#it's like if hockey and figure skating and tennis had a baby and it was verbal and an art a competition and a choreography

[drarry-reccage]

before a fall by @eleadore (65k, E)

tags: slow burn, eighth year, everyone is allergic to apologies and that's how we like it

The stubborn chill of winter finally gives way to spring. The days get longer, packed to the brim with activity, but everything becomes indistinct next to Draco Malfoy, blurry and not quite there while he stands in stark relief, the long, long line of his neck and his proud back. The fragile curve of his skull. Harry likes to cradle it when they kiss, take the impact of the hard stone against his knuckles when he shoves Draco up against the wall.  "Stop that," Draco says, while Harry's palming the fine hair at the back of his head, kneading at the divot where it meets his neck. His eyes are closed, but Harry likes to look at him. "Stop doing that."  "What?"  "Holding me," Draco says nonsensically, and jerks his head back to prove his point. Harry keeps his crushed hand just there, between his head and the wall, and Draco's eyes snap open. Then narrow. "Stop it, Potter."  Another jerk. Harry's knuckles are going to bruise.  Draco bites when Harry kisses him and then, quite abruptly, softens and moulds into him like a lover, hands under his shirt and tracing over the sensitive skin of his back, scratching just so, gentle. After, when they've ended up on the floor catching their breath, he will reach over to take Harry's hand and examine the bruises, curious. He'll press on them and when Harry winces, look rather pleased.  He remains capricious, even in this—especially in this. The more Harry learns of him the less he knows. 

(rec by @garagepaperback)

[sleepykittypaws]

Celebrate the Olympic Spirit

Sure, the Olympics aren’t a holiday, per se, but the every-four-year, or two if you count both Summer and Winter editions separately, massive international sporting events sure seems like a reason to celebrate, especially given their recent, unprecedented delay. And what better way to get into the Games mood, than by watching a sports movie?

Here are my favorite motivating, inspirational, and aspirational tales of athletic derring do…

Favorite Sports Movies

The Cutting Edge (1992) - This figure skating romance was released around the 1992 Olympics, and actually name-checks that year's winter host city, Albertville, more than once.  It's not good in the traditional sense of great storytelling or athletic veracity, but I loved it so very much I saw it three times in the theater as a teen. Watching it at some point during every Winter Games is a tradition for me so, yeah, I can’t help it, I love this silly sports movie/romance, which also features a bit of holiday feels.

Wimbledon (2004) - It's a rom-com. It's a sports movie. It's a rom-com sports movie that really should be better known. Notting Hill but set at tennis' best-known event. Paul Bettany and Kristen Dunst have surprisingly great chemistry, and there's more sports-related tension than you'd think.

Friday Night Lights (2004) - A football movie for people who don't really like football. a.k.a. 🙋‍♀️. The TV series it spawned is also brilliant (”Clear Eyes, Full Hearts,” indeed), and well worth a watch, but the original movie, starring Billy Bob Thornton, is, honestly, a masterpiece. Definitely Peter Berg's best work and the original book, written by Berg's cousin, Buzz Bissinger, is a great read.

Muriel's Wedding (1994) - You mean you forgot this Australian export, which made Toni Collette a star, was a sports movie? Yep, one of my all-time favorite movies, of any genre, this absolutely brilliant, ABBA-soaked comedy is not only a girls-night go-to, but also a stealth Olympic sport classic.

Remember the Titans (2000) - OK, football isn't in the Olympics, but it sure does make for a good sports movie setting. Even if this early 1970s-set story is most definitely Disney-fied, Denzel Washington, Will Patton, Ryan Gosling and a baby Hayden Panettiere really sell this sort-of true story.

Invictus (2009)-Rugby isn't an Olympic sport, or even one most Americans know much about, but this Matt Damon-led, Clint Eastwood-directed, based-on-a-true-story tale made me care about a sport I'd only tangentially knew even existed before watching.

Hoosiers (1986)-I grew up in Indiana so, by law, I have to include this basketball classic on any "best of" sports movie lists. Also, it actually is really very good.

Rudy (1993)-Ditto the above. But, again, it's hard not to root for Sean Astin (and Jon Favreau!) in this love letter to the Fighting Irish. Plus, there’s no better scavenger hunt task or TikTok challenge than going into a bar and convincing a patron to allow you to put them on your shoulders and march around chanting, 'Rudy, Rudy, Rudy.' 

Miracle (2004) - Given how much more popular the Summer Olympics are, it's weird that the Winter Games seem to get all the good movies made about them, but this Kurt Russell-led true tale is another Disney sports movie classic.

McFarland, USA (2015) - Disney, and Kevin Costner, just really know how to make a sports movie, damn it! This movie made me care about cross country for which it, too, could have carried the title Miracle.

A League of Their Own (1992)-The best baseball movie ever. Yeah, I said what I said. Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Lori Petty—even Madonna and Rosie O'Donnell are making it work. 1992 was a weirdly great year for sports movies.

Moneyball (2011) - A movie about baseball, and math, and yet it's also great, I swear. In addition to all of the above, it's also a stealth Christmas movie and maybe Chris Pratt's best non-Marvel, movie role.

Creed (2015) - This surprisingly effective Rocky reboot starring Michael B Jordan as Apollo Creed's illegitimate son has spawned its own movie series which, in many ways, exceeds the original Rocky franchise.

Rocky Balboa (2006) - Maybe it's because I was a toddler when the original Rocky came out, so only saw the ever-worse sequels as a kid, but this mid-aughts return to the character for Sylvester Stallone, as both writer and actor, is a triumph.

Eddie the Eagle (2016) - That Hugh Jackman features in as many movies (spoiler alert) on this list as Kevin Costner surprised me, too. This story of the English ski jumper who became infamous for being, well, less than golden, is one of those non-Olympic triumph stories that really works. If you're going to watch one underdog-at-the-Games movie, I definitely prefer this this to the more ubiquitous Cool Runnings.

Love & Basketball (2000) - Only because I'm an anglophile is this great, chemistry-filled Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps college basketball romance not my favorite sports-movie-meets-rom-com.

I, Tonya (2017) - Margot Robbie and a nearly unrecognizable Sebastian Stan are perfectly cast in this sarcastic, highly stylized look at the Tonya Harding scandal.

Pride (2007) - Apparently I like this swimming movie, which I think almost no one saw, better than critics, but I found this 1970s-set, Terrence Howard-Bernie Mac-starring story of inner city kids excelling in the pool emotional and entertaining.

Field of Dreams (1989) - This Kevin Costner magical realism baseball classic is often goofy and imminently tease-worthy and yet…It also works. Maybe it's no surprise that someone who loves cheesy Christmas movies as much as I do would have a soft spot for Field of Dreams.

42 (2013) - Chadwick Boseman is absolutely fantastic as legend Jackie Robinson. One of those movies that's ostensibly about baseball, but is really about so much more, except not in a pretentious way.

Race (2016) - Before Jason Sudeikis was Ted Lasso, he was famed track coach Larry Synder in this Jesse Owens biopic that is far from perfect, but still important. Plus, I honestly don't think Stephan James got enough credit for his relatively nuanced portrayal of Owens.

Goon (2011) - This overlooked gem starring Sean William Scott as a semi-pro hockey player whose main skill is his ability to take, and dole out, a beating, is surprisingly great.

Real Steel (2011) - This is a robot-boxing movie starring Hugh Jackman that is basically Rocky meets Over the Top—and yet it's actually really good. Yeah, I was surprised, too.

Forget Paris (1995) - OK, so maybe Billy Crystal playing an NBA referee doesn't really make this a sports movie, but it does begin and end (spoiler alert) at real NBA games, and I will die on the hill that this rom-com co-starring Debra Winger is wildly under-rated.

Bend it like Beckham (2002) - This girl-power sports movie has some highly questionable romantic dynamics (the coach is their love interest???) but this Parminder Nagra-Keira Knightley movie is also a heckuva sports movie and an inspiring immigrant story.

Bonus Pick: The Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso is one of the best things I watched in 2020, and I'm sure of that, because I watched it twice since, just to be sure. Jason Sudekis is absolutely perfect as an American college football coach taking over a UK Premier League team. This sweet show with a heart of gold is smart, funny, and absolutely impossible not to love—even for a cynic such as myself.

More Sports Movies Worth Watching

For someone not very into sports, I am, apparently, into watching movies about sports, so while not a comprehensive listing of the entire, vast genre, here are a few more suggestions I personally think are worth watching.

The Miracle Season (2018) - This movie about high school volleyball champs whose star player dies suddenly stars Helen Hunt and is a lot better than you'd think based on its tiny budget and, honestly, fairly small story. Just missed making my Top 25.

The Way Back (2020) - This Ben Affleck as a drunken high school basketball coach movie is a lot better than expected. Released just as the pandemic kicked into high gear, it was overlooked last year, but worth seeking out.

Fighting with My Family (2019) - Does it count if it's a show, not a sport? Either way (but that's why this isn't in my Top 25), this stealth Christmas movie/love letter to the WWE is a lot better than it ever needed to be thanks to some really great performances from Florence Pugh, Lena Headey and directer Stephen Merchant. Even The Rock reins it in.

Warrior (2011) - You couldn't pay me to watch an actual UFC bout, but this Tom Hardy story of (literally) battling brothers is incredibly compelling and well done.

Win Win (2011) - This movie isn't really enough about wrestling, even though its ostensibly centered around the sport, to make it into my Top 25, but it's still really good, and Amy Ryan gives an outstanding performance.

Fever Pitch (2005) - Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon star in this remake of a UK film whose ending they had to shift when the Red Sox unexpectedly won the World Series.

Fever Pitch (1997) - This Colin Firth-starring, Arsenal-centered original is much smaller, more realistic and arguably better than the big budget Barrymore-Fallon redux.

We are Marshall (2006) - A real-life sports tragedy made into a sports-movie tearjerker starring Matthew McConaughy. And my tears were very much jerked by the end.

Coach Carter (2005) - Samuel L Jackson plays real-life basketball coach Ken Carter and, because it's a Disney movie, doesn't use the F-word even once. Now that's a feat worthy of its own sports movie.

Invincible (2006) - Yes, it's Mark Wahlberg, and another based-on-a-true-story, Disney sports movie that hits all the cliches, but dang it, that works on me. It just does.

Glory Road (2006) - If you're sensing a theme with me and Disney sports movies…Well, you're not wrong. This look at the first all-Black starting lineup at the 1966 NCAA Final Four does, unfortunately, center white coach Don Haskins, played by Josh Lucas (though I always mis-remember it as Josh Charles), making the important story it tells less than what it should be, but it still mostly works.

Million Dollar Arm (2014) - Admittedly one of the lesser Disney sports movie entries, and another that centers a white guy in a film mostly about people of color (not a great look), this Jon Hamm movie about a scout seeking an Indian cricket star who can make it in the Major Leagues still mostly worked for me.

The Mighty Ducks (1992) - One of the few movies on this list aimed directly at kids, this beloved peewee hockey saga actually is cute, and mostly does hold up.

Cool Runnings (1993) - Kind of shocked this movie that is part White Savior-movie and part-wacky kids movie essentially making fun of a real group of athletes of color came out in 1993 and not 1973, but the earnest charm of John Candy and a general Disney gloss keep this from being totally unwatchable and mostly just mildly, rather than extremely, offensive. Not really recommending, but feels like it belongs on an Olympic movie list.

Nadia (1984) - This made-for-TV, mostly true biopic, starring Talia Balsam as Nadia Comaneci, was a Disney Channel staple in that network’s early days. 

Munich (2005) - It's a movie with the Olympics very much at its heart—namely the 1972 Israeli athlete hostage tragedy—that isn't really about the Olympics at all, but this Steven Spielberg-directed movie about national revenge is compelling, if problematic if you think about it for too long.

American Anthem (1986) - Is this Mitch Gaylord-Mrs. Wayne Gretzky (a.k.a Janet Jones) starring movie good, realistic and/or well-written? No, no and none of the above. But did I still watch it 8,000 times as a kid on HBO? Yes. Yes, I did.

Men with Brooms (2002) - Once, on a business trip to Canada, my husband was stuck in a hotel that only got three channels, and one of them always seemed to be showing curling, which actually got him weirdly into this obscure sport. This movie wasn't quite as fun as I hoped, but it's still a mostly charming, if slight, Canadian classic.

Unbroken (2014) - The harrowing and incredible real-life story of Louis Zamperini deserved better than this Angelina Jolie-directed movie delivered, but it's still a serviceable version of a worthy tale.

Chariots of Fire (1981) - I remember being bored out of my mind by this movie trying to watch this movie on cable as a kid, but no denying that, if nothing else, the score is iconic and indelibly linked to sports-movie magic.

Without Limits (1998) - Jared Leto’s Prefontaine beat this one to the theaters, but this Billy Crudup-starring film is the better of the two movies about the life of running pioneer Steve Prefontaine. There’s also a 1995 documentary, Fire on the Track: The Steve Prefontaine Story.

Personal Best (1982) - Mariel Hemingway’s story of ambition at odds with love, is a sports and LGTBQ+ classic. 

Olympic Dreams (2019) - The story of how this small, meandering movie was made during the 2018 Winter Games is, unfortunately, more interesting than the movie itself, but there is some charm in watching Nick Kroll as an Olympic dentist making his way through the real Village, while interacting with real athletes.

Foxcatcher (2015) - This excellently-acted story is more true crime than sports inspiration, but if you're seeking a look at the dark side of the Games—and don’t want to turn on a doc like Athlete A—this is very dark tale indeed.

Seabiscuit (2003) - Every great athlete deserves to have their story told.

Any Given Sunday (1999) - Oliver Stone and Al Pacino take on pro Football. 'Nuff said.

The Replacements (2000) - I mean, the movie isn't amazing, but Keanu Reeves is super charming and Gene Hackman is always worth a watch.

The Program (1993) - Another bit of a dark-side-of-football take, worth it if only for the fantastic cast: James Caan, Halle Berry, Omar Eps, Joey Lauren Adams.

Everbody’s All-American (1988) - Not a movie I particularly love, but this Dennis Quaid-Jessica Lange football story that spans decades has always stuck in my memory.

Bull Durham (1988) - Just let Kevin Costner play actual baseball already.

[derireo]

A3! And What Sports They’d Play ↦ All Troupes

So.. I was talking to a friend about the sports we used to play in the past. I loved sports as a kid and thinking of Haikyu also pushed me to do this. All troupes are included, and individual characters gets their own sport and my take on how well I think they’d do in it!

Kind of went off on Autumn and Winter Troupe;; sorry.

Uh, E-Sports, of course. He gets absolutely winded from walking, so sitting down and competitively playing a game he loves is his dream. On particularly intense matches, he breaks a heavy sweat and needs a lot of water and snacks to keep himself focused and in the game.

He's a popular player and a great one as well! Sometimes he gets asked to host little bits of the tournaments he attends because he has such a big fanbase and he's awesome at entertainment despite his normally deadpan tone with jokes.

He has a lot of energy, so I think running in track or doing marathons would be good for him. Afterall, he's one of the first to run after Tsuzuru in the prologue of the game. He isn't the best nor is he the fastest runner, but his stamina is impressive and lets him outlast many of his competitors.

I also see him doing kayaking? Not competitively, but he definitely loves the thrill of crashing down small waterfalls and regaining his balance right after. The flow of the currents is exhilarating and he has a good sense of balance, so he'd rarely overturn in a kayak (which is absolutely dangerous by the way).

He wouldn't do any competitive sports, but skate/longboarding is something I can definitely see him doing. If he needs time to himself or just simply wants to chill, he'll go out and enjoy the breeze as he boards down the bike lane in the park or on the road, hands in pockets.

He becomes a bit of an attraction at skate parks though. He's always seen there on his board, headphones donned and hands in pockets like I said; effortlessly performing tricks that a lot of other skaters would struggle doing. People are very attracted to the sight, and he lures them in whenever someone finds out he's at the park that day.

He's already suffering so much and is always tired— I wouldn't put it past him to play shuffleboard. It's not a laborious sport, and he can play with anyone like his siblings or any elders who need the company. It's a slow paced sport and is great for sleepy Tsuzuru who needs a break from scrip writing. I don't know if there were any canon stories of him actually being involved in a sport at some point, but I think he'd be pretty okay at tennis or table tennis.

Tennis is a very intense sport so he didn't play it for long because practice cut into his studying, his part-time jobs, and his babysitting. Table tennis is similar to tennis with it's concept, except you can just kind of stand in one spot and don't have to run around as much. It's a fun game to play with his siblings since they enjoy it so much, and they always run after the ball so he doesn't have to do much other than play along with them and clean up when they're done.

I honestly have no idea with Citron. I don't remember any canon details of Zahra (I think that's where he's from?) so I don't want to assume what kind of environment he was in that would influence his choice of athletics, but I think he would enjoy swimming! In the beach event, he ran into the water happily with Kazunari if I can remember, and I'd like to think he had a good body type for water.

There's also another part of me that thinks he'd love skydiving! The thrill of jumping out of the helicopter and letting the winds beat against him as he soared down towards the ground below would be awesome. He's practically shouting for joy as he glides down and loves the look of the city from above. Impressively enough, he can do flips in the air and loves twirling around, much to the dismay of other skydivers as they fear for him.

He's not one for actively moving, but ballet seemed interesting to him and he wanted to try it out. He had no idea how intense ballet was, from strict teachers, to getting blisters on his ankles and feet, Yuki actually almost quit. What prevented him from doing so was probably watching a performance where his seniors were giving the juniors an extravagant scene to watch and they inspired Yuki to keep going.

I would have said acrobatics/gymnastics as well, but Yuki's arms aren't very strong and he doesn't like doing flashy things like that anyways (no offense...? I don't know, I haven't watched videos of this sport in years). If he did pursue acrobatics/gymnastics, I'm not sure if he'd be amazing at it, but he would definitely be decent! He's got the flare;;

Running! Since he was in track for a while and was rumoured to be great at it, he would definitely be doing marathons and track alongside Sakuya. He had great speed and a stamina to match so he's a terribly good opponent to go against if you like to get pushed past your limits. If he kept pursuing track he would train during late nights and early morning with Tasuku, who has his routine jogs at those times.

Absolutely adores the sport too! His team of runners were basically second family to him, so if he chose to return, he would have the time of his life growing as a sportsman with them. He would grow into a fine and very popular runner! Hitting his growth spurt would only make him an even more fearsome competitor as his legs would get longer and his intense training with Omi and Tasuku would get his stamina maxed out.

He has no time to do sports since he's always acting, so I honestly can't say what he'd do. He isn't the best runner either and extreme sports is out of the question since he's a bit of a scaredy cat. I guess he would enjoy a casual game of table tennis though? But despite liking the sport, I'm going to say that he kind of sucks at it. He understands the rules and everything, but his rhythm is off and he never manages to hit the ball back.

He's good at receiving a strike back though! He's always lucky at standing in the right spot with his paddle in the correct position to receive a smash hit, and that's basically the only time he wins a point because he catches his opponent off guard. It doesn't happen often though, so he still gets absolutely destroyed during a game of table tennis.

I believe Misumi would be amazing at track & field. He runs extremely fast for one, and he does parkour like no other; he would definitely place first in sports like long jump, high jump, pole vault, and sprints. He doesn't have a particular favourite event to do though, but always does his best when someone gives him an incentive to do his best.

Izumi and Omi offer him triangle onigiri? He's going to run as fast as he can! Jump as high as he can and as far as he can! No one will be able to stop Misumi. But then again, competitive parkour is a thing, I'm pretty sure, so he can just do that sport for fun and still place in the top 3 at least. He would be terrible awesome at Ultimate Frisbee, but the disc isn't a triangle, so. :p

Him? Sports? No.

I'm kidding. Do not know at all what sport he would enjoy playing, but billiards is something that suits him in my opinion. It doesn't have to be competitive, but he's greatly skilled at handling a cue stick, and his aim is impeccable. He's real lucky with trick-shots too, so don't go and start betting money with him; you'll definitely splurge all of your cash on him within seconds.

Sigh. It's super annoying that he's good at everything, and sports are no exception. He plays futsal with Omi and Tasuku the most, and is very light on his feet. He's so good that during competitive games he'll do a trickshot and score, or will play around with his check and do something like dribble the ball between their legs when they're at their most vulnerable.

I'm sure he would fall in love with ice hockey, though. Ice hockey is fast paced and is a contact sport so Banri would feel free on the ice rink. Good thing is that he's pretty good looking, so he's a fan favourite player. The cold air biting into his skin as he pushes himself across the rink to get to the puck is exciting and he loves body checking opponents into the walls (this also makes him a controversial player since he plays rough and dirty).

He'd be a monster at competitive martial arts. Taekwondo especially, considering his kicks come in hot and fast. His spinning kicks are ones to avoid if you go against him, but he's so quick on his feet and can kick higher than his head so you might get a quick KO if you can't read his body language fast enough. Judo is also high on the list despite it being more of a grappling and throwing sport, but Juza's quick reflexes make him a difficult opponent to beat. Normally wins a match using jiu-jitsu grappling techniques on the floor.

He would also be great at ice hockey. His large figure and quick feet would make him a great player, and his posture is always low to the ground so it wouldn't be easy to knock him over on the rink. Not exactly the best at dribbling the puck though, but give him a one-timer when he's open and he'll send that thing flying through the net. No one tries to pick fights with him on the rink though lol, he's notorious for one hit ko's.

Taichi gives off the chaotic vibes of Nishinoya from Haikyu, but he would suck at volleyball so I'm giving him badminton cause height doesn't matter too much I think as long as he's quick on his feet and is able to read the body language of his opponents well. His form would be perfect though and he's super agile so getting to that shuttlecock is no problem for him. He's got a bit of muscle too so he can send those babies flying!

Doesn't really use strategy most of the time, so he'll just keep hitting and receiving the shuttlecock however he wants until his opponent tires or until someone messed up a smash. No one else in Mankai plays badminton so finding him a coach is a bit difficult. He eventually learns other ways to hit the shuttlecock, so when he learns how to slice or do drop shots, he's a little monster on the court!

Oh, the sports he would play.. Obviously, he plays futsal with Tasuku unless you haven't seen his card where he's playing as goalkeeper! With that information, he would absolutely destroy volleyball teams as a middle. Now I don't know if calling middles 'middle blocker' and outside hitters 'wing spikers' is like.. a cultural thing, and I know that's what they call the players in Haikyu, but it definitely catches me off guard and really confused lol. So, yeah! Omi would be amazing as a middle in the front since he's so tall and can shuffle fast on his feet to block a front row opponent. He's like Tendou in a way where he's great at reading people, the only thing is that he's better than Tendou (no offense, I'm serious) because he doesn't need to guess. He already knows. UGH, I want to go off on volleyball (both indoor & outdoor), but this part is getting long. Lmk if you want to hear me talk more about A3! & volleyball.

American football/rugby. Don't tell me I'm wrong please, I'll cry. Both of these are a full contact sport, and looking at Omi's past and his physical structure, you can't tell me he would not obliterate everyone on the field. He is either the offensive guard or the tackle. He will not start offensive plays, but he will end defensive plays. He stops any player from tackling their centre and tackles those who try to hit a blindside. I don't know much about rugby other than it is just as rough as American Football, just with less protective gear. I'm stopping here because I'm thirsting too much for Omi rn.

HOO, baby! When I looked at Sakyo, I just knew he would be able to do something with swords, so I chose kendo/fencing. Keno is a traditional martial art stemming from Japan and is practised with wooden swords. I won't say I know much about the sport, but it is definitely tense and is very noisy. Noisy because kendokas/kenshis shout whenever they strike, this is to show their spirit. Sakyo kind of hates shouting during the sport, but it definitely lets off some steam and gives him more momentum when he strikes.

I also think fencing because there are swords involved here too, it's just that it seems to be more of a European sport and has some sort of specific footwork involved. The piste may seem a bit narrow as well compared to kendo where they have a whole floor to themselves, so Sakyo doesn't practice fencing as often. (The clothing he's required to wear for this sport is also quite stifling as well.)

I'm ngl, but I didn't know what sport to give Tsumugi, omg, so I ended up giving him cup stacking. You know, you remember; I feel like you should do some research if you don't though because cup stacking was a huge thing in the early 2000's (?) and kids were setting world records here and there non-stop. Tsumugi uses his hands a lot for things like gardening, tutoring, bouquet arranging, etc, so he's deft and talented with them.

As long as he puts his mind to it, cup stacking is a piece of cake for him. He doesn't play anymore, but every now and then he'll look at his old kit in the corner of his room and will set it up with Tasuku in the lounge room for everyone to have a go at it. He loves the thrill and the way his adrenaline runs through his veins as he focuses on trying not to mess up the stack down.

HOOOO! Okay, so we already know Tasuku plays futsal so I'm not going to bother, but man.. He would be the same as Omi in volleyball; an absolute monster of a middle player. He's well rounded in the sport, so his coaches/team actually refuse to switch him out with a libero/defence specialist. His digs are almost on point with the setter, and he's always at the right spot when receiving, making sure no one gets an empty spot on the court.

When he's in the front blocking or hitting, he's almost always successful, and since he trains a lot with different drills and regimes, he perfects a lot of things like tipping, tooling, slicing, and even setting. His height added along with his vertical makes it almost impossible for opponents to block him, and when he's feeling good in a game, he'll start doing things like float serves and jump serves. If he's feeling any better, he'll play around and start doing slide hits at the front or will hit from position A on the back court (left corner facing the net). He'd also do swimming!!!!!!!!! BUT THIS IS GETTING TOO LONG

Definitely would do archery/darts. He's got impeccable aim if you take evidence from his outside work chats with Banri and has no problem pulling the string on a bow. Archery is difficult and I am not lying. Pulling the string until it's taut takes a large amount of strength and it digs deep into your fingertips, leaving calluses after one or two pulls.

Figuring out the trajectory and weighing in the factors of weather (if you're outside) takes a lot of skill and practice, and Hisoka always manages to hit the centre of the target with no hesitancy with his release of the string. His hands are all rough from the string digging into his fingers all the time, showing you how long he's been practising the sport.

I don't think Homare was very athletic growing up. I'm saying this only because his body type is quite lean and he's a poet after all who seems to stay inside more often than not if he isn't meeting with an editor/publisher. I think figure skating would suit him very well as it is an elegant and cold weathered sport. I also think he would fall in love with the suits if Yuki made them as they'd sparkle brilliantly and show off his flare as a skater.

He figure skates as a casual hobby rather than competitive, but he definitely makes a lot of famous friends in the community due to his whimsical personality and beautiful posture.

Kyudo (Japanese archery) was a sport that popped into my mind for Azuma, despite the strain it puts on the skin of his fingertips. His skin is very delicate with how much he takes care of it, so he wears a glove on his dominant hand to protect him. Kyudo seems to be more of a peaceful archery, and with the sight of Azuma in the kyudo uniform, the scene in front of you would be quite serene and calming.

I also think he would be great at figure skating since his body is lithe and he has lovely facial features that would complement the body suits that Yuki would create for him. His long hair flowing in the breeze he creates as he glides throughout the rink would be gorgeous along with the way his body looks as he does an axle in the air. His performances on the rink are always mesmerising, and he'll receive a few claps from fellow rink goers when he's in the centre just casually practising.

[virtchandmoir]

Ice, Ice Baby

What you can learn from legendary World & Olympic ice dance champion Tessa Virtue

November 8, 2019

Photo: Courtesy Manifesto Sport Management / Red Button Photography

You might think it’s been an easy road to the top for Canadian ice dancer Tessa Virtue – she’s beautiful, talented, graceful and poised. But she’s the first to admit her life isn’t perfect.

Off the ice she says she’s incredibly clumsy and gets motion sickness from things like elevators and sometimes, even from the lifts she did with partner Scott Moir. And she’s faced injuries, disappointment and frustration along her journey to success.

But you don’t get to the top without finding a way through these minefields and learning how to overcome them is what made her a champion.

Photo: Courtesy Manifesto Sport Management / Red Button Photography

Ice skating is a metaphor for life: you push off, fall, get up and try again. No one knows this better than an Olympic ice dance champion like Tessa Virtue. But after 22 years on the ice, she’s ready to tackle some new challenges.

“We’d ticked all the boxes in the skating world and wanted to move on while we still felt passionate about skating,” Virtue says of her and partner Moir. “It just feels like the right time.”

This fall, Virtue and Moir have been on a goodbye tour across Canada called Rock the Rink and on Nov. 23 they’ll give their last public performance in St. John’s.

Virtue says while she’s grateful for what she’s achieved, she’s ready to step out of the skating world and start another chapter of her life.

“It’s time to start filling in the gaps with things I couldn’t do because of skating,” she says. “I have an entrepreneurial spirit. I’ve been my own boss as a skater and I’m looking forward to navigating the business world.”

Virtue is currently completing an undergraduate degree in psychology and will then be pursuing an executive MBA at Queen’s University. She’s already stepped part-way into the business world, working with several sponsors and taking on a number of collaborative opportunities. In addition, she plans to continue her work as a mentor with FitSpirit, to inspire young female athletes to stay in sport.

Letting go and moving on

Facing the end of such an integral part of her life hasn’t been easy. And once the duo decided to step down from competition after the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, Virtue struggled with her new reality.

“The most significant transition [for me] was ending the Olympic cycle where you’re working with a group of 15 people and have a singular focus,” Virtue explained. “Leading up to the Olympics, every part of your life is focused on the goal of winning an Olympic championship which makes things simple and complex at the same time. Every single moment of your life is accounted for.”

Virtue says afterward she was left with a different sense of self and had to figure out how to find meaning in that.

“How do you define success going forward,” she asks, “when being the best in the world was the goal for so long?”

Virtue responded by becoming insanely busy in 2018 and in retrospect says it was too much. This time, when she finishes her last performance in St. John’s, she’s ready and eager to go forward. She has a support network in place, plans made and goals set.

Staying Motivated to Succeed

As an athlete, Virtue says it wasn’t always easy staying motivated to keep training day after day, year after year.

“What I realized is how much power there is in delayed gratification,” she says, “which is something our society doesn’t really value. I felt sick and anxious every morning before practice knowing it would be gruelling,” she explains. “It was really uncomfortable. So I started working with a mental preparation coach to learn how to feel comfortable even when I was uncomfortable. I’d ask myself ‘How do I want to feel walking out of the arena?’ Or ‘What will make me proud?’

Dealing with Failure

While Virtue and Moir won plenty of titles, there were just as many or more disappointments and setbacks. She had two surgeries on her legs for overuse injuries, they failed to win gold at the 2014 Olympics, faced judging controversies and stepped back from skating for a time.

“These are the moments that define us,” Virtue says. “Every failure let us be better in the future. Embracing it gave us a chance to pause, pivot and reflect. Rarely do we pause to reflect on failure.”

Virtue and Moir grew to celebrate their failures realizing they were just another stepping stone to future success.

Photo: Courtesy Adidas Canada / Pique

Mental Toughness

No one knows more about mental toughness than Virtue and Moir at the 2018 Olympics. Trying to make a come-back after stepping briefly out of the sport, they felt intense pressure to succeed.

“It’s a seven minute sport,” Virtue says of ice dance, “three minutes for the short program and four minutes for the long. It’s impossible to stay focused every single second. I felt more vulnerable and exposed than ever before waiting to perform in 2018.”

“Mental toughness is all about being prepared – there’s no better feeling,” she says. “Putting in the practice ahead of time, nourishing your body and managing your inner dialogue are all crucial. You want to be thinking ‘bring it on!’”

“Before the 2018 Games, my mantra was ‘I’m unstoppable,’ yet at the same time there was a little voice saying ‘Oh no! This is not going to go well.’ Right before competing [at the 2018 Olympics] I would gladly have parachuted out of the arena! But I had to quiet the noise in my mind and focus on my preparation.”

“We were so laser-focused, more prepared than ever before in our career … and it was the first time I felt the momentum from the crowd. It’s something you can get a sense of in other sports but ice dancing just doesn’t have it. I remember feeling chills after we skated.”

Be the Best Version of Yourself

Although she won’t be training as a skater any longer, Virtue plans to stay active and is looking forward to playing more golf and tennis. She’s admits to being addicted to her Peloton® stationary bike and may buy herself a road bike.

“I’d also like to get involved in a recreational team sport and explore that dynamic, as opposed to being on a team of two! ” she laughed. “I’ll never be in such good shape as I was for the Olympics and I’m okay with that. But I still want to be the best version of myself that I can be.”

While gym workouts aren’t on her agenda (“the gym was my job”) Virtue says it will be a relief to exercise for the pure pleasure of it.

“It will be nice to not have every exercise be so functional and to get in touch with my body,” she says. “It’s like a weight has lifted. This time it’s just for me.”

Over her career Virtue has had many memorable moments and some of them were just from knowing they had the grit to put in the necessary work.

“There were so many 6 a.m. mornings in grubby, empty hockey rinks … we’d be warming up and just at peace together,” she recalls.

Having conquered the word of ice dance and learning what it takes to get to the top, Virtue has all the skills to succeed as she goes boldly forward. And although she and Moir will be missed on the ice dancing scene, their contributions to the sport and legendary performances won’t be forgotten. 

Photo: Courtesy Danielle Earl Photography – Golden Skate

Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir

Championship Wins in Ice Dance

Olympic Winter Games

2018

GOLD (ice dance)

GOLD (team)

2014

SILVER (ice dance)

SILVER (team)

2010

GOLD (ice dance)

World Figure Skating Championships

2017 – GOLD

2013 – SILVER

2012 – GOLD

2011 – SILVER

2010 – GOLD

2009 – BRONZE

2008 – SILVER

2007 – 6th

ISU Four Continents Championships

2017 – GOLD

2013 – SILVER

2012 – GOLD

2009 – SILVER

2008 – GOLD

2007 – BRONZE

2006 – BRONZE

ISU Grand Prix Final

2016 – GOLD

2013 – SILVER

2012 – SILVER

2011 – SILVER

2009 – SILVER

2007 – 4th

—Impact Magazine

[kaisooficrec]

Sports AU make me cry of happiness :’) Last request was a little over a year ago so here are all the newest sports au we know & found :D don’t forget to leave kudos & comments to the authors <3

Do You Have the Balls?  - crack, head over heels jongin offers to help kyungsoo with his problem on how to dribble and shoot orange balls! 

hat-trick + yours to hold high - hockey + figure skating au, literally my whole life i love these two fics more than i love my exo albums ok it’s just that good jongin is too hot for our own good

Hope and Legacy - figure skating au in which ksoo finds hope in jongin

let the games begin - Olympics au, yeah jongin's basically a sports fan travelling to rio with sehun n drooling over this hot archer guy, gold medalist kyungsoo :P

hustler - (swimming) kyungsoo falls for his straight best friend

They Won't Know - tennis au. Kyungsoo and Jongin are both tennis competitors and rivals but jongin has the hots for kyungsoo (they both keep it in secret bc of the homophobic people around them)

run batted in - baseball au, kaisoo are from different schools but don’t care for the rivalry + double play their valentine’s day :-)

Snowflake - ksoo had to pause his figure skating career for his kid

So You Have a Crush (Here's How You Grapple with It) - both into martial arts, it gets kinky

Cloud9 - baseball au, the story of ksoo’s crush

Ice Ice Coffee - kyungsoo's first time at an ice skating rink together with his boyfriend and professional skater jongin (ft. sassy sehun)

Be My Boyfriend? - basketball captain!jongin asks out ksoo

Practice makes it perfect! - smutty boxing au

Overwhelmed - volleyball au / haikyuu anime inspo. kyungsoo sees their friendship in a platonic kind of way but when jongin does things that send his mind frantic, he finds himself having second thoughts

tricked (oops maybe not) - have some more fitness stuff :)) while everyone is busy with their bodybuilding agenda, Kyungsoo is busy ogling at a certain certified gym enthusiast. it supposed to be funny innocent kinda cause no smut, age switch 

He Works Out - soo is obsessed with working out and doesn't pay attention to nini :( slight daddy kink, 69, powerbottom jongin / bossy jongin hfhsf + some jealousy/insecurity on both sides

Ride Me Like A Bicycle - jongin working out with (on) kyungsoo aka riding dickbicycle ;o; 

Post Work Out Cooldown - maybe summ slightly yoga-related stuff while we’re at it but also an excuse to rec smut....:) boyfriends au. kyungsoo loves them yoga pants on jongin when he comes home from the gym ;) desk smut, super soft btw! 

football/soccer au:

Defense and Offense - football!au with quarterback jongin and not popular soo

All I Have To Do Is Find You (Among All The Noise In The World) - related to football but it’s more soulmate au! this is kyungsoo disliking jongin first :( poor jongin he’s such a sweet pure babie here! he is also a bear mascot!!! and kyungsoo can’t believe he’s his soulmate 

receive my ball(s), please? -  cheerleader jongin is just thirsty for captain soo :))) smut

Underarmor - pwp, kyungsoo and jongin get funky in the locker room (very short drabble) fgkk

Football/soccer fics like LMR were previously recced in sports!au here ^^

-Admins J & Macaroon

[joybooth]

Vogue 73 questions with Mike Lawson and Ginny Baker

“Hey Mike, what’s going on?”

“Not much, lookin’ forward to doing this interview.”

“I am too. Are you guys ready to answer 73 questions?”

“Sure, let’s go find Ginny.”

It turned out they found her sitting on a lounge by the pool in leggings and a t-shirt.

“So, you guys just finished playing in the World Series, any regrets?”

“No, we were excited to get there again this year,” Mike answered sitting next to Ginny.

“I mean, I hate to lose, but we played hard and that’s all you can do.”

“How many baseball games do you think you’ve played in your life?”

“For me? I have no idea. I’ve been playing since I was 5. That’s 35 years, between little league, AA, AAA and the majors? Let’s just say a lot,” Mike laughed.

“Same, minus 10 years,” Ginny added.

“Which of your competitors has helped you improve your game the most?”

“I would say Aaron Judge, a great hitter always makes me work that much harder for a strike.”

“Nolan, Nolan Arenado. I like to steal, but he keeps me honest.”

“If you could play any other sport, what would it be?”

“Tennis?” Ginny shrugged.

“I’ve always liked hockey.”

“Past or present who would you love to play with?”

“I gotta say Babe Ruth,” Mike said.

“For me, Cy Young or Yogi Berra.”

“What’s are you superstitious about?”

“I like a certain practice cage. I don’t know if it is a superstition, but I always go for that one if it’s available, and Mike used to sleep with his bat on game days.”

“Where do you go when you need to relax?”

“If I told you that, it wouldn’t be relaxing anymore,” Mike joked.

“We spend a lot of time at home, but we just took a vacation to Baja and that was really nice.”

“What is your nickname?”

“I call him old man.”

“And I call her rookie.”

“Who is the funniest person you know?”

“Dwayne,” Ginny answered after a moment of thought.

Mike nodded. “He is great. We were at a fundraiser for his foundation the other day, and everyone at the table was laughing crying.”

“Wait, do you mean Dwayne Johnson?” the interviewer asked.  

“Yeah, we met at the Espys and get together every now and then. He throws a great BBQ every year.”

“OK, what is your go to karaoke song?”

“Baker loves anything by Beyoncé or Katy Perry. I stick to the Eagles and Duran Duran.”

“What song always makes you want to dance?”

“He is right. I love Katy Perry and Beyoncé, but Uptown Funk is my jam.”

“I don’t dance much, but no one can resist Love Shack.”

“What is your walk out song?”

“I have a mix I listen to, it’s mostly instrumentals to help me clear my head.”

“I go for the classic, eye of the tiger.”

“If you could only read one book from now on, what would it be?”

“Treasure Island has been my favorite for a long time. I’ve read it 5-6 times, and I wouldn’t mind reading it again.”

“That is really hard for me, because I don’t read things more than once very often, but… I’m going to say Esperanza Rising. I know it is a kid’s book, but I still have the copy I read in 5th grade. Someday I want to be able to share it with my kid.”

“Most absurd rule in baseball?”

“It’s not really a written rule, but there is this thing where everyone must be involved in am on-field fight. When Gin went after the Mountain, our assistant coach had to walk out there and hold onto the other coach. These guys are in their 60’s hugging on the field so it is nice and even numbers. I mean I get it, but it can look pretty silly.”

“Describe your style in one word?”

“Comfy?” Ginny ventured.

“If you could raid anyone’s closet who would it be?”

“David Beckham,” Mike answered quickly.

“Serena Williams.”

“Any hidden talents?”

“I love to knit.”

“No kidding. I can’t tell you how many times she got me with one of her needles on the bus.”

“On purpose?”

“No, he is just clumsy and doesn’t look before he sits down.”

“I did get some cute hats and that blanket over there out of it, though.” He gestured to a knit blue and white blanket with a Padre’s logo on it draped over a leather chair.

“Looks nice, now for a hard one. What is love?”

“Baby don’t hurt me?” Mike joked, Ginny batted his arm. “No, seriously, love is different for different for different people but for me, it is a commitment to something that you care deeply about.”

“That and finding someone to see the best in you even when you can’t see it in yourself.”

“What is the most romantic thing you’ve done for each other?”

“He leaves me notes in my locker on days when we don’t work together.”  

“She rubs my back.”

“Best or worst pick up line someone has ever used with you?”

“I thought it was funny when this guy said, I was so distracted by you that I ran into that wall over there. So, I am going to need you name and phone number for insurance purposes.”

“Who said that?” Mike asked.

“Never mind, what’s yours?”

“A girl just walked up, put her hand out and asked me I could hold it while she went for a walk.”

“Did you?” the interviewer asked.

“I did,” Mike smiled, then he reached out and squeezed Ginny’s hand.  

“Who was your childhood crush?”

“This guy.”

“She finally admits it. She had my poster on her wall, but now I have hers too.”

“What was the last show you binged?”

“We just got done rewatching all of Brooklyn 99.”

“He was a thing for Rosa.”

“She does too.”

“I mean, doesn’t everyone?”

“Name one thing you can’t live without.”

“Air?” Mike joked.

“A good wifi network,” Ginny groaned. “I hate when I’m on the road and we finally get to a hotel and they have super slow internet. I just want to relax and watch Youtube or scroll tumblr.”

“Name something you are terrible at.”

“Bowling,” Ginny answered.

“I suck at word games, scrabble, boggle, all that stuff. She usually beats me by at least 100 points.”

“What is the most nervous you’ve ever been?”

“My first game in the majors.”

“Same. Mine, not hers. I wasn’t really nervous for her because we didn’t know each other, but I remember almost blacking out the first time I walked onto the field.”  

“Name one bad habit you just can’t break.”

“I bite my fingernails, so I have to keep them super short, but that’s fine, because I would have to for pitching anyway.”

“I am an emotional shopper. When things aren’t going well in life, I use retail therapy way too much.”

“He is not kidding. The good thing is he cleans his closet out once every six months and donates a lot of impulse buys to charity.”

“Craziest fan moment?” “A lady told me she named her baby after me and asked me to sign her. I signed her little shirt, but it was a little weird.”

“What is one phrase you use too much?”

“I’m just sayin’. She keeps reminding me how much it annoys her, but it just rolls off my tongue.”

“That’s ok, I always say my bad, and he hates that, so we are even.”

“If you could be any animal, what would it be?”

“I want to say something bad ass, but really I’m a house cat.”

“I can totally see that. I am a… a bear, but mostly because I just want to sleep and be left alone sometimes.”

“Can you say something in a different language?”

“Que bola? Its Cuban for what’s up. I picked it up from Livan.”

“I speak some Indonesian, from my mom. Tidak apa apa is no worries, which is what I use most in like everyday conversation.”

“What is one cause you care deeply about?”

“It is hard to name one, but I work a lot with our local children’s hospital,” Mike answered.

“I support NAACP legal defense fund, Equal justice initiative and the African wildlife foundation.”

“How do you celebrate your wins?”

“Ice cream or beer depending on the day.”

“How do you deal with loses?”

“I try to figure out what went wrong, so I can do it differently next time,” Ginny said thoughtfully.

“How do you deal with haters?”

Ginny laughed, “You just gotta block’em out.”

“If you could redo one game which would it be?”

“The game where I messed up my knee the first time.”

“Yeah, when I almost got the no hitter and instead messed up my arm, that was pretty bad.”

“Besides baseball what would you like to be remembered for?”

“Being a good person.”

“If you weren’t baseball players, what else would you be?”

“I would do something with cars.”

“I would do something with history? Teaching or maybe be an anthropologist?”

“Do you have a pregame ritual?”

“I have a pump mix but mostly I like to meditate and mentally prepare. I usually go over the lineup one last time with Mike.”

“How many MLB teams can you name in ten seconds?”

“The Padres, the Braves, the Dodgers, the A’s, the Rockies, the Yankees, Sox, Cubs, Phillies, Astros, Mariners…”

Mike took over, “Jays, Giants, Angels, Brewers…”

“And that’s time, good job. Name the best baseball player who ever lived.” “Babe Ruth.”

“Willie Mays.”

“If you could only eat one thing forever, what would it be?”

“Pizza?” Mike answered.

“Burgers, but they have to come with fries,” Ginny chimed in.

 “What movie always makes you cry?”

“Field of dreams.”

“The Lion King.”

“What movie makes you scream in terror?”

“My friends dragged me to the Omen once, which was pretty scary, but mostly I don’t watch scary movies.”

“I watched the exorcist way too young, and that pretty much put me off scary movies for life.”

“What is the most inspirational sports film of all time?”

“I always liked Cinderella Man with Russel Crow.”

“I really liked the Life of Pi.”

“Who do you want to play you in the movie of your life?”

“I don’t know that they would make a movie of my life, but when they make hers I think Ryan Gossling is a good choice, or Ryan Reynolds, or any of the Marvel Chrises.”

“If they made a movie… I would say… Letitia Wright maybe?”

“What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever done?”

“As a kid I broke my ankle trying to do a skate board trick,” Mike scratched the back of his neck and flushed slightly.

“What is one skill you wish you had but you don’t?”

“I am trying to learn to cook, but Mike still does it most of the time.”

“If you were a super hero, what would your name be?”

“Black Diamond.”

“Beard-Man.”

“Who’s your most famous follower on twitter?”

“I don’t have a twitter.”

“A lot of people follow me to hear about Ginny, I would say Anna Kendrick is the most famous.”

“You travel a lot for work, what are three things you take with you everywhere?”

“My headphones, a neck pillow, and my phone charger.” “Same.”

“Do you have an pets?”

“We have a dog,” Ginny whistled, and a mini pie ball dachshund call running out. “This is Chip. I named her after the cup from beauty and the beast. She is a super sweet girl.”

“What’s your zodiac sign?”

“I am a Libra and Ginny is a Leo.”

“What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?”

“He likes coffee or half-baked and I like Cherry Garcia.”

“What’s one household chore you hate to do?”

“We both hate the dishes, so we do them together, so we can get it over with quickly.”

“Do you have any collections?”

“I have a snow globe collection, and Mike collects baseball memorabilia.”

“Who is more competitive?“

“Me!” they both said quickly, then looked at the other and laughed.

  “What is your go to date night?”

“We like to go see comedians.”

“He just got us tickets to see Ali Wong for our anniversary.”

“If you could go anywhere on vacation where would it be?”

“We are going to Kenya next month, and I am really excited about that,” Ginny answered.

“Me too.”

“What is your love language?”

“I like acts of service and words of affirmation,” Mike answered seriously for once.

“and for me, it is quality time.”

“Sleep in or rise early?”

“Sleep in!” Mike grinned.

“Read a book or watch TV?”

“Watch tv,” they agreed.

“Kiss or hug?”

“Kiss,” they both snapped.

“Strength training or cardio?”

“Cardio,” Ginny answered automatically

“I like strength training,” Mike added.

“You guys recently got married, what was the biggest change?”

“Not really anything? We already lived together.”

“Calling him my husband, is weird sometimes.”

“What was your favorite part of the wedding?”

“When we left?” Ginny laughed.

“What kind of cake did you have?”

“Just plain yellow cake with chocolate frosting,” Mike answered.

“Who caught the bouquet?”

“My agent, Amelia.”

“What song was your first dance to?”

“Unforgettable.”

“What are you doing today?”

“We’re going to the farmer’s market, then coming home for dinner with some friends.” Ginny answered, walking toward the door.

“Can I come along?”

Ginny made a face. “No, thanks for stopping by though.”

[justlookfrightened]

Fun and games

Based on this prompt from @wyntera:

one of them has a little cousin that's having a birthday party at one of those family fun parks where they have mini golf and go karts and arcade games, cute competition ensues

Jack looked warily at the garish, grinning face on the painted sign. Clowns were creepy, he thought. It wasn’t  just him.

“This is it,” Bitty said. “Uncle Beau’s House of Fun. Although it’s not really a house -- you’ll notice the lack of actual walls. Can you grab that bag there? I’ve got the cupcakes.”

“Why would your cousin host a first birthday here?” Jack asked, as they crunched their way across the gravel parking lot. “I mean, there’s really nothing for a one-year-old to do here.”

“It’s not really about the baby,” Bitty said. “It’s about the parents.”

“Like they want to show off what a good party they can throw for their friends?” Jack said.

“Not exactly,” Bitty said. “More like they grew up at the arcade and go-karting, and they haven’t been able to get out so much since Ellie was born, and this is a chance to get out with a few dozen people who will be happy to take a turn entertaining the baby. I mean, Amanda’s younger than me.”

“Wait -- a few dozen?”

“Jack, did you see how many cupcakes Mama and I made?”

“I thought you made a lot of extra ones.”

“Oh, honey.”

Jack followed Bitty across the threshold, stepping onto the cement slab and feeling a little relief from the shade of the roof. Pop music blared from speakers near the ceiling, fighting a losing battle with the whine of go-kart engines coming from the track out back and the dings and buzzes of at least two dozen arcade games.

Bitty led the way to a picnic table at the back, already piled high with presents for Ellie.

“Jack, this my cousin Amanda and her husband, Scott,” Bitty said, setting his tray of cupcakes down next to the one his parents drove over. “Amanda, this my boyfriend, Jack.”

“Uh, we know, Dicky,” Amanda said. “I think y’all made that pretty clear on TV, don’t you?”

Jack wasn’t sure how to read her tone, but Bitty just ducked his head and grinned. “I guess so,” he said. “That was kind of the point, y’know?”

“You always were kinda dramatic,” Amanda said. “But you done good, little Dicky.”

Jack found himself face-to-face with Scott, who was big and beefy, like so many football players who offering his hand to shake. “Welcome,” Scott said. “I never really watched hockey before, but Mandy’s Uncle Richard wouldn’t stop about it, so we watched that last series. I don’t know how you guys do that -- all on skates and all.”

“You know, Bi-- Eric plays hockey, right?” Jack said.

“Well, yeah, but not like that, right?” Scott said.

“Yeah, pretty much just like that,” Jack said. “He’s going to be captain of the team I was captain of the year before I joined the Falcs, so. And he can skate faster than me or any guy on my team.”

“You singing my praises over there again?”

Bitty was apparently done talking to his cousin.

“Sorry,” Jack said.

“No need to apologize, sweetpea. Let’s get a couple of those cups of tokens and play some games, all right? We’ve got about an hour before they bring out the food. And Amanda said we should get our names on the list if we want to go-kart.”

“You want to?” Jack said.

“Sure, I’ll beat you in another kind of race,” Bitty said, smirking. “What do you want to do until then? Video games? Pinball? Skee-ball?”

Jack considered. He knew he wasn’t much good at the kind of video games the guys played on consoles through their TVs, and he didn’t think he’d be much better with the machines that lined the center of the pavilion. Old-fashioned pinball would be better -- the only controls to master would be the flippers. But Bitty would chirp him for being old-fashioned. He was sure of it.

“You spend much time at places like this as a kid?” he asked, hoping to stall for time.

“Well, sure,” Bitty said. “In elementary school, the rule was that you had to invite everybody to a birthday party, or, as we got a little older, all the boys or all the girls. For a few years there, it seemed like every party was at an arcade. And since no one really liked me, I just hung out and played.”

He shrugged. “Turns out I wasn’t bad.”

Jack could see that, given Eric’s hand-eye coordination. But he was a professional athlete. He should be able to do this, too. Maybe it was that all he did growing up was play hockey.

“Skee-ball’s the one like bowling, right?”

“Sort of,” Bitty said. “In that there’s a ball and you roll it.”

“Let’s do that,” Jack said.

It was fun, he decided. He figured out pretty quickly that the best move was to aim high instead of for the middle. They payoff was better -- especially if you hit one of the corner holes for 100 points -- and even if you missed, you had a chance to do better than the 10 points you got for missing all the targets.

It was fun, and Jack was definitely better than the six-year-old next to him, but he was nowhere near as good as Bitty. Jack’s best game came in at 280 points, and it made the machine spit out a long strip of tickets. Bitty’s best game that Jack saw hit 400, with Bitty putting six straight balls in the 50-point target. That was  the kind of consistency that only came with long practice.

Bitty’s ticket strip was folding onto itself on the floor.

“I think I saw Space Invaders over there,” Jack said. “Want to do that?”

“Go ahead,” Bitty said “There’s that hunting game next to it. I’ll do that.”

“They let kids play shooting games?”

“Jack, honey, they let kids shoot real guns,” Bitty said.

After another 15 minutes, both their ticket rolls had grown, but Bitty’s was at least twice the size of Jack’s.

“Had enough of blasting aliens?” Bitty said. “If we pool our tickets I think we have enough to get that stuffed unicorn behind the counter. We can give it to Ellie.”

Jack thought the box of play food and children’s books they had wrapped probably outshone a arcade plushie, but maybe not.

“It could turn into her Señor Bun,” Bitty was saying.

The unicorn claimed and delivered to Ellie -- who wasted no time biting down on the horn -- Bitty looked aroind again. “The air hockey table is free.”

“I don’t know why they call this hockey.” Jack said, watching the board tally another point for Bitty, who was up 6-5. “It’s more like paddle ball or something.”

“LIke flat table tennis?” Bitty said. “I can see that.”

Jack tied it a moment later, and finally pulled out a win. “Good game,” Bitty said graciously.

A little too graciously. Jack suspected Bitty had gone easy on him, but he wasn’t about to ask.

“Let’s check in at the go-kart station,” Bitty said.

“FIne,” Jack said. “But I want you to go for it, okay? Don’t let me win.”

Bitty didn’t pretend to be shocked, which pretty much confirmed Jack’s suspicion.

“If you say so,” Bitty said. “But I know it’s no fun if you feel like you can’t compete. I grew up playing these games, so it’s not really fair. And weight’s a big disadvantage in go-karting.”

“And it’s a big advantage in hockey, which we played together for two years,” Jack said. “It’s fine. I’ll do my best, and you do your best.”

“And we’ll both probably get beaten by my cousin Shelly,” Bitty said. “She’s 10, and she’s a maniac.”

Jack told himself he could do this. He could surprise Bitty, cruise to the finish ahead of him. And when the karts took off, he managed to at least stay with Bitty for a bit. But every corner, he seemed to drift just a touch wider and lose just a couple of feet. 

By the time the race was over -- Shelly in first, Bitty in second -- Jack was 50 feet and another two karts back. But it was good, watching Bitty climb out of the cart, laughing and congratulating Shelly. His smile was open in a way it hadn’t been the last time Jack was in Georgia with him, and he’d introduced Jack as his boyfriend to people who clearly knew exactly who he was, and who he was to Bitty. And all of them, to a person, smiled and offered their congratulations.

It felt like winning to Jack.

[paulpoirier]

Omg a drag show, I am so jealous. Please tell me how it was if you decided to go! From your Tumblr I can tell that we have some things in common, such as being super gay and loving sports, especially gymnastics and figure skating :D Is Guillaume Cizeron your favourite skater? What got you into being a gymnastics and figure skating fan? I didn't really do anything this weekend except uni work and went to training (gymnastics) today. So pretty chill :)

I will tell you Secret Santa, that I did actually go to the drag show and had a lot of fun! It's a very chill bar so you don’t exactly go there to #Rage which is great because I had gone out the previous two nights. I currently feel like a deflated basketball hahaha...Yes! I love sports! The ones I follow the most are AG, FS and swimming, but I also like watching tennis, football, RG, diving, volleyball, ice hockey, etc...I wouldn’t call Guillaume my fave skater, those are Fabian Bourzat, Scott Moir and Luca Lanotte, probably (At least in ice dance), but I do love his lines and his programs with Gabi, so he’s right up there! In singles I like Yuzuru, duh, and Shoma, but my babies are Matteo Rizzo and Dmitri Aliev. I got into gym during London actually! I watched the women’s AA final and was immediately drawn by Vika and Aliya, and then it was all a downwards spiral haha, I’m more of a MAG fan nowadays though, because the finals tend to be more unexpected and such, but still, Aliya is my queen. Figure skating was kinda similar, I blame Sochi, Yulia Lipnitskaya, Stolbova/Klimov, Ice Dance in general and MY MAN Tatsuki Machida especially (I miss him so much, you don’t even know)What about you? Were you a gymnast when you were younger?I’m so glad I’m done with uni for the year, thank god lmao 

[julienschuester]

INTRODUCING JULIEN SCHUESTER

[JOE KEERY FC, MALE, HE/HIM] who’s that? oh it’s {JULIEN SCHUESTER}. i hear they’re {16} and a {JUNIOR} at {WMHS}, have a voice like {JEREMY JORDAN} and are part of {NEW DIRECTIONS and HOCKEY and DRAMA CLUB}. they’re known to be {GREGARIOUS and TALENTED} and {INDECISIVE and NAIVE}. some people say they remind them of {BEING A GOOD TEXTER and SCUFFED UP TENNIS SHOES and BELIEVING EVERYONE IS GOOD AT HEART}. only one way to find out!

BASICS

Full Name: Julien Dean Schuester Nickname: Jules (family only) Voice Claim: Jeremy Jordan Birthday: October 8 Age: 17 Sign: Libra Hometown: Lima, OH Sexuality: Heterosexual Education: Junior @ WMHS  Activities: New Directions, WMHS Hockey, Drama Club

LIKES/DISLIKES

LIKES: hockey, performing, playing the drums, journey, classic rock, old cars, new iphones, iced tea, outdoor fire pits, big groups, loud rooms, being the center of attention, the smell of fresh laundry, his hair, pretty girls, ice skating rinks

DISLIKES: expectations, disappointing his parents, being alone, messes, pure silence, making decisions, getting yelled at, writing papers, stepping on the lines in between tiles

PAST PRODUCTIONS/ROLES

into the woods...jack

grease...sandy dumbrowski

mamma mia...sky

RENT...mark cohen

footloose...ren mccormack

the sound of music...rolf

FULL BIO

Julien Dean Schuester was born on October 8 to Will and Emma Schuester. He was the last of their “happy accidents,” and a true miracle baby due to there being a lot of complications with his birth, namely that he was premature. Once it it was clear to Will and Emma that none of those complications would have longterm effects, it was a huge relief. But Emma, ever the worrier, still coddled him which ultimately resulted in him being a tried and true mama’s boy. The fact that he suffered from the same condition as her, albeit less severely, only made his attachments to her stronger.

It was no secret that Will Schuester was a bit of a Lima legend. He was a good man who brought a lot of glory and an appreciation for the arts to their little Ohio town. Because of this, it was no surprise that his kids were all artistically and musically inclined. For a long time, Dan was the golden child. He was the oldest, he followed in their father’s footsteps, and he was seemingly the most talented. Julien didn’t mind this. He was happy to be the typical youngest child who was spared a lot of the parental pressure his siblings got. This meant that he got to just enjoy being a part of theater and learning how to play instruments. 

It wasn’t until Julien reached the eighth grade that he realized he really loved singing and acting. He wanted to do it in high school, and he knew on some level he was expected to, but there was one thing that scared him...the social repercussions of being a musical theater kid. Julien had been warned by his siblings about slushie facials and targeted attacks against the glee club, but ever the optimist, he believed he’d be spared. Once people saw what a totally fun and cool guy he was, they wouldn’t slushie him. 

Obviously Julien was wrong. McKinley was just as brutal (if not more) than everyone had said and he was not an exception. This meant that Julien had to figure something out...some way to protect himself. If McKinley worshipped jocks, then a jock he would be. Julien joined the hockey team his freshman year and although it did kind of save him from the wrath of other jocks, it didn’t save him from the wrath of his own team. The hockey captain and a few of his teammates still gave him crap for being involved in glee club and it was like a never ending game of tug of war. Glee club, the thing he truly loved, or sports, the thing that gave him popularity?

Julien’s high school career would be defined by this one looming question. What was more important...doing what he loved or being accepted by the masses? In the end, the choice won’t be easy, but Julien is sure that he’ll come out of high school with more clarity.

[bapwoo]

So I was tagged by @be-the-piano and since I am not that busy as I was I am going to do the tag (I know that around time of New Years I was tagged in another like 6 posts but I was busy studying for test which I still failed and now I have no energy to search for them... but I wat to thank you and I appreciate that you tagged me <3 @kpopruinedmywholelifeu and @creepersdongsaeng bc I know it was you but I just... have no energy, so I want to apologize at least like this)

Thank you for tagging me hun <3 Now to this tag lol

Rules: Answer the 11 questions, create 11 questions on your own and tag 11 people to answer them.

1. What animal do you (want to) have?

I have no animal rn, but I just LOVE CATS. My grandma has one- my lil baby (and another bunch of stray cats is wandering on and around her garden and we are giving them food, but her own cat, who also owns the garden and territory around it isn’t so happy abt it, especially there are some cats she really hates/is scared of). But probably will never have one bc I am allergic to them. But if I see cat somewhere or if you have cat home, you bet that I am going to pet it/visit you at home.

2. Sea or mountains?

Damn... both (you think it doesn’t exist? Go to Corsica. I was there, there was both and it was the best lol.

3. Who is your favourite person (fictional or not)?

Hmmmm... my fave person. It is sth like fictional character lol. Don’t laugh at me now okay? But I just love Chandler from freinds because he is like... male version of me lol.

4. Last song you listened to?

I am just listening to B.A.P’s Honeymoon (bless)

5. What is your favourite season?

I... think I already had sth like this in some tags and wrote 20 rows long essay what I love about every season, bc I love them all lol. But... I think that spring?

6. Playing sports/watching sports?

BOTH. I love playing sports (mostly beach volleyball or tennis, ocassionaly ice skating) and I love watching sports (do you need ice hockey buddy? ask me and we can go together to pub watching ice hockey; You love darts? I am in. Do you like to cry over Yuzuru’s ice skating or others’ figure skaters’ skills? You bet I will cry with you lol. You need someone to watch tennis match? You can’t find better pro than me who can tell you top 100 players in women’s and men’s ranking lol. You need rugby buddy? HELL YES!!! Just don’t drag me to football... that is thing I dislike to the maximum level lol).

7. Dragons?

I like them but I do not seek them haha.

8. Favourite book.

hmmmm... I dunno. But I can tell you the least favourite and it is going to be book about International Trade (:

9. The class you hate(d) most.

CHEMISTRY

10. Is there any language you would like to learn?

Well... I am trying to learn Japanese now (I am still very bad bc I had like... 30 lessons spread to whole year so), I would like to learn Korean or learn Italian well (I had courses but I already forgot everything and I fucking love that language)

11. What is your favourite word and why?

I will go and say forget-me-not. It is because in our language it has the word “forget” too and I just found it amazing when I saw the translation of it. Plus it sounds cute to me in some way?

I won’t tag anyone, because it is late and I am too drained to think about the questions lol.

[truesportsfan]

How ABC gofer turned summer job into ‘Miracle on Ice’ nirvana

Friday, Feb. 22, 1980. More than 8,000 manic fans pack into the Olympic Center Arena in Lake Placid, N.Y., including Vice President Walter Mondale and first child Amy Carter. I remember they were seated across the ice on the opposite side of the arena from our broadcast booth, and distinctly recall the two Secret Service agents standing right behind Al Michaels, Ken Dryden — and me. They were conspicuous in dark suits and shades, sporting earpieces as they monitored movements. I’ll never forget offering one of them a bottle of water and being met with a cold, hard shake of the head. They were all business.

It was 5 p.m. ET when the first puck dropped. ABC Sports was not live on the air — in fact, an attempt to move the game to 8 p.m. so it could be broadcast live in the U.S. was turned down by the International Hockey Federation. That would have been 4 a.m. in the Soviet Union, and the Soviets protested this injustice — and won. But no one inside the arena cared who else was watching live. They were in the house and it was game on.

Spring, 1979. I graduated from Brown University on a rather unseasonably cool Providence, R.I., spring day. After packing up a once-cluttered dorm room, I head up Route 95 to Boston to begin my summer job as a gofer/production assistant for ABC Sports’ “Monday Night Baseball.”

I had gotten an in with the jewel sports network during my senior year, when Brown’s sports information director, Rosa Gatti (who retired as a senior vice president at ESPN in 2013), asked me to take good care of Keith Jackson, the legendary announcer who, oddly enough, was calling the Brown-Harvard football game for ABC. I guess I did a good enough job to warrant an attaboy from not only Rumblin’, Fumblin’ Keith, but more importantly, from the assistant producer, who told me to keep in touch.

Keep in touch I did, as I was determined to avoid going to law school and instead began to seriously consider a career in sports television production. And so began a fantasy year that brought repeated close encounters with iconic figures and moments in sports.

The ABC broadcast team for hockey during the 1980 OlympicsRob Krausz

For example, in the fall of 1979, at a “Monday Night Football” game in Washington, as a booth assistant I was assigned to find the legendary Howard Cosell with three minutes to air. I finally located him in a lounge entertaining two women over drinks and was greeted by his yelling, “Don’t rush the star of the show!” Ninety seconds later, he put on his headset and delivered a perfect opening segment without a script.

ABC kept me busy most weekends, as I traveled by car (gas and tolls on me) up and down the East Coast to work on pro and college football games, golf tournaments and boxing matches. I chauffeured the infamous Cosell many times, saw Jack Nicklaus win the 16th and 17th of his record 18 major championships, and had up-close moments with Reggie Jackson and George Steinbrenner. And they paid me — a per diem of $35.

But the highlight of it all began in December 1979, when I managed to get hired to work as a research/production assistant/gofer/food and beverage porter for the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid.

At the first production meeting for us bottom-feeders, everyone clamored for glamorous jobs working on speed skating, ski jumping, downhill skiing and figure skating. When ice hockey came up, no one volunteered because, obviously, the U.S. team was terrible, the Soviet Union was despised and heavily favored, and who in their right mind wanted to waste time inside the hockey rink watching the Russian gold-medal coronation?

Someone, however, noticed on my résumé that I had gone to Brown and asked if I knew anything about ice hockey. Stupidly, I mentioned I actually had been to a few college games and had even seen U.S. goalie Jim Craig play for Boston University in the Beanpot tournament the prior winter at Boston Garden. My groan was audible when they assigned me to work as the assistant to recently retired NHL All-Star goalie Ken Dryden (I had actually heard of him), and some baseball announcer on the West Coast (I had never heard of) named Al Michaels.

We start work in Lake Placid about a month before the games began. I accompanied Al and Ken for a few nights shuttling around in an arctic-cold ABC minivan watching the U.S. team play a few exhibition matches. I even spent a few afternoons playing pinball at the Olympic Village dorms with Craig and Mike Eruzione and got the feeling they were thrilled to be there (though not so much with their coach, Herb Brooks), and were just going to do the best they could and hopefully not be embarrassed.

When the first-round games began Feb. 12, the crowds were fairly sparse. As I sat next to Al (always on his right) for all the televised games, I tried to come up with meaningful stats or inside storylines, but frankly, initially there wasn’t much to say.

However, as the U.S. kept progressing deeper into the tournament, there was this weird, cautiously optimistic vibe in the air. These bad news pucksters just kept winning. And winning. An initial tie with Sweden was followed by consecutive wins over Czechoslovakia, Romania and West Germany.

By the time the baby-faced U.S. team made the final four in the medal round (along with the U.S.S.R., Finland and Sweden) and was about to face the chiseled, grizzled Soviets, there was a palpable buzz in the air of: Hey, this is somehow happening! Everyone working at the Olympics felt it. Fans in the arena felt it, and the hardest and hottest Olympic ticket to get was U.S. versus the U.S.S.R., scheduled for Feb. 22. Of course, my seat next to Al and Ken was reserved from Day 1, and little did I know it would become perhaps the most prized seat in sports history.

I have very little recollection of the match itself as it just whizzed by in one of life’s “in the zone” moments, when three hours seem like three minutes. The Russians scored first. The U.S. tied it up. Then the Russians went up 2-1, and as initial hope seemed lost, somehow Team USA’s Mark Johnson scored to tie the game with one second left in the first period. The atmosphere was giddy and most of us were clearly surprised that this U.S. team — drubbed 10-3 weeks earlier by this same Soviet team at Madison Square Garden in an exhibition — was still alive in the game. But then the Soviet Union scored early in the second period to make it 3-2, and a sense of deflation could be felt as the period ended.

Well, it had been a good ride and we braced ourselves for the knockout punch that was coming. Somehow, that punch never came. Eight minutes and 39 seconds into the third period, Johnson struck again to tie the game at 3, and 81 seconds later, Eruzione — the captain and my pinball buddy — launched a shot into the net that was heard ’round the world.

The atmosphere for the final 10 minutes of the game was almost indescribable. Craig made 36 saves in the game, and it seemed as if all 36 came in those final minutes. The Soviets, reeling yet attacking wildly, could not get another one past him. Ken and Al were going nuts — as was the crowd. As everyone counted down the last 10 seconds, it seemed as if in slow motion, in my left ear one foot away, that Al uttered those famous words: “Do you believe in miracles? YES!”

Pandemonium.

I got kicked out of the locker room (and thrown against the wall) by Secret Service agents after I tried to help Jim Lampley find players for postgame interviews. My press credential, which had served me so well, was now worthless. The vice president was in the locker room and I was back to being the low man on the totem pole — but wow, it had been a great ride.

Rob KrauszN.Y. Post: Tamara Beckwith

Jim McKay went on the air that night and said he would not announce any hockey results as the network was tape-delaying the broadcast of the game. Like no one knew.

The gold-medal clinching game came two days later on Feb. 24. Yawn. A 4-2 victory over the Finns. I have an old Kodak picture of the team storming the ice at the last horn. Most people don’t even realize the U.S. did not clinch the gold medal versus the Soviets in that earlier, historic game. No one cares. The fight of the century had been fought and the final was relegated to the undercard.

A year later, on Feb. 22, 1981, I found myself in Durham, N.C., yawning over a Contracts textbook in the Duke University Law School library. I had followed Howard Cosell’s advice to get out of “this lousy business” (i.e. sports television) and go to law school. Bye-bye, sports producer career. After all, could anything ever top my year on the road that included that 1980 Olympic hockey experience?

After packing my books and while heading back to the dorm, I checked out Duke’s upcoming basketball schedule. There was this new coach, some guy named Mike with a long Polish name nobody could spell. “Coach K” was going through a losing streak and there were rumors he would be fired. Ha!

As I made my way across the main campus, there were a group of students on the lawn playing field hockey with a tennis ball. One took a wild shot and sent the ball soaring past a makeshift goal. He screamed at the top of his lungs, “Do you believe in miracles?” as the ball zoomed by, almost hitting me. I yelled right back, “Yes!” Then, as I was about to tell them where I’d been a year earlier, I stopped. Who would believe it? I smiled, moving silently into the night.

source https://truesportsfan.com/sport-today/how-abc-gofer-turned-summer-job-into-miracle-on-ice-nirvana/

[flauntpage]

All Aboard! Ten Takeaways from Flyers 5, Sharks 3

Hockey is officially back.

Yeah, it was nice to talk about camp battles and what rookies should make the team and line combination experiments and all the other crap you are forced to talk about when games don’t matter, (and really, isn’t every exhibition season in every sport dreadful, boring and too freaking long?)

That’s all behind us now.

It may not feel like October out there (is global warming a thing?), but it is, and that means the hockey matters now.

‘Tis the season in Philadelphia to tweet “Choo-Choo” every time Wayne Simmonds does his thing (plenty of opportunity for that last night), to bitch about Andrew MacDonald (even when he doesn’t do anything wrong), and to want to fire coach Dave Hakstol because he is scratching rookies again.

I’ve missed you Flyers fans, truly I have.

So, it was with a lot of coffee that I sat down on the couch to take in Game 1 of 82 last night with an ungodly 10:50 pm puck drop, and stayed up well past my usual bed time to bring you these 10 observations, which were made through glazed-over eyes pried open by tooth picks and strong tape. I’m a man of the people.

So, without further ado, here’s what I saw last night/this morning in the Flyers’ 5-3 win in San Jose.

1) Wayne Simmonds – Best Goal Scorer in the NHL

Well, for one day anyway. Simmonds posted his second career hat trick – and the first by a Flyer on opening night in the team’s 51-year history.

Everyone in the NHL will be talking about Connor McDavid scoring all three goals in Edmonton’s opening night win over Calgary because, well, he’s Connor McDavid – and he’s considered the next face of the league in the NHL. But, Simmonds matched him with the type of performance that is typical of Simmonds. Gritty. Hard-nosed. 100% effort at all times.

And unlike McDavid, none of Simmonds’ goals were flashy, or pretty. One hit him as he tried to get out of the way of a Shayne Gostisbehere shot. The second he tipped in, again angling his frame in front of the goalie. The third was an empty-netter.

But, when you play the way Simmonds plays, you are going to create your own good fortune – and that’s what tonight was – it was a spirited effort by the team’s emotional leader.

A lot of people – myself included – have been saying that for the Flyers to make a playoff push this season, the core veterans will have to be better than they were a year ago. That includes Simmonds, who although he scored 31 goals and 54 points last season, was subpar in 5-on-5 play.

Not so in the opener. Simmonds lived up to his moniker and steamed around the arena. It’s never pretty, but it’s always effective. Even when it’s taking place after midnight.

Which reminds me of an Aerosmith song, seen here in Rock Band version:

2) PECOOOOOOOOOO

A shout out to my man Lou Nolan. The power play was en fuego last night. One game, yes, but a good sign.

The Flyers fired assistant coach Joey Mullen after last season because the power play had dipped from stellar to mediocre. Then, in the preseason, it looked dreadful, making you wonder if it was a case of the archer with bad aim blaming the arrows.

But last night they flipped the switch and… well… this happened:

Jordan Weal. http://pic.twitter.com/scWravYDn7

— Chris Jastrzembski (@CFJastrzembski) October 5, 2017

Then this happened:

on the powerplay http://pic.twitter.com/2nWOf7kUY7

— Chris Jastrzembski (@CFJastrzembski) October 5, 2017

(It was actually Simmer’s goal, although Gostisbehere was originally credited with it).

And then, oh yeah, this happened:

It was Simmer but either way it's a lead again. Four goals. Sadly no @ChickfilA http://pic.twitter.com/gHj1CLxdtJ

— Chris Jastrzembski (@CFJastrzembski) October 5, 2017

That’s right– three power play goals. They were actually 3-for-3 at one point (They finished 3-for-5). And the first unit looked slick.

The difference from last year to this year? Quicker passing. The Flyers used to hold the puck and wait for openings and then try to use their skill to take advantage of them. They would hope for the other team to break down on the PK, and pounce. It’s not a terrible strategy, but one that is akin to a serve-and volley tennis player.

Last night it was the big booming serve– moving the puck with alacrity, breaking down that PK box quicker by keeping it fluid.

It requires more precision, trust and instinct, but it should create higher percentage chances.

Connecting on 60 percent of them. SMALL SAMPLE SIZE ALERT. We’ll take it.

  3) The New Goalie

Look, Brian Elliott has been around– not quite as long as E.T., but almost. He has been steady (2.42 GAA, .913 SvPct). But what he does especially well, and has for the most part in the past six seasons, is compete, battle and keep you in games.

He’s a game manager quarterback – not posting the flashy numbers, but not hurting the team either with risky plays or boneheaded mistakes. Though I’d imagine we’d all take an Alex Smith-like effort this year.

But, it’s no secret that something happens to you when you play goal in Philadelphia. You morph. You start to change – and you never know how you are going to turn out.

You can be like Pennywise, and seem like a safe and innocent clown at first, but then shape-shift into something horrible and scary at the most inopportune time (see Cechmanek, Roman).

Or you can turn out like the third clone of Michael Keaton in Multiplicity (see Bryzgalov, Ilya).

What Elliott will eventually be in Philadelphia will play out over the course of this season, but for one night, he was good.

Yes, he allowed three goals, but considering the Flyers had a real weakness clearing the front of the net, allowing both high scoring chances for the Sharks from in close as well as screens for shots from the point, the fact that Elliott made 32 saves and got the win was an impressive beginning.

Michal Neuvirth likely gets the start tonight in Los Angeles (although nothing is guaranteed), but Elliott shouldn’t make you worry too much. He’ll do his job and do it well enough to keep the Flyers competitive.

  4) The Ghost of Ghost

I don’t know if I want to praise Shayne Gostisbehere’s performance or if I want to criticize it. And frankly, I have a feeling he’s going to leave me with this conundrum often.

First, the good.

The guy everyone fell in love with two seasons ago was back and making a difference from his own blue line out.

He is so gifted offensively. He can skate, and carry the puck into the zone with pace that automatically increases scoring chances. He has a heavy shot from the point and truly is an offensive threat. He seemed a little sluggish on his first few shifts, but then turned it up a notch and drove the play with authority.

However, put him behind his own blue line, and it’s a different person entirely. He gambles too much. He tries to take the puck carrier out of the play even though doesn’t have the physical authority to make it happen. He missed on a number of gambles last night and got pushed around too easily in his own end.

I think Gostisbehere has the potential to be 60-point player while equally frustrating you with enough mental lapses in his own end. Last night was a microcosm – three assists on one end and inconsistent play on the other.

The good news is, he looks healthy – unlike last season – and he doesn’t have a concussion, which was a worry heading into the game.

He has the talent to figure out how to make up for his shortcomings. The question is, will he?

  5) The 19-year-old

The Nolan Patrick era began rather quietly. He played 13:30, got three shots on goal (including the first of the game for the Flyers), won five-of-nine faceoffs and almost set up Simmonds for a goal in the third period with a nice pass.

Otherwise, it was an uneventful debut for the No. 2 overall pick in last summer’s draft.

He’ll get chances playing with Simmonds and Jordan Weal, but it will be a little slower production-wise than you hoped. And that’s OK. Really, it is. Don’t start putting expectations on the kid yet.

  6) The other rookies

Robert Hagg was solid. He played 16:13 and had two shots on goal. He did take one penalty (more on that later) but other than that, he did his job and was quietly effective.

Taylor Leier is still considered a rookie, and he took 19 shifts and flashed some top-notch speed. That fourth line with Scott Laughton and Michael Raffl could be an integral piece for the Flyers as it is easily the fastest and most creative fourth line they’ve had– maybe ever.

Samuel Morin and Travis Sanheim, much to the chagrin of the fans, did not dress. Hakstol decided to go with veterans Andy McDonald (alternate captain baby) and Brandon Manning in lieu of the rookies. They both took a bad penalty (more on that coming up), and MacDonald had a shot ricochet off him and into the Flyers net for an own-goal of sorts. Something tells me one of the kids will play tonight in L.A. Call it a gut instinct.

  7) All eyes on Coots

Sean Couturier did a lot of things you need a top line center to do. He had an assist, he was a plus player. He led the team in shots with six and hits with four. He created space for Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek to operate on the wings. He pinched along the wall to force the turnover on the first goal of the game (see #9 below for video) and he won the key faceoff and made the key poke check in the final minute that sprung Simmonds for his empty-netter and secured the victory. He’s as sound of a defensive forward as there is in the league.

But he didn’t finish. Not that he didn’t have chances. He definitely did. He had a couple goals ready made, he just didn’t have the mitts to put the puck where he needed to.

And that’s the rub with this great left wing experiment for Giroux. To be successful in the NHL, you need a number of things to go right. You need production from your top-line center.

For the most part, the Flyers had that with Giroux. He’s on the wing now, which means a lot of that pressure falls on Couturier.

Can he deliver? It will be one of the season-long burning questions the team will have to answer.

  8) Lack of Discipline

For this game that can mean two things.

Exhibit A:

The @NHLFlyers need to cut down on the turnovers at blue lines Too much time in d zone= penalties!

— Chris Therien (@ctherien6) October 5, 2017

Amen, Bundy. Amen. At times it seemed like the Flyers were rushing their passes, trying to generate their breakout, and had them turned right back in their face. There are a lot of better teams than the Sharks who will make them pay for that.

Exhibit B:

Radko dude. c'mon.

Numbers are facing you, DO NOT THROW THE HIT.

— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) October 5, 2017

And it wasn’t just Gudas – although he did take two bad penalties. Manning and Travis Konecny took penalties that led to Sharks goals. MacDonald took a dumb cross-checking penalty. All told, the Flyers were shorthanded six times. That’s too much.

Oh, and it leads to awful clearing attempts while shorthanded too, like this one by Dale Weise:

Dale Weise is trash. http://pic.twitter.com/lcq1F7JZrX

— Chris Jastrzembski (@CFJastrzembski) October 5, 2017

However, I agree with Bundy here, too:

Call me old school but some of these calls are just plain soft!

— Chris Therien (@ctherien6) October 5, 2017

They are… but this is the new NHL and the Flyers have to play within it. They let the Sharks back in the game twice because of indiscretions. They have to be better than that. Period.

  9) Boy the Sharks are bad

This team was in the Cup final 16 months ago. And while most of their veteran core is still there, their depth forwards are not ready for prime time. That, and starting goalie Martin Jones wasn’t ready to start the season.

He definitely should have stopped Weal’s goal (as seen earlier in the post) and this turnover on the opening goal by Claude Giroux was basically gift wrapped with a giant red bow:

G$$$$ http://pic.twitter.com/YvAXfusZx6

— Chris Jastrzembski (@CFJastrzembski) October 5, 2017

Then there was Kevin Lablanc (whose name I misspelled on Twitter all night). He scored both San Jose goals, but took three penalties and the Flyers scored on each ensuing power play. That’s the kind of hat trick you don’t want.

The Flyers played well, for sure, but they got help from the Sharks being below the bar in this one as well.

  10) Loose Pucks

Michael Raffl only played 7:22 – the only Flyer with fewer than 11:30 of ice time. Not sure if he got hurt or if he is, in fact, the Flyers’ 12th forward at the moment.

Konecny has so much talent – and I think it’s being wasted with Filppula and Wiese. I’d like to see what he and Patrick can do together at some point this season. Make it happen, Hak!

Ivan Provorov led all skaters on both teams with 25:35 of ice time. He was on pace for more early. Hakstol reined it in a little in the second and third period.

I’m not just saying this because I covered him for almost his entire career, but for my money Brian Boucher is one of the best hockey analysts out there for National games. He’s informative, doesn’t speak in cliches, and really has legit insight.

Tonight’s game against Los Angeles will also have a slightly delayed puck drop because of it being a home opener for the Kings. It won’t be as late as last night as everything is a half hour earlier, but it’s going to be another late night. As I said on Twitter:

All Aboard! Ten Takeaways from Flyers 5, Sharks 3 published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv