#despite appearing for 30 seconds out of 5 entire ass seasons

[purpleandstarlight]

Btw this just in? Hateweasel is 100% right. Making ocs out of random canon background characters rules, actually.

[saintstrawberry]

When the Night is Over/Just What I Needed

Second Chapter is up!

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27733207/chapters/68086045#workskin

Ships:

bokuaka, kuroken, kagehina, daisuga, daiaka, iwaoi

Description:

A surprise visit, mariokart, and Oikawa. Malibu also makes an appearance (Or multiple).

Notes: Akaashi has a bad memory. Relatable content.

Songs I recommend for this chap are Dionysus by the Buttertones, Best Interest by Tyler the Creator (for Kuroo), and Shampoo Bottles by Peach Pit for the ending. I promise Bokuto will show up in the next chap! >.<

I also make a reference to Natsume Ono because she smacks! Read her manga Not Simple; it is fantastic!

Thank you for reading!

—————

Shampoo Bottles

It’s Saturday, something Akaashi doesn’t realize until he is flying halfway out his front door and huffing a breath at his phone screen’s mocking display: 6:30 AM, Saturday, June 14th. Exactly a week before Hinata’s birthday.

He blinks and remembers the night before, when he was nursing a red wine and a deadline for his “Ono Natsume: Shouting for the Voiceless” article. He remembers, vaguely, submitting the piece at 11:50 and dropping his head right there on his cheap Ikea desk, exhausted.

Presently, he’s nodding awkwardly at his neighbor (leaving the complex to work out, no less) and trying to make it look, somehow, like he meant to open his front door only to close it seconds later.

Toeing off his work shoes and entirely caught off guard by the idea of a day off, Akaashi retreats to his bed. He passes out almost as soon as his foggy head hits the pillow, dreaming of nothing. The next time he opens his eyes, his breath and body still completely.

“Mornin’, sleeping beauty! It’s ten, I’m surprised you slept so long!”

“Kuroo-san, why are you in my apartment?”

The offender offers no answer but grins brilliantly, gold irises level with Akaashi’s blue-green.

“And just how long have you been here anyway?” Kuroo ignores him again, instead choosing to stand from his squatting position. His hands at his hips, Kuroo wears a white oversized Bouncing Ball hoodie and black skinny jeans. Much to Akaashi’s discomfort, he still has his shoes on- red and white high top sneakers with the laces tucked in. As always, the guy’s flawlessly disheveled, silver jewelry glinting from his ears and neck.

Akaashi groans and plants his face in his pillow. It’s too early for the young, beautiful, and rich.

Kuroo, unsurprisingly, doesn’t yield Akaashi’s thoughts and scoffs once. He moves to draw open the curtains in his room. Keiji can’t help but grimace as he feels his skin bathed in hot summer light.

“Man. You should really dust your windowsills. Do you even ever open these things?! You’re not some bat, ‘Kaashi. You need fresh air.”

“I think bats need air too,” Akaashi mumbles into the pillow.

Kuroo waves a dismissive hand and turns to survey him, arms folded across a broad chest. Keiji reluctantly turns his head to address his stare, squinting without the aid of his glasses or contacts. Kuroo’s bedhead is seemingly even worse today- probably from whatever plane he just hopped out of. The latter smirks devilishly.

“Well. Are you gonna welcome me back or what?”

“So you didn’t expect to land in Tokyo until Thursday?” Akaashi asks this of Kuroo about 45 minutes after his intrusion into the writer’s apartment. The pair are getting brunch in some needlessly swanky rooftop restaurant, one where Kuroo insisted he wouldn’t get recognized. Akaashi raised his eyebrows at that- his friend had stuffed his signature messy locks into one of Akaashi’s ratty baseball caps and donned aviators the moment they got outside.

No matter to him, anyway. Akaashi got fancy champagne out of the deal.

“Sure didn’t. Management canceled the show in Singapore last minute. Something about the venue. Fuck if I know,” Kuroo explains almost incoherently through colossal bites of egg.

“What matters is nobody got hurt. We refunded tickets and rescheduled the gig. S’all good. I’m just happy to be back home with my buddy!” Kuroo reaches over to slap Akaashi on the back with a friendly grin.

He’s sputtering over his mimosa when Kuroo continues, “Can’t wait to surprise Kenma tonight, either. Can you imagine his face?"

“Yeah, actually, I can,” Akaashi slouches his shoulders forward in his chair with an uninterested expression and quirks up an eyebrow ever so slightly, impersonating his best friend.

“Hey, that was pretty good! Though I guess it’s not that hard for you. You’re both pretty stoic. Like Easter Island Heads.”

Akaashi swats at him half-heartedly. Kuroo laughs.

“Anyway, you’re lucky I didn’t call him immediately this morning- or the police for that matter,” Akaashi says matter of factly. Kuroo clutches at his heart dramatically.

“Akaashi-kun. You wound me. I am the furthest from a criminal.”

Akaashi huffs a laugh.

“Tell the Osaka police force that.”

“Hey! What, a guy can’t take a piss anymore?”

“Not, apparently, from the top of the Umeda Sky Building-”

“To be fair, I didn’t know the police officer was right there,” Kuroo interjects.

“-After downing half a bottle of Malibu with Oikawa. And you were 17. You were lucky you didn’t get charged with public indecency.”

Kuroo pouts but offers no petition.

“Guilty as charged, I suppose. Hey, speaking of police officers-”

Akaashi clears his throat and interrupts, “Speaking of drinking, how was Singapore?”

Kuroo takes the hint and stretches back in his chair, raising his third bloody mary to his lips.

“Didn’t get much time there, only about four days before I got the call about the cancellation. Flew straight here after the news.”

Straight to Kenma, Akaashi supplies mentally, grinning fondly at his friends’ relationship.

“Anyway, it was pretty mild, all things considered. Bokuto seemed to like the clubbing scene more than I did. Matter of fact, he’s staying there ‘til the next concert.”

“Bokuto?” Akaashi says, cutting into his eggs and watching the yolk spill onto his fork.

Kuroo, now onto his nearly 2,500 yen crepe, takes a break from his meal to look up at him with a puzzled stare.

“My tourmate? Bokuto Koutarou? X. Ace?”

Akaashi meets his eyes blankly.

“I guess it makes sense his stage name doesn’t ring a bell, but I’m surprised you don’t know about the guy’s v-ball career.”

The blue-eyed 24 year old drops his gaze to the napkin in his lap.

“Sorry, sorry. Touchy topic.”

Pain-in-the-ass-Kuroo-san.

“Anyway, you should really check out some of his matches with the Panthers.”

“He was signed with the Panthers?” Akaashi sputters, clapping his mouth shut immediately after.

Kuroo cackles.

“Don’t give yourself a heart attack, Akaashi. It’s okay to be impressed- it’s impressive. He’s crazy. You’ll be meeting him soon.”

Akaashi only hums in response.

"You're coming to the show, right?"

Akaashi hums again.

"Big talker today, huh, Keiji?"

"Bah."

“Right. So.. you baited yourself a hook yet?”

“Beg your pardon?”

“You know. After Daichi,” Kuroo tries again.

No, he really hasn’t.

Akaashi downs the rest of his drink. He peers into his empty glass in response.

“Haven’t thought about it really. He said it himself- I don’t have the time.”

“Oh, Keiji. Nevermind him.”

“Don’t sigh like that. Did you fly all the way from China to pity me?”

The rapper shakes his head, “No, I didn’t. I just want you to-”

“Be as happy as you are with Kenma,” Keiji finishes.

Kuroo gives a gentle smile, “Can you blame me?”

“God. You two are worse than the shoujo manga I have to review.”

“But twice as fun.”

“Shut up and eat your crepe.”

Kuroo happily complies, “Don’t have to tell me twice.”

“I’m glad you’re home, Kuroo-san,” Akaashi remarks. And he is. Even with his busy lifestyle as a chart-topping artist, Kuroo somehow manages to draw Kenma and Akaashi out of the house.

Kuroo and Kenma are both relatively new to their fame- about three years out from Kuroo’s first breakthrough hit and four since Kenma first started his Bouncing Ball Youtube channel- but their fans are… dedicated. Akaashi often marvels at how even Kenma takes it in stride. He's entertaining to watch and a seasoned video game expert. And Kuroo... Akaashi looks to the man and the ketchup stain on his lip.

"What?"

Well, they both deserve their good fortune.

"Nothing, nothing."

He has interviewed them each multiple times for the journal. The good thing about his friends’ famous status is that Akaashi gets to profit from it as well. He tells Kuroo as much and the latter almost chokes on his stupidly expensive breakfast laughing. Even Akaashi cracks a small grin.

“I told that was him!” The writer hears two girlish voices behind him, talking in excited whispers.

“E-Excuse me, K-Kuroo-san?”

The rapper breaks out in a large grin and stands, bowing formally at the pair.

“Yes? Hello, ladies. Are you two fans of mine?”

“Yes!! Very much so! I loved your new song!” The girl, about 17 with dark lashes and fire red hair, praises politely.

“Would, would you mind taking a picture with us!?” The other chirps.

“Not at all! Akaashi, my pal, would you be a dear and snap some shots?” It takes everything for Akaashi not to roll his eyes.

“But of course.”

--------------------

This is how Akaashi comes to search up the 2018 Panthers roster on his phone’s Google. He gives up his sleuthing when he realizes he doesn’t remember the guy’s name or know what he looks like.

He forgets about the whole thing until later that night, at Kenma’s celebration party for 5 million followers. It’s small, of course, about ten of them drinking champagne and playing drinking games. Akaashi knows Hinata did all the planning anyway, despite the event being at Kenma’s. The trio is standing off to the side when Akaashi pulls out his phone briefly to check the time.

Kuroo should be here any minute, he thinks. Hinata peers too, instinctually curious.

“Hey! Whatcha looking up the Panthers for? That’s not the latest roster, you know! Ooh, you’re looking up X-Ace, right?! Seeeeee, I knew you’d like him!”

Akaashi looks down at the picture Hinata points to. The guy’s sturdy and smug with one thick eyebrow raised. His chest is broad and his eyes are perfectly golden. The first thing Akaashi notices, however, is his hair. Absolutely ridiculous, he thinks. Makes sense that this guy’s Hinata’s idol.

Kenma raises his eyebrows.

“What made you do that?” he asks.

“Oh, uh, just...curious.”

Kenma looks like he’s about to say more when Oikawa joins their group with a boisterous, “Pudding Head! Congratsssss!” He pinches the smaller’s cheeks, who just about hisses in response.

Akaashi, grateful for Oikawa’s interruption, takes another quick glance at… X-Ace, and pockets his phone.

Hinata grins wide when Tooru, seemingly already a bit tipsy, ruffles his hair.

“Thanks, Oikawa-san," Kenma begrudgingly replies.

“You know, Kuroo is-”

Akaashi, ever vigilant, cuts in immediately, “-is so happy for you, Ken.”

Oikawa seems to get the hint, his eyes widening in realization.

“He sure is! Want some more alcohol?” The chestnut-haired friend of Kuroo’s quickly shoves his bottle of strawberry rum in Kenma’s face.

“You know I hate your sticky Malibu. Why are you guys acting all weird?”

Hinata, completely oblivious to the unspoken diaogue between Akaashi and Oikawa, tugs Kenma’s shirt.

“Kenma, Kenma! We should stream!!”

“Hey, that’s not too bad an idea, Shoyo,” Akaashi adds, if just to distract him.

“Sure, we could play some Mario-Kart. My fans seem to like you guys. Just don’t do anything stupid, Tooru.”

“Who, me?! And when do I-” Oikawa starts dramatically. The rest of the men send him a collective stare which answers his question before he can even finish it. He crosses his arms with a huff.

“Whatever. I call Princess Peach.”

--------------

After Kenma finishes setting up the Livestream and the small group has gained over a couple thousand viewers, Akaashi is in dead last as Blooper. Well, almost dead last, expect for...

“How am I losing? No fair, Kozume!” Oikawa whines.

“Me? What did I do?” Kenma-san replies, uninterested. Unsurprisingly, the Youtuber is in first place with his signature Toad.

“I don’t know, your fancy settings or something. Iwa-chan! Back me up, here!”

“It’s ‘cause you suck, Trashy-kawa,” Iwaizumi-san, whom the quartet bribed into playing with agedashi dofu, doesn’t hesitate to retaliate. His player, Bowser, is in second, with Hinata close behind as Yoshi.

“Take that, Hajime-san! Oh, shoot, sorry, Akaashi-san!” Hinata shouts, rising from his seat as he hurls a red shell, accidentally hitting Keiji.

“Hinata, language!” Kuroo’s smooth voice floods the apartment in mock disapproval. Kenma whips his head so fast he drops his controller. The blonde doesn’t say anything but slowly rises to his feet, then breaks into a short run at the sight of his boyfriend. The former picks up Kenma effortlessly and twirls him in a tight embrace. Akaashi looks on fondly.

“Kuroo-san!” Hinata exclaims, jumping up excitedly.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever, Tetsuro’s home. I’m about to kick all of your asses!” Oikawa waves away his entrance, sticking out his tongue. Iwaizumi slaps him on the back of the head.

The stream chat has exploded at the sound of Kuroo.

bb-corp: is that Kuroo???

applephi: NO WAY djwhdnbwibdfwq

yoyotetsuro: couple goals

kurokenxx: will anyone ever love me like Kuroo loves Kenma?

keeeeenmaaa_: I think this is the first time BouncingBall’s lost at Mariokart

----------

A little tired and a lot tipsy, Akaashi insists on taking a cab home. It doesn't feel right to invade Kenma's when the Kuroo's home. Keiji could tell the pair... needed their space for the night. He splits the ride with Hinata, who talks his ear off the whole way about Kuroo's arrival and how badly he wishes he had the money to go to a concert. Akaashi smirks at that, just a little. Shoyo exits the vehicle with an enthusiastic, "Bye, 'Kaashi-san!! I'll see you soon! Maybe I'll come to the store, or, or, you can come to see me and Tobio-chan! He didn't come out tonight because he has a game tomorrow, but-" The rest of his goodbye is drowned out by him closing the door.

"I apologize for the noise," Keiji addresses the driver. She makes a noise of recognition and drops him off 15 minutes later. He thinks about his conversation with Kuroo about "baiting his hook" as he enters his living room, dropping his keys unceremoniously on the floor next to his door. What does that even mean? Akaashi doesn't exactly meet a lot of people with his work and his friends are all, well, with each other. He's happy for them and all, but sometimes being around so many couples gets a bit nauseating. Akaashi is struck with a small wave of loneliness when he waters his small bamboo plant, made worse by the two shots of Malibu Oikawa shoved down his throat. This is all I have to come home to, a fucking bamboo plant. Akaashi stares at its braided stalks with a vengeance. Not a second later, he pets the leaves in apology. I shouldn't take this out on the plant.

He's always been relatively independent, but having someone felt kind of... nice, for a change. It's been almost a year since Daichi left, and probably 6 months since he and Suga got together. It's one of those things that Akaashi didn't process for awhile, forcing him to fend for himself when the realization came to knock him on his ass months down the line. He's been confronting turned over picture frames and empty sheets ever since.

And so it goes.

He pads over to his bed with a sigh and for the second time today, falls asleep and dreams of nothing.

[junker-town]

Everything we learned from the 2015 NFL Draft, five years later

Todd Gurley, Marcus Mariota, and Jameis Winston were all top-10 picks in the 2015 NFL Draft.

2015 was a bad year for first-round picks. Teams that fail to learn from it may just repeat it.

From a franchise’s standpoint, the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft was one of the worst of all time. Five years later, only seven of the Day 1 picks are settled in for their sixth season with the club that drafted them. That includes just one player from the top 10 — Washington offensive lineman Brandon Scherff.

Yes, the first round of the 2015 draft did something long thought impossible in the NFL. It made Washington look like a stable and well-run organization.

Five years ago, each of these selections was an opportunity. Now they’re a lesson. The first 32 picks of that draft presented themes which can apply to 2020.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jameis Winston, QB

Winston’s cannon arm led Florida State to a national championship and earned him a Heisman Trophy. He used that unquenchable desire to create big plays to become the NFL’s most turnover-prone player; he had 88 interceptions, 50 fumbles, and zero playoff appearances with the Bucs. He’s currently a free agent.

Lesson learned: Heisman winners are no safe bet ... and extremely hard to quit.

Winston was given five years to stake his claim as Tampa’s franchise quarterback and went 28-42. The Buccaneers were finally willing to let the sun set on the Winston era, in part, because a superior option cropped up in free agency. Bruce Arians is betting Tom Brady is the key to unlocking his team’s potential.

Players it applies to in 2020: Joe Burrow

2. Tennessee Titans: Marcus Mariota, QB

Mariota got stuck at “goodness” and never made it to “greatness.” The Titans finished 9-7 in four of the former Oregon star’s five seasons on the roster — a run that culminated in Mariota losing his starting job in favor of Dolphins retread Ryan Tannehill.

Lesson learned: See above.

Like Winston, Mariota has a Heisman Trophy at home, yet will likely head into a backup role after joining the Raiders.

Players it applies to in 2020: Joe Burrow

3. Jacksonville Jaguars: Dante Fowler, Edge

Fowler was more potential than production at Florida, but the Jaguars liked his power and athleticism enough to make him the centerpiece of their draft class. He missed his rookie year due to an ACL tear, then made one start in 2.5 years for Jacksonville before being traded.

Lesson learned: Potential needs opportunity.

Fowler’s injury wrecked his learning curve, and a slow start kept him trapped in the middle of the Jaguars’ depth chart. The first season in which he played more than 53 percent of his team’s defensive snaps came in 2019. He rewarded that faith with a career-high 11.5 sacks ... for the Rams.

Players it applies to in 2020: K’Lavon Chaisson, Yetur Gross-Matos, A.J. Epenesa

4. Oakland Raiders: Amari Cooper, WR

Cooper was drafted to be a No. 1 wideout in the league. Two Pro Bowl invitations in his first two seasons backed up that claim — though it took a trade out of Oakland to restore his luster after a disappointing 2017.

Lesson learned: Alabama’s Day 1 wideouts live up to the hype.

Julio Jones? Stud. Cooper? Stud. Calvin Ridley? Well, it’s still early to tell, but he’s got 17 touchdowns in 29 career games so far. All were Crimson Tide standouts.

Players it applies to in 2020: Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III

5. Washington: Brandon Scherff, OL

Scherff played both tackle and guard in college and was the ideal Iowa blocker: big, aggressive, and tough as hell. Fifth overall may have seemed a bit high, but he rewarded Washington with three Pro Bowl honors and was retained this spring via the franchise tag.

Lesson learned: Good blocking is important, wherever it is.

Only one guard has been selected in the top five picks since 1976. Scherff played enough on the edge to narrowly avoid a place on that list, but he’s been used almost exclusively at right guard in Washington. He’s kicked ass doing it, too. With NFL QBs now more mobile than ever before and the value of blocking expanding just beyond a blindside protector, it could soon be time for a full-time guard to return to the top five.

Players it applies to in 2020: Cesar Ruiz, Lloyd Cushenberry III, Netane Muti

6. New York Jets: Leonard Williams, DL

Williams was a projected top-three pick who fell to the Jets at No. 6. He began to reach that potential in a Pro Bowl 2016 campaign, but failed to match that production in the years that followed. He was traded to the Giants last fall.

Lesson learned: Never get your hopes up, Jets fans.

Between 2012 and 2016, New York had 11 first- or second-round picks. Williams, with his lone Pro Bowl invitation, may have been the best of a group that includes Sheldon Richardson (not bad!) but also Christian Hackenberg, Darron Lee, and Dee Milliner (bad!).

The past three seasons have trended in the opposite direction thanks to the brilliance of Jamal Adams and potential of Sam Darnold and Quinnen Williams. Still, as Leonard Williams proved, early success as a Jet is no guarantee of future returns.

Players it applies to in 2020: According to our mock draft database, CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy, Jedrick Wills

7. Chicago Bears: Kevin White, WR

White was electricity at West Virginia; a 6’3 burner with a nose for the end zone. But he was raw and often injured; he played just 14 games in four years for the Bears and spent 2019 out of the NFL.

Lesson learned: Sometimes the universe just says no.

White’s NFL career played out like a ragged curse. He missed the entirely of his rookie season due to a broken tibia. He broke a bone in the same leg after just four games the following year. He started the team’s season opener in 2017 and promptly fractured his shoulder. By November 2018, he’d become a shell of his former self enough to make him a healthy scratch.

White had the chops to be great. The football gods had different plans.

Players it applies to in 2020: There’s no way of knowing ... but the safe money’s on whomever the Browns pick.

8. Atlanta Falcons: Vic Beasley, Edge

Beasley was a first-team All-Pro in his second season, but hasn’t lived up to that standard in the three decent, but underwhelming, years since. He signed with the Titans this spring.

Lesson learned: Sack numbers don’t tell the whole story.

There was a warning sign that predicted his 15.5-sack season wasn’t sustainable. Despite ranking first in the NFL in sacks in 2016, he was just 45th with 16 QB hits. That suggested his numbers would trend downward — and they did.

Players it applies to in 2020: Zach Baun, Alex Highsmith

9. New York Giants: Ereck Flowers, OT

Flowers was drafted to keep Eli Manning upright. He did not succeed. Flowers was released in 2018, but showed enough with Washington in 2019 l to earn a three-year, $30 million contract with the Dolphins.

Lesson learned: Pay attention to red flags, especially if you’re reaching to fill a position of need.

There were plenty of reasons not to make Flowers a top-10 pick. He was unpolished and undisciplined, eager to draw holding penalties at the first sign of getting beat. He was big and athletic, but the Giants needed someone who could make an immediate impact. Flowers was not that guy, and it’s safe to say this overeager over-reach is still haunting the Giants.

Players it applies to in 2020: Jordan Love, A.J. Epenesa

10. St. Louis Rams: Todd Gurley, RB

Gurley was a gamble — an all-world running back coming off an ACL tear that threatened to hinder his pro career. While he earned rookie of the year honors and would be a two-time All-Pro in 2017-18, those injury concerns sapped his 2019. That, and an untenable contract, led to his release this offseason.

Lesson learned: High-usage running backs with injury histories are just as risky as they sound.

Gurley was a high-risk, high-reward selection who paid off both sides of that adage in five seasons as a Ram. St. Louis/LA would likely make that bargain again — though they’d probably like to rescind his record-setting contract extension.

Players it applies to in 2020: D’Andre Swift, Zack Moss, Darrynton Evans

11. Minnesota Vikings: Trae Waynes, CB

The rangy corner displayed lockdown tendencies at Michigan State to be the first defensive back selected in 2015. He eventually became a steady, if unspectacular, starter in Minnesota.

Lesson learned: Aggression is a double-edged sword.

Waynes built a reputation at MSU as a high-level press corner, thriving by taking risks, jumping routes, and using his recovery speed to clean up messes. That strategy hasn’t paid off for him as well against the NFL’s more athletic receivers. He’s allowed more than twice as many touchdowns (nine) as interceptions (four) in his last three seasons.

Players it applies to in 2020: Jeff Gladney, Amik Robertson

12. Cleveland Browns: Danny Shelton, DT

Shelton was one of the final picks of the Ray Farmer era in Cleveland. Despite having little impact as a Brown, he’s still arguably the team’s best Day 1 pick from 2011-15. After three years and only 11 tackles for loss in 46 games, he was traded to the Patriots.

Lesson learned: You’re probably going to regret trading your draft bust to the Patriots.

Shelton didn’t prosper right away in New England, but his second season with the Pats saw him emerge as an above-average interior lineman. He set personal bests in tackles, sacks, and QB hits as an invaluable piece of the NFL’s top defense.

Players it applies to in 2020: Since there aren’t any notable Rutgers prospects this year, we’ll have to wait and see.

13. New Orleans Saints: Andrus Peat, OL

Peat was drafted as a high-ceiling offensive tackle, but struggles forced him to guard for the bulk of his career. It’s worked out well in spurts. He was one of New Orleans’ most valuable blockers from 2016 to 2018, though he backslid in 2019 (despite earning a Pro Bowl invitation).

Lesson learned: A position change doesn’t mean admitting defeat, so find someone versatile.

Like Scherff before him, Peat’s best work came as a guard. That might not have been what the Saints drafted him for, but a good team (and also Washington) finds a way to maximize talent.

Players it applies to in 2020: Any OT prospect who struggles as a rookie.

14. Miami Dolphins: DeVante Parker, WR

Parker was a reliable presence at Louisville, but his senior season — 43 catches, 855 yards in SIX games — made him a top-15 pick. He didn’t meet expectations until 2019, however, because ...

Lesson learned: Adam Gase cannot be trusted.

Parker’s value plummeted in his three seasons playing under Gase. Freed from his underachieving head coach and catching passes from a freewheeling Ryan Fitzpatrick, Parker sprang for career highs of 72 catches, 1,202 yards, and nine touchdowns last season.

Players it applies to in 2020: Whichever skill players the Jets draft. Sorry, Jets.

15. San Diego Chargers: Melvin Gordon, RB

Gordon earned two Pro Bowl honors in his five seasons as a Charger. However, his tenure there may be defined by the 2019 contract holdout that proved an undrafted free agent, Austin Ekeler, could do his job better than Gordon could.

Lesson learned: Healthy first-round running backs are risky, too.

Gordon was a workhorse at Wisconsin, playing 41 games (and taking 611 carries) over his final three years. Even though he was good for the Chargers, he never quite reached the level of greatness ascribed to a top-15 pick.

Players it applies to in 2020: D’Andre Swift, J.K. Dobbins, Jonathan Taylor

16. Houston Texans: Kevin Johnson, CB

Johnson made 10 starts for Houston as a rookie, but injuries limited him to just 19 games the following three seasons. While he played every week of the 2019 season for the Bills’ dominant defense, he played just 32 percent of the team’s defensive snaps.

Lesson learned: Even safe picks blow up sometimes.

Johnson looked every bit a star cornerback at Wake Forest. He put together a stronger college resume than almost anyone else in his draft class. Even if players like Waynes and Marcus Peters had boom-or-bust tendencies, Johnson appeared to have the lower ceiling but higher floor. Instead, he struggled as a rookie and then injuries robbed him of having a major impact in Houston.

Players it applies to in 2020: Jeff Okudah, Chase Young, Tristan Wirfs, Derrick Brown

17. San Francisco 49ers: Arik Armstead, DL

Armstead played a supporting role early in his career before moving into a full-time position on the defensive line for an ascending Niners team. After posting nine sacks in his first four seasons, he broke through with 10 last fall to help bring San Francisco an NFC title.

Lesson learned: Supporting cast matters.

Armstead came along slowly, but he blossomed when teammates like Nick Bosa, DeForest Buckner, and Dee Ford were there to soften up offensive lines and push quarterbacks into his path.

Players it applies to in 2020: Jeff Okudah, Chase Young, any Day 1 pick expected to prop up a bottom-third unit.

18. Kansas City Chiefs: Marcus Peters, CB

Peters came into the league as a high-upside coverage corner who could turn mistakes into turnovers (and allow opposing QBs to turn his mistakes into touchdowns), though his off-field record tarnished his draft stock. He’s enjoyed an up-and-down pro career that reached new heights after three pick-sixes in 2019 for the Ravens.

Lesson learned: Don’t have a knee-jerk reaction to a few bad plays.

Peters tends to gamble at corner, leading to big swings in coverage. His 25 touchdowns allowed since joining the league are second-most in the NFL in that span. That helped lead to two different low-cost trades for a two-time All-Pro with more interceptions than scoring plays given up.

Players it applies to in 2020: Jeff Gladney, Amik Robertson

19. Cleveland Browns: Cameron Erving, OL

Erving lasted just two seasons in Cleveland before being traded to the Chiefs, where he’s been a useful, if unessential, swing tackle ever since.

Lesson learned: The Browns can’t win.

Cleveland had two first-round picks and beefed up both sides of the trenches. Each pick garnered mostly positive reviews (Shelton more than Erving), but neither player lasted more than three seasons with the Browns.

The poor, poor Browns.

Players it applies to in 2020: Whomever gets the call to wear these swank-ass uniforms.

20. Philadelphia Eagles: Nelson Agholor, WR

Agholor was supposed to be the perfect playmaker for Chip Kelly. Instead, his career got off to a rough start before briefly stabilizing and then, in 2019, returning to disappointment. He’ll try to live up to his first-round status as a Raider in 2020.

Lesson learned: Some flaws don’t get fixed.

Agholor is an electric athlete and an occasional savior from the slot, but his college tape showed a player whose lapses in concentration led to frustrating drops. As an Eagles fan will tell you, that’s a problem that didn’t go away in the NFL — he had 21 drops the past four seasons.

Players it applies to in 2020: Jordan Love, Jalen Reagor

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Cedric Ogbuehi, OT

Ogbuehi was a big, quick lineman who played both guard and tackle at Texas A&M, but a torn ACL meant he brought injury concerns with him to the NFL. He never quite rounded into shape. He has appeared in only 16 games (zero starts) over the past two seasons with the Bengals and Jaguars.

Lesson learned: Maybe trust the All-Pro who says he can still play in his mid-30s?

Ogbuehi’s arrival made Andrew Whitworth expendable — and when the Bengals weren’t willing to pay his market value, he moved on to the Rams. He was an All-Pro immediately after leaving Cincinnati, then the blindside protector for a Super Bowl team at age 37.

Players it applies to in 2020: The players drafted to replace Tom Brady, Greg Olsen, Philip Rivers, or Jason Witten.

22. Pittsburgh Steelers: Bud Dupree, Edge

Dupree started his career in more of a supporting role for Pittsburgh, but 2019 marked his ascension to the spotlight. His 11.5 sacks were a career high and made him a potent cantilever to T.J. Watt’s edge rush.

Lesson learned: Trust productive guys from overlooked Power 5 teams.

Dupree turned himself from a three-star recruit to All-SEC pass rusher at Kentucky, en route to 23 sacks in his final three seasons. He was still only the fourth pass rusher selected in 2015. Five years later, he looks like the best first-round edge rusher of his class.

Players it applies to in 2020: Ke’Shawn Vaughn, A.J. Dillon, Jake Luton, Justin Strnad, Markus Bailey

23. Denver Broncos: Shane Ray, Edge

Ray was supposed to be the explosive counterpunch to Von Miller’s tackle-shredding pass rush. But he had 14 sacks in four seasons for Denver. He spent the 2019 season out of the league.

Lesson learned: Tread lightly with numbers that look too good to be true.

Ray turned himself into a first-round pick with a breakthrough 14.5-sack junior season — 10 more than he’d had in his career to that point. It also turned out to be more than he’d have in his entire NFL tenure.

Players it applies to in 2020: Joe Burrow, Alex Highsmith, Brandon Aiyuk

24. Arizona Cardinals: D.J. Humphries, OT

Humphries has been a mostly fine blocker ... when he’s on the field. He was inactive his entire rookie season and has only played 43 total games, though he showed enough in 2019 to earn a three-year, $43.75 million deal.

Lesson learned: Injury reports matter.

Humphries only spent two seasons as a starter at Florida and missed at least two games due to injury in both of them. While his five-star potential was too much for the Cardinals to ignore, second-round tackles like Donovan Smith or Rob Havenstein would have been more productive blockers in Arizona.

Players it applies to in 2020: Tua Tagovailoa, Julian Okwara, Laviska Shenault Jr.

25. Carolina Panthers: Shaq Thompson, LB

Thompson is a do-it-all inside linebacker who’s been able to stand up against the pass and the run as an NFL gap-plugger. Last season was his best year: 109 tackles, three sacks, and 11 tackles for loss despite the inherent crappiness of the 2019 Panthers.

Lesson learned: Don’t overthink things.

The Panthers took a proven, athletic young talent to fill up an unsexy position. Thompson’s versatility is a godsend for his defensive coordinators. He’s poised to carry Luke Kuechly’s torch into 2020 and beyond.

Players it applies to in 2020: Jeff Okudah, Antoine Winfield Jr., Zack Baun

26. Baltimore Ravens: Breshad Perriman, WR

Perriman was a mess for the Ravens. Injuries robbed him of his rookie campaign, and he posted just a 42.7 percent catch rate in the two years after. His value has rebounded in recent years, though he’s still never caught more than 36 passes in a season.

Lesson learned: NFL development isn’t a straight line.

Perriman looked like a bust after flaming out in Baltimore, but the past two years have provided flashes of brilliance. Redemption has come in fleeting moments with the Browns and Buccaneers (seven games with at least 70 receiving yards). The Jets are betting he can fulfill his first-round destiny after signing him to a one-year, $6.5 million deal this offseason.

Players it applies to in 2020: Everyone.

27. Dallas Cowboys: Byron Jones, CB

Jones went from UConn standout to one of the league’s top cover corners in his five years with Dallas. A salary cap crunch allowed him to hit the open market. The Dolphins obliged by handing him a then-record $82.5 million contract to head up their rebuild.

Lesson learned: Bet on the guy who set a world record at the combine.

Investing in combine stars doesn’t always pay off, but when a guy goes out and produces such an outlier performance — like Jones did with a 12’3 broad jump — he’s probably worth a bump up the draft board.

Players it applies to in 2020: Mekhi Becton, Carlos Davis, Netane Muti

28. Detroit Lions: Laken Tomlinson, G

Tomlinson was one of the more surprising selections of the first round; the useful interior lineman was expected to be a Day 2 pick. Although he struggled in Detroit, he’s since developed into a steady starter for the 49ers.

Lesson learned: Be patient, even with a polished prospect.

The Lions didn’t have a left guard on the roster when they drafted Tomlinson, which led him to be thrown into the fire as a rookie. Detroit ended up trading away a still-developing starter on a low-cost rookie contract to San Francisco for ... a fifth-round pick. That trade looks like one the Lions would like to have back.

Players it applies to in 2020: Every fifth-year senior out there.

29. Indianapolis Colts: Phillip Dorsett, WR

Dorsett was a burner at Miami, averaging 23.3 yards per catch his final two seasons. He also had only 49 catches those two years — setting the stage for a career that’s seen him be vital in spurts and anonymous elsewhere between the Colts and Patriots.

Lesson learned: Deep-ball speed can be a tough transition to the NFL.

Dorsett has had the chance to play with two top-tier quarterbacks in his career (Andrew Luck, Tom Brady) and didn’t evolve into anything more than a reliable third option. While valuable, he’s never had more than 33 catches in a season.

Players it applies to in 2020: CeeDee Lamb, Tee Higgins, Quez Watkins

30. Green Bay Packers: Damarious Randall, DB

After three decent seasons in Green Bay, Randall was traded for DeShone Kizer, which is one of the most disrespectful sentences one can write about a football player. Randall moved to safety and was a versatile player for the Browns.

Lesson learned: Don’t trade for DeShone Kizer (or anyone who throws twice as many interceptions as touchdowns).

Kizer undoubtedly had his growth stunted by a rookie season starting for an awful Browns team, and shipping a player Green Bay wasn’t interested in re-signing wasn’t a bad idea in theory. But the Packers still sent a 25-year-old starter to Cleveland for a quarterback who went 0-15 and posted an 11:22 TD:INT ratio in his debut season.

Players it applies to in 2020: Whomever gets traded for Jameis Winston in 2022.

31. New Orleans Saints: Stephone Anthony, LB

Anthony played through his second stint with the Saints in 2019 after being traded to the Dolphins two years earlier. Unlike Tomlinson, he failed to rebound; he started all 16 games for New Orleans as a rookie but has just four starts in the four seasons since.

Lesson learned: An all-rookie team appearance is no indicator of success.

Anthony was an all-rookie selection, but he’s been primarily a special teams player since 2016. While teams have been eager to kick the tires on him, the fact the Jets, Falcons, and Dolphins all either released him or let him walk away is an indicator of just how little that potential means now.

Players it applies to in 2020: Each of the upcoming season’s rookie stars.

32. New England Patriots: Malcom Brown, DT

Brown spent four seasons in the center of the Patriots’ defensive line, then last year with the Saints. In both places, he’s done his job well enough to be mostly unnoticeable while his teammates largely benefitted from the disruptions he caused.

Lesson learned: Don’t let a potential top-20 pick fall to Bill Belichick.

Brown was expected to land in the top half of the draft, but his slide to No. 32 convinced Belichick to tamp down his basest urges to trade the pick. The Texas star filled an immediate need for New England and played a key role on two Super Bowl champion teams.

Players it applies to in 2020: Zack Baun, Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs, Andrew Thomas, Tristan Wirfs, Mekhi Becton, etc.

[ericpoptone]

Last Sunday, the Super Bowl took place. For the 98.7% of the world’s population who didn’t watch this televised spectacle; it featured billionaire Enos Stanley Kroenke‘s Rams in competition with billionaire Robert Kraft’s Patriots; the musical stylings of the Empress of Soul (Gladys Knight), Proactiv’s Maroon 5, Kardashian rapper Travis Scott, and Big Boi; as well as no doubt hilarious advertisements for products sold by Amazon, Anheuser-Busch, CBS, Mars, Microsoft, and Walt Disney.

Despite the fact that most Americans don’t watch the soporific Super Bowl — an estimated 70% of the country did not tune in for any part of the roughly nine-hour long spectacle during which time the ball was actually in play for only about twelve minutes — Super Bowl Sunday has emerged, in recent years, into what some trade publications appetizingly describe it as the “second largest food consumption event of the year” after Thanksgiving. It all seems a bit Ancient Rome to me — and as someone who loves holidays feasts (especially pagan ones), I decided last December to host a Super Bowl party without any Super Bowl — something I call “Thanksgiving II.”

One of the things I love about Thanksgiving [I] is its pronounced autumnal character (autumn is one of my top four favorite seasons). On Thanksgiving, even people who think that “seasonal eating” means Shamrock Shakes in spring and Pumpkin Spice Lattes in fall get closer to the actual spirit. Apples, baked winter squash, beans and rice, Beaujolais Nouveau, boiled onions, Brussels sprouts, cider, collard greens, cornbread, cranberry sauce, fruit cake, grapes, hickory nut cake, lasagna, mashed potatoes and gravy, parsnip fritters, pecan pie, pickles, potato salad, pumpkin pie, sauerkraut, stuffing, and sweet potatoes all make sense to eat at autumn’s conclusion.

Thanksgiving II — which falls on the first Sunday of February, takes place near the end of winter — about halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox and toward the end of winter by meteorological reckoning. It occurs, in other words, around the same time as Imbolc, Candlemas (and thus, Groundhog Day), Setsubun, Lunar New Year, and of course, Lupercalia. It also thus marks the beginning of several vegetables’ “spring seasons.” Carrots are back, as is celery, which is handy because both are commonly eaten at Super Bowl Party’s dipped in Blue cheese dressing. Small, sweet, turnips also appear around this time, and I mixed them with potatoes to make a sort of mashed “neeps and tatties.” Having more potatoes than I could handle, I also roasted some with garlic and rosemary from the garden. I also cooked collard greens — now at the peak of their season — which I would’ve mixed with turnip greens but they’d already been removed by the time they made it to the market.

The roots of Thanksgiving II are in an annual American football competition, first held in 1967. It seems, from pictures, that straw boaters were once typically worn for such events — although I’m not sure why and sadly that practice seems to have faded long ago and the favored headgear of today’s jocks — regardless of sport — is the lowly baseball cap, usually unflatteringly worn backward.

Interestingly, whereas the first Thanksgiving was observed by the Wampanoag and the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony, the first Super Bowl paired the team of Greenbay, Wisconsin‘s Indian Packing Company with the Chiefs team of Kansas City, Missouri — two teams at least nominally connected to Native America. The annual match used to take place in January but was moved to February in 2002, following a postponement of the season on account of the terror attacks of 11 September, which took place the previous year.

This being my first Thanksgiving II, it was a bit of a learning experience…

I had decided that I would bake the pizzas at 3:30, when the actual football game begins. This was another mistake, because due to the large number of guests and the potluck nature of the buffet, there was also a massive quantity of non-pizza foods including salad, seitan jerky, grapes, pies (pecan and pumpkin), pigs-in-a-blanket, veggie chicken, as well as cheese and crackers. The vegan neighbor brought a jug of kombucha as well as a dish made of broccoli and kinwa. Because of the pre-pizza feast, by kick-off, everyone was too full to eat any more and the pizzas were thus never baked. Next year I will serve the traditional pizzas alongside the sides, pass-arounds, and hors d’oeuvres.

After pizza, the second-most traditional food at Super Bowl parties is the Buffalo wing — a food made of a section of a chicken’s wing which is deep-fried and subsequently coated or dipped in a sauce composed of a vinegar-based cayenne pepper sauce and melted butter. It was invented at Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York by Teressa Bellissimo. Although invented in 1964, I don’t remember ever hearing of them until sometime around the early ’00s, perhaps after the 2003-founding of WingStreet and incidentally, around the time cauliflower wings began to appear on the menus of sports bars I occasionally found myself dragged to. Because wings are apparently so important (and I am vegetarian), I had planned to buy mock chicken at Silom in Thai Town by one guest made cauliflower wings from a questionable recipe (it called for breading). I’m still not entirely clear about “dipping sauces,” although a co-worker endeavored to explain them to me. Is a dipping sauce distinct from a condiment? Do people make their own or buy them? Where those sauces developed on Breaking Bad for Pollos Hermanos (e.g. “Kick-ass Cajun, “Franch,” and “Honey mustard”)? Still not sure, I put out bottles of brown sauce, dumpling sauce, gogigui sauce, hoisin sauce, lechon sauce, salsa picante, and sriracha.

Chips, both potato and corn varieties, are traditional fare for Super Bowl parties — as are their associated dips and sauces such guacamole, pico de gallo, and “queso.” I first experienced “queso” a few years ago and at first, wondered why these Anglx friends of mine kept consistently (and I assumed, pretentiously) referring to cheese by its Spanish name. I soon learned that, in the Tex-Mex vernacular, not only does “queso” not refer to cheese — it doesn’t even refer to a dish made with cheese at all. Instead it refers to a corn chip dip made of “pasteurized processed cheese food product” (e.g. cheese-adjacent Velveeta®) and Ro-Tel® brand canned tomato and chili mix. In other words, it’s a bit like the Thanksgiving II equivalent of Campbell’s® green bean casserole — a corporate creation which despite its corporate origins is nevertheless pretty tasty. I put in a request from my friends who introduced me to the concoction but they instead brought a bag of pita bread.

Pretzels, popcorn, and nuts are also popular — the sort of salty snacks typically associated with dive bars and mass-produced and watery lagers. On this day, Americans consume around 424 million liters of beer and 94% of it is a macrobrew produced by either Anheuser-Busch or MillerCoors. As a wine drinker and this being winter, I was leaning toward full-bodied reds like Bordeaux blends, Cabernet Sauvignons, Malbecs, Syrahs, and Zinfandels. Had I gone white, I’d have chosen an oaked Chardonnay. It was pretty chilly out, in fact, and rain was pouring down. I thus entertained the notion of mulling the wine… but I’m glad that I didn’t. After trying to pace myself with red wine for nine hours, I learned just why people drinking for the long-haul favor lager.

So next year, I’ll bake the pizzas at the beginning, make sure queso is accounted for, buy lots of lager, and maybe start a bit later in the afternoon. Oh, and should you celebrate your own Thanksgiving II, the most important thing is to have fun… well that and to not watch the Super Bowl!

Eric Brightwell is an adventurer, writer, rambler, explorer, cartographer, and guerrilla gardener who is always seeking paid writing, speaking, traveling, and art opportunities. He is not interested in generating advertorials, cranking out clickbait, or laboring away in a listicle mill “for exposure.”

Brightwell has written for Angels Walk LA, Amoeblog, Boom: A Journal of California, diaCRITICS, Hidden Los Angeles, and KCET Departures. His art has been featured by the American Institute of Architects, the Architecture & Design Museum, the Craft & Folk Art Museum, Form Follows Function, Los Angeles County Store, the book Sidewalking, Skid Row Housing Trust, and 1650 Gallery. Brightwell has been featured as subject in The Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post, Los Angeles Magazine, LAist, CurbedLA, Eastsider LA, Boing Boing, Los Angeles, I’m Yours, and on Notebook on Cities and Culture. He has been a guest speaker on KCRW‘s Which Way, LA?, at Emerson College, and the University of Southern California. Art prints of Brightwell’s maps are available from 1650 Gallery. 

Brightwell is currently writing a book about Los Angeles and you can follow him on Ameba, Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram, Mubi, and Twitter.

Click here to offer financial support and thank you!

  Thanksgiving II; or, a Super Bowl Party for people who hate the Super Bowl Last Sunday, the Super Bowl took place. For the 98.7% of the world's population who didn't watch this televised spectacle; it featured billionaire Enos Stanley Kroenke's Rams in competition with billionaire Robert Kraft's Patriots; the musical stylings of the Empress of Soul (Gladys Knight), Proactiv's Maroon 5, Kardashian rapper Travis Scott, and Big Boi; as well as no doubt hilarious advertisements for products sold by Amazon, Anheuser-Busch, CBS, Mars, Microsoft, and Walt Disney.

[placetobenation]

Welcome to the first ever “This Week in the WWE” with yours truly. Before we get into the historic week that was in sports entertainment, let me give you a blurb about me. I am an avid pro wrestling fan dating back to seeing Jimmy Snuka vs. Don Muraco (and yes, Pete Doherty) at the old Boston Garden in Boston and the epic King of the Ring series in Providence. But, not only was I a watcher of then WWF, but also Georgia Championship Wrestling, World Class Championship Wrestling, the NWA, Mid-South, WCW and yes, even Southwest Championship Wrestling. So, yes, we’ve seen the industry weave in and out of many different forks in the road. I’m a huge HBK fan (who isn’t?!) and since I’ve worked in tv & radio for 30 years, I love thinking outside the box and creativity. But, enough about me. Now, it’s onto the 2019 scene and beyond.

Before we get into the specific shows, let’s look at the landscape. Any wrestling fan with his or her head not buried in the sand knows how huge a week this was for not only WWE, but also the upstart All Elite Wrestling league as well as the entire industry. For the first time since 2001 and the Monday Night Wars between RAW and WCW’s Nitro, there would be a live competitor on TNT to WWE in the form of AEW’s Dynamite vs. WWE’s NXT on Wednesday night. In addition, for the first time EVER, the WWE would return to broadcast TV on FOX with Friday Night Smackdown, meaning a new gateway to mainstream fans is open should WWE take advantage of it. For comparison sake, a really good show on cable TV can do two million viewers. That same really good show on broadcast TV would expect to double that many viewers in order to be successful. The number one show on broadcast TV, Sunday Night Football on NBC, just did 15 million viewers with the Cowboys vs. Saints last Sunday night. 

Competition is good for EVERYONE and especially the fans! We get to watch and enjoy it all! Don’t get sucked into you have to “be” with one side of the other. Watch it all. WWE, AEW, Ring of Honor, New  Japan, MLW, House of Hardcore and any number of your favorite indy promotions! It will only make the individual companies strive to get better or get out of the game. The strong will survive but along the way, we should get many, many, MANY memorable moments. 

So, let’s get to it. I’m not going to give you “five star (or any star) ratings.” That’s not my thing. I will tell you what I think they got right and what went off the deep end as well. 

Monday Night RAW – Season premiere on USA Network

Results:  Sasha Banks defeated Alexa Bliss  Raw Tag Team Title Match: Champions Robert Roode & Dolph Ziggler defeated Heavy Machinery  The Viking Raiders defeated The Good Brothers Ricochet defeated Cesaro  US Title Match: Champion AJ Styles defeated Cedric Alexander  Lacey Evans defeated Natalya  Universal Title Match: Champion Seth Rollins vs. Rusev went to a no contest What we loved:  An absolute epic destruction of Rey Mysterio, JR and his son Dominic by Brock Lesnar to start the show. Lesnar’s heel stock soars! Tag teams! Loving the chemistry with Roode & Ziggler. Heavy Machinery is downright entertaining, I’m digging the AOP vignettes too. There better be more than a one week payoff there when they debut in the ring! One question though, do Gallows and Anderson really need to lose every week? 

The Fiend! What’s not to love about Bray Wyatt’s alter ego. I would love to see him start terrorizing more than just babyfaces and legends though. Be more arbitrary. After all, that would make more sense as to why he gets a Universal Title Shot at Hell in the Cell PPV without ever having a tv match, wouldn’t it? 

What we hated:  Where was Seth Rollins during that beatdown? The company’s supposed #1 babyface doesn’t come out to save Rey and his son? Makes too much sense, doesn’t it? Talk about your missed opportunity!

While we always enjoy a dose of the Southern Belle, Lacey Evans, I don’t need a weekly diet of Natalya in a match we’ve seen three or four times over now. Put them in different settings, different opponents if you want to continue the feud. They both have it in them. Ditto for Ricochet vs. Cesaro. All four deserve more creativity. 

Bobby Lashley & Lana? Seriously! I’m all for pushing the TV-14 envelope, but that lengthy make out session that renders Rusev useless during a Championship match was a tinge long even for Vincent Kennedy McMahon’s teenage tendencies! You knew it was just a fork in the road en route to The Fiend getting to Rollins to end the show. Which begs the question, why wouldn’t Rusev save Rollins again after doing it earlier in the night? He’s already out there! I know, I know. Too much common sense. 

MEH:  Team Flair vs. Team Hogan on MIZ TV. Sure, it’s a way to pay off some legends of the past for the Saudi Prince on Halloween night with a 10-man tag match featuring captains Randy Orton and Seth Rollins, but haven’t we seen this one before in TNA? I hope they find a way to showcase a few seldom used stars as part of the five-man teams to give them the rub to catapult them after the event. Let’s hope no physicality with the legend captain however! We don’t need to see that!

NXT on USA Network

Results:

NXT Championship: Adam Cole defeats Matt Riddle Io Shirai pins Mia Yam Johnny Gargano wins over Shane Thorne NXT Women’s Championship: Shayna Baszler taps out Candice LeRae Pete Dunne defeats Danny Burch NXT Tag Team Championship: The Undisputed Era pins Street Profits

Bravo! For its Virgin Excursion, live for two hours on the USA Network, the men and women of NXT blew the doors down on a night in which it went head-to-head with the debuting AEW Dynamite on TNT. Sure, the rating/viewer numbers show that AEW won the battle (1.4 million viewers vs. 891,000 viewers according to Nielsen), the pure enjoyment and success showed through. 

From Adam Cole retaining his NXT Championship against Matt Riddle, despite a fractured wrist, to Shayna Baszler winning a back-and-forth-balls-to-the wall war over Candice LeRae to the Undisputed ERA staving off the Street Profits in the NXT Tag Team Championship main event, the effort, pacing and sheer athleticism was there. 

What we loved:  All of it! No down time, no mic time fillers and a few surprises to boot! 

Finn Balor IS NXT! A nice surprise as the former NXT Champion returns to Full Sail to challenge Cole. It’s time for Ballor Club to shine again instead of getting lost in the main roster shuffle. 

Tommaso Ciampa returns. Yes, Mr. Cole has a lot of his plate. Can you imagine a future tag team match with Ciampa, Balor, Johnny Gargano & more facing the Undisputed ERA? Sign me up NOW!

What we hated: 

Nothing. Although in today’s age, perception is reality. While I love NXT’s Full Sail crowd, a mainstream audience vs. AEW’s larger arena crowd may make some think of NXT as small-time. Trust me, it’s not. 

Friday Night Smackdown – Season premiere on FOX

Results:

Charlotte & Becky Lynch defeated Bayley & Sasha Banks via submission  Non-Title Match: Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura went to a no contest  Career vs. Career Ladder Match: Kevin Owens defeated Shane McMahon  8-man tag team match: Braun Strowman, The Miz, & Heavy Machinery defeated AJ Styles, Robert Roode, Dolph Ziggler, & Randy Orton Lumberjack Match: Roman Reigns defeated Erick Rowan  WWE Title Match: Brock Lesnar defeated Champion Kofi Kingston

What we loved: 

Amazing set! Best of the Smackdown series with a nod to the arches from yesteryear!

Kevin Owens and a ladder = success. If we don’t have to see Shane McMahon sweat his way through a WWE event anytime soon, it will be a blessing!

Daniel Bryan. Is it me or do I see a swerve coming Sunday at HIAC? I don’t want a babyface Bryan just yet! Give me a Survivor Series with Team Bryan vs. Team Reigns. 

The “non-PG” Rock with The Man. C’mon, how could you not love a double dose of calling King Corbin the “Super Tough Dude” to get an STD chant. Priceless!

What we hated: 

The quickness of the end to Kofi Kingston’s title reign. 10 seconds? Seriously?! He deserved better. I agree with putting the title back on Lesnar now that Smackdown is on FOX, he’s more mainstream and can attract more eyeballs, especially if he’s actually going to appear more often. But, to just dismiss Kofi to get to the surprise of Cain Velazquez coming out with Rey Mysterio, JR. to challenge Lesnar to pay off Monday’s attack is wrong. The question now is can they get mainstream fans to care about a Lesnar-Velasquez feud after their “real” encounter in MMA in which Lesnar got his ass handed to him. 

Did you really think we were going to get something good out of the champion vs. champion match other than The Fiend showing up to attack Rollins? Clear as day, my friends. At least give me something before the expected comes. And yes, I know you have to build up to the PPV match, but again, don’

An 8-man tag for less than 3 minutes? Why bother. Sometimes less is more and yes, jamming 8 stars with nothing to do in order to kick off a Strowman-Tyson Fury incident seems a stretch. I applaud trying to get the boxing audience to cross over, but there are better ways to do it. Especially, if the now pay off comes next on RAW on the USA Network. I guess the split won’t actually occur until the Draft starting October 11th on FOX. 

Bonus what we loved: The 24/7 Championship! The twists and turns continue as Marshmello (yes, the DJ!) wins and loses the Title in a WWE.com exclusive. Someday soon, I can see FOX and former Steelers QB Terry Bradshaw winning it on FOX! The Truth and Carmella are brilliant with the comedy that I hope continues with this Championship. It’s OK to have some fun in sports entertainment! 

Thanks for letting us share our thoughts! Shoot me an email at jcrowe567@gmail.com. We’d love to hear you comments and suggestions! You can also check out my blog, The Crowe’s Nest as we delve into more pro wrestling, sports entertainment and the World of Sports. My apologies ahead of time – I AM a Patriots and Red Sox fan! If you’re not down with that, I’ve got TWO WORDS for you…. NEW ENGLAND!

[flauntpage]

The Case Against Bringing Back Cole Hamels

I have to be honest, 2008 was the best year of my life. Young 22-year-old BWanksCB finished his senior year of college that spring—and let me tell you—I soaked up every last minute of that glorious final stretch. I had just begun drawing a real adult person paycheck that fall. Those paychecks were immediately spent on Phillies playoff tickets. I saw five games that postseason, including both parts of Game 5 of the World Series. I spent what felt like every night of October that year in a beer-soaked frenzy watching that team kick ass. Watching that team win, I, quite literally, thought I had the world by the balls and that anything was possible. And there was Cole Hamels, right in the middle of it, making it happen:

So you could imagine how this tweet got me feeling when I saw it today:

Hearing some chatter about a Cole Hamels possible reunion with phillies. It’s early, and unsure how serious the chatter is. But they love him. He loved it there (obvs) and has a home there so presumably he’d approve. Has control with no-trade list covering two-thirds the teams)

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 3, 2018

My heart said: Get into the DeLorean and let’s go.

My head? Well, it said something entirely different.

In 17 starts this season, Hamels has a respectable 4.05 ERA, 9.15 K/9, and 0.4 WAR. You might look at those numbers and pair them with his big game experience to deduce that reacquiring such a pitcher who also happens to be a franchise icon makes perfect sense. Throw in the fact that he would also bring some balance to a starting rotation that’s currently without a left-handed arm, and, boom. Let’s get the fucking band back together and rock.

I’m always down to rage, but before we party like it’s 2008, I need to point out some potentially sobering red flags. In 102.1 IP this season, Hamels has already allowed 20 homers, which is two more than the 18 he allowed in 138 IP a season ago. The 20.6% home run to fly ball ratio he’s posted thus far in 2018 is by far the worst mark of his career, easily surpassing the 14% he posted two seasons ago with the Rangers. It also happens to be the worst mark among any qualified starting pitcher in baseball this season. And while that aforementioned 4.05 ERA is fine, his career-worst 5.00 FIP that also happens to be the ninth-worst number among qualified starting pitchers is a bit of a concern.

What’s more, he’s consistently allowing more hard contact than ever before. According to FanGraphs, Hamels is allowing hard contact on 44.1% of batted balls this season, which is up from his previous career-high of 36% a season ago.

Still, this isn’t meant to come across as a scathing condemnation of Hamels. He can still pitch, and if you drop him in the middle of a pennant race, I think he can be a valuable addition. It’s just that I don’t know if he provides a significant upgrade over what the Phillies currently have in their rotation. Consider this, entering Tuesday night’s action, the Phillies have four of the National League’s top-20 starting pitchers in WAR. Zach Eflin, their only starter not ranked, would be 12th, but doesn’t have enough innings pitched to qualify. Additionally, among starters with at least 50 IP this season, all five members of the rotation are in the top 30 among NL starters in FIP.

While WAR and FIP are certainly not the end all be all, they are two valuable metrics that quantify what your eyes have probably already told you this season, which is that this rotation is pretty damn good. It’s hard to say with any certainty that Hamels provides a meaningful upgrade to what the Phillies already have, particularly when some data suggests that he probably won’t.

At 45-37, the Phillies are about to embark on what should be a favorable stretch of the schedule, and there is very real reason to believe this team can make a legitimate postseason run based on their play to this point.

Undoubtedly, Matt Klentak is going to have to add prior to the July 31 trade deadline. While no general manager in the history of baseball would ever close the door on upgrading his rotation if the right deal presented itself, the Phillies have far more pressing needs to address.

Pat Neshek’s return figures to help a struggling bullpen, but it’s still an area of weakness. The team has also been connected to names like Adrian Beltre and Mike Moustakas in recent weeks— both would bring a needed upgrade at third base.

And don’t forget about right field, which has been a disaster for the Phillies this season. Aaron Altherr has had a miserable season, hitting only .174 with a .290 OBP and 13 extra base hits in 224 plate appearances. Of NL players with at least 50 plate appearances in June, he had the fifth-worst WAR (-0.5), third worst batting average (.140), and a league-worst 41.1 K%. I’ve long been a proponent of Nick Williams, but his production, too, is below replacement level despite some big moments. His .728 OPS in 215 plate appearances is functional, but doesn’t justify regular playing time. In fact, the combined -0.8 WAR the Phillies have gotten from their right fielders this season is the second-worst in the National League, and their collective -4 defensive runs saved is ninth-worst at the position.

Scott Kingery, J.P. Crawford, and Maikel Franco have drawn the most frequent and vocal criticism for their meager offensive output this season, but the lack of right field production has been flat-out debilitating to this lineup. The Phillies will likely play it somewhat conservative at the deadline by limiting the amount of assets they’re willing to part with in order to push a team with a win total currently projected somewhere in the low to mid 80s over the top and into the playoffs, and thus, I would argue that they should use those limited assets to address areas of need that will offer a more substantial improvement.

Do I love Cole Hamels? Yes. Do I think he can help this team? Probably, but while I would love to revisit 2008 in many ways, this move just doesn’t make much sense.

The post The Case Against Bringing Back Cole Hamels appeared first on Crossing Broad.

The Case Against Bringing Back Cole Hamels published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

[first-and-ten]

Week 17 Recap

The NFL season ends with a bang. 

I did terrible in fantasy, but ended on a high note in both leagues. I did better in picks than I did last year but didn’t break my 2014 record. I missed on 3 survivor picks all year and made $71 in fake bets. Half the upsets I picked happened and I locked up games with almost 80% accuracy. We had one perfect week (DEN, SEA, NO, GB and both my fantasy teams win, NE loses) and ended on a disaster week (All my teams lose, NE wins). The Pats will carry the NFL Title Belt into the postseason.

Oh, and there’s the small matter of historic failure by one team. That’s right, the Cleveland Browns are now the third team to go winless in an NFL season in the Super Bowl era, and the second to do it in a 16-game season. Congratulations, Browns, you deserve it, and the Matt Millen Award for Losing will henceforth be called the Matt Millen and Sashi Brown Award for Losing.

In happier news, the longest playoff drought in North American pro sports is over. The Bills needed a handful of very specific miracles, and they got them. So strange to think that if just the Bills and Chargers were tied LA would go to the postseason, but with the Titans and Ravens in the mix they’re out. Not sure I like how that works. But it’s a little heartwarming for Bills fans to get to see their team in the playoffs for the first time this side of Y2K.

Teams That Need/ed Kaepernick: CLE, BAL, IND, TEN, HOU, JAX, NYJ, MIA, DEN, GB, PHI, NYG, ARI, SF

Coaching Graveyard: Ben McAdoo (NYG), Chuck Pagano (IND), Jack DelRio (OAK), John Fox (CHI), Jim Caldwell (DET), Bruce Arians (ARI)

The Room Where It Happens: PHI, PIT, NE, JAX, MIN, LAR, NO, CAR, KC, TEN, BUF, ATL

Fallen Tributes: CLE, NYG, SF, IND, DEN, CHI, TB, WSH, ARI, GB, CIN, NYJ, HOU, MIA, OAK, DET, DAL, BAL, LAC, SEA

GB 11 - 35 DET Game Ball: Ameer Abdullah Bet: +$2 [W] The season mercifully ends for both teams. Nice running by Abdullah, but the Lions still haven’t had a 100-yard rusher in the Stafford era, and maybe that’s why Jim Caldwell is out. Honestly, I think he should have stayed. His team had a respectable enough year. The Packers did not, and to their credit they are not putting it all on Rodgers’ injury, firing DC Dom Capers finally and reassigning GM Ted Thompson. 

HOU 13 - 22 IND Game Ball: Frank Gore? Bet: +$1 [W] I didn’t watch this game, or any highlights from this game. Could have been Frank Gore’s last. Was definitely Chuck Pagano’s last.

CHI 10 - 23 MIN Game Ball: Latavius Murray Bet: +$2 [W] The Bears’ only real move was an incredible Red Herring punt return for a TD that got buried in a game where every wrinkle they tried on offense was either poorly executed or well-defended, or just cockamamy in the first place. The story of their season, really. Maybe that’s why John Fox is out.

NYJ 6 - 26 NE Game Ball: Bill! Bill! Bill! Bill! Bill! Bill Belichick the Football Guy! Bet: +$9 [W] The Jets couldn’t move an inch, and James Harrison had 2 sacks (in garbage time.) The Pats offense still looks stale, but it won’t in two weeks, I would bet the farm. 

WSH 10 - 18 NYG Game Ball: Elisha Manning Bet: -$5 [L] This result made no sense, except that it did. No idea what the Giants are gonna do with Manning or about their head coach vacancy. Washington likewise has decisions about their QB and HC. Jay Gruden should be safe but it feels like Kirk Cousins is going despite being just as worth his mega-contract to the Potatoes as he is to any other team. Next year whoever is under center will be working with a team better than its record after half the roster trickles back in from IR.

DAL 6 - 0 PHI Game Ball: Dan Bailey  Bet: +$3 [W] The Cowboys refused to let this game end as it was destined: with a 0-0 tie. Dan Bailey did his part though, missing a FG and a PAT. Nick Foles certainly had the shutout in mind, throwing for fewer yards than the length of my longest pass in a quidditch game. What a masterclass in wasting a #1 seed. 

CLE 24 - 28 PIT Game Ball: Factory of Sadness Bet: -$9 [W] What can you even say? What do you say about a team winning only one out of 32 games over two years? About that team keeping the coach that did it for a third try? About going into a matchup in the last week against your hated rivals to find that they are resting every meaningfully impactful player? About moving the ball in that game better than you have all year, keeping the game within one possession, only to have a disappointing first-rounder straight up drop a pass from another disappointing first-rounder on 4th down? What on earth is there to say about a team that ultimately answers to the whim of a criminal billionaire who doesn’t give a damn about his team, when its fans care so much they are throwing their own parade just because they know this is a chance to celebrate, if ironically, a team that they’ve stuck with through every other possible terrible thing that can happen to a football franchise. What do you say when a team is so miserable that going 0-16 in a way feels like a fulfillment of its destiny? Congratulations, Cleveland. May your fans’ many years of exploitation for monetary gain finally be repaid. May this season exorcise whatever demon has cursed your city. You are the true Sovereigns of NFL Pain. You are the Factory of Sadness.

DEN 24 - 27 KC Game Ball: Pat Rollin With Mahomies Bet: -$10 [W] So many mixed emotions. The Broncos lost -- but that means they get a better draft pick -- but we lost to the Chiefs backups -- but it was close and we saw some potential -- but I lost $10 despite betting on the winning team -- but Vance Joseph is staying -- but Vance Joseph is staying. Patrick Mahomes did well enough for Chiefs fans to be hopeful about the future but not well enough for Alex Smith to be sweating, so that’s terrible.

CAR 10 - 22 ATL Game Ball: Matt Bosher Bet: -$12 [L] The Falcons kicked a lot instead of dancing in the end zone, but they sealed the deal when in mattered. The defense is looking good and Atlanta will enter the postseason as the only member of the NFC side that was there a year ago.

CIN 31 - 27 BAL Game Ball: Tyler Boyd Bet: +$8 [L] After trailing all game, the Ravens fight back for what seemed like the inevitable narrow victory, gaining a 3-point lead with about a minute to play. And Dalton moves the Bengals to midfield where they stall, finally facing a 4th and 17. This is the end for the Dalton/Lewis era, and the end of Baltimore’s 3-year playoff absence. They will happen upon the postseason as severe underdogs hoping their history can carry them past the likes of KC, NE, and PIT.  And then it happened. A hole appeared in the middle of the field. Dalton delivered a solid strike right to Boyd. Boyd juked defenders, sprinted down the sideline, and powered into the end zone, and just like that the tables turned entirely. The Bills popped champagne and Joe Flacco wrinkled his brow. Aaaaaand the Bengals retained Marvin.

BUF 22 - 16 MIA Game Ball: Tyrod Taylor Bet: -$5 [L] The Bills just straight up had fun trashing the Dolphins’ fourth-stringer and handing the ball of to DTs on the goalline. The real fun came later that night though. Wow, what a ride.

NO 24 - 31 TB Game Ball: Jameis Mr. Wimstons Bet: +$3 [L] The Saints didn’t show me anything in this game I wasn’t already worried about. The Buccaneers end the season hot, to little avail, and this result could be construed as a positive for the Saints, whose path to the AFC Championship now looks like a home tilt against the Panthers -- who they’ve already beaten twice -- and then a visit to Nick “I Can’t Throw In Anything Less Than Ideal Conditions” Foles. Look up some of Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram’s records from this season, because they are staggering and I don’t get paid for this.

JAX 10 - 15 TEN Game Ball: Derrick Henry Bet: +$70 [L] Jacksonville covered by half a point on a bet that would have left me with $1 if I lost it.  This is the opposite of what the Teal And Gold needed before heading into the win-or-go-home stretch, and if they falter next week against Buffalo I would give partial credit for knocking them off to the Titans. Credit to Tennessee: I did not think they would take care of business but they did. You are what your record says you are, and their record says they’re a playoff team. One that’s gonna lose and maybe still fire their coach, but a playoff team nonetheless.

OAK 10 - 30 LAC Game Ball: Philip Rivers Bet: -$1 [W] *Adelle’s “Rolling in the Deep” plays in the background as the Chargers are eliminated from the playoffs*

SF 34 - 13 LAR Game Ball: Janeane Garofalo  Bet: +$5 [W] Yeah, the Rams rested their starters (and the Saints let them get away with it) but this win was still significant for the Niners. I’m not sure I’ve EVER seen a bigger in-season turnaround. They’ll go into the offseason on a 5-game winning streak with a QB of the future who is 7-0 as a starter. That’s not normal. It’ll be interesting to see what the week off and loss of momentum does to LA. 

ARI 26 - 24 SEA Game Ball: Bruce Arians’ Retiring Ass Bet: +$10 [L] Arians is like 4-2 in Seattle, and he will retire that way. Blair Walsh remains the most baffling hire by the Seahawks. The Falcons’ win a minute earlier made his game-ending kick essentially irrelevant but it just encapsulated the frustration of this season when he missed it anyway. Hopefully he’s gone next season, and hopefully Pete Carroll, Cliff Avril, and Kam Chancellor are NOT gone next season. If this was Larry Fitzgerald’s last game ever, he went out on his usual note: humbly holding his team together and lifting them to victory.

Record this week: 9-7 Record this season: 168-88 Locks record: 76-20 (Survivors used [XXX]: ATL, SEA, NE, GB, PIT, DEN, DAL, MIN, NO, DET, KC, LAC, MIA, SF, JAX, BAL, IND) Upsets record: 34-34 2014 pace: 188-67-1 Pickwatch leader: 180-76 (Jeff Ratcliffe, PFF) Betting: +$71 ($71)

NFL Title Belt: NE (Defended from NYJ)

Matt Millen Award for Losing Jackpot Winners: 2017 Cleveland Browns (0-16)

FANTASY CORNER

Danger Squirrels 332 - 270.8 :) The Champs [W, 6-8]

And thanks to my opponent leaving Ben Roethlisberger in the lineup I avoid being the last place team in the league a year after winning the damn thing. 

[dietadviser]

A Whole30-inspired way to eat `clean` without sacrificing a whole month

The idea behind Whole30, created by Dallas Hartwig and Melissa Hartwig in 2009, is dazzling. Lots of people desire to eat much better, especially at the begin of a new year, yet have no suggestion just how. Setting apart a piece of time making over your diet - say, Thirty Days - ought to be easy sufficient. Right? That's exactly why The Whole30 book quickly became a The New York Times best seller and why a lot of individuals have selected up the imitator hashtag on social networks. Nowadays, #whole 30 frequently implies that you are attempting to eat clean and 'reset' your body by reducing out processed foods for 30 days, with or without the aid of the main program.

There's a typical misconception that it takes 21 days to develop a brand-new routine, which is exactly what makes Whole30 so darn attractive. If you could simply hang tough for One Month, you may appear beyond as an absolutely beginner who in fact likes eating clean. But in 2010, College University London researchers put the 21-day myth to the examination as well as discovered it to fall brief - generally, research participants really felt that a new healthy behavior became automatic after 66 days of practice.

The lesson to be found out is this: The Whole30 could be a wonderful beginning factor, yet there's no guarantee that it will certainly heal exactly what ails ya (i.e., lifelong unhealthy consuming routines). Embracing several of these clean consuming concepts for 2 months or more might provide you a suitable shot at normally altering the means you consume. Try these easy Whole30 regulations individually, without adhering to the monthlong program.

1. Begin by terminating the sugar

This one is much easier compared to it sounds, if you could commit making the first huge adjustment. For me, ultimately kicking sugar in the ass made the hugest distinction in exactly how I really felt - as well as how my pants fit. If you do one 'whole' point in the following 1 Month, take wellness instructor, physical fitness trainer and wellness blogger Kristian Henderson's advice: Place added thought into exactly how much sugar you consume and also the lots of different ways it could sneak into your diet regimen. She claims, 'You expect sugar in desserts - pies, cakes, brownies, cookies, donuts, and so on - however sugar is also discovered in most refined food, flavored yogurts, breads as well as icy fruit. As well as a great deal of times, you may not also recognize it is sugar. You need to enlighten yourself on the 56+ names of sugar - right here is a partial listing: brownish sugar, walking stick crystals, cane sugar, corn sugar, corn syrup, crystal dextrose, vaporized walking stick juice, fructose sweetener, fruit juice concentrates, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, fluid fructose, malt syrup, maple syrup, molasses, pancake syrup, raw sugar as well as syrup.'

2. After that, do away with the processed foods on your grocery list

If you've grasped no-sugar degree one and also are all set for the next challenge, lower all refined foods from your grocery store checklist. 'Cut out refined carbs, even if you aren't going to reduce out all grains or even gluten,' states Liz Barnet, a New york city City fitness and food trainer. 'That suggests no pasta, pizza, cookies, cakes, crackers, grain, chips, these foods are generally lacking in nutrients, unless they are synthetically included. Only eat grains and also carbs that call for basic, simple cooking, usually steaming. Assume rice, quinoa, buckwheat, or perhaps farro or wheat berries and also barley (which do include gluten). These kinds of grains consist of fiber and protein, which enhance satiety as well as slow-moving food digestion, so you'll remain full and also pleased much longer.' (Note that in the main Whole 30 diet regimen, grains are eliminated completely).

3. Concentrate on the tidy foods you like, not the ones you miss

The Whole30 could look like a lengthy listing of restrictions when very first beginning out, however that's where your internal Pollyanna can come in convenient. Look on the silver lining, and you'll see that there are a lot of delicious as well as nourishing entire foods that you can load on your plate. Barnet suggests 'great deals of vegetables, some seasonal fruits, wise starches and also carbs like sweet potatoes or butternut squash, lean meats as well as healthy and balanced fats like avocado, coconut oils and also some nuts as well as seeds.' She proceeds, 'By basing most of your diet on these nutrient-dense foods, you will essentially 'crowd out' not-so-nutritious foods.'

4. Review ingredients, not labels

As Henderson clarifies, it's easy to get stuck in a clean consuming rut, where you concentrate on showy nourishment labels while neglecting ingredients. Help yourself to program proper by staying clear of luring 'low-carb' as well as 'low-fat' foods that declare to be healthy and balanced and also skim the actual active ingredient checklist rather. 'You may like your route mix, as well as it may be reduced in calories and also carbohydrates, but if the component listing is long and if it has words you can not articulate, you ought to pass. Bear in mind, the essence of tidy consuming is consuming food in its most all-natural state,' Henderson says.

5. Simplify when eating out

Unless you're begging the trendiest vegan restaurant in community, it's going to be difficult to buy a 'entire' dish when eating in restaurants considering that you cannot ensure exactly how the food was prepared. Henderson recommends maintaining it simple to maintain your top priorities straight when you get a bite with pals. 'For starters, avoid quick food,' she claims. 'It is almost difficult to obtain tidy food from a fast-food dining establishment. Second, search for farm-to-table restaurants or restaurants that pride themselves in providing natural or in your area sourced fruit and vegetables. This increases your chances of obtaining clean food. If all else falls short, simply get barbequed chicken or fish with a side of veggies and also brownish rice. Maintain it straightforward.'

6. Consume little salads throughout the day

If you're not used to this squeaky tidy living, it can be tough to stay determined to pile veggies on your plate dish after meal. Rather, Dawn Viola, holistic nourishment teacher as well as exec chef at This Truthful Food, advises simplifying into bite-size chunks that make the Whole30 method less complicated to ingest. 'Salads can be a terrific method to consume a wide array of vegetables throughout the day, but often a huge salad can feel overwhelming (who wishes to eat that much lettuce?). Rather, have a tiny salad with nutrient-dense foods. One half cup of broccoli sprouts or one cup of kale or cress micro-greens offer more nutrition per cup compared to their completely expanded versions. Include a tablespoon of sesame seeds or grown sunflower seeds, some shredded raw beetroots, a little goat cheese, and also you have actually got a simple (small) salad with large benefits,' Viola explains.

7. Lastly, offer yourself some credit

There's an old proverb that states the most convenient means to swallow an elephant is one bite at a time, and the same could be true for all that fresh fruit and vegetables in your refrigerator. As Viola mentions, every adjustment makes a huge difference, despite how huge or small it seems to you. 'Every modification relocates you an action better to your objectives,' she says. 'Keeping that in mind can keep you feeling in control and also not so overwhelmed at the idea of everything entailed with changing eating as well as lifestyle routines.'

When you inevitably slip up on your Whole30-inspired journey, duplicate Taylor Swift and also shake it off. And also keep in mind Viola's knowledge and take it one action each time. 'For instance, dedicate to removing a minimum of one refined food from your grocery store cart every week and also change with the real point. So if you're an applesauce fanatic, buy real apples, if you're hooked on a commercial-brand cream, buy a container of coconut oil and also slather it on when your skin is still damp after a shower (nope, you will not scent like coconut for long).' Viola includes, 'Do not be so tough on yourself, due to the fact that you're awesome, and you could do this!'

[junker-town]

The Numerical: Why the SEC’s disappointing *again*, despite having Alabama

The most important numbers of Week 5, from gunners to big plays to the SEC East’s chronic disappointment.

1. Overachiever watch

Through the first month of the season, I used part of this weekly Numerical space to take a look at which teams and conferences were over- or underachieving, compared to their S&P+ projections (which were still mostly grounded in the preseason numbers).

Now that most teams have played at least four games, and their ratings are therefore at least 50 percent based on in-season results, let’s rotate the prism a bit and look instead at achievers. Five weeks into the season, what conference has been the best in the land?

We’ll look at this answer in two different ways. First, average rating.

FBS conferences in order of average S&P+ rating

SEC (+9.7)

ACC (+8.7)

Big 12 (+8.5)

Big Ten (+8.3)

Pac-12 (+7.6)

AAC (-2.1)

Mountain West (-4.5)

MAC (-6.1)

Conference USA (-8.1)

Sun Belt (-8.6)

The SEC is still on top, though it’s only by a margin of “we have Alabama, and you don’t.”

The main story here might be how close all the conferences are. Each has at least two teams in the top 15; the Big Ten has four, the Pac-12 has two, and the others each have three.

Of course, this is an average, which means conferences can be dragged up or down by outliers. What if we look at the ratings midpoint of each conference?

FBS conferences in order of median S&P+ rating

ACC (+8.9)

Big 12 (+8.4)

SEC (+8.1)

Pac-12 (+7.5)

Big Ten (+5.4)

Mountain West (-4.1)

AAC (-4.5)

MAC (-5.2)

Conference USA (-6.5)

Sun Belt (-10.3)

Now things get interesting. With a lack of Bama Effect, the SEC gets dragged down, while the incredibly top-heavy Big Ten gets dragged down by not having many middle-class teams. There are four B1G teams among the top nine, but only two others are in even the top 40.

Granted, preseason projections do still play a role here and will continue to do so until each team has played at least seven games. But your eyes have not deceived you: despite returning a ton of last year’s production, the SEC isn’t really any better than it was last year.

The other conference with a particularly high level of returning production, the Big 12, has improved as expected. The SEC has not.

There’s plenty of blame to go around.

The SEC West hasn’t exactly covered itself in glory. Alabama is Alabama, Auburn has shown some sustained flashes, and Mississippi State and Arkansas have played at basically the expected level (though MSU has done so in a hilariously volatile way). However, Texas A&M has underachieved a bit, LSU has obviously disappointed, and Ole Miss — the hardest team to project besides UAB — is on the verge of collapse.

Still, the primary blame here lies in the East. Again.

SEC teams’ current S&P+ rankings vs. 2017 projections

Georgia: +11 (projected 21st, currently 10th)

Mississippi State: +3 (projected 33rd, currently 30th)

Alabama: 0 (projected first, currently first)

Vanderbilt: -1 (projected 58th, currently 59th)

Auburn: -4 (projected eighth, currently 12th)

Arkansas: -4 (projected 29th, currently 33rd)

Florida: -10 (projected 15th, currently 25th)

Texas A&M: -13 (projected 22nd, currently 35th)

Ole Miss: -13 (projected 23rd, currently 36th)

LSU: -15 (projected fourth, currently 19th)

Kentucky: -24 (projected 45th, currently 69th)

South Carolina: -26 (projected 39th, currently 65th)

Tennessee: -27 (projected 25th, currently 52nd)

Missouri: -31 (projected 47th, currently 78th)

Georgia is doing great, and Vanderbilt has performed as expected (again, in rather volatile fashion). But Florida has underachieved by 10 spots, and the other four teams have all underachieved by at least 24. Guh.

Typically when I talk about the preseason projections, a portion of readers and/or commenters respond with a snide remark about recruiting rankings. It’s true that recruiting affects SEC teams in a net positive manner. But recruiting rankings in general have long proved to be statistically predictive of team success, and an overestimation of recruiting doesn’t entirely explain the 2017 SEC’s four biggest underachievers.

Kentucky and South Carolina both projected to improve primarily because of returning production, more than recruiting. They each ranked in the top 10 on that list. But while other teams atop the list — TCU, Oregon, Wake Forest — have taken steps forward as projected, the Wildcats and Gamecocks have not.

Injury has played a major role. UK lost No. 2 returning receiver Dorian Baker to a preseason ankle injury and starting left tackle Cole Mosier to an ACL injury, while South Carolina star Deebo Samuel was playing at an All-American level before suffering a Week 3 leg injury.

Consequently, both offenses have collapsed. South Carolina ranks 87th in offensive success rate, and Kentucky ranks 102nd. Kentucky’s Benny Snell Jr., so incredible as a freshman in 2016, is averaging 3.8 yards per carry, while the Cocks’ Rico Dowdle is averaging 2.8. That’s putting a lot of pressure on QBs to play beyond their capabilities, each with a banged up receiving corps.

Missouri was in a similar preseason position. The Tigers ranked 31st in returning production, 10th on offense, and looked to keep advancing offensively and rebound from a 2016 defensive collapse. Instead, the offense has stagnated (the Tigers are 61st in success rate, powered by a great performance against Missouri State) and have somehow managed to get worse defensively. They are 118th in defensive success rate and 119th in explosiveness.

Head coach Barry Odom made a point of moving toward a base nickel defense. The nickel has been by far Missouri’s worst set. Whoops.

And then there’s Tennessee. The Vols have a pretty good pass defense, and running back John Kelly is one of the conference’s most fun players to watch. He is pulling off a poor-man’s-Saquon act, leading the team in both rushing and receiving. UT’s return game is strong, too.

I just listed all of Tennessee’s strengths. The run defense is miserable, place-kicking is unreliable, and after Quinten Dormady’s overwhelmed performance against Georgia, let’s just say the Vols aren’t any further along with their QB situation than when the season began.

Tennessee had to deal with more turnover than any East team not named Florida, and the Volunteers’ projections were propped up by recruiting rankings. LSU’s, too. But the league’s primary issue appears to be more on the developmental side. Key players at Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, South Carolina, LSU, Texas A&M, Florida, and Arkansas have either regressed or failed to improve.

This brings up a philosophical question of sorts: Are SEC athletic directors focused too heavily on finding recruiters for head coaches?

The SEC's love affair with recruiting biting it in the ass now. You could argue the worst collective group of P5 HCs reside in SEC.

— Sam McKewon (@swmckewonOWH) October 1, 2017

Recruiting is an immense part of coaching, so you can’t frame it that way, but in terms of development & deployment, it’s hard to disagree. https://t.co/Y9alMgJbSA

— Bill Connelly (@SBN_BillC) October 2, 2017

Coaching is part of recruiting, but it's easier for any HC, even bad ones, to recruit 4 stars to SEC East vs. Big Ten West.

— Sam McKewon (@swmckewonOWH) October 2, 2017

A fair way of looking at it. Does a blue blood need to hire a "recruiter" when the school recruits for itself? https://t.co/R4yK3UJxLV

— Bill Connelly (@SBN_BillC) October 2, 2017

Of top 12 Rivals classes in 06, 11 teams have also had a top-12 class in the last 2 years. (Only one that didn't: ND, which was 13th twice.) https://t.co/o4FJQt62yd

— Bill Connelly (@SBN_BillC) October 2, 2017

The SEC has been Sabanized; Nick Saban’s almost unfathomable level of sustained success at Alabama has driven every other school crazy, and quite a few have attempted to find their own Sabans.

Typically that means either finding a former Saban assistant, finding an elite recruiter, or both. (It also often means finding a defense-first guy more than happy to play big, conservative, rocks-bashing-together football.) But Saban’s success has come not only because of elite recruiting but also because those elite recruits learn, develop, and grow throughout their three to five years in Tuscaloosa.

Either a lack of development, tactical miscues, or both have dragged down Saban imitators. (And in Florida’s case, an incredible run of non-success at quarterback has held the Gators back.) We’ll see if this ever changes.

2. Big play watch: Oklahoma State vs. Penn State, Week 5

Each week in the Numerical, I’ve been comparing the big-play exploits of the two most fun offenses in football. Four weeks into a 12-round fight, OSU has won two rounds, PSU has won one, and one was a draw.

Round 5 goes to the Pokes (making it 3-1-1 on the year), who responded to a loss to TCU with what we’ll call anxious aplomb. They beat Texas Tech 34-27, despite a long pick six and a fourth-quarter surprise onside kick, and they did so mostly because of — you guessed it — big plays. (A blocked punt helped, too.)

OSU vs. Tech: 82 snaps, 25 gains of 10-plus yards (30 percent), 10 gains of 20-plus (12 percent)

Penn State vs. Indiana: 74 snaps, 13 gains of 10-plus yards (18 percent), seven of 20-plus (nine percent).

Granted, PSU won some bonus points by solidifying Saquon Barkley’s September Heisman with a kick return touchdown and a touchdown pass. But the 2017 Nittany Lions have been more efficient and less big play-oriented this fall — their success rate ranking has risen from 80th in 2016 to 18th thus far, but their IsoPPP (explosiveness) ranking has fallen from second to 33rd. That’s great for your long-term title prospects; it’s less great for winning this competition, but that’s probably fine with PSU.

3. Gunner of the Year Watch

Photo by Jason Behnken/Getty Images

Nate Ferguson is your GOTY leader as we approach the season’s midway point

Out of pure curiosity, I’ve been tracking special teams tackles this year. Maybe we’ll give a pretend award out to whoever has the most of them at the end. Winner of the award gets it named after him.

Your fake award watch list at the moment:

USF’s Nate Ferguson continues to shine on special teams. The junior cornerback is tied for the national lead with 7.5 special teams tackles, and the averages are still excellent; opponents are averaging just 5.7 yards per punt return and 20.7 yards per kick return when he’s in on the tackle.

WMU’s Alex Grace makes his first GOTY watch list appearance. He has tied Ferguson with 7.5 tackles, and his averages are solid, too: 8.3 yards per punt return and 19.3 yards per kick return.

BC’s Isaac Yiadom remains one of the best punt return defenders. He’s made six total special teams tackles, but the three punt returns he’s helped to stop have averaged just 2.7 yards.

South Alabama’s Deonta Moore is the Yiadom of kick returns: he, too, has six total special teams tackles, and the four kick returns he’s helped to stop have averaged a paltry 16.5 yards.

Be on the lookout for Arkansas’ Ryder Lucas. The junior DB has made five total special teams tackles, and most have come on kick returns — the five KRs he’s helped to stop have averaged just 12.4 yards.