#like 2019 (and 2016 that was the year season 3 aired) were both very mentally challenging

[goldenbyhs]

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[michaels-blackhat]

thoughts on evil Forrest 😈

We are going to start out by apologizing. This is very very late. I’m sure when you sent this ask, you meant it to be in the same joking tone that I approach all of my other propaganda posts. Sadly, this is actually going to be a deep dive into a few Evil Forrest related things, including the moment I feel they changed directions, the perfect wasted build-up, and the implications of the change/how it then negatively impacted the story. As I’m sure you already know, by being on my blog at all, I don’t think the story was good to begin with, so we are going to focus on the weird hoops they made themselves jump through to make that story still work. Additionally, I am only going to mention once, right now, how much of a waste it was to not have Forrest ‘fall for his mark’ and complete one of my absolute favorite tropes. Honestly, I think “because I want it” is a completely valid reason to like Evil Forrest. But, the question was “Thoughts on Evil Forrest” and these thoughts have been developing for over a year and a half. So, I apologize in advance.

The majority of this is under a cut, with highlights in the abstract. If no one wants to read this, I understand completely. Go ahead, skip it.

Note: it pains me greatly to not actually have full sources for this essay. Just know that in my heart I am using proper APA citations, I just absolutely do not feel like digging through tweets to find sources to properly cite.

Abstract:

Previous research indicates that Roswell New Mexico has a history of repeating excuses to explain mid-season changes to plots. This essay explores how those excuses are not only loads of crap, but how they hinder the show’s ability to tell a coherent story, misuse the multiple-plot structure to enhance the themes being explored, and lead to decisions that mean the show continuously goes over budget. This also means that characters are not used to their full potential and has led to what some fans consider to be “out of character” behaviors. While these behaviors are not universally agreed on, evidence can be shown that these behaviors directly contradict emotionally important character arc/plot points in the show.

The author of this paper acknowledges that the show took some strides to mend this problem. However, once again no consensus could be found on whether Forrest was a low-level member of Deep Sky and thus just allowed to fuck off on a bus, or his job was recruitment because he did a piss poor job of making Alex not join.

The concept of Evil Forrest has been with the fandom as early as New York Comic Con (NYCC) in 2019, when it was revealed that Alex had a new “blue-haired love interest”. Speculation abounded within the fandom, with some people, including the author, going “yeah, he’s evil” while others rejoiced in the concept of Alex having a loving partner. Speculation increased as fans discussed Tyler Blackburn’s seeming disinterest in his new love interest, prompting some once again to scream “EVIL” at the top of their lungs to anyone who would listen. Very little was revealed, beyond the fact that the new character would show up somewhere around episode 3 of the second season.

Episode 2.04 aired with some commenting on how he barely interacted with Alex- prompting more evil speculation- and others excited to see the characters interact more. The character appears again in 2.06, where he invites Alex to dubious spoken word poetry (which Alex attends); 2.08, where they have a paintball date and go to The Wild Pony; 2.10, where the two are seen writing together briefly at the beginning of the episode; and 2.13, where Alex performs his song at open mic night, tells Forrest his relationship with the person in the song was long over, and they kiss. Forrest was not revealed to be evil during season 2.

Amidst the season airing, Word of God via Twitter post announced that yes, Forrest had originally been planned as a villain, though not the main villain, but it was changed as filming progressed.

The Word of God Twitter post revealed that Forrest had originally been planned as a villain, but they decided that they could not make their “blue-haired gay man” a villain. This mirrors a similar situation and excuse used the previous season, where the character of Jenna Cameron was originally planned to work with Jesse Manes against the aliens, before it was changed because they just “loved Riley [the actress] too much”. Both of these examples occurred while already filming and reflect on a larger problem with the show. Though not the topic of this essay, it is important to note that both characters are white, both in the show and by virtue of being played by white actors. The fact that they couldn’t be villains for one reason or another is not a courtesy extended to the male villains who are all the most visibly brown, and thus ‘other’, members of the cast.

This also highlights the fact that, via Twitter, it has been revealed two other times that occurrences that were reported in season 1 also occurred in season 2. During the airing of episode 1.02, it was revealed that the single best build-up of tension in the show- when Alex walks to the Airstream not saying a word to Michael after a dramatic declaration- happened because one actor was sick at the time and they had to go back and film the kisses later. At the point of airing for episode 2.08, it was revealed that one of the actors were sick and unable to film a kissing scene. Allegedly, this caused the writers to retool the entire scene and deviate from the plan to make that subplot about Coming Out. The execution of this subplot will be explored later in this essay.

The last occurrence revealed via Twitter also revealed larger issues within the show: lack of planning and poor budgeting. During the airing of season 1, Tyler Blackburn was needed for an extra episode beyond his contracted 10. A full explanation was never given, but speculation about poor planning and to fill in because Heather Hemmens had to miss one of her 10 episodes due to scheduling conflicts for another project. During the airing of season 2, yet another tweet came out saying they made a mistake and Tyler would once again be in an additional episode. No explanations beyond “a mistake” were given, though once again speculation occurred. It is the opinion of the author that this was due to changing plot points over halfway through writing, while episodes were already in production. It has been speculated by some that these changes occurred during the writing of 2.08, which was being finished/pre-production was occurring roughly around the time of NYCC 2019.

Previous Literature:

A brief look at different theories of plots and subplots

Many people have written on the subject of plotting, for novels and screen alike. The author is more familiar with film writing than tv, but a lot of the concepts carry over. Largely, the B- and C- (and D- and E-… etc) plots should reinforce the theme of the A-plot. This can be through the use of a negative example, where the antithesis of the theme is explored to reinforce the theme presented by the A plot, or through other examples of the theme, generally on a small scale.

A movie example of this would be Hidden Figures (2016), where the A-plot explores how race and gender impact the main character (Katherine Johnson) in her new job. The B-plots explore the other characters navigating the same concepts in different settings and ways- learning a new skill as to not become obsolete and breaking boundaries there (Dorothy Vaugn) and being the first black woman to complete a specific degree program and the fight it took to get there (Mary Jackson). A TV example that utilizes this concept of plot and theme is the 911 shows. Each of the rescues in a given episode will directly relate to the overall theme of the episode and the overall plot for the focus character. This example is extremely blunt. It does not use any tools to hide the connection, to the point you can often guess the outcome for that A-plot fairly quickly.

This is not the only way to explore themes within visual media. Moonlight (2016) looks at three timestamps in the life of Chiron. Each timestamp has a plot even if they feel more like individual scenes or moments rather than plots as some are more used to in films. Each time stamp deals with rejection, isolation, connection, and acceptance in different ways. So while there is no clear A-, B-, or C-Plot, each time stamp works as their own A-Plot to explore the themes in a variety of ways, particularly by starting out in a place of rejection and moving to acceptance or a place of connection to isolation.

Please note that there are many ways to write multiple plots, there are just two examples.

While there are flaws within season 1 of RNM, overall the themes stayed consistent throughout the season, mainly the theme of alienation. The theme threads through the Alien’s isolation/alienation from humanity which is particularly seen through Michael’s unwillingness to participate and Isobel’s over participation. There is Rosa’s isolation from others, how her friendship with “Isobel” ended up compounding her existing alienation from her support system due to her mental illness and coping mechanisms. We see how Max and Liz couldn’t make connections. This theme presented itself over and over in season 1. While this essay is not an exploration of the breakdown of themes in season 2, it should be noted that there were some threads that followed throughout the season. The theme of mothers/motherhood was woven throughout season 2, with some elements more effective than others. Please contact the author for additional thoughts on Helena Ortecho and revenge plots.

One of the largest problems within season 2 was the sheer number of plots jammed into the season. These plot threads often ended up hindering the effectiveness of the themes and made the coherence of the season suffer. Additionally, a lot of them were convoluted and difficult to follow.

Thesis:

Essentially, season 2 was a mess. To look at it holistically is almost an exercise in futility. Either you grow angry about the dropped plots and premises, you hand wave them off, or you fill them in for yourself. Instead, this essay proposes to look at individual elements to explain why Forrest should have stayed evil.

We first meet Forrest in 2.04 when he is introduced on the Long Family Farm, which we later learn was the location where our past alien protagonists had their final standoff. He’s introduced. He’s largely just there. The audience learns he has more of a history with Michael. In 2.06, we meet him again with his dog Buffy (note: poor Buffy has not been seen again and we miss a chunky queen). There’s mild flirting, Alex is invited to an open mic night, which he attends. For the purpose of this essay, the author’s thoughts on the poetry will not be expressed. Readers can take a guess.

It is after this point that the author speculates the Decision was made. This choice to make Forrest not evil- paired with the aforementioned ‘can’t kiss, someone’s sick’- impacted the plot. We have Alex have a scene with his father- which the author believes could have been pushed to a different episode- and then have Alex go on a date and then not kiss Forrest at the end of the night. Here, the audience sees Forrest hit Alex in the leg, allegedly not knowing he had lost his leg despite ‘looking him up’, which parallels the shot to the leg that happens to Charlie. Besides wasting this ABSOLUTELY TEXTBOOK SET UP WTF, it also takes Alex away from the main plot and then forces a new plot for him. Up to this point, Alex’s plot was discovering more about the crash and his family’s involvement. Turning Alex’s date from a setup for evil Forrest to a Coming Out story adds yet another plot thread to a packed season. It is also the author’s thought that this is where the convoluted kidnapping plot comes in. With Forrest already in 2.10 for a moment, a plot where Alex is evil has Forrest attack him for Deep Sky rather than Jesse abduct him for a piece of alien glass Alex was going to give him anyway and then for Flint to abduct Alex from Jesse. It’s messy. In a bad way. Evil Forrest would have been a cleaner set up: no taking back a piece of alien glass Alex gave to Michael in a touching moment. No double abduction. Instead, there is only Forrest, who Alex trusts, breaking that trust to take him as leverage over Michael.

Implications:

Now, Alex has two plots (Tripp & Coming Out). The Coming Out plot is largely ineffective, as they are only relevant to scenes with Forrest and have the undercurrent of there only being a certain acceptable way to be out. This could have been used for Alex to discover his comfort levels, mirroring Isobel’s self discovery, but there was not enough screen time for that. Additionally, Isobel’s coming out story was about her allowing herself the freedom to explore. Alex’s story was about the freedom to… act like this dude wanted him to. Alex’s internalized homophobia played out often in the series but it was also informed by the violence he experienced at Jesse’s hands and the literal hate crime he and his high school boyfriend experienced. With that in mind, the “kissing to piss off bigots” line comes off poorly. This is a character who experienced what a pissed off bigot could do- reluctance to kiss in public is not the same as not being out. There is more to be said on this topic, but as it is not actually the focus of the essay, it will be put on hold. To surmise: Alex’s coming out is attempted to be framed as being himself, but it is actually the conformity to someone else’s ideals. It does not work as an antithetical to Isobel’s story, as the framing indicates that the conformity/right was to be out contradicts Isobel’s theme.

Further Research:

MAKE FORREST EVIL YOU COWARDS

Author Acknowledgements:

The author of this paper acknowledges that the show took some strides to mend this problem. However, once again no consensus could be found on whether Forrest was a low-level member of Deep Sky and thus just allowed to fuck off on a bus, or his job was recruitement because he did a piss poor job of making Alex not join.

[sleepykittypaws]

Animated Special Advent Calendar

Updated: December 23, 2019

Every year since my oldest first became interested in TV watching, we’ve watched classic Christmas specials annually. What started as a happy accident with an enamored three-year-old wanting a nightly dose of cartoon Christmas goodness, became a family tradition, and we now try and watch a different special every night between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, with family members rotating picks, youngest to oldest. 

After mentioning this several times online, a few folks expressed interest in what we watch, so I’ll try to keep this page updated with daily entries, though I admit we’re not tyrants about doing this (it’s supposed to be fun!), so if we miss a night, we just try to watch two (or more) another time to catch up. The daily picks mean our line-up changes every season (variety is good!), though there are definitely a handful of annual must-watch specials on every family member’s mental lists, and we always finish on Christmas Eve with the 1966 classic, Dr. Suess’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

We’ve got a huge collection of DVDs and digital specials we own, but I’ll try and note where our picks are available to watch, if possible. And, if you’re looking for ideas to fill up your own Christmas Special advent calendar, you can check out my Top 25 Animated Holiday Special list, or the results of our Holiday Special Showdown, where 64 animated classics went head-to-head for viewer’s votes in 2017.

Nov. 28: We kicked things off on Thanksgiving with Phineas and Ferb’s Christmas Vacation, a music-filled Disney Channel original now available on Disney+ (Season 2, episode 21). It’s an annual must-see for us.  

Nov. 29: Night two was British imports��Robbie the Reindeer: Hooves of Fire and Robbie the Reindeer in Legend of the Lost Tribe. The first of these Aardman Animation originals is better than the sequel, but both still air annually on CBS. There’s also a third, UK-only entry, Close Encounters of the Herd Kind, that never made it to the US. Fun Fact: 100% of all 3 specials’ profits go to charity, as they were produced by Comic Relief.

Nov. 30: A Chipmunk Christmas. Though it had several DVD releases, they’re all of out print currently and this 1981 classic, a staple of my childhood, has become distressingly hard to find, even though we, personally, have multiple DVD copies.

Dec. 1: Our first special of December was The Happy Elf. This 2005 Harry Connick-voiced special got little love on its release, but is a family favorite. Rare to find on TV, it’s still widely available via digital or DVD, and worth checking out.

Dec. 2: With Frozen fever rampant, we revisited a lesser known entry in the franchise, 2016′s LEGO Frozen Northern Lights. This clever send-up isn’t specifically Christmas, but it’s snowy and so much fun. And it’s now available, though oddly broken into segments, on Disney+. (The Disney Channel is also showing it in one 30 min package all this month.)

Dec. 3: On this busy school night we needed something short, so I picked Pluto’s Christmas Tree, now on Disney+. Kids had never seen this 1952 animated short, and we all really enjoyed it.

Dec. 4: One of those days we wandered off the beaten path and tried the Opus-led A Wish for Wings that Work from 1991, based on the book and comic strip by Berkeley Breathed. A bit long for littles, but the ending landed, and it was a nice change of pace. Not streaming, but available very cheaply on DVD.

Dec. 5: Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire was my son’s pick. This pilot episode for the 30-year-old series works as the stand alone holiday special it was first conceived as, and can be found on Disney+.

Dec. 6: Ducktales: Last Christmas! This fun, 2018 special can be found on Disney+ (season 2, episode 6 of the rebooted series). We watched it several times last year, and it’s just good as I remember. Timey-wimey fun.

Dec. 7: This 2006 direct-to-DVD release isn’t the classic Looney Tunes of the 1930s-40s, but Looney Tunes: Bah, Humduck (available digitally or DVD) is still a fun Christmas Carol take with Daffy as Scrooge and a fairly faithful adaptation of Dickens’ tale.

Dec. 8: Time for a classic:��Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, playing this year on Freeform, as well as CBS, and also available in an infinite variety of DVD collections and via iTunes.

Dec. 9: Did you know that Hallmark Channel used to make original animated specials? They did, and they were good, too! 2011′s Hoops and Yoyo Ruin Christmas was our pick last night and it’s smart, and cute, and fun. I miss that Hallmark Channel. Released on DVD, it’s out of print, but copies can still be found, and Amazon offers it for digital purchase.

Dec. 10: As a kid the anticipation of this special’s debut was almost too much to bear for my then, 7-year-old self. 1982′s The Smurf’s Christmas Special was my pick last night, and I vividly recalled how it was a such huge event for me at the time that I danced around the basement during the commercials, too full of excitement to sit. It isn’t streaming, but can be found on the still-available 2011 DVD The Smurf’s Holiday Celebration.

Dec. 11 and 12: Busy evenings the past few, so missed the 11th, but still managed to watch Merry Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda Holiday last night—and I almost managed to stay awake, too. (Both are on Netflix.)

Dec. 13: Duck the Halls: A Mickey Mouse Christmas Special, this charming, under-rated 2016 Disney Channel original is, oddly, NOT available on Disney+, though it can be purchased digitally or watched this month via Disney Channel On Demand. A family favorite since its debut.

Dec. 14: Last night, instead of a traditional animated offering, we had our annual viewing of (mostly) animated British Christmas adverts, which are a very big deal in the UK and, frankly, often more awesome than any 30 minute special. I’ve tweeted a lot about my love for these often tear-jerking mini-movies, but here are what I think are my top 5…5) From Sainsbury’s, 2018′s The Big Night builds to an awesome ending. 4) Sainsbury’s The Greatest Gift (2016) has an original song that’s become a Christmas favorite in our house. 3) John Lewis is the master purveyor of this emotionally manipulative—in the best way—three-minute extravaganzas. Lots to choose from, but 2014′s Monty the Penguin is probably my fave. 2) In 2015, Sainsbury’s delivered the perfect mix of comedy and heart with Mog’s Christmas Calamity. 1) And my fave—a bit of cheat since it’s Canadian—is Cineplex’s Lily and the Snowman. Seen it probably 100 times now, and cried every one. There’s plenty more to explore, from the UK and beyond, and falling down a rabbit hole of these ads on YouTube is an utterly delightful way to spend an evening. To get you started, here’s a compilation of what one YouTube reviewer calls the top 10 Christmas ads of 2019.

Dec. 15: Returned to a classic with 1969′s Frosty the Snowman, which still airs annually on CBS. Happy Birthday! 

Dec. 16: Finally watched NBC’s new How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming, available on Hulu.

Dec. 17: My pick, and I chose a Rankin-Bass we hadn’t seen in a while, 1970′s Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town. Unfortunately, forgot how long and slow this one was. My kids were kind of bored.

Dec. 18: Shrek the Halls, which really is laugh-out-loud family fun. For some reason, this is the only Dreamworks special not on Netflix, but does still air annually on ABC.

Dec. 19: I have no clue how Olive the Other Reindeer, this super-charming, Drew Barrymore-voiced special about a dog who mishears a radio bulletin and thinks Santa needs her, didn’t become a classic. It’s not streaming, but is available very inexpensively on DVD and well worth a watch.

Dec. 20: How Murray Saved Christmas, another overlooked gem, this 2014 rhyming special first appeared on NBC, and is airing this season as part of AMC’s Best Christmas Ever. (It’s also available on DVD and digital.)

Dec. 21: As we realize we’re quickly running out of days till Christmas, time to make sure we pack in some classics, like, A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Dec. 22: Santa, Baby! This 2001special featuring Eartha Kitt is the last of the Rankin-Bass originals and it’s…fine. Lots of music and a magical partridge. Not something you see everyday. (Was available on DVD, now out of print, and can sometimes be found on YouTube.)

Dec. 23: Saving the best for (almost) last, the whole family got up this morning and watched Prep & Landing, and its sequel, Prep & Landing: Naughty vs Nice, in our jammies, to kick off Christmas vacation.

Dec. 24: Christmas Eve is always the 1966 version of Dr. Suess’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas to remind us all that Christmas doesn't come from a store. Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more.

[altobrandy31-blog]

2019 NFL Draft: Evaluating kicker prospects the Bears could target

Kickers!

Kickers are some of the most underappreciated players in football. The good ones rarely get the respect they deserve, and the bad ones often become the pariah of their respective cities. Sure, they may not be the most important players in the game, but a good kicker can be a valuable asset who can end up winning games that teams with bad kickers would not be able to win.

Unfortunately for the Chicago Bears, they know that sentiment all too well.

After releasing Robbie Gould prior to the 2016 season, the Bears have had a revolving door of failure at the kicker position. Connor Barth, Cairo Santos and Mike Nugent all fell flat, while Cody Parkey proved to be a way more expensive—yet equally as horrendous—replacement. Gould was coming off of a lackluster 2015 campaign for which he was paid too much when he was cut, so the move made sense. His successes since then, as well as Chicago’s inability to find a long-term replacement, have come back to bite the team.

Barring an unforeseen signing in free agency, the Bears will likely abandon their previous strategy of signing veteran kickers in favor of bringing in several young prospects. Even though Redford Jones and Chris Blewitt are currently on the roster, Chicago will presumably draft or sign a rookie—or even two—to create some competition.

Only three collegiate kickers were invited to the Scouting Combine this year: LSU’s Cole Tracy, Oklahoma’s Austin Seibert, and Utah’s Matt Gay. These names have been thrown around by numerous people as potential targets, but what do each of these kickers actually bring to the table? Let’s figure that out.

Austin Seibert, Oklahoma

When you’re looking at kickers, it might be a good idea to start with the NCAA all-time leader in points.

An Illinois native hailing from Belleville, Austin Seibert was a four-year starter for Oklahoma. A career 63-for-79 on field goal attempts, he missed only two of his 19 attempts this past year. He also put up insane extra point numbers, nailing 310 of his 315 attempts on high-powered Sooner offenses led by the likes of Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray. Seibert made all but one of his field goal attempts from 49 yards out or fewer in 2018.

Seibert offers versatility as a specialist, having excelled as both a kicker and a punter in college: he was a Ray Guy Award semifinalist in 2015, which is given to the best punter in college football. He has a strong leg on kickoffs and had an impressive 83 percent of his kickoffs end up as touchbacks. For reference, Dustin Hopkins of the Washington Redskins led the NFL in touchback percentage with 80 percent this past year. Training videos online have shown Seibert easily booting kickoffs into the end zone from the 30-yard line, as opposed to the 35-yard line, where kickoffs take place. His reliability on extra points is reassuring, too. He kicks from a distance of three steps back and two and a half steps over, and his approach—the steps he takes towards the ball—is consistent.

Seibert may have fantastic production as an extra point kicker, but his field goal production leaves a lot to be desired. He has only attempted nine field goals from 40 to 49 yards in the past three seasons and has only hit four of them. Even more concerning is his production from long range: he has a career mark of one-for-three from 50 yards out or more. The five-foot-nine, 213-pounder could stand to get better at squaring his shoulders towards his targeted portion of the space between the goalposts, too.

Though his point totals and kickoff work are impressive and his improvement late in his collegiate career is notable, Seibert is an unproven field goal kicker from long distances. He will end up on an NFL roster heading into training camp, but he’s probably less of a sure-fire prospect than his other two companions, if there is such a thing.

Cole Tracy, LSU

From the all-time leader in points to the all-time leader in field goals, Cole Tracy is another intriguing prospect in this year’s draft.

Tracy spent the first three seasons of his collegiate career at Division II Assumption College in Massachusetts. During his time there, he broke essentially every kicking record in school history and was named the winner of the Fred Mitchell Award, which is given to the best kicker outside of the FBS. Despite the jump from Division II to the SEC being a daunting one, Tracy made a smooth transition, going 29-for-33 on field goal attempts in 2018 and making all 42 of his PAT attempts. He made six of his seven attempts from 40 to 49 yards out, and he nailed three of his five attempts from more than 50 yards out.

The five-foot-ten, 184-pound Tracy certainly has the mentality of an NFL kicker, which is an extremely underrated trait for a specialist. His confidence is apparent when he steps on the field, and he is able to shake off rare misses easily. This mindset helps him in clutch situations, like his two overtime field goals against Texas A&M and his game-winning kick against Auburn. He is also unfazed by the movement of defenders before the snap.

From a mechanical standpoint, Tracy may be the smoothest kicker in this year’s class. He has a repeatable stroke and great footwork on his approach. He doesn’t exaggerate his strides, which allows him to get full momentum out of his leg and maintain a consistent, pendulum-like motion. Tracy keeps a traditional distance of three steps back and two steps over, and his footwork matches that very well. He is consistently able to square his shoulders and head to his target when kicking from the middle of the hashes.

While Tracy is a mechanically sound kicker, his biggest weakness comes from his leg strength, or lack there of. Of his five field goal attempts from 50 yards or more, two of them hit the crossbar, even though one of those kicks ended up good. He also had a 49-yard attempt against Texas A&M bounce off of the goalpost. Tracy didn’t do kickoffs for LSU last year, either, which is a bit of a concern.

If you’re looking for a smooth and confident kicker in this class, then Tracy is your guy. While he doesn’t have the strongest leg in the world, his résumé warrants him a lot of looks as an undrafted free agent.

Matt Gay, Utah

Matt Gay was not invited to the Senior Bowl, unlike the two aforementioned kicker prospects. However, he may be the best kicker in the 2019 draft.

Gay only has two seasons of collegiate football under his belt, as he was a soccer player at Utah Valley College before he started playing football at Utah in 2017. He is a combined 56-for-65 on his field goal attempts in those two seasons, as well as an impressive 85-for-85 on extra point attempts. While he missed three of his six field goal attempts in the first two games of the 2018 season, he only missed one attempt in the remaining 12 games of the year.

As far as leg strength goes, Gay takes the cake in this year’s class. The ball leaves his foot with impressive velocity and distance, and he doesn’t always need to shorten the trajectory of his kicks to hit field goals from long range. Despite his relative lack of experience, Utah trusted him to nail deep kicks and he delivered, going 8-for-11 from 50 yards or more in his two seasons with the team. With completed field goals from 55 and 56 yards out, he clearly has the strength in his six-foot, 232-pound frame to boot the ball far. 71 percent of his kickoffs went for touchbacks, which was better than all but five NFL teams in 2018. Gay is also reliable from short distances, as he has made 35 of his 36 career attempts from under 40 yards. He also has proven reliability in unfavorable conditions, as shown especially in Utah’s matchup against Colorado in the snow this past year. He went three-for-three on his PAT attempts and three-for-four on his field goal attempts, with his lone miss coming from beyond 50 yards. He made that up with a completed 51-yard kick, though.

Gay is a bit shaky from the 40-to-49-yard range, having hit just a career 11-for-17 from said range. Unlike Tracy and Seibert, his approach isn’t very quick and will need to be sped up in the pros without sacrificing accuracy. He tore his ACL and MCL and damaged his meniscus in high school, and though significant time has passed since the injuries, it’s still something worth monitoring. Plus, as is the case with all kickers out west, Gay had the privilege of kicking into thin air at Utah, which results in his kicks facing less air density, therefore making kicking from long distances easier than in areas with lower altitude.

Gay is a big-legged kicker who has the strength necessary to combat the harsh conditions of Soldier Field. Though he isn’t as mechanically polished as his peers, he is the most physically gifted. If any of the kickers in this year’s draft class get drafted this year, it should be Gay.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2019/3/31/18287316/chicago-bears-2019-nfl-draft-evaluating-kicker-prospects-matt-gay-cole-tracy-austin-seibert

[getseriouser]

20 THOUGHTS: Smith’s crisp, Root buried

WHAT a wonderful time of year for crap weather? 

Footy has three weeks left with a lot still on the line and the Ashes is entrenched in prime time for the next four weeks.

Work from home, charge your phone only so you can use Menulog and just remember to rotate your couch cushions after each test match – no-one wants a sofa with permanent bum indentations, it’s unsightly.

 1.       We’ll get to the Ashes soon enough, but let’s cover off the air conveyance. And how the Swans were dudded. Well maybe not super much as they’re not making the finals any which way, but maybe Richmond or Brisbane, perhaps Collingwood or Essendon, by the massive missed free kick on Sam Reid in the dying seconds. The Giants lose that and their stranglehold on a double chance goes. Only one mistake, lets not crucify the umpire, but gee for ramifications it’s a doozy.

2.       Brisbane, looked like the Scraggers were some go for a while there last Sunday twilight, but once again those Lions chalked up another win and how bout their flag credentials they say? Yeah still not for me. They have the Gold Coast this week, wow, another game against a bottom ten team, and in Queensland. This team is in form, no doubt, but the validity of that form does not befit the record they have. It might be enough to win them some finals, sure, but this is not a premiership team.

3.       The Lions have had no injures, and have a league-high ten players who have played every game so far. Consistency at the selection table compared with teams like Richmond and Collingwood who have had periods without such luxuries, has been worth a win or two in itself for Brisbane, no question.

4.       Yeah, so Geelong. The record since the bye, for the position on the ladder they were in going into their week off, has to be amongst the worst in the comp relatively speaking. So when is a slump actually reflective of where you’re at? No-one would give them a show in a final against Richmond, so would need to somehow avoid them with GMHBA finals against interstate fodder and hope for a good run. For a team on top, 14-5 and 130%. Remarkable.

5.       Gold Coast, my Lord, this is supposed to be a team ten years past putting out teams not up to standard. At least back then it was ok, they were on the L plates, you knew they’d be super rubbish but it was all part of finding their feet. Now they’re just a middle-aged moron on the roads and you can’t give them an out for their shit driving, to maintain the metaphor. Remember, they lose their last three games, this season will equal their bad years of 2011 and 2012.

6.       Looks like we might be set for one South Australian team to finish eighth but without room for both. The Power’s upset over the Dons last Saturday probably gives them the advantage to take the final spot looking three weeks ahead, and at their cross-town rival’s expense. And if that’s the case, given the lopsided Showdown a few weeks ago, that eventuality probably seems about right.

7.       We haven’t had a draw yet, usually we’re good for one or two, other than 2016 we have always had a least one since 2014…. I didn’t say that all these thoughts had to be interesting, but at least this one is accurate.

8.       Blake Caracella to Essendon, that’s one or both of two things. Firstly, Caracella is a genius, his first year with Richmond was 2017, and look what happened to that coaching box, went from sackable to winning flags. So great bit of IP for the Bombers braintrust there. But also, could it be a little bit of what St Kilda did with Ratten last summer. If, and it’s a big “if”, you’re looking at reviewing your senior coach, why not get a talented assistant in early so such a replacement might already be under your roof. Almost like a succession plan, but unofficially.

9.       Adam Treloar was gutsy on Tuesday, just plain gutsy. Didn’t need to talk about his battles, and on such a public forum. But whilst it may have been therapeutic for him, the good it could do for so many other young men to accept, nor no longer dismiss, their struggles as human and to find ways to manage their wellbeing, was fantastic. Having a great year this year, and that’s not just on the field where he is looming large for the Copeland Trophy, but seemingly away from the field as well. Important stuff, won’t back down on that anytime soon. Keep talking.

10.   Some kudos to pot belly Jay Z Clark, who penned a very good angle on the Rising Star for 2019. Sam Walsh looks a runaway winner now, even myself a self-confessed Connor Rozee admirer acknowledges the Blue’s midfielder has it. But Clark points out that the Hawks’ James Worpel is only narrowly ineligible for this year’s award, and had he had played one fewer game in 2018 he’d be right in the frame for the gong this year. And it’s a good yarn, Worpel is having such an under the radar year, we know about Mitchell and O’Meara, but the kid from Bannockburn is a serious 200-plus games midfielder in the making.

11.   The Joe Daniher/Tom Harley thing stank a bit. It’s all come out now that its fine and nothing to see here, but yeah even so, it just stinks a bit. I know we’re all allowed to have mates and more often than not its nothing more than what it is, but sometimes when it looks a bit off it probably is. He isn’t leaving Essendon, but he ain’t as happy at Tullamarine as he could be, is my guess.

12.   Only one game, his first since Round 15, which was his first since Round 11, but 29 touches and five tackles for Bryce Gibbs on Saturday. He’ll be 31 at the start of next season, and who knows whether the Crows think they can get close again soon enough whilst the ex-Blue has something to offer, but clearly there’s still some value in him yet. This year has been strange but the game certainly hasn’t gone past him. Could be cheap if indeed Gibbs looks for a third club too, good value.

13.   Righto, some cricket. Steve Smith, well bugger me. 12 months out. We all saw that press conference at Sydney airport, that was a human being utterly broken. Not just an emotional guy but a sensitive sportsman, often had sleepless nights as captain such was the toll cricket had on him mentally. But to come out and hit 140 twice in the same match, first up, like seriously what the hell? Best since Bradman chatter can continue in the pub and that’s fine, but that was one of the most impressive batting displays you’ll ever be likely to see.

14.   So they’re coming for Cam Bancroft. I don’t buy it yet. Dave Warner did just as little, and sure, has the career to back up quite a few more chances, but unless you’re adamant Marcus Harris does any different you’re backing in the decision to go with Bancroft. Further, don’t forget the last red-ball hit out before the first test he looked a cut above anyone else, and that it is properly trying facing English quicks, in England, with a brand spanking new Duke. Not easy. He has another two tests for mine to get past 50, and I’m sure in four innings he can manage that.

15.   So the bowlers. Cummins is our best quick, he always plays, take him out of the dilemma. With a deck a little green, Pattinson was a great choice, and whilst he didn’t take a ton of wickets, he was only ever going to be a threat in the first innings and he did that. Siddle too, really impressive, I think he goes again at Lord’s. So Starc might get a look for Pattinson in the second test, but then third or fourth test, if we saw Hazlewood, it wouldn’t shock. Don’t think of the guys missing out as being dumped or dropped, think of our bowling options like your spice rack at home, and each test is like a different cuisine, requiring different flavour combinations.

16.   As for England, yep that top order stinks. And no matter how good a Bairstow or Stokes might be, any quality middle-order batsman will feel the pinch when they’re walking out at 3/30. And Rory Burns, nah, that’s the flukiest ton you’ll ever see. He isn’t quality. So unless someone pops outta County Cricket between now and breakfast, that’s a problem that will only continue to plague them throughout the series.

17.   And bowling, Jimmy Anderson wont play at least a couple more, for mine he is a ‘maybe, just maybe’ if its say 2-2 heading into the Oval. Otherwise nup. So in essence, get past Stuart Broad and that’s about it. Sure, Joffra Archer will play and look scary, but so is facing Shaun Tait, and look at how that Test career went. Great with the white pill, but in five-day cricket, let’s see.

18.   So Ben Simmons. The initial drawcard piece for the Australia-Team USA blockbuster. But to be honest he never was going to play. Its why the NHL doesn’t send players to the Winter Olympics, its why we don’t have State of Origin anymore in AFL and why it wouldn’t shock me to see proper NBA stars start forgoing Dream Team duties at Summer Olympics. But then he gets a squillion tax-payer dollars to promote Victoria whilst he is here, back home in the off-season. Can’t play basketball but can take a cheque for being here besides. Not great Ben, I do kinda get it, but its not great.

19.   As for Aussies to get behind, how did Nick Kyrgios get a mention so low down? Seriously, the tennis and personality he brought to the Washington Open was magnificent. Clearly a loose cannon, but when he is good, be it his on court form or his professionalism alongside it, he is very, very good. If your dog at home was the world’s best companion, but occasionally barked way too much and played up, would you keep it and work on those bad habits, or put it up for adoption? Kyrgios may never fulfill perfection, but I tell you what, there’s only five or so better chances for the US Open later this month. Don’t. Be. Surprised.

20.   And Fraser Anning has this month filed for bankruptcy. Nothing else to add, but worth a mention.

[ball2thewallblog-blog]

Big Game Hunting: Trading for Kawhi

TL Summary: Wizards have golden opportunity to be front-runners for Kawhi and class of the East. They need to act now

_______

As it has been rumored for a long, long time, Lebron James is officially an L.A. Laker. Since James has partnered with Wade/Bosh and Kyrie/Love, he has ruled the Eastern Conference. The Celtics and 76ers are now clearly the frontrunners, with teams like the Raptors, Bucks, Pistons and Wizards hoping for everything to break right for them to get to the Eastern Conference Finals at best.

Before Lebron announced his decision to head West for the first time in his career, there were only 4 teams considering making a run at another top 5 talent in the league, Kawhi Leonard. Two of those teams - the Lakers and the 76ers, were reportedly discussing trades with the Spurs mainly to get Lebron’s attention (or keep it, as the Lakers continued pursuit does). The other two teams - the Celtics and Clippers - were big game hunting, but both were without or unwilling to include the assets the Spurs were looking for.

That’s another note that makes the Kawhi situation interesting: What do the Spurs even want? It’s been reported that they have no interest in rebuilding, but they also have asked for a plethora of draft picks in stipulated trade talks. From what I gather, they want to compete (whatever that realistically means in the West) as long as Popovich is still coaching, while simultaneously setting themselves up for the future. In most cases, if your former best players have retired or are well on their way there, and your current best player wants out, you rebuild. You look to the draft and get off all your long-term contracts, while finding young players who could turn into your next franchise gem - or clear enough money so that you can sign him instead. But they want to go the Pacers route - retool, no matter who comes and goes - as their recent Rudy Gay and Marco Belinelli signings show. I have no doubt the Spurs can make it work, considering what they were able to accomplish last year without Kawhi.

Now that Lebron is westward, the 76ers seem to have cooled on their pursuit of Kawhi - though I think they would be wise to actually heat it up - and the Celtics never seemed to have their hearts in it anyway. The Lakers and the Clippers are all that is left, mostly due to Kawhi’s expressed desire to be back in his hometown. The Clippers have less assets now that we’re in post-draft season, and the Lakers are being hard bargainers. But why isn’t there a team like the Thunder last year, who is looking to take a huge chance for a superstar who can turn your franchise around if everything goes right?

Enter the Wiza… oh, nevermind. Through the experience of knowing who Ernie Grunfeld and Ted Leonsis are, no one counts the Wizards into the Kawhi equation. Everyone knows that Kawhi isn’t coming to D.C., so all the attention was on re-signing Mike Scott and maybe Ty Lawson or whatever.

… but as free agency has been passing the Eastern conference by and rumors continue to swirl around the Kawhi Leonard very-not-fun-sweepstakes, I’m asking myself: Why not D.C.?

_______

The Wizards are good. I think that’s hard to remember sometimes because they’re ran like a very mediocre franchise that has no interest in being GREAT. The Summer of 2016 ruined so many possibilities, and not many moves afterwards have been able to get the fanbase out of the disbelief that this team is 2nd (or 1st) round fodder. But they are good. And young. And they likely have a longer contention window than the Raptors and Heat and higher potential than the Bucks and Pistons. They continue to be right on the cusp of contendership, if things break right and fall into place (or some other star’s leg breaks). Well, the only opportunity for things to break right seems to be right now, and the Wizards have the ultimate chance to make things fall into place. So I present:

The San Antonio Spurs trade Kawhi Leonard to the Washington Wizards for...

Scenario 1:

The Small-Fundamentals

Wizards Send: Otto Porter ($26,011,913), Tomas Satoransky ($3,129,187), Troy Brown ($2,749,080), 2019 1st Round Pick (Top 5 Protected)

Spurs Send: Kawhi Leonard ($20,099,189), Patty Mills ($11,571,429)

Reasons this works for the Spurs:

Coming off the extremely un-Spursian situation with Kawhi, the Spurs get 3 smart, low-key young players to add to their core. There’s a lot of high BBIQ in this trio, and I’m sure Pop will be excited to develop these steady, 26-and-under-still-with-upside players who can (mostly) contribute to a winning team right now. The first round pick allows them get even younger, or use it to get another asset to help the win-now mentality.

Reasons this works for the Wizards:

They get Kawhi, a top 5 player to join Wall and Beal to make an all-star trio with as much immediate upside as any in the Eastern Conference. Kawhi likes to play a lot of Iso, Wall is only really useful with the ball in his hands, and with Beal’s recent affinity for… dribbling a lot, this isn’t a perfect fit. But it’s a massively talented one, with a clear pecking order and defined strengths among the three. D.C. has a coach that depends on his stars to ISO their way to victory, and there are few players better than that then Kawhi. (See the synergy numbers posted by @colezwicker. When Kawhi is healthy, he’s fantastic at everything here). The end of game option becomes Kawhi and Kawhi only, which allows coach to continue to be uncreative with his end of game offensive sets, as he’s one to be.

Patty Mills provides shot-making, range and ball-handling in spades. Having a dude who can hit stepbacks, shoot off movement and pull up for 3s will be a very welcome sight for a team that only has one player who can create at that level - Bradley. New-comer Austin Rivers has some of that ability as well, but Mills is the much better, more efficient version of him, and might be the harder one to move in a trade due to his contract. Wizards could look to trade Rivers because of the redundancy, or keep a hyper-offensive oriented backcourt off the bench. I know it usually hurts Wizards fans to think about giving up first round picks - it’s been done too many times before with reckless abandon - but the 2019 draft class is projected to be pretty weak in comparison to the last few and the next two, so if there was ever a time to strategically use that asset, it’s now.

The Money:

The money is pretty even for next year, making it a wash for both franchises in the short-term. The Spurs get off of Mills contract, which runs through the 2020-21 season. The Wizards get a rather expensive but reliable G in Patty, that they should happily take if it comes along with The Klaw.

Scenario 2:

Star Sample

Wizards Send: Bradley Beal ($25,434,263), Kelly Oubre ($3,208,630), Jason Smith ($5,450,000)

Spurs Send: Kawhi Leonard ($20,099,189), Danny Green ($11,571,429)

Reasons this works for the Spurs:

Bradley Beal is a better player than any other being talked about in Kawhi trades. He doesn’t offer quite the tantalizing potential of Jaylen Brown, Markelle Fultz or Brandon Ingram (or the rookie scale salary, either) but that’s only because he’s already a star. Not a superstar, but he proved last season that he could do a lot to lead a team’s offense while Wall was out for half of the year. He just turned 25, made a great leap last season - showing his passing/vision and off-the-dribble skills more than ever - and was asked to do that in Scott Brook’s Iso heavy system. In the Spurs setup, with a lot less pressure on him due to being next to LaMarcus Aldridge and the other shooters the Spurs have, Beal’s life would get a lot easier in San Antonio and might allow him to reach his very highest potential.

Kelly Oubre doesn’t seem exactly like the usual Spurs cup of tea, but they’ve shown that they are able to make the most of most players, and being in a structured system like theirs might do a lot for the soon to be restricted free agent. He could backup Rudy Gay at the 3 or step in as the starter there if they want some young, athletic legs in their to run with Dejounte Murray (and Beal, of course). And throw in Jason Smith to help the Wizards Cap situation, getting them under the tax for the time being. The Spurs have a knack for making use of unathletic big men who can shoot, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they make Smith look serviceable in a way Scott Brooks never could - or wouldn’t try to.

Reasons this works for the Wizards:

Kawhi, again. And Danny Green is still a terrific defensive player that can knock down a good clip from 3 point range - 36.3% on 4.6 attempts last year. He was also one of the guys in the Spurs locker room who was defending Kawhi throughout the season no matter what story the media got their grubby hands on or made out of thin air. He definitely never escalated the situation like the Spurs old (hall of fame) timers did. Hopefully there’s goodwill and friendship there. Green can step in as the starting 2 guard, or be a great option for your first wing off the bench. This also gives the Wizards two players - Leonard and Wall - who have so much gravity that there should be no excuses for Otto not to take 8 3s a game.

Does this mean Kawhi or Otto starting at the 2? I don’t know. I think it will be fine either way - Otto has shown that he is a good guard-defender when healthy, and Kawhi can guard anyone. In the best scenarios, this would mean Otto plays more 4 in important stretches of the game. Wall-Green-Leonard-Porter Jr-NERLENS NOELDwight Howard? That is some defense.

The Money:

The Wizards save a little over $2.4 million on this one, bringing them below the luxury tax. San Antonio makes a big salary commitment to Beal, but he’s worth every cent in today’s NBA. Having him locked in through the 2020-21 season along with having matching rights to Oubre’s unrestricted free agency next year are big pluses for them. Jason Smith comes off the books after this season, as does Danny Green.

Scenario 3:

Break the Glass In Case of Emergency

Wizards Send: Bradley Beal ($25,434,263), Otto Porter ($26,011,913), 2020 2nd Round Pick

Spurs Send: Kawhi Leonard ($20,099,189), Danny Green ($11,571,429), Pau Gasol ($16,800,000)

Reasons this works for the Spurs:

All the reasons I listed above for Beal and Otto. Getting two, just turned 25, super talented wings who are locked in for 3 more seasons is a great foundation to lay. If the Spurs want to compete in Pop's last years, this is the way to do it. There's not a better win-now offer on the table than this one. And there will never be one. Not even a trade centered around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown (not happening, btw) offers this much assurances to help the Spurs win in the very near future.

Reasons this works for the Wizards:

This might seem drastic. It's the By-Any-Wings-Necessary plan - the one you offer if some other team swoops in with a drastically better offer than what's been discussed so far. If that happens, I don't think it's a bad gamble to make. John Wall's Supermax kicks in next year, and it's really untenable to have him, Beal and Otto on the roster all making upwards of $27 million, even with the increase in salary cap over the next few years. This is the last ditch effort, swing for the fences offer that doesn't leave too much of a down side

Consider the Possible Outcomes:

1 - Kawhi comes here, is healthy, balls out next to Wall, they are the 2nd or 3rd best team in the East. Even in a series against the Celtics, the Wizards have 2 out of the Top 3 players in the series (I would definitively say they have the Top 2, but I understand lots of people would take Kyrie over Wall). That's giving yourself a real shot. If he bolts for the Lakers, you tried. If he loves it here and him and Wall become best friends, you have a repeat of the OKC Thunder situation, but with more cap-room, younger star players, in an easier conference. Dreams coming true

Or,

2 - Kawhi isn't healthy or hates it here and doesn't get to his peak level. You tried, it didn't work out, Kawhi leaves and you've got lots of cap space next summer to build around Wall again (that's also why it's important to keep Troy Brown, Oubre, Sato and all first round picks in this scenario - because this could end very badly)

Pau can be helpful for a year with his passing, shooting, and leadership. Even if he isn't his contract is only partially guaranteed for next year. Him and Green (can) come off the books after this season. Go get O'Quinn, Len, Jonas Jerebko, Wayne Ellington or whoever you can fit on the books to fill out the roster. Sato, Oubre, expiring Markieff Morris are all pretty good assets to help fill the gaps as well. If the Spurs insist on putting Mills in the deal, send over Rivers expiring deal to even things out

The Money:

The Wizards save about $3 million, which is why I threw in the 2nd round pick to sweeten the deal fo SA. It gives the Wizards a ton of flexibility moving forward, and the chance to Max Leonard. Spurs get the stability they want, with both Beal and Otto's contract running out around the same time Aldridge's does. _______

Why not the Wizards? While the Spurs are out here getting low-balled by the 6ers and Lakers, the Wizards have a chance to swoop in and take this - and themselves - seriously. The Celtics look monstrous but they are still young and have two stars with major health concerns. The 76ers are even younger and have less shooting than they did last year. These two teams are only going to get better, so the Wizards time is now. A big market team needs to let their fans big-market dream, and stealing the most undervalued generational player from their rivals (and Lebron) would restore so much of the faith they have lost.

In the Summer of 2016, The Wizard's front office showed they could think big with their pursuit of Kevin Durant and Al Horford. Now they have the opportunity to do a lot more than just think, or even dream it. It's time to come alive. The ball is in Ernie's court.

(All salaries from the terrific EarlyBirdRights.com)