#jimmys a consistent top 25 player. like. can we just.

[sn0wp1anets]

the craziest thing to me abt how people talk about the life series is like. when people treat jimmy like hes idk bad at pvp. not even just jimmy like anyone really. but specifically jimmy. like you guys realize jimmy is very good at the game right right right. imo jimmy is probably like 5th/6th in the cast (below joel gem martyn scott pearl(?)) hes probably similar level to grian but i would argue that as of rn jimmy is better than grian mechanically. 5th of 18 people who play minecraft for a living is . good. everyone in the 'can pvp well but isnt an actual sweat' range is really close in skill. your Pvp God Geminislay would not run jimmy over in a fight he has a fair chance. even against like joel he would still not immediately lose joel would still have to put in active effort. jimmy is a good player.

[vegassports]

PAC12 at 12 - Week 8

Week 7 of PAC12 football consisted of a big upset with Utah’s home win over #18 Arizona State, interesting story lines out of Pullman, a tight game in Eugene and a possible season alternating win in Boulder.

Nick Rolovich, head coach for the Washington State Cougars, was recently this week. Rolovich lost his fight against the mandatory vaccine and was terminated.  The innovative head coach lost his fight to not be mandated the vaccine on religious grounds.  This is one of the largest lose-lose-lose situations we have seen in sports.  Nobody wins here, especially the student-athletes on the Washington State roster. The Cougars had just won a tough game against the Cardinal that saw many lead swings resulting in a Wazzu 34-31 victory.

Last Friday saw the well-coached Cal Bears give Top 10 Oregon a tougher game than most thought. Oregon trailed after the first quarter, then took control of the game. Running back Travis Dye ran for 145 yards and a touchdown in the Ducks 24-17 win. Arizona showed this past Saturday that they are, by far, the weakest link in the PAC12. One-win Colorado has struggled heavily on offense until they plowed the Wildcats 34-0 on Saturday with a solid second half. This was the first week in which Colorado starting QB Brendon Lewis looked confident. Lewis threw for 248 yards and two touchdowns. Brenden Rice, son of Jerry Rice, has his best game of the season with a touchdown and 111 yards.

UCLA defeated Washington on Saturday in a 24-17 victory. Dorian Thompson Robinson, QB1 for the Bruins, kept his foot on the pedal as he threw for two touchdowns and zero turnovers. UCLA’s defense put pressure on Huskies’ Dylan Morris all game, resulting in two interceptions in an otherwise close, winnable game. Wrapping up week 7 saw Utah and Cam Rising continue their success. Utah moved to 4-2 and is on a three-game winning streak after former Baylor QB Charlie Brewer quit the team. The Sun Devils came into the game as the #18 ranked team, blew a halftime lead of 21-7 and left the Beehive State out of the Top 25.

Stanford: Bye

Stanford is hitting the bye week at an ideal time.  Shaw and his staff will be able to re-calibrate The Cardinal in the off week.  They will be a dangerous team for the rest of the season.

Arizona State: Bye

Arizona State limps into bye week with a 5-2 record. Jayden Daniels has shown flashes of his talent, but inconsistently.  This is another team that has a well-timed bye week.  Arizona State hosts Washington State next.

Washington at Arizona

Opening Line: Washington -15

Friday 7:30 PM (PST)

TUCSON: Jimmy Lake is feeling the heat in Seattle and needs to showcase the Huskies in a national spotlight.   Zona will be without it’s top 2 quarterbacks, but have talented Wil Plummer to be under center.  As capable as Plummer might be, he will be dealing with a limited roster.  Leading rusher, Drake Anderson, is questionable with an undisclosed injury.  Rotowire has his status as GTD (game-time decision).  Sounds like he will be limited even if he plays tonight.

#10 Oregon at UCLA

Opening Line: Oregon -3

Saturday 12:30 PM (PST)

PASADENA: Is third time the charm for Chip Kelly?  Kelly is 0-2 verses Oregon. We think this is the year he earns a coveted victory over the mighty Ducks from Eugene. The Bruins’ players know the importance of the game for their head coach and the UCLA program. With the Sun Devil loss to Utah, the PAC12 South title is dependent on the next two weeks. Anthony Brown, Oregon QB1 showed his vulnerabilities against Cal and you can rest assured that UCLA saw them too.  This happened to the talented Brown late in the season while at BC.

BYU at Washington State

Opening Line: BYU -2

12:30 PM (PST)

PULLMAN: BYU has played the entire season as a Power 5 team, especially against the PAC12.  This is a tough game for us to analyze.  A lot of travel and wear-and-tear on BYU.  The team plays as tough as their coach. Washington State, while 4-3, is dealing with unfortunate issues. Jayden de Laura has a talented arm, but is dealing with a distracting set of circumstances. We lean to the Cougars from Provo over the Cougars from The Palouse.

Colorado at California

Opening Line: Cal -10

Saturday 12:30 PM (PST)

BERKELEY: Colorado is coming off of a big 34-0 win over winless Arizona squad. The Buffs are coming into this week off of their second win of the season.  QB Brendon Lewis showed confidence and poise in Colorado’s win against the Wildcats. California is coming into this week with one win but have played fellow PAC12 opponents well. The Golden Bears played Oregon close this past week, and that momentum should carry into this week. Colorado’s confidence and much needed win help the Buffaloes on their quest to potentially make a bowl game, or at least bring a sense of culture to a Colorado team who has not had any since Mel Tucker left the program. Vontae Shenault, Colorado wide receiver who has been suspended to this point in the season may only have one more week until Karl Dorrell gives him the go to play.

USC at #13 Notre Dame

Opening Line: Notre Dame -5

Saturday 4:30 PM (PST)

SOUTH BEND: SC is coming off of their bye week as they face their toughest opponent of the season in 13 ranked Notre Dame. Backup QB Jaxson Dart is yet to be cleared for full practice participation, so expect Kedon Slovis to remain the starter against Notre Dame. Slovis has been a huge disappointment this season but has showed flashes of the quarterback that SC hoped he would be going into this season. Notre Dame is 5-1 with their only loss of the season coming to #2 ranked Cincinnati. This game will be a challenge for SC and Slovis. A win this Saturday could set up the Trojans for a great rest of the season in their quest for a bowl game.

Utah at Oregon State

Opening Line: Utah -3.5

Saturday 4:30 PM (PST)

CORVALIS: Utah at Oregon State will be a game that is hard to see what the outcome could be. Both teams have showed flashes that they could be the best team in the PAC. Utah and Oregon State have been inconsistent for various reasons. Utah starting QB Charlie Brewer left the program after week three, and the Utes are yet to lose a game since Cameron Rising took over the QB1 duties. Oregon State has been very inconsistent this season especially in in-conference play, and both teams come into this week with 4-2 records. This week will be huge for each program as they chase a good bowl game.

[lildaveselectronics]

[Street Fighter V] Extra Battle: Viable Ryu

If you were lucky enough to get the Extra Boss Battle before July 1, 2018 you got a chance to fight Ryu dubbed "The Master" it cost 1000FM to fight him and just like with Fortnite Thanos was for a limited time this is something I want to see more of in the future with different games and even more possible limited time crossover events that keeps interest and can change, add, or improve gameplay keeping things fresh, fun and unpredictable for the gamer. I think both are cool ideas and watching MDZ Jimmy fight what he calls him Viable Ryu was funny and entertaining check it out. This was pretty cool I had just made a post about the new DLC character G and the speculation on who he is and some of the boss battles of SFV so it was cool to see the Ryu The Master "A True Martial Artist" in his traditional Gi. G and Ryu's rival Sagat are the last 2 planned DLC characters planned coming out later this year, and with ideas like this they can keep the game fresh for years to come.

Bonus:

VesperArcade has been putting up a lot of quality strategy and advice videos for many of the top games this year including the fighting game genre. With the release of the character called G getting closer wanted to revisit one of the best years for fighting games.

Extra Bonus:

With Street Fighter celebrating its 30th Anniversary and speculation on who G is, Mortal Kombat coincidentally just came off of celebrating its 25th Anniversary and many anticipating a new Mortal Kombat game (Mortal Kombat 11) and whether the game would take place before or after Armageddon. SMGxPrincess, Dynasty, BruskPoet, History Behind the Warrior and Super have some of the best informative, fun insights, and gameplay with Mugen creators Borg117 & Bleed having some of the best new gameplay ideas, and Mortal Kombat Addict has his own Krypt Secrets with some of the best Mugen Mortal Kombat games. Mortal Kombat has a huge following and a strong enough background to keep the game going with all the secrets and characters already in the game but it would still be cool to see something new. Many wanted a crossover game with Street Fighter or even Killer Instinct but on its own it is still one of the top fighting games of the genre.

Kreate-a-Fighter was one of the best features from Mortal Kombat Armageddon between that and the Epic Gears and Shaders from Injustice 2 they are the perfect combination.

Update: 

Dynasty has just posted New Mortal Kombat details in the form of a movie instead of the anticipated Mortal Kombat 11 game. Here they introduce a new character and a new story not necessarily what we know of Mortal Kombat. More of a spin off or a custom Mugen game, even though I was hoping for some kind of answer what happens after Armageddon I welcome any new idea and if done well it can work even though not canon (like the Japanese/Chinese relationship with Liu Kang & Kung Lao - ninja/shaolin monk brother relationship but without stereotyping it can happen right? I'm sure they will explain it like they picked which martial art or style they wanted when they were young). Mortal Kombat Rebirth pitch wasn't exactly canon either but looked good enough that we wanted to see it anyway. They did Mortal Kombat Legacy 1 & 2 instead but Mortal Kombat Rebirth I think would have worked. 

New ideas sometimes keeps interest just like in the Kreate-a-Fighter post where Dynasty, Brusk Poet, SMGxPrincess and other fans game post ideas that gamers actually want as well as Borg117, Bleed, and Mortal Kombat Addict reinventing Mortal Kombat with gameplay that adds new experiences. Check out the new Mortal Kombat Movie details and see what you think as well as the Mortal Kombat Rebirth pitch and the version they actually went with Mortal Kombat Legacy 1 & 2, and check some great ideas for the new MK game in the Kreate-a-Fighter post and SMGxPrincess post below.

New Mortal Kombat Movie Details? Character Cast & Story Plot Revealed w/ No Sub-Zero & Scorpion?!

SMGxPrincess usually has on point information and knows what she is talking about when it comes to the industry haven’t heard anything yet so I decided to put up the best ideas and information from SMGxPrincess and Dynasty. She posted information about a Shaolin Monks 2 as the next game personally I want the new Mortal Kombat 11 so hopefully both are true or it is combination of the 2.

MORTAL KOMBAT: REBIRTH (1080 HD)

(This trailer actually works just tap play it had Reptile as the thumbnail but it works.)

Mortal Kombat: Legacy Trailer

[HD] Mortal Kombat: Legacy II | Trailer

Mortal Kombat is a one of a kind fighting game that keeps expanding and offers fans and gamers a like new ways to enjoy the franchise. For fans of the MK series check out some of the latest movies and games out and coming out each bringing its own unique direction that can also stand on its own and bring something new and entertaining.

IS BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL THE ANSWER TO CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON?

Blade of the Immortal has gotten overall a great reception with critics and fans alike scoring in the range of 85% of 81 critics they have consistently gotten the approval needed to solidify its space as a classic and gem that everyone needs to know about. It was based on a manga of the same name by Hiroaki Samura and is the 100th film from its director Takashi Miike.

IMMORTAL Unchained - First Gameplay Trailer (New RPG 2018) PS4/Xbox One/PC

Immortal Unchained: First 45 Minutes (Gameplay)

CRACKDOWN 3 gameplay 4k (e3 2017) Xbox One X

Crackdown 3 Trailer - E3 2018

RED FACTION GUERRILLA RE-MARS-TERED AND SAINTS ROW IS BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE!

Volition earlier in the year was bought by THQ Nordic reuniting them with old Volition titles from the past like Summoner and Red Faction. If you are not familiar with the Red Faction series you are in luck Red Faction Guerrilla is being remastered and if that’s not enough Saints Row 1 and 2 are now backwards compatible on the Xbox One. MrSaintsGodzilla21 has posted 2 videos so you can see how well these two have been upgraded as well as detailed explanation.

Agents of Mayhem had mixed reviews when it came out but it was a different perspective that even though is chaotic it is different enough you won’t confuse it with a Saints Row game kind of how Saints Row the Third separated itself from being a GTA clone. Check out Agents of Mayhem on Playstation Underground and hightlights for Agents of Mayhem and 10 years of Saints Row.

Anon | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix

Jamie Foxx has been confirmed to play Spawn in this new reboot by the comic creator and artist Todd McFarlane in association with Blumhouse Productions which made news last year with its movie Get Out. It is said that they are taking more of a horror approach, as well as Spawn not really speaking. That works good with Jason or Michael Myers but some dialog would be good I hope they rethink that. I would like to see what the official word is from Todd McFarlane himself but Spawn not saying anything doesn’t sound right to me.

Since Spawn has been anticipated by fans of the comic, movies and video games here is the History of Spawn by Variant very entertaining and knowledgeable to watch and History of the Warrior talks about the real reason Spawn wasn’t in Injustice 2 well thought out and entertaining.

WILL 2 JOKERS BE THE BRIGHT IDEA THAT WILL DO DC COMICS JUSTICE?

If you had to choose the next Joker movie to be based around the one from Batman or Suicide Squad which would you pick? Personally as a fan of Suicide Squad and wanting to see something new I think it was good news that Jared Leto was getting an opportunity to play that version of the Joker to see where the story goes as this version looks different and even acts different. But for the sake of argument Joaquinn Phoenix playing the original Joker and having this version also a standalone movie seems like the best of both worlds.

MCU Could Tackle Horror Genre According to Kevin Feige

Marvel is thinking about getting in on the horror movie action and thinking about a few characters like Man-Thing and Blade. Blade one of the more popular characters in the Marvel Comics Universe already has a trilogy out on DVD and Blu-ray but getting a revamp wouldn’t hurt and I would like to see the direction they would. There is currently a Blade television show called Blade The Series you can watch now on the CW staring Kirk Jones (Sticky Fingaz from the group Onyx)

Joaquin Phoenix has just been officially announced as the Joker for the Origin film they are making, for any fans of Batman or the Joker check the new game Batman: The Enemy Within as well some of the older Batman games like Batman: Return to Arkham.

WB Officially Announces Joker Origin Movie With Joaquin Phoenix

Telltale’s Batman: The Enemy Within Episode 1: ‘The Enigma’ Review

Batman: Return to Arkham includes what is considered to be 2 of the best games ever made now remastered for the new generation of players on the Playstation 4 and Xbox One. The game comes with 2 classics Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City. With the power of the Unreal Engine 4 giving it that graphical upgrade it looks better then before. Even though it has received mixed reviews it is still worth the pick up whether you are a new to the series or played it on the previous systems.

Update:

Adding information about Season 2 of The Punisher from IGN, also one of the better movies of 2017 Murder On The Oriental Express, 25 facts about Jigsaw from the Saw series and Team Spoiler.

[aion-rsa]

Aqualung at 50: Jethro Tull’s Half Concept Album Hits Half a Century

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

“In the beginning Man created God,” reads the back cover of Jethro Tull’s Aqualung. “And in the image of Man created he him.” The album came out 7 million days later, on March 19, 1971. We’d only recently been told God was “a concept by which we measure our pain,” by John Lennon.

Aqualung is framed by two halves of a concept. The first songs on the first side tell the stories of the outcasts, those out of sight of the eyes of the man who created god. The B-side explains why organized religion blinds us. In between are songs which have nothing to do with either theme. First off, for those who don’t know, Jethro Tull is not a person, but a band. The songs on Aqualung were written by Ian Anderson, bandleader, singer-songwriter, guitarist, occasional saxophonist, and heaviest metal flutist to make Bach swing. Anderson maintained, throughout numerous interviews, Aqualung was not a concept record. He would go on to mock the very idea of it with the satirical prog masterpiece Thick as a Brick.

The Beatles suffered the same misnomer dilemma. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band wasn’t a concept album. Paul McCartney got the idea the band would play the album as if they were this other band. The concept lasted two songs and a reprieve. The rest of the album is a full immersion into the possibilities of the studio under the steady gaze of George Martin. Aqualung opens with songs inspired by true life candid shots Ian’s wife Jennie Anderson (now filmmaker Jennie Franks) took while studying photography. One was a homeless man, another an under-age prostitute. Other than that, the first side includes a beautiful love song, and hard and soft confessional pieces.

The first concept album is Woody Guthrie’s 1940 album Dust Bowl Ballads, which stuck to one theme: the economic and ecological fallout of the devastating 1930s drought. Frank Sinatra explored loneliness and late nights on a pair of classic concept long-players unified by mood. Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention’s Freak Out!, from 1966, is the first concept album, as well as the first double-album, of rock, although every song on the Beach Boys’ 1963 album Little Deuce Coupe is about a car. The Who’s Tommy, Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Jesus Christ Superstar, and Pink Floyd’s The Wall are rock operas which tell full stories. Bands like the Kinks tried unifying songs with imperceivable segues and tone.

Aqualung delivers a consistent tone. Sometimes the songs fluctuate between soft acoustic and hard rock, other times the individual pieces grow through progressive layering. The harder and more social pieces employ metric modulation, and the religious ones dabble in the chordal modulations of spiritual music. The acoustic songs are less folk than singer-songwriter stylings. The album revels in its contrasts. We get riff-rock ready-made for Madison Square Garden, and intimate nylon string fingerings to burn toast to.

Ian Anderson’s lyrics are filled with rich, detailed imagery, regardless of how pretentious critic Robert Christgau found him. The band mix progressive rock, hard rock, folk music, jazz, classical, and even medieval and pagan music, along with what Anderson would call “ugly changes of time signature and banal instrumental passages” on the Thick as a Brick album notes.

This Was

Jethro Tull formed in 1967, the same year Anderson took up the flute, on a whim. After realizing as a guitarist, he “was never going to be as good as Eric Clapton,” Ian “parted company with my Fender Strat, whose previous owner was Lemmy Kilmister, who was then the rhythm guitar player for the Rockin’ Vickers,” Anderson told Classic Rock. He then “bought a flute, for no good reason. It just looked nice and shiny.” Energized by Pink Floyd’s The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn and The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper, the band was able to drop the twelve-bar blues songs which led to non-pop record deals in London.

Anderson got the name Jethro Tull from the 18th-century agriculturist who invented the seed-drill, which gave birth to modern agriculture. Their first album, This Was, was blues, but the band distinguished itself, especially live. They were the first band to perform at The Rolling Stones’ Rock and Roll Circus, though their part was mimed, with Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi on guitar. Martin Barre took over for the band’s original guitarist, blues specialist Mick Abrahams, and on their 1969 album, Stand Up, the band stood out, sounding unlike any other band. It was eclectic, incorporating Western classical, Asian music, English folk, and harder rock. The band continued experimenting melodically and rhythmically through 1970’s Benefit, which just failed to make the U.S. Top 10.

Jethro Tull has become known as a band of ever-changing instrumentalists. Aqualung was the bridge album towards reassembling one of Ian’s first bands. Anderson was 23 when he led Jethro Tull through Aqualung. When he was young, Anderson could be found in Dunfermline, Scotland, where he was born on August 10, 1947. But he was packed off to school in Blackpool, where he sang and played guitar and harmonica for The Blades in 1963. John Evans, who joined on piano, organ, and mellotron, had been a guest musician on Benefit. Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond, who’d been mythologized in the songs “Jeffrey Goes to Leicester Square,” “Song for Jeffrey,” and “For Micheal Collins, Jeffrey And Me,” replaced Glenn Cornick on bass. Both had been in the Blades. Barriemore Barlow, also from the early sixties band, would replace Clive Bunker on drums after Aqualung.

Tull mythology says Hammond-Hammond didn’t know the instrument and had to be taught on a note-by-note basis. He may very well have had to have been coached through each specific part he was playing. They are often incredibly intricate runs, and often go against the grain of what is expected from the bass. He had to have been familiar enough with the instrument to click in with both Clive Bunker and Barriemore Barlow, each were virtuosos with vastly different approaches to rhythm. Bunker never met a beat he couldn’t undermine for unexpected force and dynamic. Yet, he could make a 5/4 song danceable.

The ensemble playing is tight, the players moved easily through more intricate arrangements. The orchestrations are done by Dee Palmer, who later joined as a full-time member.  The British press coined the term “progressive rock” to describe bands like Frank Zappa, Yes, King Crimson and Genesis. Tull was prog, but more accessible than classical music enthusiasts Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

Guitar Gods and Flute Solos

Jethro Tull is probably best known as the classic rock band with the lead flute. “Aqualung,” possibly their best-known song, has no flute. Martin Barre’s guitar solo was rated #25 in Guitar World‘s “100 Greatest Guitar Solos” reader’s poll. But it could just as easily have been a whirl of woodwind. “In those days, if you didn’t get a guitar solo in one or two takes, it might become a flute solo. It was, ‘Go in there and do it or else,” Barre told Guitar Player in a 2015 interview.

Aqualung was recorded in a large, cold-sounding studio that Island Records built in a converted church in London. Led Zeppelin were recording their fourth album in the moderate sized basement studio that had been the crypt. “The only thing I can remember about cutting the solo is that Led Zeppelin was recording next door, and as I was playing it, Jimmy Page walked into the control room and waved to me,” Barre remembered for Guitar Player. While there have been countless theories about why the players had the faceoff, both Tull and Zeppelin fans appreciate the dual pressure of the session. “And here was Jimmy, waving like mad – ‘Hey, Martin!’ – and I’m thinking, ‘I can’t wave back or I’m going to blow the solo.’”

The song “Aqualung” opens with one of the most recognizable riffs in rock, in the same league as Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water,” Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love,” and the Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” It has been venerated and mocked in equal measure, but in all cases lovingly. It opens the song with the drama of the four-note opening to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, and becomes a motif.

“Aqualung” is “a tortured tangle of chords,” according to Ian, with atonal harmonies, meaning the root is open to interpretation. The chords themselves are a journey to the acoustic segment of the song, which then builds, like most songs on the album, one instrument at a time. The audio effect on the later vocals is called “telephone burbles,” which happens when all audio frequencies are removed except for a narrow band around the 1,000 hertz mark, making the voice sound like it’s coming through a megaphone. The song has a cold ending rather than a fadeout, which makes it perfect for stage performances.

Bad Intent

Ian got the title for the album and song from the TV show Sea Hunt, where the main character, played by Lloyd Bridges, wore an Aqualung for underwater breathing. Aqualung was a brand name, and the Aqualung Corporation of North America took legal action after the album came out. Artist Burton Silverman, who created the cover portrait, also sued, saying the likeness should not be used on merchandising, T-shirts, and promotional materials.

Before the codpiece and the medieval minstrel suits and lutes, Ian performed in an overcoat, which had been stolen after a concert, but has been described as looking ratty. This led to further complications of identity. Because of Tull’s manager, Terry Ellis, Silverman’s cover portrait looks like Anderson, against the singer’s wishes. “I’m not this character,” he told Louder Sound. “I’m not a homeless person. I’m a spotty middle-class English kid. I’ve never had to sleep rough on the street, and I don’t want to be pretending to be that character.”

The character Aqualung, is a homeless man like the character in Pearl Jam’s “Even Flow.” Both characters are blank slates in everyday life and can have any association imposed on them. Besides inspiring the album through her photographs of homeless people living under the railway arches on the Thames Embankment in south London, Anderson’s wife Jennie also co-wrote the lyrics. “I had feelings of guilt about the homeless, as well as fear and insecurity with people like that who seem a little scary,” Anderson told Guitar World in a 1999 interview. The lyrics have more to do with the assumptions people make of Aqualung, like his predilection for little girls or frilly panties. But he also saw the angry man as “a free spirit, who either won’t or can’t join in society’s prescribed formats.”

She’ll Do It For A Song

“Cross-Eyed Mary” didn’t only capture the attention of Aqualung, she was one of the subjects in the photographic collection of the lesser people cast into the void: a child prostitute. The song transforms her into a squinty Mary Magdalene, whose jack-knife barber abortionist drops her off at school. In the lower income neighborhood Highgate, she’s a Robin Hood figure. In wealthy Hampstead Village, which was the site of the St. Mary Magdalene House of Charity in the Victorian era, she’s a business expense. The song opens with flute and mellotron rising in rhythm and pulse until the band kicks in. The interplay between guitar and piano is delicate, and the bass line buzzes with riff-worthy changes. Iron Maiden transformed the flute part into baroque metal guitar when they covered it.

“Cheap Day Return” is the first of three short acoustic songs on the album, each under two minutes. A “cheap day return” is a reduced-price round trip train ticket, and the song was written while Ian was waiting for a connecting train on his way to visiting his father, who was seriously ill in a hospital in Blackpool. In interviews, Anderson has said the song would have been longer, but the train arrived.

“Mother Goose” opens with acoustic folk guitar under Elizabethan madrigal sounding recorders played by Barre and Hammond-Hammond, who also provides harmony vocals. The electric guitar comes in late in the song, kicking the childhood Piccadilly Circus nursery rhymes into the adult playground of Johnny Scarecrow.

“It’s only the giving which makes you what you are,” Ian sings in “Wond’ring Aloud.” The second short acoustic piece is a simple love song made grandly beautiful by the piano and string arrangement. The longer version, “Wond’ring Again,” which appears on Living In The Past (1972), reached the opposite conclusion, but kept the idealistic romance at the center of the piece.  The third acoustic piece, “Slipstream,” from side two, presses Ian’s last dime on God’s waiter to pay the tab. The song is tideless, but the unreasoning strings paddle the way out of the mess.

“Up To Me” opens not with a recognizable riff, nor a classical piano twist, but a whole hearted laugh which is as contagious as the song itself.  

Praying ‘til Next Thursday to All the Gods that You Can Count

Side two, subtitled “My God,” deals with religious hypocrisy, golden cages, and plastic crucifixes. If Jesus saves, then he’d better save himself. The song “My God” had been kicking around since at least the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970. The imagery recalls William Blake and the metallic break-in sounds like Black Sabbath, both the band and the dark holiday. Once again, the song uses progressive modulation beginning with a solo acoustic guitar introduction like Evan’s piano on “Locomotive Breath.” But when Barre’s electric guitar takes over for the nylon classical fretwork, the song is full-blown metal.

Ian’s voice drips with as much disdain for organized religion as his songwriting does for musical structure. The song goes through the arpeggios of classical guitar, through hymnal chord changes, a metallic flute lead back by instruments, another flute lead back by a chorus of harmonizing bishops, inverted chromatics, and comes to a dark Pied Piper ending.

“Hymn 43” is a piano-driven soul-stirrer with enough propulsive licks to set the white man free.  Ian’s preaching to the faithless on this one, though. He bears witness in the city, on the moon and on that bloody cross. The guitar and flute interplay works like a gospel call and response, and Ian’s voice stings with insinuation.

If you want to hear Ian play electric guitar, you should give another listen to the rhythm on “Locomotive Breath.” He’s also on the hi-hat and bass drum which he laid out for the basic rhythm, allowing Bunker space for tom-toms and the cymbals. The song opens with Evan giving a jazzy spin to dramatic classical concerto piano. The song, which is about overpopulation, rhythmically careens like a train about to derail. It is a concert favorite and frequent showstopper.

“Wind Up” asks this God a question and learns it’s “not the kind you have to wind up on Sundays.” The song is structured to grow on you, and age well. It begins with acoustic guitar and vocal, which is joined by the rest of the outfit until the climactic solos, and then reminiscences a second time symmetrically with piano grounding the build-up. In a fairly straightforward song, Bunker plays everything but a straight beat.

Anderson concludes, in the liner notes which are cast in liturgical-style Gothic lettering, the Spirit that caused man to create his God lives on, but goes unnoticed. He advises listeners, “for Christ’s sake,” to start looking. The album has been pilloried and praised by people of all faiths and none. The title song gave a face to the homeless and inspired grassroots organizations to create aid. Musically, it is a constant irritation to sitcom characters and an equally steady inspiration to players. In spite of having to explain how flute was a heavy metal instrument after winning the Grammy for 1987 Crest of a Knave, Jethro Tull was a huge influence on heavy metal and hard rock. Even the Sex Pistols’ John Lydon ranks Aqualung among his favorite records.

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It may be dinosaur rock to some, but Aqualung is far from extinct. Tracks like “Aqualung”, “Cross-Eyed Mary, “Hymn #43” and “Locomotive Breath” take up the bulk of Jethro Tull’s playlist on classic rock media outlets. After 50 years, Aqualung can still blow a wheezy breath of fresh air into stale misconceptions, even if he does have snot running down his nose.

The post Aqualung at 50: Jethro Tull’s Half Concept Album Hits Half a Century appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[junker-town]

Where do the 49ers go from here?

The 49ers went from 4-12 to Super Bowl runners-up in just one year.

The 49ers made a dramatic turnaround this past season. But after losing to the Chiefs, what’s up next?

The 49ers almost pulled off one of the most dramatic turnarounds in NFL history. In just one year, they went from 4-12 to playing in the Super Bowl, where they came up just short against the Chiefs. Now the question is whether they can bounce back.

“They’ll be back” is a nebulous statement because it’s so dang hard to make it to the Super Bowl. In recent years, the Falcons and Seahawks followed their runner-up finishes with an early playoff exit, while the Rams and Panthers missed the postseason entirely after losing the Super Bowl the year before. Only the Patriots (and two other teams EVER) have gone from Super Bowl losers to winners in consecutive years.

So why should things be any different for the the 49ers, who saw a 20-10 lead over the Chiefs evaporate before their eyes in Super Bowl 54?

Because looking at the route the 49ers took to quickly become contenders, it’s clear this team has more than a narrow window of opportunity.

These are the reasons why the 49ers should feel confident about their future, and what they need to do this offseason to make it back to the Super Bowl.

Kyle Shanahan is still the right man for the job

Some of the blame for the 49ers’ Super Bowl loss rests on Shanahan. He sat on timeouts when the game was tied at 10-10 at the end of the first half, and San Francisco’s powerful running game took a backseat down the stretch. He’ll get even more flak because he now has two high-profile Super Bowl failures.

That said, the loss isn’t solely on him. Twice in the fourth quarter, Shanahan called two great plays that didn’t work because of bad throws from quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. One was a certain touchdown to Emmanuel Sanders that was overthrown, and the other had George Kittle matched up on Terrell Suggs but was batted down at the line.

Man, if Jimmy can just flip it to Deebo here — wide open in the flat — it’s an even steeper climb for the Chiefspic.twitter.com/3tZLo8hJox

— Eric Edholm (@Eric_Edholm) February 3, 2020

They were the right playcalls; the 49ers simply didn’t execute. Shanahan will need to learn from the mistakes he made, too. However, by turning the Niners into a 13-win team that was good in every phase of the game, he proved himself as one of the best young coaches in the NFL.

The 49ers’ offense, which Shanahan is responsible for, scored the second-most points in the NFL this season. Shanahan crafted the league’s second-best rushing game, utilizing a trio of unheralded running backs in Tevin Coleman, Raheem Mostert, and Matt Breida. They completely took over a pair of playoff games, and never stagnated thanks to Shanahan’s advanced blocking schemes and pre-snap motion.

Even when the 49ers lost, they barely lost. All three of their losses in the regular season were decided by one score, and the final margin in the Super Bowl looks worse than it was after Kansas City added a “why not?” touchdown with under 90 seconds to play.

Shanahan consistently had his team prepared for battle, and they came so close to winning it all. Before the Super Bowl, reports came out that said the organization was looking to sign him to a contract extension in the offseason. And why wouldn’t they?

The 49ers’ offense is built to last

As the season progressed, San Francisco’s offense became more adept at grinding opponents into the ground. Fortunately, the 49ers aren’t set to lose any of their key blockers or their top running backs.

Having a franchise quarterback doesn’t hurt, either. Garoppolo may have flubbed some late throws in the Super Bowl, but was having a decent game until the last quarter. In his first full season as a starter, he still did pretty dang well. He completed just under 70 percent of his passes for 3,978 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.

Garoppolo helped them win some games, while three different running backs broke 500 yards. Shanahan’s running game and less-is-more passing attack were built on everyone contributing. They’ll be in good shape, especially if they can keep a few names around.

Key offensive players who could be going

LT Joe Staley (Retirement?)

WR Kendrick Bourne (RFA)

RB Matt Breida (RFA)

C Ben Garland (UFA)

WR Emmanuel Sanders (UFA)

Let’s address Staley first. He’s not said whether or not he plans to retire, but he is 35 years old and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him go. But for now, he’s under contract.

Bourne and Breida were both important to the passing and running games, respectively, and both can be retained since they are restricted free agents. Garland was a backup center who wound up starting in the playoffs when starter Weston Richburg went down with an injury.

That just leaves Sanders, a player the 49ers traded for during the regular season. The 32-year-old is a good fit for Shanahan’s offense and shouldn’t be too pricey to bring back. If he doesn’t return though, the 49ers will need to add a receiver.

Every other starter is set to return — and hopefully improve

The 49ers’ top offensive players will be back: Garoppolo, Kittle, fullback Kyle Juszczyk, the entire starting offensive line, and running backs Coleman and Mostert. Kittle is the biggest name and was crucial to their success this season.

There’s also Deebo Samuel, the rookie second-round pick who became Shanahan’s signature “offensive weapon” throughout the season. Samuel caught 57 passes for 802 yards and three touchdowns while rushing 14 times for 159 yards and three more touchdowns. In the postseason, Samuel had 102 rushing yards and 127 receiving yards and played an MVP-like role early on in the Super Bowl.

He’s the gadget player in Shanahan’s offense, and his usage will likely only go up in his second year.

The 49ers have a young defensive core

Rookie pass rusher Nick Bosa was incredible for the 49ers, and he’ll be the anchor of what should be a fearsome pass rush for years to come. The 49ers were third in the league in sack rate (8.5) and fifth in total sacks (48) in 2019.

Bosa accounted for nine of those sacks, earning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors along the way. He even had a strip sack in the Super Bowl:

Here's Bosa with the strip sack pic.twitter.com/2SGyz2whgd

— James Brady (@JamesBradySBN) February 3, 2020

Then there’s DeForest Buckner on the inside of the line. He was constantly disruptive at the point of their defensive front, and played a great game in the Super Bowl. He’s also just 25 years old.

Other defensive linemen — Dee Ford (28), D.J. Jones (25), and Solomon Thomas (24) — will be back and should ensure the 49ers are as good at the point of attack as they were this past season.

Outside of the defensive line, the 49ers will still have their young trio of linebackers in Fred Warner, Kwon Alexander, and Dre Greenlaw. Warner intercepted Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl, while the rookie Greenlaw made the play that allowed the 49ers to secure the NFC’s No. 1 seed this season:

Richard Sherman and Jaquiski Tartt, their best players in the secondary, are also both under contract for next season. All of that said, there are some potential departures that could create holes.

Key defensive players who could be going

DE Arik Armstead (UFA)

FS Jimmie Ward (UFA)

CB Emmanuel Moseley (ERFA)

Armstead led the team with 10 sacks. He likely played himself out of San Francisco’s price range, but the 49ers have plenty of depth on the defensive line.

Although Ward started at free safety and played well, his lengthy injury history means he can probably be extended for cheap. That just leaves Moseley, who took over one of the starting cornerback spots after Ahkello Witherspoon was benched. Moseley is an exclusive-rights free agent, so the 49ers should have little trouble extending him.

Finally, the team will also get another year of defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. He seems destined for a head coaching gig eventually, but he’ll return to hone his league-best defense in San Francisco.

The 49ers don’t need to be very active this offseason

The 49ers will have an estimated $21 million in cap space to work with in the offseason, though they can create some space by releasing players or restructuring contracts. They have the No. 31 overall pick, but are also without second-, third-, or fourth-round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft due to trades.

Fortunately, there aren’t too many moves they need to make. The team mostly needs to focus on locking down some younger players who could hit free agency after next season.

1. Extend Kittle and Buckner

The 49ers may need to get creative with the salary cap, but Paraag Marathe, their money man, has been able to do that in the past. Garoppolo and Sherman are two highly paid players who are on team-friendly deals loaded with incentives and outs.

Buckner and Kittle will be free agents after the 2020 season, and they are critical to their sides of the ball. However the 49ers have to manipulate their salary cap to make this happen, they need to. Both guys would have teams frothing at the mouth and throwing money at them if they were to hit the open market.

2. Extend Ward and Moseley

After the big extensions, we get to the smaller ones. Moseley is easy because he’s an ERFA, and he’s worth the minimum tender amount. Ward is still at the “prove it” stage of his career and will likely scare some teams away with his injury history — he’s only played a full 16-game season once. It makes the most sense for the 49ers to sign the 28-year-old to a deal with performance-based incentives.

3. Get help at WR, CB, OL

Since the 49ers are short on draft picks, it’s a near-guarantee they’ll take the best available player at either receiver, cornerback, or interior offensive line when they make their first-round pick. If they manage to re-sign Sanders and Bourne, then receiver is less of an issue. The same is true for Moseley at cornerback — he showed enough that they could easily go into next season with him as the unquestioned starter.

In all, there shouldn’t be too many new faces on the 49ers next season. They like a lot of their young players and they can cheaply extend most of their pending free agents if they choose to.

The 49ers’ loss in the Super Bowl was crushing to everyone involved, and they know it takes a lot of work to make it that far.

“I think every team that loses the Super Bowl says they’re going to be back,” Kittle said after the game. “I think what we have to do is realistically look ourselves in the mirror and say what worked well for us this year, what didn’t work well for us this year and say how we’re going to make ourselves a better team.”

Luckily for the 49ers, a lot worked well. That’s because they rebuilt toward sustainability, not a one-time shot at a Super Bowl. They were one of the best teams this season, they’re bringing back almost every starter, and there’s nothing to indicate they’re due for a regression.

It’s going to be a long road to get back to the Super Bowl, like it is for every team. But the 49ers are still on the right path to do it.

[theteenagetrickster]

The 30 Best R&B Albums of 2019 - Rated R&B

If 2018 was the year of endless R&B releases, 2019 was definitely the year of anticipation for more intriguing R&B LPs to drop.

In the first half of 2019, diverse artists like Chaka Khan, Khalid, Ciara, and Eric Bellinger, grabbed the limelight for their solid projects.

Later in the year, there was a mighty rise in the genre, as even greater albums started to show up on retail and digital fronts.

Among this elite list of artists to flex their R&B muscles were BJ The Chicago Kid, Elle Varner, Raphael Saadiq and Fantasia.

Here are the top 30 R&B albums of 2019, as chosen by our editorial team: Anders, Antwane, Danielle and Keithan.

30. Leven Kali: Low Tide

Where the mellow and hazy “vibes” take president, Leven Kali breathes an energetic spirit into the current music climate. Low Tide is a satisfying offering of musicianship in a little over 30 minutes. Kali displays his musical range from the smooth jazz-inspired “Cassandra” to the warm and funky “Do U Wrong” featuring Syd, while the overlooked gem “1 on 1” pays homage to the art of the ’90s slow jam. For his full-length debut, Kali pieces elements of R&B and some of its subgenres to create a refreshingly bright project. — Danielle

29. Nicole Bus: Kairos

Hailing from the Netherlands, all ears were on Nicole Bus’ Wu-Tang-sampled single “You” before fans knew who she was. Kairos is an assortment of genres spread over R&B and soul with contagious boom-bap drums as the centerpiece. Her smoldering tone adds texture to gleaming tracks like “Rain,” a simple yet hard-hitting number that allows her vocals to cut through. With a radio single under her belt and releasing her first American LP not long after, the timing couldn’t have been any better. — Danielle

28. Shay Lia: Dangerous (Deluxe)

If you’re a fan of KAYTRANADA, then you should be familiar with Shay Lia. Both from Montreal, the pair have collaborated in the past but Lia steps out on her own for her first full-length project Dangerous. The project connects all 11 tracks with a consistent bounce for this airy, ’70s-inspired compilation. Dangerous picks up the energy by track five, “Want You” featuring UK rapper Kojey Radical, a percussion laden song where the two effortlessly feed off each other. Lia closes things out with the smooth retro-leaning “Rock Baby,” allowing her vocals and the stripped-down production to come to the forefront. — Danielle

27. Raheem DeVaughn: The Love Reunion

Anyone familiar with Raheem DeVaughn knows that he has crowned himself as The Love King over the years. The Washington, D.C. native has dedicated his entire discography, which spans over 14 years, to all-things love. On The Love Reunion, DeVaughn brings his signature sound to the forefront on passionate tunes like “Just Right,” “Any Everywhere,” “Ballerina” and the title track, to name a few. There are a couple of moments when DeVaughn taps into other genres. “Kissed By the Sun” hears DeVaughn experimenting with Afrobeat, while the Edley Shine-assisted “Magnet” brings reggae vibes. — Keithan

26. Lion Babe: Cosmic Wind

Cosmic Wind is the appropriate title for Lion Babe’s sophomore LP, a breezy and fluid collection of heavenly jams. Vocalist Jillian Hervey and producer Lucas Goodman combine their talents to create an infectious harmony of electro-soul and dance. Known for producing vibrant energy, the duo’s ability to oscillate between the slinky and rhythmic “Anyway You Want To” to the sexy and jazzy “Never Before” is a testament to their varying, yet solid influences. — Danielle

25. Kyle Dion: Suga

As his alter-ego SUGA, fledgling soulster Kyle Dion takes listeners down a famed-dazed path that involves sultry funk and futuristic soul melodies on his first proper album. Tackling the fast-track rise to stardom, Dion reflects on losing normality and strifes over maintaining a glamorous image in a “Glass House” where everyone is constantly on a stakeout. There are some moments on this groovy burner when Dion recalls Bruno Mars’ and The Weekend’s thunder like on the trend-borrowing “Spend It” and the colorfully warm “Teach Me.” But his own sound highlights creep out on “Not All Your Way,” a mellow speed bump targeted at a revved up partner who he wants to take his time loving. Dion laces “Somethings We Can’t Do,” a breathtaking closer based on personal contentment, with his best wails on this 40-minute set.  – Antwane 

24. Summer Walker: Over It

While everyone was enjoying their hot girl summer, Summer Walker was gearing up to put the world back in its feels in the fall. The Atlanta-based singer-songwriter had already set off a chain reaction of women being open and honest about their sexuality on her hit song “Girls Need Love.” Now, she was ready to open up to the world in a whole new way on her debut album Over It. Walker’s effort showed the world a more vulnerable side to her, as she added on to a catalog of great melancholic R&B. The London on da Track-helmed project not only received a co-sign from Usher on “Come Thru,” but it debuted at No. 2 the Billboard 200 chart, becoming the highest female R&B debut in nearly 10 years.  — Anders

23. Tinashe: Songs For You

Tinashe has been fighting to get her sound heard for nearly half a decade. After leaving RCA Records due to “lack of creative control” earlier this year, the R&B virtuoso finished the most defining year for herself with the release of her super-personal independent album Songs For You. Tinashe’s fourth LP details the highs and lows of the singer’s past relationships on songs like “Save Room For Us” and “So Much Better.” It also reminds listeners of the California native’s incredible talent as a songwriter and record producer, as she wrote and produced nearly every track on this genre-bending set.  – Anders

22. Chris Brown: Indigo

How much music does Chris Brown have stored? Seriously. Just two years after dropping his 57-track album Heartbreak on a Full Moon, Brown returned with another extensive project, Indigo, which is packed with 32 tracks. While the album’s singles (“No Guidance” featuring Drake, “Heat” featuring Gunna” and “Undecided”) got a lot of love on the Billboard charts, there are plenty of gems that may go unnoticed if the listener isn’t willing to sit through two hours of music. There is something for every mood on the album: sensual (“Come Together” featuring H.E.R. and “Throw It Back”); dance/party (“Wobble Up” featuring Nicki Minaj and G-Eazy and You Like That”); laid-back/chill (“Don’t Check On Me” featuring Justin Bieber and Ink, “Dear God”); and much more. — Keithan

21. Fantasia: Sketchbook

Nobody knew what to expect from Fantasia’s follow-up to her so-called “garbage” The Definition Of… album in regards to her contrasting pre-album cuts (“PTSD” featuring T-Pain, “Holy Ghost”). But, as one might expect, Sketchbook further adds to her last two experimental album run. Vocally, Tasia is concerned about having more control than oversinging as highlighted on the adult-oriented love ballad “Enough” and the dramatized number “Bad Girl.” Musically, the soul performer continues to explore sonic freedom that gravitates towards her iconic rock influences (“Warning”). While this solid long-player doesn’t include her prematurely-discussed and uncleared collaboration with Brandy and Jazmine Sullivan, Fantasia refuses to stunt her desired artistic growth for fans or critics. – Antwane 

20. PJ Morton: Paul

Paul takes listeners on a journey through PJ Morton’s mind as he ponders about his ambitions, his love life and his experience as a Black man in America. It is a solid album that is packed with positive affirmations to comfort anyone who is going through a tough time. If there’s anything to learn from this short-and-sweet project, it’s to never lose sight of who you are and to remain optimistic, period. – Keithan

19. DAWN: New Breed

DAWN is exactly what music needs: a passionate trailblazer who unabashedly resists industry tyranny for the sake of authentically connecting with their listeners. Celebrating her New Orleans origin, New Breed rids the toxic “this is a man’s world” view and hits on all the times women of color, particularly Black women, had to pander men in personal and professional situations. With a strong focus on vivid expressions regarding disappointment, perseverance, and self-acceptance, DAWN ignites a new fire in Black women on empowerment anthems like “Spaces” and “We, Diamonds.” Everything on this amped-up set isn’t so serious, though. The indie superstar samples nightlife on the easy groove “Dreams and Converse” and trolls an Instagram groupie on ���Jealousy,” a fluid slow jam. – Antwane 

18. Johnny Gill: Game Changer II

When you’re a legend like Johnny Gill, you can play by your own rules. After promoting his Game Changer album for three years — five singles in total — Gill kept the theme going with a sequel. This time around, he switches up his creative approach by gently tapping into other sounds outside of R&B. To help his vision come to light, he teamed with super producers like Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Blac Elvis and Ralph Stacy. Gill doesn’t stray too far from traditional R&B sounds. He quickly delves back into his comfort zone with tender R&B tunes like the album’s lead single “Soul of a Woman,” “Perfect” featuring Ralph Tresvant, “Bed on Fire,” “Home” featuring Kevon Edmonds and more. – Keithan

17. Louis York: American Griots

Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Bruno Mars and Britney Spears all have something in common: they’ve worked with Louis York — Claude Kelly and Chuck Harmony — to create hits that their fans will continue to play from years out. This year was the year for Louis York. Their debut album American Griots exemplifies Black Excellence. The carefully-curated sonic experience is a celebration of Black people’s influence on music. Although R&B is the essence of Louis York’s music, they consciously decided to incorporate sounds from other genres that Black people had an impact on. American Griots is an ode to Black musicians and artists who pioneered what we refer to today as American music. Although the album contains a mix of different genres, it flows in a way that makes the listening experience seamless. — Keithan

16. Johntá Austin: Love, Sex & Religion

Johnta Austin’s musical resume is full of hits he’s written for artists like Usher, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, and the list goes on. This year, it was all about Johnta Austin the artist. On his debut effort, the Grammy-winning singer/songwriter dabbles into love, sex and religion. There is more emphasis on love and sex, with religious nuances sprinkled in between. “Everyone has their own feeling of love, their own connection to the creator and their own connection to sex,” Austin told Rated R&B in an interview. “As long as it is pure, beautiful and you’re not hurting anybody, then this album is for you.” — Keithan

15. Rahsaan Patterson: Heroes & Gods

After an eight-year hiatus, Rahsaan Patterson made a divine return with Heroes & Gods — and it was well worth the wait. On Heroes & Gods, Patterson explores themes on love, self-empowerment and spirituality. The 13-track offering fuses experimental sounds that effectively showcase Patterson’s well-textured tone and pristine vocal range. Patterson’s signature sound can be heard on songs like “Catch Me When I Fall” and “Sent From Heaven.” He gives listeners a chance to let loose on the dance floor with upbeat songs like “Rock and Roll,” “Soldier” and “Silly, Love, Fool.” Listening to Heroes & Gods is just another reminder that Patterson is criminally-underrated as a vocalist and as an artist. — Keithan

14. Mahalia: Love and Compromise

Mahalia, another promising newcomer from the U.K., makes the best use of her past love situations on her sterling debut set. Having a songwriting credit on each song featured on Love and Compromise, this rising talent has grown into a woman that demonstrates unique power after overcoming interesting romantic experiences far beyond her youth. Original and reminiscent at the same time, this emotionally vulnerable album plays in the street of vibrant twists and turns on tuneful tracks like the pressure-free joint “Good Company” and the in the grey feeler “What Am I?” Her irresistible collaborations with other new acts Ella Mai and Lucky Daye are genuine co-signs. In all, Love and Compromise is a strong indication that R&B’s future is in good hands. – Antwane 

13. Elle Varner: Ellevation (EP)

It’s not easy to make a comeback after seven years, but Elle Varner returned like she never left. Although her Ellevation project is labeled as an EP, it feels like an album. Running six minutes shorter than her debut album Perfectly Imperfect, Ellevation is packed with all kinds of feels. In a span of 35 minutes, Varner takes her listeners on an emotional journey as she navigates through her broken heart. The project opens with “Coffee On the Roof” where she catches feelings with a potential love interest. However, things quickly take a turn on the second track “Pour Me (Think bout u)” featuring Wale. She tries to save her relationship on “1 To 10” but is ultimately unsuccessful. While the core of the project is sadness, Varner picks her head up on “Kinda Love” and outlines what she wants in her next relationship. – Keithan 

12. Baby Rose: To Myself

A cure for healing a broken heart: any tear-soaked track from Baby Rose’s critically- lauded debut outing, To Myself. Possessing vocal dynamics and nuances of music great Nina Simone, Rose proves that her seasoned sound is as trusting as the touchy lyrical substance she yearns. She factors in a painful narrative of mistaken domesticity on the exhausted opener “Sold Out.” Cuts like the one-sided love affair “Over” and the indecisive highlight “Borderline” are dominated by deep sadness and nocturnally complex arrangements to drive it all home with intense emotional prowess. To Myself should be the album to make it not only to unfledged listeners but those with mature minds, too. – Antwane 

11. Gallant: Sweet Insomnia

“I called the album Sweet Insomnia because, lyrically, every song is bittersweet,” Gallant said in a previous press statement. “Nothing is 100% positive and light-hearted. Nothing is 100% brooding and cynical. It’s very balanced and real – like an unretouched photo.” For Sweet Insomnia, the follow-up to his Grammy-nominated debut album Ology, he opted to experiment more with an early 2000s R&B sound. The standout track “Sleep On It,” and arguably one of the best R&B songs to release this year, brings back those contemporary R&B vibes felt on Usher’s 8701 album. The Maryland native doesn’t hold back on his ear-piercing falsetto notes. His vocals soar on songs like “Hurt” and “Crimes. While the subject matter on Sweet Insomnia may be a little dark and emotional, the overall nostalgia brings light to the listening experience for true R&B lovers. — Keithan

10. SiR: Chasing Summer

Switching seasons from November, SiR takes flight into sunny yet turbulent skies on Chasing Summer. Inglewood’s finest takes listeners through the less savory aspects of romance from a true to life perspective. SiR pulls from his earlier works and ties it in with his current sound to form an album that pleases new and old fans alike. Steadily in the mid-tempo pocket, the TDE singer flows with ease on songs like ‘Wires in the Way” and “You Can’t Save Me.” The listening experience of the hazy and melodic body of work feels akin to the favorable season coming to an end, savoring every last moment until it comes to a close. — Danielle 

9. Raphael Saadiq: Jimmy Lee

The fifth studio album from Raphael Saadiq may well be one of the year’s most dramatic R&B releases. Most everything on Jimmy Lee, the well-respected musician’s first full-length effort in eight years, tends to be a tribute to his deceased brother’s battle with addiction. Lead single, “Something Keeps Calling,” is a soul-inflected comeback hit that describes his constant fight against a sea of nagging second thoughts. There are only a few songs that don’t address substance abuse in any capacity. While he makes heady drug references on “I’m Feeling Love,” focused on dependency, it’s disguised as a love ode. Sticking to his eccentric, jazz-funk sound, Saadiq mixes in dark nuances and heavy lyrics on Jimmy Lee to showcase boundary-pushing moments. – Antwane 

8. BJ The Chicago Kid: 1123

The title of BJ The Chicago Kid’s second album (1123) may appear random to many people but there’s a bigger meaning behind it: It was inspired by his birthday, which is November 23. To celebrate another year of life, BJ gave the world the gift of music. “Most people receive gifts for their birthday but I wanted to give something for my birthday,” he told Rated R&B earlier this year. The something BJ is referring to is an unforgettable experience that comes from listening to the album. He instantly captures the listener’s attention on the opener “Feel The Vibe.” The Anderson .Paak-assisted groove sets the mood for the rest of the album. With lyrics like, “Come on in, close the door and feel the vibe” and “Talkin’ shit with the old heads / Mama dancin’ to some Al Green,” BJ paints a picture of a summertime get together at a Black household. The rest of the album is packed with lush R&B sounds that acts as solid proof as to why the album is up for a Grammy nomination. — Keithan

7. Anderson.Paak: Ventura

It’s a bit unbelievable that Oxnard and Ventura were made at the same time. The softer, more soulful of the two is the perfect example of when Anderson. Paak gives into his R&B side. Instrumentation plays a significant part in his fourth studio album, while the star-studded features (Smokey Robinson, Jazmine Sullivan, Brandy) are a worthy enhancement. Ventura provides a consistent smoothness with a flare that goes far beyond a common groove. — Danielle

6. Solange: When I Get Home

In one of the most richly textured R&B releases of 2019, Solange delivers an intriguing project powered by tight songwriting, lush musical arrangements, and beautiful vocal stylings. Recorded in various parts of the world spectrum, including New Orleans and Jamaica, the “warm, fluid, and more sensual” synesthesia she hinted in The New York Times Style Magazine last fall are rendered in slower numbers like “I’m a Witness” and “Jerrod.” Much of When I Get Home’s sonic appeal comes from Solange’s hometown Houston. The music she sings and vibes to on trippy, screwed solos “Stay Flo” and “Almeda” date back to the trademark DJ Screw era of the early 2000s. By the authentic sound of Home, it is baffling to think that Solange once expressed fear ahead of sending this astonishing Black art into the atmosphere. Of course, this collection of retro musical moods doesn’t repeat the purposeful intent of A Seat at the Table; but it’s a good thing it didn’t. – Antwane

5. Snoh Aalegra: Ugh, Those Feels Again

It has been a long time coming for Swedish soul crooner Snoh Aalegra as she released her first project First Sign under the stage name Sheri in 2010. Nearly 10 years later, Aalegra released one of the most intimate R&B albums of the year, – Ugh, those feels again. A project seemingly sent straight from the heavens, Aalegra’s sophomore LP serves as the sequel to 2016’s FEELS, and it features an introspective look at the tell-tale signs of falling in love, as heard on the album’s lead single “I Want You Around.” As a songwriter, Aalegra shines with her unforgettable hooks and haunting melodies on tracks such as “You” and “Whoa.” While her road to success has been a lengthy one, Aalegra’s breakthrough effort – Ugh, those feels again will remain a marveling stop along the way for R&B fans everywhere. – Anders 

4. Jamila Woods: Legacy! Legacy!

Jamila Woods knows how to make a statement. Starting with the album’s track list, each song title is named after a significant person of color. Bridging blues, funk, hip-hop and soul, Woods summons and intertwines their energy on each track, which are individually significant in their own right. Weaving aspects of Blackness and womanhood, LEGACY! LEGACY! embarks on an elegantly expressive journey of finding and accepting yourself in a world where the cards aren’t always in your favor. — Danielle 

3. India.Arie: Worthy

The fact that India.Arie continues to be a potent example that evolves the thought-inspiring messages she sings on every album 17 years after her fulfilling debut again lends to her meaningful position in the R&B world. On Worthy, her incredibly polished new album, it’s no different. The soulful veteran is back full force with refreshing, love-longing, and enlightening compositions that strike a chord in listeners. Clearly inspired by the state of the world, Arie evokes lyrical healing with momentous anthems like the funky “Rollercoaster” ride and the spellbinding track “What If?”. “That Magic,” a warm-weather love song, gloats on her masterful songwriting. Among the traditional R&B gems on Worthy is “Steady Love,” her inaugural number one hit on the urban adult-oriented radio format. Thanks to Arie for another mind-stimulating project; it’s just what the world needs. — Antwane 

2. Lucky Daye: Painted

Lucky Daye may have seemingly appeared out of nowhere but his presence has been welcomed with open ears. The artistry of this New Orleans native was built in the latter half of his life, providing him with an expansive canvas. Daye balances traditional and innovative R&B stylings to craft his highly anticipated debut album, Painted. Roping listeners in with full-bodied vintage-inspired production, Daye’s official introduction to the world has left a rousing first impression. – Danielle 

1. Ari Lennox: Shea Butter Baby

With comparisons to R&B greats such as Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill, Washington, D.C. native Ari Lennox stole the attention and hearts of R&B fans with her debut album Shea Butter Baby. As the first lady of J. Cole’s Dreamville Records, Lennox became a pillar of the label and helped bring it to the forefront of music this year.

She appeared on Cole’s song “Change” in 2016, but it was the Minnie Riperton-esque “Whipped Cream” where she shined on her own. Lennox brought this tender, yet soulful sound to her album, along with some sticky hooks, heard on tracks like “BMO” and “New Apartment.” Not only that, Shea Butter Baby introduces this generation to a unique voice easily comparable to Badu, as Lennox’s voice is almost instantly recognizable.

Shea Butter Baby’s titular song is certified gold by the RIAA, and the album snagged three Soul Train Award nominations. While the project did not receive many accolades during its run, it remains a staple piece of the late 2010s, sealing Lennox’s status as one of R&B’s reigning princesses. – Anders

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This content was originally published here.

[andrewuttaro]

New Look Sabres: GM 23 - FLA - Godly Glove

5-2 Regulation Win

You know that thing you do when you’re trying to pass someone in the hallway and you both bob and weave the same way two or three times before someone figures out how to pass the other? The Buffalo Sabres and Florida Panthers as hockey organizations have been doing this to each other for a decade. The Panthers are the bikini clad version of the Sabres. They both drafted high in the early years of the decade after being bought up by someone who made their money in a very not woke industry. Both teams have flirted with the playoffs, the Panthers actually made it once this decade, and both seem to see each other at the other end of the ice and ask the other who’s good this game like they’re trying to pass each other in the hallway. Last night was some catharsis. By that I mean the Sabres got a win against a tougher team for the first time since… before Halloween? It’s weird to say that about the Panthers but they’re sitting at the two spot in the division right now. There is certainly some kind of Coach Quenneville difference going on because they look like the better version of themselves lately. The Sabres have not which made this game a breath of fresh air. Excluding Tampa the Sabres have been rather good in their eight outings against division opponents so far going 5-3 in those games. The first Tampa game was closer than that score suggests, and the Boston game was a bit of the opposite. One thing I would have not predicted before the season would be that Buffalo would lead the season series 2-0 against this version of the Panthers. In these tough times we have to take all the positives, eh? Zach Bogosian is back, and Jake McCabe and Rasmus Ristolainen are still an inseparable pairing? Rainclouds are back. Let’s just get to the game.

The shot ticker in the first period may not tell you this but Florida came out hotter. Still a novice with the advanced stats myself I don’t know if it can be considered a high-danger chance if the shot is not on target, but it seemed like the first ten to fifteen minutes Florida was getting all kinds of pressure on Linus Ullmark. Right away the untrained eye will be able to tell you this game was one of Ullmark’s better so far this season. You can tell by the starts we’re platooning that position again and I think Ullmark has been getting the tougher opponents. Tempted though I maybe to read into that utilization I don’t think there is any belief Ullmark is wildly better than Carter Hutton. Time will tell I suppose and it if the trade action of this GM-Coach tandem is at all indicative, change is a slow process. Last night however Ullmark stood up to the test. He got shot from every angle early in this game including a nasty breakaway. Florida outshot Buffalo 12-5 in the first and yet the only goals of the period belonged to the visitors as Jeff Skinner tapped in a Jack Eichel pass to put the Sabres up 1-0 with 4:36 left in the first. Did you see that Ralph? Maybe given this rough stretch you can get your sampling of what Jack and Jeff do as a duo? Just an idea. The goal we didn’t see coming was Zemgus Girgensons hardly in the offensive zone ripping his best Jack Eichel impression from a Brandon Montour assist. Girgensons doesn’t often show up on the box score but when he does it’s a banger. Montour too had himself a night. It was 2-0 Sabres after a period the home team deserved it more.

Was Buffalo outshot in the second period? Yes. Did it look like an absolute shelling like the first? Not as much. The harbinger of this team’s more recent struggles was a dropping expected goals percentage that has found it’s way into a recovery. Florida continued to get juicy chances but now Buffalo began to click again. Specifically the player that is 75% of this team’s identity right now: Jack Eichel had a very Jack Eichel kind of goal. He stepped away from the defender in the right circle and released his Top 5 wrist shot. When Eichel’s statue goes up, and it will, it will probably be him with the Cup because we need that, but the secondary design has to be him taking a wrist shot. He manages these neat releases from the wall or the circle at a rate that energizes your bones. And so it was 3-0 in Florida in the most counter-intuitive score line you could have thought of with the shot totals. The price had to be paid for the poor high-danger defense and it felt like it was really a prolonged botched faceoff that Noel Acciari score unassisted. Everyone went up to the backmost shooters and left Acciari one-on-one with Ullmark and he cashed in, 3-1. Florida came alive in a way you expect a team winning at their rate would. Only a couple minutes after the shutout-breaker came an Aaron Ekblad shot that rung off the crossbar in a way that made you think it went in. Who gets the rebound? Not a Sabre, no that went to Mike Hoffman! It’s one thing to let rebounds go, it’s another one altogether to yield that juicy rebound to a gamebreaker like him. By the grace of Ullmark’s godly glove the Sabres survived. If I was a Panther fan I’d be flipping angry by the time Victor Olofsson got a Sam Reinhart assist to tap home his tenth of the season. At that point with a shade over six minutes left in the second they were outshooting Buffalo 25-12 on the game! Sometimes goalies give you a chance to win, other nights they win the game. Last night Linus Ullmark won a game.

Long story short, Florida continued to play the more exciting, high-danger version of hockey for the rest of the game. At 3:08 of the third the Panthers found themselves on a powerplay and Brett Connolly found a one-timer to make it 4-2. Now it’s easy to make fun of the Florida Panthers’ attendance numbers or their arena so far out of Miami it’s practically in the Everglades but this game made me sincerely feel bad that such a fun squad isn’t being as appreciated as it could be. You kinda had to squint at the lower bowl of the building to fill it up and that’s a shame when you can live in Miami and still get hockey of this quality. I for one prefer the cold and snow but nonetheless I’d love seeing the hockey Florida is playing night after night. The arena is right across from a giant mall and they can’t pull in more rich kids on a Sunday night? Well anyway the last goal of last night’s game was emblematic of the whole affair. Zemgus Girgensons comes streaking in and puts it right on Sam Montembeault’s left pad. Somehow it trickled in for the 5-2 marker and Jimmy Vesey is the first into congratulate Girgs and trips and falls on his face. This club is not sexy enough for Miami beach right now but they’re finding the groove again and that’s worth something if they can actually make them wins. They didn’t look bad against Boston either but the only stat that matters at the end of the day is goals and they got more tonight in large part because their goalie stopped almost four dozen at the other end of the ice. It wasn’t a dominating win, but we just need wins right now.

Two things to get off my chest about this game: I watched part of it at Gabriel’s Gate in Allentown. For those of you who don’t know that is our Captain Jack Eichel’s favorite wings joint in Buffalo. I kinda felt like I earned Eichel points last night. The wings there are in fact good. The other thing I’d like to say is maybe stop messing with us guys. I’m talking to Botterill and Krueger. Botts made an ECHL level trade yesterday as if to tease us about an NHL level one that should’ve been done in July. Krueger on the other hand continued to pretend Jimmy Vesey can skate on Eichel’s wing while Jeff Skinner skated with Evan Rodrigues and Conor Sheary on the second line. Clearly he was willing to juggle given the Skinner goal but if we’re going to act like we need 800 defenseman let’s at least utilize the forward correctly. Eichel and Skinner needs to happen consistently right now like boomers need to stop putting two spaces after a sentence. IT’S URGENT. The team has now used up all the leeway the hot start gave them. Get your asses going! Don’t wait for the trade! For now we’ll have to cross our fingers and hope they can find their inner Buffalo Bills. Tonight it’s Tampa Bay again and I doubt they’ll fail to convert on as many of their chances. Let’s cross those fingers! Let’s Go Buffalo!

Thanks for Reading.

P.S. Is Bogosian actually back to 100%? Vincent Trochek got an excellent shot on Ullmark in the first that featured Bogo already on his ass spinning in the slot. What are you doing Zach?

[alleyblack2-blog]

Around the NFC East: Giants and Redskins show a pulse, Cowboys look DOA

This week in the NFC East, Washington benefitted from the NFL’s new two-hand-touch rules, the Giants offense finally looked competent, and the rest of the world has figured out what we already knew about the Dallas Cowboys (y’know… that they stink).

Here’s what happened, and what’s happening, this week in the NFC East:

Washington (2-1)

ICYMI: Alex Smith went deep like he’s Aaron Rodgers, Adrian Peterson ran over Green Bay like he was still a Viking, and Vernon Davis / Jimmy Graham both had big plays. I have no idea what year it is. All I know is Washington benefitted from the most controversial play of the week, when Casey Matthews’ brother was flagged for cleanly sacking Smith, and Washington couldn’t blow an early lead, beating the Packers 31-17.

Spin: (INSERT CHIN-SCRATCHING EMOJI HERE). Washington looked way better dismantling Green Bay than the Iggles did squeaking one past the Colts. Then again, Washington lost to the Colts a week earlier (and looked flatter than a pancake doing so). It’s been a weird start to the NFL season, and this Washington squad is pretty representative of that.

What’s Next: BYE -- Which is kinda lame this early, to be honest.

Dallas Cowboys (1-2)

ICYMI: Cowboy-wannabe and Iverson-impersonator Earl Thomas (who is no Brandon Graham) had two interceptions as the defense formerly known as Legion slaughtered the inept Cowboys, 24-13. Dak Prescott was especially awful, and the national audience seems to finally be realizing what many of us picked up on a season ago: he has the abilities of a 4th-round draft pick.

Spin: The House of Dak is crumbling. The man who forced Tony Romo into retirement has thrown for under 200 yards in nine of his last 12 games, including all three this season. If Jerry Jones had a fraction of the brains he thinks he has, he’d trade for Texas-native Nick Foles today. Instead, he’ll probably wait till the offseason to overpay Jameis Winston.

Meanwhile, Jason Garrett is the betting favorite for “First Head Coach Fired.” Please god, let them hire Chip Kelly.

What’s Next: A must-win at home against the Patriot-slaying Lions.

New York Giants (1-2)

ICYMI: Like Washington, the Giants nearly choked away an early lead. Eli Manning did that thing where you think he might be decent, throwing for nearly 300 yards (25/29) and a pair of TDs (maybe he’s figured it out!). The Giants finally benched the rotating door that is Ereck Flowers. Saquon Barkley and OBJ both had huge days on the stat sheet. Gmen beat Texans, 27-22. Yawn.

Spin: Despite featuring a number of premium players, this is a not a premium team by any means. If the Giants offense can consistently click the way it did in the first half (besides a near fumble by Eli), this team could potentially, just maybe, turn their season around. LOL.

What’s Next: The Saints visit Jersey to remind Giants fans that top-tier running backs like Alvin Kamara don’t have to be taken in the first round.  

Source: https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/the700level/around-nfc-east-giants-and-redskins-show-pulse-cowboys-look-doa

[comm4000]

A League of Their Own? How Women’s Baseball helped the nation cope during WWII

When A League of Their Own (1992) debuted on the big screen, many were unaware of the history and significance that the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) existed. Based on the real-life league, many of the characters were fictional. The main character is Dottie Hinson, who is a 25-32-year-old dairy worker, and catcher of the local baseball team, portrayed by Geena Davis. Her kid sister, Kit, portrayed by Lori Petty, is a pitcher who is trying to get out of her sisters’ shadow. After a local baseball game, in 1943 Oregon, the girls head home to do their chores. They are soon approached by Jon Lovitz character Ernie Capadino, who is a scout for the AAGPBL. Ernie tells Dottie that she has what it takes to play in the AAGPBL, and this will be their way of helping the war efforts, since most professional baseball players are in the military, thus not allowing the teams to field enough players.  He convinces the originally apprehensive Dottie to come to tryouts, and with that her and her sister head out to Chicago. On the way, they stop in Fort Collins to look at another girl. After a good tryout where the girl, Marla Hooch, is impressing Ernie, he demands that she be brought over. After taking off her hat, Ernie deems her to ugly to play in the League. Dottie and Kit refuse to leave unless he takes her, and after some convincing from her father, Marla can go. At the tryouts, the girls meet Mae and Doris, played by Madonna and Rosie O’Donnell respectively. Once the tryouts finish, Marla, Dottie, Kit, Doris and Mae all end up on the same team, the Rockford Peaches. During the post-tryouts talk, the girls are shown their uniforms, consisting of short skirts and tight tops. Most of the girls are upset, but calm their disgust when one of the managers says he will replace them if they do not like it. Before they play ball, however, they must complete charm school and get makeovers. As the season progresses, the girls are informed that the league is not doing so well. Because of this, many of the girls decide to spice up the games by showing their power, but in feminine ways, such as catching the ball in the splits, or kissing any member of the crowd that catches a foul ball. During this time, their once standoffish and sexist manager, Jimmy, played by Tom Hanks, begins to appreciate the girls and gets especially close. After a heated exchange, Kit gets traded to the opposing team, the Racine Belles. Kit is furious because she thinks Dottie got her traded, however Dottie says that she was the one that wanted to be traded, and the league’s general manager, Ira Lowenstein, misinterpreted her and sent Kit away instead. Before one game, a telegram comes for one of the women saying that their husband has been killed in action. Dottie originally believes that it is her, but ends up being her teammate Betty. As Dottie is crying in her room, her husband, Bob comes back. Dottie decides that she is going to go back home. This makes Jimmy mad, as the Peaches are in the World Series, and he views her as abandoning her team. As the World Series progresses, Racine and Rockford are tied 3-3, and goes into a Game 7. Much to the surprise of Jimmy, Dottie returns, and plays one final game. As the game goes to the final inning, Kit is up to bat and hits the ball far. As she is coming home Dottie is waiting to tag her out, but drops the ball when Kit runs into her, winning the game for Racine. After the game, the sisters reconcile and go their separate ways to start their separate lives. The film then goes to “present day” (1992) to show the girls getting their own exhibit in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Once the movie ends, it flashes up real life pictures of actual teams from the AAGPBL. While A League of Their Own is fictional, it portrays the real life struggles these women had in the 1940s in terms of helping the war effort by working, the sexism they face, and the gender stereotypes they must abide by.

One of the main struggles the women face is going outside of the homestead and working. Towards the beginning of the film, there is a radio broadcaster who talks about the AAGPBL breaking the gender roles, and allowing women to become like their male counterparts. This implicates that the league is a last resort, because the men of baseball are all leaving. Many of the fans that go to the games only do so to see the women in their “revealing outfits.” Before Rockford’s first game, when the lineup is being introduced, many of the girls face heckling and sexually suggestive comments based on their outfits. As the movie progresses, the girls begin to own their sexuality and use it to increase interest in the league, gain more fans, as well as funding.  One of the “famous” photographs is Dottie catching a foul ball in the splits. As Mary Jo Kane (2011) says in her article regarding sex selling women’s sports, “…, the “sex sells” strategy remains deeply embedded among sports journalists and marketers, who also believe that reaffirming traditional notions of femininity and heterosexuality is a critical sales strategy.” (Kane, p.3) This strategy was clearly used so that the league and the girls would become more popular, and seen as a “side show” attraction. While the movies main plot is set in the 1940s the media still plays a crucial part in gaining attention and fans. A mock news reel shows the girls playing various parts, such as the sweet and innocent girl who knits when she isn’t on the field, to one of the players that serves the umpires coffee. In one of the article regarding female sports being portrayed in the media, the authors say, “As research consistently finds, in the rare moments when women’s sport is included inside mainstream news media frames, the coverage trivializes women’s athleticism or reproduces narrow, stereotypical representations of female athleticism that draw on sexist and/or racist ideologies.” (Cooky, Messner, & Hextrum, p.206) In comparison to men’s sports, “When girls and women play sports—and especially if we pay attention to their abilities and accomplishments—then ‘‘what sports illustrates, ’according to sociologist Judith Lorber, is not a binary opposition between male and female bodies, but instead, what Mary Jo Kane calls a ‘continuum of difference’ between and among bodies of all sexes and genders (Kane, 1995; Lorber, 1996).” (Messner, p. 119) We fetishize the women of sport, and at one point Mae asks if she should let her top pop open and let “her bosoms fly out”. The girls know that they can only play as long as public interest is high.

One of the glaring problems that this movie briefly talks about, but is overlooked throughout the entire movie is the racial makeup of the teams, and fans. At one point during the movie, the ball gets hit into the “colored people only” section of the ball park, and is thrown back by a black woman, who has great strength and aim. Dottie is impressed but nothing comes of this. Even though the movie is set in the 1940s there is no mention of racial progress, or any people of color being allowed in to play or even tryout. This becomes one of the major flaws of this movie because it had a chance to explain how all women were affected by the war, not just white women.

In the most famous line of the movie, Jimmy yells at a girl and she begins to cry. A very mad Jimmy says, “Are you crying? There’s no crying baseball!” (See the clip above) The umpire tells Jimmy to calm down and Jimmy eventually gets thrown out. Jimmy is treating the women as ordinary ball players, but often forgets that they are in fact women, who may not take to being yelled at. (To be fair I would have probably cried as well) When Jimmy is yelling, he assumes that the women are like men, and feels that he should treat them fairly, as he would a man. This could be assumed good on his part, since he is treating the girls fairly, but at the same time he is berating and “abusing” the woman. We never really get to understand what type of power Jimmy has over the women, and what they must endure in terms of practice and training.

Another prolem I found with this movie was how they skipped over what the girls life was like after the war, and after the league ended. Did they go back home? Did they try to start the league back up? How did they remain relevant enough to garner a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame? Many of these questions are left unanswered and assumed that if the audience wants answers, they will do their own research.

I personally like this movie because it shows a sport that very few people know about. I grew up participating in a sport that wasn���t mentioned regularly on TV, and I thought the movie did an excellent job portraying the drive and determination the women have in keeping their sport alive, as my team had to remain constantly successful so that we would receive funding.

Overall, A League of Their Own is a heartwarming story that shows us the lives of women playing baseball for societies entertainment during WWII. While the movie does gloss over some important aspects in terms of the women’s daily lives during the era, and how it changes after, the movie plays strongly to the tune of female empowerment.

 References:

Film: Abbott, E. & Greenhut, R. (Producers), & Marshall, P. (Director). (1992). A League of Their Own [Motion   Picture]. United States: Columbia Pictures.

Picture: Bitch Flicks (2014, September 23). [Dottie does the splits]. Retrieved April 8, 2017, from http://www.btchflcks.com/2014/09/were-all-for-one-were-one-for-all-in-a-league-of-their-own.html#.WOmwB4jyuUk

Picture: Bitch Flicks (2014, September 23). [Team Huddle]. Retrieved April 8, 2017, from http://www.btchflcks.com/2014/09/were-all-for-one-were-one-for-all-in-a-league-of-their-own.html#.WOmwB4jyuUk

Picture: Bitch Flicks (2014, September 23). [Black Woman throws ball]. Retrieved April 8, 2017, from http://www.btchflcks.com/2014/09/were-all-for-one-were-one-for-all-in-a-league-of-their-own.html#.WOmwB4jyuUk

Cooky, C., Messner, M., & Hextrum,, R. (2013). Women play sport but not on TV: A longitudinal study of  televised news media. Communication & Sport, 1(3). 203-230

Kane, M.J. (July 27, 2011) Sex sells sex, not women’s sports. The Nation. Retrieved from https://www.thenation.com/article/sex-sells-sex-not-womens-sports/

Messner, M. (2013). Reflections on communication and sport: On men and masculinities. Communication & Sport, 1(1/2). 113-124

Video Clip: Movieclips. (October 21, 2012). There’s no crying in baseball-A League of Their Own (5/8) Movie Clip        (1992) HD Retrieved from YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M8szlSa-8o

[sportsmaniausa0]

Ranking The NFL Quarterbacks

With the NFL season quickly drawing close, I figured it'd be a terrific time to interrupt down and examine the top 32 beginning quarterbacks in the league. And what higher manner to accomplish that than thru a list.

Now just for rationalization, I'm ranking the beginning quarterbacks of every team with some exceptions. I will still encompass injured gamers like Josh Freeman and Donovan McNabb notwithstanding the reality that both might not be capable of play in Week 1. Sam Bradford can also be in this list because we all understand that, at very least, he might be the starter in some unspecified time in the future this yr.

So here we go:

#32: Matt Leinart/Derek Anderson - Arizona Cardinals: While we look forward to the Cardinals' choice of who might be the beginning quarterback come week 1, in my view, it doesn't definitely depend. Matt Leinart performs in slow movement while Derek Anderson is set as erratic because it receives on the quarterback function. Whoever finally ends up below center for this team is a big drop off from Kurt Warner and deserves to be ranked 32nd out of the 32 starting quarterbacks.

#31: Alex Smith - San Francisco 49ers: The former number one average pick out has dealt with lots for the duration of his time in San Fran - injuries, demotions, several offensive coordinators, and a excessive loss of expertise in his personal body. While he does make the occasional extremely good throw, it isn't always sufficient for me to put him in the pinnacle 30. CAN'T DO IT!!!

#30: Matt Moore - Carolina Panthers: The Panthers appear to be biding their time with Matt Moore till they sense secure playing Jimmy Clausen. They would not have drafted Clausen with their first choose (even though it was inside the middle of the second round) if they weren't making plans on giving Clausen the keys to the car as soon as he's prepared to drive. Moore would not sincerely stand out in any way. He's were given okay arm power, ok accuracy, k coverage reputation talents and so on...But he isn't always the Panthers' lengthy-term answer at NFL quarterback. Clausen is.

#29: Trent Edwards - Buffalo Bills: Trent Edwards hasn't been the model of consistency thus far in his NFL career. However, he does have some fantastic traits. Namely, he has a compact shipping and throws a pleasant long ball (he throws it high so it drops into the receiver's arms at an perspective that is very tough for the DB to get to). However, he doesn't appear to have the potential to find the open receiver if his primary read is included. You can just see it when you watch him on Sundays. If he is not prepared to throw the ball at the pinnacle of his drop and there's any indecision, he starts offevolved to panic (the top of a QB's drop is while the primary read receiver have to be popping out of his wreck). This in the end receives him in problem on way too many events.

#28: Josh Freeman - Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Josh Freeman indicates loads of potential as a young QB. He has a exceedingly strong arm, and fantastically, he has some ability to make plays outside the pocket while the play breaks down. But just like many younger quarterbacks, his coverage reputation and choice-making each want to be quicker. If he can enhance this part of his sport significantly in 2010, you could find him cracking the top 20 quarterbacks via the quit of this season.

#27: Kevin Kolb - Philadelphia Eagles: Kolb has some big shoes to fill this year. He isn't always the maximum bodily gifted QB in the league, but closing season he showed glimpses of being capable of characteristic at a very excessive degree within the framework of an offense that has lots of guns. This isn't always as easy as it sounds. There is a positive degree of timing you need to have as a quarterback, even whilst you are surrounded by a ton of talent. Last year, Kolb showed that he has that form of timing to his recreation. Now he simply needs to put a shaky preseason behind him.

#26: Jake Delhomme - Cleveland Browns: If not for his erratic play, Delhomme might be higher on this listing. He does truly have skills and he's shown the ability to make a few tremendous throws into small windows throughout the route of his career. There is lots of Brett Favre in his recreation. The awful element is, he is like the Brett Favre with all of the bonehead throws and handiest a fifth of the amazing throws. John Madden is extraordinarily disappointed that I just stated Delhomme and Favre inside the same sentence.

#25: Sam Bradford - St. Louis Rams: If you're a Rams fan, you need to be happy with what Bradford confirmed this past week towards the Patriots. He appeared extraordinarily calm inside the pocket, which is fantastic considering how bad his O-line has been. His accuracy stood out and his arm looked pretty strong.

#24: Matt Cassel - Kansas City Chiefs: Expect Cassel to be exceeded by Bradford because the 12 months progresses. Cassel is the epitome of a machine quarterback. He desires a whole lot of expertise around him because his usual quarterbacking abilties are just excellent and no longer high-quality. Isn't it funny to look returned to the 2008 season when many enthusiasts and Boston media-kinds in which seeking to argue that the Patriots have to change Brady inside the low season and signal Cassel to a long-time period deal. Haha, conventional.

#23: Mark Sanchez - New York Jets: Jets fans anywhere are outraged! They are screaming at their computers proper now and cursing my name for putting Mark Sanchez so low. But what can I say? Despite something potential Sanchez may or might not have, proper now he isn't always an amazing NFL quarterback. This does not suggest he may not be a very good quarterback within the future. But let's accept it, it is no longer like he has a cannon. It's no longer like he dazzles us along with his accuracy, insurance recognition, or poise on a week-in week-out basis. He's were given a variety of paintings to do. The desirable news is that it can not get any worse for Sanchez than it has been this preseason.

#22: David Garrard - Jacksonville Jaguars: Garrard keeps to play at a particularly high level for the Jaguars. He has been a rock for this organisation for the previous few years. To be pretty honest with you, Garrard throws a genuinely satisfactory ball and may be very accurate. His large issue is that he's late with loads of his throws, and consequently, the timing between he and his receivers is off on too many plays. Better coverage reputation and anticipation competencies should have Garrard playing at a much better degree.

#21: Kyle Orton - Denver Broncos: Orton is physically constrained as a passer. However, he is still a consistent quarterback. He won't make a ton of mistakes and he'll work inside the design of the offense, however he can have a tendency to be a touch slow doing away with the ball at instances. In the quit, Orton is a constant field fashionable who might not lose many games to your crew. The trouble is he may not win many video games in your crew either.

#20: Jason Campbell - Oakland Raiders: Campbell does have a sturdy arm, and whilst matters are clicking round him, he has the capability to make a protection pay. However, the inconsistencies in his sport are not just related to the players and offensive coordinators he's had around him. They are extra related to his troubles locking onto receivers and taking too long to eliminate the ball. A faster pace to his sport might bump him up some notches on this list.

#19: Matt Hasselbeck - Seattle Seahawks: When he is playing well, Hasselbeck is a laugh to watch. He's accurate, he'll throw the ball from all angles, and he does anything and the whole thing he can to control the protection. Arm energy has in reality been the simplest factor lacking from his repertoire at some point of his profession. However, a vulnerable arm is a problem for a quarterback. It leaves less margin for error. More things round you have to pass flawlessly which will be effective. I believe the perception that you do not need a wonderful arm to be a first-rate quarterback. But you better be damn good at the entirety else to make up for what you lack in arm strength. Hasselbeck is ideal at the whole thing else, but he isn't always THAT good.

#18: Vince Young - Tennessee Titans: A lot of humans available probably think there may be no way 17 quarterbacks in the NFL are higher than Vince Young. But those people are in all likelihood lending more weight to Young's walking talents and his overall performance against USC in the National Championship sport than they're to his pocket passing competencies. Always recall, the most important factor for a quarterback is his potential to throw the ball from the pocket. Why do so many analysts and experts have a look at a player's strolling capacity to determine whether or not he is a good quarterback? Generally, if you can't throw the ball, you're going to have issues playing the placement; troubles that walking around the sector in circles may not clear up. I will say that Young has advanced his capability to throw the ball from the pocket inside the final year or so. But ultimately, he nevertheless wishes to get A LOT higher at playing the location the right manner - the regular manner. Mobility outside of the pocket can give you an part over other mediocre passers, but it may not get you into the upper echelon of the NFL quarterback ranks.

#17: Chad Henne - Miami Dolphins: If you've got watched Henne this preseason, you have visible how comfortable he looks hanging within the pocket and finding the open receiver. His anticipation skills are solid and he has sufficient arm electricity to make all the necessary throws. He'll have some united states of americaand downs this 12 months as all young quarterbacks do, however in the long run, this guy has the tools to be a excellent QB and a rock for the Dolphins Organization for the next ten years.

#sixteen: Matt Ryan - Atlanta Falcons: Ryan is the kind of quarterback who does the entirety the right manner. He has true pocket presence, he is correct, and he is aware of where to go together with the ball for the most component. Last year, we noticed a piece of a regression for Ryan. He battled injuries, and Atlanta's walking game was nowhere close to as effective as it changed into in 2008. Yet with  seasons of experience and studying now beneath his belt, count on Ryan to look a bit bit greater like a seasoned vet in 2010.

#15: Joe Flacco - Baltimore Ravens: The general consensus on Joe Flacco is that he had a down sophomore 12 months after a brilliant rookie season. I disagree absolutely with this sentiment. If you bear in mind, Flacco had some good moments his rookie season, however via and huge, he rode the coattails of the rest of his group. Last 12 months, he not only confirmed signs of being capable of manipulate an offense, however he also confirmed that he has the capability to create a ton of huge plays. He's tall, calm in the pocket, has a wonderful arm, and throws the ball to the outside as well as any quarterback in the league. With the addition of Anquan Boldin to the receiving corps this season, I assume Flacco to have a large year.

#14: Matt Schaub - Houston Texans: Schaub is not a bodily talented passer, however he is accurate and a very good anticipator. He reads insurance well, and appears to understand where to go with the ball. Yes he does have a massive, good sized, huge, non-human, and totally unfair weapon in Andre Johnson, however Schaub's four,770 passing yards final season are difficult to argue with.

#13: Matthew Stafford - Detroit Lions: I realize, Stafford threw a whole lot of alternatives closing season, and he is younger, and he's uncooked. So what. This man has titanic talent. He could make throws that best one or  other QB's in the league can make. And if you've been watching him this preseason, it is clean he has taken a massive boom step from his rookie yr. He looks so calm, cozy, and in control. A lot of QB's have expertise. The high-quality ones mix skills with tough paintings and the ability to play the game intelligently. I strongly consider Stafford is on his manner to turning into the form of QB who places it all collectively. It took every ounce of strength in my frame to refrain from putting this man within the top ten. By season's end, I'm confident he will be there.

#12: Tony Romo - Dallas Cowboys: Romo has proven prolonged moments of brilliance, as well as the tendency to disintegrate against exact defenses. He is an accurate passer who receives rid of the ball quick. He has the ability to keep performs alive and find open receivers after the play has broken down (that is extraordinary than being a strolling QB). His largest hassle, even though, is the blitz. He cannot appear to stay inside the pocket against strain. This results in some big performs right here and there when he receives to the outdoor, but it additionally ends in some awful plays and a lack of consistency. If Romo desires to take the plunge to being a exceptional quarterback and now not just a great one, he'll want to be more impregnable in the pocket in opposition to stress.

#11: Eli Manning - New York Giants: You could make the argument that Romo and Eli are interchangeable. But I like Eli's consistency better. He is aware of where to go along with the ball, even in opposition to the blitz. Ultimately, Eli and Romo are comparable in universal ability no matter having specific playing styles. I just sense that with Eli, you recognize what you're going to get. And you could always count on him to be prepared for anything protection he faces.

#10: Donovan McNabb - Washington Redskins: A new uniform shouldn't alternate an excessive amount of about McNabb's game. This is his twelfth yr in the league. At this point, he is who he's, in terms of both the good and the awful. McNabb has as strong of an arm as any QB in the league. We're speakme an absolute cannon. And every so often he breaks out a throw that no different participant inside the league can make. But McNabb's largest problem is that when he makes that exceptional throw, he will fireplace the ball on the walking returned's toes inside the flat at the very subsequent play. McNabb's inconsistencies are heavily rooted in his poor and undisciplined throwing mechanics. But his talent is just too right to keep him out of the pinnacle 10.

#nine: Carson Palmer - Cincinnati Bengals: I love watching Palmer play. The guy is difficult. Not to say he is pretty rattling suitable. He's were given a sturdy arm, accuracy, is aware of what he's doing, and gets rid of the ball on time. Watch intently the subsequent time you notice him on TV. He'll get to the top of his drop and hearth the ball twenty yards downfield to his receiver in stride numerous times a recreation. He genuinely is one of the fine in soccer at playing with timing and rhythm. And this season, he's going to have a ton of expertise round him on both facets of the ball. Could this be the year the Bengals win a Super Bowl?

#8: Ben Roethlisberger - Pittsburgh Steelers: Say what you want to about Ben Roethlesomething for his off the sphere troubles. He can hearth that pigskin. He additionally is probably the hardest quarterback within the league to actually carry to the floor. How regularly have we visible him shed more than one 300-pound defenders after which throw an absolute rope thirty yards downfield to a tightly included receiver and still control to healthy the ball in there? The solution, my friend, is lots. Yet what many do not recognise approximately Roethlisberger is that when he performs from within the pocket, he's at his absolute first-class. His run-around plays make for terrific highlights, however they don't translate to steady quarterbacking. For every one awesome play he has outside of the pocket, he has approximately 10 incompletions/interceptions/sacks from fleeing the pocket too early and making it up as he is going along. If he was higher at gambling in the framework of the offense - essentially throwing the ball wherein it's designed to go - together with his physical capabilities, he would be an elite quarterback without query.

#7: Jay Cutler - Chicago Bears: Yes, I have Jay Cutler beforehand of Roethlisberger. Their accuracy is comparable, however Cutler has a piece of an area in arm energy. And maybe I sound like a broken document, but Cutler plays higher from inside the pocket. And if you really need to convey it up, he is also quicker, faster, and extra athletic than Roethlisberger. He just chooses no longer to run as an awful lot. The factor that Cutler doesn't get sufficient credit score for, even though, is his durability in the face of pressure. He can provide the ball downfield with defenders in his face in addition to all of us within the league. He's extremely company in the pocket. Cutler is at his worst when he makes silly selections and throws the ball to nicely-included receivers due to the fact he thinks he can complete any pass at any time. Yes he's inconsistent. But his inconsistencies stem from correctable things. There is not anything wrong with him mechanically or insurance recognition-sensible, and he is as hard as they come at the position. He simply wishes to scale it back with the stupid throws - some thing Brett Favre also had to do as a young'un. I consider a no-nonsense Offensive Coordinator like Mike Martz will help Cutler enhance this location of his sport dramatically.

#6: Philip Rivers - San Diego Chargers: Rivers might also have the ugliest throwing movement on the grounds that Bernie Kosar, however he's accurate, has a robust arm, and does just about the entirety right when it comes to quarterbacking. He also would possibly throw the first-rate long ball in the sport. As I said in component one in every of this three day collection, to throw a terrific long-ball you want to throw it excessive so it drops into the receiver's fingers at an angle this is too difficult for the protecting back to get to. Rivers does this extremely well. And he can throw it a mile. Don't be fooled by way of his Kenny Powers throwing motion.

#5: Brett Favre - Minnesota Vikings: Did anybody capture Favre last week towards the Seahawks? Did you notice some of the throws he made? At age forty, he's nevertheless slinging it as well as any other QB in the league. While it's tough to disclaim that Brett Favre is amusing to observe, I want he'd get more credit score for the reality that he does all of the little things right. He has uncanny anticipation abilties. He has extra special imaginative and prescient and insurance reputation abilities. When he throws interceptions, it's hardly ever because he's fooled, and more so due to the fact he trusts his arm too much. His accuracy is likewise underrated and overshadowed by all of the different flashy things he does. Favre has had an first rate career, manifestly. He need to cross down as effortlessly one of the top 5 quarterbacks of all time.

#four: Aaron Rodgers - Green Bay Packers: Elite. The most effective word you want to recognize to explain Aaron Rodgers. Skill-clever, he has surpassed the forty-12 months antique model of Brett Favre. He can throw the ball a mile. He could make every unmarried form of throw. And his ability to see the sphere and understand defenses has grown exponentially due to the fact his first begin in 2008. Rodgers is the primary motive why the Packers look like the elegance of the NFC in the meanwhile.

#three: Drew Brees - New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees is an elite quarterback, however not due to the fact he sooner or later gained a Super Bowl. Nobody is an elite QB entirely for winning a title - in any other case Trent Dilfer, Brad Johnson, Mark Rypien, Jeff Hostetler, and so forth could ought to be categorized as such. Brees is elite due to the fact he is amazingly accurate and does the entirety proper. He also is such a suitable anticipator that he absolutely negates having a poor skip-protective offensive line. He gets rid of the ball so quick that the opposing bypass rush not often has time to take advantage of his blockers up the front.

#2: Tom Brady - New England Patriots: Brady had a down yr in 2009 after getting back from his knee damage. He sported a 96.2 QB score and threw for 4,398 yards, 28 TD's, and most effective 13 INT's...Yeah, Brady became horrible. But don't worry Pats fans. This preseason, Brady seems like he is back to his vintage self (I imply the 2007 version, not the 2009 model this is nevertheless higher than about ninety eight percentage of all quarterbacks). Brady has one of the most powerful arms within the league (a large development from his first few years), pinpoint accuracy, great anticipation, the potential to make any form of throw, and the capacity to read coverage quick. He also has the calmest ft in the pocket of any QB in the league. So get excited, Boston sports lovers. You might not ought to whine and moan about your hapless Red Sox anymore as soon as the NFL season begins, because Tom Brady goes to have a monster 12 months.

#1: Peyton Manning - Indianapolis Colts: Think of a quarterback ability, any quarterback talent. Chances are, Peyton Manning has it. He can do all of it. He could make each feasible throw and he can do it against any protection, everywhere, any time. But what units Manning apart is not his accuracy, his statistics, or his control of the offense at the road of scrimmage - despite the fact that those matters do set him aside. What separates Manning from the relaxation is how rapid he methods data, how speedy he acknowledges insurance, and then how quick he reacts. Don't be fooled via everybody who tells you Manning isn't the top dog because he would not have sufficient earrings. Peyton is a ways and away the nice QB within the NFL proper now. He might simply be the fine of all time too.

[junker-town]

Michael Porter Jr. was worth the wait

This is the Michael Porter Jr. the Denver Nuggets were waiting for.

This is the Michael Porter Jr. we’ve been waiting for.

There was a time when it felt like the basketball world was meant to orbit around Michael Porter Jr. As a high school player, Porter’s talent was so apparent it caused entire college basketball programs to bend to his whims. Washington once hired his father away from Missouri to secure his commitment on the recruiting trail. After the Huskies’ coaching staff was replaced following a disappointing year with No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick Markelle Fultz, Mizzou re-hired Porter Sr., who brought his son with him.

At the time, Porter Jr. felt like a generational prospect. A 6’10 forward with a sweet shooting stroke and the type of boundless athleticism that landed him his first SportsCenter appearance as a high school sophomore, Porter had the pedigree to match his raw talent. He dominated Nike’s EYBL circuit posting huge and efficient scoring numbers while playing alongside Trae Young on Mokan Elite. He was a staple of USA Basketball’s youth program and helped bring back a gold medal at the 2016 FIBA Americas U18 Championship. There were Kevin Durant comparisons and early hype he could be the No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick (we originally had him at No. 2 behind only Luka Doncic).

Everything fell apart in the first two minutes of Porter’s time at Mizzou. He exited the season opener with a back injury that eventually led to microdiscectomy surgery of his L3-L4 spinal discs. Porter fought his way back on the court to play in the Tigers’ NCAA tournament game, but it was clear he wasn’t the same player. Concerns over the injury didn’t just cost him his entire college career, it also pushed him down the board to No. 14 in the draft.

The Denver Nuggets were in prime position to take a chance on him. After essentially giving Porter a redshirt season following a second back surgery after the draft, Denver is finally starting to see the player it once appeared he was destined to become.

Porter scored a career-high 25 points on 11-of-12 shooting in the Nuggets’ 124-116 road win over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night. Healthy for the first time in years, the vision of what Porter was always supposed to be has started to come into focus.

The Nuggets had nothing to lose by taking a draft-day flier on Porter with the last pick in the lottery. He was lucky to land with a winning organization that took a patient approach prioritizing his health. After scoring 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting against the Sacramento Kings last week in his first career start, it appears Porter is all the way back to the player he was hyped to be as a recruit.

This is one of the feel-good stories of the year in the NBA. It’s also a tremendous boost for the Nuggets in both the short- and long-term that should have the rest of the Western Conference terrified at where this relationship could go from here.

Porter is a natural-born scorer

Porter’s game has always been about getting buckets. He grew up modeling his game after Durant and was one of the few young players who actually had the skill set to do it. At 6’10, Porter was raised on the perimeter, honing his jump shot first and his ball handling second during a time when he could have dominated on size alone. The work he put in at a young age was always with an eye on how his game would translate to the highest levels. Now it’s happening.

Just look at how much separation Porter caused on this step-back. He turned a mid-range jumper into a corner three with exactly one step.

That MPJ step-back pic.twitter.com/Qa2n27EDnH

— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) January 3, 2020

Porter’s shooting stroke has always been a focal point in his skill set, but he doesn’t solely rely on it. Rather, his shot is used to keep defenses honest against his ability to attack the rim. He beat the Pacers to the basket time and again Thursday, burning close-outs for acrobatic layups at the rim, finishes off cuts, scoring in transition, and even putting small defenders in the post.

This shot chart is a work of art in the modern NBA:

This is Michael Porter Jr.'s shot chart lmao pic.twitter.com/khsjIv9soY

— Ryan Blackburn (@NBABlackburn) January 3, 2020

In his last three games, Porter is 22-of-28 from the field. This has always been a young player with remarkable touch from all three levels. He’s starting to show it now against the best players in the world.

The Nuggets just added another deadly weapon

Just look at how happy Porter’s Denver teammates were after the win over Indiana. They know he’s been waiting for this moment for a long time:

Congrats on the career night, Michael Porter Jr.! pic.twitter.com/9afPIDF5hu

— Nuggets Nation (@NuggetsNationCP) January 3, 2020

The Nuggets only had the opportunity to draft Porter after losing to Jimmy Butler and the Minnesota Timberwolves on the final day of the 2017-18 season. The Wolves earned the No. 8 seed with the victory and Denver got the last pick in the lottery. With a promising young core led by Nikola Jokic already in place, Denver was in a position to be patient with Porter and not rest the hopes and dreams of the franchise on his injured back. Instead, he could get healthy and contribute at his own pace without worrying about needing to be the organization’s one great hope.

Denver is again near the top of the Western Conference — currently in the No. 2 seed at 24-10 — as Porter begins his journey to becoming a regular contributor. Head coach Mike Malone hasn’t just handed him minutes, he’s had to work for every opportunity this season. Porter hasn’t had consistent playing time this season, but he gets closer to earning it with every flash of brilliance.

There is still plenty to work on. He isn’t much of a playmaker for his teammates yet, with only 11 assists in 257 minutes this year. He also will need to get tougher defensively. He’s only had three steals and eight blocks thus far. While he’s far from a finished product, Porter can already stockpile points as a scorer, and that should have Nuggets fans ecstatic.

It looks like everything worked out perfectly for both the player and the organization, given the situation. The Nuggets were in a rare position to let Porter take all the time he needed to get back to being himself. Porter never had to worry about being the franchise savior he once felt destined to be and instead can simply be a valuable contributor to a winning team.

At long last, the Michael Porter Jr. we were always promised might finally be here. Still only 21 years old, we can’t wait to see where his story takes him from here.

[itswallstreetpr]

Future Stars in the Cannabis Stocks Space (GRWG, CURLF, SGMD, TCNNF, ACB, CGC, TLRY)

As the Cannabis space continues to mature, we find ourselves with an “old guard” and a crop of young upstarts racing to steal the torch of leadership away. Given the sharp underperformance of the old guard in recent months, one wonders if the big money in the space has already started to shift its focus. There are valuation and strategy issues to think about as we size this dynamic up for analysis. First off, we know who the old guard is at this point. We’re talking about the likes of Canopy Growth Corp (NYSE:CGC), Aurora Cannabis Inc (NYSE:ACB), and Tilray Inc (NASDAQ:TLRY), among others. Together, these stocks have been dreadful performers in 2019, and valuations are still not exactly enticing. Margin pressure has been the name of the game. That’s why we are starting to look at what we are referring to as: “The Future Stars of the Cannabis Investment Theme”. After all, the notion of overall cannabis industry growth is still completely intact. It’s just a shift in where capital productivity lies. Today, we will look at four interesting prospects: GrowGeneration Corp. (NASDAQ:GRWG), Curaleaf Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS:CURLF), Sugarmade, Inc. (OTCQB:SGMD), and Trulieve Cannabis Corp (OTCMKTS:TCNNF).   GrowGeneration Corp (OTCMKTS:GRWG) is an up-and-comer that is defined by its pick-and-shovel angle on this theme. The company is seeing accelerating growth just as the cultivators are seeing tightening margins. This is a hydroponics player, so it’s able to capitalize the growth in demand and supply. The company just announced that its common shares have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market. GrowGeneration Corp. common shares will begin trading on NASDAQ on December 2, 2019 under the trading ticker symbol "GRWG." "This up-listing to NASDAQ is a major corporate milestone and reflects the financial performance of our Company. As the premier hydroponic supplier in the country, we continue to focus on expanding the number of garden centers, increasing our commercial portfolio of customers, focusing on the cutting-edge products, while expanding revenue and EBITDA. We believe our NASDAQ listing will increase long-term shareholder value by improving awareness, liquidity, and appeal to institutional investors" said Darren Lampert, CEO of GrowGeneration Corp. GrowGeneration Corp (OTCMKTS:GRWG) trumpets itself as a company that owns and operates retail hydroponic and organic gardening stores in the United States. It offers horticultural, organics, and lighting and hydroponics products, including lighting fixtures, nutrients, seeds and growing media, systems, trays, fans, filters, humidifiers and dehumidifiers, timers, instruments, water pumps, irrigation supplies, and hand tools. The company serves commercial and urban cultivators growing specialty crops, including organics, greens, and plant-based medicines. As of September 10, 2019, it operated 25 stores, including 5 locations in Colorado, 4 locations in California, 2 locations in Nevada, 1 location in Washington, 4 locations in Michigan, 1 location in Rhode Island, 4 locations in Oklahoma, 1 in New Hampshire, and 3 locations in Maine. GrowGen also operates an online superstore for cultivators, located at HeavyGardens.com. GrowGen carries and sells thousands of products, including organic nutrients and soils, advanced lighting technology and state of the art hydroponic equipment to be used indoors and outdoors by commercial and home growers. According to company materials, “Our mission is to own and operate GrowGeneration branded stores in all the major states in the U.S. and Canada. Management estimates that roughly 1,000 hydroponic stores are in operation in the U.S. By 2020 the market is estimated to reach over $23 billion with a compound annual growth.” The stock has been acting well over recent days, up something like 12% in that time. Shares of the stock have powered higher over the past month, rallying roughly 7% in that time on strong overall action. GrowGeneration Corp (OTCMKTS:GRWG) managed to rope in revenues totaling $21.8M in overall sales during the company's most recently reported quarterly financial data -- a figure that represents a rate of top line growth of 159.1%, as compared to year-ago data in comparable terms. In addition, the company has a strong balance sheet, with cash levels far exceeding current liabilities ($16M against $9.5M).   Curaleaf Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS:CURLF) is increasingly well-known, but continues to have a feel of an “under the radar” name compared to the Old Guard players in the space, despite existing on a scale that actually supersedes some of the more recognizable names – ie, it may surprise you to know that CURLF surpassed TLRY in sales last quarter by over 25%! As a result, CURLF shares are in a very select group being one of just a handful of pot stocks to actually post gains in 2019 – a year that has featured devastating losses for most stocks in the space. Overall, the company roped in revenues of $64.9M during its most recently reported quarterly financial data. In addition, the company has a strong balance sheet, with cash levels far exceeding current liabilities ($140.3M against $64.1M). To continue its strong momentum, CURLF recently announced it will launch its custom-designed Veterans Cannabis Project pre-roll product in Florida today. According to the release, a portion of all proceeds will benefit the Veterans Cannabis Project (VCP), an organization that advocates for legal and supported access of medical cannabis for veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs. In Florida the boxes will be available for $26, and each box contains five 0.4 oz pre-rolls for a total of 2 grams per box. "We are proud to launch the Veterans Cannabis Project initiative in Florida to provide additional support and education for veterans in the communities we serve," said Pablo Arizmendi-Kalb, President of Curaleaf Florida. "Through this partnership with the Veterans Cannabis Project, we hope to increase awareness for veteran access to medical cannabis." Curaleaf Holdings Inc (OTCMKTS:CURLF) operates a large number of dispensaries, 12 cultivation sites and 9 processing sites with a focus on highly populated, limited license states, including Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. Curaleaf, Inc. leverages its extensive research and development capabilities to distribute cannabis products in multiple formats with the highest standard for safety, effectiveness, consistent quality and customer care. Curaleaf is committed to being the industry's leading resource in education and advancement through research and advocacy.   Sugarmade Inc (OTCMKTS:SGMD) is another example – like GRWG above – of a company positioned to actually benefit from the inevitable margin pinch that has been punishing the “old guard” cannabis cultivators, like Canopy Growth Corp (NYSE:CGC), Aurora Cannabis Inc (NYSE:ACB), and Tilray Inc (NASDAQ:TLRY). As those companies suffer from droves of other growers popping up everywhere to capitalize on expanding legality and demand, a handful of ancillary players, like Sugarmade, are laughing all the way to the bank. As described above, the key point here is that all the producers will need to find strategies to increase efficiency to stay in business as margins tighten. One of the most obvious solutions to that pinch is hydroponics. And Sugarmade is emerging as one of the biggest and fastest-growing hydroponics suppliers in North America, helped by an aggressive M&A roll-up strategy that has already started to pay big dividends. The latest from the company is that it is gearing up to follow GRWG up onto the Nasdaq exchange. “The approval of GrowGen shares for the move up onto the Nasdaq market is a great sign for Sugarmade as we prepare to make a similar move,” commented Jimmy Chan, CEO of Sugarmade. “It’s a positive signal about the hydroponics market and about our overall strategy. It’s time for institutional investors to get heavily involved in the pick-and-shovel ancillary markets surrounding the hemp and hemp-related boom. GrowGen has done a great job, and we are hot on their tail right now, and plan to surpass them in the race to number one in the hydroponics space.” According to this morning’s release, GRWG’s good news is really good news for SGMD as well, given that the two companies are basically twins in terms of revenues, market focus, and scale of operations. SGMD has already booked over $26 million in revenues on a year-to-date basis, and anticipates this number to swell to $32 million on sequential strengthening in gross margins and sales into year end. The company also noted that it is in the process of another major M&A transaction that will significantly further boost overall forward financial projections for 2020. Based on the huge gains seen in GRWG shares as investors see the value of that uplist, the smart money may be quick to line up similar bets in SGMD.   Trulieve Cannabis Corp (OTCMKTS:TCNNF) is in a very select group among cannabis stocks. Like CURLF, Trulieve is actually up this year. And there are just a handful of pot stocks that can claim as much. At this point, you can count the number of cannabis stocks that are positive in 2019 on the fingers of one hand because, as noted above, margins in the space have tightened powerfully, and only a few have managed to adapt and roll with the punches. Helping to foster that successful narrative, the company just announced that it is set to open the doors of its latest Florida location on Tuesday, November 26th, in Lakeland. According to the release, “the Central Florida location is a milestone for Florida's largest operator as Trulieve becomes the first operator in Florida to reach 40 locations. Presently, Trulieve operates 39 other dispensaries throughout the State of Florida, including in the nearby communities of Tampa, Orlando, and Wesley Chapel. The storefront, located on North Florida Avenue in North Lakeland, is part of the company's mission to expand and ensure safe, reliable patient access statewide.” Trulieve Cannabis Corp (OTCMKTS:TCNNF) promulgates itself as a company that engages in the cultivation, possession, distribution, and sale of medical cannabis in the United States. It offers a suite of Trulieve branded products with approximately 125 SKUs, including nasal sprays, capsules, concentrates, syringes, and cannabis flower in tamper-proof containers for vaporizers, topical creams, tinctures, and vape cartridges. The company distributes its products to Trulieve branded stores (dispensaries) in Florida, as well as takes orders online and by phone for delivery. As of November 20, 2018, the company operated 21 dispensaries. "Trulieve has come a long way over the past three years – from closing out 2016 with only two stores to celebrating our record-breaking 40th store in Florida with even more to come in 2019 — and 2020 – as we continue to strategically plan for the future," said Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers. "As the patient registry continues to grow and Florida's residents continue to seek alternative, natural relief, we will continue our mission to expand access to the natural, effective, and safe medications they have come to rely on." And the stock has been acting well over recent days, up something like 6% in that time. Trulieve Cannabis Corp (OTCMKTS:TCNNF) generated sales of $93.4M, according to information released in the company's most recent quarterly financial report. That adds up to a sequential quarter-over-quarter growth rate of 20.5% on the top line. In addition, the company is battling some balance sheet hurdles, with cash levels struggling to keep up with current liabilities ($41.1M against $64.9M, respectively). Read the full article

[torentialtribute]

Cricket News: England selector Ed Smith tips Jason Roy to be Ashes opener

That's enough to bask in the glory of the World Cup, it's Ashes time. That was the message when England named three potential debutants – Jason Roy, Lewis Gregory and Olly Stone – for an inaugural test against Ireland which is basically the practice for the big one against Australia.

This summer of all cricket summers, England barely allowed to catch a breath after the tumultuous events of Lord & # 39; s before the national selector Ed Smith turned up in Canterbury on Wednesday to remind us of the old enemy who waited for the red ball half of this very important season

It is a shame that a ridiculously debilitating schedule – five axis tests being crammed in just over six weeks – does not allow the country to enjoy the hardly credible World Cup Final any longer , but that's the game obsession with packed programs & # 39; s.

[Royals] [Royals] [Royals] [Royals] [Royals] [Royals] [Royals] made his debut for England after impressing have made during the World Cup "

Jason Roy is going to make his debut for England after having impressed during the World Cup

It is almost as if Ireland, who is England too is faced with a four-day test that begins on the following Wednesday from the Lord, a necessary inconvenience is to avoid all thoughts and planning on the first ash test in Edgbaston on August 1.

To that end, England will have to do without Mark Wood, man of the competition in England & # 39; s Last Test in St. Lucia , for at least the first two Ashes games and probably more because of his side injury, t while Jofra Archer is against the clock for the race to be fit for Birmingham.

But Jimmy Anderson was included in a 13-man squad to face Ireland after he made good progress with his calf injury and allowed to play, with a limit on his workload in a six-man attack.

Perhaps the most significant move was expected – Roy confirmed as the

It says a lot about Roy's scarcity of alternatives. Jos Buttler followed by being picked up for Test cricket on the back of his white ball shape, but, really,

Roy has the ability to take a test away from Australia in a single session and faces Ireland, although he has not fully recovered from the hamstring injury, simply because he needs some sort of red-ball practice before facing Mitchell Starc.

Roy introduced himself to lift the World Cup trophy after Sunday's dramatic victory over New Zealand after Sunday's dramatic victory over New Zealand Zeeland "

Roy introduced himself to lifting the World Cup trophy after Sunday's dramatic victory over New Zealand

The Warwickshire pace can read more than 90 mph and has taken 123 first-class wickets at 25 each. to Sri Lanka with England, but did not play before he missed the tour of the Caribbean with a back injury.

LEWIS GREGORY

Gregory has the S omerset attack led fantastically this summer, with 44 wickets at 13.88. The 27-year-old captures the English lions against Australia XI in Canterbury and was last included in the senior squad for an ODI in Ireland in 2015.

]

& # 39; The only question with Jason was when it was the ideal would be time to bring him in, & # 39; said Smith. & # 39; I talked extensively with Joe Root months ago about the scenario in which Jason closed the World Cup full of confidence and full runs and went straight into the ashes and that is what we do with him.

& # 39; We & # 39; ve grown up completely in white-ball cricket and he is a more complete player than he has ever been. There has never been any doubt about his talent, courage and presence on the fold. It really feels like a good time for him to come in. "

Gregory is also certainly looking at a nine-hour bowling all-rounder as a reward for a consistently impressive form for Somerset and the Lions – although at 27 he may not have the pace for an extensive testing career. Stone is bowling back for Warwickshire after a back fracture has shortened his engagement with England in the winter and is now a surprising choice.

Stone will complete the trio of debutants if England decides to Anderson or Chris Woakes In the meantime, Jack Leach & # 39; s presence in the 13 is a reminder to Moeen Ali that he must regain his hitting feeling if he is not allowed to lose his test site and his 50-plus.

By letting Ben Stokes and Buttler rest while Smith admitted that coach Trevor Bayliss had a word with Jonny Bairstow, who was a bit ahead of the last World Cup, to see if they were wanted to add to the sidelines. He didn't do it.

Now Bairstow has withheld the gloves from Ben Foakes, he is not going to let them go, and Foakes does not even make Ashes training camp hopeful that England will compete at St George's Park this weekend

<img id = "i-834d3c89f6802433" src = "https://ift.tt/2LqmA50 image-a-30_1563394887278.jpg "height =" 420 "width =" 634 "alt =" Ed Smith, seen (left) with James Taylor, said that Roy is a more complete player than ever he was "" class = "blkBorder img-

Ed Smith, seen (left) with James Taylor, said that Roy is a more complete player than ever before

STRAUSS & # 39; HEROES HIT THE BIG SCREEN

Ed Smith, seen (left) by James Taylor, said that Roy is a more complete player than he ever was

A large number of England greats met in London on Wednesday for the premiere of The Edge, a film about the side that rose to number 1 in the world in 2011 – by Felix White (soundtrack), Swann, Barney Douglas (director), Anderson, Collingwood, Panesar, Bresnan, Bell, Trott, Strauss, Cook and Finn.

But the fact is that Bairstow is a world-class batsman with the ability to solve England's problems in the top three, where Burns and Joe Denly, as well as the untested Roy,

Foakes has not only proven to be the best wicket-keeper in the world, but is arguably a good enough batter to be a better tall.

The big shame is that Archer is not fit to join the debutants after his spectacular World Cup introduction, but England has shown good management to let the 24-year-old superstar rest and recuperate in Barbados instead from St George & # 39; s Park.

& # 39; We are not sure when Jofra will be available for selection again, but he has a fight when he is fit, & Smith added. & # 39; The medical staff is everywhere in the situation.

& # 39; He ran a side strain, but continued to perform at the highest level at the World Cup, there will be full attention to get him back as soon as possible. & # 39;

For the time being, England should have enough to beat Ireland and get some very important thousands in the legs of their bowlers, with experience of the red ball on the highest podium for Roy.

World Cup? Which World Cup?

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[thrashermaxey]

21 Fantasy Hockey Rambles

  Every Sunday, we'll share 21 Fantasy Rambles – formerly 20 Fantasy Thoughts – from our writers at DobberHockey. These thoughts are curated from the past week's ‘Daily Ramblings’.

Writers: Michael Clifford, Ian Gooding, Cam Robinson, and Dobber

  1. Thirty-two-year-old Alex Radulov equaled his career-high 72 points from a season ago, but he’s done so in 12 fewer games. This is one vet that I’m okay buying in on next season. Dallas rides the big horses and that won’t be changing next year. Another 70-point season seems very doable. (apr3)

  2. Soon-to-be RFA Jacob Trouba will once again be a topic of discussion this offseason. The Jets will need to make some changes as their cap structure shifts with Patrik Laine (RFA), Kyle Connor (RFA) and Tyler Myers (UFA) also in need of new deals this summer. It will be interesting to see if the Jets can manage to lock Trouba down to a long-term deal after consecutive bridge-deals, or if the trade-market finally opens up for the 25-year-old. (apr3)

  3. The Sharks are the first team with four 30-goal scorers (Joe Pavelski, Tomas Hertl, Timo Meier, Evander Kane) since the 2008-09 Red Wings and Flyers. The latter scored his 30th on Saturday, which is the first time since 2011-12 that he has reached that total.

Erik Karlsson returned for the Sharks on Saturday after missing the past 17 games with a groin injury. He was held without a point but was a plus-3 in 22 minutes. He should be available as normal for playoff pools. (apr7)

  4. A late-season callup, rookie Sam Steel ended the season on a high note, posting eight points (5g-3a) over his last seven games. Expect the former WHL scoring star to be on the Ducks’ roster on a full-time basis next season, as he had already posted solid numbers in the AHL (39 points in 50 games). (apr6)

  5. You may have been disappointed in Jakob Silfverberg this season. However, with his goal on Friday, he set a career high in goals with 24. He still hasn’t reached 50 points in his career and it may not happen next season with the Ducks’ scoring attack mainly either on the back nine (Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf), or just getting started (Sam Steel, Troy Terry, Max Jones). (apr6)

  6. Five shutouts this season for Jaroslav Halak, which is not bad for a backup goalie. Moreover, entering weekend action, his ratios (2.34 GAA, .922 SV%) were among the top 10 among goalies who played at least 30 games.

Halak is signed for another year in Boston, which might be something to think about when valuing Tuukka Rask next year. Rask has won 27 games and played in just 46 games this season, which are his lowest totals in six campaigns. (apr5)

  7. Alex Pietrangelo, the father of triplets, has reached the 40-point mark for the third consecutive season and fifth time in six seasons. Obviously, 41 points is a dip from last year’s 54, which Dobber (who is a father himself) warned you about before the season. Pietrangelo’s second-half production (28 points in in 43 games, 0.58 Pts/GP) has been noticeably better than his first-half production (13 points in 28 games, 0.46 Pts/GP), which may be related to the Blues’ remarkable second-half surge. Or, maybe it’s because he’s adjusted to life as a busy dad. (apr5)

  8. Yes, the ‘bunch of jerks’ punched their 2019 playoff ticket. Even though the Canes won’t be providing any victory celebrations after any home playoff wins, I have a feeling that they’ll be a popular underdog to pull for. Petr Mrazek stopped 36 of 37 shots to earn the playoff-clinching victory against New Jersey on Thursday.

Mrazek enjoyed quite a run recently, posting an 11-2-0 record with a 1.68 GAA and a .944 SV% since mid-February. Both he and Curtis McElhinney will be UFAs at the end of the season. Since the Canes are a top-10 team in goaltending, I would have to believe they would bring back at least one of these goalies next season and maybe even both. If you need to pick a Canes’ goalie for your playoff pool, it’s probably Mrazek, although he and McElhinney have basically been splitting starts for the past few weeks. (apr5)

  9. A favourite of many before he stepped foot into the NHL because of solid production in the AHL, Yanni Gourde made the most of his 2017-18 with 25 goals and 64 points. He was a top-100 player in almost any fantasy setup and with him skating on what looked to be a high-powered squad on the verge of multi-year dominance, there was a lot of hope that the 60-plus points would be the norm.

Gourde finished the season with 48 points in 80 games. So, what went wrong?

It should be noted there’s nothing wrong with his goal scoring. He managed 22 goals this year after a season that featured 25 tallies. He does need to shoot more, though – late this past week, he was 200th out of 267 forwards in shot rate at five-on-five – but there is nothing wrong with his goal scoring. It’s his assists, of which there are 14 fewer this year than last, that are the issue.

Realistically, a guy with over 20 goals and pushing 50 points who doesn’t get prime PP minutes and is playing under 16 minutes a night, is a productive guy. It was just below the expectation he set for himself. Can he rebound? That’ll be something else for another day. (apr4)

  10. Mats Zuccarello is a very important player to the Dallas Stars. With him in the lineup, it gives the team two legitimate scoring lines teams need to worry about, something teams didn’t need to fret over before the trade. He just needs to stay in the lineup. (apr4)

* Our interactive playoff draft list is ready for download now! Don’t wait until five minutes before your draft or deadline to purchase it. If you haven’t already preordered it, get yours today! If you have already purchased it, jump right in and enjoy!!

11. We don’t know the exact severity of Connor McDavid’s leg injury sustained on Saturday, or the timeline for recovery, but at least it sounds as if we don’t have to worry about him not being ready for next season.

On the surface, it might not seem like a big deal because the Oilers won’t play games that matter again until October. However, significant injuries will interrupt previously scheduled offseason training plans. Consider Brock Boeser’s slow start this season as an example, after he recovered from a significant back injury and a lingering wrist issue.

McDavid may not have led the league in scoring (he finished second) but he is the only player not to go two consecutive games without a point, which is remarkably reliable. (apr7)

  12. Nikita Kucherov finished the season with 128 points, which is the highest single-season total ever for a Russian-born player.

Kucherov performance earns him the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s leading scorer and he should be considered the fantasy MVP in pure points leagues, as well as many multicategory formats. Expect him to be the top-ranked player in fantasy playoff drafts as the Lightning should be considered the favorite to win the Stanley Cup. Or, to Don Cherry or Brian Burke (can’t remember which one), they’re the easy pick to win. (apr7)

  13. Jake DeBrusk brought his season-ending totals to 27 goals and 42 points in 68 games. He’s producing legitimate top-six metrics in his second season and you’d have to expect there is more to come.

He sees top power-play deployment on a high-end team. He has developed nice chemistry to David Krejci on line two, and despite a conversion rate that will likely slip next season, he’s displaying an ability to find the back of the net on a consistent basis. The breakout may not be next season, but I see a 65-point season in his future. (apr3)

  14. It’s been a terrific late-career jump by Zach Parise, who ended the season with 28 goals and 61 points. This was also as healthy as the 34-year-old has been in the last six campaigns. Don’t expect this to be replicated in 2019-20. (apr3)

  15. There wasn’t much doubt that Alex DeBrincat would be a productive NHLer. The only people who had doubts were apparently almost every NHL general manager outside of Chicago. I don’t think that even the most ardent DeBrincat supporters would imagine that he would be a 40-goal scorer in his second season, however.

This is a guy who could be at 35 goals and we’d still marvel. Even with some regression built in, DeBrincat has shown that he’s an offensive player to be feared for years to come. (apr2)

  16. The Golden Knights signed college defenseman Jimmy Schuldt to a one-year contract. He’ll be a restricted free agent after this season, at which point I imagine Vegas will give him a two- or three-year deal. Our own Brad Phillips wrote on Schuldt about a year ago. I recommend giving it a read here. (apr4)

    17. Fantasy hockey owners (and Red Wings fans) had been waiting for Anthony Mantha to break out for years. He put up 24 goals in 2017-18 but fantasy owners were still a little leery heading into this season. We knew the Red Wings would be bad and we had no confirmation that Mantha would spend the season alongside Dylan Larkin.

Well, the Red Wings were bad but Mantha was mostly attached to Larkin and the result was 25 goals and 48 points in 67 games.

The Red Wings’ rebuild is starting to round into form. They have Larkin, they have Mantha, Tyler Bertuzzi looks like a solid second-line option, Andreas Athanasiou looks like a lethal goal scorer, Filip Hronek has had a very good first year, Dennis Cholowski looked solid when he was with the team, and they have Filip Zadina waiting in the, ahem, wings. What was a bad team is slowly getting better and Mantha is a big part of that. Expect more of the same next year. (apr2)

    18. It’s pretty easy to remember that just a couple years ago, there were doubts as to whether Ryan Pulock would reach his ceiling as a fantasy option. He had done very well in the AHL but was a first-round pick who, by his age-23 season, had played precisely 16 games in the NHL, including just one contest in the 2016-17 campaign.

Pulock broke out with 10 goals and 32 points for the Islanders in 2017-18, doing so playing less than 18:30 a night. The question was if this guy, who just a year prior had concerns about his future, could follow up the breakout, especially when considering John Tavares moving on. 

Well, Pulock finished with nine goals and 37 points, averaging 2.2 shots per game, and he done so while being the secondary option on the power play to Nick Leddy and playing for a mid-pack five-on-five scoring team.

There’s nothing out of line in his underlying numbers, either. His Individual Points Percentage (IPP) at five-on-five is normal and his on-ice shooting percentage is a tad high but certainly not extreme. His shot rate per minute has declined by 20 percent, but the team is playing much more defensively this year than last, so it’s not a huge concern, especially for a guy in his second season.

If we want Pulock to take that next step, he needs power-play time. He has nine power-play points compared to Leddy’s 10, and Pulock has done that largely on the second unit. My hope is that 2019-20 is the year Pulock finally takes the reigns of the top power play and pushes for 50 points. Regardless, he proved this year that he’s a reliable fantasy option. (apr2)

  19. Drake Caggiula’s fantasy hockey value appears to have improved with the Hawks, although not to the point where you should add him in anything more than the deepest of leagues. That’s even with him playing on the Patrick Kane/Jonathan Toews line, although that line combination certainly makes the idea of adding him tempting.

Caggiula will be entering his fourth NHL season next year, so perhaps a full season in Chicago with those linemates can result in some sort of breakout. (apr6)

    20. One player I’ve been waiting years for a breakout is Brendan Gallagher, and it finally came in 2017-18 with his 30-goal campaign. Sure, he had a 24-goal season a few years back and had a very good season in 2015-16 but he only played 53 games. The full breakout came last year but the fantasy market didn’t really believe his breakout as his ADP came outside the top-175 players in standard Yahoo! leagues. This year, with his 33 goals, 302 shots, and 126 hits, he was a top-50 player in this setup.

The reason I had been waiting years for Gallagher were superlative shot rates and the fact a lot of his shots came from around the crease. Those guys typically have a solid floor (think of Patric Hornqvist) but have the upside to be great fantasy assets if shooting percentage ever favors them. With back-to-back seasons shooting over 11 percent (10.9 to be exact for 2018-19), that favor is here, and fantasy owners are reaping the rewards.

The thing is, Gallagher’s still not getting much ice time. His 16:24 per game overall this year is lower than both his 2014-15 and 2015-16 marks. Imagine what he could do if he were ever given the ice time a top-line forward like him deserves? (apr2)

  20. Tyler Bertuzzi continues to roll. For Little Bert (I had called his Uncle Todd ‘Big Bert’ so…), it is now three consecutive three-point games. Very much draftable in the fall and if this line continues to click even at a normal rate, the two offensive guns could really drag Little Bert’s points upward. Very bullish on this guy because of his linemates. I hate drafting and making decisions based on linemates, but I do make exceptions when they clearly work and I have a strong hunch that the line will continue for more than just a few months. That’s where I’m at with Bertuzzi. (apr1)

  21. Oliver Bjorkstrand capped off 2018-19 with nine goals in his last 10 contests. It’s been a disappointing season for Bjorkstrand but suddenly surging late to top 20 goals is a promising consolation. Coach John Tortorella must be thrilled with the fact that Bjorkstrand had 32 SOG over his last eight games. Bjorkstrand turns 24 this week. With the exodus of players likely happening in the Jackets’ offseason, I think it’s very likely that Bjorkstrand finds himself on the top line next season and is a very strong sleeper candidate. (apr1)

  Have a good week, folks!!

  from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-home/21-fantasy-hockey-rambles/21-fantasy-hockey-rambles-12/

[jodyedgarus]

Mike Trout Should Have Won A Playoff Game By Now

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout is a positive outlier in far too many ways to count. But one of the rare negatives in his career to date has been a lack of postseason success — or practically any postseason action, period. The lone playoff appearance of Trout’s career happened back in 2014, when the Angels were unceremoniously swept by the pennant-bound Kansas City Royals in the American League division series. Trout hit 1-for-12 in the series, and his teammates fared little better, bringing Los Angeles’ playoff journey to an end just three games after it began.

It’s hard to believe that those three winless games represent the sum total of playoff experience for a player who, by the numbers, is the greatest of this generation. Even though it’s impossible for any single baseball player to carry a championship team the way stars can in other sports, it is highly unusual for the best player of any given MLB era to go without as much as a single victory in the postseason. The last time it happened was 100 years ago, and that was back when the “postseason” was simply the World Series — so it’s especially shocking to see it happen with today’s expanded playoff structure in which 10 teams make the postseason each year. Even worse, there’s a very good chance that the drought will continue this season for Trout and the Angels, as the decade comes to a close.

Trout has, without question, been the best individual player of the 2010s. Over the decade thus far, he leads all hitters in on-base plus slugging and ranks No. 1 among all players — both batters and pitchers — in wins above replacement (WAR).1 But among his peers atop the WAR leaderboard, Trout stands alone with that goose egg under the postseason win column:2

Trout is the best — but his playoff record isn’t

Major League Baseball leaders in total wins above replacement (WAR) — including both batting and pitching — from 2010 to 2018

WAR Team Postseason* Rk Player Batting Pitching Total Wins Losses 1 Mike Trout +64.5 0.0 64.5 0 3 2 Clayton Kershaw +2.8 55.7 58.5 31 30 3 Max Scherzer +1.5 48.6 50.0 21 27 4 Robinson Cano +49.4 0.0 49.4 10 13 5 Joey Votto +49.3 0.0 49.3 2 7 6 Justin Verlander -0.2 47.5 47.3 32 32 7 Adrian Beltre +47.2 0.0 47.2 12 14 8 Miguel Cabrera +43.3 0.0 43.3 17 21 9 Chris Sale +0.0 42.6 42.6 12 6 10 Zack Greinke +4.3 38.3 42.5 14 20 11 Andrew McCutchen +42.5 0.0 42.5 5 8 12 Buster Posey +40.3 0.0 40.3 36 17 13 Giancarlo Stanton +39.0 0.0 39.0 2 3 14 Cole Hamels +0.9 37.7 38.6 9 14 15 Paul Goldschmidt +38.2 0.0 38.2 3 6 16 Evan Longoria +38.0 0.0 38.0 5 9 17 David Price -0.3 38.0 37.7 22 27 18 Ian Kinsler +37.5 0.0 37.5 29 22 19 Josh Donaldson +37.4 0.0 37.4 14 20 20 Ben Zobrist +36.6 0.0 36.6 31 27

* Includes all games played by a player’s team, regardless of whether the player appeared in the game

Sources: Baseball-Reference.com, FanGraphs

When it comes to the best players of this decade, longtime Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto, whose teams have won just two playoff games during his tenure, and New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton come closest to Trout’s zero-win postseason record. (Stanton used to be in the zero-win club, too, before winning two playoff games with the Yankees last year.) Most of the other top players of the 2010s crack at least double-digits in the playoff win column — headlined by Buster Posey, Justin Verlander and Clayton Kershaw, whose teams have all won at least 30 playoff games this decade.

Granted, Trout has had comparatively fewer chances — he’s played only eight of the decade’s nine possible seasons (through 2018), and one of those was an abbreviated rookie year during which he appeared in just 40 games. In a way, it’s only by virtue of how individually brilliant Trout has been that we’re even in a position to compare playoff records with his rivals like this. But Trout also started his career by joining a team that had been one of the winningest of the previous decade, so you might think that advantage would have helped him make up for the lost time.

Instead, the Angels have consistently surrounded Trout with one of the worst supporting casts of any star ever, largely squandering the windfall his historic output (and cheap price tag) should have offered them. Thanks to a series of terrible free-agent signings, weak drafts and — Shohei Ohtani aside — an inability to add prospects through the international pipeline, Los Angeles has somehow won an average of only 83.8 games per season since Trout’s debut campaign. Even when the Angels looked like they might finally have some promising players around Trout in 2018, they still found a way to finish around .500 in spite of Trout’s MVP-level numbers.

All of which is to say that very little of Trout’s zero-win postseason record is actually Trout’s fault. But it would still be historically notable if the best player of a decade (by WAR) ends up being on a team that wins no playoff games that decade. The best player of the 2000s, Alex Rodriguez, was on teams that won a whopping 26 playoff games, for instance, which is the same number as the best player of the 1950s (Mickey Mantle). Most decade leaders win fewer than that, especially as we go back in time — Willie Mays was the best of the 1960s, but his team won only three postseason contests that decade because, for most of it, the playoffs were World Series or bust. Even so, the last decadelong MLB WAR leader whose teams won zero playoff games was Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators in the 1910s.3

Trout is the rare decade’s-best with no playoff wins

Best player of each decade according to wins above replacement (WAR), along with playoff record* of player’s team(s)

2010s W L WAR 2000s W L WAR Mike Trout 0 3 64.5 Alex Rodriguez 26 22 76.5 Clayton Kershaw 31 30 58.5 Albert Pujols 29 27 72.2 Max Scherzer 21 27 50.0 Barry Bonds 12 13 60.6 Robinson Cano 10 13 49.4 Randy Johnson 17 19 50.8 Joey Votto 2 7 49.3 Carlos Beltran 12 10 50.6 1990s W L WAR 1980s W L WAR Barry Bonds 8 15 80.8 Rickey Henderson 11 4 69.4 Greg Maddux 39 29 68.9 Wade Boggs 7 11 60.0 Ken Griffey Jr. 6 9 66.7 Mike Schmidt 13 12 56.6 Roger Clemens 11 8 66.0 Robin Yount 8 9 52.7 Jeff Bagwell 2 9 56.9 Alan Trammell 8 5 50.9 1970s W L WAR 1960s W L WAR Tom Seaver 6 9 68.3 Willie Mays 3 4 82.2 Joe Morgan 22 15 66.6 Hank Aaron 0 3 78.4 Johnny Bench 26 19 59.4 Frank Robinson 9 8 63.8 Bert Blyleven 7 6 59.3 Roberto Clemente 4 3 62.0 Gaylord Perry 1 3 57.1 Bob Gibson 11 10 59.2 1950s W L WAR 1940s W L WAR Mickey Mantle 26 21 67.9 Ted Williams 3 4 68.0 Stan Musial 0 0 60.0 Lou Boudreau 4 2 60.4 Robin Roberts 0 4 59.4 Stan Musial 13 10 58.2 Willie Mays 6 4 57.7 Hal Newhouser 7 7 56.2 Warren Spahn 7 7 56.5 Joe Gordon 13 8 46.9 1930s W L WAR 1920s W L WAR Jimmie Foxx 7 6 74.9 Babe Ruth 18 15 104.9 Lou Gehrig 20 3 74.7 Rogers Hornsby 5 7 95.1 Mel Ott 7 9 69.4 Harry Heilmann 0 0 55.4 Lefty Grove 7 6 66.1 Frankie Frisch 14 15 55.4 Charlie Gehringer 7 6 60.8 Tris Speaker 5 2 50.6 1910s W L WAR 1900s W L WAR Walter Johnson 0 0 100.3 Honus Wagner 7 8 81.5 Ty Cobb 0 0 84.3 Christy Mathewson 4 1 68.0 Tris Speaker 8 4 75.6 Cy Young 5 3 66.4 Eddie Collins 19 15 72.5 Nap Lajoie 0 0 64.1 Pete Alexander 3 8 63.5 Rube Waddell 1 4 53.2

* Includes all games played by a player’s team, regardless of whether the player appeared in the game

Sources: Baseball-Reference.com, FanGraphs

It’s certainly more possible for baseball’s best players to come up short in the postseason than in, say, basketball. Going back to the start of the NBA in 1949-50, no best player of any decade (according to a mix of value over replacement player, win shares and estimated wins added) ever played on teams that posted fewer than 30 playoff wins during that span.4 Yes, more than 50 percent of NBA teams make the playoffs each year, but we’re still talking about a handful of playoff wins per season as the minimum baseline — at the high end, LeBron James’s teams have 120 playoff wins this decade (though he won’t be adding to that tally this year). But several moves to add more postseason slots since 1994 have theoretically made it easier for MLB to show its best players in the games that matter most. For the most part, you can see the effects of that bearing out in the playoff records for top stars since the 1990s — except in the case of Trout.

And this season may not remedy the situation. The Angels are desperately trying to put Trout in a position to drive more runners in, and Ohtani could be part of that equation as a hitter again by May. But for now, FiveThirtyEight’s early preseason MLB forecast projects Los Angeles to win 81 games, with a 25 percent chance of making the playoffs. If we assume they’d have about a 45 percent chance of winning any given playoff game,5 there’s an 85 percent chance they won’t win a playoff game this year either, continuing Trout’s dubious streak through the end of the decade.

If that does happen, it shouldn’t reflect poorly on Trout’s own greatness. In fact, it’s a testament to how far we’ve come in analyzing players that we no longer ask postseason records to carry anywhere near as much weight as they used to in these kinds of debates. But it won’t make Trout’s record any less of a historical anomaly. In an era where making the playoffs is easier than ever, baseball should be able to showcase its greatest player winning games on the postseason stage. That hasn’t happened yet — and the Angels are running out of time to change Trout’s fate before he potentially leaves town for good.

from News About Sports https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/mike-trout-should-have-won-a-playoff-game-by-now/

[buddyrabrahams]

10 early NBA MVP candidates

The NBA season is young, but a number of fascinating storylines have already emerged. Jimmy Butler got his wish and was traded to a contender. The Warriors have managed obvious tension between Draymond Green and Kevin Durant. LeBron James and the up-and-down Lakers are figuring things out on a nightly basis. The red-hot league continues to produce compelling storylines.

We are now a quarter of the way through the 2018-19 season, and a handful of players have stood above the pack as the best in the league. Who will win the top individual honor at the NBA Awards in June? Here are 10 early MVP candidates.

10. Victor Oladipo, Pacers

Last season’s Most Improved Player took a big leap when he transitioned from Oklahoma City to Indiana, and he’s taken another leap this season. The former Indiana Hoosier is back to his roots, and he’s become not only a fan favorite but also one of the most dominant guards in the league. After going toe-to-toe with LeBron and the Cavs in the first round of last postseason (it’s still crazy the Pacers didn’t win that series), Oladipo entered this season with newfound confidence. Oladipo’s two-way play makes him so impressive. Yes, he’s efficient and explosive on the offensive end, but he’s also one of the most dynamic defenders in the league. He’s averaging 1.6 steals in addition to his 21.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game this season.

9. Kevin Durant, Warriors

The rumors are everywhere: Kevin Durant is leaving Golden State! It may seem that way, but there’s still plenty of time for things to change. Maybe K.D. will have a change of heart. Maybe the Warriors will trade Draymond. In the meantime, as the dust settles on the Dubs’ drama, Durant has had his best season with the Warriors. He’s averaging 29.2 points (he hasn’t scored this much since his 2013-14 MVP season), 7.8 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game. Those are all highs for his career in Golden State. Though his outside shot hasn’t been falling (he’s hitting only 32 percent), he has been incredibly efficient inside the arc. Don’t expect Durant to fall out of the MVP chase just because there are locker-room issues in the Bay.

8. Kawhi Leonard, Raptors

Kawhi had a scorching start, but he came somewhat back to earth in early November. Leonard had a minor “slump,” if you could call it that. In his past few games, however, he has returned to early-season form. He is consistently putting up 25 points and 10 rebounds, and his Player Efficiency Rating of 24.2 is one of the best in the league. The Raptors have the league’s best record at 18-4, and they owe much of that to Leonard, who has rebounded nicely from his tumultuous quadriceps injury. But don’t sleep on the efforts of Kyle Lowry, who is also in the MVP chase and belongs in the “honorable mention” category of this list.

7. Kemba Walker, Hornets

Kemba was surrounded by trade rumors all of last season and the offseason. It appeared LeBron and the Cavs were this close to trading for the former UConn star before February’s trade deadline. But Michael Jordan has held onto Walker, and it’s made him look like a genius. The Hornets are only 11-10, but they have a real shot at a mid-conference playoff seed in the weakened East. Walker, who currently makes only $12 million annually but is set to be a free agent in 2019, is having a career year. He’s averaging 27.9 points, 6.5 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting 38.5 percent from three-point range.

6. Anthony Davis, Pelicans

Folks expected a lot from the Pelicans this season, but they have underperformed. They’re 11-11 (having lost four of their last five games), and that simply won’t get it done in the loaded West. Folks also expected Davis to emerge as the best player in the game, and that hasn’t happened either – the Greek Freak has been the one to level up – but Davis is still having a phenomenal season. He’s averaging 27.0 points, 2.7 blocks, 12.8 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game. His rebounding and assist numbers are career highs. Davis is doing all he can, but the Pelicans are headed in a negative direction. Don’t be surprised if Alvin Gentry loses his job this season.

5. Joel Embiid, 76ers

Embiid said before this season that it was his goal to win MVP. It was a lofty goal, but clearly he was ready to pursue it. Though he’s now playing alongside two other All-Stars, Embiid is right in the thick of the chase. His scoring average has increased by more than five (from 22.9 per game last season to 28.1 this season, good for the fourth-highest average in the league). Further, his rebounds (13.3), assists (3.5) and blocks (2.0) have also increased. He’s firing more confidently and frequently from beyond the arc. Embiid is no longer The Process. Now he’s The Present. Knowing the story of how he got here, it’s been so fun to watch his development.

4. Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers

Damian Lillard heard all the noise: the Blazers are a regular-season team, Terry Stotts is on the chopping block, the Blazers need to trade Dame or C.J. McCollum, etc. There wasn’t very much positive Blazers talk this offseason after Portland suffered a sweep at the hands of the Pelicans in the postseason. But Lillard has taken it upon himself to silence his team’s critics. After starting 12-5, Portland has come crashing back to earth, losing its last three, but Lillard has been tremendous all season. He’s averaging 26.5 points, 6.1 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game, and he’s already eclipsed the 40-point mark three times. Dame Dolla still needs to become more consistent from outside, but he continues to blossom into one of the league’s best point guards.

3. LeBron James, Lakers

Would you expect anything less from this guy? What a beast. He’s 33 and soon to be 34. He just willed the helpless Cavs to four straight Finals. And yet here he is, again carrying his team. In his first season with the Lakers, King James is averaging 28.3 points per game – his most since 2009-10, when he was 25 and in his final season (for the first go-round) with Cleveland. He’s also averaging 7.9 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, and his three-point shooting has improved to 38.6 percent. Somehow, even though it doesn’t seem like he’s trying his hardest, he very well could be an MVP finalist yet again this season. Is there anything LeBron can’t do?

2. Steph Curry, Warriors

The Warriors’ drama has distracted from the incredible season Steph is having. Traditionally, small guards in the NBA don’t age gracefully. Chef Curry is bucking that trend. He’s averaging 29.5 points per game, second most in the league and his most since his last MVP season (2015-16). He’s shooting a career-best 49.2 percent from three-point range and 51.5 percent from the field. He could quite possibly have a 50-50-90 season – how insane is that? The Warriors may lose Durant, or Klay Thompson, or Draymond Green, but Curry isn’t going anywhere. That fact must delight Golden State fans given how dominantly the 30-year-old Davidson product has performed this season.

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks

This is it. This is the season we wanted from Giannis. In last year’s postseason – Milwaukee fell to Boston in the first round – and in last year’s All-Star Game, it was clear the Greek Freak wasn’t quite there. He had all the potential in the world, but he wasn’t one of the league’s best players yet. Now, he’s there. Behind new coach Mike Budenholzer, the Bucks are 14-6, good for second in the East and second overall in the NBA. Giannis is averaging 26.8 points per game, nearly matching his career best of 26.9, in addition to career-bests of 13.0 rebounds and 5.9 assists. What makes this all the more amazing: he still can’t shoot! He’s hitting only 12.5 percent of his three-point attempts. And yet here he is, atop our list of early MVP candidates. It’s no hyperbole to say this guy, still only 23, is one of the most gifted athletes in the history of pro sports.

Aaron Mansfield is a freelance sports writer whose work has appeared in Complex, USA Today, and the New York Times. You can reach him via email at aaroncmansfield@gmail.com.

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