#nor is he manly like josh is

[sejarcus-archive]

Sejanus is like Chappell Roan in the sense that he was only ever meant to be loved by queer people, but it got out of hand, and now there’s way too many cishets who don’t get him, expressing opinions about him.

Sejanus I’m sorry that your character keeps getting absolutely murdered and turned into everything you’re not, just cause a bunch of straight girls wanna fuck the actor who played you in that horrible adaptation, and keep projecting their fantasies onto you, and aside from how bad that is, they won’t even admit the objective truth that the actor was actually a terrible pick for you and he doesn’t fit you at all

[blazinghotfoggynights]

I am alternating between CTFU at and glaring at women, and some men, who stopped finding the character of Buck attractive because he is now canonically bi. I know there are women who identify as straight and men who identify as gay who have issues with men who identify as bi.

Let me let you in on a little secret. Ladies, if you are over a certain age, identify as hetero, and had the average number of partners or more, the odds that you have been with a man who is bi is quite high. Many men, especially those who have a professional background deeply entrenched in jobs considered manly and macho, or were military prior to DADT being repealed, were very much bi and closeted. They forced themselves to be with only women due to the stigma and bigotry that was much more normalized and accepted back then.

Gay men who dislike men who are bi, you need to know that if you have been with the average number of partners or more, the odds are you have been with someone who is, in fact, bi. I know there are bi men who hid their attraction to women when they were seriously interested in men who disliked bi men. Being repressed or forced into the closet doesn't change your sexuality; it changes how you deal with it.

Here is a PSA to the bigots: Bi men are still men. Their sexuality does not make them dirtier, more promiscuous, more likely to be unfaithful, or more untrustworthy. Their manhood is not diminished because they are attracted to both males and females. They are not confused. They are not hiding from being straight or being gay. They are not mentally ill. They are not unable to commit or be in love.

It is 2024. The negative stereotypes and beliefs toward bi men are archaic. They are men and do not all fit into one category. You'll find some who are great guys and other who are terrible candidates for dating, you know, just like dating straight guys or gay guys.

As someone who has long been an ally, and has dated, with no hesitation, men who identify as bi, if you are "turned off" by a great man only because he is bi, then he isn't the one with the problem.

This storyline touches on some topics that are very dear to me. I have seen people joyous for representation and the respectful way Buck's bi awakening is being portrayed by Oliver Stark and written by the writers. Having been a friend, and sometimes girlfriend, to men who would have done anything to be open but could not, seeing this storyline means a lot to me.

I have also seen some ugliness in people that had never been revealed before. (Posts across social media from some people saying they wouldn't watch the show anymore because Buck is gay now or how they made Buck <insert negative and insulting adjective here>. They watched it when Hen, Karen, Michael, David, and Josh were portrayed as gay, but Buck being bi is a problem? Please, make this make sense.)

I will part with this. Some of the most amazing men I have ever known are neither straight nor gay, they are in the middle. Some of the best relationships I've ever had were with men whom I could go guy-watching with.

But, I've never been into disliking people for ridiculous reasons or being hateful. When you get to know people on an individual basis and without prejudice or being a narrow-minded bigot, you find many gems around you.

Kudos to ABC for taking it there and major respect for Oliver Stark for taking on an assignment in this country at this time , when ultra-conservatism, aka accepted, and even legislated, prejudice, bigotry, and religion-based government, is trying to rear its head again.

[hellolittleogre]

Billy x Goody College AU

The continued adventures of College AU Goody and Billy. This time with the full skinny on that infamous production of Hamlet.

And because Billy is utterly fucked anyway, and had never had that good self preservation skills, he ends up in the kitchen with Josh, Vasquez, a bottle of tequila and a whole host of bad decisions.

 He felt so shell shocked it took a while before he even noticed the alcohol and by then he was practically asleep in a bathtub with Vasquez next to him very earnestly telling him that his hair was pretty. And like? Billy knows his hair is pretty? He also thinks his hair is very pretty, and Vasquez is kind of pretty too, and the way that his t-shirt fits snug around his bicep is very enticing and his eyes are a sort of melting brown which are different from Goody’s eyes, which Billy is resolutely not thinking about, and suddenly Vas’s face is kind of close and coming closer and their noses are kind of brushing, Va’s breath brushing wet and alcohol-y over his cheek and then Sam opens the door to the bathroom. 

There is a long moment where he just stares at them, Vasquez sitting on the floor clutching a bottle and Billy lying in the tub, faces way too close, and then Vasquez breaks out in a brilliant grin. 

“Sam! Come in here, we're talking about Billy’s hair. ‘S very pretty. Yours also very pretty.” 

Billy thinks moodily that he doesn't find Sam’s hair very pretty at all. 

“Gentlemen,” Sam says, “any chance of using the facilities for their intended purpose?”

Billy and Vas go back to staring at each other because none of that made any sense and then Billy’s brain bursts into action. Its brilliant that way.

“Pee! He needs to pee!” he exclaims, delighted with having figured it out. “Only he can't because I'm in the tub!” He feels very proud of himself. 

“Goody!” Sam hollers down the corridor, “I've found your roommate, I think you’d better come fish him out.” 

And no no no, Sam can't be calling Goody, Billy does not want to see Goody at all right now, no thank you, but here he comes and Billy can only look at his socked feet too afraid that if he looks up everything he’s just realized will be visible on his face. 

They go back to the dorm with Billy escorted between Sam and Goody, feeling very much like a kid being taken home from a birthday party in disgrace. And isn’t that just perfect, not only does Goody have a tall, hot, manly boyfriend who fills out his shirts properly and has a deep voice and probably drives with his hands at 10 and 2 like a dad, but he also literally had to walk Billy home like he’s a child.

However it’s impossible to dislike Sam, he has a warm laugh and Billy can just tell, an even warmer heart, and since he, unlike Goody, is not completely useless there is coffee and painkillers for Billy the moment he wakes up, even if it wrenches his heart to see Sam peel out of Goody’s bed to get them (of course they still haven’t fixed the air mattress, instead sleeping squashed up like two incredibly handsome sardines. Billy is not jealous).

Sam is also an inexhaustible treasure trove for outrageous shit on Goody.

“Did you tell him about Hamlet?” he yells to Goodnight, who’s in their little kitchenette scrambling eggs, and in spite of the painkillers it makes Billy wince.

“Of course not!” Goody yells back. “And neither will you!”

Sam just smiles at Billy and rolls the chair closer.

“Let me tell you aaaaalllll about Hamlet,” he says, slinging an arm conspiratorially around Billy’s shoulder.

“Will you please not?” Goody says, sounding incredibly pained.

Turns out that Goodnight and Sam were together in a high school production Hamlet, and if Goodnight can be a pretentious twat now, with his French Nouvelle Vague films and spontaneous quotations of David Foster Wallace and Gertrude Stein, apparently his teenage self had been much, much worse.

“Goody here really, really wanted to be a serious actor.” Sam says. “He’d read all about the “Stanislavski system” was all the time getting into fights with Mrs Henson about “the art of experiencing” and the inner psycho-drama of Hamlet.”

“You’re only jealous because I got the role and you had to be second fiddle Horatio,” Goody yells from the kitchen, rattling the pans.

 “Only because you shamelessly, shamelessly I say, used your audition to roll all over the stage pretending to die until your shirt came undone and inflamed Lydia Krukowski with unholy lust.” Sam yells right back, Billy really wants to know more but he also wants them to talk at a more reasonable volume. “She was Ophelia,” Sam adds in an aside to Billy, who feels a twinge of sympathy. He knows all about being inflamed with unholy lust for Goodnight.

“At least I started with audition with my clothes on! You came to yours with your shirt undone to the navel, you hussy. And let me remind you, it was not my pants that Lydia Krukowski wanted to get into.”

“Whenever somebody goofed off he’d get so upset smoke would come out of his ears!” Sam continues, gesticulating. “So the props department, for unknown reason, made this huge fish prop and it became a running joke to throw it on stage during rehearsals to make the actors crack up, and he -” Sam waved his hand towards the door. “ - did not crack up. Not once! Sense of humor surgically removed! So the props guys, who made the fish, got really cheesed off, everyone else had laughed, so for the final performance they decided to get him back and wham! In the middle of the famous soliloquy they threw the fish on stage!”

Billy snorted and Sam waved an indignant arm. “Only Montgomery Cliff here didn’t as much as twitch, he caught the fish like it was a baby,” Sam made a cradle with his arms against his chest,. “And tossed it right back!” 

Sam broke out in a big laugh and Billy couldn’t help it, but laughed too.

“Nobody heard a word of the rest of it.” Goody says, having emerged from the kitchen while Sam was talking, leaning  against the door jamb with his arms crossed. “We had to halt the production for 20 minutes because the audience couldn’t stop laughing.” Billy can tell he’s trying very hard to sound displeased but there is a small smile was pulling the corner of his mouth.

“Nobody wrote a word in his yearbook, they all just drew fishes,” Sam chortles, wiping tears from his eyes and Goody smiles ruefully and fixes Billy with his blue- grey eyes.

“No, I’m not Prince Hamlet,” he says softly. “Nor was meant to be, am an attendant lord, one that will do, To swell a progress, start a scene or two,” his voice melting in Billy’s ears like dark honey, the sweet Louisiana drawl stretching the syllables and pulling in him helplessly. “Advise the prince, an easy tool, Deferential, glad to be of use. Politic, cautious and meticulous, Full of high sentence, but a bit obtuse; At times, indeed, almost ridiculous. Almost, at times, the Fool.”

Goody’s voice dies away and Billy feels like he can’t breathe, unable to look away from Goody’s face, it feels like something huge and massive is caught in his chest because how can everybody not love Goody when Billy right now, in this moment, would give an arm and a leg for the privilege of pulling his worn cotton t-shirt off with his teeth?

And then Sam breaks the moment by slapping Goody hard on his bony hip.

“You incorrigible old ham!” he says and then turns to Billy with a positively wicked grin. 

“Do you want to see the pictures?”

He is sort of best friends with Sam after that, the short grainy footage of Goody clutching a huge papier maché trout like its his baby making Billy laugh so hard he falls out of his chair.

[deans-baby-momma]

The Padackles Link-Chapter 48

A/N: Sorry this update is so late......I got sick and then husband got sick and I haven’t had time to work on it.....So without further ado, let’s find out how Josh’s presence at the party is received.Also, #sorrynotsorry about the ending. MUAHAHA

“Wh-what are you doing here?”

Josh smiles at me as he stands up. “I was invited,” he answers as if it should be obvious. “Danneel invited me.”

“Why?” I ask, still confused and on edge. “You two were never really that close. Not close enough to garner an invite to a birthday party for JJ, anyway. Right?” I begin thinking back over the months that Josh and I had dated to see if maybe I wasn’t remembering vital facts. Nothing came to mind as I recalled all the times that Josh had been involved with the Ackles.

“Uh,” Josh begins and I can tell he is starting to feel...uncomfortable. “Dee and I have kinda been going out. For about three months now,”he confesses.

My eyes widen as I look at him. “Wha…?”  but before I can ask Dani comes around the edge of the house and stops in her tracks. I look at her and back to Josh and then, shaking my head, I put all my attention on Jackson; he still needs changed. I ignore the conversation going on five feet from me and coo to my son as I change and redress him. I am beyond pissed!  All this time that Dani had been giving Jay a rough time about wanting to see JJ and spend time with his daughter and throwing it up in his face every chance she got that she was doing it all alone and she had been dating again. And Josh Daniels of all people!  Not that I hold any ill will toward the man but he had broken up with me rather rudely and, other than a chance run-in at the diner, I hadn’t seen or heard from him since. And Dani had seemed upset when she found out that we had broken up but now it looks like she has forgotten that little tidbit.

I pick Jackson up and put him on my shoulder and grab the diaper bag from the bench before walking away swiftly, going back to join the ones I know are on my side, so to speak. Jay immediately notices the sour look on my face and comes over to me.

“What’s wrong?” he asks as he takes Jackson from my arms and settles him in his. When I shake my head, he looks at me pleadingly. “Tell me. I can tell something is bothering you.”

I bend down and kiss the top of my son’s head and go to tell Jensen that we would discuss it later but he is now staring hard toward the other end of the lawn; I know without looking what he is seeing. “You have got to be fucking kidding me!” he says, loud enough that our friends and family at the table hears. Everyone’s heads turns to see what he means and there in front of the party is Dani hugged up with Josh.

Jay hands Jackson to his mom and goes to walk toward the couple but Alan stands up and steps in front of his son. “Not the time, son. Just let it go right now,” he tries to persuade Jensen. “Let’s focus on what we are all here for and it’s that little girl over there,”Alan points to JJ, who is sitting at a kiddie table with the Padalecki boys and a few other kids that are attending her party, completely unaware of the turmoil taking place. “You can deal with everything else in private.” Alan places a hand on Jensen’s shoulder and gently squeezes.

Jensen turns to look at me and I can tell he was taking his dad’s advice, although I can see the rage in his eyes. I approach him wearily. I want him to know I had no idea about this but I don’t get to tell him because Jared and Gen joins up with us, both with looks of worry and remorse. Gen hugs me and Jared gives Jensen the manly “shoulder slap” before he says, “Dude, we had no idea this was going on. Gen talked to her just last week and she never said a word about seeing anyone.”

“It’s been going on for three months,” I mutter. The trio looks at me in surprise. “Josh arrived while I was changing Jackson and stopped to talk. He told me when I asked him what he was doing here. That’s what I was going to tell you later,” I say as I look at Jensen.

For the rest of the party I, along with the Padalecki's and Jensen's parents, try to keep his attention away from the couple cuddled together across the lawn. We all ooh and ahh when JJ opens her presents and when it is time to go, I make sure JJ gets to say goodbye to her father and brother.

The whole way home, Jensen is in the front seat broody and despondent, not saying a word. I keep my mouth shut and concentrate on Jackson. I don't know what is going to be done or said once we get home and I am afraid it is going to scare our son.

As we walk in, Jensen sits the carrier on the couch and retreats to his office.  I go about my usual routine, taking care of Jackson and the home we were still in the process of making our own. Hours pass before I see my boyfriend and when he appears it is evident he has been locked away drinking.

“Hey you hungry?” I ask as I pull the leftover casserole out of the fridge. Jensen plops on the couch and throws an arm over his eyes, grunting out a negative response. I uncover the dish and put it in the oven to heat. Glancing over at him, I watch as Jensen sits up to take another drink of the amber liquid in the tumbler he brought in with him. Jackson is sitting in his bouncy chair beside the couch,  playing with his toys.

“Listen, I’m not trying judge but could you not drink around our son?”

Jensen raises his head and looks at me and then to the child.

“You think he understands? In his little one month old mind, he knows that I’m drinking? Come on Drea, be serious!”

I balk at the words and the tone Jensen uses toward me. I have never, in the four years I have known him, heard him speak to anyone that way. I take a breath, knowing that it’s possibly the whiskey talking and I am in no mood nor do I want to argue with him. “No, I don’t think that. I just--I don’t want him subjected to that. I’ve seen the ill effects it can have on kids. Some of the kids in the system are there because of drunk parents. Chad was there because of a drunk parent! He grew up only knowing that if his dad didn’t have a drink in his hand it was going to be a bad evening.I don’t want that for Jackson!”

“It’s one drink for Christ’s sake! One goddamn drink is not going to send him off the deep end, Drea!” Jensen yells.

“One drink in here but how many did you have when you locked yourself away from us, huh?”

Rolling his eyes, Jensen gets up off the couch and grabs up his glass of whiskey and stalks back to his office. Once the door slammed, Jackson jumps and begins whimpering. I rush to him to soothe him, telling him it’s going to be okay but I can’t keep the tears from welling up in my eyes. Jensen raised his voice toward me and retreated back into hiding. I don’t know how to fix it, how  to make him understand that it’s not as bad as it all seems.

Yes, Dani has began to start dating and yes she seems to have decided my ex whatever is the man she’s attracted to but that isn’t the end of the world. Hell, for all we knew Josh was just the first one she let us know about.

I get Jackson settled and he goes back to kicking his feet and slapping at the toys connected to his seat. I busy myself with preparing the sides to go with the reheated casserole. Although we had eaten at JJ’s birthday party, that had been hours ago and I was beginning to get hungry. I grab a plate from the cabinet and pour a glass of milk. Since I’ve been breastfeeding, I’ve tried to keep a healthy diet, including my drinking habits. Water or milk and less caffeine like I drank before I became pregnant.

When the oven beeped, I slipped on a mitt and pulled the dish out. Even reheated the food smelled and looked scrumptious. I spoon out a serving on my plate and open the drawer to get a fork. Sitting on the couch, I eat while I watch my son babble and play with his toys. ‘He is such a good baby,’ I think to myself. ‘Must be the Ackles genes because Justice had been the same at that age.’

After eating, I go about the routine of getting Jackson ready for bed. I talk sweetly to him as I bathe him and rub the lotion on his skin. Once he is dressed, I take him into his room and sit in the rocking chair as I do each night to feed him before putting him down. Clicking on the music box, soft tunes fill the air as I get Jackson attached to my breast. I rock him as he feeds and watch as he begins to doze off. I love this little boy in my arms more than I could ever imagine. He is the perfect combination of Jensen and myself. His bright green eyes, now hidden behind closed eyelids, are the exact replica of his father’s, his nose is mine and the little dimple in his chin came straight from my mother, his deceased grandmother.

I think of her often, of how excited she would have been to become a grandmother and how doting she would have been over her grandson. He would have her wrapped around his pinky for sure.I fix my clothing before standing up to lay him in his crib. This perfect little angel, yet to be scarred by the world. There just is no words to explain how deep a mother’s love for her child runs, how hopeful and optimistic a mother is for her child. “I won’t ever let anyone hurt you I promise,” I whisper as I run my fingertips across Jackson’s forehead.

I tiptoe out of his room and close the door, leaving it open just a crack.I look down the hallway at the closed office door. Chad and I had once promised one another to never go to bed angry or upset and I plan to keep it that way with Jensen, so with the unknown looming before me, I cautiously walk toward the shut door and knock.

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[etraytin]

HEADCANONS FOR JOSH AND DONNA'S WEDDING

Okay, so last night I was kinda freaking out about the whole moving-again thing, so extra thanks to everybody who liked my post and gave me that virtual “there, there,” because that did help. :D Today I have sorted some paperwork and eaten an egg sandwich and I’m feeling some better, so obviously it is time to get back to my favorite moving-procrastination activity: writing headcanons! 

Josh and Donna’s wedding is something I’ve never written because I’m kinda terrible at writing weddings and avoid it when I can. That said, I did do one pre-wedding fic, Personnel Matters.  that deals with the apportionment of maidly and manly wedding duties. I think it turned out pretty funny, but I will be ignoring it for the purposes of this headcanon. 

Once Josh and Donna get going on thewhole romance train, they move along at a reasonable clip. Notsuper-fast, they are trying to run a country after all, but once theyget things talked out in Hawaii, there's a certain feeling that theyknow the endgame that they are heading for. This is very helpful forJosh, especially, who freaks out over the engagement only about 60%as much as he might have otherwise (which is still a fair amount).They get engaged about six months into the Santos administration,once the first and second hundred days are behind them, then have thewedding six months later, just before things really rev up formidterms. Some might see that sort of political calculus asunromantic, but Donna and Josh have both lived their lives to therhythms of politics for many years and it never even occurs to eitherof them to do otherwise.

Donna hires a wedding planner to takecare of all the actual details. Given their respective positions andthe sort of people they'll be inviting, certain standards need to bemet and she is way too busy to do it herself, despite formidableorganizational skills. Between her salary, Josh's salary, and herparents wanting to chip in, they can afford to do things up properly.The whole “His and hers” matching Chiefs of Staff thing hasgotten a lot of traction in some of the news outlets, but they limitpress access to a few friendly reporters and one photography teamfrom Vanity Fair, who have been quite favorable to the newadministration and have earned Josh's grudging appreciation. There'snot quite as much protocol as at, say, Ellie Bartlet's wedding, butwith two presidents and a bunch of other VIPs attending, security isgoing to be tight. They settle on the Hay Adams Hotel in DC for bothceremony and reception, even though it invites teasing about neitherof them being able to get away from work (it's in eyesight of theWhite House!), because it's a gorgeous event space that understandshow to handle this sort of function.

The ceremony itself is a bit of acultural mix. Neither Josh nor Donna are particularly observant intheir religious lives, but both of them have deep cultural roots andfamilies they want to honor. Toby helps Josh create a beautifullylettered ketubah, and it turns out Margaret has a friend who doesmanuscript illumination in their spare time because of course shedoes. So that's taken care of, and the chuppah cannot be open to thesky because of security concerns but it's still gorgeous (thank you,wedding planner!) and decorated with many, many flowers. They smashthe glass as well, a specially-designed smashing-glass, much to thedelight of the youngest members of the crowd. Most of the rest of theceremony is pretty standard Midwestern Protestant, rings and a unitycandle and a big procession with the wedding march playing.

Toby's twins serving as ring-bearer andflower girl and Peter and Miranda as junior attendants becauseMiranda idolizes Donna and wasabsolutelydesperate to be in the wedding. Donna's sister is her maid of honorbecause friendship doesn't count as much as blood when it comes towho stands where on one's wedding day, but she gets Stephanie Gaulttoo, plus Annabeth and Margaret and CJ, once she works up the nerveto ask. Josh isn't sure he knows five guys who'll stand up for him,but he recruits Sam for his best man, of course, then gets Toby,Charlie, Danny Concannon and, because my poor little fanficcer'sbrain has it as quasi-canon that these guys are old friends, MattSkinner. (This was a huge thing in a lot of early-season fanfic I'veread, and I just sort of absorbed it as true despite a lack of realtextual evidence. I like it anyway!) Donna teases that if Josh gotWill Bailey as well, he could reenact the time when they all gotdrunk and threw snowballs at her apartment, but Josh points out boththat Will was merely substituting in for Sam anyway and that weddingparties have a strict one-congressman limit and he'd hate to jinxWill's run. Donna does allow that, Congressman limit or no, thatmight be entirely too many speechwriters for one wedding party as shedoes hope to have a chance to do things like dance and eat at thereception.

Josh'smom doesn't meet Donna's parents until just a few days before theceremony, but the two moms have been conversing by phone for monthsand they all get along like gangbusters. It is apparently very easyto bond over children who do not call or visit enough and who need tobe a lot more proactive on the whole grandchildren issue. Before theend of the wedding week, the Mosses are making plans to vacation inWest Palm Beach during the winter when nobody wants to be inWisconsin anyway. Donna's younger sister is more than happy to bepaired up with Sam during the wedding party activities, enough thatDonna has to warn her off with threats of brutal lawyer retaliationfrom Sam's fiance (who is in reality a sweetheart and slightlysocially awkward but Little Sis doesn't need to know that.) To staveoff any fights, she blithely foists her sister off onto Bram instead,who turns out to be a perfectly adequate substitute. There are many,many other Moss relatives as well, far more than Josh can keep trackof. It's a little weird when his side of the family has a photo withjust him, Donna, his mom and a couple of cousins, but then he and hismom both get folded into the dozens of people cramming together forthe Moss family photo and it's actually kind of nice.

AsDonna had feared, the reception involves a whole lot of speeches andtoasts. Turns out when you invite a president to your wedding youhave to let him speak, and when you invite two presidents they bothget to speak, and when two of your groomsmen have written speechesfor the president they are going to have surreptitious littleslapfights over grammar while one of them is trying to talk. By thetime all those speeches are done, Donna's sister is too intimidatedto speak at all, and has also finished a glass and a half ofchampagne. CJ gracefully steps in and delivers the maid of honortoast with all the poise of a press secretary and the wit of Josh'shonorary big sister, and the extemporaneous speech is probably thebest received of the whole night. After that, everybody finally getsto eat. 

The Secret Service will not allow the use of the rooftopbalcony for dancing, but from inside the ballroom they can still seethe White House in the distace, which is kind of nice, all thingsconsidered. It seems fitting. Josh and Donna disappear after a couplehours of dancing and the compulsory throwing-of-Donna's-accessories(she puts the garter around her ankle just before the toss and makesJosh take it off with his hands, thank you!), both of which arescored by Donna's speedy and highly competitive extended family. Theyhead off for a Hawaiian honeymoon to do all the stuff Donna pickedout of the guidebook on the first trip but they didn't have a chanceto do, while the rest of the guests close the place down, dancing andcelebrating till late. It's really quite something!

[pastelopossum]

OP has a lot to say about transwomen that isn’t so nice, so let’s try this again!

HOMOPHOBES INCLUDE:

Ben, who emphasizes when asking “How do you view lesbian and gay relationships” in That Tone TM. He calls things gay if they’re too colorful, and as a put down.

Breanna, who ships and fetishized her cute gay #itscalledyaoi ships but won’t be friends with lesbians because she’s afraid they’ll hit on her. She wants a Token #GayBestFriend like “cool” girls in tv shows.

Marissa, who will kiss girls when she feels lonely to make her boyfriend pay attention to her because “it’s sexy”.

Josh, who thinks lesbians are “hot” in porn but doesn’t actually think they’re real or should have rights or get married; actually no woman should have rights so he gets a misogynistic award too!

Bethany, who drinks in lesbian bars and makes advances on couples to film when she gets a threesome and sends it to her boyfriend. She also likes to send nude snapchats of herself to the other lesbians and bisexuals from work to prove she’s sexy. She doesn’t use labels like “single” or “taken” or “straight” or “gay” so no one else should when it’s convenient for her self esteem issues.

Christopher says lesbians are just girls who don’t think they’re worthy of a guy and just need to work on their issues because they’ll find a good man when they “stop acting so gay”. He likes to stalk his first dates for a few weeks before he decides they “aren’t worth the trouble” and hovers over the next girl.

Michelles step-daughter came out before she went off to college and insists she only stop by for short visits on the holidays so the rest of her conservative family doesn’t find out yet. Down the line when they do, she’ll say nothing when her family members are rude to her step-daughters girlfriend and calls it “a scene” when her husband defends his daughter. When her son comes out a year later, she’ll break into tears and do everything in her power to prevent him from seeing his boyfriend.

David thinks domestic partnership and “straight marriage” are the same. As an EMT he has refused boyfriends/girlfriends to ride in the ambulance because they’re not really family. Gay marriage is against god.

James calls his son a lady killer at the ripe age of two months. He says he’s not a homophobe because “I have family who’s gay”. He just “doesn’t understand it” and never wants to talk about it. “It’s kind of gross when you really think about it.” He says “no homo” a lot.

Lisa has tattoos of bible quotes against sins and sinners. They’re on her Facebook and Instagram. Being gay is against god. She’s on her third marriage - the first two fell apart because she cheated; but it’s okay because she wound up marrying the guy she cheated with. She tells her church to pray for her gay brother.

Selina had gay friends in high school. She was an “ally” in a LGBT group in high school that was 90% straight, cis, white boys and girls. She thinks she knows everything there is to be gay, bi, and trans because she’s had friends of each and has helped stood up for them in school. She also voted republican, and refuses to talk to her family because her brother is trans and her mother who has been single for 20 years has realized she’s gay. She won’t talk to any of her former high school “friends” because she “is tired of the drama, they said I was a bad friend” because she never actually went to any events or helped stand up for them. She admits later she knows it looks good on her college application and believes “everyone’s soooo obsessed with diversity”.

Karen found out one of her daughters friends is gay and anytime she came over, she would send her home early from parties and sleepovers and lie to her parents about her misbehavior and rudeness so she would supposedly get in trouble. She has bible quotes on her daughters wall and crosses everywhere.

Franks daughter has been struggling with money and has moved back in, but when she can’t hide her secret anymore because it makes her feel guilty and she comes out to him, she’s kicked out and isn’t able to talk to him about anything; their relationship down the line is never the same.

Justin says he doesn’t hate gays, but anytime one of his friends does anything not manly enough he’ll throw “fag” at them. Tranny isn’t a slur, nor is pussyboy; and only gay guys show any form of emotion.

Charlie refuses to call one of his childhood friends by their new name and pronouns because they haven’t “really transistioned”. You can’t really be trans* if you don’t change your voice, bind, and have an operation.

Dillan supposedly is a good alley. In one of his friend groups he and his best friend are the only two straight people. He also thinks pride is a bit ridiculous, gays being able to get married now is totally equal to the “straight marriage” despite what his friends say, and doesn’t fully recognize different sexualities of the couples because “does it matter if she’s bi if she’s dating a guy?” And “does it matter if you’re pan if you’re dating another girl”? He also believes lesbians will always be virgins because “real sex is a penis penetrating a vagina”.

Danny refuses to recognize any non-straight non-cis characters in tv shows or in rpg games with his friends. When he stopped being invited , he argued he was totally okay with “all that gay agenda stuff” but didn’t understand why it needed to be talked about all the time or why his friends wanted to play gay or trans characters.

Melissa wants to upset her parents, so when she finds out the person she’s been flirting back and forth with is “not just a lesbian, but a trans guy too!” they start to date so her parents can be disappointed in the fact the “boyfriend” she’s talked about is “really a girl” and panic when they find out. When they break up, she sends her friends to send equally hateful transphobic, biphobic, and homophobic slurs via voicemail and text message.

[theseaeaglelives]

Round 21

THE SEA EAGLE

MAKING RUGBY LEAGUE LESS SH#T AGAIN!!!

It’s been 10 years since the infamous Brookie Brawl when Manly drew a line in the sand and gave it to the Filthy Cheating Wrestlers. Unfortunately, due to the ChatsWuhan inspired Delta Dawn variant this fixture could not be held at the Fortress Brookvale, nor could the result be replicated.

The game started promisingly for Manly, as they matched the Filthy Wrestlers in the opening stanza. However, a couple of simple errors gifted the Storm a glut of possession and they duly punished Manly with Kenny Bromwich opening the scoring. When playing the Storm, as Manly were to learn the hard way in this fixture, errors must be kept to a minimum and unlike when facing the likes of the Tigers, Sharks Dragons etc., you will get punished.

Despite not having much possession and no field position for the majority of the first half, Manly hung in through some dogged and last ditch defence. Manly then got a break, when they took an intercept on their own try line when it looked certain the Storm would score. And if you are going to take an intercept on your own line, then there is no better recipient of said intercept than Jason Saab Turbo who duly ran the length of the field to put Manly back in the contest.

It’s fair to say that Manly did not get much from the ref’s in the first half. Their first penalty coming in the 38th minute when they had a full set on the Storm line and had them well and truly stretched. Manly rightfully took the conversion but given the chance, probably would have preferred to let the set play out. The score line was 8-all at oranges.

Manly started the second half in fine fashion when Reubin Garrick crossed following some slick backline play and at this point the Sea Eagle was cheering on an upset.

Manly’s momentum was stifled when Josh Aloiai spilt the ball from the kick off. Both Aloiai and Manly were duly punished as the Cheating Wrestlers scored in the ensuing set to even up the scores. Whilst dropping the ball from the kick off and this sort of behaviour may well be acceptable at the Tigers, Young Aloiai needs to get better at this basic skill, if he is going to cement a position in the Manly pack.

Manly were then punished again when the usually reliable Tommy Turbo failed to defuse a bomb, allowing Storm Justin Olam to plant a try. Tommy Turbo can be allowed some leeway here and deserves no criticism. His contribution to the Manly success this year far outweighs this one off error.

Nevertheless, the Storm’s Olam has become a real thorn in the Manly side dating back a few years now and does not need any invitation to dish out punishment when given half a chance.

Just when it looked like the Storm would run away with the game, to their credit Manly hit back when Reubin Garrick crossed, again following some slick backline play. Unfortunately, Garrick was unable to convert from the side line, but at this point it was well and truly game on despite Manly still only having 40% possession.

With an upset brewing, any hope of a Manly win was sniffed out when Garrick (who appeared to be pushed in the back) was unable to gather a fairly benign kick allowing the Filthy Wrestlers to score via Cameron Munster (whose on field tactics in recent times/years have seen him given the nickname “grub” by some in the rugby league community, to which he has had to defend himself in the press). From this point the Storm ran down the clock to claim the win.

Another feature of this game was Cherry Baby attempting a goal line drop out and going for the short version of this standard play in in an attempt to regather possession. Unfortunately the ball failed to travel the required 10 metres and resulted in an ensuing penalty in front of the sticks to the Storm. Statistically, one needs to analyse the cost/benefit of this short goal line dropout tactic. At the very least you need to kick the ball 10 metres. Frankly, teams would be better off simply trying to develop a high floating goal line drop out kick that travelled 60 to 70 metres with fast moving defence to nullify the ball returner.

Despite losing, Manly can take a bit out of this game. With only 40% possession, Manly showed they can match it with the Cheating Wrestlers and in the limited times they did have the ball, they looked dangerous. Contributing to the limited possession that they had, Manly made too many basic errors and were punished accordingly.

Manly have come as close to beating the Storm in the last 17 weeks as anyone. Losing by only 10 points given Manly have plenty of improvement in them, is the real positive to come from this game.

And finally, while not forgetting Rugby League 101 (ie the team with the most points at the end of 80 minutes is the winner) it’s fair to say that Manly were afforded no favours from the officials in this game. Whilst the penalty count ended up 7-4 against Manly it is worth noting one of these was in the final minute of the first half (when thy didn’t really want a penalty) and two in the final minute of the game (when the game was over). In terms of ruck infringements, Manly were on the wrong end of a 6-3 count again, with two of Manly’s coming in the last minute, a statistic that beggar’s belief when consider that the Filthy Storm wrestle and cheat their way through the ruck worse than anyone in the history of the game.

The Sea Eagle believes that Manly can beat the Filthy Cheats, let’s just hope we get another chance later this year, in the GF. The Sea Eagle would suggest that the last team that Melbourne would really want to play in a grand final in 2021 would be Manly. This is because Manly have a proud history of having put 40 unanswered points over them in 2008 GF with the same coach Des Hasler.

THE TREND IS YOUR FRIEND - THE TRAIN WRECK THAT IS THE SYDNEY AND NSW COVID 19 DELTA DAWN OUTBREAK

 “The trend is your friend” is a well known saying in financial markets, although its message is incomplete. It is said the correct message is that “The trend is your friend, until the end when it bends.”

Clearly with this latest Covid 19 debacle in greater Sydney NSW and the East Coast of Australia, one can clearly see that the trend is anything but anyone's friend because the chart lines will show the numbers on the graph are clearly rising and the last bend is up. This is not an outcome that anybody really wants.

OLYMPIC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FAILURES

This week the Gold Medal for Failure goes to NSW Health Minister Hazzard (personal opinion)

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard slammed for ‘trainwreck’ press conference on state’s worst Covid day so far. News.com.au AUGUST 7, 2021

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard has copped heavy criticism for his shambolic delivery of devastating news at Saturday’s covid update – the worst case numbers since the outbreak of the Delta variant and five tragic deaths.

The state recorded a whopping 319 cases on Saturday, a number that has left contact tracers fearing the viral strain has completely escaped their grasp.

For almost 10 minutes, Mr Hazzard spoke about food stalls at a mass vaccination hub, Year 12 students getting jabs before their exams and locals telling him they haven’t yet been vaccinated.

 Mr Hazzard also took time to criticise those flouting lockdown restrictions despite the continual day-on-day rise in case numbers.

 “We have the toughest lockdown the country the present time. What is not happening is people are not complying,” he said. “If people don‘t comply, the community will continue to suffer.”

 Instead of entertaining the notion of a circuit breaker, he implored residents to “stay at home”. “It is simple. Stay home,” he said. “Don‘t go out unless you have to do. Don’t go and visit another household and get vaccinated.”……………….

  Sea Eagle Comment

Anyone who had the misfortune to witness this press conference will hang their heads in despair.

NSW Minister for Health Hazzard would appear to be completely and utterly out of his depth now on this one (personal opinion). Indeed it would be fair to say the entire NSW government and the bureaucracy which leads them by the nose is equally also out of their depth (personal opinion) and with no plan in sight for any form of an exit strategy, other than to treat the citizens of greater Sydney and now NSW as though they were mushrooms – ie continuing to keep everyone in the dark, and shower them with bull sh(8t (personal opinion).

As for NSW Minister for Health Hazzard, readers can form their own view about whether his name and media performance has any correlation to that closely resembling word “hazard”. His most recent media performance highlights the concerns raised by the Sea Eagle in recent weeks about the quality of persons charged with the responsibility of decision-making during Australia’s “darkest times” in recent memory.

How the likes of NSW Minister for Health Hazzard and his cronies can keep a straight face when they appear to bumble and stumble from one debacle to another, beggar’s belief and at one point he almost forgot to mention that the Armidale LGA was to be lockdown for a week, while brushing over the only bit of information that people care about (apart from when we are getting out of this f#$king lockdown) - that be daily case numbers, community transmissions and deaths.

The NSW government inspired continuing lockdowns, destruction of business, livelihoods, mental health and wellbeing and economic activity continues at a great pace, and unabated, and as they say, the trend is definitely not your friend on this one given it has now bent the wrong way (ie up).

The new mantra of the NSW government and the NSW bureaucracy, as well as the Commonwealth Government and the Commonwealth bureaucracy, must now surely be – “the floggings will continue until morale improves”.

Children in New South Wales have not been to school for around 40 days. FFS!!!!!! (personal opinion).

 As far as the Sea Eagle is concerned Minister for Health Hazzard takes gold this week, and he could do well to follow his own advice and do the residents of NSW a favour– that being to STAY HOME.

And the silver goes to Lisa Wilkinson

“We need to apologise”: Lisa Wilkinson demands Sydney say SORRY to Victoria for state’s sixth lockdown as she slams Gladys Berejiklian – Daily Mail 6 August 2021

It has been reported that Channel 10 social commentator Lisa Wilkinson has suggested that Sydney offer an apology to Victoria for the recent spread of the COVID-19 into Victoria which has sparked that State’s 6th lockdown.

SEA EAGLE COMMENT:

Why would anyone apologise to Victoria for anything? This is a State that proudly boasts AFL as its religion, created the Melbourne Storm and elected Dan Andrews as Premier. It is also a State that proudly advertises on NSW media, warnings about NSW residents being banned from entry into Victoria. So encouraging for goodwill and future tourism dollars that one is.

The best thing about Victoria is the road leading out of the place.

Ms Wilkinson and her rugby league hating husband (ie the bandana wearing, Peter Fitzsimons) are representative of the elitist, left wing woke commentators that the Sea Eagle despises and who do society no favours (personal opinion).

Apparently, Ms Wilkinson seemingly ignores the fact that Covid 19 started in Wuhan China, through the grotesque wet markets and possible Chinese habits of eating bats, and instead she seems to suggest that COVID-19 came from Bondi and as such NSW residents and the NSW State government are fully responsible for all and every ongoing variants that may find their way into other parts of Australia.

It’s also worth noting that Ms Wilkinson is on the side of the room that believes that no lockdown can be too extreme.  Lockdown Extremist are the words some use to describe such people.   They are seemingly forever calling for harder and stricter lockdowns (personal opinion).

It is easy for the likes of her to call for extreme lockdowns when she is pocketing a reported $millions + pa salary when she and her hubby can easily get to go back to bunker down in their lower north shore compound. The Sea Eagle questions whether Ms. Wilkinson is providing an essential service by way of her banal commentary each night on Ch 10 and as with NSW Minister Health Hazzard, she should also take her own advice and STAY HOME.

 A

s the Sea Eagle has maintained throughout this Government COVID inspired debacle – we are not all in this together. We may be in the same stormy seas, but we are in different sized boats, and many don’t even have a boat! Ask anyone in South Western Sydney who can’t go to work about that.

The Sea Eagle believes that given the way this debacle has been handled to date, that we all need to go back to rugby league 101, remembering if you get hit, you must get up and back into the defensive line as there is another set of six on its way to test you.

As the theory of evolution has suggested, it is most likely that the more successful strategy will be a strategy of we are all in it for ourselves (obeying the draconian health orders at all times of course) and it will be those that can adapt best to changing circumstances that will survive and come out on top.

If you are relying on the government or the views of woke commentators to help you survive, you will, euphemistically, be dead before you hit the floor.

The Sea Eagle asks a simple question - name something that any government whether it be Local, State or Federal, or their bureaucrat leaders, have done particularly well throughout this debacle?

DRUNKEN AUSSIE RUGBY SEVENS PLAYERS GET REPRIMANDS, COUNSELLING FOR SHOCKING BEHAVIOUR ON FLIGHT BACK FROM OLYMPICS – BUT OFFICIALS WARN IT MAY AFFECT FUTURE FUNDING OF THE SPORT BY  DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA 16/8/21

The men's Australian rugby sevens team has been reprimanded and several players  compelled to undertake alcohol counselling as a result of the investigation into  drunken behaviour on their return flight home from the Olympic games.

 Japan Airlines had written a formal complaint to the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) over the team's chanting, singing and excessive drinking throughout the flight from Tokyo on July 30.

 Rugby Australia commenced an internal investigation into the behaviour at the request of the AOC, and found a number of players had been disruptive to cabin crew and other passengers.

While the airline also alleged that property had been damaged and players had vomited in their seats and toilets, Rugby Australia found no evidence these problems were caused by the men's rugby sevens team.

The probe also found players had damaged their accommodation at the Olympic village, destroying a bed and leaving a hole in the wall.

 Rugby Australia said the behaviour may impact the allocation of funding for the sevens form of the game.

 The rugby sevens program is set to be reduced after the Tokyo Olympics with the number of contracted players for the program to be halved.

 Several rugby players had complained about the publicity given to the actions on the fight, telling the Herald Sun that it damaged reputations when contracts were 'on the line.' 'If someone was sick, it would not be the first time, who cares?', one player said. 'Why is rugby being dragged through the mud?'​​

 All members of the men's sevens team have been formally warned about their future conduct with several members needing to undergo education and counselling sessions regarding behaviour and alcohol consumption.

 Australia's Olympic Chef de Mission Ian Chesterman confirmed that the airline would not be making a formal complaint but imposed new measures on Australian athletes flying home from Tokyo to ensure there is no repeat of behaviour on future flights.

Sea Eagle Comment:

Replace Rugby Sevens with League 9’s and see what you get on a flight home. This story is a joke. Were any dogs accosted or sexually assaulted? Did any player attempt to piss in their own mouths? Was there any violence, rank nudity or anything else really untoward (eg against women) ? The best we have here is that “the airline also alleged that property had been damaged and players had vomited in their seats and toilets, Rugby Australia found no evidence these problems were caused by the men's rugby sevens team”.

Now the last time the Sea Eagle looked at this, every passenger on an air flight has a ticketed seat. One would have thought if there were allegations of vomiting in said seats, that it would be reasonably straightforward to determine who was sitting in said seat, unless of course there were empty seats and we had mad rugby union sevens players wandering around vomiting in vacant seats rather than their own. But even then, surely somebody saw something? As for vomiting in the toilets, the Sea Eagle thought that if you were sick on a plane (the common term for this is air sickness) that was often the best place to go to vomit, rather than over the passenger sitting next to you.

This story is a non event, much like the fact that Rugby 7’s is. How it is even in the Olympics in the first place beggars belief.

  ON A LIGHTER NOTE- DO NOT SHOW OLYMPICS ATHLETE NAMES.

Of course it is not the athletes fault that they are named the way they are, but the Olympics 2021 has yet again delivered in some very interesting name line ups.

For Example:

  One might suggest that the IOC have a look at whether we really need to have the names of athletes so openly displayed, when the risk of unintended ridicule is so high, and through no fault of the athletes concerned. One also has to have sympathy for any commentator that has the challenge of calling such races particularly if these two were way out in front fighting it out for victory.

And what would happen if Mr Farken were to marry US athlete Annie Kunz, and they go for a double-barrelled name. How would that be displayed on their athletic wear? There needs to be a deep IOC probe into this issue.

    THE SEA EAGLE

[magtitude]

1 -- 10 Chris headcanons from my old blog/s under the cut. watch out tho bc it’s a long post.

1. Ruth’s nickname for Chris is “Tiffa”, after having difficulty pronouncing his full name when she was first starting to speak ( Chris-topher; Tiffa ).

2. When living with his mother: In a house. Ground floor: living room, kitchen, dining room, coat closet, outhouse leading to the garden. First floor ( 2nd. IDK I’m British ): Mom + Tom’s bedroom. Ruth’s bedroom. Spare bedroom. Two bathrooms. Attic, which is also Chris’ bedroom.

When living with his aunt: apartment on the 6th floor. Living room/dining room/kitchenette. Two bedrooms. One bathroom.

3. Neither Angela nor Chris can drive ( at least up until February of 2015 ), and have to rely on others to pick them up, or public transport. The latter they hate – they both like to have their own space to sit, and not next to strangers on a bus.

4. Sometimes Chris has dizzy spells, and it feels like his head feels stuffed full of cotton and heavy on his neck, and sometimes it feels like his sense of balance is thrown off to the side; he occasionally calls this last thing “left-leaning” or “right-leaning”, depending on which direction it feels like ( most of the time it’s left ).

Before the mountain, he justs shrugs it off, joking ( mostly to himself so others don’t get worried ) that as long as it doesn’t feel like he’s dying, he’s not bothered by it, even if it has a serious-sounding name ( he has no idea if it does ).

Post-mountain, he thinks it’s “probably a good idea to look into it”… about several months ( maybe a year, year-and-a-half ) later.

5. Josh was Chris’ first friend; being bffs was the cherry on top. and it was also the first time he found someone who wasn’t related to him who would stand up for him, at all.

6. Sometimes it’s funny to get under people’s skin. you know, just over silly stuff – masculine manly men stuff with Mike, for one thing, and asking how many feet Emily has, then asking “then why do u need so many shoes?? :o”, and nabbing Beth’s beanie, and saying stuff like “the sequel/remake was better :///” around Josh. Just for fun.

He has gotten himself into trouble with it before, where he has actually upset someone ( not just his circle of friends ). And although he didn’t intend to, he, 9 out of 10 times, apologises.

7. Chris & Ruth have heelies.

8. During one of his many flits from his home with his Mom to go stay with Diane’s for a couple of weeks ( before he eventually got tired of her too, again ), he broke his ankle during an argument as he was leaving – fell off the porch. He had to stay home; his mom was insufferably apologetic, with a touch of smug relief that he couldn’t leave. He was 17 at the time.

9. When Chris was 16, his biological dad, Ryan, tried to get back in touch with him; Chris blew him off, more-or-less flipping the bird over the phone. Ryan doesn’t try again until three weeks after the 2015 Blackwood incident.

10. Chris has practised shooting firearms on Mount Washington when he went to visit, and has also practised under the supervision of Tom, his stepfather.

[theseaeaglelives]

Round 6

THE SEA EAGLE

MAKING RUGBY LEAGUE A LOT LESS SH&(T

Round 6

Manly Sea Eagles      36

Defeated 

Gold Coast Titans     Zip

As far as the Sea Eagle could determine, Manly have never tasted defeat at Glen Willow Oval, Mudgee and based on the way they started off in this game, this unblemished record was likely to remain.

What a difference the presence of Tommy Turbo makes. The Sea Eagle has previously summised that Manly are a 20 point better team when Tommy plays but based on his impact in this game the Sea Eagle may well have to re-assess this upwards in a big way.

Quite simply Tommy was outstanding. Without him Manly are bottom feeders, down there with the Dogs, Tigers, Cowboys etc. who would be doing well to avoid the spoon. With him however Manly are capable of anything, and while they might not be a premiership contender, they will be competitive with most teams and a lot less Sh#@t.

Manly opened the scoring after 10 minutes when Turbo provided a deft offload to the much maligned Brad Parker. Young Parker’s struggles in recent weeks/seasons have been well documented but with Tommy Turbo back in the team even he (Parker) looks like he could be a first grader.

Only minutes later Manly doubled up when under fire winger Rueben Garrick crossed following an incisive dummy half run from the equally under-fire rake, Lachlan Croker. Young Croker who before this game was only known for his efforts in playing the ball the wrong way and who had previously been identified by the Sea Eagle as on the verge of being shown the door at Manly. But with the return of Tommy Turbo he also looks like he could be a first grader. Garrick duly converted from the side-line proving that even his goal kicking is better with Tommy in the team.

It was then Tommy’s turn to join in the try scoring party after collecting a no-look pass by ever improving back rower Josh Schuster and barging over. In the opening rounds, when Manly were legless Young Schuster has been a shining light and despite preferring to play 5/8 he could well develop into a ball playing back rower in the Glenn Stewart mould – we can only hope!

Manly were on a roll, and from the kick off it was none other than Tommy Turbo again. This time after receiving a clever offload from brother Jake, Tommy slid through some pretty feeble defence to set up speedster Jason Saab to run 50m to score – all of a sudden it was 26 zip after as many minutes. Young Saab has plenty of speed and appears to be one of the quickest players in the NRL When he gets clear space as was the case in this game he looks very potent and Manly need to exploit this. Speed on the flanks has been a missing ingredient at Manly for quite a few seasons and the raw speed of Saab is a far cry from recent years when the lumbering Horhay Torfua was a mainstay on the right wing.

 It is understood that the not so young Horhay will be returning from an extended injury absence and will be available for selection. The Sea Eagle has said it before and will say it again – Horhay either moves to the forwards or moves off to the Blacktown Eagles in the NSW Cup.

Manly dominated the remainder of the first half and butchered a couple of tries. To be frank, the 26-0 scoreline at the break flattered the Titans, who were coming off the back of 42-16 win against the Knights last week. As Roy and HG continue to say “Rugba League, it’s a funny old game”.

The second half continued in much the same vein as the first, with Manly running in a further 2 tries to eventually run out 36-0 winners. To keep the Titans scoreless was pleasing, particularly for a team that had conceded 155 points in its first 4 games.

It was also pleasing to see the form shown by Keiran Foran, who in the Sea Eagles opinion had his best game in 5 years. His pass to set up Garricks 2nd try was a gem and defensively he was very strong indeed, suggesting that they may indeed go better when they return to the nest. The jury is still out, but thus far Foran has played every game this year, avoided injury and continues to improve.

This win maintains Manly unbeaten record at Glen Willow Oval Mudgee, and perhaps its time that Manly management considered a full time move of all home games to the well known wine region. That said the Mudgee-Warringah Sea Eagles doesn’t quite have the same appeal. One thing is for sure, since changing the home stadiums name from Brookie to Lottoland, Manly have struggled to win there, and any alternative venue has to be a plus for Manly at present.

Next week Manly (and the Sea Eagle) travel to Bankwest Stadium to take on the Tigers. The woes of the Tigers and their inability to retain quality players has been well documented and this should be an intriguing clash between 2 desperate teams. The Sea Eagle (as will all Manly supporters) will be sweating on the fitness and availability of Tommy Turbo, for if he plays its likely that their winning ways will continue for at least another week.

Another Debacle at the Sharks

It has been well documented that the Sea Eagle has little time or respect for the team from the Shire. Dating back to the 1970’s this mob have been Manly’s whipping boys and had it not been for them somehow managing to win a comp (that said under the tainted spectre of drug allegations and systematic doping) in 2016 there would be no respect afforded to them at all.

And not surprising. What a hapless rabble they are, as exemplified in their sacking of head coach John Morris during the week. Let’s face it Coach Morris is no Bellamy or Bennett, nor has he won a premiership, but in his 2 seasons at the Sharks they made the Top 8 both years and were travelling OK this year with a pretty average  roster. Quite frankly any coach that has front rowers of the calibre of Sharon Woods and Andrew Fifita are already starting behind the 8-ball. That said mediocrity is a mantra at the Sharks and for this reason alone it is hard to come to grips with the Sharks decision to part ways with Coach Morris.

Compare this with Manly, who despite a less than satisfactory start to the season and a pretty average 2020 have stuck strong with Coach Hasler and will no doubt reap rewards in the not too distant future. 8 premierships since 1970 including one in every decade is a testament to the Club and their intolerance of accepting anything apart from regular success.

In the Sea Eagles opinion the sacking of Morris has parallels with the Dogs and the disgraceful treatment they dished out when sacking then Coach Dean Pay. Pay, a club legend and premiership winner was shown the door in favour of the non-premiership winning, DFI infected ex Shark/Dragon (and failed Manly coach) Trent Barrett. 

The outcome of the Dogs actions are plain to see. Quite frankly, but not surprisingly under Barrett they are hopeless, having failed to register a win this year  with them now clear favourites to take the spoon. There is no way the playing group at the Sharks could possibly buy in to this managerial debacle and its likely that their season will now be a write-off resulting in them being the Dogs biggest threats for this most undesirable of accolades (i.e The Spoon).

Quote of the Week.

Tom Turbo “if you can keep a team scoreless you will win more games then you lose”

 THE SEA EAGLE

[theseaeaglelives]

ROUND 1

THE SEA EAGLE

MAKING RUGBY LEAGUE LESS SHI(*T

Round 1

Manly Sea Eagles      4

Defeated by

Roosters                   46

It has been suggested by many experts that the past 12 months have been amongst the most challenging in living memory. That said, many experts also suggested that COVID would claim over 100K Aussie lives and that the property market would fall by more than 30%. The Sea Eagle ponders as to what those experts are doing now?

It is however fair to say that unless you are a supporter of the Filthy Wrestlers, love a lock down, enjoy being housebound and take pleasure at being jabbed with sharp needles, 2020 has been a pretty shi(*t time for most. Add to this the demise of President Trump and there is very little prospect in making anything great again any time soon. With that in mind, the Sea Eagle’s mantra in 2021, to steal a line from Auto Expert’s John Cadogan will be to “make things less shi(8t”.

  As is the case each year, for every team in the NRL, Round 1 is welcomed with unbridled yet in most cases false optimism. For Manly fans never a truer word has been uttered.

A sunny afternoon at the SCG with Manly taking on the Roosters could well be a throwback to the halcyon days of the 1970’s and 80’s, with Manly expected to give the latte sipping transit lounge Roosters a real hammering. Unfortunately, the main difference in circa 2021, is that Manly are no longer the powerhouse force that they once were and the Roosters certainly are a force to be reckoned with.

It has been well documented that Manly have an abysmal record in Round 1 in the modern era, having not won an opener in over 8 years. The way Manly started suggested that nothing was to change this year, as the Roosters opened the scoring after only 3 minutes when James Tedesco leapt over a grounded Ruben Garrick. Young Garrick is already starting to exhibit traits of Manly wingers of late (think Horhay Torfua) in that they have inherent weakness under the high ball and struggle to get off the ground when contesting bombs.

Thankfully for Garrick (and Manly), he made amends minutes later when he was the recipient of a deft Kieran Foran offload to even up the scores. Manly welcome back Foran after his well-documented injury and personal struggles at the Eels, Warriors and Dogs. There can be no doubting that they don’t go better when they leave the nest (Jarrod Warea-Hargraves excepted) thus The Sea Eagle will be keenly monitoring Foran’s form to see if they do indeed go better when they return to the nest – only time will tell!

From then on it was all downhill for Manly, with the remainder of the half showing what happens when a top ranked team (i.e. The Roosters) takes on one of the also-rans (i.e. Manly). The Roosters ran roughshod down Manly’s left edge running in 5 tries to take a 26-4 lead at the break.

The second half was no better for Manly. Inept in defence and showing nothing in attack they were at the mercy of the Roosters, who rarely got out of second gear. Hat tricks to Tedesco and Brett Morris saw the Roosters run out 46-4 victors. Only poor goal kicking prevented a further blowout.

Blowout score lines are becoming common place in recent times with Manly regularly conceding 30 and 40 points in a game, a far cry from the golden eras when it was Manly dishing out the pastings. It would appear already that Manly have failed to adapt to the way rugba league is played in 2021 and are rooted (think also he word starting with F) in a style of play that worked at best - 5 years ago. Quite frankly, this Manly performance was an embarrassment, mirrored only by the ill-feted Peter Beattie era at the helm of the NRL (personal opinion).

As for Kieran Foran, he went OK and at least he saw out the game, but he is a shadow of the player he was when steering Manly to premiership glory in 2011. Not surprising, but no-one can out run father time, even when returning to the nest.

Where to now for Manly? Next week it’s the Bunnies at Lottoland, and we can only but hope that Manly are a lot less shi(*7t than they were in Round 1.

With all that said, blame has to be placed at the Manly football management in not recruiting at all well for season 2021 . For some odd reason after hooker Manase Fainu found himself the subject of some fairly serious charges involving assault and having a knife (and thus unable to play), no attempts were made to actually obtain a top shelf number 9 that could actually play in season 2021.

The Manly forward pack also has a sameness about it and the back line does not look much better, and if you take out Tommy Turbo, it looks fair dinkum pedestrian .

If this embarrassing display of form continues, the Sea Eagle will not hesitate to name names of players who deserve to leave the nest and predictably go a lot worse, far worse than the appalling form they are currently displaying.

IZZY FOLAU- IS HE A FIT AND PROPER PERSON TO PLAY RUGBY LEAGUE ?

NRL will struggle to argue Folau isn’t fit and proper for rugby league

 By Darren Kane March 12, 2021 – Brisbane Times

 Readers can feel free to peruse this article for more detail about the analysis of whether Israel Folau can actually be prevented from playing Rugby League by the NRL :

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-will-struggle-to-argue-folau-isn-t-fit-and-proper-for-rugby-league-20210311-p579yq.html.

For the Sea Eagle’s part, he must confess to having an internal chuckle when one thinks about the ludicrous concept of an NRL player actually having to be a fit and proper person, in order to play rugby league.

Consider these players who apparently have passed the NRL test of fit and proper person, (and the list is far from exhaustive):

Russell Packer (served gaol time for a particularly ugly assault incident)

Matthew Lodge ( representing the NSW under-20s side when he was given a 3-week suspension after he was televised with the word "CU*&NT" written on his wrist strapping. On 19 October 2015, Lodge was sacked by the Tigers after being arrested in New York City and thereafter entering a guilty plea, to some sort of break enter (and possibly worse) in a young woman’s apartment

Todd Carney (too many misdemeanours to mention until he overstepped the mark with the infamous bubbler incident)

Mitchell Pearce (simulated sex act with canine broadcast on national TV)

Josh Addo Carr (illegal firearms incident and breach of Covid 19 protocols 2020)

Latrell Mitchell (apparent breach of Covid 19 protocols 2020)

Kurt Capewell (https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/we-ve-got-your-back-panthers-teammates-support-capewell-after-porn-shock-20201210-p56md4.html)

Corey Norman & James Segeyaro Street Fight (off season 2020/21)

Sony Bill Williams (walked out on Bulldogs contract to play somewhere else - then welcomed back to the NRL with open arms in 2013 and later years with all forgotten).

Now the Sea Eagle does not cast judgement on any of these players. To take a biblical bent a-la- Izzy Folau, let he without fault cast the first stone. After all, this is Rugby League we are talking about, and on any objective analysis it can only be viewed as a game which takes a particular type of person to play it, and the Sea Eagle would suggest that the NRL is not in the fortunate position of being particularly fussy about who plays. If they were, there may well be no one left to actually play the game.

Which is why it is difficult to understand how the NRL would think, given what Israel Folau has allegedly said and done (something to do with homosexual slurs and other slurs about people involved in adultery, fornication, and drinking etc all of whom are apparently going to go to hell ) - is any basis to come to the conclusion that he is not a fit and proper person to play Rugby League.

If anything, he is absolutely a fit and proper person to be playing rugby League. Particularly given those mentioned above (and others), have already been considered fit and proper persons to play the game.

The Sea Eagle implores the NRL to reconsider its stance in this regard and to see if a place can be found in one of the 16 NRL teams for Izzy to play. Expressing a particularly misguided religious view and opinion (personal opinion), it should be said, in and of itself is hardly a basis for preventing someone from playing Rugby League on the fit and proper person analysis. See above player list for that.

Intelligent foresight and a detailed consideration of the consequences of one’s actions, can hardly be said to be a mandatory requirement for any Rugby League player. Nor should it be.

THE TIGERS – DO THEY GO BETTER WHEN THEY LEAVE THE DEN ?

In Rd 1 the Tigers were towelled by the Raiders 30 to 12. Sure it was a better performance than Manly put in, but it was embarrassment, nonetheless.

Over the coming weeks the Sea Eagle will conduct his own internal analysis as to whether the reverse of the Manly concept (ie they never go any better when they leave the nest ) applies to the Tigers (ie they always go better when they leave the Den).

One troubling feature of this analysis is that Manly regrettably have 3 ex Tiger players in their forward pack (who were clearly out muscled by the Roosters in Rd 1 2021) and so it may well be the case, that the misery of useless form once they leave the Den, can continue regardless. In other words, care should be exercised when taking on an ex Tigers player, because there is no guarantee they will go better, even if they leave the circus that is Tigers Central.

That said, James Tedesco is a clear example of a player who went way better when he left the Den. The analysis will continue and the Sea Eagle will report in due course as to a likely 2021 Tigers team comprised of players who once played for the Tigers but are still playing in 2021 NRL, and whether that team would be better than the current crop.

 Sea Eagle comment for Rd 1- “A map guiding you to your destination is useless if you don’t know where you are.”

 THE SEA EAGLE