#let's make Jeremy Jordan trend

[lalarose216]

Forced my host parents to watch livesies and halfway through The World Will Know, my host dad went “Oh, so ‘The World’ is the name of the newspaper. So, ‘The World Will Know’ . . . Ah.”

Then he fell asleep right before Seize the Day.

[sunset-not-straight]

So, I did the trend make my friend guess the name of JATP characters.

Honestly, I don't do trends much, but this is way to good to miss out.

The first round: Luke

I showed her 2 pictures of him and I gave her a few hints. We are not from a English speaking country so I told her to pull up a list of male English names.

I gave her two hints that were "he sings and plays guitar". This is what she got from looking at him and from the two hints:

Henry because he looked young.

Luke (!!!) because he had that mischievous look and kinda reminded her of Loki.

Ian also because he had a mischievous look and I still don't know how she got Ian from his face.

She kept associating him with names had letter L in them (Levi, Leo, William, Liam, Oliver...) And she thought of Charles (!!!) so I told her Charlie was the actor. Her final guesses were Austin (for some reasons) and Luke. I let her have this one. 1/8

The second round: Reggie

She said he looked mature and I just knew I had picked the wrong pictures. Or I could just blame it on Jeremy. But that also meant she would pick the more mature sound names and that was exactly what she needed to do. My hint was that his name could be shortened into a nickname.

She said Nicholas first. Then Greyson for some weird reasons. Then Andrew but she thought people with this name should have more beard and this was not it.

She settled for Christian and I just had to say "WHY?" Her score was still 1/8.

The third round: Alex

Keep in mind I picked Alex as my English name long ago and it's stuck now. My hints were that he played drum and his name was very familiar to her (because of me, obv).

First, she got Carter, Anthony (but she said it sounded like ants so no), Jordan and Austin (but she said the face did not go with Austin so nope to that too).

Then she picked Leonard (for Leonardo da Vinci, I still don't get why to this moment) but her final picks were Christopher or Alexander (!!!) I let her have this one. 2/8

The fourth round: Julie

My hints were: She plays the piano and her voice is absolutely amazing.

She said Julie first, 'cause she knew the show's name. But I use some reverse psychology on her by asking if she was sure so she said nevermind next.

Her last pick was Olivia. Too bad. She never noticed the necklace until I pointed it out. 2/8 still.

The fifth round: Flynn

I told her this round was hard. And that her name was gender neutral (was I correct? I remember some boys in some stuff had this name).

She picked Ezra first but settled for Noah. Yikes. 2/8.

I can only have 10 picture in here so the rest will be in my reblog.

[lalarose216]

Happy 40th birthday, Jeremy Jordan!!!! 💕❤️💕

❤️💕💕

[jack-kellys]

so while no nuance november is a tiktok trend, i don’t really have a presence there.. and neither does newsies, so. no nuance november: rizz’s hot takes. also hello, how are you guys????

disclaimer i GUESS: i do respect yall, this isn’t... bullying. just opinions. calm it down. 

if you still see jack kelly as white, you’re wrong. full stop incorrect- we did not consume the same piece of media if you still wholeheartedly see that. i can understand white presenting, but... theres gotta be Something for the story to be believable for me

i think there can be options in how people present crutchie, since a “crutch” does not have to mean a physical, literal crutch. a crutch is an accommodation. easily it could be nearly any other disability- i’d love to see a deaf or hoh crutchie (yes i know there was an asl production, obviously this is different)

is this an immigrant time period or isn’t it? what the fuck’s all this english doing on stage?? throw in some other characters speaking other languages or you’re representing history more incorrectly than you already are. 

jeremy jordan is worth the hype, not the idolization. 

speaking of actors, they are PEOPLE, not characters. the obsession with btc at this point is borderline disgusting, that one i’m really not kidding about. stop it. i still see this shit

also isn’t it interesting how the majority of the fandom seems mainly attached to the white actors? hmmm...... 🧐 

at this point its nearly hard to watch jerjor as jack kelly just based on age✌🏼

sprace. absolute no from me dawg, no chemistry. they’re great as an ooc relationship, but there is so nothing there it’s not even funny. there are some good fics out there though for sure. ALSO 92sies is.. a Bit more valid i’ll let yall have it. in theory not practice for both versions

jatherine is also valid, in theory. in practice, there is also no chemistry, which is horribly unfortunate

sarah jacobs is borderline essential to the newsies plot if they ever hope to spread strike news to the rest of the city’s children workers

i’m extremely bored of blond skinny racetrack, aren’t you guys already??? make him black, write him black. just. literally. draw racetrack black or i will and thats a threat. 

unrelated but out loud trying to say 92sies i said “ninety tuesdays”

anyone who still writes david as this mumbling nervous hand-wringing kid.... did you watch the musical? did we see the same thing? writing ooc is fine, and you guys even write it extremely well, but you gotta admit thats ooc

maybe the hottest take: yall need to acknowledge that the ensemble has no character- they could give those lines to literally anyone. they are tradable and don’t truly give real personality- not enough for a whole character, at least. the bright side of that is that whatever yall have written for newsboy number 57? congrats! you now have an oc, and that’s the coolest thing about this fandom.

a fandom which i miss.. like nothing’s happening and nothing will happen again but like hi guys

nsfw take under the cut ;)

jack kelly is not a top i repeat JACK KELLY IS NOT A TOP!!!!!!! hes not. jack’s the blowhard 👀.... davey... is the brains. rb if you know the truth 😤

[lalarose216]

JEREMY JORDAN WHO PLAYS JAY ON BROADWAY HAS THE SAME BIRTHDAY AS YOU!!!!

And more importantly HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

I turn 18 today!!! Fuck have to make this Gatsby related uh Jay was 18 once!

[lalarose216]

I was too late to vote but JJ by a loooooong shot.

Honestly I really don’t think Leo’s a great actor and JJ honestly blows my mind in The Last Five Years.

GUYS I NEED YOUR HELP IM FIGHTING MY BEST FRIEND:

who’s a better actor

Jeremy Jordan

or Leo Dicaprio

You can only vote if you know who both of them are

[brentwatchesmovies]

Top 10 Movies of 2017

Another year is behind us, so that means it’s time for everyone’s ‘my favorite ________ of 2017’ lists. This year, I’m folding to peer pressure and changing the ‘top 8’ favorite movies to ‘top 10’ because honestly, there were too many awesome movies and I originally only did it because that’s how Tarantino narrowed his picks and I wanted to seem cool or something. (On a quick related note, I can’t believe this is my 8th year of doing one of these dumb things. Crazy.) On a personal level, 2017 has been a wild year for me. I got married to my best friend, started a much better and satisfying job, and found out we’re going to be parents this year. It’s going to be an incredibly busy and life-changing 2018, and I can’t wait for it.

In terms of the past year in cinema, it’s been amazing as well. I wanted to see as many movies as I could before finalizing my favorites, and was pretty successful, with a few exceptions. I wasn’t able to see Phantom Thread, The Post, The Florida Project, The Emoji Movie or Coco, to name a few (not seeing the new PTA and Spielberg movies before writing this KILLS me). A lot of the choices on my list might be predictable, especially if you follow me on Twitter, or read movie sites/blogs. Twitter has kind of taken over my actually writing posts for this blog anymore, and maybe one day I’ll get better at coming back here and putting thoughts down (probably not though). Like I’ve said in previous years, these really don’t have a ranking, unless I specify it’s my ‘favorite’ over the others. This is a 100% subjective list, based on an incomplete sampling. The movies listed below either moved me in a huge way, were a complete blast, and/or stayed with me long after I saw them. That’s enough preamble though, let’s get to my favorites of 2017!

In my eyes, this whole reboot-prequel-whatever trilogy is a cinematic miracle. This series, on it’s surface is a very campy, B-movie concept. What Rupert Wyatt and now Matt Reeves have done here is a staggering directorial achievement. This entry further fleshes out the already relatable and complex characters, and continues to add emotional depth that the originals could never even touch. In my eyes, this is what makes this the best movie trilogy since The Lord of the Rings. War Apes (what I find to be the best shorthand for this entry) is the ‘Return of the King’ equivalent of this trilogy. It takes Caesar’s story in darker, more unexpected places, and in a perfect world, would net Andy Serkis an Oscar nomination for best actor. If you’ve slept on this series because it seemed silly, or not really your jam, definitely take the time to catch up with it, it’s most definitely worth it.

This was one of the last movies I saw before making this post, and having just seen it a few days ago, it’s the movie I’ve been thinking about most. In a year that I think a lot of people would call ‘complete awful garbage’, (or something similar), Guillermo Del Toro’s love story of the ‘others’ in society; the forgotten and the disenfranchised, hits home. I’m still working through my thoughts on all of it, but it’s up there with my favorites of his filmography. I don’t think GDT has ever made a movie so unapologetically ‘him’. A sequence near the end of the movie is one of my favorite things I’ve seen all year, and I thought to myself during it that nobody other than this one enigmatic, creative and strange man could make something so unique and beautiful. This one definitely isn’t for everyone, but if you like GDT’s movies, I have a feeling you’ll be on board with this one as well.

From this point forward, if Taylor Sheridan has a new movie coming out, I’ll be there to see it. The previous writer of such films as Sicario and Hell or High Water makes his directorial debut with Wind River. It follows a standard neo-western trend of his previous films, but this time moving the story to snowy Wyoming. Setting the location on an American Indian reservation allows Sheridan to bring up timely themes as well, such as the incredibly high rate at which Native American women disappear on reservations, and how few are ever actually found. It’s an incredibly moving and intense story that plays out after the initial murder/mystery is established, going to some of the most intense places thematically that I’ve seen in a movie this year. The cast all around is stellar, and Jeremy Renner specifically has never been better than he is in this movie. If you’re a fan of neo-westerns or Sheridan’s other movies, Wind River is absolutely worth checking out.

I had been anticipating this movie since I heard about it, having been a huge fan of ‘The Indoor Kids’ podcast, hosted by Emily Gordon and her husband Kumail Nanjiani. It’s a video game podcast that they ended a few years back, but every now and then, they would hint at how they met. This movie is how their eventual marriage came to be, and it’s a beautiful love story, which just so happens to fit the mold of one of the best romantic comedies ever made. Not only is it a great comedy, but also dramatically complex due to Emily’s time spent in a coma at the beginning of their relationship and Kumail’s meeting of her two parents. Everyone in this movie gives it their all, with Ray Romano and Holly Hunter standing out as Emily’s parents. The movie also tackles what it’s like to be the child of an immigrant in America, and that perspective was fresh and eye-opening for a big Hollywood movie. This is definitely one to watch with the family.

*potential spoilers for mother!*

If you read my post I wrote about ‘Noah’, you’ll probably understand why I love this movie so much. This is the second film by Darren Aranofsky that explores the morality of not only God, but of the entire bible this time around. Something about that intent clicks with me. Maybe it’s being raised in church until my late teens or the religious cynic inside me, but I love when he tackles these issues. The fact that this religious interpretation is only one of many possible ways to read this movie is what makes it fascinating. Is it about climate change and how we’re destroying the earth? Is it a dramatization of the Bible and God’s relationship with humanity? Or is it about the relationship between artists, the things they create, and the audience? On top of these questions, Mother! Is beautifully shot, acted and constructed. I was pretty much in shock for the entire last third of the movie and that’s more than I can say for almost any movie I’ve seen this year.

Y’all probably knew this was coming, right? I’m so in the bag for Star Wars movies that any objectivity is completely out the window at this point. I also understand that many people REALLY do not like this movie, and I’ve been grappling with that and processing it since I saw the movie a couple weeks ago. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to see the movie a second time, so this is based entirely off my first time seeing The Last Jedi. This movie was everything I wanted and more. It absolutely has faults worth talking about, but to me, the highs of TLJ far outweigh the lows. There were moments in this movie that I yelled in joy, smiled ear to ear and also cried on numerous occasions. For the first time since watching the original trilogy as a kid, I felt like I was watching a true Star Wars movie, with the original series characters, and the great new ones established in VII as well. The prequels have their moments, and Rogue One and Force Awakens were fun diversions in fan fiction, but to me, this movie felt true to what I love about Star Wars. I can’t wait to watch it again.

Sometimes I just think to myself, “it’s really damn cool that I’m around at the same time as Christopher Nolan.” The guy will go down as an all-time great director, and I love that with Dunkirk he proved that he doesn’t need a high concept idea and a ton of exposition to sell it. All you need to tell a gripping story is a camera and a story with baked-in drama, like the evacuation of Dunkirk. The movie is almost a silent film with how little dialogue there is, relying solely on Hoyte van Hoytema’s beautiful cinematography and Nolan’s adherence to old-school film techniques, with as little CG as possible. Dunkirk makes for the most intense theater going experience I’ve probably had all year, and I fear that seeing it at home can never reach the levels of seeing it on the big screen. Regardless, Dunkirk is possibly Nolan’s best film yet, an exciting evolution of his directorial skill, and one of the best war films of all time.

In my opinion, there was no greater surprise at the theater this year than Jordan Peele’s ‘Get Out’. A social horror film in the vein of such classics as ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ and ‘The Step-ford Wives’, and on the same level of quality as well. I’d also have to say that Get Out epitomizes the state of our country the best of any other movie I’ve seen this year, perfectly nailing racial tensions much more nuanced than your typical racist-redneck-murder-family horror movies ever could. I rewatched the movie again over Christmas (this and the Witch make great Christmas movies btw) and it reaffirmed how tightly written, acted and directed it truly is. Every setup has a fulfilling payoff, every character a great/exciting/terrifying moment, and it has one of the most subversive, ingenious endings I’ve seen of this, or any year.  Get out is a certified horror classic, and easily one of the best movies of the year.

Coming-of-age stories are very often ‘my jam’, as I’m sure you could surmise from any number of posts on here from the past. What I loved so much about Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Call me by Your Name’ is the sincerity and honesty in every one of the characters in the movie. The two leads (played by Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer) wear their hearts on their sleeves, and soon find themselves in a summer love affair. What this movie captures so well is that feeling of young ‘love’, or at least infatuation with amazingly believable ease. It also features a moment between Timothée Chalamet’s character and his father (played by the always great Michael Stuhlbarg) that crushed me. It hit me right in the nexus of all my dad baggage, past and present, and turned me into a weeping mess. I aspire to be the kind of loving, understanding and wise father that Timothée Chalamet’s character is blessed with in this movie.

Alright guys, time for my favorite movie of the year, and it’s easily Denis Villeneuve’s science fiction masterpiece: Blade Runner 2049. No movie transported me completely like this film did. The entire run time of the movie was almost like an out of body experience. It was surely aided by seeing it on the massive downtown IMAX screen, but when myself and a couple friends walked out of this movie, we were practically in shock. I’m sure I sound hyperbolic right now, but in my eyes this movie is a top-to-bottom cinematic masterpiece. It expands and even improves on themes and ideas that the first film only flirted with. It deepens the philosophy of the world in interesting ways, and does all this with a far more emotional core than the first ever had as well. I’d be remiss not talking about how beautiful this movie is as well. If Roger Deakins doesn’t win his first Cinematography Oscar for this film, somebody should get 25 to life. The second this movie ended, I knew it was my movie of the year, regardless of what else I saw in 2017. It’s a sequel for the ages, and a science fiction film that people decades from now will look back on with intrigue and wonder.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Thor Ragnarok

Brigsby Bear

Brawl in Cell Block 99

Okja

Baby Driver

Your Name

Logan

John Wick: Chapter 2

Spider-Man: Homecoming

I, Tonya

That’s going to do it for my top films of 2017, thanks so much for reading! If you have thoughts or opinions on my list, hit me up on Twitter or Facebook and let’s talk about them (unless it’s a bad Last Jedi take, those won’t do). It was incredibly hard to cut out some of the honorable mentions but overall I’m extremely happy with my list and all of the movies I was lucky enough to see this year (and lucky enough to have an awesome wife who understands and accepts my movie-going addiction!) Share this post with your friends if you’d like, and I hope you have a great 2018!

[lalarose216]

😍

Hey pintrest can you stop calling me out please

[lalarose216]

I've got a dream!!! I've got a dream!!!

For Jeremy Jordan to give the light that's GREEN!!!!

He said that dreams come true

In Santa Fe, for sure, they do!

But this time it's to go to ITALYYYYYY!!!!

My host family spent five weeks in Assisi, where St. Francis is from (I had an earlier post about finding out Santa Fe was named after him, and Jack's real name is Francis, so he's literally named after his dream place).

My host dad (JJ's doppelgänger) said (without knowing about Gatsby AT ALL) if he gets the "green light" then we'll go again. It's always been my dream place to go to. (Dreams come true . . . yeah they do . . .)

So I made this presentation for my host dad. I asked what he'd do if I got Jeremy Jordan himself to say he gave the green light, and he said it'd help.

So, on Jeremy Jordan's 40th birthday, I'm posting this in hopes it will SOMEHOW get to him, and he shall give us his blessed green light and we shall return to Assisi, the roots of Santa Fe and Newsies and Jeremy Jordan's career.

[lalarose216]

Oh you’re cool, I like you

shiksa goddess has been on loop for hours. I think I may have a problem

[dippedanddripped]

Who would have thought that, in fashion, the decade that started with Lady Gaga's meat dress would largely be shaped by a once-niche, performance-heavy subsection of the industry? If you had told me then that, by the end of 2019, sneakers would represent a growing multi-billion dollar business, I would've probably been skeptical. But that's the reality as we enter the 2020s, with the sneaker industry outgrowing the margins and coming to dominate the mainstream and resale platforms like StockX being valued at $1 billion on their own.

But just ten years ago, the retail landscape was totally different — especially for sneakers.

In the early 2000s, "you could buy online — eBay was a great way to dig for vintage without getting your hands dirty, and there were little sites like Vintage USA that inexplicably had older shoes in size runs. Other than that it was mainly big retailers like Foot Locker," says Russ Bengtson, arguably one of the most knowledgeable sneaker journalists working today. "Sneaker boutiques weren't really a thing yet."

That started to shift, he says, when Flight Club opened in New York in 2005. "At first it was cool because it was a place you could sell stuff you didn't want anymore, or you realized you were never going to wear — all of a sudden you could buy a pair for $150 and flip them for $1500 that same week," Bengtson says. "Once that happened there were a lot more would-be buyers. You might not care about a particular shoe, but you'd care about making 1000% profit. Retail became the new wholesale."

However, in the early 2010s, the sneaker community was still primarily enthusiast-only, connected online through forums like NikeTalk. Slam, Complex and a few other publications were covering sneakers and streetwear at the time, but it hadn't quite found a mass audience. Around the same time, the purchasing process — drops and all — began to migrate from brick-and-mortar to online. Jazerai Allen-Lord, a creative strategist at Crush Lovely and sneaker designer, remembers "that time being very segmented" when it came to shopping: "Every shoe had a different way or set of rules around how to buy it."

Then, of course, came Instagram. "It leveled the playing field in another way, in that you get a lot of people chasing the same things," says Bengston. "I feel like the past 10 years in sneakers has been a great example of 'be careful what you wish for.'"

The democratization of information that has come to define the social-media era afforded access to niche, geographical trends to the masses. "We started to see more of like a uniform rather than clear differentiation between groups," Allen-Lord recalls. "Before there were tons of sub groups — people that liked SBs, people that collected running shoes or Asics or Jordan heads."

It wasn't until the second half of the decade that we started to see sneaker culture recognized and covered in legacy media. Publications like the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times began trying to cover streetwear like they would a luxury fashion house. Among the traditional fashion industry, tastemakers would wear high-end apparel with Nikes, Adidas Stan Smiths or Vans Old Skools to Fashion Week by 2016.

Early collaborations, like Nike and Supreme in 2002, laid the foundation for sneaker brands collaboration with fashion houses. As streetwear was adopted in the mainstream and athleisure peaked, higher-end designers like Jeremy Scott, Alexander Wang and Stella McCartney released their own collections with sneaker giants. But there was one partnership that really shifted the conversation to those outside of sneaker enthusiasts: Kanye West's Yeezy x adidas.

"[Yeezy] really became super hype, but in a different, more exposed, entertainment way," Allen-Lord points out. "Not just the Yeezy [sneaker], either — but Kanye's presence in sneaker culture changed the relationship to talent and sneakers from a performance stance."

To some sneakerheads, though, the bandwagoners really began to hop onto their lifestyle when aftermarket platforms like Stadium Goods, GOAT and StockX — which let consumers flip new and used sneakers — popped up. They added structure to the longstanding process of reselling sneakers, plus authentication to deter counterfeits. In some cases, they also offered data to consumers that even brands hadn't been able to capture: StockX, also known as "the stock market of things," publicly provides sales information like how many shoes of a specific silhouette sold (and for how much), the trade range and the volatility of the price; even if you don't purchase through the platform, you can accurately see the demand for a shoe.

"The expansion of all these reselling platforms turned sneakers into a commodity in ways both good and bad," says Bengston. "It's cool that you're no longer restricted by geography in terms of what you can acquire but the very rarest sneakers have market-driven values. Once it's easy to find out what something's worth—and at this point it's all a Google search away—the chance of getting a 'steal' becomes increasingly unlikely."

You no longer had to be a sneakerhead to appreciate sneakers. All this access allowed the casual consumer a place to shop for sneakers that may not be the most coveted Virgil Abloh collab of the moment but were still cool nonetheless.

"You own a pair of sneakers if you are a 20- to 25-year-old woman — because you do HIIT or yoga, you hike or do an activity, whatever that looks like, because wellness and self-care is pinnacle in this holistic experience of a young woman," Allen-Lord says. "In the last 18 months, every single request that I've gotten for either brand voice help or partnership or strategy or product activation has been about how to authentically talk to this young girl. Are we talking to this young girl? And there has never been a greater focus on it."

Another surprising turn in this evolution is how the old guard of retail is now turning to the new kids on the block to stay relevant in an ever-changing market. For Foot Locker, this means investing in GOAT Group (to the tune of $100 million). In others, it means adopting a more innovative, reactive approach to traditional brick-and-mortar retail: Nike opened its first Nike Live location in L.A., for instance, which carries merchandise according to geographically-specific data, marrying the best of the offline experience with the best of the online insight. Its also connected with shoppers digitally with two separate apps: SNKRS, a place for high-heat and even more exclusive releases; and its official Nike app, an extension of Nike.com.

"Gen Z is looking to see how you fit into their brand — they're not interested in coming into your atmosphere. Brands have to find a point of alignment, and that point of alignment has to be an emotional connection," says Allen-Lord of the generation most retailers are scrambling to reach. "That emotional connection is not going to happen on the internet. It has to be some type of human value to them. This new consumer is concerned with social sustainability, environmental sustainability, justice, diversity and inclusion," she adds.

Sneaker brands have begun to address their impact on climate. Nike Grind takes back sneakers — from any brand, not just Nike — and recycles the pieces into athletic surfaces and materials for new shoes. In August, the company also introduced its first subscription service specifically for children's shoes (which, of course, have a short lifespan). Adidas has an end-of-life program, which includes in-store product take-backs and recycling plans for excess pre-market product. While StockX and Stadium Goods only resell unused shoes with the box they came in, GOAT and marketplaces like Grailed, Depop and Poshmark offer a way for people to get rid of gently-worn shoes without creating more waste.

Ultimately, from 2010 to today, the greatest change in buying sneakers is the options that the constantly growing and evolving consumer base has access to. Online, in-store or from a total stranger with an amusing description on a secondhand marketplace, the biggest struggle left for buying sneakers at this point is choosing among the infinite options when there's always going to be a new release just hours away.

[lalarose216]

They’re Mormon mission brothers

okay question for those who haven’t watched smash

what kind of relationship do these two have just based on a first look

[auburnfamilynews]

AU is hoping to add another hard hitting linebacker in 4* Desmond Tisdol tomorrow. | Desmond Tisdol’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Des_Tisdol/status/1189894310386393088

Auburn is hoping to add some more big time talent to their 2020 class this week

In less than 24 hours the faxes will start rolling in and staffs will finally get a more complete picture of what type of class they will be signing in 2020. These final hours are crucial as coaching staffs across the country work the phone lines in hopes of offering that last minute pitch to convince an elite prospect that their program is the place to be.

Before though we dive into the decisions to come and who will/won’t be signing tomorrow, let’s start with another strange recruitment that took another weird turn.

Brian George Commits to A&M

One of the prospects it seemed Auburn felt best about heading into this week was the nation’s #5 JUCO 4* DB Brian George. He was on campus for the Iron Bowl and returned the next weekend for an official visit. After that visit, he told reporters a commitment video would soon drop. But just like in late July, a pledge never came.

Then on Sunday night, AuburnUndercover’s Keith Niebuhr dropped a pretty big bomb reporting that Auburn had moved on from George. He didn’t provide much further context on the decision either. The gist of it was that the staff felt like it was in both sides best interest to part ways. That the 3rd time this month there has been a parting of ways with former top topics. First, there was 4* LB Phillip Webb cancelling his official visit. Second, came 4* OT Javion Cohen’s not so pleasant flip to the Tide. And now finally, there’s Brian George. I think all three instances are very different but it’s still worth noting there’s been a lot of sudden ends to recruitments this cycle.

Earlier this afternoon, George FINALLY dropped a commitment video. It wasn’t the one many people were expecting to see just last week as it ended with George announcing his pledge to Texas A&M.

Leave Everything in Gods Hands Everything was Gods Plan !!! COMMITTED (no interviews) @jayhawkmike @Coach_MoGray pic.twitter.com/Rbvxe9QSFX

— BrianGeorge (@briangeorge1100) December 17, 2019

The Aggies were listed as his #2 school following his OV to the Plains so it’s not a huge surprise that’s where he would land following Auburn’s decision to move on. A&M is also having some struggles finding early impact players at that position so this might turn out to be a big win for both George & the Aggies.

As for Auburn, the focus now turns 4* DB Eric Reed. I will have more on him later but if the Tigers were to miss there it appears they won’t make a move on JUCO DB Emmanuel Appiah and instead evaluate the DB prospects that remain following this week. Things change fast in recruiting and that has sure been the case these past 2 weeks for the Tigers.

Early Signing Day Preview

With that out of the way, it’s time to focus on what should be a very busy day tomorrow. Auburn is hoping to sign the majority of its current 2020 class and add a few crucial late pieces Wednesday. Here’s a breakdown of what to expect along with some guesses on what goes down.

Auburn Commits Signing AND Enrolling Early

5* RB Tank Bigsby

4* WR Kobe Hudson

4* DL Zykeivous Walker

4* DB Ladarius Tennison

4* S Chris Thompson Jr

4* CB Marco Domio

3* OL Avery Jernigan

3* OT Kilian Zierer (ACL Injury)

3* DL Daniel Foster-Allen

3* QB Chayil Garnett

Auburn Commits Signing Early

4* LB Wesley Steiner

4* WR Ze’Vian Capers

4* WR J.J. Evans

3* OT Brenden Coffey

3* WR Elijah Cannion -> Will be “announcing” final decision between AU & UF. Confident he sticks with AU

3* OL Jeremiah Wright

Auburn Commits Possibly Not Signing Early

4* DL Jay Hardy -> Mixed messages on this one. Has told staff he would sign early but has also told UT he won’t. Reportedly will be at a basketball tourney all week in Florida. As of now, lean towards him not signing

4* LB Cam Riley -> Has mentioned wanting to take some OVs in spring. I lean though towards him signing early

3* OT Jonathan Buskey -> Reportedly academic concerns with Buskey so staff might want him to wait until February & see where his grades stand. Would be surprised if he signed early

Auburn Targets Announcing

Here’s a look at who is expected to announce their decisions and sign during the early period. A big domino (both literally and figuratively) will fall tonight. As for my predictions, I am gonna add a confidence level of Lock (VERY confident in pick), 50/50 (leaning that direction but far from certain) and No Idea (literally just me guessing).

3* OT Jeremy Flax | 6’6” | 320 lbs | Commiting Tuesday @ 5 PM CT

Contenders: Auburn, Kentucky, Texas Tech

On paper, Auburn’s JUCO plan made a lot of sense. Go out and target the top JUCO tackles, sign a bunch of him, get them on campus in spring and let them battle for starting roles for 2020. Auburn currently has three JUCOs committed ranked #1, #3 & #6. Problem is none of those three will be participating in spring practice. Zierer tore his ACL so will be out until next fall, Coffey is a summer enrollee and there are concerns that Buskey will even qualify at all.

That forced AU to go on the hunt for a 4th JUCO OT and they have made a tremendous push for the #2 JUCO in the country Jeremy Flax. Following his official visit last week there was a lot of confidence on the Plains he would land with the Tigers. But after an official visit to Lexington this past weekend, that confidence appears to have evaporated. UK has been after Flax much longer than Auburn and those relationships are looking to prove the difference. He will announce his decision later this afternoon and there’s always a chance the Tigers make a late push but it’s not looking good for the good guys right now.

If Auburn were to miss on Flax that would mean none of their 2020 offensive tackle signees would be participating in spring ball. No good way to spin that other than hoping some of the young guys on campus can take the next step.

Prediction: Kentucky (Lock)

4* TE Jeremiah Pegues | 6’3” | 285 lbs | Committing Wednesday @ 8 AM CT

Contenders: Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss

It will be hard for me to ever classify the tight end position as a “need” but it is a spot AU would like filled in 2020 and there’s been a clear target to fill it this whole cycle. The #4 ranked player in the state of Mississippi is a unique athlete who does have the skillset to combine the different roles of the 3 back position. Instead of having to sub Jay Jay Wilson in for pass plays and Spencer Nigh to run the ball, you could trust Pegues to do both. He’s the exact type of player that Chad Morris has proven to use successfully in the past (think Jordan Leggett).

For much of this race, Auburn has been the team to beat with Ole Miss chasing. After Matt Luke’s firing, Pegues effectively eliminated them from his recruitment which should be good news. The bad news? The Crimson Tide have always lurked and given the fact they are probably going to end up whiffing on their top 2 tight end targets, expect Nick Saban to turn the heat up on Pegues before his announcement. A week ago I probably would have had this as a lock. Now? I still think AU will be the pick but it’s way closer than you wish it would be. It would not be a stunner if Pegues were to pick the Tide tomorrow but I am banking on his long time flame being the choice in the end.

Prediction: Auburn (50/50)

4* LB Desmond Tisdol | 6’0” | 217 lbs | Committing Wednesday @ 9 AM CT

Contenders: Auburn, South Carolina, Tennessee

In happier news, things appear to be trending in the right direction for Auburn and Desmond Tisdol. The thumper out of south Georgia has always wanted to be a Tiger but the class filled up in a hurry this summer before he was ready to make a decision. But Trenton Simpson’s decommitment appears to have opened up a spot for Tisdol’s taking and barring a late change of heart, I think Auburn fans will be hearing a Boom coming from the Plains early tomorrow morning.

Prediction: Auburn (Lock)

4* DT Dallas Walker | 6’4” | 315 lbs | Committing Wednesday @ 12 PM CT

Contenders: Auburn, Texas A&M

Last week, I think AU had moved ahead for Walker. He had been on campus three times in the last four weeks including an official visit. But Jimbo ain’t no shrinking violet on the recruiting trail. He was able to convince Walker to take one final trek to College Station this past weekend before making his final decision. Actions speak much louder than words in recruiting and Walker being willing to pay his own dime to go see A&M one more time makes me think that AU might not have done enough to pull off the flip. It would not be a shocker if were to still happen but I think right now the Tennessee native will stick with his commitment.

Prediction: Texas A&M (50/50)

3* Buck Romello Height | 6’5” | 216 lbs | Committing Wednesday @ 12 PM CT

Contenders: Auburn, Miami

I am not sure I have written much on Height. His recruitment has been a bit bizarre. Publicly he looks as committed as you would want a prospect. He made his pledge to the Canes over the summer and has consistently stated he’s solid including announcing that he had shut down his recruitment last week.

But Auburn has been after him the whole time. Height has denied it but reporters for Miami believe that he was on campus this past weekend for an official visit to the Plains. No Auburn reporters have said much other than the Tigers feel like they have a legitimate shot at flipping Height. This feels a bit like maybe AU is on the other side of a Pickens deal. Anyone saying with any sort of confidence they know what Height will do tomorrow is probably a bit full of it. But I am going to go out on a limb and say AU does pull of the surprise and land their pass rusher for the 2020 class.

Prediction: Auburn (No Idea)

4* DB Eric Reed Jr. | 6’1” | 197 lbs | Committing Wednesday @ 3 PM CT

Contenders: Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame

This is a race that is trending in the right direction for the Tigers. Last week, I would have listed Reed as a Lock to UGA but there is significant buzz this is still a true 2 team race between AU & UGA. The Dawgs might still have an edge but I am not sure a decision has been made yet. UGA just recently landed 4* DB Major Burns and are believed to be the leader for 5* CB Kelee Ringo. Would they also take Reed? Does Reed see a chance to get to the field sooner at AU, especially with George no longer in the picture? No idea. I am not bold enough to pick the upset but I do think this is more of a battle than first believed.

Prediction: Georgia (50/50)

5* OT Broderick Jones | 6’5” | 175 lbs | Not Signing This Week

I am listing Jones only because I have seen some out on the AU interwebs hoping that the player Tate Johnson and Avery Jernigan have been buzzing about on Twitter is the 5* UGA commit. However, Jones has told both AU and UGA folks he plans to wait until February before making a decision. Considering he’s yet to even meet with UGA’s new OL coach, I would be shocked if he decided to out of nowhere flip to AU. It would be a nice surprise if it were to happen but I think you are setting yourself up for disappointment if you think something goes down this week. I do, however, very much believe AU can flip Jones. It won’t be easy but they will get their shot in January.

Final Thoughts

Assuming that my predictions prove true (they won’t) that would mean Auburn signs 18 of their 20 commits tomorrow and add 3 more to the class. That would leave only 2 spots left to fill which is a very good place to be heading into January. The focus would then be on top targets such as Jones and McKinnley Jackson along with keeping Hardy in the fold.

The Tigers have a good shot at landing another top 10 class and barring a collapse at the finish I think that’s exactly what happens. Whether good or bad, there will definitely be plenty of news to follow tomorrow on the trail.

War Eagle!

from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2019/12/17/21026127/2020-auburn-football-recruiting-early-signing-period-preview-jeremy-flax-desmond-tisdol-eric-reed

[lalarose216]

Was it this calendar per chance?

They sell them outside the Vatican.

(yes the legend of hot priest calendars outside the Vatican are true.)

Jeremy Jordan

my mom asked me if Jeremy Jordan ever played a priest, I asked why. my Mike Faist loving grandma found a calender of priests and one apparently looked like Jeremy Jordan

this is life, full of Jeremy Jordan and the Outsiders musical

[junker-town]

8 winners from Week 5 of the NFL season

Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Christian McCaffrey ruined the Jaguars. Aaron Jones ruined fantasy teams across the globe.

Week 5 of the NFL season saw some hot teams fall — or continue falling — back to earth. The Rams’ loss to the Buccaneers last week became the beginning of a possible trend when LA dropped its second straight game, this time a Thursday night thriller against the Seahawks. The Giants’ and Jaguars’ two-game winning streaks with rookie quarterbacks came to an end thanks to the Vikings and Panthers, respectively. The Bears’ dominant defense was cracked open by, of all teams, Jon Gruden’s bullying Raiders.

This week’s winners weren’t just the teams that broke out of box score to climb a rung in their divisional rankings, however. The first NFL football Sunday of October gave several individual stars — and, in the Raiders’ case, a whole galaxy of blockers — a chance to shine. Who were this week’s biggest winners?

It wasn’t...

Not considered: Washington head coach Jay Gruden

Gruden entered 2019 with the best odds to be the first coach fired this fall. It made sense; he’d only been to the postseason once in Washington and had never won 10 games in a single season.

He’s done nothing to justify his franchise’s decision to give him another year to turn things around in the nation’s capital. Washington is 0-5 to start the season after Sunday’s loss to the Patriots. The last three of those defeats have come by a combined 63 points. He’s put three different players behind center (Case Keenum, Dwayne Haskins, Colt McCoy, in that order) and his quarterbacks have combined for seven touchdown passes and eight interceptions in five games. His defense has given up 24 points every week and at least 30 in all but one.

So Gruden is almost certainly done as Washington’s head coach. How’s he taking it?

#Redskins coach Jay Gruden: “If the key works Monday I'll keep working."

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 6, 2019

You can’t fault him for a lack of self awareness, at least.

This week’s actual winners:

8. Steven Sims, the pride of ... the University of Kansas? That can’t be right

Sims didn’t give the Patriots many opportunities to review his game film coming into Week 5. The undrafted rookie free agent and former Jayhawk only played 21 offensive snaps in his first four games.

That explains why New England’s vaunted defense looked wholly unprepared for this:

ALL the WAY for @StevenSimsJr #NEvsWAS pic.twitter.com/OOPQYSzaDV

— Washington Redskins (@Redskins) October 6, 2019

Sims ripped off the biggest play the Patriot defense has given up so far in 2019, exploding for 65 yards out of the backfield to give Washington an early 7-0 lead over its undefeated opponent. The Pats were ready for him the next time he got the call out of the backfield. His follow-up touch, a shovel pass, was stopped for a loss of four yards in the second quarter. He’d add one more catch to wrap up 66 total yards against the defending champions, constituting 30 percent of the team’s net offensive yards and 85.7 percent of its points in a 33-7 loss.

7. Aaron Jones, who was either your fantasy league hero or villain in the late game

Jones tied a Packers franchise record with four rushing touchdowns Sunday, and he only needed 12 carries in the first three quarters to get there. The running back led his team in both rushing (19 carries, 107 yards) and receiving (seven catches, 75 yards) while doing something no other player has ever done against the Dallas Cowboys.

Aaron Jones is the first player to rush for 4 TD in a single game against the Cowboys. pic.twitter.com/Fxk6pAE6g5

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 6, 2019

That was enough to carry Green Bay to a 34-24 road win in Dallas. It was also probably enough to sway plenty of fantasy football matchups across the fake sports landscape. Let’s say you’re in a point-per-reception fantasy league. With a standard scoring setup, Jones just sprang for 49.2 points. That’s enough to either entirely humiliate your opponent or enough to find yourself on the depressing end of a loss that once looked like a surefire win after the 1 p.m. ET games had finished.

6. The Raiders’ offensive line, which beat up a vaunted Bears defense

Oakland’s blocking faced its biggest test of 2019 against the league’s No. 2 scoring defense in London. The Bears came into their international game matchup with the Raiders averaging a sack in roughly one out of 10 opponent dropbacks as Khalil Mack, Danny Trevathan, Akiem Hicks, and Roquan Smith have presented a dominant front.

That unit was surprisingly quiet in the United Kingdom as they were snuffed out by an unheralded group of Raider linemen.

the Bears might have to bring more than 4 guys if they're gonna stop the Raiders offense today pic.twitter.com/iWkWGxOLG3

— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) October 6, 2019

Chicago lost Akiem Hicks to an elbow injury early in the game and seemed to suffer without its wrecking ball defensive tackle eating up blockers. The Bears had at least two sacks in each game this fall — including six without Hicks last week — and were averaging 4.25 per game coming into their showdown with Mack’s old team. On Sunday, they dropped Derek Carr behind the line of scrimmage zero times and only hit him once.

More importantly, the Bears’ big men were moved off the line with relative ease as the Josh Jacobs became the first player to rush for 100+ yards against Chicago this fall. Oakland was able to create space early and often up front, which led to two different touchdown dives from inside the 3-yard line. The latter of which — Jacobs’ second touchdown of the game — turned out to be the game-winning points.

The Raiders’ defensive line was pretty good, too. Oakland sacked Chase Daniel four times in an impressive all-around effort. Khalil Mack’s revenge on the team that traded him away will have to wait.

5. Jordan Phillips, who looks like he weighs 350 pounds but does not move that way

Ed Oliver was tagged to be Kyle Williams’ replacement as the Bills’ middle-of-the-line force this season. While he’s been as good as expected, he might not be the most disruptive defensive tackle on his own depth chart this season.

Instead, that honor may belong to Phillips. Phillips, who has come off the bench in each of his five games to start the season, tore through the Titans’ offensive line like tissue paper en route to a career-high three sacks ... in the first half alone.

Jordan Phillips is EATING. #BUFvsTEN | #GoBills pic.twitter.com/bapnY7pLMR

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) October 6, 2019

Phillips teamed up with Shaq Lawson to expose All-Pro tackle Taylor Lewan in his first game back from a season-opening PED suspension, a matchup that did not go unnoticed by the fifth-year tackle:

"I was really happy (Taylor Lewan) came back today. I'm glad he could be a part of that today. That's all I have to say about him." – #Bills DT Jordan Phillips, after 3 sacks vs #Titans

— Jason Wolf (@JasonWolf) October 6, 2019

The Buffalo front seven beat the crap out of the Tennessee, hitting Marcus Mariota seven times in the first two quarters alone. That held an offense that had scored 24 points the week before to just a single touchdown in a 14-7 win.

Josh Allen’s return (both to the field after suffering a head injury last week as well as to competency in a 219-yard, two-touchdown performance) was a key component behind Buffalo’s fourth win of the season. Even so, the Bills might be starting up at .500 if not for a smothering defensive effort across the board. The emergence of a havoc-creating monster like Phillips is just endemic of that.

4. Justin Tucker, who is bored enough with kicking that he’s moved into the trick shot stage of his career

Tucker has been one of the league’s top three placekickers — and occasionally its best overall — for most of his eight-year career. So it makes sense a guy who has made more than 90 percent of his field goal attempts, including one that sent Sunday’s game against arch-rival Pittsburgh to overtime, would try to find new ways to make things interesting. Like by draining a game-winning kick with a fancy double-break trajectory.

JUSTIN TUCKER 46 YARDS FOR THE WIN IN OT! #RavensFlock #BALvsPIT pic.twitter.com/KkHM63tkBe

— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2019

Tucker’s kick moved like Axl Rose dances, sliding side to side before slicing inside the goalpost and sending Steelers fans back to Primanti Bros. disappointed. Oh, and because kickers are weirdoes, he waited approximately one hour for Heinz Field to empty out in order to double-celebrate.

Wearing a gray sweatsuit, #Ravens kicker Justin Tucker just ran onto Heinz Field to celebrate his game-winning field goal, about an hour after it happened. pic.twitter.com/VRDnybZSMd

— Aaron Kasinitz (@AaronKazreports) October 6, 2019

3. Will Fuller, who Atlanta forgot existed and then paid dearly for it

DeAndre Hopkins is an All-Pro wide receiver. Keeping him covered is very important. Not so important that you can’t forget about all the other former first-round picks on the Houston depth chart. Namely, Fuller:

The entire Atlanta secondary decided to move with DeAndre Hopkins on Fuller's second touchdown. pic.twitter.com/czUspxVdaP

— Rivers McCown (@riversmccown) October 6, 2019

That impressive breakdown from the Falcons’ secondary produced Fuller’s second touchdown of the first half. He’d draw a little more coverage — read, one man — for his third touchdown later on, though it would be no less embarrassing for Atlanta’s cornerbacks.

Not one, not two, but three!@Will_Fuller7 | #ATLvsHOU pic.twitter.com/BiJD00uK3R

— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 6, 2019

The biggest beneficiary of Fuller’s ability to torch defensive backs with elite straight-line speed was Deshaun Watson, who’s connected with his fourth-year wideout for 14 touchdowns in 16 games together. Watson put together one of his most explosive performances in a career filled with them. Week 5 marked his third NFL game with five passing touchdowns, and his 426 passing yards were the most he’s had in a single Sunday to date. Fuller was responsible for more than half those yards (217) in a 53-32 win that only solidified the Falcons’ claim as the NFC South’s saddest team.

2. Marshon Lattimore, who shut down one of the game’s most deadly wide receivers

Mike Evans had been Bruce Arians’ offensive enabler through four weeks in Tampa. The big, rangy wideout was able to demolish defenses in single coverage and take away enough defensive focus to allow other skill players like Chris Godwin or Ronald Jones to flourish. Through four games, he helped Jameis Winston get out to a career-high pace in both touchdown rate and passer rating while hauling in 18 catches for 368 yards and four touchdowns.

The Saints didn’t have much of a plan to stop him. They didn’t need one. They just stuck former defensive rookie of the year Lattimore on him and watched Evans set season lows in both targets (three) and catches (zero).

Marshon Lattimore shut down Mike Evans in the @Saints win, allowing 0 receptions on 2 targets as the nearest defender. Lattimore shadowed Evans all over the field, lining up across from him on 43 of Evans' 53 snaps (81%). #NOvsTB | #Saints pic.twitter.com/kSsyRAMJu9

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) October 6, 2019

This wasn’t the first time this has paid off for New Orleans. Lattimore drew primary coverage duties on Pro Bowler Amari Cooper in Week 4’s win over over the Cowboys. Cooper had five catches that night, but for only 48 yards as Dallas’ offense sputtered in a 12-10 defeat.

Lattimore’s coverage had a similar chilling effect in Week 5. Although Winston was still able to glean a monster performance from Chris Godwin (seven catches, 125 yards, two touchdowns), he got only eight catches on 17 targets to the rest of his teammates for just 79 yards. Tampa Bay really needed that extra firepower, too; the Bucs lost 31-24 in a game where it was soundly outplayed by Teddy Bridgewater.

1. Christian McCaffrey, who stole the souls of Jacksonville’s linebacking corps

McCaffrey is making a legitimate case to be the league’s first non-quarterback MVP since 2012. The Panthers’ do-it-all tailback turned the Jaguars’ linebackers tasked with covering him into a teal-tinted mist en route to 237 total yards and three touchdowns in a 34-27 win. Most importantly — and extremely embarrassingly for the Jags — he did it all while running pretty much the same running play over and over again.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever in my career heard the same play call so many times,” tight end Greg Olsen said.

...

“It’s kind of like this: Defenses call blitzes until you pick them up and we ran the same play until they could stop it,” left guard Greg Van Roten said. “And they didn’t.

Sometimes he did it running through holes roughly the size of a children’s choir:

IT'S A C-MAC ATTACK!!!@run__cmc | #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/ZS5yqksJor

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) October 6, 2019

And sometimes he did it be juking defenders into oblivion:

HE. HIT. EM. WITH. THE. JUKE. @run__cmc | #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/UVnr6RpfTi

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) October 6, 2019

But no matter how he did it, he utterly demoralized Jacksonville’s defense. By the end of the game, the Jaguars were so shook Reggie Bonnafon (two career carries for 5 yards) was able to do this:

Reggie Bonnafon got the call and boy did he DELIVER!!!#KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/GXQ8mqpOlc

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) October 6, 2019

You may see that as the kind of play that devalues McCaffrey’s early dominance. I say it only makes it more important. The starter chipped away at the Jags’ foundation until even the most gentle wind could knock it over — like, say, an undrafted free agent who’d only had two carries coming into Sunday.

That’s the kind of impact ol’ Run CMC’s had in 2019.