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winterromanov · 5 years ago

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AU idea- college athlete Bucky and he’s really popular and all that but very sweet and he meets this girl who’s sweet and a little quiet in one of his classes and he just keeps trying to be around her, study with her, buy her coffee and she likes him but she’s just like.... why is this cute popular boy paying attention to me lol

pairing: bucky x reader (also SUPER tempted to do a part two of this, let me know if you’re interested)

You recognise the guy staring at you from across the table in your Russian lit tutorial. You recognise him because everyone knows Bucky Barnes, the football star, certified big name on campus and best friend of fellow football star Steve Rogers. He’s the guy that every girl on your corridor gossips about, the one all the professors love, the one who gets hundreds of likes on his Instagram pictures.

(You don’t follow him but you have to admit, you’ve scrolled through his feed a few times. Just to see what the fuss is all about, you know. And you know. Boy, you know.)

You’ve never actually interacted with him before because your circles aren’t the kind that usually interlink, but now you’re sat in a seminar on Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, and Bucky Barnes is definitely staring at you.

When your eyes eventually flicker up from your laptop--just to double check you’re not making it all up, that he’s not looking at the much prettier girl next to you--he grins, pen between his teeth. Your cheeks involuntarily catch fire and you deliberately snap away. Because this is Bucky Barnes you’re talking about, who dated Natasha Romanoff in his freshman year before it all very publically...fell apart. Who could have literally any girl he wanted worshiping at his high-tops. Who would never look at a girl like you because, well.

You’re you.

You’re trying to buy coffee in the campus shop next to the library when he actually speaks to you directly for the first time. Emphasis on the word trying, because you left your damn purse at home and Apple Pay is not being your friend and you can feel yourself getting more and more embarrassed the longer the cashier has to wait. You eventually resort to rummaging round your backpack for loose change in order to pay the poor guy, but an arm with a contactless debit card reaches out and beeps the payment through for you.

“I’ll get a latte to go, please, Mario.”

“Of course. Anything for you, Mr Barnes.”

It’s Bucky Barnes. Of course it’s Bucky Barnes--only someone like him would take the time to know the server by name. He’s wearing his faded red Columbia jersery and a baseball cap. His grin is kinda crooked and yes, yes you know it’s one of the many reasons all the girls go wild for him.

“You didn’t have to do that,” you say, stepping aside so he can go to the front of the queue. He merely shrugs. “Here--let me pay you back, I know I’ve got a couple of dollars in here somewhere...”

He shakes his head as he taps his card once again, the server handing him his latte in a reusable mug with a wink. “Don’t worry about it. Honestly, your idea about interior monologue in Anna Karenina in Ivan’s class the other day actually inspired my paper, so I do owe you one.”

You blink, kinda dumbstruck at the thought of Bucky Barnes remembering any input you’d given in class. Or anyone remembering any input you’d given in class. “You liked my point?”

“Oh, yeah.” Bucky sips his coffee, grimacing slightly as the liquid burns his lips. “Tolstoy finding humour in death. It’s so dark and beautiful. All your points, actually--you see a lot in literature than I’ve never picked up on in a first reading.”

“I...Uh. Well. Thank you.” You’ve always been quite reserved in class, scared to say anything in case it’s stupid or outlandish and the other students laugh at you. In reality you know it’s you being paranoid, but old habits die hard.

Bucky looks at his watch before hissing a profanity under his breath. “Gotta run. Cold War study group across campus in three minutes. Catch you later?”

He phrases it like a question rather than a generic add on, a necessity of politeness. His blue eyes look at you expectantly, actively waiting for you to reply.

(They’re so blue, his eyes. Blue like the sky in the summer back home, bright and cloudless and stared at from a meadow.)

“Yeah, of course! See you in class.” You raise your coffee cup sheepishly in his eyeline. “And thanks for the coffee.”

And like that he vanishes, bustling out the door and stepping purposefully in the opposite direction as the sun blazes on his back.

You see his backpack before you see him, slammed down on the bench next to you in the lecture hall. He sits down with a long exhale of breath, like he’s ran here--this time he’s dressed in sportswear so you assume he’s been to the gym. Veins ripple and flex up his ridiculously toned arms. Being a football hero probably does that to you.

“Crime and Punishment,” he says, instead of a greeting. “What did you think?”

You smile, spreading your hand across the heavily annotated and dog-eared copy you have in front of you. “Long, dark, often psychologically challenging, but ultimately an interesting perspective on nihilism. And you?”

“Oh.” He nods in faux seriousness. “I thought much the same. Reckon I’d like to go for a beer with Dostoevsky.”

“That would be an interesting encounter.”

Bucky rests his laptop and his copy of the book on the bench and looks as though he might say something else until the professor enters the room, hushing the hall to silence. When the lights dim so you can see the projector, you wonder if Bucky can hear how furiously your heart beats in your chest.

After than, some sort of unspoken agreement develops wherein every Russian literature class, his place is a spot next to you. You always seem to arrive first--he��s always rushing from somewhere--but he clocks you and instinctively walks over, sliding into a chair adjacent to your own. The conversation is usually the same. Always about the books.

You’re not sure what any of it means but you’ve somehow found a friend in the famous Bucky Barnes, and people start to notice.

“Since when have you and Bucky been so close?” Wanda Maximoff asks as you queue for the canteen lasagna, the flourescent bar lights doing nothing for the food presentation. “My brother is in your lit class and he says you two sit together a lot.”

You shrug, spooning lasagna onto your plate. “We just sit together.”

“You don’t just sit together with Bucky Barnes, (Y/N). That’s not a thing that happens.”

“Honestly, Wanda, we just talk about books.”

Wanda narrows her eyes, swiping her meal card at the end of the belt. “Sure, okay. I believe you. For now.”

She has to believe you, because you know what she’s insinuating. And when you look across the canteen and see Bucky laughing with Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson and his ex girlfriend Natasha Romanoff, you know this cute, handsome boy and his often insightful observations of Russian texts are so far out of your league that it’s kind of embarrassing.

so, (y/n). what did you think of the master and margarita?

i think pilate suffering for his sins for two thousand years is pretty rough tbh

but he deserves it?

i mean. probably. his suffering is necessary for the redemption arc

just what i was going to say. obviously.

see you tomorrow :)

“Do you want to come to a party?”

Bucky asks you this as you come out of your seminar on Chekov’s Uncle Vanya and, admittedly, it kind of knocks you off guard. When you lamely blink back at him blankly, he decides to elaborate.

“It’s my friend Sam’s birthday. It’s just at our dorm--should be fun. Although we’re very competitive when it comes to beer pong, so beware.” His smile is wistful but he quickly comes back to earth, falling in step with you as you walk along the hall. “So what do you say? You interested?”

“You’re inviting me to a party?” you reply, as this is a very big step in your friendship. This is assuming he’d happily see you outside of class amongst his equally popular and attractive friends.

“Yeah, I think so,” he laughs bemusedly, pausing at the door that leads to the quad. He has his Cold War class across campus. “(Y/N), I’d really like you to come.”

You look at him and expect him to reveal this--him--as a joke, but he’s earnest and certain and honest, with an almost shy smile on his face. His eyes are hidden by his usual cap but you know the colour of blue so well by now. And not just because you’d zoomed in on his Facebook photo in a moment of ridiculous late-night longing.

(You follow him on Instagram now, too, but only because he followed you first. You were still too uncertain to initiate it, worried that he’d ignore you.)

“Okay,” you say, swallowing nervously. Wondering if this might be a mistake. That you’d turn up and no-one there would like you. “Who else will be there?”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll introduce you.” He pauses, chewing his lip for a second, before gesturing at the door. “I’ve got class, so I’ll...I’ll see you later.”

Your hands tighten round the straps of your backpack. “See you later, Bucky.”

Bucky shares a floor with Sam Wilson and Steve Rogers at a block about a ten minute walk from your own, and you use the walk in the chill New York air to calm your jangling nerves. You’re wearing your favourite navy blue dress and have braided your hair and made an effort with your makeup--and you’re not totally sure what for, what you’re expecting. You’re just the quiet girl in Bucky Barnes’ literature class. You don’t know how it got to this.

You’re too awkward to press the buzzer so you message Bucky to let him know you’re outside. Scrolling through your Facebook inbox, your messages have become...quite frequent. Especially at night. You lie on your bed and frantically type until the early hours, only realising it’s 3am before it’s too late.

That’s what friends do, right? Friends.

(God, you’re so fucking in love with him, aren’t you?)

Bucky’s on the edge of a laugh when he answers the door, but his expression falters into muted surprise as soon as he lays eyes on you on his doorstep. A silly gold party hat is positioned at an angle over his head.

“(Y/N),” he says, and you flush, because the way he says your damn name. He steps aside so you can step in under his arm. “I’m glad you came. Finished The Idiot yet?”

“Onto the last fifty pages.” His house is decked out with balloons and paper chains and the loud pumping of a bass stereo carries from the lounge, alongside the chatter of laughing of guests. You recognise Columbia’s only archer and Olympic hopeful Clint Barton rush up the stairs, holding the hand of a brown haired girl. Bucky rolls his eyes at him and yells already? “I think it might be one of my favourites on the module.”

He leads you through to the kitchen which is empty other than various bottles of alcohol on the table and Natasha Romanoff sitting on the counter. Her red hair hangs effortlessly across her shoulders, lips painted scarlet, wearing a classy black jumpsuit. Natasha Romanoff makes you feel nervous because a) she’s the kind of girl you could never be and b) she’s the kind of girl Bucky Barnes dates. She’s sipping rose out of a wine glass, her eyes discretely looking you up and down.

“Is this the famous (Y/N)?” Natasha asks, her tone intrigued, her lips curved. Bucky laughs bashfully, scratching the back of his head. “Honestly, this guy doesn’t stop talking about you.”

“Sorry?” you gape, looking between her and him. Bucky sends Natasha a glare that signals for her to shut up which only makes her more amused by the situation, leaning back casually. “Uh, I don’t know--”

“Ignore her. She’s insatiable.” Bucky quickly swerves, pressing a glass into your hand. “Would you like a drink? We have pretty much everything imaginable. Natasha has plenty of wine she’d love to share.”

Natasha is totally unaffected, already looking at her mobile phone. She flicks a hand at a line of bottles next to the microwave. “Feel free, honey.”

You’re not a big drinker as you don’t often frequent cool college parties and you’ve been drunk a grand total of one time after one too many glasses of champagne on new year’s eve. Bucky seems to see this in your face.

“You don’t have to drink, obviously,” he says kindly, “But if you mix a bit of soda with rose it actually tastes kinda nice. Much better than beer, anyway.”

“Okay,” you nod, letting him mix the drink for you. He’s remarkably careful, pouring the tiniest amount from one of Natasha’s bottles and topping it up with sprite. He grabs a beer for himself, cracking off the lid with his teeth.

“You know you’re not impressive when you do that,” Natasha says drolly, even though she hasn’t looked up from her phone.

“(Y/N) was impressed,” Bucky says with a wink. You try and keep straight-faced but yeah, come on. You were.

“Of course she was impressed,” Natasha interjects, “You’re both stupidly in love with each other but too polite to make a move.”

Bucky flips her off before pressing a gentle hand in the small of your back, ushering you away from her. “She’s drunk.”

“I’m not drunk!”

You sip your drink, wondering if your palms will ever stop sweating. Natasha can’t be right. She isn’t right. Or is she? No, she can’t be, because this is Bucky Barnes and you’re you.

Bucky’s friends are actually kinda nice. Really nice, in fact. You’ve always been intimidated by Steve Rogers’ reputation on campus but he might be one of the sweetest guys you’ve ever met, instantly welcoming and eager to get you involved with the games he’s beginning to set up. Sam Wilson is bold and blunt, but he grins mischievously and gives Bucky a pointed look when he introduces you and snaps a party hat to your head. In various corners of the apartment you see people you vaguely recognise from school, names burning at the edges of your memory but ultimately escaping you.

Steve sets up the table for beer pong and Bucky clutches your wrist, beckoning you over to play (and cutting short your conversation with a very interesting business major called Pepper). Steve and Sam are on one side while you and Bucky are apparently on the other--Steve’s positioned himself so he’s directly in view of a British exchange student with big eyes on the other side of the room.

(Aside from your own, you’re actually pretty observant when it comes to potential romantic encounters.)

“Just so you know,” Sam stares hard at the two of you, pointing with two fingers, “It’s my birthday, so I have to win. It’s the rules.”

“I don’t think you have to worry,” you reply, looking up at Bucky. His expression is warm, his arms desperately close to yours. “I’m probably going to be pretty rubbish at this.”

“Buck’s a good teacher,” Steve says, grabbing a ping-pong ball and handing it over to Sam. He rolls it between his fingers, his face scrunched in mock seriousness. “But we’ve all had plenty of practice.”

“Too much practice, arguably,” Bucky drawls. “And Wilson, don’t you think for one second that (Y/N) and I are going to let you win under any circumstances.”

“I don’t need you to let me win,” Sam says, before perfectly throwing the ball into one of the cups near the front. He stands back smugly, crossing his arms over his chest, as the rest of the room whoops. “I think you’ll find I possess the skills for victory, fair and square.”

You laugh as Bucky rolls his eyes, picking up the plastic cup filled halfway with lukewarm beer. He keeps eye contact as he knocks the whole thing back, wiping his lip emphatically once he’s done. “That’s it. The game is on.”

Admittedly, it get’s to a point where it’s pretty close. You almost visibly bristle as Bucky tries to show you the ropes, positioning your hips with his hands and following your aim as you try (and often fail) to pit the ball in one of the opposite team’s plastic cups. Whenever you score he yelps dramatically, high-fiving you, and his grin is borderline magical.

(Natasha watches bemusedly from the sidelines, making dry comments here and there. It’s like she’s checking you out for herself. Assessing you.)

It get’s to the point where there is only one cup left on either side and the tension is palpable. Limbs are floppier from downing liquor, the aim repeatedly more off--your stomach is warm and your feet feel light--and Bucky’s palms ghost your waist as you concentrate on what could be the winning put. Sam and Steve try and distract you by dancing ridiculously to an ABBA track playing out the speakers, but Bucky’s words of encouragement are what filter through. You take a deep breath and throw, only exhaling when your ball lands with a triumphant plop in the central solo cup.

Bucky throws his fist in the air before grabbing you and spinning you round, his laugh ecstatic in your ear. You cling onto his neck, your fingers barely millimeters from entangling in his hair, before he plants you down on the ground again. Well. You think you’re on the ground. You might as well be in the clouds.

“A round of applause for the winning shot,” Bucky says, holding your hand and lifting your arm so you can take your bow (which you do with pleasure). Steve and Sam pretend to be reluctant, but they clap anyway.

“I’ll allow it, this once, (Y/N),” Sam answers bemusedly, coming round to the other side of the table. “But if you try and upstage me on my birthday again there will be consequences.”

You feel more confident now, more like these people are your friends. So you grin, feeling the magnetic pull of Bucky to his side from next to you. “I’ll try not to. Promise.”

Sam hums, before clapping Bucky on the shoulder. “Come on, Barnes. You can go mix me a drink.”

Bucky shrugs, asking if you want anything from the kitchen while he’s on his way there, but you shake your head. You’re happy right now with what you have.

Natasha approaches you while you’re waiting outside the bathroom. Someone--you think he’s called Rhodey--emerges and offers you a salute and you’re about to go in, but Natasha grabs your hand and pulls you in with her and locks the door behind you.

You’re so astonished you’re not sure what to say. She brushes the hair away from her neck, back facing you.

“I need someone to unzip me,” she declares like it’s obvious, indicating towards the zipper halfway down her back. “Do you mind?”

“No,” you blink, hand nimbly reaching forward to drag the zipper down her back. Even her back is flawless, like porcelain, a tattoo of what looks like a spider curling up from her waist. “Of course not, no.”

She sits on the toilet unabashedly and doesn’t ask you to look away but of course, you do, because this whole situation feels very strange indeed. The wall is plain and blue and spotted with mildew, probably damp from the shower. Like all student accommodation. It feels weird looking at damp while Natasha Romanoff, beautiful as she is, literally pees behind you.

“I care about Bucky a lot,” she says suddenly, “I’ve known him a long time. Way before college, way before we--dated. I love him, but not in the way you think. And I know what he’s like, what the signs are.”

You shift your feet uncomfortably. “The signs of what?”

She audibly sighs out of frustration. “Honestly, it sounds like you’re both as bad as each other. I know--I know when he’s falling for somebody. You’d think, I know you think, that somebody like him...he’d have no problem with it. And maybe if he cared a little less and felt less intensely he wouldn’t.”

“I’m not sure...”

The toilet flushes. Natasha rises and turns back to you and you dutifully zip her back up while she washes her hands, looking at your reflection in the mirror. When you’re stood side by side like this it really does emphasise the differences between you, but also the similarities. She’s a girl. So are you. Girls, despite what every atom of her being exudes.

“You know exactly what I mean, (Y/N).” She smiles crookedly, wiping her hands on a towel. “Just--treasure him, yeah? He deserves it. I get a feeling you both do.”

She doesn’t look back at you as she leaves, closing the door behind her.

Bucky gives you one of his old football jerseys to walk home in because it’s past midnight and you didn’t bring your own. He also insists on walking you home. And you feel nervous, not just because you’re alone with him for the first time this evening, but also because Natasha’s words circle the back of your mind like a tape cassette stuck on loop. You know exactly what I mean, (Y/N).

“Can I ask you something?” you question, arms crossed as your steps echo on the sidewalk. The street is surprisingly deserted--it’s usually crowded with students, all sorts. Tonight, it is quiet.

Bucky looks over at you quizzically, but intrigued. “Yeah. Shoot.”

“Why me?” When he looks perplexed, you laugh awkwardly and continue on. “Connie Taylor is in our Russian lit class, too, and she’s way prettier than me and like...she’s been trying to get you to notice her all semester and yet.” You scrunch your nose as you look up at him, examining his features. His jawline. The hair that falls into his eyes. His naturally flushed cheeks. The party hat he’s yet to take off. Him. Him him him. “You always come to me.”

He bites the inside of his cheek. “Connie Taylor seems perfectly nice. But Connie isn’t you. I like you.” You arrive at the door of your block and he pauses, shoes scuffing into the ground. “She’s not prettier than you, or smarter than you, or any of the reasons you’ve inevitably thought in your head as to why you think she’s more deserving of anything than you. And I find it vaguely insulting that because...I don’t know, play football, that I could only be interested in one kind of person.”

You look away. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“No, I know.” He steps closer so that the toes of your shoes are almost touching. His hand searches in the darkness for your own. Squeezing your small fingers between his, scarred and scraped from football practice. “(Y/N), I like you because you’re funny and kind and intelligent. I like it when you message me about books, I like it when you save me a seat in lectures, I like it when you explain every single point you make so everyone in the class can understand it. I like so many things about you, and you need to get it out your head that because you’re not Connie Taylor that this can’t be true.”

“No-one ever notices me, Bucky,” you murmur quietly, “And I don’t say that for sympathy, or whatever. I say that because that’s how it’s always been.”

You both stare into each other and for one agonising, aching moment you think he might let go of your hand, snuff every spark out like a candle. But instead--instead he ducks in, covering your lips in a soft post-midnight kiss, his mouth warm and tasting faintly like beer. He snatches the breath from your lungs.

“Do you believe me now?” he whispers, hands curving round your jaw. You want to close your eyes, remember this feeling forever. Trap it all in a polaroid. “You are so fucking special. Everyone but you can see it, and it’s so frustrating.”

You kiss his palm, letting your lips linger on his skin for a moment longer. “Thank you for inviting me tonight. I had a really great time.”

His smile is faint but there, nonetheless. “I knew you would. I hope this means you’ll be willing to come out with me again sometime.”

“I think I would like that.”

He unravels from you, not before ducking in for one last sweet, beautiful kiss. “Goodnight, (Y/N).”

“‘Night, Bucky.”

Your hands remain clasped together until he’s far enough away from you, dropping your hand and grinning as he’s eventually lost in darkness. You have to hover for a second with your keycard in your hand, trying to gather your thoughts, process the events of the evening. Bucky Barnes like you. He likes you, not in spite of you, but because you’re you.

When you collapse on your bed you map the constellations of cracks on your ceiling, your heart thumping and your mind almost one hundred percent him.

“you and i, it’s as though we have been taught to kiss in heaven and sent down to Earth together, to see if we know what we were taught.”

y/n. it’s 2am and doctor zhivago is making me cry.

also sam has made me drink sambuca

i wish i was crying over russian books with you

even though ur probably asleep

that’s cool

hope ur having sweet dreams

miss you

my masterlist

send me a request

#oh my god im so sorry for this #it got a bit out of control #bucky barnes #james buchanan barnes #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes fic #bucky barnes fluff #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky x you #bucky x reader #marvel #mcu #marvel cinematic universe

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aarondelgaado · 4 years ago

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「miguel herran & demi male」⇾ delgado, aaron, the junior horton student’s records show that he is a virgo and 23 years old. they are studying culinary arts, living in moris and can be caring, trustworthy, short-sighted & hedonistic. when i see them i am reminded of the scent of fresh baked cookies, the shining blade of an ice skate & air so cold that you can see your breath. ⇽「drew & 22 & est & he/him.」

trivia.

born august 30th and always hated the years that they were back in school on their birthday as it’s too close to the start of the school year for their taste. has learned to love it, however, and now uses it as an excuse to convince their friends that they should have a giant party --- and when combined with the fact that everyone is back on campus, it did usually lead to a rage on the horton campus.

falls somewhere on the aromantic spectrum, though they’ve never been in a rush to label that part of themselves. they have dated in the past & generally just tell people that they’re bi, largely because they think it’s easier than dealing with people who expect them to explain the difference between romantic & sexual attraction and the label mostly fits. had their first & only celebrity ‘crush’ on matt duchene after watching him play at the 2014 winter olympics --- it’s arguable that it was equal parts ‘goddamn i want to be him’ and ‘goddamn he is ATTRACTIVE�� but that’s not necessarily an argument it’s recommended that you start.

backstory.

let it be known that neither of aaron’s parents are hockey fans, nor were they ever. but they were both athletes, with their father retiring from major league baseball after a career ending leg injury and their mother leaving professional soccer to settle down and build a new career. they never agreed on which sport he should play, bouncing him between different courts ( and at a young aaron’s insistence: rinks ); hoping that their child would follow in their footsteps. but no amount of parental pressure can turn someone into an olympic athlete.

and that’s not to say that aaron wasn’t good, but he wasn’t about to get recruited to a national team anytime soon. and if they were being honest, they never really wanted to, not when they had grown up seeing just how temporary that dream was bound to be. if their parents sighed and moaned about it, it went mostly unheeded though they never did gather up the courage or desire to quit outright.

instead, when they floundered over colleges and struggled with the concept of a future outside of the world of sports, they signed to a minor league hockey team --- clinging to the hope that at least for a while they could have that dream. just until they found something else, they told themselves. and hartford wolf pack wasn’t a bad team to play for and the ice still felt solid underneath their feet.

it was the team’s nutritionist however that handed them a dream that they could grasp onto, a passion outside of the rough sport that they loved. they didn’t need to worry about what they ate, but they did need to make sure that they were eating enough --- and for all that junk food packs on the calories, it quickly became boring when you had to eat so much to keep your body running. so they took up cooking under the suggestion of the nutritionist and allowed the soothing tones of various youtube video instructions to guide them through brand new recipes and techniques. eventually the team could always look forward to some new outlandish thing that they would bring in, baked or fried or covered in enough powdered sugar to make you cough.

and then, just as it so often does in professional sports --- an injury struck and while aaron walked away still able to play, their captain wasn’t so lucky. a torn tendon spelled the end of his career, and aaron couldn’t help but feel the fear set into their bones as they weighed their options. that’s how they ended up at horton with a recovering captain at their side, ready to start their college athlete career and their college athlete experience.

from there it’s been a wild ride --- a cursed experience, truly --- the horton hogs were almost lost their division i status on multiple occasions, always hanging on by the barest of threads. and just last spring, they brought home the championship cup, seemingly cementing their place in the division, only for the whole thing to go up in flames. but aaron had made friends & coming to radcliffe, the school that housed the hog’s biggest rivals ( and their new team ) meant that they got to stick around them.

connections.

rivals / ex-rivals. wld love to see the beef between an ex-hog and a rattlesnake, the clashing of prides, the warring emotions and of course, the epic highs and lows of college sports. developing friendships? maybe. developing into sworn enemies? perhaps.

horton whos. old pals or even acquaintances from horton. they’re banding together or maybe not, but aaron finds comfort in the familiar faces regardless of how they knew each other back then. enemies? friends? ex-roommates? exes? just the familiar face is comforting, even if they’re screaming at each other.

give me everything. that’s it. give me it all.

#injury tw #fire tw #ruhqintro

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purpleheatherdream · 7 years ago

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Fics Inspired By, Based On, or Crossed-over with Movies

[For @thelallybrochlibrary Scavenger Hunt: Collate and post a list of Outlander fan fiction based on a chosen event, theme, category or specific AU.]

[updated April 21st, 2019]

Strangers Like Me by @theministerskat

Claire Beauchamp tries to capture that final detail of the man who has swung into her life. (Tarzan)

The Ridge by @abbydebeaupreposts and @whiskynottea

Claire wasn’t looking for a hero but there he stood, resplendent in his cape and mask. “I’m Batman,” he said in a soft Scottish burr. “I’m Dr. Beauchamp,” she told him, “I’d like to help you for a change.”

The Time Traveler's Family by @abbydebeaupreposts

Strange the things you remember, the people, the places, the moments in time burned into the heart forever. Jamie Fraser has lived a life different from other men, for most men don’t have wives and children with temporal displacement disorder. (The Time Traveler’s Wife 2009)

Til Death Do Us Part by @sassenachwriter

Jamie and Claire spend time in Lallybroch after surprising everyone-including themselves- with their engagement. The Proposal inspired. (The Proposal 2009)

To All The Boys I Loved Before by emm273

Claire Beauchamp has her own way of dealing with love. She writes love letters, pouring her heart out, saying the words she can't say out loud. She never sends them though. She keeps them tucked away, only keeping them to remind her of the way she felt at the time. Well, until her secret letters ended up in the hands of her former crushes: Jamie, Frank, John, and Joe. A modern Outlander/To All the Boys I've Loved Before AU (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before 2018)

SIRUN ‘AJNABIUN// THE FOREIGNER’S SECRET by kkruml @kkruml

1920s- Claire and Uncle Lamb are on an archeological dig in Egypt alongside a competing camp- led by a mysterious red-headed Scot- in hopes of uncovering a long hidden secret treasure. Originally posted on Tumblr as a response to a prompt: ‘What’s a lass like you doing out here on a night like this?’ (The Mummy 1999)

Outlander / Sound of Music AU by AnOutlandishFanfic @anoutlandishfanfic

The plot of Sound of Music with Claire as Maria and Jamie as the Captain von Trapp... and a few more outlandish changes woven in. (The Sound of Music 1965)

His Name is Home by KalendraAshtar @kalendraashtar

Ficlet inspired by the movie “If I Stay” and Claire’s illness during ABOSAA. (If I Stay 2014)

The Road To The Heart by @julesbeauchamp

When photographer Claire Beauchamp get lost on the road in the Scottish Highlands and drives down a road to a recluse farm to ask her way, her life is changed forever. (The Bridges of Madison County 1995)

City Of Angels by @julesbeauchamp

Pretty Woman Au, where Claire is a hooker in Los Angeles and is hired by businessman Jamie Fraser for the week. (Pretty Woman 1990)

Eilean Mo Chridhe by thewhitelady (Sileas) @thewhitelady

Love in a time of war. Two loners find each other in the most unlikely places in 1916 Belgium while war rages around them. (Written for @akb723 for Tumblr's Outlander Secret Santa 2017) (A Farewell to Arms 1957 and Journey’s End 2017)

Friendship of Stone by trashofalltrades @trash0falltrades

While stationed at a French hospital in WWII, Claire runs into Captain America who in turn introduces her to Peggy Carter. A lasting friendship ensues that spans not only decades, but centuries. (Captain America 2011)

I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) by LadyVioletHummingbird @ladyviolethummingbird

Jamie Fraser is a successful news anchor in London and is none-too-pleased at being sent on assignment to his home town in Scotland. Having not been back in over a decade Jamie can’t wait to leave, a plan delayed when he is forced to relive the same day over and over and over...(An Outlander/Groundhog Day inspired work) (Groundhog Day 1993)

The Parent Trap AU by @sassenachwaffles @kkruml @missclairebelle

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Barks and Glances (101 Dalmatians) by @whiskeynottea @kkruml @sassenachwaffles of the @outlanderfandomproject

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Once Upon a Time | Cinderella AU by MClairefras @curlsgetdemgurls

Once Upon a Time there was a beautiful girl named Claire Beauchamp, she was strong, independent and kind. She lives in the Kingdom of Lallybroch, ruled by King Brian Fraser, his son James Fraser is a young, sharp and handsome lad, unsure of his responsibilities. Claire's world shifts when her Uncle Lamb announces he is to be married. This is a tale of family, strength, kindness.... and love.

The Choice by @bonniebird17

This story is inspired of the book and movie The Choice by Nicholas Sparks, combined with Gotham’s workshop week 19 prompt; not yet. (The Choice 2016)

Simply Irresistable (Dirty Dancing/Outlander AU) by LadyVioletHummingbird @ladyviolethummingbird

It was the summer of 1987. I was 19 and 6’4” but still called ‘wee Jamie’ by my family and it didn’t occur to me to mind. It was before the internet and before the death of Princess Di. When I couldna wait to get to university in France and I never thought I’d find a lass as kind as my mam. That was the summer we went to Dunsany’s. (Dirty Dancing 1987)

The Holiday by MClairefras @curlsgetdemgurls

It’s Christmas and Claire doesn’t want to sit and wallow in self-pity. Going online she finds a travel company that looks intriguing. It’s called Home-Exchange. The idea is that you find a place you want to go and then swap houses with someone, you stay in their home and they stay in yours. Fed up with the way her life has turned out, Claire decides on a quaint house in Inverness, one belonging to a Jenny Fraser. Based on the movie, “The Holiday” (2006), this follows the lives of Claire Beauchamp and Jenny Fraser as they swap homes for the Christmas season.

Our Last Summer by @julesbeauchamp

Outlander meets Mamma Mia! Julia Beauchamp is about to get married and wants the father she never met to attend the ceremony. After finding her mother's diary, she invited the three possible men...and they all showed up. (Mamma Mia 2008)

Part 1

Part 2

Call Me By Your Name by MClairefras @curlsgetdemgurls

During the summer of 1983, somewhere in Northern Italy, the Grey family hosts a student named Jamie Fraser for six weeks. In this time, John Grey falls in love with the well read Scot, but can they be together or will other forces tear them apart? Based on the movie "Call Me By Your Name" (2017)

The Sassenach Bride by @sassenachwaffles

A Princess Bride AU, Outlander style. (The Princess Bride 1987)

ON A SHIP HARBORED AT THE DOCKS IN TORTUGA by @bonnie-wee-swordsman

A one-shot crossover. Because COME ON, you know Claire Fraser+Jack Sparrow is a hateful, non-sexual match made in snark heaven. (Pirates of the Caribbean)

Trick of the Eye by Nokomis

Young Ian sees something frightful. (Pirates of the Caribbean)

You Are The Music In Me by @thetranquilteal and @jewelsbrooke

Whilst on vacation, 17-year-old Claire Beauchamp finds herself singing karaoke onstage with none other than North High School’s all-star athlete Jamie Fraser. After a night filled with fun and laughter, the two make plans to meet at their shared school when the holidays are over. But life has a way of changing things when you least expect it. Due to circumstances beyond her control, Claire never returns to North High School, or to Scotland. Until now. Inspired by the Disney Channel movie High School Musical (2006).

Dirt in the Skirts by @notameeksassenach

What happens when Claire Beauchamp-Randall joins the All American Girls' Professional Baseball League. An A League of Their Own (1992) / Outlander Crossover.

Titanic AU by MagnoliasInBloom @magnoliasinbloom

One-shot. (Titanic 1997)

(Some additions to this post come from @thelallybrochlibrary ‘s post of Crossover Themes.)

Feel free to add any other Outlander fics that are based on or related to movies!

#llscavengerhunt #fic rec #movies #outlander

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schraubd · 6 years ago

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On the Latest Academic Hoax

A new academic hoax story has broken, and it's bigger than ever before. Three scholars wrote twenty papers, none of which contained the arguments the authors believed (and all of which contained arguments the authors considered to be ridiculous) and sent them off to journals in the "grievance studies" set. By the time they had to pull the plug on the hoax, seven had been accepted, six were either still under review or under some form of "revise and resubmit", and six were rejected outright. This project was an expansion on an earlier hoax where a gibberish paper called "The Conceptual Penis" was published in a pay-to-publish journal. The present effort distinguished itself both in the number of papers written and in the decision to submit to what the authors called highly-ranked journals in their disciplines. On that latter note, it's hard to assess -- once you start getting into the sub(-sub-sub)field weeds, what really counts as "highly-ranked" -- but at least a couple of the journals they scored with are recognizable names (Hypatia, in particular, was a good get). It's also true, as any observer of peer-reviewed scholarly literature can tell you, that a lot of peer-reviewed scholarly literature even in top journals is dreck. So the fact that the authors were able to get arguments that are (or they viewed as, anyway) dreck published is not itself surprising; though perhaps it gives insight into exactly what and how dreck gets through the process. Nonetheless, I think there are some important limitations on what one can draw from this "study", including significant ethical ramifications in how the "data" was presented. One might say I'm being overly credulous in even treating this project as one that seeks to earnestly improve the quality of academic publishing standards (hint: if that's your goal, sneeringly referring to your targeted disciplines as "grievance studies" is a bad way to start). But, in part we should be self-reflective about the quality of writing and reasoning in academia, I'll take it on its terms. First, the limits on the conclusion. The authors methodology was to take arguments that they figured would be appealing to the editorial staff of a given journal but which they, personally, found to be outlandish, and see if they could get them published. They say that proves a serious malfunction in the peer-review process. I say "haven't they just passed an ideological Turing test?" An ideological Turing test measures one's ability to mimic the beliefs of the "other side". You "pass" if you successfully convince members of that side that you really are one of them. So let's say I, a liberal, adopt a pseudonym and submit an article to Breitbart. I do my best to make it look, feel, and sound like a Breitbart-style conservative article. Now clearly, I wouldn't believe what I was writing about them. The key question is whether they'd recognize the sham: would they say "this sounds like what a liberal thinks a conservative sounds like" (which is, indeed, what it actually is) or would they believe that this is an actual conservative writing? If the latter, then I've passed the test. The thing is, nothing about passing the Turing test, on its own, demonstrates the falsity of the beliefs or arguments successfully mimicked. Someone on Twitter (I can't remember who) suggested the case of a young-Earth Creationist who submits an article to a biology journal that "mimics" tenets and presumptions of mainstream biological science. If his "hoax" succeeds, would we say "aha! The biological sciences are hopelessly corrupted, to be taken in by this prankster!" No -- we'd say that the author has, albeit disingenuously, written an actual good argument (that he happens not to believe). Likewise, if I successfully spoof Breitbart, I doubt they'd take that as decisive evidence that they've gone off the rails. The case for why these papers are different, then, can't simply turn on the fact that (a) the authors don't believe the arguments they made and (b) they were nonetheless accepted. There has to be something else in the argument that makes them objectively bad, such that it represents a failure (beyond the fact of the disingenuous motives of the author) for the journal to have accepted it. So what might these be? This is hard to assess, because the authors don't link to the full papers (the accepted versions have, unsurprisingly, now all been retracted) and because their summaries are by design written to make their claims sound as outlandish as possible. But at least in some cases this isn't facially self-evident. Take the paper they got into Hypatia. Its thesis is "That academic hoaxes or other forms of satirical or ironic critique of social justice scholarship are unethical, characterized by ignorance and rooted in a desire to preserve privilege." One certainly understands the extra-dose of gleeful "gotcha-ness" the hoaxers enjoyed in getting this paper into Hypatia. But it's hardly the sort of article whose "wrongness" transparently stands out such that reviewers should have obviously known, on face, that it was ridiculous. After all, one could absolutely believe that satirical critiques of this sort of scholarship are unethical and rooted in a desire to preserve privilege (the "characterized by ignorance" is, I concede, at least arguably performatively contradicted by the ability of the authors to sufficiently effectively mimic these arguments such that they got their papers published. But even then, that would just show that one prong of the element was, after the fact, demonstrated to be falsified). Ditto their Fat Studies paper on fat bodybuilding. Again, the article isn't accessible anymore, but if the basic thesis is that there could be various ways to present "fat" bodies as (in the authors' words "legitimately-built bodies") worthy of attention and praise, even now I won't say that isn't a transparently ridiculous assertion. Think of what the ESPN Body Issue has done on this score, for example -- quite a few of its models, at the very least, undermine the notion that "fat" and "athletic" (or even "muscular") are mutually exclusively categories (quoth one of the athletes, a Major League pitcher: "As a baseball player, if I'm pitching 35 times a season, seven innings a pop, 100 pitches a game, I need some fat. I need some extra meat on my body."). And to the extent the "obvious wrongness" is based on the thesis being "positively dangerous to health", I call foul both because it oversimplifies what the research actually shows regarding the linkage between health and what is deemed "fat" in contemporary American society, and because "mainstream" bodybuilding very obviously also doesn't represent the apogee of healthy living either. Again, I'm not saying that either of these claims are clearly right. But they're not, at least as presented, transparently wrong such that nobody (not just not-the-authors) could find them believable or worth engaging with. Another potential reason why we could say that reviewers "failed" in not recognizing the wrongness of the article is where there is outright falsification of data. This is something they (apparently) did in the "Portland dog park" paper (they claim to have "tactfully inspected the genitals of slightly fewer than 10,000 dogs whilst interrogating owners as to their sexuality"). Maybe a good reviewer should have recognized that this seemed suspicious. But here I'd say that peer review is actually quite bad at catching this sort of outright fabrication (political science had it's own scandal on this score not too long ago). Perhaps unsurprisingly, peer review works best on the presumption that the author is earnestly presenting genuine arguments obtained by honest means. Our peer-review system would be even more dysfunctional than it already is if the first question reviewers asked is "is this paper lying to me?" And that moves me to the ethical qualms I have in how the hoax authors have presented their findings -- most notably, in how they treat the peer reviewer comments. Each of the papers they submitted -- including those which were rejected -- comes with a selection of peer review comments, all of which are positive. The idea, presumably, is to demonstrate that even their worst papers that didn't get accepted nonetheless were not treated with the sneering dismissal they deserved. There are two problems with this presentation. First, I think it is actually capturing trends in peer-review to be more constructive, charitable, and supportive towards the papers under consideration -- all good things. One of the reviewers quoted (who had recommended rejecting the article) explained his more positive feedback as an attempt to "buy in" to the paper and provide constructive comments explaining why the article itself didn't work without discouraging the author from the field entirely. It is, I think, a good thing to read articles in their strongest possible light -- to try to think of the best interpretation of the claims the authors are trying to make rather than the most nefarious. This is a practice that hoaxes, in particular, exploit -- they gain their force precisely in the knowledge that their readers will commit the terrible sin of trying to take them seriously. The second problem with the way the reviewer comments were presented is simultaneously more and less serious. Simply put: if the hoaxer's goal really was to provide a pathway for identifying what is and isn't "working" in these academic disciplines (and I concede that may be far too optimistic), then there is no justification for not including the negative or critical reviewer comments that (presumably) explained why papers were not accepted. Partially, this is simply a matter of misrepresentation -- only giving the positive comments but not the negative ones oversells how receptive readers were to these pieces. But more importantly, the part of me that wanted to earnestly take this hoax seriously as a genuine effort to constructively critique certain academic disciplines was the most thirsty for learning the content of the negative reviews. What is it that gets a paper rejected in Sociology of Race and Ethnicity (or what have you)? Clearly, it isn't a wild west where anything goes so long as you mimic the right politics (the authors -- somewhat begrudgingly -- admit that their project conclusively falsified that hypothesis). Consequently, figuring out where the borders are, what raises flags and what doesn't, is actually incredibly important to the extent the project is actually meant to have any sort of constructive edge. That these weren't included is powerful evidence about what the ambitions of the hoaxers really were. So it's a more serious critique to the extent I take the hoaxers seriously as trying to have a constructive impact on academic publishing; and a less serious critique to the extent that ascribing such seriousness of purpose is absurd. In any event. I don't need persuading that academic publishing includes a lot of terrible work, and I don't need persuading that there are certain common markers as to what gets terrible work published. But this hoax overshoots the mark -- mostly because its goal isn't really to build a better scholarly mousetrap but rather to grind certain ideological axes. My recommendation, therefore, is revise and resubmit. via The Debate Link https://ift.tt/2Nl8iPv

#academia #scholarship

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ninjakirby1322 · 1 month ago

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OBL Preview - Octopath Travelers

Record: 22W - 24L - 4T

League: 7th, Legend Division: 2nd

Another of the founding members of the Outlandish Baseball League, the Octopath Travelers have had a constant case of the also-rans. In Season 1, they finished in 4th out of 6 teams with a record of 14W - 16L, just 1 game away from a 50% win percentage. Season 2 was more of the same, finishing once again just 1 game away from a 50% win percentage, and just barely missing the playoffs with a 7th place finish overall, and a 2nd place finish in their division.

Led by the bats of third baseman Tressa Colzione (whose batting average of 0.292 was 6th best in the league) and outfielder Hikari Ku (who finished 11th in the league with 24 RBIs), the team's offense is one focused on getting the ball in play. Unfortunately for the Travelers, their luck after doing so has not been great. This was increasingly felt by outfielder Throné Anguis, who was only able to get 6 hits despite having nearly 60 balls in play. This was, in part, what led the team to replace her with Therion de Ravus just a quarter of the way through the season.

Add to that the perfectly average pitching of all of their pitchers, with all 4 starting pitchers having ERAs ranking in the middle of the league, and you have the recipe for a team that feels like it has nowhere to go despite its name. Osvald Vanstein did have the 6th most strikeouts in the league last season, though, and being so tantalizingly close in both seasons so far may stir the Travelers to go above and beyond as the competition gets tougher here in Season 3.

Lineup

Therion de Ravus, DH

Tressa Colzione, 3B

Hikari Ku, RF

Olberic Eisenberg, 1B

Partitio Yellowil, 2B

Castti Florenz, C

Ochette, CF

Agnea Bristani, SS

Throné Anguis, LF

Bench

Primrose Azelhart, IF

Graham Crossford, IF

H'aanit S'warkii, OF

Crick Wellsley, C

Starting Pitchers

Cyrus Albright

Osvald Vanstein

Ophilia Clement

Temenos Mistral

Relief Pitchers

Kazan

Roque Brilliante

Eliza Woodward

Lianna Clement

Alfyn Greengrass

#outlandish baseball league #deadball #deadball baseball with dice #octopath traveler

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mubal4 · 4 years ago

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Everything I’ve Ever Wanted

Wishes and dreams. We grow up with them and visualize that unfathomable thing called the future. Of course, these dreams change over time. Those changes can be driven but our simple needs and wants, maturity & coming to grips with reality (more to come on that), or those who we surround ourselves with. Growing up, I will be honest, my dreams never went to me being an NBA basketball player. The whole height thing and I have always had a battle and I maxed out at 5’7” depending on what shoes I had on that day! That is reality. Sure, there have been folks to play in the NBA at that height, but it wasn’t a desire for me. My family always encourage my siblings and I that we could do anything we wanted. Back then, as a real young kid, it was the typical dreams. I wanted to be a policeman, fireman, doctor. As I got more involved in sports in was play major league baseball. That was one that I held onto for a long time. Going through little league and senior little league there were thoughts of continuing and seeing where that may have been able to go. I was doing the dual sport thing with baseball and wrestling and as I approached high school, wrestling took over and I was able to continue that into college. There was a brief moment in my adult life where I played a bit of baseball after college in some leagues out in AZ and had a tryout or two with some professional teams. Still waiting for that call from the Phillies 😊. As I think back to those times, I am zoning in on how often those wants & dreams changed as we navigate through life. It was those practical desires (police/fire) to more challenging and less likely (pro baseball). Yes, there were the wants of winning a national championship in wrestling but as I migrated through my college years my mind went towards the “get a good job” programming. I am not saying that is wrong but was it cramping my creativity?

Thinking back to those times, me specifically, my mind was going toward the whole “get a good job.” More accurately it was about making a lot of money, getting a nice house, getting a great car. I was 23 or so, not outlandish to think that way and full transparency, I wanted people to like me and hoped to someday meet a nice girl, maybe several of them! Just coming out of college I was focused on achieving those “dreams.” My mind was thinking about joy, fulfillment, and life satisfaction. I wanted to be happy, and I have this misguided belief that money, cars, a fancy title, and lots of women would provide that happiness. I was definitely not thinking about marriage, being a parent (yuck), or such things like that – “that is what old people do.” I was chasing the all mighty dollar and the belief that it provided safety, comfort, and happiness. It parts it does, but that misguidance caused me to miss out on a lot of great things and in some instances created a monster. However, that all being said, it was the journey that I was supposed to take to get me to where I am today. Better said, it got me to be the person I am today. Funny, this person was not a dream or desire I ever had until I realized those parts of me that were a mess. Fortunately, I became aware of those mistakes and failures and acknowledge them. At that point, it wasn’t about correcting them; the damage was done. It was now about rebuilding myself to become the person I wanted to become. It was about wanting things. It was now about being better, a better husband, a better father, and a better human being.

That last sentence is funny a bit. How many kids ages 12-20 say that when they grow up, they want to be a better human being? Well, I didn’t realize that is what I wanted to be when I grew up until about 40. That created this wild and wacky journey that has been incredibly difficult. Just as we grow up and our dreams change, much of, if not all of, the circumstances around us change often and rapidly. We must constantly adjust, adapt, and pivot to stay consistent with our mission. We must keep the purpose top of mind and sometimes that gets clouded by life. Specially now, there are so many more distractions when we are 45 than we are 25. There are the obvious things that change over 20 years but there are also things that we would never anticipate having to navigate through. It is frustrating, maddening, emotional, and can certainly drive ya nuts……it does for me sometimes.

But then there are those moments of clarity and calmness that come daily. I don’t think back to those dreams that never came true, the mistakes and failures that we’ve battled, or something I may have missed out on.

I think about my family, my wife Robin, my two daughters – Isabella & Alaina. I feel incredibly grateful for my family’s health, well-being. Grateful that I get to see my daughters compete and I get to navigate all these challenges and hard things with my best friend each day. I think about the great friendships I have and the amazing people I am fortunate to have in my life. I think about my career and what we are working to build. I think about the blog, podcast, and other ventures that provide me with fulfillment – passions we get to find. When I have those calming moments and realize how full my heart is, how truly satisfied my life is and how much joy is out there. We can easily get distracted by the nonsense that is out there each day. It happens multiple times over the course of a day. It is okay – forgive yourself and don’t forget those things we do have right in our lives right now.

Now, as I think back to all those dreams and aspirations, there wasn’t a point where I thought about the life I just outlined in the above paragraph. It is interesting to reflect on the path and journey we take to get where we are and who we become along the way. The path, I guess, does it really matter? It is a path we chose to take. Maybe sometimes those choices where not the best and yes, many (or in my case many, many) mistakes are made.

Now though, as I’ve shared, I have everything that I can ever want!!!

#keepmovingforward RFP whoareyoubecoming whatsyourpath

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patriotnewsdaily · 4 years ago

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New Post has been published on PatriotNewsDaily.com

New Post has been published on http://patriotnewsdaily.com/what-curt-schilling-loses-his-insurance-for-his-political-views/

WHAT? Curt Schilling Loses His Insurance for His Political Views

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();

In a cancel culture that has long since grown out of control, this is still one of the most stunning and unacceptable examples of it we’ve seen. In a post this week, former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling revealed that AIG actually canceled his insurance plan because they don’t like the stuff he says on social media! Schilling, who gained national fame when he famously pitched through a bloody ankle injury during the 2004 American League Championships, has been a prominent conservative commentator in recent years.

Apparently, that career is not appropriate to AIG.

“We will be just fine, but wanted to let Americans know that @AIGinsurance canceled our insurance due to my ‘Social Media profile,’” Schilling wrote on Tuesday.

The baseball legend posted a screenshot of an email from an AIG employee who said, while they appreciate Schilling’s business over the years, “it was a management decision that was made collectively between underwriting and marketing teams that could not be overturned.”

Schilling posted the email with this commentary: “Cut out personal information and kept the relevant part readable. But ya, it’s real and I don’t imagine it’s even close to what we will witness in the coming months, years, if we let the Nazi’s win and the fraud is allowed to stand.”

Schilling went on to explain that AIG apparently made this decision because they were worried about sparking bad publicity for their coverage.

“That was their reasoning. The agent told us it was a decision made by and with their PR department in conjunction with management,” he wrote.

That might make sense if Schilling was a spokesman for AIG or was on the board of directors, but as far as we can tell, he was just another customer? Who would have even known that he was an AIG customer if the company hadn’t done this? This story is so outlandish and outrageous that we’re almost having a hard time believing it. So far, AIG hasn’t commented on the situation, but they absolutely need to. This is beyond cancel culture; this is outright wrong.

Nonetheless, Schilling made it clear that he supports the company’s right to cancel his coverage.

“To be very clear, it’s their right as a privately owned and run business,” he tweeted. “We do NOT need Gov’t in the private sector. This was merely a public notice to folks out there who might look at AIG insurance differently knowing they politically profile clients.”

It may be their right (we’re not 100% sure about that, actually), but it’s one of the dumbest corporate moves we’ve ever seen.

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ninjakirby1322 · 2 months ago

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OBL Preview - Camelot Aces

Record: 22W - 27L - 1T

League: Tied 9th, Myth Division: Tied 3rd

Another one of the founding members of the Outlandish Baseball League, the Camelot Aces have had some bad luck across the board. In both Season 1 and Season 2, they have finished near the bottom of the league in the standings, mostly due to being unable to win close games.

It certainly hasn't been an issue of offense. In fact, this past season, the Camelot Aces had the most runs scored among the 4 teams in their division. Isaac and Felix were both in the top 20 in the league for batting average, while Isaac was joined by Garet in the top 20 for runs batted in. Mia was also a fantastic pitcher last season, with 7 wins out of her 13 starts.

It wasn't just the stalwarts from Weyard, either. Many members of the Camelot Aces said Azalea, one of the players they had recruited from a golfing academy to play on the team, was their most valuable player, having to step in for an injured Nina early in the season. Azalea ended up being one of the better batters on the team, and as the team transitions to Season 3, her absence will be missed.

Becoming the Golden Suns

Azalea isn't the only player leaving the team in Season 3. After lengthy discussions between players, the members of the team that had been tennis and golf students have decided to return to their academies and focus on their future careers.

In order to fill the numerous gaps, Isaac, Felix, and Matthew have recruited as many willing players as possible from among their friends and compatriots, making a team entirely from Weyard. To align with their new identity, they have changed their team name to the Golden Suns with the Commissioner's approval.

Lineup

Amiti, DH

Isaac, 1B

Felix, SS

Garet, C

Tyrell, 3B

Feizhi, RF

Jenna, CF

Sveta, LF

Matthew, 2B

Bench

Briggs, IF

Hama, IF

Susa, OF

Eoleo, C

Starting Pitchers

Ivan

Mia

Piers

Kraden

Relief Pitchers

Sheba

Karis

Alex

Rief

Himi

#deadball #deadball baseball with dice #outlandish baseball league #golden sun

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breakingmllc · 4 years ago

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I Know Heaven Is A Beautiful Place Because They Have My Husky Wings T Shirt

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AND THEN YOU THOUGHT EPSTEIN WAS BAD HERE’S A LIST OF THE PEDOPHILE POLITICIANS OF LATE AND THAT’S JUST BEEN RELEASED IN THE NEXT WE HAVE HAD JUDGE CAVANAUGH RULES AGAINST GEORGE SOROS CONNECTING CONNECTED TO OPEN SOCIETY PREVENTING FOREIGN FUNDING WHEN NO POLICIES IN PLACE OPPOSING PROSTITUTION AND SEX TRAFFICKING THIS IS REALLY CRITICAL THAT HE STOOD UP AND THIS IS FOR THE FIRST AMENDMENT AND THE DEFTLY HERE IN AMERICA SO IN THE AND JANA JENSEN SAYS JEFFREY EPSTEIN IS AN AMATEUR AND WHEN IT COMES TO CHILDREN AND IN THE PARTIES THAT ACTUALLY GO ON THERE IN HOLLYWOOD SO SHE REVEALS MORE MORE ABOUT HUNTING THEY ACTUALLY CALL IT HUNTING GAMES TO GO ON WITH CHILDREN AT THESE PARTIES SEE SECTIONS WE FOUND THEM OBVIOUSLY THE BIGGEST IT IS FOR. You know interaction ever had because you couldn’t speak at all thank you everybody else took offense to everyone who came as something they would take a look at say anything back so they would just say everything is going to say my face would just tell also’s argument was that your Film I get out there that think they are right baseball garden I did bring you it is betterand has been so interested is a friend of my body get out there the antibody is in a hospital make their case advantage of them in any way you possibly can move on to our first story here todayand is according to the high reporter scares me that actually deadline high reporter broke a story about a lot of yesterday deadline is not about the new villainand wonder woman to is none other than Sheena played by Kristen Wade apparently paycheckand has had her eye on wake for a while now to play this roleand it looks to be confirmed so that she is going to be going up against wonder woman in the sequel to this massive wonder woman they came out last year the new movie comes on November 1 2000 19th J Washington in any way on the panel knows a little something about Sheena is get a VU what does this mean for wonder woman to you no more you know what for first was one of one woman’s biggest adversaries which is cool use granted they didn’t do in the first movie you burned her out from World War Iand had going forward for two Christian week is interesting casting choice as we been seeing a lot lately with comedic actorsand actresses black I said this on twitter if we can get great Elizabeth Banks is repulsing granted the movie the powerand the heart of the story the cake they did on Rita was nice the way she looked at the different look the vision of a Christian week plan is now will she be as serious or comedic is the question you know now also the story of cheetah is a British archaeologist who goes in Africa they had an opportunity to make this potentially a black British woman there’s a lot of things you do great don’t have to change the cultureand the nationality of the character but you done about bunch of things Christian week is a good choice I believe black will have to see you know when you quit yesterday about the rhetoric also compares it was an interesting one at a very early going on to policy your readerand are in the phase where you will reader processing the I actually like our industry in a limitedand I know the old school reader pulseand everybody was hoping to see in Greenwich have to change things sometimes so using the way they get Elizabeth with this one the Krispy Kreme things a little too much I limit like the look is what I was talking about we can expect her to look as bad as she didand who is a Christian we can look like an incredibly soft terrifyingand look like everything that nightmares are because I know that person that scale afterand I had decided not to go sleep that night like this character sheet in general it is likely because of the complaint getting a lot of Power Rangersand about Elizabeth is reader repulsive she was doing her job if your job was to be in the 90s show Power Rangers seem to fit in with the time when the new movie was trying to do so how’s the character like cheetah who from the fanart for whatever is you are looking to come up with seems a little more outlandish than what we got in wonder woman the first movie I was I get a job with the town because this is the first outlandish character to get that’s a human who transformsand something else with justice league you halfstep more that’s in our worldly creature is in itself with complementingand get everything that’s naturally in Atlanta so we understand that this is gonna be something new to see the DCU you know that to be the interest of our behind again we dealt with psychological sale a question when dating Ghostbustersand other films but this has to be something different will have a comedic element potentially Casio serious will see Harry immediately relocatedand seeing like comedians turn into the deep illness rolesand I rooted for everyone in the marketing point of vampire only those crazy if I were to do a rather like the movie didn’t work as well rises to be in one hour photo resigning like this could work out I think it did think Connex can test it to a darker side of their personality getting Kristen Wade is going to be able to do you I have made during especially the just need your initial impression is lie regarding the morning moreand more I read the other where twins are rolling over she’s going to be a good work can know that she is a good idea if Peterson is really talking on the show where it’s like you feel about one wayand in the next week you feel the same exact way did you get this newsand then have an initial reactionand has that changed all sense you heard about this yesterday plates at the words were not including the reference got into because I first heard the confidenceand Christian way to be able to take her time fender from the community of economic theory generally by tradition works much better than tomato doctors trying to go however my question really affect the talent of what wonder woman he was going to be because if they are bringing Christian right are they planning to make it more the sort of lighthearted comedic type of film compared to the first one where there very negligible humor so much of the few moments of levity but it’s not going the route of life like they do in the NICU movie maxed out when they are trying to may be asking rather than actually having Kristen be super hard core cannot write most of the last few got from wonder woman were were very genuine think the reason for that is because she was allegedly try to find her way in the man’s world so to speak because she went out of her boss Dennis Garethand her interactions the chemistry Chris finds where we got most of the yacht if you will get a movie like Ghostbusters obviously that’s more spoof the then I think you get to see if you wanted so here’s the big question you are left to get over to the panel as a fan person wayand that they can be won over to her performance the one I wanted is under just a little bit of pressure yet again because the first time a woman came outand had to rescue us from this dark gray toneand it succeededand then you have justice leagueand now very divisive movie again so whatever man does with my CAN have a more serious darker tone seems once again is directing it what do we need wonder woman to have in order to make Kristen Wade fit into this balance because as we saw with justice league trying to shift the entire town of DC name from Zach Siders darker version to Joss Wheaton’s line or humorous version the China ship Nike seven Apple man James one says dark black James wants a what you expect I think it’s the balance you’re gonna have a humorist element with one woman like you said in the first you have those humorous moments when you tap into that a little more Diana plays around that we seem that she jokes moreand now she’s more accurate to the world again if this present day is his will to but it doesn’t matter I think I will have a lot more humorand Patty Jenkins also ceased exercising more than anything else so that’s what I would single phase it is Kathy Parsley I can send out the rest of the DCU yelled at everyone with your director changes with your your hiringsand firings of executives with your cash comingand going like the movie I want to make I guess Kristen Wade is a cheetah going to do it I can do I want right now how skinny my confidenceand she sort of envisioned Christian right brain itselfand the one she essentially is writing the role for Christianand the only present quite depressing right was Christianand I think that will be sort of tailored to Christian relaxing make this work a lot more holisticallyand cohesively been made in micro barring a comedic actress integral where really wasn’t for you

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wsmith215 · 5 years ago

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Why did Michael Jordan retire in 1993? Two big reasons for Bulls legend’s sudden exit from NBA

By the end of the 1992-93 season, Michael Jordan stood alone atop the NBA mountain. After winning his third consecutive championship at only 30 years old, he had established himself as one of the greatest players in basketball history and a global icon.

Then, right in the middle of his prime, he declared he was walking away from the game he loved.

MORE: Jordan refused to be filmed in his actual home for ‘The Last Dance’

On Oct. 6, 1993, Jordan sat in front of a horde of reporters who were ready to question how he arrived at the decision to retire from the NBA. The full version of MJ was on display that day — his charisma, his thoughtfulness, his humor, his anger, his pettiness.

He didn’t stay retired long, of course, rejoining the Bulls in 1995 and leading another three-peat from 1996-98. But perhaps that successful second act wouldn’t have been possible without a temporary break.

Despite what conspiracy theorists may tell you, there are two logical reasons why Jordan was ready to move into the next phase of his life.

Michael Jordan lacked motivation

As part of his opening remarks at the 1993 press conference, Jordan made one thing clear: He had nothing left to prove.

“I’m very solid with my decision of not playing the game of basketball in the NBA,” Jordan said. “The reason being — I’ve heard a lot of different speculation about my reasons for not playing — but I’ve always stressed to people that have known me and the media that has followed me that when I lose the sense of motivation and the sense to prove something as a basketball player, it’s time for me to move away from the game of basketball.

“It’s not because I don’t love the game. I love the game of basketball. I always will. I just feel that, at this particular time in my career, I have reached the pinnacle of my career. I have achieved a lot in that short amount of time, if you want to call it short. But I just feel that I don’t have anything else for myself to prove.”

In Chicago’s previous three NBA Finals series, Jordan defeated Magic Johnson’s Lakers, Clyde Drexler’s Trail Blazers and Charles Barkley’s Suns. There were no equals, no reasonable arguments to be made opposing the idea of Jordan being the best player on the planet.

Jordan didn’t just own that era, though. He had thrown his name firmly into the “greatest of all time” conversation. His case only grew stronger through the back half of the decade, but it wasn’t outlandish to consider him for that top spot following his third title.

When Jordan asked Bulls coach Phil Jackson if there was anything left for him to do on the court, Jackson struggled to find an answer. That’s all Jordan needed to hear.

“If I didn’t have the desire to step on the basketball court and have something to prove, then I must admit that,” Jordan said. “I can’t step out there and know that I’m out there for no reason. It’s not worth it for me, and I don’t think it’s worth it for my teammates.”

He echoed that sentiment in one of his interviews for ESPN’s documentary series “The Last Dance,” admitting he had “no motivation.”

Michael Jordan wanted to pursue a ‘normal life’

The early ’90s marked a particularly tough time in Jordan’s personal life.

His immense success resulted in more attention and scrutiny each season. Sam Smith’s book “The Jordan Rules” changed the perception of the guy in the Nike and Gatorade commercials. Media members wondered if he was downplaying a serious gambling problem. (He took plenty of shots at reporters during that press conference before he made his way out the building.) Jordan was so mentally and physically exhausted that his third championship brought more relief than elation.

But nothing could compare to the tragic death of his father, James, who was murdered in July 1993. While traveling in North Carolina, James pulled his car over to take a nap, and he was shot and killed by two men as part of a botched robbery attempt.

Jordan had discussed retirement with his father prior to James’ death and was already “kind of leaning toward that direction.” Jordan also told reporters his father advised him to retire after his first title.

“I think one thing about my father’s death is that it can be gone and taken away from you at any time,” Jordan said. “There’s still a lot of things out there for me to achieve. There’s a lot of family members and friends I haven’t seen because I’ve been very selfish in my career to try to get to this point and make sure that I achieved all the dreams that I wanted to achieve.

“Now that I’m here, it’s time to be a little bit unselfish in terms of spending more time with my family, my wife, my kids, and just get back to a normal life, as close to it as I could.”

In February 1994, Jordan signed a minor league baseball contract with the White Sox. Switching to the sport was his father’s idea, Jordan told The New York Times, because James felt Michael possessed the necessary skills to succeed at baseball. Jordan struggled in his lone year with the Double-A Birmingham Barons, hitting .202 and striking out 114 times in 497 plate appearances.

Jordan was back in a Bulls uniform a year later. Even when he announced his retirement, he seemed to have an inkling his feelings could change.

“The word ‘retire’ means you can do anything you want from this day on,” Jordan said. “So if I desire to come back and play again, maybe that’s what I want to do. Maybe that’s the challenge that I may need some day down the road. I’m not gonna close that door. I don’t believe in never.”

Michael Jordan retirement press conference

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junker-town · 5 years ago

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The Yankees and Red Sox played a wild one in London

The Yankees and Red Sox went (west) HAM in London

Major League Baseball played its first ever regular season game in Europe on Saturday, with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox starting a two-game series in London. The first game was a wild 17-13 win for New York, so let’s take a look at the best moments and notes from baseball’s latest international delight.

An important meeting

The Yankees and Red Sox fled the United States for this two-game set, but still couldn’t avoid another American League counterpart, facing the royals before the game. Prince Harry and Megan Markle met with both teams before taking part in the ceremonial first pitch ceremony.

Mookie, Markle. Markle, Mookie.

Photo: MLB Twitter

What a start!

The game looked like a laugher early when the Yankees jumped all over Rick Porcello for six runs in the top of the first inning, but things got even wackier in the bottom of the frame when Boston scored six runs of their own. Neither Porcello nor Masahiro Tanaka made it out of the first inning, with two dreadful starts:

Porcello: one out recorded, 5 hits, 6 runs, 1 walk

Tanaka: two outs recorded, 4 hits, 6 runs, 2 walks

Tanaka was able to last through eight batters, while Porcello faced only seven. The dual duds were historic.

This is 3rd game in MLB history in which both starters allowed 6+ ER and didnt get out of 1st inning. The other two: Blue Jays-A's June 23, 1989 and Red Sox-Browns Aug 4, 1948.

— Katie Sharp (@ktsharp) June 29, 2019

The parrot travels well

Edwin Encarnacion started at designated hitter for the Yankees, and he contributed to the offensive bacchanal with an RBI double in the first inning. But what was notable is that Encarnacion began the 2019 season with the Seattle Mariners, who opened things up with two regular season games in Tokyo. So he played this season in Asia, North America, and Europe, a true continental star.

I mostly shared this factoid so I could share with you all Mariners infield coach Perry Hill’s Twitter account.

Is Edwin Encarnacion first player in @MLB history to play a game on 3 different continents in the same season? #2019 #NorthAmerica #Asia #Europe If so, first reported here first@PHill_bone

— perry hill (@PHill_bone) June 29, 2019

Scorching hot

Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu was named the starting second baseman for the American League All-Star team on Thursday, then two days later tormented his All-Star manager Alex Cora with four hits and five RBI.

LeMahieu is hitting .342/.390/.528, a 143 wRC+ for the Yankees while starting games at second, third and first. He started at third base on Saturday and later switched to first. LeMahieu has a 13-game hitting streak and during June is hitting .389/.431/.648 with 24 runs scored and 27 RBI in 24 games. He’s looking like the steal of the offseason at just two years and $24 million.

Meanwhile, the Rockies let the solid defender and reliable producer walk over the winter, instead handing their own $24 million guarantee over two years (plus an option year) to Daniel Murphy, who it hitting just .281/.324/.452, an 85 wRC+, and made two errors at first base on Friday night. Oops.

The numbers

All nine Yankees starters scored at least once, but as a testament to the offense-friendly times in which we live, that wasn’t even the first time New York has pulled this trick this month, also doing so on June 11 against the Mets.

LeMahieu wasn’t the only Yankee with four hits. Luke Voit was 4-for-4 with three doubles, but he left the game in the fifth inning with a leg injury. His replacement, Gio Urshela, doubled once in his two at-bats, making the cleanup spot quite productive for New York.

Jackie Bradley had a four-hit game for the Red Sox, including his ninth home run of the season.

The two teams combined for 30 runs, 37 hits, 10 doubles, six home runs, and 12 walks.

Sixteen pitchers were used in this game, eight by each team.

The stats were so outlandish in this game that the folks at Fox were all mixed up. They posted this graphic with one out in the bottom of the eighth, with the Yankees leading 17-13.

Thirty earned runs in 15⅓ innings pitched is 17.61, in case you were wondering.

Seems rare

Grand slams are pretty awesome, the greatest thing one can do in a single at-bat in a baseball game. Three-run home runs are cool too, almost as good, and as a general rule hitting a three-run homer tends to mean good things for the team hitting them. Michael Chavis hit two of them for the Red Sox, and they still lost. What gives?

But believe it or not, this also happened earlier this season! On May 3 in Cincinnati, Derek Dietrich popped a pair of three-run shots but saw his Reds lose 12-11 to the Giants. So Chavis has company.

Perfect matchup

In a game they once trailed by 11 runs, the Red Sox got the tying run to the plate in the eighth inning, down four runs but with the bases loaded. Marco Hernandez grounded out though to end the inning. The pitcher that got the Yankees out of their biggest jam of the game in Great Britain? Zach Britton.

Time is on their side

It’s a good thing Boston and New York were both off Thursday and Friday, and will again be off Monday for travel. Because Saturday’s game lasted four hours, 42 minutes, in a game that lasted only nine innings. It was the third-longest nine-inning game in MLB history, behind only two other Red Sox-Yankees games, in 2006 and 2007.

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ninjakirby1322 · 2 months ago

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OBL Preview - Ivalice Alliance

Record: 14W - 32L - 4T

League: 12th, Fantasy Division: 4th

To say that nothing went well for the Ivalice Alliance in their first season would be mostly accurate. Only 2 batters hit above the league's average of .226: outfielder Ritz Malheur (.250) and catcher Basch fon Ronsenburg (.259). They replaced 2 pitchers over the course of the season as well due to poor performance, replacing starter Babus Swain with Llednar Twem and relief pitcher Montblanc with his brother Hurdy.

But there was some life in the team as well in their hard-throwing pair of gunslingers: Balthier and Mustadio Bunansa. Both pitchers nearly won as many games as they lost, keeping games close in each of their starts. Balthier in particular played a very convincing leading man for the Alliance, finishing 2nd in the league with 103 strikeouts over the course of the season, and with an Earned Run Average of 1.62, quite a bit lower than the league average of 2.54.

Now, the team looks to bounce back in Season 3. Hurdy has decided to step away from the field and act as a cheerleader for the team, necessitating a new player. Under the direction of captain Ramza Beoulve, the team has decided to move Cidolfus Orlandeau to a relief pitcher, and Ramza has convinced Delita Heiral to join the team, hoping the power in his swing will provide a needed spark for the Alliance offense.

Lineup

Adelle, 2B

Luso Clemens, LF

Frimelda Lotice, 1B

Basch fon Ronsenburg, C

Delita Heiral, DH

Ramza Beoulve, SS

Ritz Malheur, CF

Marche Radiuju, 3B

Vaan, RF

Bench

Cid Revgaji, IF

Fran, OF

Ashelia Dalmasca, OF

Agrias Oaks, C

Starting Pitchers

Balthier

Llednar Twem

Mustadio Bunansa

Cid Randell

Relief Pitchers

Mewt Randell

Penelo

Cidolfus Orlandeau

Ezel Berbier

Ovelia Atkascha

#deadball #deadball baseball with dice #final fantasy tactics #final fantasy tactics advance #final fantasy tactics a2 #final fantasy xii #final fantasy 12 #outlandish baseball league

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talkcarol17-blog · 6 years ago

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MLB Transaction Watch special edition: Non-Tendered players

Transaction watch will make another appearance this week and I’ll have a lot to say about trades around the league, including the blockbuster deal between the Mets and the Mariners. However, today I wanted to take a special look at the players who were non-tendered last week. It was particularly unusual because of both the quantity and quality of players who were not offered contracts and while it’s not as flashy as sending Edwin Diaz and Robinson Cano to the Mets, it’s going to have a much larger impact across the league.

The state of free agency

There were already 201 MLB free agents on the 2018 market. And while the markets for some players are stronger than others, the fact remains that there are a lot of very talented players who were already seeking new deals for the 2019 season. The sheer magnitude of the market has led many to speculate that aside from a couple of mega deals that could still materialize for young superstars like Manny Machado and Bryce Harper this really is a buyer’s market. There were simply too many similar players available and in all likelihood they are going to drive down contract values for each other, both in terms of years and dollars.

Well, that market gained 41 more players who were non-tendered by their clubs on Friday. Including some players who had pretty solid 2018 campaigns and others who have put together quality seasons recently. Below are some notable names and statistics for these new free agents:

Notable non-tendered players

Player Team Position Age 2018 Contract 2018 fWAR

Billy Hamilton Reds CF 28 4,600,000 1.3 Jonathan Schoop Brewers 2B 27 8,500,000 0.5 Avisail Garcia White Sox OF 28 6,700,000 0.0 Matt Davidson White Sox 1B/DH 28 570,000 0.8 Wilmer Flores Mets 1B/3B/SS 27 3,400,000 0.5 Shelby Miller Diamondbacks RHP 28 4,900,000 -0.2 Yangervis Solarte Blue Jays 3B 32 4,000,000 -1.3 Brad Boxberger Diamondbacks RHRP 31 1,800,000 -0.1 James McCann Tigers CF 29 2,400,000 -0.1 Robbie Grossman Twins OF 29 2,000,000 0.7 Mike Fiers Athletics RHP 34 6,000,000 1.4 Justin Bour Phillies 1B 31 3,400,000 0.5 Hunter Strickland Giants RHRP 30 1,600,000 -0.2 Matt Bush Rangers RHRP 33 555,950 -0.1 Tim Beckham Orioles SS 29 3,400,000 -0.5 Blake Parker Angels RHRP 34 1,800,000 0 Matt Shoemaker Angels RHP 32 4,100,000 0.6 Kendall Graveman Athletics RHP 28 2,400,000 -0.4 Luis Avilan Phillies LH 30 2,400,000 0.9 Ronald Torreyes Cubs 2B/3B/SS 26 615,500 0.4

Select stats, age, positions and contracts Compiles from Fangraphs and Spotrac by Sara Sanchez

To put this in perspective: In 2017 20 players were non-tendered by their clubs and the biggest name on the list was Drew Smyly, who was coming off Tommy John surgery (you might remember him from rehab starts like this one). Non-tendering players like Justin Bour, James McCann and yes, even Ronald Torreyes, over relatively small contract increases in arbitration is new and it has potentially troubling implications.

Last year’s cold stove

One thing that jumps out about this list is that it makes the free agent market a lot younger than it was last Thursday. Prior to the non-tender deadline 26 of the 201 available free agents would be under 30 for the 2019 season. That was 12.9 percent of the total market and would have represented real value for those players as they negotiated their 2019 contracts. However, just with the list of notables above the number of free agents under 30 has grown to 37 out of 222 free agents, or 16.7 percent of the market. That’s a meaningful shift and presents some much cheaper options for teams looking to add position players, in other words younger free agents in 2018 probably just lost a decent amount of money just by the virtue of competing with additional, cheaper options.

This is all happening on the backdrop of the remarkably slow 2017 offseason where the free agent market seemed to drag to a halt before players like Jake Arrieta and J.D. Martinez ultimately signed deals well below what many expected them to earn. In early January Ken Rosenthal reported in the Athletic that only 31 of 166 free agents had signed, making 2017 a “historically slow” market. By mid-January Jeff Passan raised the alarm that baseball’s economic system might be broken. And while MLB wanted to place the blame squarely in the camp of agents asking for outlandish contracts for weaker players (oh hello there, Scott Boras) the player’s union was seething at management. As January turned to February more writers began speculating about collusion and other factors that might have frozen the free agent market.

I have no evidence that there is collusion in the current labor market, but it appears that the same factors that Passan identified last January are already evident in the early decisions teams are making relative to their players on the bubble. Specifically, analytics departments and their calculations of player value that are considered shrewd for each team in isolation, just unleashed a flood of new, cheap, talent into a free agent market that hasn’t really caught fire yet. I mean, the most notable deals so far include Clayton Kershaw negotiating an additional year, Josh Donaldson getting a $23 million contract, but only for one year, and Jesse Chavez signing a two-year deal for $8 million.

The fact that a generational talent in Kershaw and a former MVP in Donaldson are only looking at an additional year should raise the same alarms Passan set off last January. I have no reason to doubt Al’s analysis of how the Cubs likely evaluated Torreyes’ potential $300,000 raise in arbitration. However, the cost to owners in terms of their good faith with the players is likely to be a lot more expensive if this offseason results in the second year in a row of depressed contracts across the board.

The 2021 CBA

All of this will continue to develop at Winter Meetings next week in Las Vegas. And who knows? Maybe the hot stove will catch fire, Harper and Machado will sign their mega deals and other highly valuable players like Craig Kimbrel, Marwin Gonzalez, and Brian Dozier will quickly follow. But if the non-tender deadline is any indication, teams don’t appear to be willing to pay what players and their agents think their skills are worth and we could be looking at another stalemate.

Last year that stalemate initiated some discussion of a player boycott of spring training and inspired the MLB Players Association (MLBPA) to bring on sports litigation expert Bruce Meyer as their Senior Director of Collective Bargaining and Legal. Those were warning shots to MLB’s owners to tread carefully in terms of how they treat players. If those warning shots aren’t heeded in 2018, I’d look for the MLBPA to fire some similar shots in early 2019.

The owners currently have the upper hand, particularly since the next time the MLBPA can truly flex its muscles on this issue is 2021 when the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is renegotiated. However, while analytics departments are trained to squeeze the maximum value out of every player contract, the owners are making a strategic error doing this en masse in a way that could cause ongoing damage to their broader relationships with players. Allowing this to continue to simmer and boil every offseason between now and 2021 will ensure the most contentious renegotiation of the CBA since the 1994-95 players strike.

Source: https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2018/12/3/18124121/mlb-transaction-watch-special-edition-non-tendered-players

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whittlebaggett8 · 6 years ago

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The 15 greatest villains in sport, Defence Online

caption

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.

source

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Sports can generate feel-good stories showcasing people who have worked all of their lives to achieve something very few ever get close to.

This is not a list celebrating those stories.

We’ve rounded up the cheats, the thugs, and the downright annoying athletes that make the world of sport what it is.

Shout out to all the villains.

Visit Defence Online’s home page for more stories.

If you like your sports played squeaky clean, then stop here.

But if you live for the chaotic moments from live events and love to watch an athlete attempt to win through apparently wicked means, then this is the list for you.

Before we go any further, we should be really clear about what we mean by the word “villain.”

This is not someone who gets into serious trouble or has legal problems outside of sport, but rather an athlete who attempts to gain success by being a bit mischievous or controversial.

Read more: These are the 15 best fights in the entire history of UFC

Rather than steroid scandals, lawsuits, and wanton violence away from the game, this means diving or flopping in soccer, underarm serves in tennis, and outlandish statements made by motormouth athletes.

A villain, for us, is someone you love to hate, and someone you want to watch just to root against.

So, without further ado, here are the 15 greatest villains in sport, listed in alphabetical order by name.

Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick are a double act that have been synonymous with success for more than a decade.

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Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Sport: Football.

Why they’re bad to the bone: They’re unapologetically successful, and that alone is enough to make anyone who isn’t a New England Patriots fan loathe them.

Together, Patriots coach Belichick and quarterback Brady have won six Super Bowl championships and are the key reasons for the New England dynasty in the NFL.

But the apparent means used to get that success has come under scrutiny, with the Los Angeles Times earlier this year calling the Patriots “football’s perfect villain – cheating, haughty, hated.”

Under Belichick’s watch, the Patriots were caught videotaping opponents’ defensive signals in 2007. This became known as “Spygate.”

And if that were not bad enough, there was then “Deflategate,” when the league believed Brady probably knew deflated footballs were going to be used in the 2015 AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts, something that would have given the Pats an advantage during offensive plays.

The whole ordeal inspired a 10-year-old called Ace Davis to create an entire science project about it, as he hoped to conclude that Brady is a cheater.

Read more: A 10-year-old boy won a science fair with a project concluding that Tom Brady is a cheater

Dereck Chisora is one of the most unpredictable boxers in the game today.

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Photo by Alexandra Beier/Bongarts/Getty Images

Sport: Boxing.

Why he’s bad to the bone: Where do we start?

Chisora bit Paul Butlin in the middle of their 2009 fight, tried to kiss Carl Baker at a prefight staredown in 2010, and spat water all over Wladimir Klitschko’s face in the middle of the Olympiahalle ring in Munich, Germany just before his lop-sided decision loss to Vitali Klitschko in 2012.

Having lasted to the final bell in an exhausting fight against Klitschko, Chisora confronted David Haye at the post-event press conference. Haye responded by attacking Chisora with a glass bottle.

Chisora is one wild man.

Colby Covington is a “MAGA” hat-wearing cagefighter with a megaphone.

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Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Sport: Mixed martial arts.

Why he’s bad to the bone: If you hate spoilers, don’t ever visit UFC welterweight Colby Covington’s social media pages because he revels in posting as many as he can, just to ruin your day.

He trash talks his haters by calling them “nerds” or “virgins,” and polarized fan opinion when he presented his interim world title to Donald Trump at the White House.

Covington had nothing but good words to say about Trump, telling MMA Junkie after the visit that it was an “out of body experience” because “he was so cool … he likes chicks, wrestling, MMA. He’s just a regular guy.”

Read more: Conor McGregor is a ‘coked up little leprechaun’ and a ‘nerd,’ according to one of UFC’s most controversial fighters

Even in the chaotic world of NHL, Sidney Crosby is renowned for being an agitator.

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Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

Sport: Hockey.

Why he’s bad to the bone: “Sid the kid” is a trophy magnet having attracted back-to-back Winter Olympic gold medals with Canada and three Stanley Cup wins with the Pittsburgh Penguins NHL team.

His passing, leadership, and work ethic separate him from many of his peers, but he’s also a hot head – even by hockey’s standards.

Crosby is someone who slaps his stick between the legs and into the testicles of people who get in his way. Just ask Buffalo Sabres center Ryan O’Reilly who, bizarrely, brushed if off with the words “it happens” as a response to the 2017 incident.

A few nights later, Crosby nearly hacked off the tip of Ottawa Senators defenseman Marc Methot’s finger when he slashed at it with his stick.

Crosby’s villainy is only enhanced as his shocking acts seemingly go unpunished by referees.

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green seems to love attracting haters.

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Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Sport: Basketball.

Why he’s bad to the bone: Draymond Green was suspended for taking a swing at Lebron James’ groin during a 2016 match against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Green, viewed as one of NBA’s most prolific foulers, once said he was not a “dirty” player but later, as the Washington Post pointed out, went on to kick Kyrie Irving.

Green, the loud, brash, raucous forward, is the yin to Golden State Warriors teammate Steph Curry’s cool, calm, point-collecting yang.

Together, they are great. Curry enjoys the love, while Green takes the hate.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the sort of guy to score a goal and tell fans they’re welcome before they even thank him.

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Photo by Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images

Sport: Soccer.

Why he’s bad to the bone: Zlatan Ibrahimovic announced his arrival to the LA Galaxy with a full-page advertisement in the Los Angeles Times. The ad had five words: “Dear Los Angeles, You’re welcome.”

The funny thing is, this isn’t even the most Zlatan thing he’s ever done.

He has “accidentally” kung-fu kicked a goalkeeper in the chest, ahs headbutted his own teammate, and once got sent off for slapping an opponent and trying to con the referee by faking an injury.

Ibrahimovic, unquestionably, has the biggest ego in soccer as he’s a man who frequently compares himself to God. However, he recently let it slip that he has no ego at home as his wife only lets him hang one picture of himself, and it’s not even of his face.

Nick Kyrgios has mastered the art of mangling a racket.

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Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Sport: Tennis.

Why he’s bad to the bone: In 2015, Kyrgios was booed by the Wimbledon Championships crowd because he was perceived to be throwing away the match.

He trash talks his peers like he is selling UFC pay-per-views ahead of a box office fight, has been fined for verbally abusing a spectator, and says he’s “not dedicated to the game at all.”

When Kyrgios does try, he has an extraordinary box of tricks like underarm serves, tweeners, or just turning around and bending over to present his buttocks to his opponent – all of which he did during his May 14 win over Daniil Medvedev at the Italian Open.

Kyrgios unravelled Medvedev so successfully in Rome that the Russian ended up smashing his racket repeatedly on the floor of the clay court.

However, in the very next match, Kyrgios reverted to type, having fallen apart in a second round disqualification loss to Casper Ruud.

Read more: Nick Kyrgios is out of the Italian Open after he threw a chair onto the court, packed his bag, and walked off in the middle of the match

‘If that’s dirty, that’s dirty,’ Manny Machado once said. ‘I don’t know, call it what you want.’

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Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images

Sport: Baseball.

Why he’s bad to the bone: Baseball’s reprobate Manny Machado has channeled the great heels of WWE like The Rock and embraced the role as his sport’s villain.

“I always will be the villain, no matter what,” he told the New York Post earlier this year, though he said he wasn’t exactly sure why.

Last season, however, he stomped on the heel of Steve Pearce, the first baseman for the Boston Red Sox, two years after a wild brawl that was sparked when he was hit by Yordano Ventura’s pitch, then stormed to the mound to throw hands like it was the Royal Rumble.

It was not long before everyone from the Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles benches joined in, with all hell breaking loose.

Marc Marquez’s aggressive tactics angered a rival who once accused him of “destroying” the sport.

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Photo by TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP/Getty Images

Sport: MotoGP.

Why he’s bad to the bone: A seven-time MotoGP world champion, Marquez is one of the most successful racers ever. And as he’s still only 26 years old, he’ll have plenty left in the gas tank to potentially add to that haul in the seasons ahead.

But during his time on the track, he has riled his rivals – particularly Valentino Rossi, another of the sport’s true greats.

At the Argentina Grand Prix last year, Marquez chased down Rossi and attempted an aggressive maneuver, making contact with the Italian.

Rossi fell while Marquez stayed upright. He was reprimanded with a 30-second penalty and later accused by an apoplectic Rossi of destroying MotoGP.

Jose Mourinho is one of the most polarizing characters in sport.

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Photo by ISABELLA BONOTTO/AFP/Getty Images

Sport: Soccer.

Why he’s bad to the bone: The wildly decorated soccer boss has long been revered for his Machiavellian ways.

In 2005, he was slapped with a two-match UEFA Champions League ban during his first stint as the manager of Chelsea FC. This meant he had to avoid his players. But never one to take rules and regulations seriously, Mourinho arrived at the locker room early, gave his team talk, then hid in a laundry basket and instructed his kit man to wheel him past oblivious UEFA officials.

Over the years, not much has changed. When he was Real Madrid manager he made whiffy gestures at FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi and even poked Tito Vilanova in the eye.

After he returned to Chelsea, in 2014, he engineered a rivalry with the Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger by calling him a “specialist in failure.”

And, when he was employed by Manchester United more recently, he angered the former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte so much that the Italian challenged him to a fight.

Read more: Dementia, match-fixing, and doping: Inside José Mourinho and Antonio Conte’s bitter war of words

Luis Suarez bites, then clasps his teeth like he’s the one who’s hurt.

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Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images

Sport: Soccer.

Why he’s bad to the bone: One of the most joyfully gifted strikers in world soccer over the last 10 years also happens to be a prolific biter.

He’s bit not once, not twice, but thrice in his career as a soccer player (that we know of).

This alone is enough to attract villain status but he also flops, dives, and feigns injury.

Oh, and he also purposefully cleared the ball away from the goalline with his hands during a 2010 FIFA World Cup match, denying Ghana what would have been a critical goal – a winner – that would have dumped Uruguay out of the tournament.

Suarez was sent off but loitered around the tunnel as he awaited the fate of the resulting penalty he had conceded. Ghana missed the penalty and he celebrated wildly, attracting further condemnation. The match went to a penalty shootout, which Uruguay won.

Liz Patu is the Luis Suarez of Australian rugby.

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Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Sport: Rugby.

Why she’s bad to the bone: Wallaroos captain Liz Patu summoned her inner Luis Suarez and clamped her jaw down on Rebecca Clough’s flesh during a Super W club match between Queensland and Rugby WA earlier this year.

“She bit me!” Clough is reported to have said at the time, according to The Guardian. Clough informed the match referee, and swore while telling Patu to not bite her again.

Patu was slapped with a six week ban, ending her season.

Infamous soccer player Sergio Ramos laughs in the face of the red cards he collects.

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Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Sport: Soccer.

Why he’s bad to the bone: One of the greatest villains on YouTube is the cat who pushed another cat down the stairs.

We’re not saying Real Madrid defender Ramos is that evil cat, but because he’s the most indisciplined athlete in La Liga history (154 yellow cards and 19 reds) and the most carded player in Champions League history (37 yellows and three reds), he’s actually far worse.

Read more: Sergio Ramos, the badboy of world soccer, has been mercilessly trolling Liverpool FC boss Jurgen Klopp

Patrick Reed is reportedly not too popular on the PGA tour, but this golfer likely won’t care.

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Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Image

Sport: Golf.

Why he’s bad to the bone: He just seems to rub people the wrong way.

“There is no doubting the ability of Patrick as a golfer, it was Patrick as a person that we chose not to associate with,” an assistant golf coach from the University of Georgia said of a younger Reed, according to Golf.com.

When Reed was playing golf at college he was apparently abrasive, a cheat, and a thief, though these are all things he denies.

As a pro, has used a homophobic slur, shushed the crowd, and has ordered camera crews on the course to move away from him.

Last year, he appeared to isolate himself when he was critical of his US Ryder Cup teammates and coach. A stark contrast to the camaderie the European team showed on a daily basis.

A former judoka and mixed martial artist turned professional wrestler, nobody attracts jeers quite like “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey.

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WWE / YouTube

Sport: Professional wrestling / sports entertainment.

Why she’s bad to the bone: Ronda Rousey has been successful in many careers. She won a bronze medal in judo at the 2008 Olympic Games, was crowned Strikeforce and UFC bantamweight world champion in mixed martial arts, and went on to lift the Raw women’s championship in WWE.

Rousey divided opinion when she was in UFC because she broke Miesha Tate’s arm in 2012, would trash talk her opponents, and refused to address the media after her devastating losses.

At WWE, she has also ruffled feathers. In January 2018, WWE said it suspended Rousey for 30 days after she “attacked” her WWE mentor with a briefcase on live TV.

She “blew the roof off the joint” in her first ever wrestling match a matter of months later, and won her first WWE title when she dropped SummerSlam opponent Alexa Bliss on her neck in August.

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