Stark Lewiston, MI 43 Billy Marcoux Goulais River Canada 44 Robert Babb Chesapeake, VA 45 Todd Gearhart Montpelier, OH 46 Doug Moff Fort Myers FL 51 Ryan Tamburro Worthington, OH 53 David Dobbins Hartville, OH 53 Z Eldon Zacek Jr Concord, NC 54 Clayton Green Marble Falls TX 57 Tim Moore Pinellas Park FL 57 N Tyler Nuckles Groveport, OH 57 Blake Rowe Ortonville, MI 58 Dan LaRocco Strongsville, OH 60 Brian Brewer Galena, OH 60 Bobby Gery Carrollton, VA 60 Sam Bigham New Franklin OH 61 Tyler Shullick Vermillion, OH 68 Stu Robinson Jr Beaverton, Canada 70 Mark Bott Port Austin MI 71 William Skaggs North Fort Myers FL 71 Johnny Brazier Hazel Green AL 71 Brett Hahne Brighton, MI 72 Gary Zink Jr Orient, OH 76 Mark Timmerman Fort Laramie OH 77 Hunter Slayton Richmond, VA 77 Kevin Doran Lebanon, OH 78 Travis Eddy Beaverton, MI 82 John Hansel Columbus, OH 82 Rick Sibila Mineral City, 84 Bubba Brooks Kalamazoo, MI 86 John Long Niles, MI 88 Travis Stepp Star City IN 88 E Ethan Mullet Hilliard, OH 93 Doug 1 Dowagiac, MI 95 Dave Stacy Enron, OH 111 George Perkins Fort Wayne IN 131 Jeff Letson Madison, AL 141 Rocky Rogers Jasper, AL TBA Mike Rush Powell, OH X Damon Breedlove Greenfield, IN CRA STREET STOCKS  # DRIVER CITY ST 00 B Bruce Burch Greenbrier TN 00 G Cliff Gaumond Midland NC 00 H Brett Hudson Owensboro KY 00 W Gordon Watson Tipp City OH 0 Ricky Young Beavercreek OH 1 D Brandon Tregembo Ray MI 1 W Jamie Whitt Wise VA 1 Jerry Zordan Bangor MI 2 B Jim Boyle East Windsor CT 2 F Bill Fisbie Jr. West Danby NY 2 S Paul Schloss Palm Coast FL 2 Mark Ross Jr Highland IN 3 M Jacob McElfresh Elwood IN 3 P Jeremy Pletz Dowagiac ME 03 E Kevin Eby Lenoir NC 03 S Ricky Stamber Bowling Green KY 03 W Matt Wilson Richfield OH 4 H John Heck Indianapolis IN 4 P Clynis Phillips Clintwood VA 4 X Matt Maurer Granger IN 5 B Chuck Barnes Sr Louisville KY 7 P Ryan Paul Richmond VA 6 HA Chris Harmon Brooks KY 6 HI Blake Hillard Owensboro KY 6 M Jeff Melton Concord NC 6 S Bryce Schaefer Niles MI 7 Jerry Lewis Waynetown IN 8 Brian McDonald Louisville KY 9 Jake Hinton Markle IN 10 B Dan Banker Des Moines IA 10 S Tom Stone Linden MI 11 Jimmy Kirby Indianapolis IN 14 H Aaron Abbott Reynolds Station KY 14 W Quentin White Greenwood IN 16 C T. J. Cochrane Buffalo NY 16 G Heath Helton Philpot KY 16 W Zach Westdorp Kalamazoo MI 16 Z Brandon Zachary Paw Paw MI 17 B James Brown Elkhart IN 17 PL Tim Pletz Sodus MI 17 PO David Powell Greenville IN 17 SC Bobby Schisler Cromwell IN 17 SH Stephen Shelpman Pittsburgh PA 18 Steve Bickett Whitesville KY 21 C Denver Carte Barberton OH 21 L Jeff Lane Knightstown IN 22 CR Skeeter Crum Jeffersonville IN 22 CU John Curtis Christiansburg VA 22 K James Kirby Indianapolis IN 22 L Brian Lewis Fairland IN 23 G Kenny Gibson Venice FL 23 I Larry Isenhower Greensboro NC 24 D Dennis Deese Piney Flats TN 24 W Jeremie Wiggins Elyria OH 25 B Louis Botti Irwin PA 25 C Jesse Collinge Swartz Creek MI 25 L Tory Lutz Wakarusa IN 25 R Kyle Ribble Delton MI 25 S Steven Schultz Drums PA 25 T Christopher Titcomb Amesbury MA 26 B Jeff Berg Louisville KY 26 H Jordan Hahn Wanamaker IN 27 Josh Poore Anderson IN 28 A Shawn Amor Walkerton IN 28 P Clark Perry Amherstdale WV 28 SH Jeffrey Shackelford Indianapolis IN 28 SI Dayton Sidner Pensacola FL 28 V Josh Varney Leeds ME 29 F Donny Fink Orlando FL 29 K Mason Keller Indianapolis IN 29 S Ken Schraufnagel Slinger WI 29 T Mike Todd Pleasant Hill IA 32 B David Bayens Borden IN 32 L Rich Lavallee Dixon CA 32 S Greg Schramm Wellington OH 33 Kimmie Greig Indianapolis IN 35 Bill Ashton Hopwood PA 36 Corey Hutchings Salem CT 39 Christopher Douton Waterford CT 40 G Rodney Glass Belhaven NC 40 M Toby Montgomery Vicksburg MI 40 P Royce Peters Kingsport TN 42 PE Curtis Peeples Round-o SC 42 PR Nick Pressler Buchanan MI 43 Douglas Post Radcliff KY 44 B Chuck Barnes Jr Louisville KY 44 H Scott Holbert Louisville KY 44 L Colby Lane New Castle IN 48 Eric Brown Springville NY 52 B Duke Bare Meadowview VA 52 S Bob Sibila Jr Independence OH 54 C Tony Conway Louisville KY 54 G Nathan Greene Muncie IN 55 J Phil Jenkins Greenfield IN 55 S Lee Slaton Constantine MI 56 Mike Short Auburn ME 57 Danny Adams Indianapolis IN 58 Larry Lathan Bedford KY 59 Corey Adams Indianapolis IN 64 Joe Mancuso Buffalo NY 65 Billy Williams Bowling Green KY 68 A Scott Adams Lake Ariel PA 68 S J.J. Schafer Bremen IN 68 V Trenten Vogts Churubusco IN 70 G Jeremy Gerstner Wesley Chapel FL 70 L Bob Lusetti Broadview Heights OH 71 Wayne Abner Heidrick KY 72A Bradley Abner Heidrick KY 72K Mike Abner Heidrick KY 72N TBA 74 BA Austin Baum Shepherdsville KY 74 BR Josh Brading New Albany IN 74 D Todd Duff Kingsport TN 75 K Mark Kalata Almond WI 75 W Ryan Waterman Danielson CT 76 Benny Bender Mobile AL 77 D Jason Drummond Gibsonburg OH 77 G Eric Greer Utica KY 78 F Robert Fink Sheatown PA 78 H Joe Holp Uniontown PA 79 Heath Bronkema Kalamazoo MI 83 Brandon Mefford Spiceland IN 84 Andrew Teepe Indianapolis IN 86 S Shawn Smith Louisville KY 86 W Geoff Wood Whittemore MI 88 Jeff Johnson Indianapolis IN 89 Josh Sage Piqua OH 90 Joe Quinn North Royalton OH 91 Rich Segvich Frankfort IN 95 Brian Hopkins New Castle IN 96 Donnie Woodard Charlestown IN 98 Jeff Caudell Scottsburg IN 99 Brian Bayer Birdseye IN 112 Mark Lushes Uniontown OH 131 Ron Ritcher Akron NY 311 Keith Bissinger Bloomsburg PA 333 Jonathan Ziegler Lafayette IN VORE’S COMPACTS # NAME CITY ST 0 Tom Gossar Markleville IN 0 Kamden Creek Anderson IN 1 A Mike Richardson Valparaiso IN 1 CT Chuck McDonald Groton CT 1 X Mark Mason Ft. Wayne IN 1 David Mehl Fairland IN 2 Brad Chandler Cedar Rapids IA 4 D Jamie Drook Maineville OH 4 Terry Eaton Jr Quincy OH 5 B Brett Duane Smith Richmond IN 5 JT Jesse Henry Jones IV Newport News VA 5 Lynn Waller Richland NC 6 H Billy Hillard Owensboro KY 6 Chris Jennings Richmond IN 7 P Paul Bittle South Bend IN 7 C Ron Masters Machanicsburg OH 7 Don Rufener III Uhrichsville OH 7 Steve Vore Ft. Recovery OH 8 Joe Jennings Richmond IN 9 T Nicholas Meade West Carrrolton OH 9 X Josh Richardson Ft. Wayne IN 9 Steve Vore Ft. Recovery OH 9 Wesley Ennis The Plains OH 10 Jake Albright Dover OH 11 Zachary Smizer Stafford VA 12 N Charlie Nickel Chili WI 12 James Scott Pierson Ona WV 13 Mark Jennings Centerville IN 14 Joseph Jennings Centerville IN 15 Andy Jennings Richmond IN 16 Michael Brewer Fairborn OH 17 Bill Honious Miamisburg OH 18 D Derek Davis South Bend IN 18 Gary Eaton Jr West Liberty OH 19 H John Handeland Belleville WI 19 RI Dylan Cabral Richmond RI 19 Joe Workman Milton WV 20 John Denny Erie PA 21 David Gilliland Harrison TN 22 Kevin Broski Cleveland OH 24 T Aaron Teegarden New Weston OH 24 Nicole DeVos Allendale MI 24 Cole Roelofs Dove MI 25 A Christopher Brown Cottontown TN 25 B Ben Belanger Whitefield NH 25 Tim Durfy Lockport NY 27 I Dan Irvine Valparaiso IN 27 Bo Hoelscher Riverside OH 28 BJ Honious Dayton OH 29 Josh Easto Cedar Lake IN 31 X John Isaac Davis Cookeville TN 31 JR Vester Muncie IN 33 X Thomas Kapish Mountain Top PA 33 Justin Brown Boggstown IN 35 Gary Stark Jr Ft Atkinson WI 37 Darek Morris New Castle IN 38 X Ryan Spillers Ft Wayne IN 39 Kelly Lilie Port Clinton OH 42 Johney Greer III Indianapolis IN 44 X Josh Brown Cottontown TN 44 Brooks Horseman Lebanon OH 46 Andy Manes Indianapolis IN 47 Kory Appleby Greenwood IN 49 B Derick Bradshaw Mount Washington KY 49 TBA/Hoffman Demotte IN 50 Craig Frase New Lenox IL 51 G Christopher Gammon Portland TN 51 Keith Watson Salt Rock WV 53 D Tim Dilg Cincinnati OH 53 Jr Lemasters Indianapolis IN 54 JT John Trimble Scott Depot WV 54 Chip Heintzelman Ft. Wayne IN 55 Kyle Byrd Greenfield IN 56 Sean Frederick Goodlettsville TN 57 Ricky Wilson Frankfort IL 58 Johnathan Waldrop Chesterfield VA 59 Kodi Bater Landis NC 61 Matthew Jackson New Carlisle OH 62 Mike Sabina Ft Wayne IN 63 Larry Hatfield Indianapolis IN 64 Derek Smith Clarksville IN 67 Rob Rehm Indianapolis IN 69 X Jeff Isbell Lebanon OH 69 Jeff Striegel Lanesville IN 70 Levi Hill Dayton OH 71 Trent Gossar Markleville IN 72 Bobby Sanders McCordsville IN 78 Michael Hughart Saint Albans WV 79 Todd Metz Jr Charlotte MI 81 Dalton Cox Versailles KY 82 Harvey Yoder Kenton OH 85 Phil Iliff Portland IN 87 Scott Kerley Elizabethton TN 88 X Steven Brock Elizabeth IN 88 Joshua Foltz Medway OH 91 Cameron Cruise Bradenton FL 92 TBA/Hoffman Demotte IN 93 Tim Cassidy Wayne WV 95 A Daniel Harper Portland TN 95 David Yoder Kenton OH 96 Jim Granzow Hobbart IN 97 M Matthew Morris Louisville KY 99 M Travis Lea Miller Jacksonville NC 99 Chris Clark New Haven IN 111 Devon Dixon Janesville WI 117 Ryan Hoffman Demotte IN 119 Brandon De Lacy Stunghton WI 126 Harry O’Neill Wapwallopen PA 133 Jess Drook Maineville OH 151 John Hunn Rolla MO 181 Daniel Herron Newcomerstown OH 192 Kyle Stark Marshall WI 223 Greg Garrison Bloomington IN 410 Steven Tito Drums PA

    The post Entry Lists Released for U.S. Short Track Nationals at Bristol appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

from Hot Rod Network http://www.hotrod.com/articles/entry-lists-released-u-s-short-track-nationals-bristol/ via IFTTT

[lignes2frappe]

LES 20 MEILLEURS GANGSTERS DE CINÉMA

Mafieux, braqueurs, tireurs... il y en a pour tous les goûts...

Mais qu’est ce qui fait un bon gangster de cinéma ? Le charisme ? La gueule de l’emploi ? Le grain de folie niché aux fonds des yeux ? La dégaine ? Des faits d’armes vaguement inspirés du réel ?

Si la réponse se situe à l’évidence quelque part au milieu de cet inventaire à la Prévert, une fois la lecture de la liste ci-dessous terminée, vous devriez avoir une idée plus précise sur la question.

PS : choix a été fait de ne retenir un seul gangster par film et de se concentrer sur les films US

20. Vincenzo Coccotti

Interprété par Christopher Walken dans True Romance (1993).

Consigliere du chef mafieux ‘Blue’ Lou Boyle, si « Don Vincenzo » n’apparaît en tout et pour tout que dans une seule scène, et qui plus est en se montrant économe sur son temps de parole, il ne lui en faut néanmoins pas plus pour marquer les esprits.

À sa décharge, il ne s’agit pas de n’importe quelle scène : écrite par un jeune Quentin Tarantino, la Sicilian Scene comme elle surnommée est de son propre aveu sa préférée de toute sa filmographie.

Tiré à quatre épingles, celui qui se présente comme « l’antéchrist » écoute ainsi patiemment Dennis Hopper lui expliquer que du sang noir coule dans ses veines avant de lui coller plusieurs balles dans le citron sous le coup de la colère, lui qui pourtant n’avait « tué personne depuis 1984 ».

19. Al Capone

Interprété par Robert De Niro dans Les Incorruptibles (1987).

Initialement ce devait être le regretté Bob Hoskins qui était censé prêter ses traits au gangster le plus célèbre de l’Amérique. Enfin ça c’était avant que le réalisateur Brian de Palma ne convainque l’acteur favori de Martin Scorsese de rejoindre l’aventure.

Ni une, ni deux, Bobby D. s’en est allé en Italie prendre une bonne douzaine de kilos en mangeant des pâtes, s’est rasé le crane, a retrouvé les tailleurs encore en vie qui confectionnaient les costumes de Capone, tout ça pour au final piquer la vedette à l’intégralité du casting (Sean Connery excepté).

Bon après il est toujours possible de finasser en disant que le portrait fait ici du roi de la prohibition est un peu trop romancé, mais ne soyons pas grincheux.

18. Nino Brown

Interpété par Wesley Snipes dans New Jack City (1991).

Grand patron de la cité Carter, le chef de file des Cash Money Brothers (oui Lil Wayne a clairement vu et revu le film) gère d’une main de fer le trafic de crack dans les bas-fonds newyorkais.

Fort d’un sens du style à la croisée des chemins entre celui des révolutionnaires Black Panthers et celui des gangstas rappeurs de sa ville, il n’oublie pas de se faire plaisir à l’occasion, entre petite partie de streeball sur un terrain customisé aux couleurs de son gang, saut à la corde en pleine réunion de crise et adultère avec la go sûre de son bras droit.

Bref, « la vie de rêve » pour reprendre les mots célèbres d’un autre.

17. Frank Lucas

Interprété par Denzel Washington dans American Gangster (2007).

Voilà un type inconnu au bataillon, qui en pleine guerre du Vietnam met sur pied un trafic d’héroïne d’un genre nouveau en important au nez et à la barbe de la mafia italienne un produit d’une qualité inédite, et qui une fois au sommet, shoote Idris Elba en plein jour s’empresse de mettre les siens l’abri, non sans oublier d’épouser l’une des meufs les plus désirables du New York City des années 70.

Bien que corporate jusqu’au bout des ongles, Lucas rate cependant sa reconversion, lui qui aurait mieux fait d’intégrer le comité de direction d’une entreprise cotée au Dow Jones quand il en était encore temps plutôt que d'avoir à balancer aux bleus tous les noms de son répertoire pour sauver sa peau.

N’est pas Jay Z qui veut.

16. Frank Costello

Interprété par Jack Nicholson dans The Departed (2006).

Inspiré du très réel Whitney Bulger qui dans le Boston des années 80/90 s’est joué de la pègre et des autorités en faisant croire à chacun qu’il roulait pour eux, l’irlandais Francis Costello aime tellement vivre cette vie que malgré ses 70 ans et un compte en banque généreusement garni, il continue de se foutre du monde – genre refourguer à prix d’or des prises électriques au gouvernement chinois en les faisant passer pour des microprocesseurs haute technologie.

Pas spécialement porté sur la sobriété (le mec déambule chez lui en peignoir léopard et mange du homard au petit déj’), ses punchlines valent leur pesant de cacahuètes Cf. son « I don't want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me » qui ouvre les débat avec en fond Gimme Shelter des Rolling Stones.

15. Mr. Blonde

Interprété par Michael Madsen dans Reservoir Dogs (1992).

Haut la main le plus psychopathes de tous les dogs, mais aussi et surtout le plus cool – voir même le personnage plus cool de tout le Tarantino Universe si l’on en croit ce classement.

En mesure d’apprécier les petits plaisirs de la vie quel que soit le contexte (ici se délecter d’un milkshake suite à un braquage de bijouterie qui vient de tourner au bain de sang, là exécuter quelques pas de danse sur Stuck in the Middle With You des Stealer’s Wheel tout en torturant au rasoir un agent des forces de l’ordre), le frangin de Vincent Vega ne se départit jamais de son charisme ancienne école à la Robert Mitchum.

De quoi regretter toujours un peu plus que ne se soient jamais concrétisés les projets de prequel/sequel dont il a un temps fait l’objet...

14. Benjamin ‘Busgy’ Siegel

Interprété par Warren Beatty dans Bugsy (1991).

L’homme qui un jour rétorqua au premier degré à son ami le comédien George Raft tentant de le prévénir qu’aucune femme au monde ne vaut de se prendre une balle entre les yeux : « Tout dépend des yeux, tout dépend de la femme ».

Créateur selon la légende de ce paradis du vice qu’est Las Vegas, Benjamin Siegel incarne à la perfection la figure du gangster de cinéma hollywoodien, que ce soit par sa démesure, son romantisme ou le tragique de sa destinée.

Ajoutez également à cela qu’il porte le costume croisé comme personne, et c’est à se demander si dans une réalité alternative il n’a pas été la plus grande star de cinéma de son époque.

13. David ‘Noodles’ Aaronson

Interprété adolescent par Tiler Scott et adulte par Robert De Niro dans Il était une fois en Amérique (1984).

Candidat au titre de film le plus mélancolique de l’histoire du septième art, C'era una volta in America de Sergio Leone vagabonde pendant près de quatre heures dans la mémoire tumultueuse de ‘Noodles’, un gangster juif du Lower East Side.

Dévoré par le remord après avoir trahi ses amis 35 ans plus tôt, au soir de sa vie il lui est impossible de regarder le présent autrement que les yeux rivés vers le passé.

L’enfance, les illusions, le temps qui passe... il se laisse aller à réinterprèter les événements à la manière d’une fable, le tout rythmé par les notes du monument Ennio Morricone (paix à son âme).

C’est lent, c’est beau, et c’est émouvant du début à la fin.

12. Vincent

Interprété par Tom Cruise dans Collateral (2004).

Si vous cherchiez le meilleur rôle de Tom Cruise, n’en déplaise aux fans de Les Grossman dans Tropic Thunder, ne cherchez plus.

Tueur à gage au service d’un cartel colombien, tel un Terminator il parcourt Los Angeles la nuit pour abattre une à une ses cibles. Costume argenté assorti au poivre et sel de ses cheveux, il s’entiche d’un chauffeur de taxi velléitaire (Jamie Foxx) à qui il dispense quelques solides leçons de vie où sont cités pêle-mêle Darwin, Shakespeare, Mile Davis et le Yi Jing.

« Indifférent » à la vie ou à la mort, il masque derrière son professionnalisme un cynisme à toute épreuve avant de rendre les armes façon Mim au royaume d'Asgard.

11. Lefty Ruggiero

Interprété par Al Pacino dans Donnie Brasco (1997).

Petite main de la famille Bonanno, ce perdant tout sauf magnifique a beau être l’affranchi le plus poissard du crime organisé, cela ne l’empêche pas d’être à bien des égards le plus touchant.

Son regard fatigué constamment à la recherche d’un signe de validation, ses bravaches de comptoir mille fois répétées écoutées d’une oreille, ses tentatives maladroites de jouer au mentor avec Donnie faute d’avoir su être un père pour son fils... Lefty c’est le type laborieux qui essaye du mieux qu’il peut sans jamais vraiment y arriver.

Lefty c’est aussi ce type qui s’est porté garant de la plus grande taupe jamais introduite au cœur de la mafia newyorkaise.

Pas dit qu’il méritait complètement ce sort.

10. Jules Winnfield

Interprété par Samuel L. Jackson dans Pulp Fiction (1994).

Vincent Vega, Marsellus Wallace, Butch, Winston Wolf... ce ne sont pas les crapules de qualité qui manquent dans le second métrage de Tarantino. L’ami Jules peut toutefois se targuer d’être celui pour qui l’intrigue a été montée dans le désordre afin de conclure sur son arc narratif.

Touché par la lumière divine en plein taf, cet authentique amateur d’hamburgers (et de massages de pieds) a en effet accomplit un virage à 180 degrés, passant ainsi du très cool Fonzie de Happy Days au très spirituel Cain dans Kung Fu.

Comme quoi il n’est pas toujours nécessaire de sortir les canons sciés pour donner dans le spectaculaire.

9. Neil McCauley

Interprété par Robert De Niro dans Heat (1995).

Plutôt du genre cérébral, pour ne pas dire obsessionnel, il planifie les coups de son gang comme un joueur d’échecs.

Chevaleresque dans un milieu qui tient du panier de crabes, malgré un Vincent Hanna/Al Pacino qui ne démérite pas à ses trousses, c’est lui que le public (et les professionnels de la profession) soutient de bout en bout.

Maître de ses émotions tout au long du film, c’est paradoxalement en enfreignant sa principale règle de conduite, celle des 30 secondes (« Don't let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner », la citation en VO permet de comprendre le titre du film), qu’il chute.

8. Frank White

Interprété par Christopher Walken dans The King of New York (1990).

De retour dans les rues de la Grosse Pomme après une longue peine, il renoue avec son crew pour reprendre la place qui est la sienne au sommet de la pyramide du crime.

Triades, colombiens, italiens... tous ceux qui selon ses critères méritent d’y passer y passent.

Car oui, du haut de la suite qu’il occupe dans l’un des plus prestigieux palaces de la ville, Frank White ambitionne cette fois de faire les choses différemment : il compte se servir de l’argent du deal pour sauver un hôpital des quartiers pauvres.

Sans grande surprise, cette quête de rédemption qui ne dit pas son nom s’effondrera tel un château de cartes.

7. Carlito Brigante

Interprété par Al Pacino dans L’Impasse (1993).

Libéré miraculeusement de prison après cinq ans alors qu’il en avait pris pour trente, cet ex baron de la drogue met à profit cette seconde chance pour revenir dans le droit chemin.

Son rêve ? Partir ouvrir une société de location de voitures sur Paradise Island, une île des Bahamas.

Résolu à dégoter les 75 000 dollars qui lui manquent en toute légalité, il louvoie du mieux qu’il peut entre vielles connaissances et amis pas toujours bien intentionnés pour garder la tête hors de l’eau.

Sauf que l’on n’échappe pas à son milieu d’un coup de baguette magique, d’autant plus quand en son sein « un service peut tuer plus vite qu’une balle ».

6. Nicky Santoro

Interprété par Joe Pesci dans Casino (1995).

« T’attaques Nicky à coups de poings, il sort une batte de baseball. Tu l’attaques au couteau, il sort un flingue. Et si tu sors un flingue, t’as intérêt à le tuer parce qu’il va revenir à la charge jusqu’à ce qu’il y en ai un des deux qui soit mort. »

Ça c’est ce que dit Sam Rothstein de son ami d’enfance quelques secondes après qu’il ait troué la gorge d’un homme à coups de stylo à plume pour un motif des plus futiles.

Plus tard dans le film il serrera si fort la tête d’un rival dans étau au point de lui éjecter un œil du globe oculaire, puis ira mitrailler les domiciles des flics.

Oui, Nicky est un vrai gangster.

5. Keyser Söze

Interprété par Kevin Spacey dans Usual Suspects (1995).

La légende veut qu’il ait choisi de tuer sa femme et ses enfants plutôt que de céder la moindre parcelle de son territoire à ses ennemis, qu’il ait allé ensuite brûler leurs maisons, les maisons de leurs familles et les maisons de ceux qui leur devaient l’argent.

La légende veut aussi qu’après ce fait de gloire il ne se soit plus jamais réapparu en public. Érigé en mythe, sa réputation effraye jusqu’aux gangsters eux-mêmes.

Impossible du coup de soupçonner pendant l’heure 45 que dure le film qu’il est venu se jouer une toute dernière fois des autorités juste sous leur nez sous l’identité du boiteux Roger ‘Verbal’ Kint.

Ou pour le citer citer le poème Joueur généreux de Charles Baudelaire : « La plus belle des ruses du diable est de vous persuader qu’il n’existe pas. »

4. Tony Montana

Interprété par Al Pacino dans Scarface (1983).

Cowboy mégalomane cocaïné jusqu’à la moelle, le plus célèbre des réfugiés politiques cubains incarne depuis 1983 la figure ultime du self made man.

Et tant pis si d’après le scénariste Oliver Stone il est n’est qu’un type « sans éducation », qu’il roule en Cadillac à sièges léopards, porte des chemises noires avec ses costumes blancs ou enchaîne un tigre dans son jardin, Tony M. inspire l’envie d’avoir envie.

Libre ensuite à chacun de transposer son exemple dans le domaine de son choix, le trafic de yayo tendant irrémédiablement à broyer ses élèves les plus appliqués – lire : tomber seul les bras en croix au fond d’un bassin, le corps criblé de balles.

3. Henry Hill

Interprété adolescent par Christopher Serrone et adulte par Ray Liotta dans Les Affranchis (1989).

Aussi loin qu’il s’en souvienne, il a toujours voulu être un gangster.

Joie de la voix off, à l’écouter détailler généreusement aux spectateurs les us et coutumes de son crew pendant toute la première partie du film, on comprend pourquoi : il se lève quand il veut, ne fait pas la queue au restaurant et trompe même ses maîtresses.

Et puis chemin faisant, au fur et à mesure que le folklore passe au second plan au détriment d’une réalité des choses beaucoup plus crue (ses potes qui dégainent pour un oui ou pour un non, sa dépendance à la poudre blanche...), on comprend pourquoi grâce au jeu tout en fébrilité de Ray Liotta que rien de tout cela ne pouvait bien se finir.

2. Michael Corleone

Interprété par Al Pacino dans Le Parrain I (1970), Le Parrain II (1974) et Le Parrain III (1989).

Fils prodigue farouchement décidé à rester dans le droit chemin, il est

inexorablement rattrapé par le destin

quand suite à la tentative d’assassinat dont a été victime son père, le pouvoir au sein de la Famille est laissé vacant.

Prince devenu roi, il se laisse consumer de part en part par le mal pour se muer en être aussi froid que calculateur capable des pires atrocités – comme lorsqu’il accepte de devenir le parrain de l’enfant de sa sœur Connie dans le seul but de supprimer son mari Carlo, ou lorsqu’il fait tuer son frère Fredo.

Se sachant « au-delà de toute rédemption », son ultime tentative pour sauver son âme dans le troisième acte ne fait cependant qu’empirer les choses.

Michael Corleone ou la tragédie grecque à son meilleur.

1. Don Corleone

Interprété par Marlon Brando dans Le Parrain (1972).

Sérieusement, ne serait-ce qu’à la lecture du titre de ce classement, existait-il le moindre doute quant à l’octroi de la première place ?

Iconique dès sa première scène où chat entre les mains il dicte de sa voix d’outre-tombe sa conception du bien et du mal dans un monde où il s’est arrogé le droit de vie ou de mort sur ses congénères, ce monarque sur le point de passer le pouvoir a figé l’image du mafieux dans l’imaginaire collectif.

Mieux : ravis de ce portrait pour le moins flatteur, à la sortie du Parrain les membres de Cosa Nostra se sont mis à singer les rituels et expressions mis en scène dans le film (appeler un boss « Don », baiser ses mains, porter une boutonnière rouge à la poitrine...).

LE THREAD TWITTER

Publié sur Booska-p.com le 31 août 2020.