#miami's vice city rollers

[mitochondriaandbunnies]

This is a re-post/archiving of a twitter thread from Oct 16, 2021, edited slightly for clarity.

Know what I haven't done for a while? Waxed philosophical about Miami Vice.

I'm currently stuck in traffic bad enough that people have turned off their cars and are chilling outside, so here goes.

So we have a houseguest who actually ASKED to be subjected to Vice, and Dan immediately suggested we watch Bushido, because let's face it, he's a Castillo Guy, and the "Vice Squad's Lieutenant is a Weird Weeb" episodes are some of his favorites. 

I expressed some hesitation— Bushido is an episode that is very slowly paced (purposefully) and works best when you know the characters and know what the stakes are. We watched it anyway, and it didn't really land the way it should've (although the guest appreciated the Battlestar Galactica connections).

(Traffic cleared. In line for donuts now.) I tried to explain the fact that while Vice is technically an episodic show, it's a precursor to arc based shows in the ways it handles all the characters and their *emotional* arcs— case in point, in Bushido Sonny and Rico both seem *happy.* Castillo earnestly smiles for the first time in the show, and we learn the depths to which duty and honor matter to him (and yet, how much actual RULES really do not— his own code of honor supersedes the law even if he finds ways to pay lip service to it.)

This got me thinking about how Season Two of Miami Vice telegraphs an enormous amount about the characters' eventual arcs and the decisions they'll make throughout the series; practically half of S2 is episodes about Sonny Parallels crashing and burning and how that predicts his own eventual crash. Of course, those are the OBVIOUS things the show tells us about its cast. The thing I find fascinating about S2 is that a LOT of information is broadcast through music and images rather than the script, and Vice expects you to be smart enough to pick up on this and how it will come to fruition later in the series. So much of who Sonny and Rico are isn't spoken, and a lot of the things they say and do later in the series make a lot more sense if you pay attention to music and visual cues early on.

(Gonna drive again, will finish this thought in a bit…)

This, on top of a friend on the Vice Discord asking for a listing of all the music in Vice got me thinking (aloud) about the music in S1&2, and Dan mentioned there were 14 licensed songs in Prodigal Son alone. That reminded me that a few weeks back I'd had a revelation: I had realized something about You Belong to the City, a song specifically written specifically for Vice (I.E., it's a significant piece of music thematically and lyrically), and which plays in Prodigal Son over a sequence of Sonny being distraught in NYC at night. 

I wrote about Prodigal Son last year (2020) and didn't mention that sequence at all except to talk about the weird aggressive roller skater who chases Sonny on a darkened road. At the time, I frankly thought it was a song that was chosen for its sound more than its lyrics, because the lyrics don't really fit with what we're seeing on screen.

The song starts playing about halfway through the first Prodigal Son episode, right after Tubbs reunites with Valerie and leaves Sonny alone in a city he doesn't know and doesn't have any connection to. I've mentioned before that I think, as the opener for S2, Prodigal Son is very much about home and belonging. And the thing is: Sonny doesn't belong in New York. The end of the episode confirms that, at least at that point in the series, it isn't really home for Tubbs either.

Sonny's a Southern Boy, most at home on a boat. You could argue there's some kind of ominous irony in the first 1/2 of the chorus:

Cause you belong to the city You belong to the night Living in a river of darkness Beneath the neon light

But it's not objectively TRUE.

When you start picking apart the rest of the lyrics:

You can feel it Starting all over again The moon comes up And the music calls You're getting tired of Staring at the same four walls

It really starts to fall apart. Sonny isn't *tired* of anything, he didn't choose to go out wandering or to be in the city at all, Tubbs just left him alone to be with his ex-girlfriend. This isn't wanderlust, like the song implies, it's aimlessness. The second half of the chorus and the second verse make it clear that this isn't an accident.

You were born in the city Concrete under your feet It's in your moves It's in your blood You're a man of the street

This... isn't a song about Sonny Crockett. 

You Belong to the City *is about Rico.*

The second verse says:

When you said goodbye You were on the run Trying to get away From the things you've done Now you're back again And you're feeling strange So much has happened But nothing has changed

These are exactly the circumstances Rico is in in this episode—he's the titular Prodigal Son, returned home after a long time to discover things are in some ways exactly as they were, and yet he doesn't fit anymore. It doesn't describe Sonny— Sonny isn't "back," he didn't leave NY "on the run." Rico did!

So, why, then, is a song about Rico playing when Sonny is wandering the city alone? 

Because the idea that Rico *belongs here in NYC* is Sonny's driving fear at this point in the episode. From his perspective, he's been abandoned. He's unmoored. (And I think this is what leaves his guard so far down with Maggie. He is painfully lonely at the best of times throughout the series; alone in NY he's bereft. First port in a storm and all that.) That the episode ends with Take Me Home is a repudiation of that fear—especially considering the more-or-less-overt flirting that occurs when they meet again.

Why is any of this important? Because Vice is a series that often takes Show Don't Tell as far as you can go without becoming French New Wave: Now on TV! I argued last year that Prodigal Son intended for a savvy audience to read Sonny as bisexual; the seemingly incongruous lyrical use of You Belong to the City both confirms that and adds the extra wrinkle that *Tubbs needs to be considered in that equation.* 

Which is to say: the first episode of Season Two decides to make a statement about where the season is going, and that statement is that *the relationship between Sonny and Rico is import\ant and vital and that they both have a concept of home that involves each other.* Considering where the rest of the series goes, that makes the eventual unraveling of their relationship as Sonny falls apart just about the closest thing the  series has to a full overarching plot. 

THEIR PARTNERSHIP IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, FOLKS

GLENN FREY WROTE A SONG ABOUT IT

(and I'm done)

[ickypatchi]

MEET THE ARTIST!

Hi! It's been a while since I've posted about myself, and I didn't want to draw a new meet the artist, so here is this :)

IM SONNY. AKA ICKYPATCHI!

-24, Agender artist currently living in the middle of nowhere rural midwest (midwesterners where yall at!!!). I am a multi-media artist with a current focus on traditional abstract works, and toy sculpting & production.

-You may have seen some of my work in The Zium Garden (2018), my promotional work for Miami's Vice City Rollers, or my work for Derby Drama the table-top RPG!

-I have been creating digital 2D character art since I was in my tweens ( 10+ years), but more specifically I have been hard surface 3D modelling for 9 years, and digitally sculpting for 4 years. I have also been an acrylic painter for around 5 years.

-Other creative mediums I'm passionate about include, but are not limited to: Film photography, digital & traditional 2D & 3D work, 3D printing, video editing, handpoked tattoos/tattoo design, and textile work!

-I'm hoping to pursue small batch production toy making as a side hobby, while also gaining education in the future on metalworking/welding & film development.

-I find it extremely important to gain new knowledge in different mediums in order to grow as an artist and prevent the self from becoming stagnant. I also cant imagine myself only doing one set form of creation, I want to try everything I possibly can.

-I am extremely open about my materials and processes, and always invite people to chat with me or ask any questions they may have. I have over 4 years experience working with specialized art material sales & product demonstrations/workshops , so I also geek over traditional mediums and supplies.

-I have so many projects in the works I cannot wait to share! I appreciate everyone who has followed me along on this journey and shared support and luv <3

-Thanks for viewing!

[altarflame]

La-la-lately

[cruezins]

       ☣  ;  (  KIM TAEHYUNG  ,  24  ,  HE/HIM  )  coming up next on rebel radio is OPAUL by FREDDIE DREDD  .  this tune goes out to SIWON RYU  .  rumor has it they just rolled into town and are fightin’ for the GHOULS  .  they’re AFFABLE  ,  INQUISITIVE but also AIMLESS  ,  MERCURIAL so watch your backs out there  .  we wish them the best of luck here in our golded city of light  .  stay vigilant  ,  stay dirty rock ‘n rollers and we’ll catch you for the next one  .

𝐎𝐎𝐂  :  hello  !  i’m deni and i don’t know what editing is  .  i use she/her pronouns and live in the gmt+9 timezone  .   i’m terrible with ooc chats and half the time just want to vibe a connection or plot idea  ,  so please don’t hesitate to throw a half-formed thought at me because i swear i’ll do the same  .  my discord is gay fairy#6371  .  anyway  ,  here is siwon  ,  someone i’ve been work-shopping for a while  !  looking forward to writing with you  ♡

                     ☣  ;  𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐁𝐘𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐇  .

cw  :  drug mentions  ;  stop me if you’ve heard this one before------

       his dad’s a junkie and he hasn’t seen his mom since some fatcats bought their restaurant for a steal a few years before  ,  but that’s the way of life for a lot of people in the underground  .  young  ,  bored  ,  and desperate to hear and smell anything that wasn’t the rottenness of his own childhood home  ,  siwon found himself on the streets more nights than not  ,  spray paint in one hand   ,  painting nights in greens and purples until reds and blues chased him away  .  makes his first steal before he can tie his shoes  .  creates alliances with the neighborhood kids  ,  sneaks around to watch how the haves live with their pretty  ,  pretty screens and their ugly  ,  ugly words  .  school isn’t anything special  ,  either  ,  and while siwon can’t remember shit that he reads from a page he can work with his hands  .  fast and efficient  ,  nimble fingers whether they’re flying across a keyboard or fucking around with some screws  .  you can make something of yourself  ,  some of his teachers tell him while others can’t stop bitching about homework or tardiness or the way he falls asleep in the middle of class  .  but what’s siwon supposed to make  ?  he and his ragtag group of weirdos he calls friends  .  when he gets older and nights get hungrier  ,  siwon learns to stop relying on the benevolence of neighbors and finds a job  ---  he’s fast  ,  after all  ,  with a sweet face and wide eyes  ,  makes a helluva getaway after years and years of running  .  

       thieving’s a natural grift  .  he’d been training for this his whole life  .  then he catches the eyes of a boss man who isn’t nearly as mad as he should be catching some kid with his wallet in his hands  .  courier comes next  ,  ferrying messages from a bunch of suits all over the city  .  siwon never opened the packages  ,  never second guesses the credits that start bloating his account  .  desperate  ,  he does what he’s told and does it well ------ and that’s the real kicker  ,  isn’t it  ?  that after a year and some-odd months of dedicated service they leave him high and dry with some bullshit he doesn’t have any involvement with  .  after years of running  ,  boys in blue finally catch him and he’s left to take the fall of some dumb fuckery  ,  man  ,  and he’s pissed  .  steaming in jail  ,  it’s a wonder some other gang didn’t get to him first  .  the longer he sat and talked with that ghoul member  ,  the more he grew to despise the rich  ,  the ones who left him to rot after all the shit he did for them  .  what was even the point anymore  ?  dog eat dog kind of bullshit  ,  no sense of loyalty or shit anywhere  .  the law and all that money was out to get him from the beginning and siwon had enough of it  .  a few months locked up but he learned and leaned and learned  ,  only able to get out on a technicality  .  the second he stepped back out into the sun  ,  siwon followed the map given to him and signed up for the ghouls  .  city of light be damned  .  the only lights he wants to see are flames eating this hellhole alive  .

                    ☣  ;  𝐈 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐂𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓  .

➤  full name.  ryu si-won ➤  date of birth.  january 29th ➤  hometown.  city of light ➤  gender.  cis male ➤  affiliation.  ghouls  ➤  primary occupation.  drug runner  ,  pickpocket  ➤  secondary occupation.  network manager at an internet cafe 

➤  sexual attraction.  pansexual ➤  romantic attraction.  panromantic ➤  character alignment.  chaotic neutral ➤  personality type.  enfp ➤  temperament.  sanguine ➤  wants.  power  ,  family

       stands around 5′11  .  broad shoulders  ,  slim hips  .  floppy  ,  messy hair and sun browned skin  .  half legs  .  a few pieces of silver in his ears and a small hoop on his bottom lip  .  dresses somewhere between a washed up rockstar  ,  your college weed dealer  ,  and a miami vice reject  .  style’s a whim with a closet’s chaotic mix of anything he thrifts or patches together  .  most of the time he’s sporting cuffed jeans  ,  vintage blouse  ,  a denim jacket or tweed blazer and thick ass boots  .  keeps all that hair back with a bandanna or a headband  ,  hair ties on his wrist  .  nothing in his closet’s technically new and he loves looking for a bargain steal —— or simply just a steal  .  likes colors just as much as he likes his neutrals  .  wears a black air filtration mask and fingerless gloves  .  considers his floral button-up shirts fancy material and his trousers cut off at the ankles  .  likes the smell of old leather and the breathing of fringe on a jacket  ,  the weight of heavy rings on his fingers and sunglasses swooped low on his nose  .  wears a monocle because he can’t be fucked with reading glasses  .   his hair’s been every color of the rainbow and he’s always changing it up thanks to temporary dye  .

                                    ☣  ;  𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐎𝐍𝐄  .

       hustles at arcade halls  ,  scarfs down ramen and burritos like they’re gonna disappear  ,  looks as comfortable in a dark  ,  dirty alley as he does standing under all those lights in the neon district  .  pockets full of candy and a lollipop between his lips  .  likes cheap beer and cigarettes  ,  fast talking and smooth smiles  .  gets up when the sun goes down  .  who knows if he ever gets a full night’s sleep  ,  but you can find him taking a nap just about anywhere  .  seems to live for the dark hours and stays busy as a bee  ,  at the internet cafe one moment and grabbing fried cheese sticks in the next before crossing the bridge to watch the street races and venturing to the tunnels for the fighting rings  .  complains about being broke but puts down bets faster than anyone  .  lives for the feeling of wind in his hair so the window of his top-floor one bedroom shit hole stays open all the time  .  feels the rain on his skin  ,  plays with matches  .   learned how to assemble a gun in less than sixty seconds and stays packing nowadays though he can’t really shoot for shit  .  spray paints boobs on the sides of government buildings and dicks on malls  .  looks like an angel under all those holographic lights  .

       rides a motorbike and his skateboard  .  can do crazy math in his head and spot fake bills with incredible accuracy  .  can barely stand to sit still  ,  always moving except when there’s a computer screen in front of him  .  gets addicted to things so easily it’s scary  ---  people  ,  food  ,  liquor  ,  feelings  .  craves that intimacy  ,  craves that closeness that’s always been denied to him  .  has a loud as fuck laugh and a love for sneaking into places where he doesn’t belong  .  catches extra cash on the side by fixing up broken-down machines and can figure his way around a motor with a bit of elbow grease  .  still sees his family  .  not as much as a good son would  ,  but he sends cash when he can and looks after his younger sister  ,  makes sure she stays well and clean  .  they don’t know half of what he’s gotten up to since he was let out of prison  ,  but they might have some idea --- after all  ,  who’d pay a crooked boy with a record as well as he seems to be  ?  when the sun starts to come up and he crashes into bed  ,  siwon stares out the window and thinks about how in another world  ,  or in another time he probably could’ve been something  .  could’ve made something great  .  but for now he’s just got a whole lot of anger  ,  raw like a fresh wound he can’t stop picking at  .  

                           ☣  ;  𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐓 𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐘𝐎𝐔  ?

➤  bonds.  my loyalty to my friends is unwavering  ;   i owe everything to my mentor --- a horrible person who’s rotting in jail somewhere  ;  i fleeced the wrong person and must work to ensure this individual never crosses paths with me  . ➤  flaws.  once i pick a goal  ,  i become obsessed with it to the detriment of everything else in my life  ;  when I see something valuable  ,  i can't think about anything but how to steal it  ;  i have a weakness for the vices of the city  . 

       he’s friendly  ,  but he doesn’t make friends easily --- the ones that he has made  ,  he’d do anything for  .  because that’s how he’s gotten this far  ,  right  ?  all those people who looked after him when others tried to stomp him out  .  he’s still close with his teen friends who threw a few grifts with him  ,  gaming buddies that he knows only through a screen  .  little escapes from all the other bullshit going on in the world  .  even though he isn’t a club guy  ,  he runs into more than a few faces on his rounds  .  maybe they’re bad influences or sweethearts who help that touch starved affliction that comes from living in a city so wired  .  on the flip side  ,  there’s some enemies --- competitors in the runner world  ,  antagonists he meets at the races or rings for whatever reason  (  insane bets make tempers run hot  ,  who knows when they’ll flare for good and siwon’s learning the hard way how to keep his mouth shut  )  .  he’s fixed up a few cars or weapons for people recently because he misses working with his hands  .  y’know  ,  making nice  .  then there’s people he’s caught in a crossfire with  ,  where they’ve met something nasty one too many times before over turf  ,  territory and clients  .  a newer face to the ghouls  ,  he’s bugged someone into mentoring him  ,  and gone on a few runs with someone he loves to call a coworker  .  

       eager to prove himself as more than a green kid with a keyboard and an eye for detail  ,  find him cutting deals and making trades in smokey barbecue houses  ,  hole-in-the wall ramen shops or by taco tents  .  a full bellied class of clients are happy clients in his opinion  ,  and siwon isn’t above not making deals with the other groups who’s names aren’t violent delights  .  speaking of which  ---  there are definitely some skeletons there he aims to confront  ,  some old demons to fight from that class of people that fucked him over  .  there’s an ex lover in there somewhere  ,  probably met in that pre-prison childhood phase when he mingled past class lines more  ( ~1.5-2 years ago )  .  someone he’s healthily fearful of for whatever reason  ,  and maybe a vendetta against the family that scammed his parents out of their business and basically sent his life spiraling  .  there’s someone who isn’t what they seem  --- he doesn’t know who they really are  ,  and maybe they don’t know who he is  ,  either  .  they’ll learn eventually  .  someone he’s protective over  ,  someone who protects him in ways he doesn’t even know  ,  and those he looks after because they grew up on the same side  .  desperate for connection  ,  desperate for a place  ,  he finds it all in heaven and hell  .

[nerdypinupcrystal]

Every Breath You Take  Chapter 6: Pain, Hurt For So Long

Masterlist

Hey guys I’m back with number 6!!! Last chapter was a roller coaster of emotions, and this one is full on angst, so brace yourselves... There’s no music playing in the actual chapter, but the song that inspired the chapter title is “Pain” by Tiger Army.  Great song, and it’s perfect for Iris.  Anywho, enough of my rambling, on with Chapter 6!

Chapter 6: Pain, Hurt For So Long

I woke up the next morning still sitting on the floor, barricading the door.  I use that term loosely; waking up would require going to sleep first.

After that terrifying nightmare last night, I was on high alert and in full panic mode. I kept the knife in a vice-like grip the entire night, as if I was expecting him to pop up out of nowhere.

But that’s not going to happen. He’s still in Miami, he has no idea you’re here. You’re safe.

Was I really, though?

As long as I was being plagued by these nightmares and the paranoia, I was never going to be safe. Not from the dark corners of my mind. Not really.

I sluggishly stood up and walked over to my room to get dressed for work. I had no idea how I was going to get through the day without passing out from exhaustion. But I couldn’t disappoint Lucy on my second day of work. I’d never forgive myself.

It wasn’t until I reached for my clothes in the dresser that I realized I was still holding the knife. I shakily set it down on the dresser, allowing a few tears to fall before I stiffened my spine with determination and grabbed my clothes.

I was exiting my apartment and locking the door when I saw Matt stepping out of his apartment at the same time.

“Good morning, Iris.” Matt greeted. His voice so sweet and tender, it even sounded concerned. I was on the brink of tears again.

“Good morning, Matt.” I replied, my voice as hollow and broken as I felt.

Matt tilted his head in concern. “Are you alright? You don’t sound so good.” He asked as he stepped towards me.

“Yeah, I just didn’t get much sleep last night.” I replied, my eyes shifting to the ground.

“Are you sure?” He asked, his voice a lot closer as he reached out to touch my shoulder.

I couldn’t control the impulse as I flinched away from him. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s no big deal.” Liar.

Matt seemed to agree with my inner thoughts. “I’m sorry, but I’m having trouble believing you.” Matt replied as we started walking towards the elevator. I walked ahead of him to keep him at a distance.

“Well, it’s really none of your concern, Matt.” My voice was tight as I tried to keep my composure.

“I disagree.” Matt argued as he walked ahead to stop me from moving. “Iris, I care about you.  A lot.  So whatever you’re going through is my concern.” He tentatively reached for my face to caress my cheek. “I can’t stop thinking about you. I feel something between us, and I know you do too.”

I could hear my heart racing, my eyes welling up with tears. “Maybe there shouldn’t be anything between us.” I whispered broken-hearted. Don’t you dare end this with him before it can really start.

Matt stiffened. “Don’t do that. I know what you’re trying to do.” Of course he does. He’s a very clever man. “I know you’re in some kind of trouble, and I want to help you. But you have to let me in.  Please.”  He begged desperately.

I struggled to swallow the lump in my throat as tears ran down my cheeks and onto his hand. My voice cracked as I gently squeezed his hand before pushing it away, and I replied, “Nobody can help me.”

With that, I walked around him, not giving him a chance to argue. I walked past the elevator and took the stairs instead, distancing myself further from the first genuinely sweet man I had met.

I entered the bakery feeling more broken and exhausted than I felt earlier this morning. I had barely reached the counter when Lucy appeared from the kitchen.

“No.” She pointed at me with authority. “Go home.”

My eyes widened perplexed. “Good morning?”

“Good morning, Sweetie.” Lucy greeted. “Now go home.”

“Why? What did I do?” I asked, feeling super confused.

“Not taking care of yourself, apparently.” Lucy replied, gently scolding me. “You, my friend, need to go home and sleep. You can come back to work tomorrow or when you’re well-rested.”

Now I was even more confused. “How the Hell did you even know about that?”

Lucy was quick to reply, “Matt called Foggy, and then Foggy called me. So it’s my duty as your new boss and best friend to help you.”

I had so many questions for that statement, but only one came to mind at the moment. “Foggy called you?”

“I encouraged him to ask me out and I gave him my number; don’t change the subject.” Lucy replied with a fond smile on her face. “The point is we’re all worried about you, and you need to take care of yourself even if the three of us have to force you.”

There was no winning this argument with technically three people ganging up on me for my own good.

“Alright.” I conceded. “You win, I’m going. I’m so sorry, Lucy.” I felt so guilty for being the one thing I hated being. A burden.

Lucy wrapped me in a comforting hug. “Don’t be sorry, Iris. Just get some rest and come back when you feel better. And call me if you ever want to talk about what’s going on with you, okay?”

I nodded as my eyes welled up with tears for what felt like the hundredth time. “Thank you so much, Lucy.”

I started walking towards the exit when I stopped and asked one more question. “Did you call yourself my best friend?”

Lucy shrugged with a smile, “We baked shot glasses out of cookies and christened them with chocolate liqueur. If that’s not Best Friend material, I don’t know what is.”

I let out the first laugh I’ve had today. “I couldn’t agree more.  See you tomorrow.” I waved to her as I walked out of the bakery. Unaware of a familiar presence watching over me and following me from the rooftops above my head.

I couldn’t bring myself to go back to my apartment yet. The idea of being cooped up in there alone with my thoughts and the nightmare from last night still lingering terrified me. I just kept walking with no real destination in mind.

I found myself at a park not too far from a hospital I passed on the way.

I saw an old pay phone nearby; surprised there were any still around, I quickly made my way towards it. Relieved to find it was still working, I put in the change and called for the one person whose voice I desperately needed to hear.

“Amsterdam Nursing Home. How may I help you?” A woman’s voice greeted on the other end.

“May I speak to Violet Williams in room 17, please?” I asked patiently.

“May I ask who’s calling?” The woman kindly asked.

“A friend of the family.” I answered.

Thankfully that was enough for the receptionist to patch me through to her room.

I could feel my palms sweating, my heart beating a mile a minute.

“Hello?” My mouth went dry as I heard the sweetest voice that always gave me comfort.

“Hi, Mom.” I whispered, keeping my hand on the mouthpiece so she couldn’t hear me.

I had panicked. I didn’t have the courage to speak to her yet. But all I wanted was to hear her voice.

“Is anyone there?” The sweet and confused voice asked.

“I love you so much.” My whispered voice cracked from the tears I fought to hold back.

“If someone’s there, could you speak up, please? I can’t hear you.” Mom asked kindly with a chuckle, breaking my composure more and more.

“I have so much to tell you.” My knuckles turned white from the death grip.

“Jane, I don’t think anyone’s there.” I heard Mom say to who I assumed was her nurse.

“But I’m okay.” I whispered, wishing I had the courage to let her hear me.

“I’ll hang that up for you, Violet.” Another woman, possibly Jane, said on Mom’s end.

“I miss you, Mommy.” I said as the other line hung up and all I heard was the dial tone.

It was only when I hung up the phone did I allow myself to surrender to my tears.

I wandered aimlessly through the park until the lack of sleep caught up with me, urging my exhausted body to sit down.

I sat down at the nearest empty bench,staring off into nothing as I lost myself in my thoughts.

I was startled out of my thoughts as someone took a seat next to me.

“Hi. I’m sorry if I startled you, but is it okay if I sit here?” The woman kindly asked me.

I turned to look up at the stranger. She was a beautiful brunette with caramel colored skin, and was wearing blue hospital scrubs.  

I smiled and silently nodded for her to sit.

She sighed in relief. “Thanks. I’m on my lunch right now, and I needed to sit somewhere that wasn’t in the hospital.” She held up her small bag full of food, pulling out two green apples. She held one out to me.

“Here. You look like you haven’t eaten anything today.”

I shook my head in protest. “No, you don’t have to do that. I’m fine.” My stomach chose that moment to growl in hunger.

The woman eyebrow raised at the sound. “Sweetie, your stomach is calling you a liar. Take it. I have plenty.” She insisted as she pushed the apple into my hand.

“Thank you.” I softly replied as I took a huge bite of the apple.

“I’m Claire, by the way.” She introduced herself, holding out her hand towards me.

I took it in return, “Iris. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too.” Claire replied. “I haven’t seen you around here before.” She rolled her eyes, “huge city, I know. But you seem new. Did you just move here? Or are you visiting?”

I couldn’t explain it, but I felt comfortable enough around this woman to give her an honest answer. “Just moved here. To be near my mom.  She’s by herself in a nursing home. She's blind and can't move her left side very well. She had a stroke.”

Claire’s face crumpled with sympathy. “I’m so sorry to hear that.” She paused for a moment before she continued. “Where were you at before? If you don’t mind me asking, that is.”

“I was visiting an old friend.” I started to lie. “She needed me.”

Sympathy still painted Claire’s features. ��Oh god, was she sick too?” She then shook her head. “I’m sorry, that’s none of my business.”

After going this long without telling anyone the truth about me, I couldn’t contain it any longer.  I felt so tired and done with keeping my past to myself. It didn’t really hit me until that moment that I needed to talk to someone. Maybe I needed to talk to a kind stranger who I didn’t see every day. Who didn’t truly know me.  I needed to tell someone the truth.

“She left her husband.” I finally said in a whisper, causing Claire to turn her eyes towards me.

There’s no turning back now.

My heart raced as I continued, “He was a horrible man. He used to beat her.”

“Oh my god.” Claire gasped, keeping her eyes on me.

“It started right after their honeymoon.” My voice sounded hollow as I continued. “At first, he was charming, and tender. But then it all changed.  He was a tyrant; he controlled everything she did. Took away things she loved that he didn’t like. Kept her isolated from the world so that all she had was him.  He said if she ever left him, he would punish her, and he meant it. His punishments…” My voice cracked and my body shivered at the memories. “Were terrible.”

I took a shaky breath to calm myself. “He would never let her go. He said he’d find her anywhere.”

“What a bastard.” Claire visibly shivered as she asked, “Couldn’t she call the cops?”

I quickly nodded, already expecting that question. “Well yeah, she did. She called them, and a lawyer too. They said she could make a citizen's arrest, get a restraining order. It was pathetic.” I let out a weak laugh. “She knew that would never be enough. She truly realized that nobody could help her. She was all alone.”

“Well, how did she leave?” Claire asked anxiously.

I took a deep breath as I looked away from her. “She...risked everything.  She escaped. Started a new life. New home. New look. New name.” I finished with a whisper.

The silence was deafening. I could feel Claire’s eyes on me as I looked over at the trees.

“She’s a really brave girl.” Claire spoke with admiration.

I shook my head in protest as I admitted in a broken whisper, “She thinks she’s a coward.”

I felt the unnecessary shame of my actions hit me all at once. I never truly felt brave for doing what I did to escape him.

“A coward?” Claire exclaimed in disbelief. “No way. Not a girl like that.”

I’m glad one of us thinks so.

“How long did you stay with him?”

My heart stopped and my head snapped over to face her. There was no judgment in her eyes. No disgust or shame. Just a knowing look of sympathy . She nodded in understanding.

Tears of pain and relief ran down my cheeks, my voice cracked as I replied. “Too long. Three years. Seven months. Six days.” Three years of my life I could never get back.

I quickly wiped the tears from my face as I gave Claire a broken smile.  “Thank you for the apple.” Claire smiled back at me, her own eyes welled up with unshed tears.  “And thank you for listening.” I thanked her graciously.

“Any time.” Claire replied with a gracious smile. “Do you have a phone on you?”

“Yeah, why?” I asked out of curiosity as I pulled out my cell phone.

Claire reaches for it and started typing on it. “I’m giving you my phone number. Anytime you need someone to talk to,or just have a friend to hang out with, give me a call.” She finished as she handed back my phone after using it to call hers.

“Thank you, Claire.” I said, not knowing what else to say to express how grateful I was.

“You don’t have to go through this alone anymore, Iris.” Claire gripped my hand in comfort. “You don’t have to be alone anymore.”

I nodded gratefully as I tried to swallow back the tears threatening to pour out once more. I couldn’t believe my luck at finding the most genuinely kind and caring people in Hell’s Kitchen of all places.

My mind immediately brought up Matt, and my heart felt heavy. I felt awful for how I treated him this morning. He poured his heart out to me and wanted to help me, and I repaid him by pushing him away. I didn’t even know where to begin with how to face him again.

Claire must’ve noticed my mood dampen even more. “What’s the matter?”

Well, you’ve gone this far with telling the truth.  Why stop now?

“There’s a man,” I started, “He’s my neighbor.  He’s…amazing. He’s so sweet, and considerate, and funny, and charming.  I like him...probably so much more than I should.  He feels the same way, he told me as much this morning. He’s also incredibly clever and observant.  He knows that something is going on with me. He even wants to help me.” I started to crack as I continued. “I pushed him away. I was so rude to him. I just don’t know how I’m going to face him.” I rolled my eyes at myself, “Hell, after this morning, he probably wouldn’t want to come near me anyway.”

Claire rubbed my hand in sympathy. “I’m sure it wasn’t that bad. And if he’s as great of a guy as you say he is, then he won’t be driven away so easily. He probably understands better than you think.”

I couldn’t help but agree. “You’re right. He had his friend call my boss to send me home for the day because I didn’t sleep last night. He was worried about me, even after I was being horrible to him.”

“Sounds like a pretty great guy to me.” Claire chimed in.

“He really is. The amazing thing is he’s blind, and yet he can see things better than anyone else can. When I’m with him, it’s like he can not only see me, but see right through me into my soul.” Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Claire sit up a little straighter with curiosity.

“This neighbor of yours...his name wouldn’t happen to be Matt Murdock, would it?” She asked, already knowing the answer.

“You know him?” My eyes widened. How small is this damn city?

Claire chuckled. “Yeah, he’s a friend.” She looked like she wanted to elaborate, but she didn’t. “If there’s one thing I can tell you about Matt, it’s that he’s extremely protective over the people he cares about the most.” She looked at me pointedly. “When he says he wants to help, he really means it, and will do everything he can to do it.”

“I believe you,” I said in agreement. “I definitely got that impression from him. But I just don’t know if he can help me with this. I tried talking to a lawyer before, and it did nothing.”

“True, but Matt’s different from most lawyers. He actually gives a shit about the people he fights for.”  Claire gave me a gentle nudge in the shoulder. “And in your case, that especially means you.” My face flushed at her statement. “Now, Iris, I’m not going to push you into doing anything you don’t want to do. God knows, you’ve experienced enough of that. But will make a suggestion if you’re willing to hear me out.”

What do I have to lose? “I’m listening.” My eyes met with hers, giving her my full attention.

“Talk to him.” She advised. “Tell him the truth. At least as much as you’re comfortable with. Speaking from personal experience, I know what it’s like to be with the wrong guy and have him break your trust, and you have every reason not to want to trust a man again.” She really gets it.  “But, and I’m not just saying this as his friend, you can trust Matt. Believe me when I say he’ll understand, and the last thing he would ever want to do is hurt you.”

What Claire said made a lot of sense. I thought it would be easier and safer to just keep my past to myself. However, I’m starting to realize that keeping everything that happened to me bottled up inside is actually doing more harm than good. Maybe telling Matt could help me; although the thought of telling him everything scares the shit out of me. Can I trust him? Should I trust him?

He’s been nothing but wonderful to you. He hasn’t given you any reason not to trust him. He wants to help you. Give him a chance.

I let out the breath I didn’t realize I was holding and nodded in understanding. “You make a hell of a point, Claire... I’ll try.”

Claire smiled, “At least you’re considering it, and that’s what matters.” Claire started to stand up from the bench. “I guess so should head back in before they actually miss me.” She said with a sarcastic roll of her brown eyes.

I offered a sympathetic smile, “It was great meeting you, Claire. I hope the rest of your day doesn’t get too crazy.”

Claire snorted, “You and me both!”  Claire stopped and looked at me. “Have you had a checkup at all?”

My brows furrowed in confusion, “Um, not in a long time. Why do you ask?”

Claire gave a tense nod. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. I’m only asking because of what you said about…” she trailed off, hesitating on how to approach this delicately. “How your ex treated you?” She paused until it dawned on me what she meant. “I was just wondering if you’ve had anyone check on your...injuries.”

I couldn’t help but feel touched at someone actually asking about that. “No, he’d never let anyone else see me like that. He’d leave me alone to tend to myself.”

Claire shook her head in disgust. “I’m hating this asshole more and more.”

I let out a surprised laugh, never having had the courage to say such a thing myself.

“Me too.” It felt liberating to allow myself to admit that much at the very least.

Claire offered me her hand with a sincere smile. “Come on. I want to give you a check up, it’ll ease my mind.”

I could feel those damn tears coming up again in gratitude for this incredible offer of kindness. How could I possibly refuse such a generous offer? I grabbed her hand and rose up from my seat. “Lead the way, Doc.”

“Technically I’m a nurse, but I’m not going to stop you from calling me that.” Claire smirked.

I let out a laugh. “Then Doc, you shall be.”

I proceeded walking towards the hospital entrance with my new friend.

Once more, I wasn’t aware of the secret third person keeping a close watch from above; and had been listening to the entire conversation.

Matt

Matt stood on the roof of the hospital speechless; his body stiff and his fists clenched tightly to the point they were shaking.  His usual vision of the world on fire burned even hotter and redder. He waited until Iris and Claire were inside the hospital before he grabbed an abandoned empty beer bottle and hurled it aggressively against the wall as he let out a yell of rage.  

Oh how he wished the bottle was the face of the asshole who dared laid his hands on the woman he’s fallen for.  

Oh God, Iris. What did that bastard do to you? What monster could look at your sweet face and still have the nerve to hurt you like that? You’ve been through so much for so long. You didn’t deserve to suffer in that Hell. You deserve to be cherished and loved, and protected.  He thought as he loosened his tie and tried to control his heavy breathing.

Oh how Matt wanted more than anything to hold Iris in his arms and protect her from anything and anyone that wanted to harm her.

He knew that she was running away from something, but he never thought she’d be running and hiding from the one man who was supposed to love and protect her for the rest of their lives together.  

His blood froze as he remembered one detail she mentioned. “Three years. Seven months. Six days.”  Iris is only 23. She got married when she was only 19, 20 at the most. She was just a kid, young, naive, and in love. Too young and naive to realize who she agreed to spend the rest of her life with before it was too late. She had sounded somewhat older than her actual age in the few times Matt has spent with her.

Suffering at the hands of that pig forced her to grow up too fast.

God, Iris. You were so young, and small and fragile, you must’ve been terrified. You’re still so young, and you’ve survived this whole time. You’re so much stronger than you think, sweetheart.

Matt’s heart broke for Iris as he listened to the still vague details of her past being told with years of pain in her voice; and his blood boiled with an unspeakable rage towards the man responsible for that pain.

It took all of his self control to not burst into Iris’s apartment the moment he heard her scream last night from the other side of the city. Her heart had been beating out of control, causing his heart to beat in sync with hers as he rushed back to their building to check on her. Each sob she let out caused him more pain than being stabbed ever did. She wasn’t the only one who lost sleep last night.

Matt didn’t expect to feel this strongly for anyone, but that all changed when the adorable girl next door with an enthusiastic love for music charmed her way into his heart in the span of a week without even meaning to.  She managed to ignite a light in his life he didn’t think he deserved to have; and he’ll be damned if he let some worthless abusive asshole hurt her any more than he already did.

It didn’t matter to Matt whether or not he and Iris would ever get together; he swore right then and there that he was going to protect her no matter what.

He hoped Iris was going to take Claire’s advice and talk to him.  He wanted her to trust him enough to tell him the full story, but it’s her choice to do so, and he wasn’t going to force it from her.  She deserved better than that.

Until then, he’s going to continue watching over her and making sure she was safe. If only he could protect her from her nightmares and memories. The thought of what she could’ve possibly dreamed about last night made him sick to his stomach and made him shake with rage towards the man who’s caused her suffering.

He needed to let out his aggression.

Feeling hesitant at first at the thought of leaving Iris alone unprotected, Matt reasoned with himself that she’s safe with Claire for the time being.

With that resolve, he leapt across to the next building, and made his way towards the church, all the while he kept a vigilant ear out for Iris.

Some guidance from Father Lantom was in order; but first, he was going to make great use of that punching bag they kept downstairs.

A/N: Matt knows! I’ve been looking forward to this chapter and that scene with Iris and Claire since I started this fic! So a lot more has been revealed about Iris, but still not the full story, but ALL will be revealed very soon! I hope I did Matt’s POV justice, this is a much darker side to him that I haven’t fully explored in this story yet, but I hope I did him right.  He has so much anger, but the first and most important thing in his mind is Iris and keeping her safe.  God I love this man.  Well, that’s all for now.  Thank you so much for reading, don’t forget to follow me, reblog, and PLEASE leave comments! They really make my day and I love hearing what you guys think.  Until next time! *Kiss noise*

Join the Taglist Here

 @jobean12-blog @cametobuyplums @tomhollandeu @emilymarie0422 @lullabylike

[dstrachan]

'VIEWS FROM THE EDGE' - w/c 25th July 2022

The Grateful Dead ‘Truckin

Taj Mahal ‘Six Days On The Road

Mountain ‘Nantucket Sleighride (To Owen Coffin)’

Phil Friend ‘The Cricket Song’

Sucking Sock ‘The Simpson’s Theme’

Jan Hammer ‘Crockett’s Theme / Miami Vice’

Bruce Springsteen ‘Tunnel Of Love’

The Rezillos ‘Top Of The Pops’

The Pogues ‘Sally MacLennane’

Gene ‘Olympian’

Big Bill Broonzy ‘Truckin Little Woman

C W McCall ‘Convoy’

Laura Cantrell ‘Roll Truck Roll’

The Nightriders ‘Eighteen Wheeler’

Eddie Kendricks / The Temptations ‘Keep On Trucking’

Loud Women ‘Reclaim These Streets’

The Other Ones ‘Get Your Hands Of Me’ 

The Menstrual Cramps ‘No Means No’

Healthy Junkies ’Walk Around’

Tiger Lilly ‘Walk A Mile’

Geckohead ‘Struggler’

The Exploited ‘Power Struggle’

Black Sabbath ‘Electric Funeral’

Bay City Rollers ‘Bye Bye Baby’

The Phoenix Foundation ‘Hounds Of Hell (with Nadia Reid)’

Kate Bush ‘Hounds Of Love’

Universal Thee ‘Hounds’

[your-dietician]

'You have to just love it'

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/sports/you-have-to-just-love-it/

'You have to just love it'

Jazz Chisholm knows that baseball is difficult, that there remains a significant gulf he must cross to match his significant talent and overwhelming charisma to his production.

Right now, this is who Jazz is: A rookie infielder for the Miami Marlins whose stat line says his production is just above league average, but his swag suggests he’s anything but.

This is who Jazz could be: A dynamic, powerful, five-tool force, whose desire to disrupt the game could vault him atop the short list of burgeoning baseball stars with ever-elusive crossover appeal.

This is how he plans to get there: By sacrificing nothing – certainly not the vicious bat speed from his swing that ensures the home runs he does hit go very, very far. And certainly not the exuberance that vaulted him from the Bahamas to the big leagues, endearing him to fans and perhaps enabling him to join some of his athletic heroes – Kobe, LeBron, KD – as a wonder known only by one name.

And what’s the tune Jazz lives by?

“To this day,” he says, “I just always try to tell kids to be themselves. Don’t let nobody change you. You go out there and play the way you want to go play.

“That’s why I always do the crazy hair colors, I do my dances and I just have fun out there because I just want everybody to know, it’s OK to have fun on the baseball field.

“You know?”

If you don’t, you probably will soon.

Jazz Chisholm looks on before a game against the Braves.

Mark Brown, Getty Images

‘Why not bring it into the game?’

Perhaps you found out on Opening Day, when Chisholm fulfilled a promise made to Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara. Chisholm, whose hair changes color with the ease of South Florida weather patterns, was planning a platinum blonde look.

Yet as spring training wound down and Chisholm – who debuted on Sept. 1 in the pandemic-shortened 2020 – had a shot to make his first Opening Day roster, Alcantara had a suggestion.

Make the team, he said, and you dye your hair blue.

“I said, ‘I got you,’” Chisholm recalls. “It was history from there.”

Chisholm came through, breaking camp with the squad and showing up for the opener with a tone resembling a Louie-Bloo Raspberry Otter Pop.

Perhaps you noticed a couple weeks later, when Chisholm hit his second home run of the season, a towering shot off Atlanta’s Charlie Morton, and then, befitting his significant basketball skills, debuted a euro step as he crossed home plate.

Contrived?

Nope. Just a part of his personality, reflexive as a fist bump or handshake.

“I will walk around the clubhouse euro-stepping on people,” he says. “I’ll be in front of someone and last second, I’ll give ‘em a euro, you know, like, ‘Get out of the way.’ It’s something I do all day, every day.

“So why not bring it into the game? Why not misdirect it going into home, and then step on it?”

Chisholm has nine homers and 10 steals in 51 games.

Jasen Vinlove, USA TODAY Sports

It’s not like Chisholm is pimping home runs that scraped the top of the wall.

He is the only player this season to go deep on pitches of at least 100 mph, doing it first off the great Jacob deGrom on April 18 and then the Phillies’ Jose Alvarado a month later. He is, in fact, the only player with two such homers since pitch-tracking began in 2008.

Listed at 5-11 and 184 pounds, Chisholm – full name Jasrado Hermis Arrington Chisholm – seemingly manifested his skills by watching his grandmother play softball.

Yeah, Grandma could turn on one.

“The small person with the pop? Yeah, I think I got that from her, too,” he says.

Patricia Coakley, now 77, played on the Bahamian national softball team, and played the sport long enough for Jazz to see her compete both in slow- and fastpitch formats. He saw himself in her, from the aforementioned quick bat to the tenacious baserunning approach to her play at shortstop.

And so when Chisholm was barely old enough to hold a bat, he called dibs on the position, fully intending to never leave.

“I just loved seeing her play shortstop. I fell in love with watching her, too,” he says. “It was always like that from when I was probably 4 and 5 – just run straight to shortstop.

“Grandma’s a shortstop, I’m a shortstop.”

 Clearly, he picked an excellent role model, though there weren’t many others locally. Just eight players from the Bahamas preceded Chisholm to the majors, with infielder Andre Rodgers – who played from 1967 to ’77 – the only one to hold down anything resembling a full-time role. Antoan Richardson was the most recent, serving largely as a pinch runner from 2011 to 2014, and he’s now a coach for the San Francisco Giants.

Young Jazz focused on his grandmother’s exploits and fixated on televised games featuring Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Bonds and Derek Jeter.

And was convinced he’d play on their level.

“I always told myself that I was going to be a big leaguer, from a very young age,” he says. “It was not really tough believing I was going to be a big leaguer.”

Chisholm played plenty of ball stateside as a child, often in Miami, and attended a prep school in Kansas for a spell, eventually signing with Arizona as an international free agent. While he’s sanguine about his own rise, he’s humbled when he ponders his impact back home.

“Every time I go to the Bahamas I see a little kid telling me, ‘Hey, you made me start playing baseball,’” he says. “It makes me smile nonstop when I hear that.”

They have a dynamic hero to follow, even if he’s an unfinished product. Chisholm is on pace to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases this season; he clubbed his ninth home run of the season Thursday night in a loss to the Washington Nationals, pushing his batting average to .258 and his OPS to .766.

With just 276 plate appearances behind him, Chisholm has room to grow. That makes him a good match for Miami, which acquired him from Arizona for pitcher Zac Gallen in 2019. “I love the people out here,” he says. “This is just the life that I feel like I was here to live. My kind of place.”

Chisholm celebrates a home run against the Mets.

Andy Marlin, USA TODAY Sports

Fresh fish

The Marlins are 31-43 and lagging in the NL East, a pitching-centric club with a lineup that looks emaciated even within this season’s historically grim league environment.

Yet for a franchise dogged for decades by ham-handed ownership, they have a decidedly fresh feel.

They have a quietly beautiful ballpark still not yet a decade old, yet new owner Bruce Sherman bears none of the blame for bamboozling the city into a hideously bad stadium deal. In Jeter they have a CEO with star power but also patience, and the forward-thinking mentality to hire the first woman as a major league GM, the highly-regarded Kim Ng.

Alcantara and rookie lefty Trevor Rogers are worthy aces, with the injured Sixto Sanchez also capable of holding that role. At Class AA Jacksonville, pitching prospects Max Meyer and Edward Cabrera join outfielder J.J. Bleday, all consensus top 100 prospects nearing the big leagues.  

In Miami, Chisholm defers to veterans such as Jesus Aguilar and Miguel Rojas, who when healthy nudges Chisholm to second base. From a baseball standpoint, Chisholm says he goes to great lengths not to “get cocky with the veterans.”

Yet they share a desire to keep things loose, from the clubhouse to the kicks; Rojas has long used social media to amplify his shoe game, while Chisholm has donned footwear celebrating concepts as disparate as Miami Vice and Oreo cookies.

Earlier this week, he debuted a gold chain that commemorated a remarkable leaping catch against the Tampa Bay Rays.

“The Miami Marlins’ whole roster right now – you look at what they’re wearing on their feet, even down to the coaches sometimes, it’s just straight heat, I’m not going to lie,” says Chisholm. “Everybody is just into that stuff – having the swag, having fun on the field.”

 It all may seem a bit excessive for a second-division club, yet the Marlins also made the playoffs in 2020 and swept the Chicago Cubs out of them. Manager Don Mattingly says the veteran tone set by the likes of Aguilar and Rojas “helps your club create an atmosphere that guys like playing in.” He is confident Chisholm will develop greater consistency both in routine and performance, calling his development arc “pretty normal” for a first-year player.

As for Chisholm, he’s prepared for the roller-coaster the game provides. His homer Thursday broke a 15-day streak without a dinger, a period filled with too many weak ground balls. It is a hallmark of the game he chose that he might go days without making an impact, when instead of euro stepping over the plate he’s making an abrupt right turn back to the dugout.

He cannot control his fate in a manner that LeBron can or Kobe could, and if he’s given just one pitch to turn and burn on, he may very well miss it.

Chisholm knows this well and chooses not to dwell on it. Like the island kid who just knew he’d be a big leaguer some day, Chisholm may be right when he believes this game will reward his undying love for it.

“It’s not frustrating,” he says of failure, “because you know how hard the game is. It’s just like, ‘Man, I’m just praying I get another one. Give me another one.’ It’s not really like, ‘Man, I missed my only chance.’ No, because you still got two more strikes to play with. And you might get the worst swing of your life off, but it can be a hit.

“This game can really mess with your mind – because you could be hitting the ball as hard as you want every day and not get a hit. And then you can go break four bats in one day and have four hits. That’s why you have to just love it. Because even though it takes away, it gives back.

“And it gives back big.”

Source link

[fionarynn]

Now Hiring at KSWV Synthwave & 80s Radio City - Roller Rink and Beach

Now Hiring at KSWV Synthwave & 80s Radio City – Roller Rink and Beach

SYNTHWAVE! CYBERPUNK! RETRO 80s Revival!

Want to DJ, host or be a virtual musician at the largest cyberpunk and 80s themed roller and dance venue of Second Life? We’ll make ya famous!

If your a voice DJ, an experienced host, or musician that digs Synthwave, Synthpop, Synth Rock music, Electric Guitars, Saxes, Miami Vice, Cyberpunk, Industrial, EDM or the RETRO 1980s subculture revival….…

[techcrunchappcom]

New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/nfl-power-rankings-seahawks-bills-steelers-get-closer-to-top-eagles-vikings-in-a-free-fall-for-week-3/

NFL power rankings: Seahawks, Bills, Steelers get closer to top; Eagles, Vikings in a free fall for Week 3

Week 2 in the NFL meant every team that played at home in Week 1 had to go on the road, and vice versa. After only two games, or through one-eighth of the 2020 season, there’s a already a better indication of what teams are headed somewhere vs. nowhere.

A few teams on either the best or the worst side of performed exactly how one expects. But this is in the NFL, where surprises and disappointments are par for the course, even in the sprint stage before the marathon.

After some more predictable results, here’s how all 32 teams stack up against each other going into Week 3 in Sporting News’ latest look at the league hierarchy:

MORE: Who are the NFL contenders or pretenders after Week 2?

(Getty Images) https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/5/2/patrick-mahomes-091020-getty-ftr_35kp2b8770ib1afcc0k8u80bz.jpg?t=2067643524&w=500&quality=80

NFL power rankings

1. Kansas City Chiefs 2-0 (last week’s ranking: 1)

The run defense continues to have problems and their passing offense isn’t always automatic. But they still have Patrick Mahomes to save the day, and all he needs is a chance late. That escape from Los Angeles keeps the dream of 16-0 alive, but the No. 2 team here is next on the schedule.

2. Baltimore Ravens 2-0 (2)

The Ravens have flown to similar heights with Lamar Jackson doing his efficient passing and running MVP thing again. They’ve enjoyed a couple of walkovers against the Browns and the Texans, but they finally get their rematch with the Chiefs to prove just whether they can be the AFC’s best again.

3. Seattle Seahawks 2-0 (4)

They have Russell Wilson and a strong running game and that has helped them get through some major run and pass defense issues early. But Wilson did outduel two former MVPs, Matt Ryan and Cam Newton. The elite QB fun continues against Dak Prescott and the Cowboys.

MORE: Russell Wilson locked in, trying to prove he’s NFL’s best QB

4. Buffalo Bills 2-0 (5)

Josh Allen is trying to get himself in the same fun-and-gun company as Mahomes and Jackson. The Bills haven’t made it look all that easy at times against the Jets and the Dolphins, but the solid results are there. The Rams will be a good tougher test.

5. Pittsburgh Steelers 2-0 (7)

Ben Roethlsiberger is back for sure and the running game keeps on pounding out the hits. Their defense may be trying to catch up, perhaps knowing there is less of a burden on them to sack, intercept and strip to save the day. They should keep rolling on the Texans.

6. Green Bay Packers 2-0 (6)

The Packers have done whatever they want with Aaron Rodgers and Aaron Jones, throwing back to their most explosive offensive days. The Lions and Vikings were pushovers, however, and they draw the stronger Saints on the road in prime time.

7. Los Angeles Rams 2-0 (10)

The Rams can run the ball with anyone again and keep taking pressure of Jared Goff with a friendlier passing game. They also have seen their defensive scheming shakeup work really well to complement their superstars, Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey.

8. Arizona Cardinals 2-0 (9)

The Cardinals have seen Kyler Murray give opponents the run-around with a big assist from DeAndre Hopkins. They also have to be pleased how their defense is rising behind Chandler Jones and in front of Budda Baker. Kliff Kingsbury is an early coach of the year candidate.

MORE: Kyler Murray for MVP? Don’t sleep on it

9. New Orleans Saints 1-1 (3)

The Saints didn’t make it perfect to stay ahead of the Buccaneers with a loss at the Raiders. They got caught looking ahead the Packers, as they need to navigate better not having Michael Thomas.

10. New England Patriots 1-1 (8)

File Kingsbury under Bill Belichick, who waited a long time to find Cam Newton to replace Tom Brady. They got Newton for almost nothing and now he’s playing like a healthy all-around MVP again. Unreal.

(Getty Images) https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/47/dd/jimmy-garoppolo-092019-getty-ftr_1lrd2hnqqb9lc1vj8ge4yc2g8k.jpg?t=-1380224228&w=500&quality=80

11. San Francisco 49ers 1-1 (11)

The 49ers keep getting decimated by injuries, indicating that they are not immune to post-Super Bowl attrition. They have to survive with what they have offensively and defensively without Jimmy Garoppolo and Nick Bosa. One wonders how long they can hang on. They do return to New York to face the weak Giants, however, as another break in Week 3.

12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1-1 (12)

The Bucs righted the pirate ship at home, finding their strong running game with Ronald Jones and Leonard Fournette to support Brady in his downfield-throwing efforts. The schedule continues to open a bit where they will stay on the Saints’ heels.

13. Dallas Cowboys 1-1 (15)

The Cowboys need to pay Prescott long-term, stat, after that latest miracle he pulled against the Falcons. He does whatever’s needed passing and running to cover all their other issues include a lack of discipline and consistent defense. 

MORE: Why Cowboys are “America’s Most Exciting Team”

14. Tennessee Titans 2-0 (19)

The Titans did make it to the AFC championship with a similar offensive formula, Ryan Tannehill making efficient big plays working off the power running threat of Derrick Henry. But their defense hasn’t looked all that good against two limited offenses. Luckily, their schedule gives them the struggling Vikings next.

15. Las Vegas Raiders 2-0 (18)

The Raiders took advantage of their Panthers matchup and got more confident with a big upset win in Las Vegas over the Saints. They follow by facing the Patriots on a short week, another good litmus test.

15. Chicago Bears 2-0 (20)

The Bears have danced past the Lions and Washington Football Team in a very nice opening schedule, rediscovering their running game and defense foundation. They will need Mitchell Trubisky to pass a lot better with the Falcons up next.

16. Los Angeles Chargers 1-1 (13)

Justin Herbert may not have the starting gig for good, Anthony Lynn says? What the? Going back to Tyrod Taylor, even if healthy, would not make any sense. Plus, it’s the Panthers in Week 3, a great game for Herbert to keep building confidence. The rookie leaning so well on running game, defense and good receivers had to be inspiring, right?

MORE: Breaking down Justin Herbert’s NFL debut vs. Chiefs

18. Washington Football Team 1-1 (16)

Washington had a wake-up call against the Cardinals as it couldn’t stop Murray and Dwayne Haskins can’t do too much with limited help around him. Ron Rivera’s team overachieved against the Eagles, but it might take a while for another win with the Browns next on the road.

19. Cleveland Browns 1-1 (24)

The Browns found their run-heavy successful formula in Week 2, taking the major pressure off Baker Mayfield. They get another break to get above .500 with Washington back in Cleveland.

20. Indianapolis Colts 1-1 (26)

The Colts are a hard team to read. Their offense and defense tend to be roller-coaster rides where everything starts with running the ball well and stopping the run. But what they get out of Philip Rivers in the passing game, plus their pass rush and pass coverage, are real wild cards that might keep them out of contention.

(Getty Images) https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/d3/be/gardner-minshew-ftr_1oenzzma2wyp51qcoj1ywpu60q.png?t=-1475496100&w=500&quality=80

21. Jacksonville Jaguars 1-1 (21)

The Jaguars can’t think about drafting Gardner Minshew’s replacement now, can they? He’s lifted them to a surprise victory and they aren’t that far from being 2-0 because of him. Amazing what giving him top skill support does.

22. Houston Texans 0-2 (22)

Deshaun Watson is short on skill support as he misses Hopkins at wide receiver. The defense is worse, putting more on him to win games with his arm and legs. Without Watson, this may be the worst team in the league.

23. Philadelphia Eagles 0-2 (17)

The Eagles are getting shoddy play from Carson Wentz when he was such a big factor in lifting them last season. The offensive line and wide receiver issues have been bigger than expected. But that defense is also getting pounded more than expected, too.

24. Minnesota Vikings 0-2 (14)

Kirk Cousins has had a rough start because they are more dependent on him. The defense is the most disastrous it has ever been under Mike Zimmer. Miinnesota needs to take down Tennessee at home in Week 3 to save the season.

25. Atlanta Falcons 0-2 (25)

The Falcons keep having issues everywhere defensively that bring down all their great offensive firepower around Ryan, now led by red-hot Calvin Ridley. Dan Quinn needs his team to beat the Bears to save his job for now.

26. Denver Broncos 0-2 (23)

Von Miller isn’t playing.  Drew Lock isn’t playing. Phillip Lindsay isn’t playing. Courltand Sutton may need to miss more time. This has been a Mile High nightmare of injuries, worse than John Elway could have expected. Tampa Bay up next doesn’t help.

27. Cincinnati Bengals 0-2 (28)

The Bengals go up a notch because of only Joe Burrow this week. Everything else about their team not involving him remains a mess.

28. New York Giants 0-2 (27)

The Giants had a lot of promise for Daniel Jones, and despite two valiant efforts, they are winless. The defense is improved, but now the offense has been greatly worsened by Saquon Barkley going down.

(Getty Images) https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/d/a/christian-mccaffrey-092020-getty-ftr_1tk1lqppfdpoy12ei82xc94pjq.jpg?t=-1379501100&w=500&quality=80

29. Carolina Panthers 0-2 (29)

The Panthers’ defense is pretty bad and their shining light on offense, Christian McCaffrey will likely be out a while. Oh boy.

30. Miami Dolphins 0-2 (31)

When will it be Tua Tagovailoa time? Not Thursday night against the Jaguars but soon.

31. Detroit Lions 0-2 (30)

The Lions are really crumbling around Matthew Stafford as no Kenny Golladay has hurt and their defense is about to doom Matt Patricia.

32. New York Jets 0-2 (32)

Adam Gase is asking for his team to dismiss him with his bad personnel moves and offense that looks more like debacle than genius.

!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window,document,'script', 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', 235247967118144); fbq('track', 'PageView');

[angiabar]

Miami, January

Billed as The Urban Resort for the 21st Century, the Miami Beach Edition Hotel on Collins Avenue is cocky in an understated way. Chic without effort. Well-modulated cool, but not weird cool. It’s 20-somethings watching the original 1980s breakout TV series Miami Vice kind of cool, reinvented, trying not to be impressed, thinking they invented this vibe, designed this aesthetic.

At check-in you’re accosted by young, stylish, chummy desk clerks who press a ruby colored cocktail into your hand before you can even pull out your credit card to reserve your reservation. One sip and your I woke up at 5:30 a.m. in the freezing cold to catch my 8 a.m. flight from LaGuardia mentality fades into your winter memory. The soft white lobby decor works effortlessly to help lower your shoulder blades as you take a second sip of your cocktail. 

By this time one of the chatty desk clerks has come around from behind the lacquer check-in desk and has gently taken your elbow and is steering you toward the back of the hotel, where a series of French doors open up to a secluded path leading down to a lushly landscaped private pool area. You squint and see, beyond a six foot fence, the glimmer of the Atlantic ocean. You blink hard at the harsh sunlight, fumble to locate your sunglasses and try to act cool in your wrinkled khakis and pale skin.

It’s January--high season in Magic City--and it appears that only hipsters are staying at this particular hotel. Hipsters and thin, young well dressed parents with their attractive, urbane, jaded children, whose names all seem to be Wyatt, Jordan, Asher and Perri. Filling out these groupings is a stray nanny or two. This is legit: two nannies for one family, as I observed at breakfast one morning. And at the pool? Unprecedented displays of parental privilege, youthful indulgence and excessive pampering. The swanky young Latino pool boys would not allow an ass cheek to skim the surface of any lounge chair until they performed their decadent towel-laying ritual, which finished with the delicate placement of a sweating glass pitcher of sparkling water with lime and lemon slices on a side table next to each lounge.

Beyond the aforementioned fence, ageless walkers, roller-bladers and the occasional biker strolled and swirled on a winding path that separated the hotel from the beach. The sherbet colors of sand, sky, clouds and water shimmered in the midday sun, beckoning. It was quite windy that day and the swish of the palm fronds bending back and forth sounded both menacing and mysterious, like something was going to happen. I waited.

After settling in we wandered up the street to the ultra-swanky Faena Hotel, where the vibe was over-the-top curated weirdness; one guy’s acid-trip-influenced, high-culture-meets-pop-culture moment.

Alan Faena, only a few years younger than I, is having his Miami moment. An Argentine hotelier and real estate developer both in Miami and Buenos Aires, his successful Faena Group encompasses architecture, design, fashion and food, and he’s not afraid to charge patrons handsomely to join in his fantasy. Rooms here at his hotel with the trippy ersatz Roman decor start at almost $900/night off season.

Across the street is the Faena Bazaar, a precisely curated boutique of expensive clothing, jewelry, candles and seemingly useless baubles. The confusing maze of boutique rooms defy retail logic but instead appeal to spontaneous purchases. The salespersons, all female, affect studied boredom, their long-lashed eyes at half mast, plump glossed lips purring responses to your timid questions about prices and sizes. Everyone here seems to be in on the secret of how to do authentic Miami. Everything goes, until it doesn’t.

Dinner that first evening was on a side street at the tip of South Beach, at Estatorio Milos, a high-end postmodern Greek taverna-meets-fish market-meets-Per Se. Our table was precisely situated to capture the optimal view of the colorful activity outside of the long floor-to-ceiling windows. In between miniscule plates of tzaziki and dolmathes but before we were led to the artfully displayed ice mountain of whole fish, crustaceans and mollusks to select our exorbitantly-priced entrees, we were treated to a show of late-model Ferraris, gleaming Bentleys and other exotic sports cars as they rolled up to the curb. There, motors purring sexily, they glamorously belched out a succession of provocatively-clad, high heeled young women wearing expressions of feigned nonchalance, clutching ubiquitous designer handbags and trailed by smug-looking older men in tight linen trousers and loafers without socks.

Five attractive black-clad attendants poised near the curb, scampering between restaurant and car doors, as they fussed over arriving guests and ushered them into the restaurant with understated bravado, arranging them just inside the doorway so that these gleaming arrivals would be stared at before walking to (and while walking to) their tables.

I tried valiantly not to stare at this egocentric parade as I slowly chewed grilled octopus and sipped my mojito, but I was unsuccessful. My head seemed to swivel so frequently between my plate and the doorway that I almost suffered a bout of vertigo not caused by the mojito and my after-dinner ouzo. 

I took a deep breath and tried not to think of my little black dress, which seemed charmingly conservative compared to what the other women were wearing.

The South Beach scene was still vibrant, narcissistic and aspirational.

[ricardotomasz]

Such is life! Behold, a new Post published on Greater And Grander about Old London Town Theme Park Proposal 1

See into my soul, as a new Post has been published on http://greaterandgrander.com/2020/05/old-london-town-theme-park-proposal-1/

Old London Town Theme Park Proposal 1

Old London Town London Themed Land And Attractions A Greater & Grander Proposal

Old London Town Introduction

Focused on family entertainment in a family-oriented community, Old London Town is primed to take advantage of the expanding and profitable industry of themed, location-based entertainment.

Entertainment has become a buzzword of the new millennium: David L. Malmuth, senior vice president of the TrizenHahn Development Corp. has observed, "People are not just interested in buying things. They want an experience, adding that the keys to providing successful experiences are authenticity, fun and participation.” More and more people have money to spend and will spend it on entertaining themselves.

Quality family entertainment is the focus of Old London Town. The construction and commercialization of our park is factored into the initial development phase detailed within. The company's proposed development will be designed to provide the type of family entertainment and adventure the current market demands.

Based on the current entertainment prices and cost of revenue structure in the local amusement and recreation industries, we believe that our anticipated development will have the potential of several million dollars in gross sales in the first year of operations.

Old London Town will be a romanticized version of classical London.  Similar to Rome or other cities in Europe, the history of culture will be overlayed in a stratified presentation, ranging from the Romans battling with British tribes, to the legend of King Arthur, to the current cosmopolitan and commercial hub. 

Visitors will enter through a replica of the iconic Marble Arch, and will proceed to choose their own adventure in the park, including thrill rides, ferris wheels, shows, and great food.  They’ll even have the ability to purchase high-quality and affordable souvenirs, as well as dine on delicious British cuisine. 

Old London Town Purpose

The purpose of Old London Town can be many-fold:

To provide a recreation venue where individuals and families can spend quality time in a day-long experience.

To be part of an existing theme park, or themed shopping center outside of the United Kingdom, in order to provide a new and exotic experience to visiting guests.  This can also include a themed hotel/casino (ex. The Venetian, or New York New York in Las Vegas), or themed shopping mall (as popular in China).

The design could also potentially be used as the first floor for a themed real estate development (ex. Paris in Tianducheng).

Old London Town Story Theme

What we think of as London is actually not really London. The city of London is actually relatively small. Modern London is comprised of multiple cities and boroughs that have conglomerated together. It began centuries ago when many tribes and people's united whether for security, conquest, or for trade, and evolved into the powerful hub it is today. So the theme of our environment is that there is strength between people when they unite together, even when they unite between the past, the present, and the future.

You cannot live your life just for you. You are part of a whole. You are part of a community. And we all must do our part.

The emotions we wish to convey are camaraderie, and respect for one another as human beings.  The setting should be warm but also convey a sense of power and nobility. The visitors should leave with a sense of joy and a feeling of gratitude.

Old London Town Location

An ideal location would be outside a major city in the tropical or subtropical regions of the globe, either as a standalone park, shopping center, hotel, casino, or real estate development, or conversely, as a new land as part of an existing park. 

One important note is that what we’ve learned from Disney’s California Adventure is to not locate the park in or near London.  Creating a London theme park in or near London is setting the stage for disaster, because there is no incentive for Londoners to visit a theme park that they live every day.  Each part of Old London Town is reimagined within the park to be “a romanticized, idealized version of the city, rather than a veritable postmodern spoof of British culture.

Options within the United States that currently have NO theme parks include Houston, Phoenix, Miami, Raleigh, and Nashville. Options around the world include Tokyo, Hong Kong, Osaka, Mumbai (India), Shenzhen (China), Shanghai (China), etc.

Old London Town Map

In order to fulfill our Unity narrative, we want to portray many different versions of London.  Each city block will have its own style and theme, including royal block, Arthurian block, modern block, etc. Even though each block will be slightly different, there will be an overall cohesion by employing similar design details throughout.

Old London Town Attractions

CLIMATE CATASTROPHE; A River Rapids ride that takes you through the streets of a flooded London, as the historical landmarks collapse around you, and you surf the wild rapids through Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery. THEME; We must work togethert to be stewards of the planet, or everything will fall down around us.

DRAGON DUNGEON; An indoor roller coaster where guests venture with King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, into an underground cavern where Dragons dwell, and must escape from the fire-breathing beasts.  THEME; We must trust in one another and work as a team in order to accomplish great things.  

LONDON EYE; A ferris wheel themed to look like the famous London Eye, with LED light shows to be presented in the evening.  THEME; Slow down and appreciate the world around you, and take a long look from above at everything we have accomplished together.

Old London Town Possible Alternative/Future Attractions

Hedge Maze - In the event of overwhelming popularity of Old London Town, one possible expansion attraction would be a classically designed, seventeenth-century hedge maze.  Similar to famous London hedge mazes like Hampton Court and Hever Castle, this maze would incorporate classic British gardens in a tasteful and organic method. There can be many benefits to hedge mazes, including being a fun family-friendly activity, providing an opportunity for quiet contemplation & reflection, and being low cost compared to other types of attractions.  In addition, a fine mist spray would be installed to give guests a source of cooling comfort during the hotter months.

Victorian Era Vehicles - Old-time vehicles that add color to Old London Town with our colorful Cockney chauffeurs; the vehicles include a Fire Engine, Horse-pulled Trolley, Horseless Carriage, and Omnibus (double-decker bus).

Act of Desperation - Derived from the theatre term (I.e. performing a play in five acts), and performed in our replica of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, our cast of comedic misfits will perform hilarious postmodern interpretations of British classics. If you like Shakespeare, you'll love this new version performed in 18 minutes, where everything goes wrong.

Old London Town Other Possible Attraction Tie-Ins

Film franchises have always played an important role in theme parks.  For this reason, we’ve identified several franchises and story worlds that could be incorporated into Old London Town:

Alice in Wonderland

Cars 2

Fast And The Furious 6/Franchise

Harry Potter Franchise

James Bond Franchise

Lord of The Rings/Hobbit Franchise

Mary Poppins

One Hundred and One Dalmatians

Phineas and Ferb

The Great Muppet Caper

Thor: The Dark World

Winnie the Pooh

Old London Town Possible Public Domain London-Based Characters

Character meet and greets have been a growing staple of theme parks, for the simple reason that visitors like being incorporated into the characters’ stories. To add additional color to Old London Town, we’ve identified the following characters/stories that take place in and around London that also are in the public domain.  This allows us to add extra features and color to the park for low/no-cost.

Sherlock Holmes

Robin Hood

Peter Pan

Dracula

Ivanhoe

Dr. Jekyll & Mr Hyde

Captain Nemo

Allan Quatermain

Beowulf

Captain Ahab

Dorian Gray

Ebenezer Scrooge

Gulliver

The Time Traveler

Winston Churchill

Old London Town Building Design

The building design is meant to represent a mesh of London architecture, presented in a stratified manner.  Each block is designed to focus on a different style of architecture, alternating between noble, ancient, modern, and combinations of all three. 

The facades of the buildings will incorporate several elements to add scope for guests. For example, the buildings will have at least two-stories for interiors, but will present an exterior of 3 stories or more to add a feeling of grand scope for the visitors, using forced perspective, similar to how the Disney theme parks incorporate forced persepctive to simulate a grander scale.  In order to utilize forced perspective, the second and third floors of the exterior facades will be built in 5/8's scale.  In addition, the facades will be split to present multiple buildings and multiple landmarks, so one building will appear to be several.

Streets are estimated to be roughly 60 feet wide. From building face to building face: the street is 60 feet (18.2 meters) wide, including a 28-foot (8.5-meter) roadbed and 16-foot-wide (4.8-meter-wide) sidewalks on either side. This measurement is designed to allow for fire truck access and emergency services.

Key functions will be built into the land’s design.  For example, outside doors for bathrooms will be disguised as classic London call boxes.

Subscribe, Like, Follow!

    Follow @GreaterGrander

#Coronavirusthumbs, #Covid, #Covid19, #Cute, #Dametravelerok, #Dicasdemochileiros, #Disney, #Disneyfamily, #Disneyfan, #Disneyland, #Disneylove, #Disneyparade, #Disneyparks, #DisneyparksblogThe, #Disneytravel, #Dollywood, #Earth, #Easyecotips, #Eco, #Ecofriendly, #Ecofriendlyliving, #Ecofriendlyproducts, #Ecoideas, #Ecology, #Ecoprojectangryearth, #Ecotips, #Efteling, #Eftelingfotografie, #Eftelingpark, #Eftelingsprookjesboom, #Eftelingsprookjesbos, #Eftelingthemepark, #Efteling, #Endofanera, #England, #Environment, #Environmentalist, #Environmentallyfriendlyfollow, #Environmentallyfriendlywho, #Environmentfriendly, #Europa, #Europe, #Eurotrip, #Feminism, #Feminisminindia

[ickypatchi]

2020

Miami’s Vice City Rollers. Commissioned t-shirt design!

[rickhorrow]

10 TO WATCH : MAYOR’S EDITION 71519

RICK HORROW’S TOP 10 SPORTS/BIZ/TECH/PHILANTHROPY ISSUES FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 15 : MAYOR’S EDITION

with Jacob Aere

Last week, a ticker-tape parade through Manhattan. Now, it's back to work. In the wake of the USWNT’s fourth World Cup title, boosting interest in the nine-team National Women's Soccer League, where all 23 members of the USWNT compete, is now top priority. As JohnWallStreet notes, capitalizing on the World Cup frenzy is easier said than done, especially when attendance is already a struggle. Portland averages 18,000 fans and Utah averages 11,000, but the other seven franchises average fewer than 5,000. While the NWSL still boasts the majority of the world's top players (including reigning world player of the year Marta), Europe is closing the gap. Wealthy clubs like Olympique Lyon and Barcelona have upped their investments in women's soccer, leading to a record seven European countries reaching this year's World Cup quarterfinals. If the NWSL can't keep up, the balance of power in the sport could ultimately shift — both at the club level (Americans could be lured overseas by bigger paychecks) and internationally (continued investment could threaten the USWNT's dominance). With the future of U.S. women's soccer at stake, the NWSL must seize the moment like never before.

87% of the top 30 advertisers that ran spots during the Women’s World Cup also did so during the Men’s World Cup last year, according to a MediaRadar study. “Looking at how top industries spent TV ad dollars on each tournament, we notice several similarities, but also some differences,” said Todd Krizelman, CEO and Co-Founder of MediaRadar. “Industries such as Retail and Media and Entertainment accounted for a similar share of the ad dollars in both tournaments, but then there were industries where the share of spend was noticeably different.” Industries that accounted for a larger share of spend during the men's tournament included Technology, Non-Alcoholic Beverages, and Beer, Wine and Spirits, while Finance & Real Estate, Apparel, Home Furnishings, and Toiletries and Cosmetics accounted for a larger share of spend during the women’s events. This is yet another sign that consumers, and their brands, view the women’s national team to be every bit as economically viable as the men’s.

DC-based educational technology leader EVERFI has partnerships with the NFL and United Way, as well as MLB, the NHL, and NBA. But it’s a recent alignment with the EPL that is taking up much of co-founder Jon Chapman's time these days. Chapman, who serves as EVERFI's head of global partnerships, last Friday spoke with SportsBusiness Daily about working with some of the premier leagues in sports, his favorite places to travel, and his family's most recent trip across the pond. "I recently got back from London after meeting with the EPL, and they’ve got a really innovative program called Primary Stars, which focuses on elementary age students. We are helping them bring that program to the U.S.,” Chapman said. “It’s a lot of fun working with this variety of leagues, and the way it came about is really just that the sports world is a small one. If you do well by one of the leagues, there’s a really strong network effect.” And as mental health issues and suicide rates climb across the U.S., EVERFI last week launched important new courses to help colleges and universities support students during transitional periods – a critical need as students return to campuses across the nation next month.

Minor League Baseball has announced its list of Top 25 teams in licensed merchandise sales for 2018, with the combined totals of all 160 teams setting a MiLB record with more than $73.8 million in retail sales. The $73.8 million total marks a 4.2% increase over 2017’s record total. The Top 25 list includes: Albuquerque Isotopes, Charleston RiverDogs, Charlotte Knights, Columbia Fireflies, Columbus Clippers, Corpus Christi Hooks, Durham Bulls, El Paso Chihuahuas, Fort Wayne TinCaps, Gwinnett Stripers, Hartford Yard Goats, Indianapolis Indians, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Nashville Sounds, Pawtucket Red Sox, Portland Sea Dogs, Richmond Flying Squirrels, Rochester Red Wings, Sacramento River Cats, Salt Lake Bees, San Antonio Missions, Tacoma Rainiers, Toledo Mud Hens, and Trenton Thunder. Rick recently spoke with Octagon Executive Vice President Woody Thompson, who leads that agency’s baseball practice. Here’s what Thompson shared: “Baseball has done a really great job. From a municipal standpoint, their engagement with these cities has been fantastic and the cities have really gotten behind it…Baseball has a place in this country in the hearts and minds of everybody. Whether you’re a kid or you’re an adult, baseball is there for you.”

After a Wimbledon for the ages, World Team Tennis, U.S. hardcourts return. Armed with new CEO Carlos Silva, two new franchises, a new TV partner, and a new streaming partner, World Team Tennis returns for its 44th season this month, with the eight-team league, which now includes the Vegas Rollers and Orlando Storm, and features 16 matches on CBS Sports channels July 14-August 3, including the league’s debut on broadcast TV July 21. While we won’t see Wimbledon champs Simona Halep and Novak Djokovic competing, this year’s WTT athletes include returning players Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens, Bob and Mike Bryan, Madison Keys, Victoria Azarenka, Monica Puig, Eugenie Bouchard, and John Isner. Elsewhere, the 2019 Citi Open in Washington, DC will see fans offered a new fan experience showcasing D.C.’s “most innovative” culinary fare. Levy will be the exclusive food and beverage partner for the long-running tennis tournament. In a delicious new twist, Levy will rebrand concessions and VIP hospitality fare throughout the tournament grounds with customized menus from Chef Jose Andres and favored local D.C. eateries.

As David Beckham took in Wimbledon action on Centre Court, his MLS Inter Miami franchise secured permission from city commissioners to build a soccer-specific stadium in Fort Lauderdale. The motion was approved for the City of Fort Lauderdale to enter into a comprehensive agreement with Beckham’s MLS project to develop the Lockhart Stadium site. Inter Miami, which will join MLS in 2020, plans to invest up to $60 million to construct a state-of-the-art, 18,000-seat stadium at the site of the now demolished Lockhart Stadium. The venue will temporarily house the MLS franchise for two seasons while the club looks to construct a permanent stadium in Miami on a 73-acre site near Melreese golf course. Lockhart site construction will begin once the FAA approves the process due to the site’s proximity to Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. Meanwhile, Beckham is working with his new Studio 99 content house and LeBron James’ Uninterrupted to co-produce a documentary series charting the launch of Inter Miami. Studio 99 already has a slate of projects in development with a broad focus beyond sports.

The New York Islanders have revealed plans for a new train station as part of their $1.26 billion redevelopment project at Belmont Park. The total train station cost, which will be part of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) line, is expected to be $105 million. $97 million of that figure will be funded by redevelopment group New York Arena Partners, with the state providing the remaining $8 million. According to Newsday, the train station will be partially open by 2021, when the Islanders hope to open their new arena, and fully operational by 2023. The service is expected to alleviate concerns over a lack of public transport to the Belmont Park site, which as well as a 19,000-seat arena and entertainment complex is to feature a 250-room hotel and 435,000 square feet of retail space. The announcement of Long Island’s first new LIRR station in nearly 50 years coincided with the release of new analysis of the project’s economic impact. The study claims that the new arena, hotel, and retail village will generate nearly $50 million in new public revenue per year and produce $725 million in annual economic output. 

Ever since Steve Ballmer bought the team, the Los Angeles Clippers have done their best to make an impression in a market long dominated by the Lakers. While the Lakers cratered last season, the Clippers created a blue-collar identity en route to a playoff appearance. With a net worth of $42 billion, Ballmer is the wealthiest owner in North American sports, and he's utilized that wealth to bulk up the Clippers' front office and medical staff — two areas of increasing importance in an era of load management. Off the court, the Clippers have carved out their own space in Los Angeles in hopes of attracting new fans and being viewed as much more than a little brother. Ballmer has donated more than $10 million to build 350 Clippers-branded public basketball courts throughout the city — a philanthropic effort that doubles as a way to win the hearts and minds of young L.A. residents. There are also plans for the team to move into a new, privately-financed arena in Inglewood by 2024. The L.A. basketball landscape dramatically changed last week — and if Ballmer has his way, that change could be permanent.

Captain Morgan is toasting Major League Soccer, courtesy of a new agreement to become the league’s official spiced rum and exclusive spirits partner through 2022. The new deal names Captain Morgan as an official sponsor of MLS All-Star – taking place in a few weeks in Orlando – the Campeones Cup (August 14), and MLS Cup (November 10). Fans will soon be able to purchase custom-labeled bottles of Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum featuring official team colors and crests. “From New York to Seattle to Los Angeles, everything about Major League Soccer, its intensely passionate fan base, the atmosphere at each match, and the exciting growth of the sport in the U.S. mirrors the energy that Captain Morgan stands for,” said Christina Choi, DIAGEO Senior Vice President, Rum, Gin, and Tequila. “Our goal is to reward that dedicated fan base, and the crews that get together to support their clubs each and every week, with the fun only Captain can bring.” The rum brand also becomes an official sponsor of Chicago Fire Soccer Club, D.C. United, New York City FC, Philadelphia Union, and Seattle Sounders FC.

MLS-Liga MX Leagues Cup confirms domestic rights deals for new North American soccer tournament. According to SportsPro, ESPN and Univision have secured U.S. rights to the inaugural Leagues Cup, the new continental club soccer competition featuring eight teams from MLS and Liga MX, North America’s two powerhouse leagues. ESPN will host U.S. English-language coverage across both its linear and over-the-top channels throughout the seven-match tournament, which kicks off July 23. ESPN+ will stream three quarter-final matches including Chicago Fire v Cruz Azul on the opening day, as well as Houston Dynamo v Club America, and Real Salt Lake v Tigres UANL on July 24. This is a bold move to further the passion for soccer in North America; a move that will prove fruitful in the long run for MLS, which sees some of the youngest average fan ages when compared to other major North American sports leagues.

[gio-ventures]

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGo2vFoP9i0) Hey GioVentures Fam! Check out my latest video featuring the Miami's Vice City Rollers in a Miami Roller Derby match. This video will definitely get your adrenaline pumping. Thanks for watching, Hit that Subscribe Button.... See Ya!.... Peace! 

[thesoulofmiami]

Miami Roller Derby presents Derby Pride 6/15/19

Miami Roller Derby presents Derby Pride 6/15/19

Miami Roller Derby presents Derby Pride Saturday, 06/15/2019 – 05:30 pm – 08:30 pm Miami Springs Recreation Center 1401 Westward Drive, Miami Springs, Florida 33166 Eventbrite Cost: 12

Miami Roller Derby presents Derby Pride! Join your Vice City Rollers as they proudly paint the track with Mobile’s Derby Darlings. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and game starts at 6:30 p.m. after the National Anthem. Come…

[jodyedgarus]

Why Coaches And QBs Should Divorce After Five Years Of Not Winning

Marvin Lewis’s time as head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals is expected to come to an end after this season. It has been a remarkable run of longevity given that Lewis has compiled a 0-7 playoff record in 15 seasons on the job. No head coach in NFL history has more playoff losses without a win than Lewis.

Lewis, who was hired by Cincinnati in 2003, is one of seven active coaches to have started his current job prior to the 2010 season. It’s an illustrious group that includes Bill Belichick, Mike McCarthy, Sean Payton, Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh and Pete Carroll. Next to those names, Lewis sticks out for an obvious reason: Every coach on the list has won a Super Bowl on his current team. But perhaps more telling, each one of them did so within five seasons on the job.

This is strikingly common in NFL history. Of the 31 head coaches to win at least one Super Bowl, 27 of them won their first championship within the first five seasons with that team. Only Chuck Noll (six years in Pittsburgh), John Madden (eight years in Oakland), Tom Landry (12 years in Dallas) and Bill Cowher (14 years in Pittsburgh) needed more than five years to capture that elusive first ring.

It could be argued that Lewis has lacked something most of those coaches enjoyed: a future Hall of Fame quarterback. Lewis never had an Aaron Rodgers or a Tom Brady. Instead, he’s had Carson Palmer and Andy Dalton, the current Bengals’ quarterback. Oddly enough, the closest Lewis ever came to winning a playoff game was in 2015, when Dalton was sidelined with an injury. AJ McCarron helped the Bengals to a late lead over the Steelers in the wild-card round, but Pittsburgh still won 18-16. That was the fifth season for the duo of Lewis and Dalton, and the Bengals haven’t made the playoffs in the two years since. Based on NFL history, there’s reason to believe that Lewis should have parted ways with the Bengals — or vice versa — after that season and not waited until now.

Call it The Five-Year Rule: No team has ever started the same quarterback under the same head coach for more than five years and seen that duo win its first championship. As you can see in the table, some really great duos just got their title together in the fifth year, but all 35 duos required no more than five years together.

Champion QB-coach duos tend to be recently formed

Every coach/starting quarterback combination to win the Super Bowl by how many years together it took to get that first title, since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger

Team Starting QB Head Coach 1st SB Win Years DEN Peyton Manning Gary Kubiak 2015 1 TB Brad Johnson Jon Gruden 2002 1 NE Tom Brady Bill Belichick 2001 1 BAL Trent Dilfer Brian Billick 2000 1 STL Kurt Warner Dick Vermeil 1999 1 NYG Jeff Hostetler Bill Parcells 1990 1 SF Joe Montana George Seifert 1989 1 WAS Doug Williams Joe Gibbs 1987 1 SF Joe Montana Bill Walsh 1981 1 OAK Jim Plunkett Tom Flores 1980 1 DAL Roger Staubach Tom Landry 1971 1 BAL Johnny Unitas Don McCafferty 1970 1 SEA Russell Wilson Pete Carroll 2013 2 PIT Ben Roethlisberger Mike Tomlin 2008 2 PIT Ben Roethlisberger Bill Cowher 2005 2 DAL Troy Aikman Barry Switzer 1995 2 WAS Joe Theismann Joe Gibbs 1982 2 DEN John Elway Mike Shanahan 1997 3 MIA Bob Griese Don Shula 1972 3 NO Drew Brees Sean Payton 2009 4 NYG Eli Manning Tom Coughlin 2007 4 SF Steve Young George Seifert 1994 4 DAL Troy Aikman Jimmy Johnson 1992 4 WAS Mark Rypien Joe Gibbs 1991 4 NYG Phil Simms Bill Parcells 1986 4 CHI Jim McMahon Mike Ditka 1985 4 OAK Ken Stabler John Madden 1976 4 BAL Joe Flacco John Harbaugh 2012 5 GB Aaron Rodgers Mike McCarthy 2010 5 IND Peyton Manning Tony Dungy 2006 5 GB Brett Favre Mike Holmgren 1996 5 PIT Terry Bradshaw Chuck Noll 1974 5

Only counts years that a quarterback spent as a starter. Year given is the year that season started.

Source: Football Outsiders Almanac

This list raises a red flag for any quarterback-coach combination that has logged a lot of mileage together and not won it all — like Lewis and Dalton. If championship success doesn’t come within five years, things tend to get stale, and someone eventually has to move on from their position of power.

Plenty of great coach-QB combos have played together for longer periods of time without a Super Bowl, but even those pairs’ best years have tended to come early in their tenures. The great Don Shula coached Dan Marino for 13 years in Miami, but the duo reached only one Super Bowl — in 1984, Marino’s second season. Incredibly, some of the best duos to never win a championship had their best shot at one in their fifth season.

John Elway and Dan Reeves (1987 Broncos): The pair reached three Super Bowls together, but the only one that looked optimistic was Super Bowl XXII in year five, when Denver opened up a 10-0 lead before an avalanche of points by Washington buried the Broncos. Elway would win his first title with Mike Shanahan in their third year together.

Boomer Esiason and Sam Wyche (1988 Bengals): The high-powered offense was shut down by San Francisco in Super Bowl XXIII, but one more defensive stop against Joe Montana would have clinched a title.

Jim Kelly and Marv Levy (1990 Bills): The Bills lost Super Bowl XXV after Scott Norwood missed a potential game-winning field goal. Buffalo lost the next three Super Bowls as well but never came closer to winning than the first shot.

Matt Ryan and Mike Smith (2012 Falcons): The Falcons never had back-to-back winning seasons before Ryan was drafted and Smith was hired in 2008. Then they had five winning seasons in a row, but the peak was the 2012 season, when the Falcons blew a 17-point lead at home to the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.

And more recently, Carolina’s Ron Rivera and Cam Newton reached the Super Bowl in 2015, their fifth season together, but lost to Denver. Now in their seventh year, the two are 10-4 and have an opportunity to defy The Five Year-Rule by winning their first championship this season.

A couple of other duos have also recently seen their five-year clock expire. In Arizona, this season was Bruce Arians and Carson Palmer’s fifth together. But a championship was not to be as Palmer broke his arm in Week 7, derailing the Cardinals’ season. This season was supposed to be the sixth year for Chuck Pagano and Andrew Luck in Indianapolis, but Luck couldn’t even get on the field in his recovery from shoulder surgery. Pagano is unlikely to return in 2018, while fans just hope that Luck can return to action.

Finally, there is the intriguing case of Andy Reid and Alex Smith in Kansas City, who are in the middle of their fifth season together. Reid and Smith already have some history working against them: Reid is in his 19th season as a head coach, and Smith is in his 13th season. Only one quarterback (Elway, 15th season) and one head coach (Cowher, 14th season) won their first championship more than a dozen years into their careers.

After a roller-coaster season, Kansas City has rebounded in recent weeks, easily dispatching of the Raiders and Chargers to regain control of the AFC West. Smith is enjoying a career-best season, but this fifth try may very well be his last shot at leading the Chiefs to a championship.

If Smith and Reid can’t bring home the trophy, their tenure together may be over. (Smith is a free agent, after all.) The Chiefs will likely obey The Five-Year Rule and give another combo a try — as the Bengals and Lewis probably should have done two years ago.

Check out our latest NFL predictions.

from News About Sports https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-coaches-and-qbs-should-divorce-after-five-years-of-not-winning/