#like this is FAR from the worst thing an American football player has done

[theamazingannie]

People saying they got the ick cuz Travis was shouting and being cringe after he won the Super Bowl but as someone who, at home in my house in my pjs, jumped around the house yelling “MICHIGAN SWEEP” after every Lions and Michigan game this season, personally I’m prepared to let a little cringe slide

[zillennial97]

Enemies to Lovers | Larry Fanfic Recs

Walk That Mile by purpledaisy | 149k | Explicit

Harry stares at him, the line of his jaw standing out scarily. “I wanted to get the most out of this trip so I planned it carefully.” His voice is low and steady and somehow that’s worse than when he was yelling. “So far, you’ve put your sticky fingers on everything I’ve tried to do.”

“Sticky fingers?” Louis repeats, offended. “Are you saying it’s my fault you got stung by a bee? Had you been alone you would have gotten halfway to the Dotty Diner and ran the car off the road because of an allergic reaction, so don’t go blaming me.”

“Polk-A-Dot Drive In,” Harry spits before getting out of the car. He slams the door shut with a deafening reverb and Louis rolls his eyes.- A Route 66 AU where falling in love was never part of the plan.

Unbelievers by isthatyoularry | 136k | Explicit

It’s Louis’ senior year, and he’s dead set on doing it right. However, along with his pair of cleats, a healthy dose of sarcasm and his ridiculous best friend, he’s also got a complicated family, a terrifyingly uncertain future, and a mortal enemy making his life just that much worse. Mortal enemies “with benefits” was not exactly the plan.

Or: The one where Louis and Harry definitely aren’t friends, and football is everything.

we're not friends, we could be anything by nooelgallagher, yoursongonmyheart | 115k | Explicit

Louis narrows his eyes at Harry. “What that supposed to be a fucking joke?”

Harry narrows his eyes right back. “It was a good joke.”

Louis rolls his eyes. “Jokes require laughter, Curls.” Louis glances down at Harry’s thighs again, Christ. “Your pants must be so tight they’re restricting airflow to your brain.”

Harry wipes a bead of sweat off his forehead. “Pretty sure yoga is supposed to increase airflow, blood flow, and all that,” he responds dryly, finally jumpstarting himself and walking away from Louis towards his own bedroom.

Louis can’t help but stare at his broad back, still sheen with drying sweat, and his perky bum in the tight yoga pants.

Louis swallows. Christ.

...Or, the one where Harry and Louis are unlikely uni flatmates who definitely don't like each other and definitely won't fall in love (even if Liam and Niall think otherwise).

Our Lives, Non-Fiction by indiaalphawhiskey | 113k | Explicit

Heralded as the next Neil Gaiman, Louis Tomlinson does not appreciate being told that his very serious novel is in dire need of a PR boost. Even worse, that it comes in the form of a joint book tour with the UK’s #1 online romance-writing sensation Marcel Styles. Already turbulent at best, their partnership takes a drastic turn when, overly stressed about his looming deadline, Marcel accidentally blurts out a secret: though he’s famed for his scorching hot literary love scenes, he is, actually, a virgin.

Convinced that the only way to rid himself of writer’s block is to gain some experience, Marcel asks Louis, author-to-author, to sleep with him – for Science. And of course Louis agrees because, well, what on Earth could possibly go wrong?

Or, a lesson in romance that proves that sometimes the best love stories aren’t always by the book.

Soft Hands, Fast Feet, Can't Lose by dolce_piccante | 112k | Mature

American Uni AU. Harry Styles is a frat boy football star from the wealthy Styles Family athletic dynasty. A celebrity among football fans, he knows how to play, he knows how to party, and he knows how to fuck (all of which is well known among his legion of admirers).

Louis Tomlinson is a student and an athlete, but his similarities to Harry end there. Intelligent, focused, independent, and completely uninterested in Harry’s charms, Louis is an anomaly in a world ruled by football.

A bet about the pair, who might be more similar than they originally thought, brings them together. Shakespeare, ballet, Disney, football, library chats, running, accidental spooning, Daredevil and Domino’s Pizza all blend into one big friendship Frappucino, but who will win in the end?

Dance to the Distortion by Lis (domesticharry) | 96k | Explicit

Louis accidentally breaks Harry's camera lens and in order to get it fixed, they decide to participate in a romantic couples study. The only issue is that they are not actually couple. Well that and the fact they cannot stand each other.

You’ve Got My Devotion (Hate You Sometimes) by lucythegoosey | 95k | Explicit

Harry was in the biggest boy band in the world. He was also one half of the best (or worst, depends on who you ask) kept secret relationship in the music industry.

Now, almost five years on, after One Direction has broken up, and Harry and Louis' relationship has as well, a video threatens to put everything at risk.

One determined Irishman, a massive publicity stunt and two begrudging exes are all it takes to bring One Direction back to life and maybe, just maybe, Harry and Louis' mangled love life too.

Or: Harry and Louis are forced to fake-date after an old video from when they were dating emerges.

The Sidelines by RedRidingStiles | 47k | Explicit

"Alright, I know you guys are the best of friends but I'd like you to do this for the rest of the team,” Cowell says, making the rest of the team snicker. "So I want both of you to compliment each other." "I hate your trainers. I mean that in the nicest way possible. They're very...yellow," Louis says, arms crossed as he offers a fake close-lipped grin. "It's really nice of you to blow anyone you find slightly attractive," Harry replies, a sickening sweet smile on his lips. "Thank you, children, let me remind you this is a college hockey team. Try again," Coach says, completely unamused.

Or Harry and Louis play hockey for Penn state and can't stand one another, since they can't keep their hatred off the ice their coach and team do what they can to keep their hard earned spot in the playoffs and their two star players from killing each other

Wonderwall by AFangirlFantasy | 43k | General Audiences

Taking the sheet cluttered with times available for the next few weeks, Louis notices a pattern in the list. The name of the person Perrie had just mentioned: Harry Styles. It’s written at least seven times, and three of which are during timeframes Louis wants.

“Who the fuck is Harry Styles?”

“You’re about to find out,” she answers, pointing over Louis’ shoulder.

Or a Love/Hate College AU where Louis Tomlinson is the lead singer of The Rogue - the most popular band on campus - and Harry Styles is the talented Freshman unknowingly challenging all that.

All the Right Moves by cherrystreet | 32k | Explicit

This is the third game in a row that Harry has been distracted by the noisy boy in the stands, five rows back.

There’s really no reason that he should feel compelled to stare into the audience as frequently as he is, but he can’t help it. This boy is a nuisance. And he’s loud. Even from basketball court with nine other players running by him, shoes squeaking on the shiny hardwood floor, and thousands of cheering college students, Harry can hear this boy nearly shrieking, his laugh more like a cackle than anything.

It’s seriously obnoxious.

Nicotine by KrisStylinson | 32k | Explicit

"We're two different types of people, Liam. He likes sex and drugs, I like theater and tea. Trust me, we'd never date." Except they would, they do, and neither of them plans on letting go anytime soon.

"Just because you can get me hard doesn't mean I like you," Louis whispered. The fact was, he didn't like Harry right now, not at all. Not even a bit.

"Yeah, yeah," Harry murmured, his breath fanning over Louis' cock as he spoke. "You done telling me how much you hate me so I can suck you off?"

Like Candy In My Veins by littlelouishiccups | 31k | Explicit

“Um…” Harry said slowly after a moment. “Okay. That’s… this is… Let me get this straight.” He lifted up a hand and swallowed. “You told your family that you have a boyfriend… and my name was the first one you thought of?” “Harry Potter was on TV, alright? It wasn’t that much of a stretch.” Louis pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn’t believe he was explaining himself to Harry fucking Styles. He couldn’t believe he was stooping this low. “Forget it. I’m sorry I even thought about bringing you into this.”

Harry snorted. “What? Did you want me to pretend to be your boyfriend or something?”

(Basically the A/B/O, enemies to lovers, fake relationship, Christmas AU that nobody asked for.)

We're Like Bumper Cars by sincehewaseighteen | 31k | Explicit

“I have won, I won the final cross country. I win, Harry--”

“Whoever gets to fucking nationals wins it, pretty boy,” Harry teases. “You haven’t won. Interhouse is nothing compared to nationals, or interstate. You haven’t even won interschool. You can dream all you fucking want that you’ve won.”

Louis becomes so ignorant he decides to no longer eye the boy taunting him. “Trophies prove it all, Styles.”

“Where’s your trophy for biggest asshole?”

“Where’s yours for winning cross country?”

Harry growls before hooking his fingers in Louis’ belt loops and bringing them together for a flat kiss.

Or the AU where Louis and Harry are rivals of the century and Cross Country competitors before things get complicated and they play pretend.

After Hours by Velvetoscar for shipsdrifting | 26k | Not Rated

Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson are the bane of each other's existences. Unfortunately, they're already in love--even if they aren't completely aware of this minor detail.

[A "You've Got Mail" AU]

When It's Late At Night by Rearviewdreamer | 25k | Mature

Louis has zero interest in an ex-boybander turned solo artist when his appearance on the show gets announced, but that's exactly who he gets stuck with when Harry Styles shows up at the Late Late show to promote the release of his debut album. For an entire fucking week.

Or

The Late Late prompt that we all need to get through this excruciatingly hard time.

Love Me Please by angelichl | 23k | Explicit

Louis hates Harry, which is fine because he would really rather prefer to avoid him at all costs.

The only problem?

They're soulmates.

runnin' like you did by orphan_account | 20k | Explicit

“Should we tell him?”

When Lauren is met with everyone either nodding their heads or shrugging, she takes a deep breath. “I mean, I think it’s pretty obvious by now.” She stalls, sounding ominous and Louis doesn’t like it one bit.

“What is obvious by now?” Louis asks. He’s starting getting anxious. “I swear to God, spit it out. Stop being so damn cryptic.”

“I—We think it’s pretty obvious that you’re in love with Harry,” she states simply and shrugs as if she isn’t telling him he’s in love with the second—Nick being the first—most annoying person on the planet.

or, a college au where Louis knows how to hold a grudge and is definitely not in love with Harry Styles

Three French Hems by 100percentsassy, gloria_andrews | 20k | Mature

In which Louis is a designer at Burberry and Harry spends December wearing Lanvin… and Lanvin… and Lanvin.

once bitten and twice shy by pinkcords | 19k | Mature

This time as his stomach rolls, there’s no doubt about it. He’s going to vomit. And if he does, it’ll be on Louis’ shoes, a nice little parting gift to go with the embarrassment he’s caused the both of them. “I’m gonna throw up,” he says just as Louis turns to look at him, blue eyes swimming with shock and confusion, and asks, “Is that true?”

Or, in a rush of bravery only senior year can bring, Harry confesses his feelings in a letter to his neighbor and best friend, Louis, only for the entire school to hear it and laugh him out of their small town in Wisconsin. Ten years later, Harry's a successful lawyer at Columbia Records, coming home for Christmas for the first time since he departed for college. He plans to work his way through the trip, eat his mom's cooking, and avoid everyone from his past for as long as possible. The only problem is best laid plans hardly ever go as intended.

That's How I Know by allwaswell16 | 19k | Explicit

Louis Tomlinson has just landed his dream job, coaching soccer at Augustus University. When he moves into a new house near campus, he meets his very fit new neighbor, English professor Harry Styles. Although their first meeting leads to an instant mutual dislike, the more Harry gets to know Louis, the more he likes what he sees.

Or the one where Harry’s African grey parrot spills his dirty secrets to his very hot neighbor.

Get Off of My Cloud by Marora_Daris | 9k | Explicit

Harry is the most annoying neighbour that sexually frustrated Louis could have. Niall decides it's a good idea to handcuff them together.

Featuring guinea pigs, animal print leggings and inappropriate boners.

Erase My History, (Expo)se Me by BayouSexual, pacificrimjob for Edandcurly | 6k | Teen And Up Audiences

“My hair does not smell like strawberries.”

Louis blinks up at Mr. Styles. “I never said your hair smells like strawberries. How would I even know that?” Harry’s hair does smell like strawberries, Harry himself smells like strawberries, everyone who’s been within three feet of him knows this. ~~~~~~~~ Or the one where Harry and Louis both teacher history, their students think they should date, and one pink dry-erase marker is trying to ruin their lives (with a little help of course).

[todaydreambelieversfic]

Author Spotlight: Honeysucklepink Day 1

Author : @honeysucklepink​ 

How did you get into Glee and Glee fandom?

I was actually an American Idol fan, and I had seen the previews for the show, but I had already been burned on Eli Stone and honestly didn't want to get into a show that would get cancelled after a few episodes. Plus I was watching Lost and it conflicted (I to this day have not invested in a DVR). But the same site that was recapping Idol started recapping Glee, and more annoyingly my sister was watching it (and yet hated Idol). So anyway, fast forward to the end of Lost, and suddenly my Tuesdays were free again, so I decided to tune in to the "Home" episode. This goes to show how influential fandom can be to how a show is perceived. I loved Will, I was charmed by April, I felt bad for Kurt but rolled my eyes at his pursuit of Finn. I think the only thing that has stayed consistent was being WOWED by Mercedes. I watched the rest of the season, and then I'm pretty sure they re-ran it over the summer (I swear I'm sure they did, though even by 2010 most networks had stopped doing summer reruns).

Even through the second season, I kept up with Glee and other shows via sites like MJs Big Blog and Entertainment Weekly.  But I never was in FANDOM...not until, honestly, Blaine and Darren. I knew he was coming thanks to an EW news item. I was also watching Californication at the time, and they were using his original music to promote the show (Mia's doing, I later discovered). So my joke for a while was that I kept getting hooked on these singer-songwriters from Fox TV shows (David Cook and Kris Allen from Idol, and now Darren). But also by this time I was liking Kurt more...yes I had thought his pursuit of Finn was inappropriate, but then Laryngitis and Theatricality happened and by the time Never Been Kissed was about to air I was like 'THIS BOY NEEDS SOMETHING HAPPY IN HIS LIFE.' And then Blaine sang, and Kurt smiled, and I was a goner.

But I still wasn't there-there. Not until the following summer. The tour was happening, and of course it was happening NOWHERE NEAR ME, so I followed it on social media. I had a Tumblr, but wasn't using it that much. There was a Glee Forum that I frequented much more (don't even ask what my username was, it's long-forgotten). Also, I was in Seattle for a continuing education thing, and I spent a lot of time on my computer...doing work but also taking a lot of breaks by hanging on the forums. I got sucked in...soon I was doing more fan stuff on Tumblr, drifted from Glee Forum, and well, the rest is history.

In general, what drew you into writing (and/or creating)?

I think like a lot of people it was having stories in my head that I wanted to read and, not seeing anyone else writing them, realizing I had to write them myself. Writing fic for me usually goes much more stream-of-consciousness (thank goodness for betas). Very different from the academic writing that I have to do for my career, which involves a lot of research, structure, deadlines, etc. Being Southern and coming from a storytelling tradition helps. And a little morbid, but I think a little fatalism? Knowing we all die in the end, and the idea of leaving a little something behind, something that's not a kid, but a little part of me, that someone comes across and it means something to them. Even if my actual name isn't attached to it, it's still there.

What was it about Glee that made you decide to write fanfic for it?

It wasn't like my little reader prompts were always going to get the attention of a writer, so sometimes a scene would get stuck in my head and I'd just have to write it to get it out, or a song would get stuck in my head that I wished the show would do. Sometimes it was speculation, or wish-fulfillment...I'd read a spoiler and wonder how it COULD go, or see a song done and go "pfft, not how I would have done it, I'm rewriting this." And um, let's be real, I was at the peak of my sexual health, heck I'm pretty sure the show helped me accept that yep I'm really fucking queer, and there are just some Klaine scenes that the ol' Fox Network ain't gonna show you...

Have you been a part of other fandoms before? Have you written fanfiction pre-glee?

I posted in fan communities... I was on an E! board for The Girls Next Door for a while, I was a frequent poster on college football message boards, and of course I was on some boards for Idol (and regrettably, Vote For the Worst). But those communities didn't always stick to the fandom object...like half the time on the GND boards we didn't talk about GND at all! And re: fanfiction, I never read it until season seven of Idol... there was a David Cook saga I really got into (because there was intrigue and stalking and drama), that in retrospect was very much a self-insert Mary Sue (I know that term is fraught but in this case it was SO deserved), there were quite a few "Mavid" one-shots that were pretty juicy, and oh lord there was a D/s with Clay Aiken that, if you try not to actually picture CLAY FUCKING AIKEN, was hot. I really wasn't reading a lot of LGBTQ fic. My one hand at writing fic was as a joke...there was an off-shoot of the VFTW blog, and I wrote an RPF hetero scene of Kris Allen and his wife. To this day I cringe at that. I didn't touch writing fic again until Glee and Klaine.

Is there a trope you’ve yet to try your hand at, but really want to?

I haven't really done a true "enemies to lovers" fic, but I'd like to try it sometime. Or fake dating, that's one I'd need to get inspired by the right set-up.

Is there a trope you wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole?

I can't do incest, not even in a "well technically they're stepbrothers so it's not REALLY..." Yes really it's still a NOPE. And while there have been slave fics I've really liked, like the "Def" verse? Um, I'm from the American South, my ancestors go far back enough, fuck no I'm not writing a slave AU.

How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?

Oh lord, there's maybe two or three...there's one that has the premise written, that I don't know if or when I'll finish it, that has Kurt as a quarterback and Blaine as a center (the guy who is bent over right in front of the QB that passes him the ball), and it's solely inspired by a college football player that waxed poetic at a press conference about what kind of butt a good center should have, and I'll let you fill in the blanks.

***

Check out Honeysucklepink’s Fics

A Place That's Safe and Warm -  Writer and blogger Blaine Anderson just wanted to have a few drinks, hook up with his friend Kurt, and pretend for a little while that his adopted city of Boston hadn’t been attacked. He meant to make a quiet exit the morning after, but overbearing parents, a cranky roommate, and the justice system had other plans.

Later On, We'll Conspire -  My "naughty" fic for Klaine Advent 2015: Kurt and Blaine get snowed in, with an empty loft and an extra-special gift basket from Santana (takes place in Season Five, pre-5.14).

Somebody Loves You -  My "nice" Klaine Advent 2015 fic: missing scenes from Glee Season Six. Chapter titles are the prompts.

[keystonewarrior]

Actually Older Than Dirt

Actually Older than Dirt

They called themself Vajra Tiglitolf these days. They had slipped into the United States in 1946 along with countless other Europeans, unheralded, unnoticed.  It was actually their second time in North America (third if you counted living underwater on the continental shelf), having resided with coastal communities stretching from modern day British Columbia south to Sinaloa, but that was when there was still a land bridge to Asia and long before the Spanish arrived on the continent.

They worked quietly at a deli in Princeton, NJ until 1961, then moved over to Philadelphia where they bagged groceries at an A&P and later attended classes as a liberal arts history major at Temple until 1968.  They always enjoyed the liberal arts classes more than the technical coursework, science and math just weren’t their thing.  Art courses were nice reminders of what they had seen and done over the millennia and they often thought it was a shame that nobody would ever see any of Leonardo’s really good stuff.  The original three-panel cartoonist, the church meticulously destroyed every last copy of those satirical hit-jobs while he was still under house arrest.  Music appreciation always took them back to the times and places where they first heard many of those stirring performances, sometimes overcome with emotion at the memory of being in the same room as the great composers.  Nakisha was little remembered among music historians and was a more accomplished harpist than anything else but as rock and roll grew in popularity in the US in the 50s they could almost hear her singing and playing, and then stopping to take her notes.  The hippies sounded a lot like Nakisha’s less serious work, the stuff she played for crowds in the market instead of the Persian palaces.  Literature classes were always fun but they often felt Chaucer would get more credit if they understood the man better and Shakespeare less credit if they’d really known him.  The most amusing classes were the history classes, especially when publishers, professors, and students got almost everything wrong and left out some of the critical tipping points and most hilarious details about so-called important people and places.  Egypt was terribly misunderstood and India all but forgotten.  But Vajra could not provide any evidence, and had spent intermittent and sporadic decades in each region and travelling between them for three thousand years, so mostly they simply asked questions about details they knew nobody could respond to and provoking debate.

The most memorable detail about those four years at Temple was the accounting class where a football player would crack jokes and hassle the TA, openly - if jokingly - copying answers from other students’ tests in class.  Vajra felt bad for the little TA but if she was ever going to make it as a mathematician she had better toughen up.  In the arts, you can often make up for a little talent with a lot of panache, but in math you have to prove it or you’re less than zero.  Zero was probably the thing historians never really got right about math - people died for zero.

There was tension in the American air as Vajra moved towns and changed careers again that summer.  Vajra had a nose now for avoiding war, but this didn’t quite feel that bad.  When the Democratic Convention in Chicago went down Vajra was working at a high school near Washington DC.  They were active in the environmental movement, civil rights movement, equal rights movement, but mostly ardently against the draft.

Vajra hated the draft most of all and when that came to an end they spent a few more years involved in various movements but saw the wind going out of the sails.  Without any skin in the game in the draft, most of the white, suburban US mosied out of protest movements and into adult family life.  The environmentalists couldn’t see the climate change writing on the wall, a few could but they didn’t have the data needed to really fight that battle even though Arrhenius had made everything very clear eighty years earlier.  Vajra was back in Europe in the late nineteenth century and had read Arrhenius’ work.  After Angstrom had argued against the climate change model, Vajra had gone to work with the Swedish physicist because (while they weren’t particularly talented at math and science) they had personally endured hundreds of environmental transformations and could see the path humanity was on.  Far too many in the environmental community thought they had essentially won the war and had the corporate polluters on the ropes.  Vajra knew how persistent - like mold inside the walls of a house - money and wealth could be, but nobody was willing to listen to a high school history teacher and low-level staffer working part-time and voluntarily across multiple national movements who actually liked disco.  When the Equal Rights Amendment fell short and Reagan and the NeoCons came to DC, Tiglitolf moved to Kissimmee, FL.  It was actually their second time in FL, but their previous abode had been underwater.

They had been to Disney twice before on summer working-vacations and decided it was a good enough place to work and hideout for maybe even several decades before having to move on again.  That was the trouble with dwelling within a body that could self-heal, it also maintained the same age and appearance if no changes were demanded of it.  There were subroutines in core memory Vajra could activate to simulate aging and to make changes to their physical form in different environmental and battlefield conditions.  A few were near-instantaneous (response to a chemical attack) while others took time and resources to manifest (changing from male to female).  The worst had been the years watching the dinosaurs die.  That particular rock had been a visible comet for weeks prior to impact and Vajra’s were the only intelligent eyes on the planet to see it coming.  A military draftee, a slave really, their body and mind had been laid open to the foundation - while they were aware and conscious - and rebuilt as the ultimate weapon.  They felt forced to fire up old diagnostics and activate telescopic sights and telemetry trackers.  Of course the computers immediately sought connection to higher headquarters, but Vajra kept shutting them down almost as soon as they booted up, but they were also distracted by the impending doom and the changes they were making to their body to survive the impact event.  Back then they looked more like a dinosaur.  Hey, above a certain size a reptile has no natural predators, except for big rocks from space.  The comet calved.  As it broke up it was clear one of the smaller pieces was going to hit the planet now, followed by a second larger impact a few weeks later as the comet’s orbit and the orbit of the Earth met again.  In the end there were essentially millions of impacts.  Rocks and ice hit the moon and the Earth and smaller rocks got pulled into other radical orbits and scattered around the solar system.  The millions of little ones might have been enough to kick the dinosaurs into the ditch along the evolutionary roadside, but it was the capital letter impact at the beginning of that death sentence followed by the exclamation point at the end that sealed the fate of almost every life on the planet.  Fourteen years later, resting in an ice-free estuary, quietly photosynthesizing and chewing on whatever corpse happened to float by, Vajra felt the tickle of communications programs being queried by a robot probe passing through the mesosphere overhead.  They had mercifully, if painfully, ripped out their IFF antenna a billion years earlier, so the communications and slave-chain programs could not be remotely activated, but Vajra nervously sat in that pond as glaciers crept closer for seventeen years before the probe finally exited the system.  They crept out of there and swam and crawled to the sea, then made their way around the planet closer to the second impact site.  The shallow seas in the area that would later become the Lake Wales Ridge on the Florida peninsula made for an excellent place to shake off this boring semi-plant existence and start eating food again.

Their first job in modern Florida was actually at Circus World.  They worked part-time there and at the Magic Kingdom waiting for Epcot to open.  They painted faces, told children the same silly jokes children had laughed at in Mesopotamia, and dropped agonizing puns on the parents.  Disney was going to be a beast, with thousands of anonymous employees, and every few months Tiglitolf could change jobs and nobody would ever say, “You haven’t aged a day” while they hid unnoticed and unheralded among the masses of workers.  Epcot ended up Vajra’s favorite park, even though between 1981 and today they had worked in almost every guest area.  Epcot ended up nice, but hardly a world’s fair, and Vajra had worked at three - Paris and Brussels in the late nineteenth century and Barcelona thirty years later.  World War One had been a disaster but they had weathered that shitstorm in Tunisia.  Nursing experience helping as a volunteer during the flu pandemic 1918-1920 led to work in Portugal through the 20s and when the Germans practiced mechanized warfare in Spain in the 30s Vajra quietly moved back to Egypt and reopened their old bakery and brewery almost on the same spot it had been over a century earlier.

Of course their name had not been Vajra Tiglitolf back then.  They’d had hundreds of names ever since that sort of thing had been important among people, but every name had been some variant of their name as a slave-soldier: Diamond Twelve.

[lizablythe]

Honestly, Eliza isn’t 100% sure why she’s doing this, other than that her agent told her it was a good idea. She’s given countless interviews since the accident, and she doesn’t know what really made this one any different, except that they’re in Dublin and it’s a new season. Still, she settles into the booth across from a (thankfully) unfamiliar face, nurses a hot cup of black coffee between her palms, and offers a tired, but genuine, smile. “So,” she says, drawing out the syllable and clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “What do you want to know?”

o1. Are you happy with the way the quidditch season is going so far?

She leans forward a bit, takes a sip of her coffee, and ducks her head so she doesn’t just burst out laughing. The poor kid is just doing his job. She knows that, but it’s still a funny question to ask anyone who’s played the game before. Eliza shakes her head, glancing up at the reporter from beneath her lashes. “Would you be?” It’s impolite to answer a question with a question. She knows from her rookie media training crash course, but she can’t help it. Holding out a palm, she tries again. “I mean, I miss it, you know? I miss making that big stop. I miss the roar of the crowd. I miss being on the pitch when we come up with a big win and celebrating with my teammates. It’s not like I’m not grateful to still be around the team, but it’s just...it’s different. You know?” The reporter acknowledges this and Eliza continues.

“I mean, if I can’t play, if there’s no possibility, then, yeah, I always want to see them win. I just don’t really like seeing them do it without me.” Her eyes flick up from her coffee, then, a sheepish expression making her lips downturn. “Um, but, like I said, if I can’t go, I’d want them to win. They’re still my team. Still family.”

o2. What words would you use to describe yourself?

Eliza likes this question better. Her shoulders relax and the set of her jaw is less sharp as she leans back into the cushions again. She holds up the hand not gripping her coffee cup and starts counting. “Ambitious. Stubborn. Dedicated. Athletic. Loyal.” She sets her palm flat on the tabletop, drums her fingertips against it, and smiles when the person across from her asks her to...expand, if she could. “I knew what I wanted to do from the time I was six years old and I did it. I only wanted to play for one team -the Cannons- and I did that. I’m still wearing these.” She pulls at the collar of her orange warmup sweatshirt and chuckles to herself. “I have a new goal. And that’s what I’m working on. And no, you can’t know what it is.”

o3. If you could change one aspect of your personality, what would it be?

She blinks. “I dunno. I like myself, actually.” There is one, thing, though, nagging at the back of her mind. She picks at the laminated edge of the table, just for something to do with her hands. “...maybe that loyalty. I mean, I really limited myself during the combine. I didn’t even talk to any other ownership. Not that I’d want to play anywhere else, but you always think, when you’re in situations like that, what if I hadn’t been in that game? If I was with another club, if we’d played the Wasps on a different day, maybe that Beater would’ve been in a better mood. Who knows? So, that, I guess.”

o4. Briefly talk about a defining moment in your life. What made it so important?

Eliza smirks. She points at the reporter with her index finger and shakes it at them. “Now, I know you think you know what I’m going to say, but stay on the line, here.” She pauses to drink some of her coffee while it’s still hot, and she catches the person across the table from her leaning in, interested. She’s actually good at this part -she knows that. The entire professional athlete thing came easily to her from the skillset on the pitch to this part, even if she doesn’t particularly like dealing with the media. But it’s part of the job, and she’s good at her job. “It’s the first time we lost. See, when I was at Hogwarts, my team was really pretty successful. Sure, Gryffindor had our number a few years...” She rolls her eyes at the idea and waves it off, like Gryffindor’s Cups were just some fluke. “But I was used to being successful. When I came here, when I came to the Cannons, I mean, they were in the worst losing streak the Premier League had seen in...ever. And losing? Losing teaches you how to be a better leader than winning ever does. Like, I grew up in that locker room because of my captains, and I think I was a better teammate because of it.”

o5. If you weren’t involved in the quidditch scene, what kind of job do you would have? 

“Have you ever watched football? No, not American- Like, the game with the ball on the grass? It’s pretty similar to Quidditch, actually, without the magic and the flying.” Eliza digs around in her bag to find a newspaper article and sets it between them. The photographs aren’t moving -of course they aren’t; it’s a Muggle paper- but it shows the Irish National Team’s last game-winning goal. “I’d be the one stopping those shots. Do what you know, right?”

o6. What are some similarities/differences between yourself and your teammates/coworkers?

Eliza purses her lips. “Well, they’re usually on brooms and I’m not...” She kind of wishes she had a beer in front of her instead of coffee, and Eliza’s gaze drifted idly towards the coffee bar, wondering if there was some kind of alcoholic option, before pulling herself back to the interview. “We’re all really goal-oriented. You have to be to be in this league. But there’s always different personalities in the room. And I know I’m not -I don’t play with them anymore, but the team is still who I’m closest with. I might bridge them to the management now, but you’re more likely to find me out with them celebrating a win on a Saturday than...whatever Edison gets up to.” Eliza laughs, then, and shakes her head. “So I’m really serious when it comes to Quidditch, and sometimes Greg isn’t. I’m not as dedicated as Robyn, though. And Rhys and I are exactly as charming, didn’t you know? We get on well. That’s what makes a team work, I think. And yeah, we’re different, but the same where it counts.”

o7. What kind of things do you think about when you’re alone?

“You don’t have a cat, do you?” Eliza asks, arching her eyebrows. “I just mean, I do, and so I’m never really alone, because he’s literally always in my business. But I guess I think about normal things?” She’s back to picking at the laminate again, examining the chipped polish on her nails. She’d need to redo that. “I think about paying my rent and what I’m going to have for dinner and if my ex is still a horrible person. And sometimes I think about Quidditch, but I’ve been trying not to, lately.”

o8. What are three good habits and three bad habits that you have?

Eliza wrinkles her nose. “Bad first?” She gets a nod and starts counting them off with her fingers again. “I drink way too much coffee. I buys way too many brooms. And I overanalyze and blame myself for stuff a lot.” She says this all very quickly, and is already into her good habits before the poor reporter can get a follow-up question in. “For the good ones, I’m the queen of to-do lists, I still talk to my parents every week, and I only fight with one of my siblings.” That did earn a follow-up, of course, about the brother she didn’t care for. Eliza sighs and dips her head to take another drink. “He just doesn’t think the accident was his player’s fault, and I can’t really forgive that.” 

o9. What is your personal philosophy?

This one’s easy. The words are out of her mouth before her brain even has time to catch up. “Work hard, stay humble. We’re Quidditch players, and yeah, kids want to be us when they grow up, but we’re just people. We make mistakes and we have lives outside of this game, even if mine right now is my cat and a muggle band. But if you want something, anything, you have to work for it. And once you get it? Don’t forget the little people.” She considers this before adding. “Unless they’re on the team that ended your career. Then you can forget them all.”

1o. Would you rather be liked or respected? Feared or loved?

“Are you asking the players these questions? Can I get a transcript? I think I’m going to be helping with scouting...” In Eliza’s mind, there was only one correct answer to each question, and they were...kind of contradictory. “First,” she says, holding up her right index finger. “I’d rather be respected. Because there are a lot of fans out there who don’t like me, but respect my game. And it’s really the same way from my end. I don’t have to like you to respect your game. I think Oliver Wood was one of the best Keepers to ever play the game, but I still wouldn’t have wanted to pay against him.” It was halfway through the answer that Eliza realized she was using the present tense, and she clears her throat before holding up her left index finger instead. “And second, I’d rather be loved. What does anyone get out of being feared? Like I said before, we’re all human beings as well as Quidditch players...you’re not going to get very far in life if you don’t have people to love and people who love you back. You have to have that balance.”

11. What are your thoughts on Puddlemere United?

A fond smile crosses her lips. She’s done with her coffee, so she flips the mug over upside down. “I hated playing them because they’re really annoying. They clog up the middle of the pitch so well, and it seemed like their Chasers were always coming at me.” An almost wistful sigh follows. “But I loved playing against them, too, because it was always a challenge. The rivalry is the best out there and we always showed up to those games. Even the ones we lost, they were some of the best ones to see as a fan.” She chews her bottom lip slightly. “I’m looking forward to being on the other side this time.” But she wasn’t, not really. Being a fan was awful; she coudn’t do anything to help.

12. What about The Chudley Cannons?

Her eyes lit up. “Them, I like.” Eliza laughs into her palm and watches the reporter’s quill taking notes. “It’s like when you go to school for the first time and find that group of weird people you finally fit in with. That’s what the Cannons are like. And I think our fans feel included, too, and we’re all one big group fighting for one thing, and when they won the Cup, I wasn’t there, but it’s almost like I was.” Almost isn’t the same, but her voice doesn’t waver anymore. So that’s a start.

13. If given a more lucrative position with another team, would you take it? 

“I’ll let you in on a little secret,” Eliza answers, leaning in close and dropping her voice an octave or two. “Chudley isn’t the only team to offer me a job. I was offered coaching, no I’m not telling you where, but it’s not about the money. It’s about having a support system, about being close to my teammates.” The reporter, who has been nothing but gracious so far, seems intrigued by this and asks the awful question. If someone else asked you to play, though...? Eliza sighs again, more loudly this time, a bit exasperated with this whole business. It’s not worth the free cup of coffee. It might not even be worth a free drink. “No one’s asked,” is all she says.

14. Would you consider yourself an optimist or a pessimist? 

She shakes her head. “I’m a realist. I don’t let myself get my hopes up too far or get too down in the dumps about anything.” Eliza points a finger towards her own chest. “The only person that has any say in what happens to me, is me.” That’s not entirely true and they both know it; her accident had been out of her control. But what happens after? That’s all on Eliza. “I’m not willing to believe some kind of statistical odds.” A smirk appears. “After all, the Cannons were 100/1 losers last year.” 

15. What’s one thing you would change about your team, if given the opportunity?

Another softball. Eliza knows what they want to hear, and she kind of consider’s not saying it, but everyone would know she was lying if she didn’t say it. She stands up from the table, then, shrugs into her coat, and as she’s pulling a knit cap over her hair, says, “I’d be playing.” Then she turns to go.

[racingtoaredlight]

THE DEGENERATE’S GUIDE TO COLLEGE FOOTBALL TV WATCH ‘EM UPS 2021: WEEK THREE: THE END OF THE BEGINNING OF THE END

We’re still really in the early middle of the year. Sure, Oregon looked powerful against Ohio State but it’s possible Ohio State just hasn’t found it’s footing yet and the Ducks just peaked. Shit happens like that every year, more or less. You can pretty much count on Bama to win 10 and not much else. That only applies to football. The continued stratification of social classes, the accelerating collapse of natural systems that support human life, the complete lack of representation the average American in our freedom loving democracy- you can count on those things. Football is different, though: wilder but more ordered while somehow being better and stupider than real life all at the same time. It’ll be fun to all more or less die together, I think. So let’s get to the games!

I forget the business reason for having more major OOC games that actually stay on the schedule but we’re reaping the rewards for now. You know the rules: eastern times, average vegas odds at the time of writing, prediction abilities are bad on a good day, there’s supposed to be a weekly RTARLsman post but I haven’t done a real one in about 21 months, formatting errors up to and including listing the teams incorrectly aren’t worth pointing out because nobody’s coming to fix them anyway. I don’t expect professionalism out of you so don’t ask it out of me.

Saturday, September 18

Matchup                      Time (ET)        TV/Mobile

NIU at 25 Michigan     12:00pm            BTN

It’s easy to say Michigan is due for a self-inflicted dick kick the trick is to predict ahead of time when exactly the embarrassing, season-unraveling loss will come. I don’t think it’s today but I also don’t have a lot of faith in Michigan to cover a 27-point spread.

UAlbany at Syracuse     12:00pm        ACCN

I find it hard to believe Albany’s football program is in such disrepair that they don’t even warrant a line against Syracuse. I think we’ve had five 1AA-over 1A upsets so far this season. I couldn’t possibly watch this game but I’ll keep an eye out for it on the ticker. Syracuse is bad enough to lose anywhere to anybody.

  Tennessee Tech at Tennessee   12:00pm    ESPN+/SECN+

I should probably find a site that lists the good games at the top of each time slot instead of this free for all.

Western Michigan at Pitt     12:00pm    RSN/ESPN3

Pitt has actually looked pretty good so far but they don’t have an AP ranking yet. I can’t say much for this matchup so I just assume the Panthers cover the -14.5 and get a little number next to their name next week.

15 Virginia Tech at West Virginia     12:00pm    FS1

This is actually of some interest to me. Virginia Tech is ranked 15 on account of beating UNC but it’s not hard to imagine that neither the Hokies nor the Heels are actually worthy of a ranking. WFV is favored at home but still might trigger some couch burning and “upset” talk with a win. The Mountaineers are this week’s new collection from Homefield Apparel so expect some magic!

Boston College at Temple        12:00pm     ESPNU

Old Big East rivalry game. Nobody can look away.

Chattanooga at Kentucky         12:00pm     ESPN+/SECN+

I thought Chattanooga had moved up to 1A but there’s no line listed for this game so I guess not.

8 Cincinnati at Indiana           12:00pm            ESPN

Indiana was good last year and maybe that was just a once-in-a-generation fluke but I’ve still got visions of the Hoosiers toppling Cincy and ruining their theoretically possible playoff run. I’m assuming the Bearcats won’t play anybody else better than IU this year but that’s just a guess backed by historical precedent which isn’t a thing you should really use to gamble on college football.

16 Coastal Carolina at Buffalo    12:00pm      ESPN2

Chanticleers vs. Bulls, the eternal struggle writ in football. I don’t think the CSUNY school is particularly good this year but Coastal being favorited by 14 points in an early kickoff road games still feels like a trap to this sharp.

Michigan State at 24 Miami (FL)     12:00pm    ABC

Surprisingly to me, this is the fifth all-time meeting of these two schools. Just as surprising to me, Miami has never before lost to Michigan State. Weird but makes sense if you think about it, this will be the fourth out of five matchups played in Miami. As near as I can tell, Sparty tried to use the Canes the same way Notre Dame used to as an in-season bowl game but bailed on the idea when they kept losing. To be fair, Sparty’s record in bowl games isn’t that much better than their 0-4 against Miami. The last time these two met was 1989 when Percy Snow was on his way to the Butkus Award and Miami was on their way to a third National Championship. The Hurricanes team was pretty well-stacked but is probably the least remembered of their title teams. It did feature future Hall of Famer Cortez Kennedy and a freshman OL that would go on to be September 2021′s hottest head coach in cfb, Mario Cristobal. This year’s Miami roster might look good in 30 years but right now they’re a little messy. D’Eriq King is only 8 months removed from ACL surgery (if you watch the game you will hear about this several hundred time) and has so far looked bad on his throws and a touch slower than he has in the past. Which makes sense given the timeframe but does not generally bode well for Miami’s prospects for this season.

Nebraska at 3 Oklahoma         12:00pm         FOX

If Oklahoma is a real title contender they are gonna lay Nebraska the fuck out. I’m scared of the 22.5-point line just because I don’t think the Sooners defense could stop Bishop Sycamore but it’s not crazy to think Nebraska can saw their own dicks off to the tune of a four-score loss.

New Mexico at 7 Texas A&M     12:00pm       SECN

Fuck. Jimbo must be stopped. I hate this Aggies team. UNM isn’t the team to do it but somebody along the way has to throttle aTm or this season is going to become a plague the likes of which we haven’t seen since... well, now, I guess.

UConn at Army                 12:00pm         CBSSN

Reading this matchup aloud five times in a mirror will kill college football.

Southeast Missouri at Missouri      12:00pm       ESPN+/SECN+

The southeastern part of the state will travel to within the bounds of the state for a classic football game somewhere within the borders of the state.

Minnesota at Colorado            1:00pm         P12N

I’m not completely disinterested. It’s weird and doesn’t have any national impact. Not much more you can ask for in a game you probably can’t find on your TV.

Nevada at Kansas State          2:05pm          ESPN+

Hell yeah, this is trash. Nevada is a road favorite! Take KState all the way.

Purdue at 12 Notre Dame         2:30pm          NBC

Notre Dame has looked a little bit of a mess so far but they’ve won both of their games. Not the worst position to be in. Purdue has also won both of their games. I don’t want to get my hopes up just yet but it seems like the Irish are riding the razor’s edge just asking to be pushed off. Keep an eye on this score, maybe the good people of the world will have something to celebrate in the late afternoon/early evening.

Kent State at 5 Iowa                 3:30pm         BTN

Iowa’s fifth? It’s too fucking early for this shit.

Florida State at Wake Forest     3:30pm         ESPN

0-2 Florida State goes on the road as a 4-point underdog to face 2-0 Wake Forest. Mike Norvell is really out on a plank right now and I am not sure he can safely find his way back to the deck.

Georgia Tech at 6 Clemson        3:30pm          ABC

Clemson’s got talent all over and Georgia Tech sucks but I’m still not sold on DJ Uigalelei as an NFL savior type of player. Or a national championship winner for that matter. He reminds me of EJ Manuel.

Baylor at Kansas                    3:30pm             ESPN+

Baylor is not good but the betting public is getting hip to the “bet against Kansas every chance you get” strategy so the line has jumped four points already this week and I wouldn’t be surprised if it makes it another couple before kickoff to get to 20+. Which is still probably too kind to the Jayhawks.

1 Alabama at 11 Florida           3:30pm           CBS

Bama has only had a couple of practice games against lower division opponents but they look as complete as any team I can remember from a talent/scheme perspective. This is a pretty good test and the 15-point line seems a little over-confident on the road in the Swamp. If the Bammers really do overwhelm the Gators then you can pretty much start planning on their return to the CFB Playoffs.

Tulsa at 9 Ohio State                3:30pm            FS1

Every week of every year I struggle to keep Tulsa and Toledo straight. Toledo is the one that almost beat Notre Dame last week. Tulsa is the one that lost to UC-Davis in week 1. Ohio State may be troubled on defense but that only matters against other top-tier teams. Having the line moving in Tulsa’s direction is absolute lunacy. If the Buckeyes can’t cover 25 points then they’re in real trouble. For now my guess is that Oregon is just better than we realized and OSU is going to be fine.

SMU at Louisiana Tech             3:30pm         CBSSN

This is my kind of counter-programming if nothing else is close. Not sure if there are some ponies down to have points shifting towards the Karl Malones but I think SMU is up to a two-score win.

LIU at Miami (Ohio)                    3:30pm          ESPN+

Sure, whatever you say.

USC at Washington State         3:30pm            FOX

At first I thought this was USC-UW and I was ready to emotionally invest in the drama but it’s just Wazzou. USC giving up on a playoff spot in week two to sit around and wait for Urban Meyer is going to be fucking hilarious when the Trojans end up getting jilted at the altar.

Idaho at Oregon State                3:30pm           P12N Oregon

Pac-12 Network Oregon. This implies the existence of a P12N Washington. I’ve seen the main network on TV before. It was fine if a little bit too “featuring Matt Leinart” for my tastes but seeing the weird way they’ve splintered their content is giving me a deeper understanding of west coast football fans that absolutely hate the Pac-12 Network.

Bryant at Akron                           3:30pm           ESPN3

Tune in to see some guy named Bryant touring around Akron.

Elon at Appalachian State          3:30pm           ESPN+

I hope App State runs this grifter out of their campus on a rail. The more bad stuff happens to Elon Musk the better off all of humanity will be.

Delaware at Rutgers                   3:30pm             BTN

Fuck me, this is just all the pain in the world masquerading as a sporting event.

Eastern Michigan at UMass         3:30pm          FloFootball/NESN+

I don’t have much interest in this game but seeing that it’s available on the Nintendo Entertainment System Network is intriguing.

Colorado State at Toledo              4:00pm           ESPNU

Toledo blew a huge opportunity last week so they’re ripe for a letdown but all signs point to Colorado State being incredibly bad at football this year.

Sacramento State at California    4:00pm          P12N Bay Area

P12N Bay Area probably reaches cable subscribers in like Vallejo and nowhere else in the entire world. When I put it that way it seems like exactly where this game belongs but it’s still not a thing that should exist. I mean the network but it’s true for the game also.

Northwestern at Duke              4:00pm              ACCN

Disgusting.

Mississippi State at Memphis        4:00pm          ESPN2

I think Memphis can knock down the SEC’s middle tier but I haven’t gotten a clear idea of either of these teams yet.

Georgia Southern at 20 Arkansas       4:00pm      SECN

Arkansas rose up last week because of the weird insistence by Lice Dad that playing a middling Texas team was the biggest game in school history. Arkansas has played in the SEC CG more than once. They’ve won a national championship. How does a guy that’s paid to be an SEC homer even make such a dumb statement and keep his job?

Ball State at Wyoming                  4:00pm             Stadium

I watched the CFB 150 episode about the Black 14 this week so now it’s all I can think about for Wyoming football.

Arkansas State at Washington       4:15pm            P12N

What the hell happened to UDub to fall back to this lowly spot? Did Chris Peterson just fall on his ass in recruiting?

Murray State at Bowling Green       5:00pm           ESPN3

This sounds like a sixties movie title for a spy agency thriller that could be mistaken for a comedy when not viewed through a then-contemporary lens.

East Carolina at Marshall                 6:00pm         Facebook

ECU is looking like a doormat and Marshall might be really good again but I would never in good conscience ever contribute to facebook’s good fortunes wittingly.

Fordham at Florida Atlantic             6:00pm             ESPN3

I want to love this game but I actually hate it.

Old Dominion at Liberty                    6:00pm           ESPN3

There is going to be so much COVID passed around this stadium.

Middle Tennessee at UTSA                6:00pm          ESPN+

Beautiful, horrible, unwatchable mess. This is where you go to feel like you are alone in the universe.

Troy at Southern Miss                        7:00pm             ESPN+

There’s also this.

Grambling State at Houston               7:00pm             ESPN+

And this one.

Utah at San Diego State                      7:00pm            CBSSN

This is real entertainment. Twitter will be all over the next listing so I’ll be FOMO’d into watching that for a while but SDSU-Utah on CBS SN might be where I first dreamt up the concept of degenerate football. It was either that or a UFL game featuring a QB duel between Daunte Culpepper and Jeff Garcia.

South Carolina at 2 Georgia               7:00pm             ESPN

I’m waiting for Georgia to bumble. I’m counting on it. Georgia-Clemson was a classic early season game that somehow helps both teams in the rankings all year but ends up actually being a showcase of how shitty their offense are rather than a referendum on great defense.

UIW at Texas State                             7:00pm              ESPN3

I think UIW is a union trade school or something. So I guess I’m rooting for them.

Charlotte at Georgia State                 7:00pm              ESPN+

Charlotte’s semester in Atlanta would shape her life in ways that nobody could have envisioned when she left her family’s home in the late summer following her failed attempt to run a bakeshop.

FIU at Texas Tech                              7:00pm             ESPN+

Maybe I actually hate college football.

Florida A&M at USF                           7:00pm             ESPN+

USF could lose this. Worth checking on if you see an upset alert.

Furman at NC State                          7:30pm            RSN/ESPN3

Body bag game.

Utah State at Air Force                     7:30pm             FS2

Kind of neat degenerate game but, depending on the uniform choices, could be a bit monotone and tough to follow.

Virginia at 21 North Carolina             7:30pm             ACCN

The South’s Oldest Rivalry! Like most of the previous 125 meetings of these two school’s, this year’s game will mainly decide who sucks worse. Of course in the ACC Coastal being slightly less bad than your opponents is the winningest strategy of all. Go Hoos!

Stony Brook at 4 Oregon                   7:30pm            P12N

Great scheduling to follow up an emotional game with a body bag. I’m not being facetious, this is right where you need these games.

UAB at North Texas                          7:30pm           Stadium

Not gonna open an app or whatever to watch this but I bet it’s fun for off-brand college football.

Central Michigan at LSU                  7:30pm             SECN

LSU at home at night is supposed to be the best atmosphere in college football. Way better than a 19.5-point line against Central Michigan. What stage of LSU’s life cycle are we in right now?

22 Auburn at 10 Penn State               7:30pm            ABC

War goddamn Eagle, baby. Penn State is doing that stupid white out thing which, correct if I’m wrong again, only goes for the people in the stands. So they’ll all be dressed up in pretty much Auburn’s road colors to watch Auburn. I hate Auburn but I really hate Penn State.

Alcorn State at South Alabama          8:00pm           ESPN3

Things are looking rough for the rest of the docket.

Rice at Texas                                      8:00pm            LHN

A battle of equals.

Stanford at Vanderbilt                        8:00pm           ESPNU

Look at this American aristocracy horse shit. Fuck these schools and the teams of horses that carried them in.

Tulane at 17 Mississippi                      8:00pm              ESPN2

The racist south may just have the nation’s best QB. It’s a good year for Matt Corral to show off his arm strength because 2022 is not looking like a bumper crop of QB draftees at this far off date. He’s small for the position but Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield and Russell Wilson are all smaller. If the arm talent is real he could go #1 overall.

Jackson State at ULM                         8:00pm              ESPN3

Nope.

SC State at New Mexico State            8:00pm           FloFootball / CW El Paso

Sorry.

Oklahoma State at Boise State              9:00pm          FS1

Whoa whoa whoa. This is uniform heaven. And on the blue turf? Your eyes will burn. Embrace that feeling.

Northern Arizona at Arizona                  10:00pm          P12N AZ

P12N AZ. Holy shit. What the hell were these people thinking? This has to be the smallest demo ever targeted by a network.

19 Arizona State at 23 BYU                     10:15pm          ESPN

Seeing these teams face off as ranked opponents is very weird. Real late 80s vibe here. It’s titillating in its way. Might not even be the most fun game in the late night region.

14 Iowa State at UNLV                           10:30pm           CBSSN

UNLV is an absolute wasteland of a program. It’s kind of stupid, really. They aren’t in an unsellable spot and they don’t play the most rugged schedule but year after year after year they lose 9 or more games. Makes more sense than not having a good baseball program but there should be some G5 magic in Vegas. Iowa State is going to roll.

Fresno State at 13 UCLA                       10:45pm            P12N

Chip Kelly having UCLA as the premier program in L.A. is something I couldn’t have seen coming just last week but we’re there now. And Fresno State plays some wild offense that could/should make this the late night hangout spot. If you can find it. If you have this channel. That shouldn’t be a question! Fuckin’ a, Pac-12, what are you doing?

San Jose State at Hawaii                      12:30am            FS1

Technically a Sunday game but I cut the header because if you’re watching this there is an implicit understanding that it’s still Saturday. Not sure what’s going on with the kick time, though. I was under the impression that Hawaii games had to kick off by 11:59pm Eastern to count with the rest of the week’s games. Very odd. That’s really all I have to say about this game.

[island-delver-go]

A wake up call from George Godwyn

For going on two years now, I have been following several Donald Trump groups, alt right groups, and just general far right reactionary groups. I have seen these groups grow from 500 or a thousand people to 20,000, 30,000, 50,000, 100,000, and more. One particularly grotesque example is almost half 1 million. There are more, I’ve lost track.

When I joined them, I felt like something was changing, something new was happening, and I wanted to try and understand it. (As well as for an occasional laugh, it would be fruitless for me to deny that now.) Of course, it was fucking appalling. But I kept watching. I knew Trump would win the primary long before most people thought it was a possibility on the basis of what I saw in these groups. I’ve become familiar with memes and tropes and ideas common in the groups and I think I’ve gotten a fairly good grip on the culture. I’ve been pretty accurate in my predictions regarding the Trump and the hard right over this period of time, other than his victory in the general election. Because of these groups.

Since that time, when the subject of Trump, or the alt right, or neo-Nazis in conversation, sometimes I will suggest to my friends, people on the left, that they join a trump group or an alt right group, to see what’s going on in them. And I can’t remember one time offhand when the person I was talking to thought it was a good idea. (If I’m wrong, if I’m forgetting, feel free to correct me, but I can’t remember anyone wanting to.) My memory is that, to a person, anyone I know on the left who has heard the suggestion has expressed feelings somewhere in a range between lack of interest to horror, generally tending towards the latter.

So the other day I wake up to my feed full of people angry about the New York Times profile of the Ohio Nazi, Tony Hovater. I read the piece and it just seems like a profile of a Nazi to me. Completely unsurprising or notable in any way, other than its correlation with my own experience. I thought it was very well done.

Then I started reading my friend’s posts about the article, articles about the article. Apparently everyone is angry about the normalization of the Nazi in the piece.

Hey, guys. Hey, as someone who’s been watching this shit for two fucking years, here’s a little wake up, You really don’t have to worry about the New York Times normalizing Nazis because it’s too fucking late. THIS SHIT IS NORMAL NOW.

Like I said, for two years I’ve been telling people to join a Trump group, watch a Nazi website, do something to keep yourself familiar with this shit, and for two years I’ve been watching everyone ignore that advice and then act surprised when Nazis happen. Guys, THEY’RE HAPPENING. If the Times profile bothered you, if you were surprised that the Times would print something so bland about a Nazi, you just haven’t caught up to where we are. There’s just no way you would be surprised if you were really familiar with real world, ground-level, political landscape of 2017. It was spot on perfect, in execution and conception. You’re angry because you wanted the Times to treat the Nazi as though he were abnormal, but he just isn’t. You want to read about Nazis leading some sort of twilight existence, on the cultural outskirt, but THAT’S NOT WHERE THEY ARE. The New York Times didn’t normalize that Nazi. He’s normal. Journalists can’t hyperventilate at every Joe Dokes with a swastika poster, anymore. Normal people are Nazis, now. It was a perfect, accurate representation of the ordinariness, the commonness, of contemporary white nationalism and authoritarianism. It’s exactly where America is at, and if you don’t get that, you really need to.

They’ve come in and out of the libertarian group I run, they’re all over the far right pages. The people who actually call themselves Nazis are the minority, of course, and most of the people in the Donald Trump groups wouldn’t dream of referring to themselves as Nazis, right now, but they are not one iota less hateful. To be honest, they are probably more hateful than the guy the Times profiled. And half the people who wouldn’t dream of actually calling themselves Nazis are EXTREMELY sympathetic to great portions of the Nazi program. Shit, white nationalist ideas go down with barely a spoken objection in some of the straight Trump groups, quite often. They’re not problematic at all. The Overton window has shifted so far and so fast, the Nazis are in it now. It’s that fucking simple. They may be on the edge, but they’re well within the frame. The guy in the Times piece is in there, smoking a cigar, kicking back, and putting his feet on the ottoman. Again, guys — THIS IS NORMAL. THE NAZIS ARE NORMAL.

I’ve watched these groups proliferate, grow. You want to tell yourself that this is a fringe, that the worst, loudest, biggest assholes take over groups like that. That ain’t it. A couple dozen groups have become hundreds, thousands. I’ve read the comments, I’ve clicked on the profiles, and I’ve read the user info for all the perfectly nice, seemingly intelligent, well-spoken citizens cheering ICE incarcerating some sick 10-year-old, saying all Muslim-Americans should be deported, demanding football players who protest the police should be put in jail until they stop kneeling, that some reporter should be thrown in jail for asking the president an uncomfortable question, that Iran and North Korea should immediately be nuked. I’m not talking about five or six unpleasant comments on your local newspaper website, I’m talking about literally hundreds of posts with threads that are thousands of comments long, every day, in every group, exactly like this, in too many groups to count.

So how long would you stay in a group where people post gloat in video of children being physically separated from their family if you didn’t kind of agree? With threads thousands of comments long reveling the torture and murder of civilians, or their nuclear annihilation? Advocating beating and murder for using a bathroom? Or laughing at “another monkey” being murdered in cold blood by the police because “he didn’t follow orders.”

At certain point, sticking around watching a crime makes you complicit, don’t you think? And there are millions of people happily sticking around, watching all this, if they’re not actively participating. They’re not monsters, they’re not the prison gang leader with the swastika on his neck. They’re just folks. They’re filled with hate. But they are still just folks, most of the time. This is America now.

Nobody thought Donald Trump could win the Republican primary because he was just so stupid, so venomous, and so obviously beyond the bounds of what WE tought were the cultural/political norms, but he did. No one thought he could win the election for the same reason, but he did. And he won not despite those flaws, because of them. A huge segment of the population of the United States is filled with hatred so intense they actively want a vastly more authoritarian government that will shove that hatred down the throats of the left. They want fascism. They’re hungry for it, whether they call it that or not. In the kind of Orwellian doublespeak this administration has become famous for, they call it “liberty” or “freedom” or “American values”, but they’re talking about hard authoritarianism. They’re talking about fascism. A lot of them would balk at the term, but they know what they want.

The guy in the apartment next to you thinks this country would be a lot better off if we dealt with drug users the way Trump’s friend in the Philippines does. One of your coworkers doesn’t like the term “Nazi” because his grandfather fought them, but he goes home every night and sits in front of his computer and considers whether or not some of the points Richard Spencer is making might not be exactly what America needs. The cop that gave you a ticket for speeding last night has a 14 words tattoo that he’s been hiding in the locker room for the last couple years, at least around the black officers. And the girl next to you on the bus, on the way home, she’s a fucking Nazi. I guarantee she’s a fucking Nazi.

November 8, 2016, all of us on the left and a substantial segment of the right watched in amazement as Donald Trump rode a burgeoning wave of race hatred and ideological tribalism into the White House. If you think victory has satiated this monster, you are very fucking mistaken. And if you think defeating the Republicans in 2018 or 2020 is going to stop it, destroy it, you’re delusional.

The new authoritarianism is here, it is part of the culture, and it’s making itself comfortable. Ethno-nationalism, white supremacy, hard right authoritarianism, has been back in Europe for awhile and now it’s here. Not the bad part of America you never actually visit, not some backwoods hillbilly America that we get to ignore in our little leftie bubble. Not the supermax the next county over. It’s all around you, it’s next-door, and it’s in a little town in Ohio where a nice, young, newly married couple are starting their life together.

This is something new. Remember when Bush was president, and you’d hold up a piece of cardboard and shout that he was a fascist with a bunch of your friends? Yeah, he wasn’t. Neither was Obama or Clinton or the other Bush or Reagan. They might’ve been terrible presidents, each of them. They might be terrible people. They might’ve done unforgivable things. Every single one of them was squarely within the tradition of Western liberal democracy, and so were the politics. Donald Trump isn’t. His followers aren’t. We are through the looking glass.

If the left doesn’t stop pretending these people don’t exist, pretending they’re an anomaly, pretending they will go away if the Democrats take back the house, or Mueller catches Donald Jr. red-handed, or your friend posts another meme about Donald Trump being orange, the left is going to get its fucking silly ass kicked again. It’s not going to get better overnight, and if Trump loses in 2020, trust me, I know these people — the hard right, the Trump right, the authoritarian right, is going to lose their goddamn minds. If Trump loses, it’s going to get worse. And what do you suppose happens then? What do you suppose happens when the apple pie fascists find someone capable to do the job? What happens when someone capable realizes there’s an opening? What happens when that person isn’t a fucking clown?

This is it. This is American politics in the 21st century. We are going to be fighting the lumpen neo-authoritarian right for the rest of our lives, likely. That’s the political territory. This is new, at least in my lifetime. The ideas existed, the culture existed, but it was never so open, so brazen, so pervasive and acceptable. If it’s going to be stopped, it’s going to be stopped by people who understand what’s actually happening, not people with their heads in the sand and asses in the air. If you care, it’s time hike up your drawers, accept the facts, and familiarize yourself with the culture you’re part of, the parts of it that you’ve been trying to ignore. It’s not going away. It’s likely going to get worse before it gets better. We all need to understand what the fuck is going on before reality slaps us all in the face again, harder, with more permanent and deadlier results.

-- George Godwyn

Source

[ledenews]

The Human Side of No Sports

"Day 4 Without Sports: Looked over across the couch and noticed a strange woman sitting there. Apparently we’re related, along with these two kids running around. Strange. They seem nice though." It’s a variant of a constantly updated meme circulating throughout social media about what sports fans have been doing since athletic competitions from the professional level down to youth sports came to a grinding halt as the battle to contain the coronavirus wages across the country. Sure, they are funny, and for some, might be downright cathartic. But there’s a human element to the canceling of sports, and it’s not just the professional athletes it’s affecting. After all, nearly all of them will be back for another season, whenever sports resume. For high school and college amateur athletes, though, that next chance may never come. Some who are eagerly awaiting the prospect of starting back up spring sports are hoping against hope. Others had their championship dreams dashed right as they were about to reach them. LEDENews wanted to put a human face to this decision and asked four area athletes, three high school seniors and one collegiate athlete, just how they felt when they had a dream, a goal they’d worked for their entire careers suddenly ripped away.

She Was Right There

Danielle Stewart spent her first two collegiate seasons at Notre Dame College in Ohio. The first two seasons, she won the Mountain East Conference’s pole vault title. But following her sophomore season, NDC opted to drop its track program, necessitating a change of scenery for the Strongsville, Ohio native. She found Wheeling University, then still known as Wheeling Jesuit, and made the transfer. While she came up short in the conference meet her junior year, finishing second, Stewart returned atop the podium her senior season, setting multiple PR marks along the way. “It was definitely a change being this far from Strongsville, but I love it,” Stewart said. “It was the best move I could have ever made. I’ve PR’d by over a foot since coming here and I’ve got to experience so many new things. I love the school, my teammates and my coaches.” Another on that list is qualifying for the NCAA Division II Track & Field Indoor Championship Meet. Stewart’s mark of 3.93, her PR to date, at a meet in Youngstown earned her the qualifying mark. She equaled that mark later in capturing the MEC title. Stewart was pumped when she learned of her automatic qualification. After all, she and another athlete each finished with the same height, 20th best, last season. They took her and left Stewart at home.  “I had to hit a big height this year to guarantee my spot,” Stewart said. “Hitting 3.93 felt like a dream. Honestly, I was in shock. I could not stop smiling and hugging my teammates and coaches. Honestly, it was one of the best moments of my life.”

In Shock

One of the best moments that sadly, gave one to one of the worst. Stewart and head coach Patrick Stanton had been in Alabama two days when the decision was handed down. She had a good two days of practice and was ready to take on her competitors. “I honestly had just had the best vault practice of my life,” Stewart said. “The head coach and I were out to lunch when he got the email. I did not believe him at first. I had to call my pole vault coach and tell him not to get on the plane and fly down. I just sat there in shock but when my vault coach called, I bawled. After what happened last indoor season, I was so ready to prove myself.” Stewart had thought of the possibilities prior to the announcement, but already being there, she figured the meet would go on, just without spectators. Her parents were already told not to travel down.  She definitely has some unfinished business and goals to achieve. Fortunately, the NCAA has given spring sports athletes another season of eligibility. So, if the credits and financials work out, Stewart plans to be back. “I am happy I qualified for nationals, but I do not feel like I finished my goal of becoming an All-American,” Stewart said. “And my goal ever since I started vaulting was to clear four meters and so that is another reason I feel I am not finished. “We were allowed to take practice jumps at the facility (in Alabama) and I cleared a 4-meter bungee.”

Kiersten Kesselring (15) is Fort Frye's lone senior and is a four-year starter at center.

Lone Senior’s Last Chance

Getting to the final four in Ohio is a monumentally difficult task. The Fort Frye girls program, in all its storied history, had only done it once. That’s until this season, when the Cadets knocked off No. 2 Portsmouth Notre Dame in a Division IV regional final, 49-31, to advance to Columbus.  Always in the hunt, Fort Frye fell to Shadyside last season in the district finals as it was the Lady Tigers who advanced to the Final Four. The previous two seasons, the Cadets’ demise came in the district semifinal round. But not this season. Something about this season’s team clicked early. “The entire year felt like this was our year as a team” said Kiersten Kesselring, a four-year starter at center and the team’s lone senior. “Even from the beginning, this year felt different … We just play so well and strong together and are extremely close.” Kesselring would know. She’d been around for the previous years’ narrow losses in 2019 and 18, and the blowout loss to Hiland her freshman season. So that family feel she picked up early this fall during preseason camp gave her the feeling like this could be there year. “Our team is definitely a family,” Kesselring said. “We are all close and care about one another. None of us are selfish and we can all score.”

Should Have

The stats attest to that statement. Fort Frye had multiple players average double figures, but not even leading scorer Hannah Archer averaged better than 15. You won’t find any Cadets on the all-Ohio first or second team. But you will find them at St. John Arena. Or, that is to say, you would have … should have. “It was definitely a shock and no one was prepared for it,” Kesselring admitted when she and her teammates learned the game would be postponed. “We are still shook up about it and not knowing if we’ll ever get to play together again or not is hard. I’m devastated by the fact I could’ve played my last game as a Lady Cadet and didn’t even know it.” The OHSAA has a press conference scheduled for noon Thursday when the fate of the Cadets, and many teams like them in basketball and wrestling across Ohio, will likely be decided. Given the continued efforts to quarantine the public from one another in effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, the upcoming presser is ominous.  “This was our year to make history and have the opportunity right in front of us to make the finals; to do it for the community, our families and coaches,” Kesselring said. “These games meant so much to us and it’s a heartbreaking feeling to have them just taken away. My heart goes out to all the other teams and athletes going through the same feelings we are right now.”

Alex Vargo is pictured with head coach Michael Jebbia, receiving a plaque for breaking the school record for most points in a game with 53.

Ending a Lengthy Drought

Wheeling Park is one of the more tradition-rich boys’ basketball programs in the Ohio Valley, and in West Virginia with multiple state championships. Yet the school had hit a bit of a snag in state tournament appearances on the boys’ side, not having been to Charleston since the 20-plus win season of 2011-2012. That changed this season when senior all-state Alex Vargo canned a mid-range stepback in the waning seconds against Morgantown, followed by a steal from junior D.J. Saunders to seal the game and end the drought. Or at least it should have. “Winning the regional game was definitely the best moment in my four years as a Patriot,” Vargo said. “I’ve never had the chance to play in the state tournament so winning regionals was and always has been my main goal. Finally accomplishing that was the best feeling ever.” Like many others across the state, that feeling quickly changed. First the NBA announced the suspension of its regular season, followed by the NCAA opting for fan-less tournament games and ultimately a cancellation of March Madness.

Canceled

“I found out an hour before practice,” Vargo recalled. “I saw it on Twitter and then everyone starting sending me the news through text. When the NBA and NCAA started canceling their games and tournaments, I figured ours would be canceled too. I was angry when I first found out. My teammates and I’s hard work was taken away.” Vargo noted that Morgantown had been a thorn in the Patriots’ side throughout his career, including a humbling defeat at the Palace on the Hill to those same Mohigans prior to the start of the sectional tournament. But Vargo and his teammates ultimately got the job done when it mattered.  “Being on the other side of that felt great,” Vargo said of the win. “I was shocked/angry/sad the whole day after finding out because I know this year’s team is special and could’ve made some serious noise down at the tournament. But I still have hope and I’m going to continue to work hard every day as if it’s being played next week.”

St. Clairsville's Derek Witsberger is shown atop the podium at the Jimmy Wood Invitational earlier this season.

Finally His Time

St. Clairsville Derek Witzberger is a fun loving guy, but when he’s on the field or on the mat, he’s all business. Once football season turned to wrestling, Witsberger’s singular focus was finally getting over the hump and qualifying for the state meet. He’d came close in the past, placing fifth as a junior at 195. He qualified but failed to place as a sophomore. Wisberger narrowly missed finishing as District Champion, losing a tough 5-4 decision to River View’s Dalton Cunningham in the semifinals. Cunningham went on to win by technical fall in the finals. Witsberger, meanwhile, secured his third-place finish with a pin. Now was his time. Finally. “I was more prepared and hungry than excited,”Witsberger said of qualifying for the state meet. “I put my whole heart into one goal and when it became postponed, it broke my heart. We were almost ready to lead and head to Columbus when I found out.”

It Came True

Witsberger is the team captain and is the lone St. Clairsville senior to qualify for states. His win total is fourth in the school’s history. He placed at OVAC’s twice, finishing runner-up this season and fourth as a junior. He was ready to go for that state medal. He admitted he began to worry about it being canceled as news kept rolling but still, it took a bit to sink in. “When everything began getting canceled and postponed, I started to worry but it never resonated with me until it actually became true,” Witsberger said. “It’s still too early because I feel like I have some unfinished business left to prove.” While Witsberger’s wrestling days may be over, depending on Thursday’s announcement, his athletic career is not. He earlier signed on to continue his football career at Marietta College in the Ohio Athletic Conference, joining a large incoming recruiting class of some of the OVAC’s best. But is he holding out hope for Thursday? “It’s already been done and in three weeks, everyone will either be way overweight or completely out of wrestling shape,” Witsberger lamented. “It’s very difficult to get into wrestling shape and compete at a high level.” Read the full article

[smileyydagamerr-blog]

Kyler Murray got a rude welcome to NFL draft process, but Charley Casserly's comments matter little.

There are only about seven weeks to go until the 2019 NFL draft, and right on time, you had some anonymous criticism of an African-American quarterback that has caused a ruckus.

This year’s round of unnamed, anonymous jeers were revealed earlier this week by NFL Network analyst and former Houston Texans general manager Charlie Casserly, who said the reviews he heard from teams about Kyler Murray’s interviews at last week’s NFL scouting combine were the worst he’d ever heard for a top quarterback prospect.

“Leadership? Not good. Study habits? Not good. The [white]board work? Below not good,” Casserly said. “Not good at all in any of those areas and raising major concerns about what this guy is going to do.”

The anonymous critique was roundly roasted, with Murray’s college coach at Oklahoma (Lincoln Riley) and agent (Erik Burkhardt) vigorously defending the 21-year-old Heisman Trophy winner. Riley called Murray a “tremendous leader” while Burkhardt said it was the “usual predraft nonsense” and “disgusting” and embarrassing.”

Given the NFL’s um, not-so-progressive history when it comes to black quarterbacks — future Hall of Famer Warren Moon, who possessed prototype size and a howitzer for an arm, went undrafted in 1978 — it’s no wonder why some might emotionally equate Casserly’s comments with the past stereotypes about black quarterbacks being too dumb or too inarticulate to lead a professional football team.

Murray should stay out of the weeds on this, ignore what Casserly heard and take them with a grain of salt. Because teams were always going to nitpick the hell out of him. Even though he emerged as a combine winner by checking in at 5-foot-10 and 207 pounds, that is still undeniably small for a quarterback, especially one being bandied about as a potential No. 1 overall pick.

Understand, NFL teams hate making physical exceptions on players in the first round, with many seeing a guy who’s too small or too slow as a quick way to get fired if it doesn’t work out. The NFL hasn’t seen a 5-10 quarterback go in the first round since 1953, so if a team is going to buck that trend and take Murray, it better cross every “T” and dot every “I” in the evaluations.

So, on a positive note, maybe the negative comments are coming from some team that’s in love with him, in hopes of scaring others off.

Or, to be more cynical, maybe teams are just annoyed Murray has thus far refused to bend over backward to impress them. He didn’t put the baseball thing — the Oakland A’s drafted him in the first round last year and he was widely expected to play that sport professionally for months until his breakout 2018 campaign — to bed until a week before the combine, where he didn’t work out. That probably annoyed some teams who wanted to compare him to his first-round positional competition, like Dwayne Haskins and Drew Lock, and perhaps contributed to the scathing critique.

Add all that to the fact Murray is a serious man, someone who won’t routinely smile at the cameras and win people over with his charm and brashness, and I get how he didn’t have all favorable reviews from those who interviewed him. I interviewed Murray last week, and he was clearly tired of the repetitive questions about his height and hand size, and uninterested in diffusing concerns through humor or an upbeat attitude (as many black quarterbacks, like Jameis Winston and Lamar Jackson, had done before).

But let’s be fair here. If Murray knew he’s going No. 1 to the Arizona Cardinals, it would make sense that he didn’t go all out to impress in those interviews with other teams. What’s more, on a personal level, I came away liking Murray, feeling he was just a serious dude who was more dignified than introverted.

[mzungustories]

El Gran Partido

Tuesday, October 11th, 2016.

It’s here. The day is here. Rough weekend aside, we’ve made it to game day! I mean, it was the inspiration for this entire trip after all. I can tell as soon as I wake up that there is an air of excitement floating about the city. The TV is already on full blast, broadcasting the pregame celebrations and outlooks for the game. The sky is overcast and there is a small prediction of rain in the future, but the temperature is perfect and I guess cloudy skies aren’t the worst thing we could have today. Hell, it’s probably a blessing in disguise, no one wants to bake in the sun for hours on end.

The boys are pretty much glued to the TV while I get ready, which is just as well, I need a second to get myself prepared this morning, preferably alone. I am absolutely psyched, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t want another pompous, overwhelmed, American bitch fit. Some mental prep and a good shower are surely in need this morning. A relaxing cold shower to some old-school Panic! At the Disco and I am ready to go. I don the yellow jersey, take one last deep breath and join the chaos that is already the apartment. Game day; it’s insanity across all cultures, I guess. I am ready, although I can honestly say I didn’t think I would have ever be standing here, in a bright yellow jersey, with four bantering Colombianos, on my way to a World Cup qualifying game. Never in a million years. If you had told me this two years ago, even with my love for travel then, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. So it goes.

We set out after a few early morning beers and snag a cab to head towards the stadium. The streets are already pandemonium and you would be hard pressed to find someone walking around without a jersey. Yellow swims through the city as far as the eye can see. We cram into a cab, this time with me straddling Ruben in the back and weave through the crowds of people in the street. The closer we get, the more people flood the streets. At some point, it’s next to impossible for the taxi to move any closer, so we get out to join the sea of people.

Wow. I mean, that’s all I really got right now, is just…just wow. We wade through the people to a side streets to have a few beers before we go into the stadium. In usual fashion, beers are expensive inside the stadium, so everyone usually has a few outside first. I guess I would call this Colombian tailgating, huh? Arturo hadn’t originally planned on coming at all, so we are tasked with first finding him a ticket. Seeing as how we have assigned seats, I’m not really sure how this is expected to work, but the boys seem pretty sure about it. I laugh watching them check tickets to make sure they are real. A lot of people make fake ones because there really isn’t shit you can do if you get up to the gates and it doesn’t scan. Free money in their pockets. Apparently a lot of the fakes are really good. Some even scan, if even only by accident.

After sifting through a few different tickets and going over them like diamondeers, they finally settle on one and so we head towards the stadium. Ruben gets a good grip on me before heading over, reminding me to keep my purse close. As far as I can see, I am the only gringa in the crowd, so needless to say, I kind of stick out. At least I decided to wear my yellow jersey instead of my white Copa Americana one. As if my thin blonde hair doesn’t make me stick out enough, I wouldn’t want to be wearing a Colombian jersey that was super hard to find in Colombia. That and I would prefer not to be wearing a see-through shirt in the event that it rains. Look at me, thinking ahead for once.

Holy shit, the amount of people here! I am currently feeling very thankful for American event planning. I do have to say that we kind of have that shit down. People directing, orderly lines and plenty of event staff, we know how to run a show. There aren’t designated lines here until you get closer, so it’s basically a free for all until then. Shuffle, shuffle and try not to lose your group. Once we get up to the gates, they separate people by gender for security screening. This part I remember from our scary little experience in Bogota. Girls more or less get a quick once over with the wand and the boys get the next best thing to a cavity search. To be fair, there are significantly more men here than women (which I would say is vastly different from American football), but I didn’t think I would appreciate having my junk fondled every time I was heading to see my favorite team play, just saying. Arturo’s ticket scans after all is said and done and the boys pass their friskings and boom, we’re in.

Okay Vaca, hella props to you, because these seats are fucking amazing. We are literally front row farther to one end, pretty much ON the field and it is amazing. Since it doesn’t really seem that people do too much sitting in their seats, we’re able to sneak Arturo down with us even though his seat is glob knows where else. The roar is unbelievable, thousands of people making a wall of collective noise; yells, vuvuzelas (remember those damn things?) and noise makers echo from every inch of the stadium. I can’t help but stand here like a moron and just smile.

Ever had a moment where you just ask yourself how the Hell you got here? I’m definitely having one of those moments right now and it’s making my brain buzz. The series of events that lead to me standing in the front row of a Colombia v Uruguay game in Barranquilla is admittedly a weird one that started with coming out of my atheist closet. How bloody weird is that? So, coming out as an atheist lead to me going to Rock Island, which led me to hungering for an adventure to South America which led to me talking to a coworker that convinced me to choose Colombia over Bolivia, which led to me arriving at a February Gringo Tuesday in Bogota which led to me meeting Camilo which led to our Florida trip, which led to this very moment. Had any one those things not happened, I would never have ever come to a game at all. Like…how weird is that? Had any one of those things not happened, I wouldn’t have even met Camilo or Ruben or Vaca or Arturo at all. Shit, they might not have even been here. Life is crazy; just a weird menagerie of timelines constantly colliding and ricocheting off each other. So it goes.

The game kicks off with the national anthem and introduction of the players. I always love hearing other countries’ national anthem, because compared to ours, they are so lively. Everyone joins in on singing and shouting and it’s not this dreary composition about war. It’s usually so much happier. Now don’t go and think I’m being unpatriotic here, because you must admit that the American national anthem is kind of a weird, slow, showy song about war that we all get emotional about. We stand in silence with our hands over our hearts and are expected to stare at the flag. I definitely have respect for it and the flag and the country and all that stuff, so don’t get me wrong, but it’s just weird when you compare it to other countries’ anthems. I mean, “O! Canada” and “God Save the Queen” are usually drunkenly shouted at those matches, so it just seems weird that we’d be so solemn when we’re such stupid nutcases for our ‘Murica. That’s all. The fact that I have to explain that in such detail to stave off criticism is kind of explanation enough, we are weirdly touchy about our anthem. Remember when Coke got torn to shreds on social media for having a commercial of people singing “America the Beautiful” in different languages during the Super Bowl? People flipped absolute shit and decried treason and that was just a song written for a newspaper poetry contest by a lesbian in the late 1800s. Yeah, we’re fucking sensitive.

When they introduce the starting line-up for Uruguay, there is mostly silence, but once they get to the Colombian players, the crowd goes absolutely batshit. Giant jerseys are unfurled over the crowd at the introduction of each player. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like James, my favorite player, will be on the field tonight, but I’m not complaining. It’s impossible to be disappointed in this atmosphere.  Things are already getting pitched onto the field and the game has hardly even started.

GOOOOOOOOAALLLLLLL! COLLLOOMMMMBIIIAAAA!!! Looks like I won’t be seeing a scoreless game after all. A bunch of futbol haters at work were betting money that it’d be zips just because I was here. Hah! Jokes on you! I didn’t think it was possible for the crowd to get any louder, but here they are, going nuts. Not soon after, the skies open up over the stadium with thick, drenching rain. Good thing I didn’t wear that white jersey after all! Part of the stadium is covered, but definitely not where we are in the front row. Fucking Hurricane Matthew. As if it weren’t bad enough that it had to nearly ruin my trip altogether, it also had to try its best to ruin the game as well. A few women move to seek cover from the rain and I have to laugh when Vaca follows after them. Camilo shakes his head and yells “pussy” after him. Must not have wanted to mess up his hair, I say back, winking.

The rain continues for most of the game, finally letting up in the last twenty minutes. Four goals have been scored, making it 2-2. Well, I may not have seen a scoreless game, but I did end up with a tie. Apparently, this doesn’t fair well for Colombia in the World Cup, they had some lost ground to make up from a previous tie. I haven’t looked too much into the South American standings, but from what I understand, Colombia was projected to do pretty well, especially after the mess with Argentina at Copa. I guess they haven’t quite been standing up to that reputation as of late. Boo.

Still, spirits are high as we leave the stadium, albeit a bit soggy. I am soaked to the core, so I am surprised when the taxi we flag down doesn’t seem to mind. The rest of the night is pretty uneventful since everyone is pretty exhausted from the excitement of the game. We run down to the shop to pick up some beer and wine and relax watching the post-game coverage. I’m not as drained as I had thought I would be and it’s funny to watch the post-game when we were just there. Like this shit was just broadcasted all over the world and there I am with the boys, right by the goal in some shots. Crazy.

I wash all of the gameday grime off before bed and snuggle into my king to watch some of the American election coverage. Exciting, I know. I had tried to watch some of the second debate review down here, but it was hard to follow in Spanish. Mostly just trash talk anyway, it’s not like anything important was said. I know people here are concerned and I have to say I don’t blame them. FuckTrumpet is an awful load to swallow. Probably not the best way to end such a glorious day, but I should probably stay up to date with it. So it goes.

Buenos noches Barranquilla, y gracias por el partido.

[s3venpounds]

1-64. 65 What is the worst thing you have ever done to a friend?

65 questionsssssssssss yeeeeeeeeee boiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii letsss fucking goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo thanks for the ask btw! also sorry for late reply

1. Do you ever doubt the existence of others than you?

honestly sometimes, the whole “ life is a simulation” got me kinda scared ya never know

2. On a scale of 1-5, how afraid of the dark are you?

1. because im not afraid of the dark im afraid of what can be in it that im not aware of

3. The person you would never want to meet?

idk. cuz if i say someone i hate then i can’t physically meet them to punch them

4. What is your favorite word?

love

5. If you were a type of tree, what would you be?

idk whichever lives for millions of years i wanna be like those giant ass trees that you see in animes that are like whole cities wide

6. When you looked in the mirror this morning what was the first thing you thought?

should i finally cut my hair? or do i perservere

7. What shirt are you wearing?

my ed sheeran concert shirt

8. What do you label yourself as?

someone with the capacity of good but chooses to be an asshole

9. Bright room or dark room?

bright room

10. What were you doing at midnight last night?

seeing if my new friends were playing games so i can join

11. Favorite age you’ve been so far?

21

12. Who told you they loved you last?

off the top of my head? my mom pretty sure. 

13. Your worst enemy?

myself, my fears, hesitation and past mistakes?

14. What is your current desktop picture?

its a picture of hinata shoyo from Haikyuu!! doing a spike with wings on his back!

15. Do you like someone?

yes.

16. The last song you listened to?

Jacob Lee Slip

17. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up?

trump

18. Who would you really like to just punch in the face?

trump. and i want like brass knuckles when i punch. 

19. If anyone could be your slave for a day, who would it be and what would they have to do?

probably a volleyball coach/ trainer or a professional volleyball player to just drill basics into me and make me a better player. (that or just gal gadot to like help me clean up my life and give me life advice)

20. What is your best physical attribute? (showing said attribute is optional)

i guess my energy? its a fucking mess though cuz sometimes i get tired after like 4 minutes of activity but then sometimes i get like a second wind and i just go for hours 

21. If you were the opposite sex for one day, what would you look like and what would you do?

i mean there was that snapchat trend of every guy making a female version of themselves so i guess theres that. i would definitely try anything i could. periods, cramps, catcalls, masturbating anything i could so i truly understand what women have to go through every day of their lives

22. Do you have a secret talent? If yes, what is it?

im a very open person so most of my obscure talents are known but i am kinda proud of how i can name pokemon by just hearing their cries limited to like the first 3 generations tho lmao

23. What is one unique thing you’re afraid of?

what happens after we die

24. You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your disposal.

i wanna make the most bougie sandwich in the world. I want abelone, puffin, black truffle, caviar, just all that super high end shit

25. You just found $100! How are you going to spend it?

save it. im going on a trip somewhere out of the city and i could use the extra pocket money

26. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere in the world, but you have to leave immediately. Where are you going to go?

venice italy. no question.

27. An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. “Be brand-specific” it says. Man! What are you gonna say about that? Even if you don’t drink booze there’s something you can figure out… so what’s it gonna be?

oh shit booze! i love me some booze! i guess it would have to be like smirnoff kissed caramel vodka, or this one whiskey i saw a video of irish people drinking american whiskeys

28. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. You make the rules. What is the first rule you put into place? 

dont be a fucking dickhead idk. i can’t make concrete rules cuz theres loopholes

29. What is your favorite expletive?

definitely fuck just because i say it more than actual normal words

30. Your house is on fire, holy shit! You have just enough time to run in there and grab ONE inanimate object. Don’t worry, your loved ones and pets have already made it out safely. So what’s the one thing you’re going to save from that blazing inferno?

haha “loved ones” lmao. oh uhhh my letters from D.O when we were kids. that or my journal

31. You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?

my dads abuse. oh wait no then thats free forgiveness for him lmao no uhhh one of my past relationships. it was a mess and i still struggle a little with it

32. You got kicked out of the country for being a time-traveling heathen who sleeps with celebrities and has super-powers. But check out this cool shit… you can move to anywhere else in the world!

Venice italy. that or greece or rome idk. i really like their aesthetic with small white houses, small walkways and all that

33. The Celestial Gates Of Beyond have opened, much to your surprise because you didn’t think such a thing existed. Death appears. As it turns out, Death is actually a pretty cool entity, and happens to be in a fantastic mood. Death offers to return the friend/family-member/person/etc. of your choice to the living world. Who will you bring back?

Steve irwin or Robin williams. or just to make a couple people near me happy, Kyle Fundytus

34. What was your last dream about?

uhhh I kissed the person I’m currently interested in. not just a normal dream too I felt everything. it was crazy. Felt, their hands, warmth, lips, body against mine and even their skin it was just magical.

35. Are you a good….[insert anything you’d like here]?

boyfriend? honestly? idk. i’d like to think that i am but from what I know apparently im not

36. Have you ever been admitted to the hospital?

yes and no? i guess? i had one of those shots you give to enfants when their family is moving to a new country and i still have the scar so possibly? i mean technically any baby born in a hospital has been admitted to one lmao

37. Have you ever built a snowman?

YES AND SOME OLDER KIDS BROKE IT DOWN AND USED IT AS A BENCH . I fought them and got sent tot he principals office

38. What is the color of your socks?

im not wearing any.... but i do have a favourite pair of green ones that have a print of pringles sour cream n onion on it!

39. What type of music do you like?

Jazz, big band, kpop, RNB, rap, rock, swing music, electro...? sort of?

40. Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets?

i can’t choose, I love both and have fond memories of both

41. What is your favorite milkshake flavor?

Vanilaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa maybe some caramel in it

42. What football team do you support? (I will answer in terms of American football as well as soccer)

uhh i dont know much about football but i can say i would support my local team edmonton eskimos

43. Do you have any scars?

a ton! i love em! its like the sentimental stuff i keep in my closet but on my body and i always trace my finger over them whenever im just in the mood to reminisce

44. What do you want to be when you graduate?

im not currently taking the courses i need to get my dream job but i’d love to be a power ranger either the stunt double or the cheesy actor. that or a school councilor

45. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

how dependant i am on others. i hate it. if i was alone i dont think i’d survive. i need other people

46. Are you reliable?

I like to think that i am though again, you’d have to ask my friends

47. If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be?

Did you find her?

48. Do you hold grudges?

hell.yes. if you couldnt tell i reallllllllllly hate my dad. like really.

49. If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature, what new animal would you create?

whatever animals it takes to make dragons a thing again

50. What is the most unusual conversation you’ve ever had?

I would have to say when this random stranger came up to me to complain about the transit system because the one in vancouver was so much better apparently. dude went on a 20 minute rant and i just drowned him out with music and pretended to “pause” my music while nodding like i understood

51. Are you a good liar?

not sure. I think i am considering my parents dont know half the shit i did AHEHEHEHE

52. How long could you go without talking?

couple days. long as i got my music.

53. What has been you worst haircut/style?

god there was this one christmas where my parents gave me like a stereotypical suburban kid hair cut where the whole head is like flattened with hair gel the at the forehead its just a tall wall of spiked hair. BUT HERES THE KICKER. they dyed half the wall red and half green for christmas. god it was awful

54. Have you ever baked your own cake?

does cheesecake cupcakes count?

55. Can you do any accents other than your own?

ive been told i can do a good russian one, chinese too

56. What do you like on your toast?

nutella omg. fresh toast with gooey nutella? god its so good

57. What is the last thing you drew a picture of?

uhmmm some secret stuff for a friends personal project

58. What would be you dream car?

Dodge Viper

59. Do you sing in the shower? Or do anything unusual in the shower? Explain.

I love singing in the shower when no ones home. I can only sing when no ones home cuz the walls in this house are thin AS FUCK. 

60. Do you believe in aliens?

i believe we’re not the only ones out here but due to how we’re literally killing our own kind and planet for no good reason they choose to ignore us

61. Do you often read your horoscope?

yep! all the time! whenever i get my hands on the local paper i read my horoscope while i wait on the train or if theres a horoscope thing on tumblr!

62. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet?

X idk x is just cool

63. Which is cooler: dinosaurs or dragons?

dragons are you kidding me? dragons are dinosaurs that can fly. AND BREATHE FIRE

64. What do you think about babies?

I dont think im a good father figure but spending time with kids is a pretty okay time for me long as its not long term lmao 

65. Freebie! Ask anything interesting you can think of.

What is the worst thing you have ever done to a friend?

I punched them full force in the stomach for calling me emo. it was a bad day but lo and behold that person became my best friend loooooooooooool

[racingtoaredlight]

RTARL weekly degenerate’s guide to college football TV watch ‘em ups for week 9 of the 2018 college football season

Heart’s not really in this one so I’m sorry if this post is even worse than in other weeks.

Well, that’s overstating it. I’m not really sorry but be aware of that possibility.

Times are EDT and lines are whatever from wherever.

Saturday, October 27

Matchup                                            Time (ET)                  TV/Mobile

Army at Eastern Michigan                12:00pm                     CBSSN

This should be a very close game full of lots of time for sleep and not caring about this stupid ass game.

Bethune-Cookman at Nebraska        12:00pm                      BTN

I know they ruined everything by winning last week but this still isn’t a gimme game for Nebraska. Overall talent level is pretty even between these two.

Central Michigan at Akron                  12:00pm                   ESPN3

Now is as good a time as any to hug your loved ones and tell them to fire Mark Richt.

2 Clemson at Florida State                  12:00pm                      ABC

Here it is, the game of the week. Second week in a row it involves Clemson and that is really way too much ACC. I take it back, this isn’t the game of the week. I’ve convinced myself that FSU is going to win, though.

Purdue at Michigan State                     12:00pm                    ESPN

Sparty is favored by 1 but it’s important for the college football culture that Jeff Brohm makes it back to Louisville and Rondale Moore makes it to the dais for the Heisman telecast. Purdue needs to win.

Texas Tech at Iowa State                      12:00pm                    ESPN2

I can not for the life of me make up my mind about how much I’m interested in this game. I feel like not at all. My rudimentary understanding of sports in general tells me that TTU at +5.5 is a good value.

UMass at UConn                                    12:00pm                    ESPNU

RTARLsman alert! Adam... uh... ? Whatever, you can look it up if that’s wrong. It was in the last post before this one. He’s a wide receiver and UConn is like a factory for defensive backs so if he’s actually good, the guy I wrote about yesterday, then he’ll put up numbers here.

Vanderbilt at Arkansas                           12:00pm                     SECN

I wonder if I could interest either of these programs in hiring Mark Richt.

Wake Forest at Louisville                       12:00pm                 RSN/ESPN3

This is as bad as power 5 football gets. Louisville is favored. That isn’t something you should be able to say this year.

20 Wisconsin at Northwestern               12:00pm                     FOX

This isn’t looking so hot, either. You better hope I’m right about FSU-Clemson being worthwhile because these early games don’t seem very appealing.

North Carolina at Virginia                        12:20pm          Raycom Sports

UVA-FSU in the ACC Championship Game isn’t something I want to actually watch but I would love to see it happen. Does that make sense? Let’s revel in the tawdriness of the ACC.

Coastal Carolina at Georgia State           2:00pm                 ESPN+

Christ almighty.

Southern Miss at Charlotte                       2:00pm                 ESPN3

Just find something better to do.

Oregon State at Colorado                         3:00pm                 Pac-12N

Two potential RTARLs-Americans are maybe in this game? I can’t remember what’s up with Laviska Shenault. He might be injured or some shit.

TCU at Kansas                                            3:00pm                    FS1

TCU hasn’t been what you would call good this season. Kansas has been normal Kansas. Does that sound entertaining to you?

Arizona State at USC                                 3:30pm        ABC/ESPN2 (RM)

Tons of talent and no good coaching vs. an OK amount of talent and outdated coaching. Porter Gustin is done for the year so if you wanted to see him play you don’t have to feign interest anymore.

Duke at Pitt                                                   3:30pm              RSN/ESPN3

Why do we do this to ourselves? Nobody deserves this.

9 Florida at 7 Georgia                                  3:30pm                    CBS

This is the actual game of the week. And I don’t really actually trust either team just because of their respective brands. UF has been as good as their collection of talent so far this year but aren’t they always just a couple of horrible series away from unraveling? Kirby Smart might have already peaked in Athens. I hope he has.

Illinois at Maryland                                       3:30pm                     BTN

Goddamn all of it. Any sport that would condone Illinois-Maryland as an annual event isn’t deserving of this much of our time.

18 Iowa at 17 Penn State                              3:30pm                    ESPN

Last year the Hawkeyes choked away a big upset and I’d hate to see them lose again. Seems like Penn State flirts with losing every single game. They deserve to lose every single game from now until they drop football.

Kansas State at 8 Oklahoma                        3:30pm                     FOX

If you watched all 64 innings of last night’s World Series game you saw FOX trying to hype this game as something worth your interest. Do not fall for that.

Middle Tennessee at Old Dominion             3:30pm                     ESPN+

Why does this sport exist?

NIU at BYU                                                      3:30pm                   ESPNU

The only joy to be had with this game is pronouncing the matchup as Nigh You Bayou.

Cincinnati at SMU                                           3:30pm                  CBSSN

Go Fuck Poniis.

21 USF at Houston                                          3:30pm        ABC/ESPN2 (RM)

Decent shot that Ed Oliver and friends fuck up a potential matchup of top 10, 11-0 teams for USF, UCF and the AAC as a whole. What I mean is I expect Houston to win.

12 Kentucky at Missouri                                 4:00pm               SECN 

I really thought Memphis was gonna win last week but Kentucky actually should beat Mizzou, right?

New Mexico at Utah State                               4:00pm             Facebook

This wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if it had a 10pm start time and was being broadcast on CBSSN. It’s neither of those things, stupidly enough.

Rice at North Texas                                          4:00pm               ESPN+

Watch UNT go for some points! I think.

UNLV at San Jose State                                   6:30pm                 ATTSN

If there were playoffs for the worst 4 teams this would be a very important game.

15 Washington at California                            6:30pm                  FS1

UDub has kind of sucked this year. They shouldn’t but they definitely have. Cal might be able to cure what ails them.

Arkansas State at Louisiana                            7:00pm                ESPN+

Boise State at Air Force                                     7:00pm         CBSSN

This is a very CBSSN game and I will be here for it.

22 NC State at Syracuse                                    7:00pm          ESPN

I know it’s important in some context but I still wish this game didn’t exist.

New Mexico State at Texas State                      7:00pm          ESPN3

I bet there’s a prison with a warden who graduated from one of these schools and he’s making the entire prison watch this game and that is a human rights violation.

16 Texas A&M at Mississippi State                   7:00pm            SECN

Montez Sweat vs. Kellen Mond is kind of intriguing. The uniform matchup is awful enough that it doesn’t matter. Hard pass.

Tulane at Tulsa                                                    7:00pm             ESPNU

Tulane is fun to watch but you have to know going in that they aren’t actually good. They just have cool formations and offensive concepts. The players are mostly awful. Tulsa is more of a MAC-style team and I hate them.

14 Washington State at 24 Stanford                  7:00pm             Pac-12N

Washington State needs to win out for the Pac-12 to have any shot at all for a playoff berth and I want you all to join me in wanting that. Mike Leach in that setting could be era defining.

FIU at WKU                                                            7:30pm      beIN SPORTS

Might be worth checking out just for the cool throwback helmets WKU is going to be wearing. Much less interesting for the actual football.

Tennessee at South Carolina                              7:30pm                SECN

Oh, hey, look! Another game that might be serving as a portal to hell.

UAB at UTEP                                                          7:30pm              ESPN+

Bad football isn’t strictly confined to the early games.

3 Notre Dame at Navy                                            8:00pm                CBS

Navy has been awful but are they +23.5 to Notre Dame at home awful? I say no but I’m usually wrong.

6 Texas at 25 Oklahoma State                               8:00pm                 ABC

Is Texas back? If they’re back to being what they’ve been most of this life they’ll get blown the fuck out.

Hawaii at Fresno State                                          10:30pm              ESPN2

i don’t care what the patches on the jerseys say, the WAC will never die.

19 Oregon at Arizona                                             10:30pm               ESPN

I’m not sure the process that lead to hiring Kevin Sumlin was entirely sound but I still want him to make Arizona fun for more than a few weeks at a time. This could be worth some time just to see Justin Herbert sling the ball around.

San Diego State at Nevada                                    10:30pm            ESPNU

Not a good game but a nice uniform matchup at least. 

[auburnfamilynews]

It wasn’t so long ago that many Auburn fans were ready to see Jay Jacobs hit the old dusty trail. One of the few barbs Alabama fans can still throw at Auburn is the perceived “good ole boy” environment that has supposedly surrounded Auburn sports. Some people  even believed the decisions being made at the Athletic Director’s level weren’t being made by the director himself, nor were they being made in the best interest of Auburn sports. At least, that was the perception that seemed to linger about the athletic department. Sometimes I even caught myself wondering if Jay Jacobs really wanted what was best for Auburn and Auburn’s fans. 

But that seemed far-fetched, considering Jacobs’ pedigree as a former Auburn player. Yet, some of the hires and fires, the buyouts and the extensions, didn’t make much sense. While Jacobs did bring a Heisman trophy and a National Football Championship to Auburn, it seemed at times that he didn’t give much attention to the other major sports. And it was likely the scandal involving the Myers’ coaching family and softball program ultimately cost him his job and hastened the hiring of Allen Greene. While the way things ended for Jacobs weren’t optimal, Jacob’s fingerprints were all over the programs that Greene inherited and the success that Auburn enjoyed across all three major sports should at least be half attributed to Jacobs as they are to Greene.

The hiring of Allen Greene truly shook up Auburn sports in a way that extends before my time. He has been described as a “trailblazer” for Auburn sports due to his age and diversity, something Auburn hasn’t experienced. He comes to Auburn as one of the youngest directors in the country and is only the third African-American director in the SEC’s storied history. Greene has zero ties to Auburn. In fact, other than working for Ole Miss for a few years, Greene really has no ties to the SEC. Money hasn’t been an issue for Auburn Athletics and Jacobs never had a problem coming up with cash to get things done. However, some fans felt like only the needs of the big money donors were considered where amenities concerned. Greene’s background as an effective fundraiser may be the best thing to happen to change that perception. 

The two men couldn’t be more different, in almost every respect. Jacob’s legacy isn’t quite written yet, but the hires he made and the direction that Auburn sports took this past year could ultimately shine a favorable light on what seemed like a negative ending just months ago. Meanwhile, how Greene handles the coaches and the department he inherited in his first months will likely chart the direction of his own career. Greene has already shown that he isn’t above shaking things up, as he fired six top level administrators including executive associate director Meredith Jenkins, who mismanaged the softball scandal. However, in a throwback to Auburn’s past, Greene hired former teammate and coworker from Notre Dame, Brant Ust. 

Regardless of their differences, the two share the 2017-2018 sports year, which was fantastic despite not winning at the highest level. Let’s take a look back at what was a banner year for the big three in Auburn’s sports.

2017 was an extremely pivotal season for Gus Malzahn and the football team. Outside of the 2013 season, Malzahn had no statement wins, a polar image in fans’ minds for the compensation package he receives. Truly, Auburn fans could live with languishing programs elsewhere if Malzahn could live up to the top-ten coaching job for which he is being paid.

After beating Auburn’s two rivals, winning the 2013 SEC Title, and coming a play or two away from a National Championship, Malzahn’s squads simply didn’t live up to any sort of championship expectations. The football program embarrassingly failed to achieve anything of substance. That included going 0-6 against Alabama and Georgia. It looked like Malzahn’s career would never recover from the 2015 season as the 2016 season limped along on life support. After Sean White’s second injury riddled season, Auburn had no answers on offense in Amen Corner. The offensive genius looked anything but. 

Following that football season, Auburn basketball turned in a lackluster season, despite fielding the most talented team Auburn had seen in 20 years. Just a year removed from a deep SEC Tournament run with a rag-tag team, Auburn missed the Big Dance again. Bruce Pearl is regarded as one of the very best coaches in America and it began to feel like if Pearl couldn’t get it done, then the job couldn’t be done with anyone. 

Baseball is a special sport for Auburn fans. There’s Bo and the Big Hurt. There’s Tim Hudson and MVP Josh Donaldson. And there’s been a lot of nothing else for a very long time for the sport. While Pearl’s hire at least led to some hope when the Tigers took down Kentucky in 2016 and made a run in the SEC tourney, the hire of Sonny Golloway to head the baseball program seemed on the outside to be the same caliber hire.

Golloway’s stay in Auburn was short and plagued with controversy that narrowly avoided major litigation. The average fan read Golloway’s resume and it seemed like the perfect hire. Underneath that shiny facade was a troubled coach who brought his problems to Auburn. After being fired for operating outside of NCAA guidelines, Golloway did his best to smear the department while the keys were handed off to Butch Thompson a hire, at the time, that was anything but exciting. 

So, in typical Auburn fashion, not much was expected for major Auburn sports entering the 2017-2018 year. Auburn began the year dropping critical games early in the football season in a method that was just like what fans came to expect from a Malzahn team the last couple of years: an offense that looked lost. Pearl’s team seemed like the best chance for Auburn to make a statement, but that was derailed before the first tip as Chuck Person was arrested in the FBI probe into NCAA basketball. The federal sting operation managed to also ensnare Auburn’s two best players. Butch Thompson had a solid season his first year, despite not really inheriting a loaded roster. However when he lost several key players it appeared another average season was on the brink in 2018. 

But then Malzahn delivered a November to be remembered as he and the Auburn Tigers destroyed Georgia and Alabama inside Jordan-Hare. The 26-14 beating the Tigers delivered to Nick Saban is the worst margin of defeat he’s suffered. Even though the season couldn’t have ended worse for Auburn fans, with the Tigers being dominated twice in the last two games and the two hated rivals square off for a National Championship, Malzahn showed that he can out-coach anyone.

In basketball, Bruce Pearl’s squad may have been missing Daniel Purifoy and Austin Wiley, but that didn’t stop them from winning an SEC crown. Great basketball returned to the Plains for the first time in 15 years and the fan base was dying for it. Again, the season didn’t end the way fans had hoped, but the injuries to Bryce Brown and Anfernee McLemore couldn’t be helped.

Perhaps the most exciting thing was Butch Thompson elevating Auburn baseball to a team that made Super Regionals and boasted the number one overall draft pick in pitcher Casey Mize. Ultimately, the Tigers fell to Florida, the prohibitive favorites to win it all, but the 43-23 mark and the post-season play were something few expected in such a loaded conference. 

Just as Malzahn did what he had to do in beating the two big rivals, Pearl did what he had to do in getting Auburn to the NCAA tournament. Still, nothing has been as surprising as the coaching job by Butch Thompson. None of these teams truly accomplished the over-all goal of every team: winning a national championships. Yet, Auburn played at the top level in all of these major sports, something no other school can claim.

While 2017-2018 was a year of change at Auburn that saw an Auburn Man find the door and an outsider find a seat at the head of the sports program, both men share the accomplishment of putting Auburn on the big stage. And at this juncture, the future looks bright for all three big sports.

The post Banner Year in Auburn Sports Despite Change in AD appeared first on Track 'Em Tigers, Auburn's oldest and most read independent blog.

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Warshaw: What's the plan in Colorado? Rapids struggling to find way forward

USA Today Sports Images

May 21, 20186:26PM EDT

English teachers profess that it’s more powerful to show than to tell. So here’s the rundown of an MLS team over the last eight years:

YEAR CONFERENCE RANK PPG PLAYOFFS? 2011 5th 1.44 Y 2012 7th 1.09 N 2013 5th 1.50 Y 2014 8th 0.94 N 2015 10th 1.09 N 2016 2nd 1.71 Y 2017 10th 0.97 N 2018 12th 0.80 ?

They’ve finished last or next to last in the conference in three of the last four years. This year, they are last. They’ve lost five in a row. Most recently, the Colorado Rapids dropped a 4-0 result to NYCFC.

Per American Soccer Analysis, they have the 10th-highest salary total, and the 9th-highest average salary. Their six highest-paid players are:

Player Base Salary Total Compensation Tim Howard $ 2,000,000 $ 2,475,000 Shkelzen Gashi $ 1,575,000 $ 1,668,750 Stefan Aigner $ 800,000 $ 845,000 Yannick Boli $ 774,999 $ 907,499 Joe Mason $ 650,000 $ 682,500 Tommy Smith $ 600,000 $ 639,999 Danny Wilson $ 500,000 $ 540,000

*All figures from MLS Players Association Salary Guide

That’s nearly $ 7 million on six players.

Gashi, Aigner, and Boli have a combined two starts this year, totaling fewer than 300 minutes played. Mason leads the line for an attack with the second-fewest goals scored. Howard, Smith and Wilson head a defense that ranks 11th in the league.

While acknowledging the MLS Players Association’s numbers aren’t a perfect measurement and more goes into signing players (transfer fees, etc.), Colorado’s weekend opponent, NYCFC, pay roughly $ 5 million for:

Player Base Salary Total Compensation Maxi Moralez $ 2,000,000 $ 2,000,000 Jo Inge Berget $ 600,000 $ 816,666 Alexander Callens $ 500,000 $ 564,000 Maxime Chanot $ 375,000 $ 408,000 Jesus Medina $ 650,000 $ 770,833 Anton Tinnerholm $ 350,000 $ 434,000 Alexander Ring $ 370,000 $ 411,000

The Rapids have four Homegrown Players on their roster. Those players have a total of zero MLS starts this year (although Kortne Ford probably would have, had he been available for selection); two have been loaned out.

The Rapids haven’t had a great run since winning MLS Cup in 2010, and the present isn’t looking particularly bright.

Last week, Ridge Mahoney interviewed Sporting Kansas City head coach and de facto President of all-things-soccer Peter Vermes for Soccer America. Vermes has won four trophies; SKC have made the playoffs seven years in a row. Discussing the state of the US national team, Vermes reflected: “What is their plan? … I want to see what the plan is going forward.” It’s perhaps the most important question when you evaluate any organization. Because without a plan – as Vermes explains in the interview – any success is simply luck.

Bringing it back to Colorado: What is the plan? Since winning Cup, the club has made a clear slide downward, with just three playoff appearances in the last seven years – bottom two in four of five seasons – and on-field aesthetics that have often been worse than the results.

It’s one thing to lose. It’s another to have a bad season. It’s yet another to have a bad couple years. And then there’s struggling for the better part of a decade. We’re past the realm of bad luck.

What was the plan?

In 2011, a year removed from that championship victory, the Rapids parted ways with head coach Gary Smith despite making the playoffs. They brought in Oscar Pareja, who turned over the roster, trading cornerstones Pablo Mastroeni and Jeff Larentowicz. Fair enough for a coach to want to bring in his own players, and the Rapids returned to the playoffs in Pareja’s second season. Yet Pareja then returned to FC Dallas, where he had spent more than a decade, to become the club’s head coach.

Rapids legend Pablo Mastroeni amassed a 46-58-41 record as Rapids head coach over almost four seasons | USA Today Sports Images

What was the plan?

Padraig Smith was brought in as the club’s sporting director in January 2015 after spending three years in UEFA’s Financial Analysis Group. He was promoted to EVP and general manager in January.

After Pareja, the Rapids turned to club legend Pablo Mastroeni. It took a couple years, but the Rapids re-entered the playoff picture in 2016, even fighting for the Supporters’ Shield. It came down the final day before they ultimately lost out to Pareja’s FCD squad.

Mastroeni’s team used a stout defense and gritty performances to surprise the league. Every time you watched that Rapids team, you knew what the game looked like. It wasn’t pretty but it got the job done. It looked like they had a plan!

… until, less than a month into the 2017 season, when Colorado traded their starting defensive midfielder, Sam Cronin, and starting left back, Marc Burch to Minnesota. Neither of the two players they received in return started 2018 on the Rapids roster. The Rapids went from conceding a league-low 32 goals in 2016 to conceding 51 goals in 2017. At the end of 2017 – again just a year removed from a Conference Championship appearance – the Rapids made a managerial change.

What was the plan?

The Rapids hired their fourth manager since 2011, bringing on Anthony Hudson from the New Zealand national team.

Hudson and the front office staff opted to go against MLS trends. Whereas most clubs had turned to South America to find players, Colorado went shopping in England. He signed Smith, Mason and midfielder Jack Price from the Championship, England’s second tier, and Wilson from the Scottish league. While most teams moved toward a more fluid possession-based approach, Hudson decided to play direct, opting for a defensive-minded 5-3-2. Again, fair enough. Ignoring conventional wisdom is a strategy, and new ideas always seem silly until someone proves they work.

Except, of course, they haven’t for Colorado so far.

Rapids now dead last in the West w/ 8 points through 10 games. Tied for 2nd-worst start in franchise history.

Worst start was 7 points in 10 games, all the way back in… 2017.

Might be time to start asking serious questions about the front office’s approach to roster building.

— Matthew Doyle (@MattDoyle76) May 19, 2018

There are caveats to Hudson’s belabored start. The current coaching staff isn’t responsible for a couple of the highest-profile acquisitions. Howard, Aigner and Gashi were all signed prior to their arrival. It also generally takes time for a new system to take hold and new players to acclimate. I like the way the Rapids play at times – it’s gritty and straight forward and unique. I’m willing to give Hudson time to establish himself.

But again, what’s the plan? Is it grizzled 20-something lower-tier British players? Is it defensive-first, counterattacking soccer?

Only Jack Price has provided a positive return from the former group and that defensive-first, counterattacking soccer is neither stopping goals or resulting in them.

Pick something. Execute it, or find a different approach. So fans can feel like the next five years might be better than the last eight.

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Warshaw: What's the plan in Colorado? Rapids struggling to find way forward was originally published on 365 Football

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ARLINGTON, Texas | The Latest: 49ers take tackle Mike McGlinchey at No. 9

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ARLINGTON, Texas | The Latest: 49ers take tackle Mike McGlinchey at No. 9

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Latest on the NFL draft (all times local):

8:10 p.m.

The San Francisco 49ers bolstered their offensive line, picking tackle Mike McGlinchey from Notre Dame at No. 9.

McGlinchey was the second Fighting Irish lineman to go in the top 10 after Quenton Nelson went to the Colts.

___

8:06 p.m.

The Chicago Bears selected Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith with pick No. 8.

Smith was an All-American and Butkus Award winner for the Bulldogs in 2017.

7:57 p.m.

The Buffalo Bills traded up to No. 7 to take Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen, a 6-foot-5, strong-armed passer.

Allen had no major scholarship offers out of college and went to junior college before spending two seasons at Wyoming.

He needs some seasoning and to work on accuracy, but he could sit behind AJ McCarron in Buffalo for a year or two.

___

7:54 p.m.

The Colts grabbed the best blocker in the draft, Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson at No. 6.

The Colts had traded down from No. 3 with the New York Jets.

Indianapolis took Nelson to help protect quarterback Andrew Luck, who missed all of last season with a shoulder injury.

___

7:45 p.m.

Bradley Chubb of North Carolina State, seen as the best pass rusher in this draft, was selected fifth overall by Denver.

Once Cleveland, with its second selection in the top four, went for Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward, it left the dynamic Chubb for the Broncos.

Chubb will bolster a defense that already has one star in linebacker Von Miller. Denver ranked third in overall defense last season, but GM John Elway couldn’t pass on a game-changing end.

___

7:39 p.m.

The Browns surprised the experts again, picking Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward No 4 overall.

After passing over more classic quarterbacks to take Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield with the top pick, Cleveland skipped over North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb, the top pass rusher in the draft, to grab the top cornerback.

___

7:30 p.m.

The New York Jets, another of the NFL teams desperate for a franchise quarterback, chose Sam Darnold with the third pick Thursday night.

The Jets had traded up from sixth overall with Indianapolis with the expressed mission of finding that quarterback. Southern California‘s Darnold, who had a superb 2016 season and was not quite so productive last year, was the choice.

Darnold might sit a while and learn behind veteran Josh McCown.

“There’s nothing better than being on this state,” Darnold said. “I think whatever the coaches what me to do, if they want me to sit, want me to play, I’ll do my role. That’s what I’ve done my whole life, not going to do any different.”

___

7:23 p.m.

The New York Giants selected Penn State running back Saquon Barkley with the second pick in the 2018 NFL draft.

The All-American with speed, power, shiftiness and excellent hands is considered this year’s best player. New York has had one of the NFL’s worst running games in recent years, and Barkley is expected to boost an offense that has a veteran quarterback in Eli Manning and star receiver in Odell Beckham Jr.

Barkley also is a sensational kick returner.

“It’s unreal, two of the biggest moments in my life in the same week,” said Barkley, whose girlfriend gave birth to a girl earlier in the week.

Not surprisingly in the Cowboys’ home, the pick generally was booed.

___

7:20 p.m.

Baker Mayfield, until the past few days considered an outsider to be chosen at the top of the NFL draft, has been taken by the Cleveland Browns to begin Thursday night’s selections.

The first Heisman Trophy winner taken No. 1 overall in the following draft since Cam Newton went to Carolina in 2010, Mayfield joins a team that went 0-16 in 2017.

The Browns were sold on his leadership skills and creativity inside the pocket and outside.

Most prognosticators pegged another quarterback, perhaps Josh Allen, Sam Darnold or Josh Rosen, for the Browns.

Instead, it’s the Oklahoma star —the Sooners went 34-6 with him— who overwhelmingly won the Heisman Trophy last season. He is the eighth winner of the award selected first in the NFL draft following that season since 1970.

___

5:45 p.m.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will be accompanied by two Hall of Fame quarterbacks who won multiple Super Bowl titles with the Dallas Cowboys, when he takes the stage to open the NFL draft.

Quarterbacks Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman, and tight end Jason Witten are all former winners of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award that recognizes an NFL player for his excellence on and off the field.

The fans still booed Goodell loudly and all the players threw footballs into the crowd.

Staubach led the Cowboys to Super Bowl titles during the 1971 and 1977 seasons. Aikman was the quarterback when Dallas won three Super Bowl titles in a span four seasons in the first half of the 1990s.

This is the first time the NFL draft is being held in a stadium.

Staubach and Aikman played their home games with the Cowboys at Texas Stadium in Irving, the team’s previous home that no longer stands. The Cowboys moved into $1.3 billion AT&T Stadium in Arlington nine years ago.

___

5:45 p.m.

For one Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, the QB to concentrate on in this draft is Baker Mayfield.

That’s hardly a surprise when the speaker is Roger Staubach, the 1963 trophy winner who won two Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys and is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame .

After all, his nickname was “Roger the Dodger.”

“There’s something about Mayfield that’s interesting,” Staubach says. “He does some funky things, seems to be a leader, and they like him. He can move around and find people who come open. In the NFL, you have to do that.”

As Staubach did in one of the more storied careers. After playing for Navy, he spent four years in active duty, including a tour in Vietnam. After spending two weeks at the Cowboys’ training camp in California the year before getting out of the service, he was told by coach Tom Landry that the team was eager to have him back the next season.

From there, Staubach led the Cowboys to the top of pro football in an 11-year career in which he went 85-29 as a starter.

Speaking Thursday to current and former military members at a draft event held by USAA, the official military appreciation sponsor of the NFL, Staubach offered some advice to the audience — and to the players headed to the NFL.

“The qualities you need to succeed in the military are the same as you need to succeed in sports, in the NFL,” he says.

“Integrity, hard work, teamwork. Those are all the attributes companies are looking for. Take advantage of the qualities you have.

“You must work hard at it. Of course, for the NFL you must have the talent. But if you have the talent and don’t work at it, someone with less talent will go past you.

“The service taught me and all of us to learn about teamwork and hard work. It takes a lot of unspectacular preparation to get spectacular results.”

___

5 p.m.

The NFL has renewed an exclusive partnership with Amazon Prime Video for digital streaming of Thursday night games during 2018 and 2019 seasons.

Amazon will stream the 11 Thursday night games broadcast by FOX this season. Those games are also simulcast on NFL Network and distributed in Spanish on FOX Deportes.

Through the streaming deal with Amazon, the broadcasts will be available to more than 100 million Amazon Prime members worldwide in more than 200 countries and territories.

“Having over 100 million Amazon Prime members provides a massive platform to distribute Thursday Night Football digitally, not only to our fans in the United States but also around the world,” said Brian Rolapp, chief media and business officer for the NFL.

With 10 Thursday night games and one on Christmas last year, Amazon built on the audience Twitter had in 2016 in the first year of streaming on Thursday nights. The average per-minute audience for the 11 games hit 310,000, a 17 percent increase from Twitter’s numbers.

___

2:45 p.m.

Bradley Chubb jokes that he’s changed positions for this draft and is now a quarterback.

In reality, the North Carolina State standout is probably the best defensive prospect in this draft. When you get past all the hype for QBs, much of the first round will be devoted to guys on that side of the ball.

“Yeah, don’t forget about us,” he says with a smile.

Chubb can do it all — stop the run, pass rush, shoot gaps, block passes and kicks. Some believe he is a better player than Myles Garrett, who was the top overall pick last year by Cleveland.

Chubb could wind up with the Browns, bookending the D-line with Garrett. Cleveland owns the fourth overall spot and after taking its quarterback at the top, could go his way.

“That would be awesome,” Chubb said. “I don’t know Myles, but I do know he’s a great player.”

As for sending some love the defenders’ way, Chubb reasons it will be coming.

“I feel like I got a spotlight now,” he says as reporters gather around for his views on the proceedings. “There are so many great players who can go into an organization and change it. I hope to be one.”

___

1 p.m.

Don’t look for many wide receivers to be selected high in this draft.

Indeed, only Alabama’s Calvin Ridley seems sure to go in the first round, and he comes from a run-oriented offense.

Recent history shows that wideouts are not particularly wise choices until deeper into the proceedings.

Consider that in the past three years, the likes of Phillip Dorsett, Breshad Perriman, Kevin White, Laquon Treadwell, Josh Doctson, Corey Coleman, Mike Williams, Corey Davis and John Ross have gone in the opening round. Anybody seen or heard much from any of them so far in their NFL careers?

After evaluating the receivers on his roster, Browns general manager John Dorsey said: “Then you have to let the other young guys fight out for their roster spot. Who’s to say? We may get a receiver or two in this draft.”

Guaranteed it won’t be with the first and fourth overall spots Cleveland owns.

___

12:20 p.m.

Former Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen has apologized for a series of offensive tweets he sent while in high school.

The potential No. 1 NFL draft pick apologized for the now-deleted tweets to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith less than 24 hours before the draft.

Yahoo! Sports reported Allen sent the tweets in 2012 and 2013 and they contained racially insensitive language and offensive statements.

Allen told Smith he was parroting rap lyrics and catchphrases from TV and pop culture. In his apology, Allen told Smith he was “young and dumb” at the time.

According to ESPN, the tweets were removed from Allen’s account when it was vetted in January.

Wyoming coach Craig Bohl says Allen had “great relationships with his teammates and our fan base.” The coach adds in his statement that while at Wyoming Allen “embraced diversity.” Says Bohl: “We wish him all the best on his big night.”

___

12 p.m.

This isn’t just the year of the quarterback in the NFL draft. It’s the century of the QB.

The previous time a quarterback wasn’t selected in the first round of the NFL draft was 1996, when 41 other players were chosen before the Rams selected Michigan State’s Tony Banks at No. 42.

Banks went 35-43 in eight seasons as a journeyman with the Rams, Ravens, Redskins and Texans.

He was by far the most accomplished of the six quarterbacks selected, two of whom never played in the league and another who never started in the NFL.

Third-rounder Bobby Hoying of Ohio State went 3-9-1 in five seasons for Philadelphia and Oakland.

The Broncos chose Jeff Lewis of Northern Arizona with the 100th overall pick, but this was during the Elway Era and Lewis made zero career starts in two seasons in Denver and two in Carolina.

Another fourth-rounder was Florida State’s Danny Kanell, who would post a 10-13-1 career mark over six seasons with the Giants, Falcons and Broncos.

In the seventh round, the Ravens took John Stark of Trinity International and the Packers selected USC’s Kyle Wachholtz, neither of whom ever played in the pros.

So, that was a total of 48-65-2 for the inglorious QB class of 1996.

There have been 56 quarterbacks selected in the first round since then, including five in 1999. That mark is expected to be matched or maybe broken tonight in Dallas.

— AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Stapleton reporting from Denver.

___

11:00 a.m.

The most inspirational story in this NFL draft, bar none, is Shaquem Griffin of UCF.

A standout linebacker for the undefeated Knights, Griffin achieved all of his success despite having no left hand. He wears a prosthetic, yet Griffin stunned onlookers by bench-pressing 225 pounds a staggering 20 times at the combine, then ran the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds.

Griffin is fast, hits hard and never stops coming. Will that make him a first-rounder? Probably not, given NFL teams’ concerns with any sort of physical issues for a prospect.

But Griffin, whose brother Shaquill was selected in the third round last year by Seattle, insists there are no drawbacks about him as a pro prospect.

“I don’t see it as a handicap and I have never looked at it that way,” Griffin says. “I hope I am an inspiration for people, to see I can do whatever I want. I haven’t seen anything I couldn’t do. I’m never going to let someone put a label on me.”

NFL personnel people praise Griffin to the sky for his talent, work ethic and fortitude. What they don’t say is how highly they will consider him on their draft board.

Griffin doesn’t like hearing that, though his cheerful demeanor allows him to laugh when told he could be sitting at this draft until Saturday before being selected.

“I don’t have a chip on my shoulder,” Griffin says. “I have chips. I have a bag of chips. Everyone else can have a chip. I need more than that.”

___

10:40 a.m.

The Houston Texans will be bystanders deep into this draft; their first pick is in the third round, 68th overall.

That doesn’t mean they won’t be paying attention Thursday night and during the second round Friday. Plus, the man in charge of personnel moves believes the Texans already have achieved a lot in the offseason.

“Part of the process in this player evaluation is mixing the pro scouting element with the college draft process,” says new general manager Brian Gaine.

“As it relates to how we’re going to solve some of the issues on our roster with personnel, we feel like some of the things we did in free agency are going to put us in position in the draft where you’re not going to get forced to have to draft a player based on need.

“The players that we acquired both on the offensive line and in the secondary give us position flexibility within the group, so at least now we feel like we’re in position that if we draft players now, we’re hopefully drafting the best available player in that regard. The best combination of a pick is when you take the best available player that also meets a team need.”

Among Houston’s needs are the offensive line and tight end. Barring an unexpected run on tackles or tight ends, the Texans should find value when they finally get going.

“There are certainly challenges involved with that in terms of getting blue chip talent and blue chip prospects,” Gaines says, “but the focus that I have had and our staff has had here has been we are going to get a chance to get four players in the top 103 in this draft.

“So, if things were standard and we had a first- and second-round pick, a third- and fourth-round pick, that would still give us four players in the top 103.

“Now, although they might not be player 50 or 60, we’re still going to get four players, we believe, in the top 103. So, we’re very positive that we’ll be able to get contributing players at any one of those picks in the third and the fourth round.”

Meanwhile, barring a trade, the Texans will watch.

___

9:50 a.m.

This year’s deep draft at quarterback lacks just one thing: a consensus top pick.

None of the mock drafts heading into Thursday’s actual NFL draft in Dallas seems to even put them in the same order.

So, let’s see what the quarterbacks themselves think.

All of them say they’re the best of the bunch except for USC’s Sam Darnold, who suggests: “That’s for other people to decide.”

Hogwash, say Wyoming’s Josh Allen, UCLA’s Josh Rosen, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield and Louisville’s Lamar Jackson.

They all unabashedly tout themselves as the best option at QB in this draft.

“I think I’m the best quarterback here,” Rosen has said. “I think every person in this draft should have the exact same answer.”

Allen has said every quarterback has to believe he’s the best because that confidence is the cornerstone of a successful pro career.

“We’re all different, we all have our pluses, our minuses,” Allen says. “But if you don’t have the mindset that you’re the best quarterback in this draft, you’re not going to fare well in this league.”

Mayfield has concurred, saying, “If you don’t have that mindset then something’s wrong.”

When it comes to ranking the quarterbacks, most people have Jackson well behind the so-called “Big Four,” going somewhere in the middle of the first round.

Jackson has just as much confidence as the others, suggesting he’s better than all of them.

“But I don’t really care about what order we’re in,” Jackson has said. “They’re all great quarterbacks, as well. So, I know they feel the same way.”

— AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Stapleton reporting from Denver.

___

9:35 a.m.

As the traveling road show that the NFL draft has become settles in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the league has added a new fan touch: the Inner Circle.

More than 1,600 fans — at least 50 from every franchise — will be in AT&T Stadium for the selections, and the festivities that go with them.

Each team selected its “draft ambassadors,” and the list of attendees ranges from locals who just happen to root for, say, the Eagles or Bills or Jets, to fans who will travel to North Texas (Falcons, Ravens). Many are season ticket holders.

The Inner Circle will feature team rivalry zones and chances for fans to celebrate the club’s selections with NFL players and former team standouts.

On Thursday night, some of these fans will be visited by their newest team members after they are selected on stage.

___

Dave Gettleman has learned many lessons as an NFL executive. The new general manager of the New York Giants has one mantra in the draft room.

He says teams must “stay with the value.” They “can’t get too cute” or hope for a player to be around in a later round.

The Giants pick second Thursday night after the Cleveland Browns. The New York Jets go third, followed by the Browns and Denver Broncos.

Plenty of top quarterbacks are available: USC’s Sam Darnold, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield, UCLA’s Josh Rosen and Wyoming’s Josh Allen. There’s also Penn State running back Saquon Barkley and North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb.

Analyst and former NFL general manager Phil Savage says the Giants are in the “catbird seat” and can go in many directions, but he encourages them to consider Barkley.

  Analyst and former NFL general manager Phil Savage says the Giants are in the “catbird seat” and can go in many directions, but he encourages them to consider Barkley.

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By Associated Press – published on STL.News by St. Louis Media, LLC (Z.S)

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[yahoo-shutdown-corner-blog]

NFL MVP, ROY and awards rankings: Carson Wentz's injury opens up the MVP race

As Carson Wentz was walking back to the locker room with a season-ending injury, the entire NFL season was changing.

It will also cause a major shift for the MVP award.

Wentz was having the kind of game last Sunday that could have won him the award. In a huge, high-profile game against the Los Angeles Rams, the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback had 291 yards and four touchdowns in three quarters. He made multiple plays that were simply astonishing, against a good Rams defense. If we assume a normal fourth quarter for him, a healthy Wentz is probably the MVP front-runner today.

Instead, he’s out for the season and while his 13 games were marvelous, he won’t win the award. There is a precedent. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana won MVP in 1989 after missing three games. That’s the most games an MVP has ever missed. I just don’t see that repeating.

Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz will miss the rest of the season, ending an MVP-caliber season. (AP)

But a weird Week 14 has turned the award into a free-for-all. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had his worst game of this season against the Miami Dolphins, and perhaps his worst game in years. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson did practically nothing through a half against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and even though he rallied in the second half, the Seahawks lost and Wilson threw three interceptions. Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Antonio Brown seems to be the one surging to the front of the line, but I look at the voting history and I’m still skeptical he can actually win. Maybe this year is the year, though as stated before, it would be a complete outlier. No receiver has ever won MVP. No receiver has gotten a single vote in 19 years.

Without Wentz and with a couple other favorites coming off down weeks, the MVP race got a lot tighter. It’s too bad, because Wentz seemed to be on his way to taking a healthy lead last week before his injury. We’ll reluctantly remove Wentz from the MVP ballot, because even though he would be on it if the season ended today, he’ll fall off of it by the time the actual votes come in.

Here is this week’s MVP ballot:

1. Brady — We shouldn’t overreact to one game, even though it was not good. Brady still leads the NFL in passing yards and passer rating. He’s second in touchdown-to-interception ratio behind Wentz. He’s second behind Drew Brees in completion percentage. One bad night in Miami doesn’t change all that. But it at least opens the door for others. If Brady struggles on Sunday in a huge game at Pittsburgh (and a certain Steelers receiver dominates), then things could really start to change.

2. Wilson — Like Brady, Wilson’s performance on Sunday will be huge for any MVP hopes he has. The Seahawks play the Rams, and there’s a good chance the winner will take the NFC West title too. What Wilson did in the second half last week was remarkable. He had 36 passing yards with no completion longer than 7 yards in the first half against the league’s best defense. Then he had 235 yards and three touchdowns after halftime and almost dragged Seattle to a win. But you have to count the first half too, and the three picks he threw. Also, Wilson has to make the playoffs to be considered. The last MVP from a team that didn’t make the playoffs was O.J. Simpson in 1973. I think it’s ridiculous to ignore a player’s MVP case because he doesn’t have a good enough team around him, but making the playoffs has become a prerequisite.

3. Brown — How about a 213-yard game in a comeback win on “Sunday Night Football” to help an MVP candidacy? Brown has been amazing lately, and after his huge game against the Baltimore Ravens he has a shot at Calvin Johnson’s single-season yardage record (Brown needs 455 yards to tie). A record like that for a player on a good team might sway voters, and it should. Given that the Patriots-Steelers game Sunday is the biggest regular-season game in the NFL this season by far, a huge performance by either Brown or Brady in a win might change who wins MVP.

4. Los Angeles Chargers QB Philip Rivers — Over the Chargers’ last eight games, Rivers has 2,246 yards, 14 touchdowns and two interceptions with a 105.4 rating. He only had one truly awful game as the Chargers started 0-4, which came against the Kansas City Chiefs. He can make up for that Saturday at Kansas City and help give the Chargers the upper hand in the AFC West race with a win. Rivers has been on fire, the Chargers are authoring quite a story as they try to go from 0-4 to AFC West champs, and a big game in a win Saturday night will get Rivers some MVP buzz.

5. Los Angeles Rams QB Jared Goff — I hear the calls for Todd Gurley’s MVP argument and I think they’re justified, but good luck finding votes for a running back that isn’t even leading the NFL in rushing yards. Since 1993, the only running backs to win the award rushed for 2,000 yards or set a single-season touchdown record. I don’t enjoy the quarterback-only mindset for MVP, but if we’re being realistic Goff has a better shot than Gurley because of the position he plays.

Defensive Player of the Year: Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey grabbed an interception and was a big part of a huge win against the Seahawks. Cornerbacks are always up against it when it comes to defensive player of the year awards, but hopefully Ramsey wins. He has had an amazing year on a great defense and he deserves it.

The ballot:

1. Ramsey 2. Los Angeles Rams DT Aaron Donald 3. Arizona Cardinals CB Patrick Peterson

Coach of the Year: Here’s another award that could change based on Carson Wentz’s injury. Imagine if the Eagles go 3-0 with Nick Foles and get the No. 1 seed (and don’t forget they closed out a huge win at the Rams without Wentz in the fourth quarter). At that point, shouldn’t Eagles coach Doug Pederson win? I know Sean McVay of the Rams is going to win because that hype train has been rolling for months, but I think there are good arguments to be made for others, including some not even making this week’s top three like Mike Zimmer, Anthony Lynn and Sean Payton. Mike Tomlin of the Steelers is moving up because of how adeptly he managed the drama with that team early this season.

The ballot:

1. New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick 2. McVay 3. Tomlin

Offensive Rookie of the Year: New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara is still the favorite here, though his concussion could change that. If Kamara misses more time, that would allow others to catch up. But he’s still safely ahead for now.

The ballot:

1. Kamara 2. Jacksonville Jaguars RB Leonard Fournette 3. Kansas City Chiefs RB Kareem Hunt

Defensive Rookie of the Year: I really like what Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt has done all season, but New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore has to be a stone-cold lock. His interception last week, covering Julio Jones, was a thing of beauty.

The ballot:

1. Lattimore 2. Watt 3. Buffalo Bills CB Tre’Davious White

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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab

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