#so dan and phil in 2018 eh

[kae-karo]

Hi I used to be into the phandom so much but fell out in like??? 2017??? Maybe??? Has anything big happened at all? Has anyone died/caught on fire ( ;) )??

oh dear god where do i begin??? well fortunately both our lads are still alive. let me just start with saying 2018 has been like. probably the best year for dnp to date? i’ll try to go in some kind of order here but bear with me i’ll touch on a bit of 2017 stuff and then go into 2018 for ya

so first of all i’m not sure when you left the phandom in 2017 but the lads moved out of their previous flat in april of last year (x) (april-ish it was def before they posted the vid)

also our dear lil dani snot on fire is no longer not on fire (x) so uhh is he on fire now ig? i mean yeah that’s arguably true

*insert phil’s badaladala sound bc on the scale of Significant Things i don’t think anything else massive happened*

day one of demon month, we got this amazing vid from phil wherein viewers (aka dan) picked his outfits n he looked like a snacc and a half (would’ve been 2 snaccs if he’d embraced the quiff sooner but that’s getting ahead of things) (x)

!!!! then a week or so later dan posted his vid ‘daniel and depression’ where he opened up abt his struggle with depression (x) which was imo the start of him just being more open about himself in general. he also started working with young minds (a mental health org for young people in the uk) and shortly thereafter with prince william’s program to help prevent cyberbullying

then! on the day love was invented! dnp released their board game, truth bombs (x - yeah i linked the second vid and not the first, and wot) which u can buy if you’d like but it’s a lot of fun (x)

then these idiots did a conjoined jumper baking challenge and didn’t fucking wear shirts under the jumper like what dumb gays idk (x) but it was real funny and Good Content

then early nov dnp announced the interactive introverts tour (x) and then uhhh it happened (like 80+ shows??? in a ton of countries???) (x) and they’re releasing the filming of it along with some bonus content like a director’s commentary and u can preorder it (x)

also pinof 9 happened which as a legacy phan u know is always a Thing but this year it was especially a Thing so i recommend catching up (x, and the bloops - x)

and phew okay that’s the majority of 2017 Important Events but before i go on to 2018 i’ll just recap a few important events from dapg (basically just some gamingmas stuff):

wherein dan smacked phil in the face

and phil crushed the presents but dan helped him up

where phil pretended not to remember gamingmas was happening, leading to the most iconic simultaneous heart eyes howell/love eyes lester to date

dnp singing baby it’s cold outside together whilst playing yasuhati

iconic pinof 9 moment

dnp play charades but it’s phil’s turn, and he’s touchy

the not my arms challenge!!! playing mario kart

okay! and before anyone starts yelling i know there’s more but god if i put every iconic thing in this post would break there’s Too Much so let’s hop into 2018 bc it’s gonna be a long one

first i cannot believe dan fucking gave phil a philussy cake and phil’s parents asked phil what it meant jfc dan (x)

THE EARRING!!! dan’s first selfie with the lil hoop and it never leaves and we love it (x)

phil is just trying to take a selfie and dan ruins it (x) spoiler alert: phil gets him back in colorado (x)

okay big sigh two large events happen in march: the first, dan’s ‘trying to live my truth’ vid (x) it basically dan saying ‘i’m still figuring things out but i want to be more authentic and true to myself, and also authenticity is important for some people to feel happy in life’ vid that a lot of people hyperfixated on the end line of, where he said he would go ‘laugh at a joke with a chocolate bar and...something else in my mouth’ which people assumed meant a dick and therefore it was a subtle coming out vid, dan did a liveshow afterward (x) wherein he said that wasn’t the point of the vid and people got mad at him for ‘backtracking’ (if u want more of my Opinions on this feel free to check em out - x)

the second v v big event happened at the end of march when phil posted this iconic selfie that would be the downfall of the fringe (x) this has been titled the quiffening by some

shortly after that he began styling his hair in a quiff permanently which was probably the best decision he’s made since responding to one of his obsessed fans back in 2009

quick detour dan’s proud of his hubby (x) for winning fortnite and ‘fuxkung’ is now what ‘fucking’ autocorrects to in my phone

we also had dan releasing his merch (x) which is basically all black and themed around the eclipse logo and ‘don’t talk to me’, though he just released the exist line for world mental health day which has his quote ‘have the courage to exist’. he’s also mentioned possibly wanting to do more creative things like wide-necked or asymmetrical shirts dan just do a fashion line pls oh and he mentioned in a recent ls he might do an internet support group mug sometime soon

and then,,,,,pigeonfest. we watched. five hours. of phil livestreaming their patio. and literally nothing happened bc someone was like down on the street feeding pigeons so there weren’t even any pigeons for like 90% of the liveshow. but he literally didn’t talk it was just five hours of their patio and we all watched it. we all just watched it like the whipped phannies we are (x)

and then we got a brief but overwhelming dose of,,,,,,something from the easter baking vid (x) phil was hopped up on sugar and also confidence from his quiff and probably smth else as well

everything just blows up from there we have giving the people what they want (x) where, in preparation for ii (for which the underlying theme was ‘giving people what they want’), dnp reacted to pinof 1, swapped clothes, did the ‘yoga challenge’, recreated ditl manchester, ‘got a dog’, and made phil say fuck. honestly it shook the entire phandom to its core at the time but like. i’m less shooketh now? it’s sort of just fallen by the wayside in terms of how unpredictable dnp have been this year

then phil drops week in the life of dnp shortly thereafter which is just very very domestic even for them and their ditl style vids??? (x) phil filming dan in bed being one of the big demon highlights at the time

it’s right around this time too that insta stories start and my god it just goes jfc like i don’t even have the mental capacity to recall all the Iconic ones but i recommend checking out this playlist (x) which has all the ii tour stories goddamn there were a lot though they really put out that content didn’t they

in early may we get phil talking about why he changed his emo hair (x) and arguably the first official vid of the casual rebrand - phil’s more open and genuinely vulnerable about his fears about making a change to his hair, and i don’t think we’ve ever seen him that open before. the vids don’t stop being open though, with what dnp text each other (x) giving us coop and doop along with other iconic stories, dnp basically sitting on top of each other in that and other gaming vids on the tour bus, phil being very open abt his attraction to men (x) and the iconic final google feud vid with way too much of a specific kind of Energy (x) (ofc again there are More Vids but i don’t have the time/mental capacity to recap them all so i’m pickin the Big Ones)

monochrome mates (x)

phew okay so the tour in general as well - like if u don’t mind spoilers, i did a big ol analysis of what that was all about (x) but one of many many highlights is dan calling he and phil “best friends and soulmates” 

finally finally finally after months of waiting we also get some phil merch! (x) plant and animal themed, and he even released a lion plushie which sold out like instantly and he claimed he’d do more of but we have yet to see that. he says he’s got more ideas for other merch as well

now okay fast forward to october after the tour’s over bc i think the insta stories and the analysis cover it but then. then. then we get the pizza mukbang (x) thirty three minutes of dnp being more open and honest and casual than literally they’ve ever been on camera maybe ever, and i’m including liveshows in this statement. no holds barred, authentic vulnerable dnp. a religious experience

end of october spooky week hits us and i think the key vid to call out here is the creepy mind of phil lester bc i think it was another open honest authentic vid (x) where they talked a lot, casual domestic w.e got some insight into phil’s mind it was v good

and then they carve pumpkins jfc which was an experience (x) there were a lot of innuendos but also one of the first years they didn’t do a halloween baking in a while (though they have hinted at possibly doing christmas baking) idk i’m fully overwhelmed at this point lmao like a Lot happened this year

phew okay and Then just yesterday philly dropped his vid on why he went to (the) hospital (x) idk soz that’s a british thing i think like we say ‘the’ anyway. which i’ve been talking abt quite a lot lately but it was another very open and honest vid in which he expressed a lot of vulnerability and fear and perceived flaws and it was just a quality like. open vid.

jfc okay hope that helps obviously there’s a lot i didn’t mention, but this should at least get you caught up on some of the big stuff!! and while i’m at it have a few more Important Gifs from this year

a very important moment of communication whilst on tour, deciding whether or not they’re okay with doing a ‘third wheel’ pose

dan flinging himself off the chair in anger whilst playing getting over it

nose boop from phil’s instagram explore pages vid

subsequent nose boop from the extreme tetris vid

and a cheek boop from the overcooked 2 vid

dan pulling phil’s hand off the mouse in fear during spooky week, swamp simulator (shrek slender)

touchy!dan during pizza mukbang

oh god. okay. again, this is not everything, just a big list of some big events over the past year-ish. i’m sure i’ve missed some important stuff but i think i covered most of it! hope this helps ya get caught up dear!

[phantangled]

dan you can’t just end the video on that sneak peek, realistically i know it’s going to be about something stupid and trivial but my heart still STUTTERED

[feelingofcontent]

DNP Rewatch: Giving The People What They Want

Date video was published: 04/15/2018 (X)

DNP Main Channel Rewatch: 375

Time for the pre-Interactive Introverts videos! So good.

0:04 - “the Dan and Phil in 2018, eh?” line has so many implications with the hindsight of knowing they were planning to come out that year

0:16 - Dan really was proud of that graphic design

0:35 - very different from the first tour when they were really playing up their “characters”

0:46 - Dan immediately thinks Phil is doing this very awkwardly...he really never goes by “Philip”

1:07 - lol at Phil’s scared face

1:22 - Dan had tweeted about a week ahead of this...love that they put Tyler’s tweet in the forefront in editing there 😂

1:39 - we haven’t seen the giant TATINOF “P” in Phil’s background before

1:43 - Phil’s ginger roots in this video! and the little shoulder bump

1:49 - “I was just there as a guest reading the questions” sure.

1:59 - even Dan had to add an “I’m joking” on the end of that. didn’t want to leave any confusion on that

2:13 - I can’t believe they were too surprised about that

2:16 - both of them with soft smiles looking at the screen before playing it 🥺

2:24 - Phil went very northern with the “we look so young!”

2:38 - that wasn’t a horrible era of Phil hair though

2:44 - Phil’s like ‘don’t insult my editing!’ 😂

3:00 - the shock! lol

3:15 - self-aware Dan there with the “literally”

3:21 - Dan putting this clip full frame with no comment was really something 😭

3:26 - how after editing his own videos for years does Phil not know he does the tongue-thing when laughing?!

3:43 - love Phil calling out his own messy room...and pointing out the pants specifically 👀

4:03 - “we’ve still got that in our kitchen” help. the really do keep all the memories

4:09 - Dan now being able to imitate baby Phil’s “light” exactly too is adorable

4:20 - Phil does not look like he wants to give an answer to this on camera

4:37 - Dan calling him “Philip” here after earlier saying it doesn’t work for him, lol

4:45 - Dan refusing to say PINOF is cringe

4:54 - “ten years next year. ten years of knowing you” just 😭

5:06 - the difference in colors in the piles is hilarious. also Dan with an inside-out pair of jeans there

5:21 - did they decide to film this in the hallway right outside the bedroom from pure laziness of not wanting to move the clothes anywhere? haha

5:23 - love Dan’s giant grin when he walks out in the first outfit...also Dan looks so good in color!

5:57 - and every time we see Dan wearing these jeans now, all I think of is “crotch slapper.” thanks Phil

6:08 - and Phil does look great in black! he’s got a bit of nervous finger-snapping happening

6:17 - bit of Dan hyena laugh there

6:32 - love Dan’s immediate laughter at “ladybird chic” 😂

6:37 - and the “everything is improved with a bit of glitter” is one of my favorite Phil lines

6:58 - yeah, this one does not look like Phil at all

7:00 - Dan’s “wooo” at the ripped jeans takes me right back to Viewers Pick My Outfits!

7:31 - a good description for the original DITL video

7:55 - the wheel 👀 Phil was not pleased when the tore it down in 2012

8:02 - @calvinahobbes​ explains Dan’s “metaphor” comment SO WELL in the tags of this post

8:15 - “a Manchester macchiato” help 🥺

8:23 - awww, the actual recreation bit

8:56 - fuck they’re fond about that first apartment

9:11 - I actually think they were in Manchester and filmed this before Dan even tweeted for ideas for this video...they must have known “recreate videos” would be a suggestion

9:15 - when this video posted, this was probably the most surprising of the things they actually did. also the one Phil hinted at when promoing this video

9:31 - unnecessary hand gestures from Phil there. “christ” is right, Dan

9:41 - I feel like they could have had a little more floorspace somewhere else

9:55 - “I’m just gonna put my ass in the air and hope for the best” 😂😂 also Dan’s “choice” Phil quote of the video

10:03 - don’t want to know, thanks 😳

10:12 - actually impressed that they managed one

10:33 - Dan with the call out there and also a Dan line that randomly just goes through my head in his exact tone

10:41 - Phil then changing his mind is just great...I think this one is difficult for them because their legs are so much longer than their arms

10:49 - Dan being extra dramatic while Phil just laughs

11:02 - LMAO just...them even picking this one. was a lot.

11:13 - just...what even was this

11:49 - Dan at this point definitely thinks people want them to get a dog for “couple” reasons

12:05 - “meet a new member of the family” 🥺 almost 4 years later, still on actual dog hill

12:34 - they’re wearing the same clothes, but Phil’s wearing different socks so I’m guessing this might have been filmed a different day

13:02 - god all of the dog footage is adorable

13:34 - they talked at some point...in a live show I think? that Phil did not know this one was coming and was actually super nervous about it

13:54 - Phil swears a lot more now on YouTube...just still no “shit” or “fuck”

14:41 - curling up into a protective ball 🥺

14:46 - what happened during that jump cut. somehow the pillow Phil was grabbing got into Dan’s hands, and it’s such an immediate cut in

14:54 - Dan’s smiling so big

15:05 - ahahaha at Dan using the fireworks effect too

15:11 - I like “trapped in a world” there

15:46 - Dan really can’t say anything after calling him “Philip” at least twice during this

16:02 - Phil looks so fond about that. also Dan bleeping “shit” after Phil just said “fuck” ...sure

16:36 - lol at the single tweet with the “archery” suggestion

17:45 - teaser for the next video!

I mean, I love this video, but it’s not one of my favorite joint videos of all time. Like, it wouldn’t make a “top 10″ list for me. And I think that is mostly due to how Dan seems almost...aggressive? in parts of it. Which makes some sense after the reaction to TTLMT and everything. 

I am fascinated by the difference in Dan’s attitude toward their audience in this video versus in the Mukbang after they had met a lot of the audience irl. I really do think the tour was a crucial part of Dan’s journey.

[oriharakaoru]

so i’m 4 months into the phandom and these are my current (approximate) stats:

Dan’s channel: Definitely have not seen every video. But I think over 50% of them. A few side channel vids def nowhere near all.

Phil’s channel: Phil has A LOT of content. I feel like I’ve at least sampled things from each ~era, but have watched probably less than 50% (but more than dan just by numbers). Again, haven’t watched many side channel vids (mostly if they were linked from here for some reason, same as for dan).

Gaming Channel: I’m trying to savour these? I’ve watched...most I think at this point? Definitely have my favourites that I’ve watched multiple times (GOLF! GOOGLE! HEARTTHROB!). Undertale was epic and I need to re-watch that. Have almost finished the Sims (Dab+Evan f o r e v e r). Have tried to watch some spooky vids, but they scare me lol (though they are also hilarious). I’ve watched most baking. It’s amazing the difference in tone between, like 2014 and 2017/2018, eh? Bitter they didn’t finish Dream Daddy tbh.

TATINOF: have watched fully once and jumped around to different parts to rewatch. Same for the bts doc. I still have a Youtube Premium subscription because of these lol (though watching without ads is also nice).

II: watched fully twice (once with commentary) and again jumped around a lot to rewatch bits.

TABINOF: Listened to the audiobook (SOOOOO GOOD!) also have the real book - have flipped through but not read thoroughly

DAPGO: I have the physical and kindle versions. Again, have flipped through, but haven’t read every single caption thoroughly

liveshows: I’ve watched some? I’ve definitely seen all of Phil’s new ones. For the old ones, I’ve watched a few beginning to end but mostly just timestamps of epic stuff people have linked to.

BBC Radio Content: Man, there is a lot of this. I feel like this is a whole world I haven’t explored yet? I’ve seen a few Dan vs Phils. Sometimes I’m just like “oh yeah, they did RADIO for YEARS” lol

Brit Award stuff: I think...most of it? There aren’t that many and they are very cute (like the behind the scenes tours and stuff)

super amazing project: nothing yet. i don’t even really know what it is lol.

apartment red: same as above lol

fanfiction: oh, girl. i eat fanfiction for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. it’s the backbone of every single fandom i’ve ever been in. the other fanworks (art, videos, gifs, edits) are also amazing and i applaud all the creative people in the phandom!

overall favourite content: well, anything joint, honestly (though their solo stuff is awesome too). the day in the life series is a winner. anything really gay/with lots of innuendo wins for me. MUKBANG. GIVING THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT. GOLF.

observations: they have both changed SO much over the years, especially dan. fetus dan is, like, almost a different person than current!dan. they both mention fans shipping them in their respective dis tracks and i may have died of the embarrassment (please please give me the illusion of a 4th wall).

anyway, sorry for this long text post. i’ve really, really enjoyed my time in the phandom so far! when i fall for a new fandom I tend to fall hard and fast lol. woops. i’ve basically gone from “oh these two guys I’ve vaguely heard of came out, eh?” in july to “OMG THEY ARE MY ENTIRE LIFE” now lmao.

[segernatural]

giving the people what they want, eh?

We, as a community, loved this. It fed into most of our desires and wishes and traveled to lots of new places so more fans could be involved. It was awesome! The ii era was a fantastic journey to be a part of.

And the most commom thing i heard from the fans after the tour was done, was: lets let dan and phil give us what they want. Consistently i heard "2018 us, 2019 them".

Where's that mentality now?

Of course, i understand it's phil's birthday and everyone is clammering for content as there's been a bit of a drought compared to all of last year. But like--what if dan and phil want a bit of peace and quiet and privacy? We spent dan's birthday with him on tour, why don't we let phil spend his birthday with his family/friends? If they wanted to tell us something, they would.

As a whole, we need to take a breath and not freak out. Yes, im guilty of it too. But look, we got our tweet, we got our phil pic, we got phil trending on tumblr--its okay. They haven't abandoned us. They arent going to abandon us. Take a breath and see if what *you* are championing is what you want. Do you want dan and phil to do what they want, or do you want dan and phil to do what you want them to want to do? Because those things are very different (even if they cross a few paths sometimes).

If they wanted to tell us something, they would.

Its gonna be fine, folks.

So, dan, phil--it doesn't matter when we see you next. I absolutely care about you and your content and will 100% be there screaming when it happens, but i'm willing to wait until *you* decide its time.

[doodleswithangie]

So. Dan and Phil in 2018, eh? What’s that about? (X)

“ten years”

Check out my other doodles here! 

[cappuccino-howell]

congratulations on 3k cass!!! 🎉🎉 can i have a blograte please? (my favourite absolutely underrated it-hits-different moment is in the very start of week in the life when dan is all "dan and phil in 2018 eh? whats that about?" and phil's like "haha! who knows!" just. v chaotic. )

oof yes that one seriously hits hard now doesn’t it?? Just so you guys know i’m totally gonna go find these moments and watch them and then do these blog rates through my tears :’)

Icon: //not my style// It’s pretty okay // I’m in love?// CAUTION HOT CONTENT URL: //not my style// It’s pretty okay // I’m in love?// CAUTION HOT CONTENT Mobile Theme: //not my style// It’s pretty okay// I’m in love?// CAUTION HOT CONTENT Desktop Theme: //not my style// It’s pretty okay// I’m in love?// CAUTION HOT CONTENT Am I following? //Yes// No // No but i am now where have i been // What drink do i think you would you order at a café? Iced Caramel Macchiato

Comments: Eve I always love seeing you on my dash!! I’m a huge fan of your edits; they are always so gorgeous! Thank you so much for all of your support! <3

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Mey’s Monthly Memorables

Links Last Checked: September 18th, 2022

Admin recommendations of March, 2018.

Rachel

Always You - scifiphan

Summary:  it’s phil’s wedding day but dan can’t let go

i’m giving you all of my love (ao3) - localopa

Summary: (ao3) phil is 5 years sober and dan thinks it's just a party to celebrate it.

Smoke and Flowers - cherrihearts

Summary: high school!/teenage! phan au in which Phil tends to the flowers and plants in the greenhouse behind his school and eventually finds himself completely smitten with the boy who sometimes smokes outside his door–Dan Howell.

To Believe in Ghosts - elliesfics

Summary:  Dan is not the partying type. So when he is dragged against his will to a friend’s Halloween bash, it really is no surprise that things quickly go astray. But Halloween night is only just the beginning. Sometimes it takes an entire lifetime to learn a lesson…sometimes even a death.

yellow acacias (ao3) - fourtccn

Summary: The five times Dan gave Phil acacias, and the one time he didn’t have to.

Tori

An Arranged Marriage (ao3) - MarriedPhan1234

Summary: Dan and Phil are forced to marry each other, even though they've never met. Differing life experiences leave the boys unsure of how this could possibly work.

Feel Good Inc. - melancholymango

Summary: Dan is your local sexually ambiguous religious boy. Phil is your local bad boy that sleeps with anyone that’ll have him and sins as if second nature. Then there’s also the poor original character that gets caught between them and their ridiculous amount of sexual tension. Threesomes, eh?

home (ao3) - sodalester

Summary: dan and phil go on property brothers.

Love Is Blind - howellesterfics

Summary: It’s not often that Dan Howell stumbles across a crying man in the middle of the city and actually feels compelled to lend a hand. He quickly learns that he shouldn’t always turn a blind eye to such situations, as in some instances he gets more than what he’s bargained for (in the best of ways).

We Make Our Own (ao3) - queerofcups

Summary: Dan’s Name stretches from the outer edge of his shoulder, across his clavicle and stops just above his heart.

It’s not Phil’s name. Never has been. Never will be.

Rose

As We Grow - bie-lovers

Summary: There is a small café a little down a side street from their old apartment. The older lady working there has always had a soft spot for the two young boys frequenting her café, and she has watched them go through ups and downs. It’s Valentine’s Day and they haven’t been there since they moved.

in faded holograms they speak (ao3) - artdeficient

Summary: they’re in japan and nothing seems to make sense, so they hide in hotel rooms and pretend they can’t see what’s right in front of them, and it works, for a while. (badlands au based off of halsey's album)

Lost In The Storm (ao3) - howelllesters

Summary: Phil’s soulmate mark is black. It sits on his heart and spreads outwards like a stain, a stain that reminds him every day of the bitter truth. No one wants to accept what it really means, but Phil has. Phil has come to terms with it. Until he meets Dan. Dan, who claims to be his soulmate, with a soulmate mark Phil is unable to see.

Sami

here comes the jackpot question in advance (ao3) - juliawrites

Summary: The one where Dan thought Phil hated him, so he hated Phil right back.

What day is it? (ao3) - knlalla

Summary: It's the first day of the semester, and it's already gone to shit: Dan's late to his first class, finds out his mortal enemy, Phil Lester, is the TA, and gets rejected by the girl of his dreams, but at least tomorrow's a new day...right? Aka the one where Dan and Phil are stuck reliving the same day over and over and can't figure out why.

Kate

If the Crown Fits (ao3) - tjmcharg

Summary: The Royalty AU nobody asked for in which Prince Daniel falls head over heels for his best friend and servant boy, Phil.

Nothing Like a Storybook (ao3) - Merrydith

Summary: University Of Manchester, 2009 Dan Howell is an aloof loner and Phil Lester a well-known weirdo. In theory they are worlds apart, but a chance post-party meeting under the Manchester moonlight sends their lives spiraling and soon they find they have a lot more in common than they thought.

The Scrambled Egg Fic (ao3) - botanistlester

Summary: “Crack an egg in my ass and fuck me so hard you scramble it”

Anne

Butterflies and Needles (ao3) - sloppyseconds

Summary: (tw) What is a seventeen-year-old child with religious delusions to a gas station clerk with a needle in his arm?

Marii

Cat Play - omgdatphantho

Summary: Phil’s a neko and is nervous about telling Dan.

Diet Mountain Dew (ao3) - midnightskydan

Summary: Phil Lester is a bad boy, living as a runaway in New York City. He’s mooching off his girlfriend when he finds a poor abandoned neko in an alley.“You’re no good for me. Baby you’re no good for me. You’re no good for me. But baby I want you, want you”His life changes drastically now that he has a small, anxious, kitten to care for.

Heat Wave - your-precious-phan-blog

Summary: Neko Dan in his first heat and doesn’t understand what is happening but is too scared to tell Phil.

I Wanna Be a Toy - livingvicariouslythroughphan

Summary: Neko!Dan and Owner!Phil smut with cumplay.

Mae

Caudal (ao3) - DumpsterDiving101

Summary: The cave has two exits. One, a hole in the ceiling, wide enough that Phil could see the stars glitter at night. The other exit was through the pool in the middle of the cave, where they’d come from.The siren leaned against the cave wall a few meters away, tending to his wound. It wasn’t bleeding anymore, but the damage was done. Sharks circled in the pool, desperate for a taste of the merman.The hole in the ceiling was too high up, the walls too steep to climb. The sharks circled in the pool of water, ready to eat whatever comes their way. No way out. Phil was stuck, with no food, no fresh water, no hope to escape, and a siren who had tried to drown him not hours before.

Fortune Cookies - oqua12

Summary: Dan goes with Phil to celebrate Father’s Day with the Lesters, and suddenly all his complicated feelings about his own parents come bubbling to the surface. (Basically 11k words of Dan being angsty and the Lesters being wonderful.)

Sweet Pea - botanistlester

Summary: (tw)  A nickname that goes bitter in your mouth. Cries for help that no one listens to. Gentle hands that make you quake on the ground you’re standing on. When Phil first met Nico, he thought he was a gift from the heavens. But behind the mask lies something daunting, something unnerving, that Phil never foresaw. Through his journey, he finds solace in Dan, the regular at his workplace, who seems to be the only one who sees through Nico’s mask to the darkness underneath.

Watchful (ao3) - cafephan

Summary: Phil is part of one of the world’s most famous paranormal investigator groups, along with his friends Joe, Zoe and Louise. The never before investigated Harrowick Penitentiary catches the group’s attention, and they settle in the town for a week long investigation. Most importantly, they hope to make contact with one spirit in particular, Dan Howell, who was falsely imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit, and was murdered in the building. When Dan becomes attached to Phil, things become a lot more complicated.

[partlycharlie-archive]

me, myself & i

chapter one: diagnosis link to chapter two 

summary: "God, you fucking dumbass." Dan sat up, looking around in confusion. "Phil? Is that you? Where am I?" Phil sighed. "You're in a coma. Congrats." (or: dan is sad and phil is a coping mechanism) word count: 1,207 warnings: inaccurate representation of mental illness, suicide attempt, comatose character a/n: hello! this is my first fic for the phandom reverse bang 2018!

artist:: ughh-its-leah beta: artlessdynamic 

the art!

read on ao3

DISCLAIMER: please do NOT use this as ANY sort of guide in relation to what mental illness is like. dan's illness is VAGUELY based off of DID (dissociative identity disorder), with a mild case of epilepsy that flares up when dan and phil switch. however: this is not meant to be a representation of what DID or epilepsy is like, these are only vague diagnoses and were purposely not entirely accurate.

ALSO. while thinking: phil's thoughts look like this, and dan's thoughts look like 'this'.

“Bipolar disorder.”

“What?”

Dan shook his head, brown curls shaking across his forehead as his glabella (ha, thanks Phil) creased in confusion. Pianist’s (oh, yeah, sure, keep using that description. Totally accurate.) fingers tapped gently against the soft brown fabric of his chair.

Dr. Warren, the psychiatrist Dan had been meeting with every month for the past year, shrugged. “Based on what you’ve told us - and assuming there’s nothing you’ve been hiding -” (here he glares disappointedly at Dan, because of course) “- this seems most reasonable. If I could diagnose you with something like baby bipolar, I would, because some of the symptoms don’t fit - your manic episodes aren’t nearly as extreme as most of the patients I see with this diagnosis, and the depressive episodes seem to last longer than normal - most are about a month, yeah?”

Dan nodded, all of the questions he wanted to ask still stuck on the tip of his tongue.

“Right. But again, seeing as you’re not dealing with the aftermath of any traumatic events, and - at least according to mine and Rebecca’s observations -” (right, because of course they’re always so accurate) “- there’s are no signs of auditory or visual hallucinations, or anything else like that - well. This is what we’re sticking with.” Dr. Warren smiled, tiny lines gently creasing the sides of his mouth and the corners of his eyes.

Yikes. Auditory and visual hallucinations? What kind of crazy did Dr. Warren think he was?

Listen, you know better than anyone that they're just trying to cover all their bases.

He knew that, obviously.

“Obviously this is subject to change, yeah? If any new symptoms pop up, or you stop having episodes, then you just let me know. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, yeah?”

Dan nodded again, shorter this time, fingers continuing to tap restlessly against the arm of his chair. Something didn’t feel right about this.

Well, obviously. That’s because the diagnosis isn’t right, dumbass. You know that.

Dan resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

‘Yeah, I’m well aware’, he thought, and could almost feel the weight of Phil’s sigh on his chest.

“… but! That would lead to a pretty consistent feeling of drowsiness throughout the day, so I would suggest taking them right before bed, if you can.”

Dan shook his head, waving the cobwebs out from his mind. “Sorry,” he said, smiling sheepishly, “got lost for a minute there. What’d you say?”

The grey-haired doctor smiled again, this one filled with just a bit more pity than the last.

“I was just saying that I’d like to discuss possible routes for the future. Obviously we’ll be continuing the bi-monthly therapy sessions, as those seem to help maintain your level of mental stability -“ (not that there’s much to maintain, anyway) “- so. What to you think? You can keep seeing Rebecca and introduce medications, maybe, and see how it goes from there?”

Dan rubbed a hand over his face, thinking hard.

Don’t do it, asswit.

‘Why not?’

Well, one, you’re not fucking bipolar.

‘Point.’

Two, what if it’s poisoned? Then you die. Then I die. I don’t want to die!

‘… point.’

Plus. Plus! What if it doesn’t do shit!

‘Eh. Point.’

“Okay. Sounds like a good idea. Let’s - go for it. I guess?” Dan put on his best smile, watching as Dr. Warren started typing rapidly on the computer.

“Lovely. I'll set you up with the prescription, and you can…”

Wow. Fuck you, I guess.

‘Love you too, Phil.’

---

A key pressed into a lock. Steady fingers pushing it through, to the side. A split second of deafening silence - the quiet click of the unlocking door. Wide-cut shoulders pushing the door open; long legs walking their way into the apartment, up the stairs, in the door, and -

‘Are you done yet?’

Phil sighed.

“You know I like to have this time to myself without you interjecting,” he said out loud, kicking the door shut with the heel of one foot.

‘Yeah, well, I saw one of the neighbors looking at us weird because you walk like a retard, so. Whose fault is that, again?’

“There are a lot of problems with that statement,” Phil muttered, raising an eye at himself in the hallway mirror. “For one, how many times are we going to have the ‘don’t use retard unless we’re talking about ourselves talk?’”

‘At least five. Ballpark estimate.’

“Why are you using American metaphors?”

‘Why not?’

“Point.” Phil shrugged his jacket off. “But! You distracted me, Asshole. Also - how is it my fault that we walk differently?”

‘Because we’re not actually different people? I feel like this is obvious.’

“Okay, yeah. Sure.” Phil sighed again (he was noticing a theme here). “Still? I feel like, me being an aspect of your personality or whatever they’d call it, like. I represent your shitty side, right?”

‘That is… factually correct, okay.’

“So, like, shouldn’t everything about me represent that? Like, when you picture me, do you see you?”

‘No, of course not. That’d be ridiculous.’

“Right! So -” Phil stopped short, almost tripping over the corner of his table. “Wait. What do you picture me as?”

‘Um.’

Phil could feel Dan trying to retreat into the back of his mind. “Oh, no no no, you are not getting out of this one. Who do you picture me as?”

Dan sighed, and Phil felt his chest expand with it.

‘Fine. Whatever. So, um. Do you - I don’t know if you know anything from before I found out about you, but. Do you remember that old Youtube guy?’

“No…“ Phil stretched out the word, then paused again when he realized - shit, that old Youtube guy was -

“MOTHERFUCKER.”

‘Jesus FUCKING Christ, Phil, what the hell?’

“Sorry, sorry - this fucking table screwed me over.”

‘Ew.’

Phil snorted, rubbing his shin to feel for where the bruise was probably starting to form. Not there, not there, not - Phil let out a hiss of breath. There it is.

‘Why do you always do that?’

“Do what?” Phil sat down on the couch, feeling his thighs sink into the cushion.

'Rub the bruises.’

He glanced at the pharmacy bag in his hands, then pulled the handles apart to peer inside. “Um. I like pain? I don’t know.”

‘Ew.’

“Yeah, yeah.” Phil rubbed a hand down his face, pushing his eye into his forearm to rub the imaginary eyelash out. “You want to eat something?”

A snort came out of his throat, unbidden. ‘When do I not?’

Phil patted his tummy and let go, a shiver running down his spine as Dan spun to the forefront.

Dan felt his body shake slightly as he took control of his senses. The pharmacy bag, still clutched tightly in his hand, trembled with the shock. Pills rattled inside their bottles, and the noise felt like a blaring siren in his ears.

Dan rolled his eyes once the shivering had stopped. “Can you please stop doing that without any warning?”

Not my fault it hurts more for you than it does for me.

Dan's nostrils flared. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up,” he grumbled, dropping the crumpled bag next to him.

Listen, my friend, all I’m trying to say is that you're… weak. Yeah, that's pretty much it.

“Thanks, asshole.”

[nyxi-styx]

It’s hard joining a new fandom sometimes

I’m just going to take a minute to vent a little bit of my feelings and I honestly don’t care if anyone reads this.

At 25 years old (24 when I started getting dragged into it all), I thought I was “too old” to be a YouTube fan. It was, after all, rather after my time. Established in 2005, I didn’t really experience anything on YouTube until about 2007-2008. Back then it was meme-y BS like Shoop-da-Whoop, “Shoes”, Charlie the Unicorn, and Potter Puppet Pals. As I grew older, YouTube seemed like something better left to teens. Maybe use it to look up a music video or something instructional and then fall down a Slow-Mo Guys or choreography rabbit hole. Still not a fandom. The closest I came to such was binge-watching Rob Dyke’s WWYPTOTI series and Twisted Tens series.

At Indy PopCon 2016, I was there with friends to see a guest (and caught glimpses of a passing Kevin Smith as I was so that was badass). Two of my friends were already in the YouTube culture world and fans of Markiplier and Dan & Phil. While we were having a snack and playing a card game, they spotted Wade (THE LordMinion777) taking some photos with fans int eh same food court area. I went over and took the photo of them with him, having no idea who this dude was. Less than a month later, (I’d say about 2 weeks) one of those two friends finally introduced me to Markiplier. I don’t remember the reasoning, but she showed me I Am Bread first. It was funny. I liked it. I didn’t think I’d get as into it as she did. However, curiosity had the better of me and I went to my room that night and watched him play ALL of OctoDad: Dadliest Catch. I laughed so hard I cried and that sold it for me. I fell in love. Of course, I had known a little about him due to gratuitous gifs and photos all over this godforsaken hellsite and I always thought he seemed like a nice, genuine person. Overtime, I just kept watching. I got to know about Bob and Wade and Team Edge. I fell in love with Chica. I just really enjoyed myself. Of course, I knew a little bit about JackSepticEye too, but I though being a Markiplier fan was about as deep into YouTube fandom as I was going to get.

About February, I saw a recommended playlist of JSE videos on an unrelated site. At this point, the post with the playlist was about 4 months old. I decided to go ahead and watch it, just to try something new. Naturally, I fell in love. I loved Jack more than I love Mark soon enough, not through any fault of Mark or anything. He’s still a wonderful person. I just loved that Jack was jsut unabashedly, fully, enjoying himself and nerding out and THEN doing the “professional” thing and reviewing the game whereas Mark would try to review while playing and get distracted by his own emotions and reactions. Not that that is a bad thing. That doesn’t mean Jack is better than Mark. I love them both SO much, but I find it easier to connect with Jack that way because that’s how I am too. I think that’s how most of us are. Once again, I thought this was as deep into YouTube fandom as I was going to get. I caught up with most of their videos (both Mark and Jack). The ones that interested me anyway. And then I would go back and forth and catch up on their latest. So, naturally, I got to know Tyler and Ethan too.

Unfortunately- and I feel like dirt admitting this, like I feel so fucking guilty and that’s why I’m venting here- I paid a lot of attention to Tyler and Mark and not a whole lot to Ethan. I didn’t have anything against him at all. He was funny and adorable. I just... *shrug*. But eventually, his self-deprecating jokes about “my channel is dying” started echoing in my head. And I found myself going “Why?” I knew they would tease him about his opening (which I think is a little unfair since it happens to be joked about more than Mark’s or Jack though there’s are targeted too) and that was about it. So, I finally went and I hit that subscribe button and waited until I had a little bit of time to really check out the content.

I finally sat down and opened the Crank Gameplays channel and started saving playlists of content that I found interesting. I don’t remember where exactly I started but I was kind of like “Okay. Cool. Cool. I mean there’s a lot of similarities between YouTube gamers, so how much can you really do?” But then I saw the video of Ethan and his brother singing “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” and I was like “Wow! He can sing! He’s got a really nice voice! It’s kind of that rugged jazzy, folks-y type voice. He kinda reminds me of like... Train or Matt Nathanson. Neato.” But then in ‘recommended’ came a video (I assume a clip from a livestream) of Ethan playing ukulele and covering “Can’t Help Falling In Love”. If there’s one thing I’m a sucker for, it’s Elvis songs.

I watched that video and fell. in. LOVE. Instant stan. I don’t know what it was but I just... couldn’t help falling in love. Haha.

Like I do, I instantly tried to find out a lot about him as if to play catch up. I was surprised to find out he’s a bit younger than me. But he’s got the same birthday as my dad (three days before mine and 3 days after my favourite actor) so of course I thought that was pretty freaking cool.

Maybe it’s because I always root for the underdog and the secondary characters... maybe it’s because blue is my favourite colour... maybe it’s because I am a sucker for hazel eyes... maybe it’s because I always fall for the biggest dork... I don’t know. I can’t pinpoint it, but Ethan is so wildly different from Mark and Jack. They’re all super nice, super genuine guys, but something about Ethan tugs at my heartstrings way more.

Whatever it is, I’m happy to be here. I’m happy to watch him grow and succeed in the next year. And I’m SO excited to have the chance to meet him at Indy PopCon 2018.

The thing is, though... I feel... like I don’t belong here. In Mark’s fandom, I really am just a number. Nobody notices. Nobody cares. In Jack’s fandom... well, the Overnight Watch was my first foray into community interaction and I was so surprised and overwhelmed by how welcome I was. Like it didn’t matter how long I had been a fan, what mattered was that I was a fan and I was happy to be interacting. And it’s nice to be a part of a fandom in which there’s little to no toxicity and drama and hatred amongst fans. It’s nice to be completely accepted.

In Ethan’s fandom... well, I’ve been here all of about a week... and I feel like I’m trying too hard. Like I shouldn’t be in this community because everyone else has been here longer. Everyone else understands more. Everyone else is better than me. I don’t matter.

This is why it’s nice to have @markidarkimoo as a friend. She stans with me no matter who or what.

The worst of it all in these three fandoms is that I can’t make fanart. I am shit at mood/aesthetic boards. I CAN make video edits, but my current laptop will not support my preferred software and I can’t afford a better laptop for a while. I am shit at photo edits.

I just... I can’t do anything worthwhile. I see all this other amazing work that all of the rest of you put out and I just... feel so insignificant.

Being part of a “big box” fandom like Supernatural or Marvel or Sherlock is easy for me because they’re all fictional characters and people eat up fanfic like they’re starving to death. Doesn’t matter if I can’t fan art. I can contribute to the fandom and show my love by making stories.

YouTube is different. It’s not based on fictional characters (Jack’s Egos and Darkiplier aside), it’s based all on real people. I can’t fanfic that unless it’s reader insert and that’s not something for the creators to see (*if they ever do, please kill me*) and enjoy.

I don’t know... I just feel pretty useless. These fandoms are smaller than the “big box” fandoms so I feel like I have to contribute something in order to properly show my love and appreciation and gratitude. But I can’t. I’m just useless. I’m just a blip.

[furederiko]

I've sort of lost track of holidays and festives since the year began, but today's Good Friday!!! Meaning it's a good friday to post a Random News Digest as well... Ahahahaha!

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

The quest for young Albus Dumbledore has come to a close. Warner Bros has entrusted the iconic role to... none other than Jude Law. Which shouldn't come as a surprise, considering the Brit actor's long history with the studio, from the "Sherlock Holmes" series to the upcoming "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword". Personally, I still think Rafe Spall would make a better Albus, but perhaps the movie needs more of Law's... star power considering the first "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" wasn't exactly the big "Harry Potter" hit that WB expected. Beside, Law also suits the "younger man and quite a troubled man" criteria better than Spall.

The down side of this casting, is the general assumption that the sequels will put more focus on the bromancing frenemy between his Dumbledore and Johnny Depp's Gellert Grindelwald. It has been hinted that the two characters have shared a rather 'close' relationship in the past, perhaps even something that was somewhat romantically inclined. Okay, let me correct that. J.K. Rowling has said it herself that "Dumbledore fell in love with Grindelwald, and that added to his horror when Grindelwald showed himself to be what he was.", so it's more than just mere speculation. Thus, it IS going to be interesting to see how Law and Depp come to blow with one another, which is what many "Harry Potter" fans should be dying to see. Then why do I call it a 'down side'? Because at least for me, it's Eddie Redmayne's Newt Scamander...'s magical ZOO that was the prime highlight of the first movie. Those creatures, with the chemistry between Alison Sudol's Queenie and Dan Fogler's Jacob Kowalski coming hot in second place, are the part that I found to be delightful. These three characters, alongside Katherine Waterston's Tina, have all been confirmed to return, so one would easily wonder how these New Yorkers are going to fit in the story that takes place in Paris and Watford, England. Admittedly, Tina and even Newt himself, were pretty dull and boring for a lead. But it would feel like such a crime if they are put aside to the corner, as the spotlight is stolen by Law and Depp instead.

It is currently unclear whether the next movie will once again feature two separate storylines going in parallel with one another. But that's exactly what's currently generating the concern for some people. David Yates will be returning to helm the second movie, so let's just hope he'll find a way to make the sequel feel more... balanced and evenly focused. "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 2", a tentative title for now because I'm not even sure if it will be accurate to the story anymore, is set to be released next year on November 16th, 2018. That's when we'll see whether this will turn out to be a magical Brokeback Mountain between Law and Depp, or another adventure of Newt & Co.

DC Films

Pray tell, why are we getting another poster for "The Justice League"? The popular notion is that WB is launching one as preparation for that last trailer debuting in theaters alongside "The Fate of the Furious". Yet when you look at the timing, somehow it just feels rather inappropriate. I mean, why not release it alongside those character posters and teasers last month? Can't remember? Those ones that oddly arrived on the same week to Spider-Man's posters and trailer. Sounds dejavu? Because Marvel Studios had just debuted the trailer and first poster for their upcoming Thor movie as well! You know, the one that will premiere just two weeks ahead of "The Justice League"!

Aaaah yes, THAT is the reason why calling this as coincidence is hokey at best. As if WB is trying to convince audience that... yes, despite the muted colors and the joyless forced humor, their grand ensemble movie is as colorful and fun. Now I can't help but wonder if this is a direct answer to that hillarious FANMADE video that's casually making fun of Ben Affleck's Bruce Wayne and Gal Gadot's Diana Prince... LOL. Anyway, my point is... hogging on another movie's spotlight is acceptable, since many studios have been doing this since the Hollywood's dinosaur age. But I do really wish WB would stop being so dickish, while at the same time, being utterly obvious about it. Stop positioning themselves as the angry envious rival, subtly but blatantly creating flame wars with Marvel, because it does them no good. Acting all offensive in a non-existent competition is the wrong thing to do, because it makes them look BAD instead!

"Wonder Woman" also made news because the movie is said to be tracking for a $83 million opening. Eventhough it is unfortunately lower than DC Films' previous two movies, it sure didn't stop fans from turning into bragging mode and stuff. After all, that's how the internet works, and sorry to say, precisely the way 'DC fans' tend to overreact with things both good and bad. Meanwhile, another outlandish rumor hit the internet, claiming that WB will release not one, not two, but FOUR Batman-related movies in the year 2019. Yeah, judging from the studio's track record on announcing DC projects, only to end up losing directors or getting back to first page rewrites... over and over again, that sounds too good to be true, right? Despite all that, just imagine the headlines and numerous thinkpieces immediately run by various entertainment, and fansites. Well, at least until WB's producer Jon Berg and DC Entertainment's President Geoff Johns themselves shot down this report in their own hillarious way. I don't know about you, but THAT is what I call FUN.

Last but not least, Dolph Lundgren has joined "Aquaman" to play merman(?) King Nereus of Xebel. Making him the third antagonist after Patrick Wilson's Orm, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's Black Manta. That's not counting the likelihood of Willem Dafoe's Dr. Vulko turning evil, of course. Director James Wan has confirmed this casting himself, and Lundgren will likely join production when it begins on May in Hawaii. Although having the former Punisher sounds good, once again, this casting felt a little toooo obvious to be a coincidence. After all, we just got a hot rumor surrounding Sylvester Stallone's important role in the upcoming Guardians movie. And when you start remembering that Lundgren used to play as Stallone's rival/opponent in "Rocky IV" before teaming up in "The Expendables" series? Aaaaaah, it's another act of spite, right there! Oh WB, when will you ever learn...

Transformers

Have you seen the latest trailer for "Transformers: The Last Knight"? I certainly haven't, because I'm totally not looking forward to see this movie anytime soon. But I heard it was great, and well... probably the best one this movie has released so far. Honestly, after the lackluster tragedy that was "Transformers: Age of Extinction", I never would've thought that we're going to get a 5th movie of this winding-down franchise. And this is just the beginning of another array of sequels, because director Michael Bay himself has explicitly stated to MTV that... "There are fourteen stories written. And there’s good stuff. So, I would like to do one of them, though.". 14? SERIOUSLY?!! Dang it, for a guy who thought "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" was meant to be the last, this statement felt like an offensive mockery. Anyways, this 5th movie is set to arrive on June 23rd. I'm personally more curious about whether it will rake as much money as the previous one. Somehow I suspect it won't, but general audience seems to love this franchise... so, we'll see.

SONY Marvel Universe

SONY Pictures has found its Miles Morales! What for? That animated "Spider-Man" movie that is set to be released on December 21st, 2018. Yes, the same date that recently has been occupied by "Aquaman". The young actor privileged to lend his voice for the animated Miles is none other than Shameik Moore. Fans might argue that Morales is half black, half latino in the comics, whereas Moore is not. But this is an animated movie, which only requires his voice, so I don't think it should be a problem. The actor himself shot to fame following his debut in Rick Famuyiwa's "Dope", later starred in the Netflix drama "The Get Down", and will next be seen in "The Pretenders". Speaking of "Dope", who would've guessed that it was such a good movie, eh? I mean, most of its main cast has gotten big comic book roles now. Tony Revolori is soon to be seen as Flash in MCU's Spider-Man. Kiersey Clemons is Iris West in DC's who-knows-when Flash movie, a feature that was almost directed by Famuyiwa. Zoe Kravitz was in "X-Men: First Class". And now Moore. Should we expect anyone else from that movie?

Aside from Moore, another cast who has joined the movie is Liev Schreiber. Schreiber portrayed Sabretooth in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine", and is currently well known as the lead actor of "Ray Donovan". According to the same report, Schreiber will be voicing the movie's antagonist/supervillain, though his character is being kept a secret for now. If I didn't know better, I have a feeling that Schreiber is going to voice Otto Octavius, or more popularly known as Dock Ock. Unless he's being assigned to voice Kraven the Hunter, which might also work when you put into account his previous ferocious comic book role. Then again, just like Moore, only his voice will be utilized, so he can practically play anyone. LOL. Hollywood's favorite duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller are writing and producing this movie, while Bob Persichetti and Peter Ramsey will co-direct the movie. Considering this is an animated movie, shouldn't they start working from now? I mean, animation is unlike live action movie, because it needs to be done at least 2 years in advance to achieve the highest quality. Let's just hope that this movie will be able to stand against the rising tide of "Aquaman" when it arrives next year. Otherwise, this might spell trouble for SONY's ambitious universe.

X-Men Universe

In a very surprising (but seriously pleasant) announcement, "Deadpool 2" has discovered its future-mutant Cable. And my oh my, it's Mad Titan Thanos himself, Josh Brolin!!! Yes, scoring his second Marvel role, Brolin's Cable will be featured in not one, nor two, but FOUR future X-Men movies. Popular speculation says that his next movie will be "X-Force", if not "New Mutants" as well. He's joining Ryan Reynolds who is returning to produce and star as lead character Wade Wilson, as well as Zazie Beets who will portray Domino. Interestingly, Brolin has played a comic book character before, as the titular character in the critically and financially failed DC movie "Jonah Hex". Which means, he and Reynolds are fated kindred spirits from the get go! That's nothing but true fact, no matter how Reynolds openly 'complains' about it... LOL.

No offense to David Harbour, Brad Pitt, or Michael Shannon, but Brolin sounds too perfect for this role. Not just in terms of looks, but also in the actor's ability to play the straight-faced man with a penchant to infuse his character with various kinds of intensity. "Old Boy", and "Sicario" are great examples of this. Created by Rob Liefeld and writer Louise Simonson, Cable is the complete opposite personality to the obnoxious, oddball, and foul-mouthed Deadpool. He's a tough, no-nonsense mutant whose gruff attitude and mysterious aura didn't waste time to attract a great number of fans. He has also been paired with Deadpool ever since. Suffice to say, it's a character that is right up on Brolin's alley, with "Men in Black 3" as its easiest example. With this sequel expected to arrive in 2018, production for the David Leitch feature is set to have a June start in Vancouver. Brolin is currently filming his Thanos role with Marvel Studios in Atlanta, and might even have completed his motion-capture part already. So rest assured, scheduling issue is not even a thing. Interestingly, both movies will be released next year, which means, 2018 would be a truly Marvel-ous year for Brolin!

Marvel Studios

Have you seen the mindblowing first teaser of "Thor: Ragnarok"? The long awaited teaser was simply rock and roll AWESOME, wasn't it! Not only director Taika Waititi delivered a Thor Odinson's movie that already felt distinctly different to his previous solo features, he also imbued it with his signature quirky fun but gorgeous colorful style. It felt like this least-favored franchise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has finally embraced its funky Asgardian glory and cosmic side, eh? As if that's not enough to please us, it has already scored an amazing achievement by being the most-watched trailer that both Disney and Marvel Studios ever released! Is this a good sign? Most definitely. In fact, this was such a splendid teaser, I'm actually hoping that Marvel Studios won't be releasing anything else after this. This one's more than enough to grab audience's attention.

The official poster that came afterwards, though? Perhaps it didn't quite leave a similar impression, but arguably still emitted a strong promise of colors and style. Especially with all those Rainbow-Bridge-tone illuminating the titular character. Just look all those gorgeous colors, right? Chris Hemsworth is looking cool with that new haircut, and of course, don't forget the absence of Thor's beloved Mjolnir. Seriously, this movie is going to be strangely fun but epic! November 3rd, 2017 can't come soon enough.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves too soon. "Ragnarok" is still 7 months away, and there's "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" and "Spider-Man: Homecoming" that we need to anticipate first! With all three releases of the year looking equally fun and colorful, it would be a mistake to skip any one of them, right? HUGE mistake. And we can expect the first screenings reactions from "Vol 2" pretty soon. Why? Director James Gunn, along with stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, and Dave Bautista have kicked off the sequel's worldwide promotional tour in Tokyo, Japan last week. Not surprising, because it is set to hit theatres in Australia, Southeast Asia, and other international countries theatres starting on April 25.

As for the North American region, if I'm not mistaken, some of the press members are going to be the first to see it, just a few days from now. I bet early social media reviews and responses will arrive pretty much the same day. That's also the same reason why it's going to get harder and harder to avoid spoilers spreading throughout the internet. Even interviews and press roundup have slowly reveal details about the movie, much earlier than we expected. For example, Kurt Russell has spoken to Total Film (via Flickering Myth) on whether we'll be seeing a "Tango and Cash" reunion in this movie between his Ego the Living Planet, and Sylvester Stallone's mysterious character. Nah... I won't spoil anything about it, just go ahead and read the article if you're up with a little spoiler.

For the time being, "Vol 2" is tracking for a $150 million domestic debut. This is considerably close to the opening of "Captain America: Civil War", and also a solid improvement to the $94,3 million debut of the first "Guardians of the Galaxy" back in 2014. It's hard to predict whether this opening estimation is on point or not, because even "Beauty and the Beast" have magnificently surpassed its initial tracking number (and has broken the $1 billion mark yesterday). There's always a chance that the same accomplishment will occur with "Vol 2", considering the franchise is now sitting on everyone's top 5 most favorite among the MCU. Not to mention, "Vol 2" is the first movie that will kick start the 2017 Summer Movie season in the US. I guess we'll have to wait and see, and hope the best for the sequel. Because if it's good, then I bet Gunn would not shy away from returning to create a "Vol 3".

As for "Homecoming", several rather spoilery details of the movie might have landed online as well. In this case, regarding the "Daily Bugle" existence in the MCU, several scene descriptions from an event held in Tokyo, the possible appearance of other Avengers beside Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark, as well as actress Angourie Rice's true role in the movie. Hailing down from a Tom Holland's fanbase account on Twitter, these reports felt... a little hard to fully believe, because it could very well be a subjective assumption on their part. So do take them with a huge grain of salt.

Finally, remember that candid photos of Elizabeth Olsen filming an action scene for "Avengers: Infinity War" in Edinburgh? There's a video version of it now, and one that looks rather... dire and serious. This scene once again hinting that Olsen's Scarlet Witch and likely Paul Bettany's Vision will come into blow with a CGed henchmen, presumably the Black Order members. If you're curious, then go ahead and check it on Youtube. Assuming it hasn't been taken down, of course. Inline with the casting announcement from FOX, it seems Josh Brolin would have concluded his part as Thanos in May so that he can join the production for "Deadpool 2" in Vancouver. Which is probably why the "Infinity War" production will then proceed with his Black Order members instead.

Netflix

This might sound surprising, but it's the last category for today! Yes, because I have no topics for the game section. LOL.

It wasn't long ago that we heard Marvel's "The Defenders" has wrapped its production, to pave way for the second season of Marvel's "Jessica Jones". Looks like Marvel's "The Punisher" has followed suit as well with its completion. A Twitter fanbase account for lead actor Jon Bernthal, reported that the cast has thrown away a wrap party for the production that began on October 2016. Judging from this, it's safe to assume that the series will in fact arrive later this year instead of next year. It's a little suspicious though, that it wrapped just a few weeks after "The Defenders" eventhough they started at relatively the same time. Considering the mini series only has 8 episodes, does this mean "The Punisher" might be a more compact/shorter series than those previous four? I sure hope so, because forcing these serialized shows into a 13 episodes with materials enough for maybe 10 at most, certainly didn't work charm. Said sentiment has even become one of the loudest talked-about criticism thrown at them. Here's hoping Netflix will realize this issue and solve it accordingly, because seriously, watching Marvel's "Iron Fist" alone has already worn me out.

Meanwhile, Netflix is reminding its audience that the 2nd season of "Sense8" will arrive in May 5th, by launching an official trailer. Which is highly necessary, because even I have forgotten that I've written about this fact before! YIKES!!! The inability of Netflix to set a fixed annual release date is admittedly troublesome, as it tends to wore out its devoted audience due to uncertainty of when to expect any continuations. "Sense8" and "Voltron Legendary Defender", as well as their uncertain delays are good examples of this particular issue.

IMHO, "Sense8" is a show that would have benefitted from having its second season arriving as soon as possible, preferably in mere months apart (just like the Network side, perhaps?). The first season was undoubtedly slow if not poorly paced, and the story only got interesting and intense in the last two-to-three episodes. It undeniably felt like an extended intro for the real story, thus forcing viewers to wait too long (remember, first season was launched in 2015!) to see what's next (one that hopefully explores the REAL intrigue behind them), simply doesn't do any good. Sure, there was a "Sense8: Christmas Special" on December 23rd last year, but I doubt many even knew it existed nor have watched it. I sure haven't, because even I only remember about it just now, FOUR months later. LOL. And to be honest, although I'm probably among the few who DID enjoy the first season, I've realized I'm not that anxious to see the second. Why? I have forgotten whatever was happening in it, so seeing this new trailer only succeeded in making me scratch my head in confusion. That is NOT good...

Thankfully, Netflix's bingewatch functionality helps to counter this problem. After all, unlike movies that come and go, we can view any of their original shows anytime we want. So those who haven't seen the first, can plan their start later by watching both seasons all at once. Trust me, I believe that would be more effective for this series. So right now, I'm patiently waiting for the critics' reviews first before actually checking the second season. While at the same time, re-watching the first season one by one, which might be a challenge because sadly this show doesn't have a strong rewatchability. My only hope is, I won't end up forgetting about this plan in just a few weeks after release. LOL.

[kae-karo]

All I Want for Christmas is a compilation of every time they look at each other’s lips while talking. Pls Katie Santa daddy.

hope this is close enough, merry christmas (two weeks early) 

so, dan and phil in 2018, eh, what’s that about?

[plotmoney9-blog]

Cub Tracks doesn’t send a text

We’re seeing rumors about Kyle Schwarber and Corey Kluber.

News is necessarily an impermanent commodity. Therefore Cub Tracks will continue our proud tradition of not having any sort of review or best-of, and not being included in any top ten lists. Our unique perspective deserves unique exposure, after all.

The editorial we worked very hard this year, and we gladly received our lump of coal, putting it in a pile with the charcoal and using it to grill the Christmas lamb. Cub Tracks experienced personal growth in a nonlinear way, in the form of calluses on our typing fingers (both indexes and the left pinky for the shift), the gain of fifteen or so pounds, and mysterious greenery in the hall closet.

Maybe the greenery has something to do with the weight gain. I dunno. The discovery of DoorDash didn’t affect that at all.

Sitting down at the typer on a daily basis has been productive in other ways, and we are pleased to announce that the small press that we helped found has somehow gotten critical acclaim and has experienced decent sales figures, and that we’ll be publishing our award-winning writers and bestselling weird fiction offerings with increasing frequency in 2019.

We appreciate those of you who take the time to read and comment. Thanks for being.

Here’s today’s Cubs News and Notes, such as they are. It’s the season! No, the other other season. As always * means autoplay on, or annoying ads, or both (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome).

NBC Sports Chicago: A cup of Joe, pt. 2. [AUDIO].

Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Joe Maddon’s future in Chicago may depend on his past. “Some skeptics may even note a bitterness not unlike Jeppson’s Malört lingering at the periphery of Theo Epstein’s calls for greater urgency.”

Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic $): How one new statistic values the 2018 Cubs differently. “...the last thing North Side fans want is a fancy new statistic to get them all riled up.”

Brendan Miller (Cubs Insider): Recent Kendall Graveman deal isn’t like last year’s Drew Smyly deal. “...the Graveman deal is more risk-averse and has a higher likelihood of returning value.” More Graveman news from Cubs Insider. Brad Mills?

Phil Rogers (Forbes*): There are two ways Cubs can manage their payroll to become Bryce Harper-friendly. Pay down Jason Heyward or take the tax hit.

Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Even using JD Drew as a comp for Harper, you shouldn’t be scared away from a huge contract. “...the comparison does become useful, for underscoring just how unique it is for a player like Harper to reach free agency at such a young age.”

Rian Watt (Fangraphs): To not fade away. Miguel Montero wanted to be a leader, and for a time there in Chicago, he was.

Dan Santaromita (NBC Sports Chicago*): Anthony Rizzo is getting married this weekend and getting the band back together. Dexter Fowler spilled the beans.

Phil Thompson, Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune* $): Cubs lose minor-league field coordinator Tim Cossins to Orioles, promote Chris Valaika to hitting coordinator. “Valaika takes over for Jacob Cruz, whom the Pirates hired last month as assistant hitting coach.”

Jay Jaffe (Fangraphs): JAWS and the 2019 Hall of Fame Ballot: Sammy Sosa. “Steroid saga aside, the superficial statistics suggest Sosa is a Hall of Famer.” Maybe Sammy should have just used Nugenix. Eh, Frank Thomas?

Michael Walton (NBC Sports Chicago*): Bronx-waiter mistakenly receives Bryce Harper news...from not Bryce Harper. “Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Trevor Williams was out at a restaurant with his wife Jackie when their waiter mistook him for the 6-time All Star...”

Food for thought:

Thanks for reading. New from Planet X Publications!

Source: https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2018/12/29/18159727/cub-tracks-doesnt-send-a-text

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1241

Monday, December 17, 2018

 I got sucked into the vortex that happens this time of year for social events that I couldn't avoid. We went out to dinner on Friday at Grow Your Roots Café in Kanata with our vegetarian friends to celebrate my and Brian's birthdays, which are two weeks apart in December. I actually enjoyed my beyond meat burger platter. Way better than A&W's, although to be fair I haven't had the fast food version yet, but Brian has. And their fries were excellent too. Saturday was date night with dinner at the Yangtze Restaurant on Somerset Street and then crossing Arthur Street to Bar Robo to see the Tony D Trio. I've always wanted to see Tony D play live and this was a great chance to do that. It was intimate and we got a great table. We stayed for both sets and got home just before midnight. Not bad for an old fogey. The rocking music helped me stay awake. Sunday morning found us at the Carleton Tavern having breakfast at 9 AM. We try to see Sam the chef before Christmas and wish him and his family all the best for the holidays. Sam spoils us. You can tell he piles a lot more food on our plates than for other diners. You get that when you've patronized a place for 40 years. And finally, I venture out tonight to go see the Aquaman movie with my Jee-Riz partner Chris. I hear Amber Heard is in it.

 X-23 #7 - Mariko Tamaki (writer) Diego Olortegui (pencils) Walden Wong (inks) Chris O'Halloran (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). X-Assassin part 1. You can safely jump onto this book right here with this new story. Laura and Gabby help out the NYPD with a serial murder case and the killer is something brand new. I like the connection between the assassin, X-23 and Honey Badger and the new art team did a great job so I'm going to keep reading.

 Doctor Strange: The Best Defense #1 - Gerry Duggan (writer) Greg Smallwood (art) VC's Cory Petit (letters). By the Vishanti was this ever good. These Defender one-shots are thoroughly worth reading if you're a big Marvel Fan. Greg did a wonderful tribute to Steve Ditko in a two page spread and I loved his Clea. The stabby guy in the bed sheet is still killing aliens too.

 The Silver Surfer: The Best Defense #1 - Jason Latour (writer & art) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). My hopes for all of the Defenders one-shots to be stellar were dashed with this one. Norrin Radd doesn't even appear until way later in the story. It starts off incomprehensibly with a bunch of aliens and ends with a lot of new age gobbledy goop that the Surfer spouts while floating in space. The crazy knife wielding Halloween ghost only shows up in two panels so that was disappointing as well. The only thing I liked was when the Surfer's board takes off eh.

 Magic Order #5 - Mark Millar (writer) Olivier Coipel (art) Dave Stewart (colours) Peter Doherty (letters). This is the penultimate issue with many shocking revelations. It sets up next issue's conclusion beautifully. I can hardly wait to find out what happens.

 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #1/LGY #241 - Saladin Ahmed (writer) Javier Garron (art) David Curiel (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Yay! This did not suck. I was so afraid that the new Miles book would not stand up to the high standard that I put on it when Brian Michael Bendis was writing his adventures. Saladin Ahmed did an excellent job here and it helped that Javier Garron's art rocked the whole issue. You get all you need to know to enjoy this Spider-Man even if you didn't read the 240 issues leading up to this. I admit I did a little eye roll when the super villain showed up but then there's a twist that made me give a cheer. I can't wait for the next issue, and that's the magic that Brian used to make that kept me reading.

 The Batman Who Laughs #1 - Scott Snyder (writer) Jock (art) David Baron (colours) Sal Cipriano (letters). I was going to give this 6-issue mini a pass because I didn't like the whole Dark Nights Metal storyline but I thought I'd give Scott Snyder another chance. He presents a very different kind of dark knight that I still do not like so I won't finish reading this story either, but that's just me. If you want to see what happens when Batman gets turned into the Joker (WTF?) then you'll want to read this.

 Goddess Mode #1 - Zoe Quinn (writer) Robbi Rodriguez (art) Rico Renzi (colours) Simon Bowland (letters). This new Vertigo book takes place in a very colourful future where folks live in a virtual reality because the real world sucks. Cassandra Price is a coder who works for the corporation that controls the VR. A glitch sends her into another reality and there she meets three other women and I think they go fight evil forces. This book is very bright and very tech and text heavy. I felt like I didn't get to know Cassandra very well before she gets transformed into a goddess and her situation is very confusing. This book is not to my taste unfortunately.

 The Unstoppable Wasp #3/LGY #11 - Jeremy Whitley (writer) Gurihiru (art) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). A.I.M. has broken into Pym Labs to steal tech and Nadia must save her friends and keep the bad guys from getting away. These foes are quite formidable and even with the help of the original Wasp and Mockingbird, the bad guys win. I like the new A.I.M. villains and want to learn more about them.

 Avengers #11/LGY #701 - Jason Aaron (writer) Ed McGuinness & Cory Smith (pencils) Mark Morales, Scott Hanna & Karl Kesel (inks/finishers) Erick Arciniega (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). It's the calm before the next storm. According to the cover Jason's other story in Thor, "The War of the Realms", will cross over into this book in 4 months. Meanwhile, T'Challa meets with some international super heroes to try and form an alliance to keep the world safe. Thor and She-Hulk go on a date and Phil Coulson explains why there's a Squadron Supreme of America. See, it's not always massive alien invasions and war with Namor.

 Fantastic Four Wedding Special #1 - This lead in one-shot to Fantastic Four #650 has 3 stories.

"(Invisible) Girls Gone Wild" by Gail Simone (writer) Laura Braga (art) Jesus Aburtov (colours) & VC's Joe Caramagna (letters) is a silly bachelorette party at a strip joint with Alicia's friends and some of Sue's super powered buddies. I expected better from Gail.

"Father Figure" by Dan Slott (writer) Mark Buckingham (pencils) Mark Farmer (inks) Matt Yackey (colours) & VC's Joe Caramagna (letters) reminded me of who Alicia's step-father is. I was touched as I remembered asking Mr. Fowler for Penny's hand in marriage. I loved the job the two Marks did. I would have sworn Jack Kirby drew this.

"The Puppet Master's Lament" by Fred Hembeck (writer & art) & Megan Wilson (colours) was a monologue recap of Ben and Alicia's relationship. It was typical Fred Hembeck humour.

You really don't have to read this since there's nothing here that impacts the wedding much but it's a nice accompaniment to the big day.

 Sasquatch Detective #1 - Brandee Stilwell (creator & writer). This $7.99 US 64-page special continues the beloved tradition of silly funny animal comic books that used to rule the racks. Too bad it doesn't cost 25 cents like back in the fifties. You get the origin story by Ron Randall (art) Ross Campbell (colours) & Dave Sharpe (letters). This will tell you how Tonya Mae Lightfoot from the Appalachian Mountains leaves her Sasquatch family to go to Los Angeles and join the LAPD. What follows are five short stories where Tonya solves crimes. I would not have wanted to read this big book normally, but the art throughout is really good. Thanks to Gustavo Vazques (art) & Chris Sotomayor (colours) in "Sasquatch Anniversary"; Gustavo Vazques (art) & Ross Campbell (colours) in "Unsolved Mysteries", "Neighbourhood Watch", "Arrest and Relaxation" & "Smoke and Mirrors". There are even some cameos by some DC heroes as a bonus.

 Batman Annual #3 - Tom Taylor (writer) Otto Schmidt (art) A Larger World's Troy Peteri (letters). If Tom King ever leaves Batman I hope that Tom Taylor takes over the writing chores. I love when Alfred is featured but only if it's very well written and this story is very well written indeed. The relationship between Alfred and Batman/Bruce is special and this story proves just how special. If you're a Batman fan but don't normally get the annual, you have to get this one.

[wiersema1]

2018 College Football Spectacular!

The main inspiration for my College Football Spectacular was this iconic magazine cover with two of my favorites, Jim McMahon and the Boz.

Inspired by the Sports Illustrated series of “College and Pro Football Spectacular” preview issues they pumped out between 1982 and 1986, I’m bringing back this concept. Call it a retro magazine. Call it whatever you like. The Dutch Lion is pumped!

Someday this will become a printed magazine to be sold on the newsstands right next to Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Sporting News, Athlon’s, Lindy’s, and of course, Phil Steele’s. But for now this online edition will have to suffice. So what’s got you pumped about college football this year? Let’s dive in and find out what the “Dutch Lion” has in store!

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1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

Last year the “Dutch Lion” posted his 2017 College Football Spectacular and it was a rousing success. Who else had Georgia not only making the College Football Playoffs (CFP) but also had them going all the way to the National Championship Game? Nobody!……except for the “Dutch Lion” of course. In fact, most publications had Georgia finishing about 14th in the country. What a joke! It’s too bad that Georgia’s season ended in heartbreak city, losing their lead over the 13-1 and still National Champion, the Crimson Tide of Alabama. Losing in OT 26-23 was bittersweet for both Georgia and “Dutch” because it was one of those predictions that kept going ALL….THE…..WAY…until the last play of the season. Oh well, “Dutch’s” prediction that Georgia “Will win the National Championship within three seasons” still has two more years to make good on that promise. But not this year.

The 2018 season has been long-awaited, not just by “Dutch Lion” but also by Gary “The Gut” Goombah. It’s time to gamble and this year “Dutch” and “Gut” have a gut feeling that a certain team will prevail. Now announcing our pick for 2018 National Champion……

…..the MICHIGAN WOLVERINES!

I know. “Dutch” has truly lost it. He has gone crazy. Maybe so, but just watch. The Wolverines will be a spectacular squad this year. They are deep, experienced, and brutally tough. This defense has a chance to be spectacular. The biggest problem for Michigan in past years? Quarterback. Now they have a tremendous talent in Ole Miss transfer Shea Patterson. The biggest problem for Michigan THIS year? A brutal schedule. Our good friend Phil Steele has Michigan’s schedule as the 3rd toughest in all the land. They not only play in the world’s toughest division, the B1G East, but they also add in a road game at Notre Dame to kick off the season. Sound familiar? Last year we had Georgia going all the way despite an early season trap game at……Notre Dame. Georgia came out of South Bend alive, just barely, and then going all the way to Atlanta’s National Championship. This year Michigan will have a similar ride, only this year’s Title match will be in San Francisco’s Levi’s Stadium.

Before we get to this year’s Preview, let’s recap last year’s Spectacular. What were we right about? What were we wrong about? Where did teams finish versus their prediction in Dutch’s Top 25?

He’s a Soothsayer

Georgia! – As noted above, I’m extremely proud of this prognostication. It takes some guts to go out on a limb and Georgia made me proud. To me it wasn’t that hard of a prediction, but then why was nobody else on board?

Auburn – We had Auburn at #6. Auburn finished 10th at 10-4. They won the SEC East after beating Alabama. They beat both the #1 and #2 squads in ‘Bama and Georgia. They then split vs UGA by losing the rematch in the SEC Championship. They lost the Peach Bowl to UCF 34-27. Their four losses were at Clemson (4th), vs Georgia (2nd), at LSU (18th), and vs UCF (6th). That’s a tough schedule, eh?

Notre Dame – We had them 7th. They finished 11th with a 10-3 record.

Tennessee, Florida, and Texas – In our “Paper Champions” segment, we had the Vols, Gators, and Longhorns as being way, way overrated. Sure enough, Tennessee finished 4-8 after many preseason pubs had them ranked! C’mon man. It was easy to see they would struggle after losing Josh Dobbs, Alvin Kamara, Jalen Hurd, and Derek Barnett. They were amazing talents that led them to a 9-4 season in 2016. This is the proof that preseason publications and polls usually just rank teams based on their previous season. I knew better. UT scuffled through a horrible year and they fired Butch Jones. Florida was similar to Tennessee. The Gators were highly ranked coming into 2017. I could see through that like a parent sees through a toddler lying about eating ice cream as the chocolate drips down their face. Florida finished 4-7, at one point losing 5 games in a row. Their only victories last year were over Tennessee, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and UAB. Of course, their biggest victory was firing Jim McElwain and replacing him with Dan Mullen. Finally, Texas was hyped, as usual. I knew better. I even pleaded with AP voters to not rank them yet, but no. They wouldn’t listen! The team I love to hate was mediocre. They almost beat OU in the Red River Rivalry but finished 7-6 in Tom Herman’s first year. That’s nothing to cry about, but why were they ranked 23rd to start the season? They promptly went out there in the opener at home and gave up 51 points to…….choke……Maryland!?! C’mon man!

He’s a Visionary with an Eye Problem

Florida St. – We had them at #2 but that quickly eroded when starting QB Deondre Francois was lost for the year in the season opening loss to Alabama. FSU finished 7-6. Ugh!

Clemson – We foresaw Clemson struggling without generational talent QB DeShaun Watson. However, the Tigers were not to be denied. They rode QB Kelly Bryant and a phenomenal defense all the way back to the CFP where they again met ‘Bama. This time they lost 24-6 to finish a 12-2 season. We had them at #21. What were we thinking?

Oklahoma – For some reason we had OU finishing 17th. They proved us wrong by making the CFP behind Heisman Trophy winning QB Baker Mayfield. Led by first year Head Coach Lincoln Riley (oh yeah, that’s why we had them so low), the Sooners almost made it to the National Championship game until they lost an epic Rose Bowl Semifinal to Georgia 54-48 in 2 OT. OU finished 12-2.

Dutch Lion’s 2018 Top 25

Michigan – This is the year for Coach Jimmy Harbaugh and the Wolverines. Put your money down in Vegas and you’ll make millions. That’s what Gary “The Gut” Goombah is doing. Speaking of Gary, he’s on his flight back from some remote island in the Pacific Ocean that he just purchased with his winnings from last year’s Georgia selection. This year he says, “Mark it down. Michigan is going to the CFP! Michigan is my upset Lock of the Year.”

Clemson – The only defense better than Michigan’s? Clemson’s. Led by an all-time defensive line of not one, not two, not three, but all four guys as super NFL Draft prospects, the Tigers should have little problem defending their run of trips (3 in a row!) to the CFP. DC Brent Venables is the top coordinator in all the land. That’s why he gets paid more than most head coaches. The Tigers specialize in recruiting and developing defensive linemen. They consistently dominate at the point of attack, constantly ruining opposing team’s gameplans. You better have a good OL or you have little chance of beating Clemson, especially in Death Valley. The Tigers are 27-1 at home over the last four years. They haven’t lost two home games in a season since 2010, Dabo Sinney’s second year. He was just a pup then. He’s grown into a massive adult tiger who rules the jungle. When will it end for Clemson? When Dabo takes over for Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa when Saban finally decides to hang it up. Swinney’s record in South Carolina is 101-30 in 11 years.

Washington – Consistently underrated, Coach Chris Peterson has improved UW each and every year (almost) since he left Boise St. to become the Huskies Head Coach in 2014.  That first year he went 8-6, then 7-6, 12-2, 10-3, and in 2018…..we’re talkin’ CFP. Again. In ’16 he led UW to the semifinal vs Alabama in Atlanta where they lost 24-7. It reminds me of the same old topic….why do the Southern teams catch all the homefield and travel breaks? Why not have a CFP Semi in Seattle, or Chicago, or Indianapolis, or New York, or Kansas City, or….Lincoln? GASP! Don’t even think of ruining our advantage says Mr. SEC. This is nothing new. I’ve railed on this forever. I get it….we all want to go to a warm locale on New Year’s. I totally understand. However, it’s not fair. Can you imagine the Southern boys having to travel Up North to face a B1G team in Green Bay, Chicago, Detroit, or…..Lincoln? Talk about an advantage. Wo!

Boise St. – Are you ready for the first Group of 5 team to make the CFP? How about Boise St.? They return 16 starters from an 11-3 team that won the Las Vegas Bowl over Oregon. They play only the 75th hardest schedule according to Phil’s. They have a Senior QB in Mark Rypien’s nephew Brett Rypien. Their Head Coach is Bryan Harsin, now in his 5th year after posting 12-2, 9-4, 10-3, and 11-3 records in his first four seasons. Why not? The Broncos biggest hurdle might be Week 3 at Oklahoma St. Can they win a road game at a Big 12 school? Will it be enough to get them into the Playoffs should they go undefeated? I think it might.

Auburn – Usually good but often overlooked because of their in-state rival, the Auburn Tigers have tremendous talent on their roster. Coach Gus Malzahn has really done a nice job recruiting in his 5+ years on the job. This year Auburn returns 13 starters from a 10-4 team that failed to win the Peach Bowl over UCF. The Tigers beat Georgia and Alabama on their way to an awesome season but they also lost at Clemson (14-6), at LSU (27-23), vs Georgia in the SEC Championship (28-7), and UCF (34-27).

Georgia – “Glory Glory Hallelujah!” Georgia was so fun to watch last year it gave me joy each and every week. Butkus Award winner Roquan Smith became my favorite player quickly, as he simply dominated recording 137 tackles, 14 TFL’s including 6.5 sacks, 2 PBU’s, and an amazing 20 QB hurries! Then the Chicago Bears drafted him at #8 in April’s NFL Draft. What a year! But now we turn the page to 2018. Georgia will be excellent again but will take a minor step back after losing Smith along with 8 other veteran defenders. Plus, UGA loses dynamic duo Nick Chubb and Sony Michel at RB. Replacements are waiting in the wings to get out there “Between The Hedges” but Georgia can’t do it again right away…….can they? Perhaps 🙂 Meanwhile, watch out for this team in 2019. I foresee us picking the Bulldogs to win the National Title……next year.

Penn St. – Trace McSorley is awesome. So is Saquon Barkley’s replacement at RB, Miles Sanders. Watch Sanders this season. He is fantastic! PSU has been gathering talent for several years now and they might win the B1G. Their conference schedule is brutal as usual, but they get Ohio St., Michigan St., and Wisconsin at home. Their only tough road game is at Michigan, but I believe that game will decide the East Champion and thus the B1G Champion.

Alabama – I believe ‘Bama will take a step back this year. Everybody including God has them ranked 1st but their defense concerns me. They only have 3 returning starters on that side of the ball. It will bite them at Ole Miss, at LSU, and home against Auburn. The Crimson Tide will still be great, but just a little worse than usual. They won’t make the CFP for the first time since it was introduced back in 2014.

Notre Dame – Every year ND has a brutal schedule. They get very few cupcakes. “Cryin’ cuz you didn’t get a cupcake?” – Litl’ Sweet from the Dr. Pepper commercials. This year PS has them with the 16th toughest schedule. They open with Michigan, face Stanford in Week 5, at Virginia Tech in Week 6, host FSU in Week 11, and go to the Coliseum to close the year at USC. They seem to get everybody’s best effort, even when they face supposed also-rans such as Pitt, Navy, and Syracuse. Anyway, the Irish have 9 returning starters on D but lost their DC Mike Elko. On offense, they return QB Brandon Wimbush and 3 starters from their OL which is seemingly always close to the best. They do lose 1st round NFL draft picks Mike McGlinchey and Quenton Nelson however. Overall, I’ll call for another solid but unspectacular season with losses to Michigan, Stanford, and probably one of the two games vs FSU and at USC. Therefore, another 10-3 season feels about right.

Stanford – Big, solid, physical is the name of the game in Palo Alto. K.J. Costello is the starting QB on The Farm this year. Is Costello the best QB for the Cardinal since Andrew Luck? Perhaps. If so, Stanford could make a run for the Roses.

Wisconsin – Big, solid, physical is the name of the game in Madison too. Can Hornibrook keep improving like he did in the Orange Bowl? He’s a lefty with some accuracy issues. That’s not a positive on my ledger as a quarterback guru. Good thing the Badgers have maybe the best OL in the nation with a killer running game.

Ohio St. – The Buckeyes will take a step back this year. Too much controversy with Urban Meyer. A new QB. Too much competition in the B1G East division. Michigan and Penn St. are at the top of their games. I’ll call for OSU to lose at Penn St., at Michigan St., vs Michigan, and maybe vs TCU in Dallas in Week 3. So that’s 8-4 or 9-3 before the bowl game. And as for Coach Urban Meyer……he’s a major turd.

Oklahoma – Once again I’m picking them lower than most. However, this year’s issue is replacing Baker Mayfield. Can they do it successfully? They might with QB Kyler Murray and an awesome running game.

Texas A&M – I believe in Head Coach Jimbo Fisher and his down home Southern accent. This guy can coach, especially QB’s. A&M has talent and Fisher will lead to improvement on last year’s 7-6 record. Their schedule is difficult (15th according to PS) but there are plenty of opportunities to prove themselves with upsets (vs Clemson in Week 2, at ‘Bama in Week 4, and at Auburn in Week 10). A&M is on the rise.

West Virginia – WVU was 7-6 last year. They return 12 starters with QB Will Grier, a tremendous receiving corps, and 4 of their offensive linemen. Their schedule is tough (12th) or else I’d have them even higher in my rankings.

USC

Miami – Is the turnover chain coming back again? I hope so. That was cool. Of course, you gotta get takeaways to have fun with this prop. Can the ‘Canes force some turns? HC Mark Richt is bringing the fun back to Coral Gables.

Florida St. – I was too high on them last year. Am I too low this year? QB Deondre Francois is back. HC Willie Taggart takes over in Tallahassee.

Kansas St. – Coach Snyder keeps going. Dude is in his 27th year here as HC. His career record: 210-110-1. A tie? Yeah, they used to have those about 25 years ago. OT was “invented” in 1996. Last ever tie in college football? It was Illinois at Wisconsin on November 25, 1995. I recall Illini DE Simeon Rice and LB Kevin Hardy dominating. Doubt me? Look it up. Final score: Illinois 3, Wisconsin 3.

Arizona – Could it be a year to remember in Tucson? New HC Kevin Sumlin hopes so. ‘Zona returns 16 starters including All-World running QB Khalil Tate. 9 starting defenders return, but from a unit that allowed 34.4 ppg. Is that good or bad?

Oregon – I used to love the Ducks. Now, I don’t even know who their coach is. Too much staff turnover in Eugene.

Michigan St.

UCF – Last year was a once-in-a-lifetime dream season for UCF. They still have super QB McKenzie Milton but have a new HC in Josh Heupel now that Scott Frost went back home to Nebraska. UCF has 6 returning starters on each side of the ball but will have a bullseye on their backs this year. They could repeat as AAC East Champions if they get by Temple, Cincinnati, and USF. The USF game is on the road to close our their schedule.

TCU – Consistency. Coach Gary Patterson is usually consistent. In his 18th year now, Coach Patterson is 160-57. He has won at least 11 games in 3 of the last 4 years. He wins bowl games. He wins at home with three undefeated seasons at Amon G. Carter Stadium over the last four years. In ’18 TCU has a hard schedule (18th) and a new QB. Can Patterson guide them to another double digit victory season?

LSU – If Coach Orgeron doesn’t produce they will surely move on sooner rather than later. In fact, I could see Coach O on the hot seat as soon as Week 3, 5, or 6. They start with Miami, then SE Louisiana, at Auburn, vs Louisiana Tech, vs Ole Miss, then at Florida. They could be 3-3 or 2-4 and uh oh.

2018 Playoff Predictions:

Cotton Bowl: #1 Michigan over #4 Boise St.

Orange Bowl: #2 Clemson over #3 Washington

2018 National Championship Prediction:

Levi’s Stadium (San Francisco): #1 Michigan over #2 Clemson

Dutch Lion’s All-America Team

OFFENSE

QB1 (Pocket Passer) – Will Grier/West Virginia/SR/6-2 215/PS#3/Jersey #7 – Remember when Grier was a top recruit at Florida? Me neither. That was in ’15. He transferred to WVU in ’16 and finally starting playing again last year. He only put up 3490 passing yards with 34 TD. He added over 100 yards rushing and 2 TD on the ground. Grier is old. He seems like he should be in the NFL already. What will he do for an encore in the NCAA? He has a difficult schedule but that only means the Mountaineers will need to pass and score often. I see a huge year from Grier and thus, he earns our nod for All-America QB1.

QB2 (Dual-Threat Running QB) – Khalil “Turbo” Tate/Arizona/JR/6-2 215/PS#15/Jersey #14 – Tate burst onto the scene last October at Colorado. He rushed for a QB record 327 rush yards……and he didn’t even start the game! Good God Almighty! Tate finished with 1411 rushing yards, 12 TD’s, 1591 passing yards with 14 TD’s and 9 INT’s. If he improves on his passing, Tate will be a truly special player. If he keeps running like this, it will be Cam Newton all over again. Can “Turbo” lead Arizona to their first-ever Rose Bowl? They are the only Pac-10 program to have never had the pleasure of experiencing Pasadena.

RB Jonathan “Touchdown” Taylor/Wisconsin/SO/5-11 214/PS#54/Jersey #23 – Taylor is special. You can just see his acceleration when he breaks through the line. He needs to work on his fumbling this season. He coughed it up about 8 times in ’17 and lost 5 of them. Can he improve on his 1977 rushing yards, 13 TD’s, and 6.6 ypc? I think he will definitely score more, and maybe even rush for over two grand but 6.6 ypc? I don’t see him improving on that figure.

RB Bryce Love/Stanford/SR/5-10 202/PS#27/Jersey #20 – Love finished 2nd in last year’s Heisman. He only ran for 2,118 yards and scored 19 rushing TD’s. What can he do for an encore? What does he need to do to win the Heisman? He probably needs to put up similar numbers AND lead Stanford to the CFP.

“Miles To Go Before I Sleep” Awards (TIE):

RB Myles Gaskin/Washington/SR/5-10 191/PS#47/Jersey #9

AND

RB Miles Sanders/Penn St./JR/5-11 211/PS#3/Jersey #24

WR N’Keal Harry/Arizona St./JR/6-4 216/PS#7/Jersey #1 – Total stud!

WR David Sills/West Virginia/SR/6-4 201/PS#32QB/Jersey #13

TE Jace Sternberger “& Fries”/Texas A&M/JR/6-4 250/PS#110JC/Jersey #81 – The next Zach Ertz! He’s a lanky, receiving TE who also blocks far downfield to help his teammates. He can go up and snare passes like Ertz and the other great NFL TE’s. Check out this guy in Week 2 vs Clemson. If he can produce against them, he can do it against anyone.

OT David Edwards/Wisconsin/JR/6-7 319/PS#20TE/Jersey #79 – He’s a road-grader.

OT Mitch Hyatt/Clemson/SR/6-5 305/PS#2/Jersey #75 – Why is Hyatt so good? Think about the guys he goes up against in practice every day. Talk about work. Wilkins? Ferrell? Bryant? Lawrence? Ugh.

OG Alex Bars/Notre Dame/SR/6-6 318/PS#15/Jersey #71 – The next in a seemingly endless line of great linemen from ND.

OT Trey Adams/Washington/SR/6-8 331/PS#63/Jersey #72 – A mountain of a man, Adams got hurt last year and the UW offense was never the same. Browning needs this guy healthy.

C Erik McCoy/Texas A&M/JR/6-4 315/PS#198/Jersey #64

DEFENSE

DE Nick Bosa/Ohio St./JR/6-4 263/PS#3/Jersey #97 – Just like his bro Joey, Nick is a dominator. He’ll be picked in the Top 15 of next year’s NFL Draft. Just ask Mel Kiper. He loves the Bosa boys.

DT Christian Wilkins/Clemson/SR/6-4 300/PS#17/Jersey #42 – Wilkins had 53 tackles, 8.5 TFL’s, 4.5 sacks, and 11 hurries last year. In fact, all four Clemson d-linemen had between 10 and 12 hurries in ’17. They combined for 45 hurries altogether. Just those four guys. Think about that. That’s some serious pressure!

DT Ed Oliver/Houston/JR/6-3 290/PS#5/Jersey #10 – Oliver is the closest I’ve seen to former Huskers dominator Ndamakong Suh in 2009. Oliver had 73 tackles, 16.5 TFL’s, 5.5 sacks, 7 hurries, and 3 PBU’s last year…..as a DT. Rarely does a DT put up those kind of numbers, especially when you’re being double-teamed in the interior by a center and a guard. Ed Oliver is a two-time 1st Team AA and last year’s Outland Trophy Winner……at Houston. I love that Oliver went to Houston rather than just another cog in the SEC machine. He could’ve been just another guy at Alabama, or he could become the greatest player ever at Houston. Good for ya’ Ed! Oliver is next year’s likely #1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

DE Rashan Gary/Michigan/JR/6-5 281/PS#1/Jersey #3 – Gary anchors a fab DL in Ann Arbor. He had 67 tackles, 12 TFL’s, 6 sacks, and 7 hurries last year. Chase Winovich is on the other end and he deserves a mention too. In fact, Winovich might be better than Gary. He had 77 tackles, 18 TFL’s, 8 sacks, and 6 hurries in ’17. Wo!

OLB Sutton Smith/Northern Illinois/JR/6-0 230/PS#210/Jersey #15 – My “Group of 5 Player of the Year Award” winner. Smith registered 63 tackles, 29.5 TFL’s (LED FBS!), 14 sacks!, 3 PBU’s, and 8 QB hurries. Wow! Those are some insane numbers for a 230 pound pass rusher. It just shows you that size doesn’t always matter. I watched him in the upset over Nebraska and he was truly the real deal. He was a disruptor. Neb couldn’t block him at all. NFL comps: Clay Matthews, 6-3 255, who has 80 NFL sacks so far, Kevin Greene, 6-3 245, Hall of Famer with 160 sacks, and James Harrison, 6-0 255, who just retired this Spring with 84.5 career sacks. Smith has that type of ability but he is undersized so maybe we should save the NFL hype for later.

ILB Devin Bush/Michigan/JR/5-11 222/PS#28/Jersey #10 – Led the Wolves with 100 tackles last year. Also recorded 9.5 TFL’s, 5 sacks, 8 PBU’s, and 1 INT. Bush is really the cog, the leader of UM’s outstanding D.

ILB Devin White/LSU/JR/6-1 260/PS#6/Jersey #40 – I was shocked when I saw White’s weight at 260 pounds. I didn’t realize he was that big. He moves like a much smaller man. Is White the next Brian Urlacher or Levon Kirkland? Watch White run. He led LSU last year with 133 tacklees, 14 TFL’s, 4.5 sacks, 3 PBU’s, 1 INT, and 5 QB hurries. Those are Roquan Smith type numbers. Uh oh, get ready for some serious Devin White hype this year. 2018 Butkus Award Winner?

OLB Anfernee Jennings/Alabama/JR/6-3 262/PS#37/Jersey #33 – Like Devin White, Jennings is a big LB at 262 pounds. Jennings wasn’t very productive last year, recording only 41 tackles, 6 TFL’s, 1 sack, 2 PBU’s, and 4 QB hurries. However, the dude only started 11 games out of 14 and ‘Bama had 7 guys with more tackles that are now in the NFL. Knowing that, he was actually very productive. With all those stars gone, now it’s Jennings’s time to shine.

CB Julian Love/Notre Dame/JR/5-11 189/PS#60/Jersey #27 – I love this guy. He’s from the Chicagoland area. Love played at Nazareth High School. Love is a fantastic cover corner. In ’17 Love had 68 tackles, 20 PBU’s!, and 3 INT’s. Look for more of the same in ’18 as Love might be this year’s Jim Thorpe Award winner. I love Love!

CB Deandre Baker/Georgia/SR/5-11 185/PS#103/Jersey #18 – Baker was surprisingly Georgia’s 4th leading tackler last year with 44. More impressive is Baker’s cover ability, physicality at 185 pounds, and his 9 PBU’s and 3 INT’s.

SS Jaquon Johnson/Miami/SR/5-11 190/PS#33/Jersey #4 – The “Turnover Chain” should live on in Miami this year with Johnson leading the way for Coach Richt. The ‘Canes safety led them with 96 tackles and 4 INT’s.

FS Taylor Rapp/Washington/JR/6-0 207/PS#71/Jersey #7 – Rapp is fun to watch. This dude brings the heat on opposing offenses. He had 59 tackles and 2 sacks last year with 1 INT. He had 4 INT’s as a true freshman in ’16. Expect him to improve that takeaway total this season.

SPECIAL TEAMS

K Rodrigo “Hot Rod” Blankenship/Georgia/JR/6-1 191/PS#14/Jersey #98 – This is the guy with the weird goggle glasses. “Hot Rod” hit two HUGE field goals in last year’s CFP. He nailed a 55 yarder right before halftime of the Rose Bowl victory over Oklahoma. Then he blasted a do-or-die 52 yarder in OT of the National Championship game prior to Alabama’s game-winning TD pass. Overall, Blankenship made 20-23 FG’s and 63-63 PAT’s.

P Mitch Wishnowsky/Utah/SR/6-2 220/PS#187JC/Jersey #33 – He won the Ray Guy Award for top punter in ’16. He was a finalist for the award again last year and was 5th in the nation in net punting average at 42.2 yards per punt.

KR Tony Pollard/Memphis/JR/5-11 200/PS#170/Jersey #1 – How can anyone NOT pick Pollard at KR? This guy had an amazing 881 KR yards on just 22 chances for a 40.1 average!!! He scored 4 TD’s!!! Pollard is THE premier return man in the college game.

PR Mecole Hardman/Georgia/JR/5-11 183/PS#2/Jersey #4 – Hardman returned both kickoffs and punts last season. He had 23 PR’s for 271 yards for an 11.8 avg. His long was 30. Look for Hardman to bust at least one all the way for a score this Fall.

Head Coach – Scott Frost/Nebraska – Frost has all the makings of a 25 year career as the head man in Lincoln, just like his hero Tom Osborne (1973-’97). Life is funny, no? Frost quarterbacked Nebraska to their last National Title in 1997 while Dr. Tom was writing his swan song in Memorial Stadium. Now Frost and the Huskers will play on Tom Osborne Field when they run out of the tunnel, with Osborne watching from high above the Red Sea in his suite at Memorial. Frost has already talked about how surreal it is when he’s in his office, formerly Osborne’s office, sitting behind the desk and his guy Tom walks in and sits down on the other side of the desk to chat. Surreal indeed. Twenty years wandering in the wilderness, or something like that. Check out my article on Frost sometime. GBR!

Offensive Coordinator – Lincoln Riley/Oklahoma – I know he’s the Head Coach at OU, but he’s basically the OC for the Sooners too. Riley started as the OC for HC Bob Stoops in 2015. He upped Oklahoma’s scoring from 36.4 ppg to 43.5 ppg in his first year. Then he continued improving to 43.9 in ’16 and 45.1 in ’17. That’s three years in a row over 43 points per game. Geez Louise! Now that Baker Mayfield is gone, we’ll see if Riley can maintain those numbers.

Defensive Coordinator – Brent Venables/Clemson – Simply the best. It’s not even that close. I love what he’s done in Clemson. Is he waiting for the dominos to fall for his first head coaching job? When Saban retires, I see Dabo going to ‘Bama. When Dabo leaves, I see Venables taking the Clemson HC gig, if he wants it.

“Dutch Lion’s” Favorite Players

Nebraska WR #8 Stanley Morgan Jr./SR/6-1 195/PS#51 – Loyal to the Huskers, Morgan returned for his Senior season after recording 986 yards and 10 scores last year. Just named a captain of the Huskers today, Morgan is NOT the son of former NFL WR Stanley Morgan who you might recall played for New England from 1977-89. It’s just a coincidence that seems to be making the rounds. #FakeNews can be awful sometimes. Morgan looks to be in better shape than ever. 6-pack much? This dude is cool. Look for him to have a big season and hopefully become Nebraska’s first ever 1000 yard receiver after falling just 14 yards short in ’17.

Washington S #7 Taylor Rapp/JR/6-0 207/PS#71 – Every time you look up, Rapp is blitzing. He’s incredibly fun to watch. For more, see above.

Wisconsin RB #23 Jonathan “Touchdown” Taylor/SO/5-11 214/PS#54 – Incredible runner. The power….the speed! Very impressive. For more, see above.

Northern Illinois OLB/DE #15 Sutton Smith/JR/6-0 230/PS#210 – For more, see above.

Houston DT #10 Ed Oliver/JR/6-3 290/PS#5 – For more, see above.

Arizona QB #14 Khalil “Turbo” Tate/JR/6-2 215/PS#15 – Electric! For more, see above.

LSU ILB #40 Devin White/JR/6-1 260/PS#6 – For more, see above.

UCF QB #10 McKenzie Milton/JR/5-11 185/PS#102 – Milton put up over 4000 passing yards last year with 37 TD’s and just 9 INT’s. Add in 613 rushing yards with another 8 scores and you have one of the most productive QB’s in the country. Oh yeah, and he led UCF to an undefeated season. If he was on a Power 5 team he’d have one Heisman Trophy already with one or two more chances still to go.

Georgia DT #52 Tyler Clark/JR/6-4 300/PS#61 – Watch Clark when you watch UGA this season. He really impressed me toward the end of last year. The Bulldogs are so deep on the defensive front that he didn’t even get much mention, but Tyler Clark deserves it. Watch him become a disruptor this year for the ‘Dawgs.

Georgia DE #13 Jonathan Ledbetter/SR/6-4 277/PS#16 – Like Clark, watch Ledbetter become a star for Georgia in ’18. Last year he was pretty darn good but was overlooked by Roquan, Trent Thompson, and Davin Bellamy. Ledbetter will be wearing those crazy spiked shoulder pads on the sidelines a lot this Fall.

Washington QB #3 Jake Browning/SR/6-2 206/PS#10 – I like Browning but boy did he struggle last season. He just wasn’t the same QB as he was in ’16. he dropped from throwing 43 TD’s in ’16 to just 19 TD’s in ’17. Last year Browning was recovering from shoulder surgery and you could see he wasn’t that sharp. He had little zip on the ball and lacked confidence. He often ran around in the backfield until he was sacked and then had that look on his face like it wasn’t his fault. Maybe not, but his moxie came into question many times. I’m giving Jake the benefit of the doubt that it was a combination of things in ’17 such as poor OL play due to injuries, WR’s that didn’t get separation due to injuries and inexperience, and his lack of arm strength due to the shoulder from the end of the ’16 season. Moving forward, will Browning rebound? Or is his time over in Seattle? I’m betting on Browing, Coach Peterson, and a healthy offense around Jake to improve his performance for his last go-round as a Senior.

USC WR #21 Tyler Vaughns/SO/6-2 185/PS#3 – Vaughns is relatively new to me but in watching his performance as a true freshman, I was very impressed by Vaughns catch radius. He’s a long, lanky WR that goes up and high-points the football. Watch Vaughns become FR QB J.T. Daniels number one target out in Los Angeles. He put up 57 catches for 809 yards and 5 TD’s with Sam Darnold last year. Now that he’s had a year in the system, look for 1000 and 10 for Vaughns in ’18!

Michigan St. RB #3 L.J. Scott/SR/6-1 230/PS#6 – As noted in last year’s Spectacular, Scott runs similar to Lawrence Phillips from the mid-90s Cornhuskers. Not as good, but similar. Watch for him to have a big Senior season on his way to the NFL. Surprisingly, Scott has never run for over 1000 in his 3 years at MSU. That will change.

Northwestern TE/SB #84 Cameron “Cam” Green/JR/6-3 230/PS#97WR – Cam is a great kid. Just saw him over the Summer at Target. Green’s father Mark Green played on the 1988 Notre Dame National Champions and then in the NFL with the Chicago Bears. So Cam grew up locally and went to Stevenson H.S. where I work. He’s bulked up from WR to play the Superback position at Northwestern which is a Tight End. Cam is my buddy. We had many great conversations over the years about life, our Stevenson sports teams, his dad, his teammates, and his future. He’s a wonderful young man and I’m proud of him. Good luck Camzilla!

Illinois WR #18 Mike Dudek/SR/5-11 185/PS#123 – We said it last year and we’ll say it again. Let’s hope Mikey Dudek can stay healthy. A local kid who played at Neuqua Valley, my buddy Mike met Dudek at a party in Naperville once. Beset by injuries, this once promising WR has battled back from two ACL tears and broken ribs over the last 3 seasons. Did you forget that Dudek was 2nd team All-B1G in ’14? I almost did. 2015: ACL; 2016: ACL; 2017: only 7 games due to the ribs injury. 2018: ???

Michigan St. FS #10 Matt Morrissey/SR/6-3 204/PS#124 – Matt is a year older than Cam Green and has a similar background. His dad is Jim Morrissey, #51 from the 1985 Super Bowl XX Champion Chicago Bears. Matt grew up here in Lincolnshire and played from 2010-’13 at Stevenson H.S. He is now in his 5th year up in East Lansing, MI and plays FS for the Spartans. Matt and I had some nice talks over the years and I’m super proud of this young man. Growing up with a father who played for the Bears puts a lot of pressure on a kid and Matt always handled it so well. Good luck MattMo!

Special Shout Out………

Nebraska RB #18 Tre Bryant – He just retired due to balky “old man” knees. It’s too bad. He was amazing in his two games last year. He put up 299 rushing yards against Arkansas St. and Oregon. He showed awesome quickness and burst. Then his knees gave out. Sad but memorable nonetheless.

Dutch Lion’s Favorite Stadiums

Places I’ve Attended a Game

Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium – 4 games: Baylor in 1996, USC 2007, Northwestern 2013, Wyoming 2016; Also non-gameday in 2003. We walked on the field

Illinois’s Memorial Stadium – many, many times: Next time you go, take some quiet time and go up in the columns. It’s a special place. You can feel the history of Red Grange and Big Ten football for a century while up there. Read the commemorations. Take great pics with your family. Enjoy the views. The west side has amazing sunsets. Just enjoy the serenity. It’s really special, trust “Dutch”.

Notre Dame Stadium – three times: Texas 2015, Navy 1998?, Stanford 1999?: Notre Dame is a special place. It really is. On a beautiful Autumn Saturday, where else would you rather be? Touchdown Jesus, the statues, the atmosphere are all top-notch. Last time I was there with my son, we stood in the tunnel during pre-game to see the team walk out. We saw RB #25 Taurean Folston. It was awesome!

Wisconsin’s Camp Randall Stadium – several times: Nebraska 2011 & 2014; Illinois ? Western Kentucky ? – I’ve been to Camp Randall for several games. Once it was so hot we thought we were melting. Another time it was so cold our hand-warmers froze during the mid-November snowfall. It’s a nice stadium but the fans can be brutal. I’ve been there for two Cornhuskers games and there was hatred in the air. You can feel the jealousy, the hatred, the envy, and the anger. Wisconsin fans expect to dominate and they usually do. They get restless if their starting RB isn’t over 100 yards with a 20 point lead by halftime. Nonetheless, the experience can be pretty fun. I’d enjoy going to a game against Ohio St. someday.

UCLA’s Rose Bowl – We went to an Illinois at UCLA regular season game in ’03? It was cool but it’s not the same as an actual Rose Bowl game. Our game was a really boring 6-3 loss by Illinois.

Michigan Stadium – Illinois at Michigan 1996

Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium – Indiana at Iowa 1999

Purdue’s Ross-Ade Stadium – Nebraska at Purdue 2017 – Purdue’s stadium is average, by Big Ten standards anyway.

Northern Illinois’s Huskie Stadium – 3 games, most recently vs Toledo 2006? – Better than Northwestern’s Ryan Field, and that’s saying something. How can NIU have a better stadium than a Big Ten team? I don’t know. They just do. Last time I was at Huskie the vuvuzelas were raucous!

Northwestern’s Ryan Field – Nebraska 2012, Michigan St. 2001 – Ryan Field is only slightly bigger than a high school field. Big Ten football? C’mon man. This stadium needs renovations and improvements. It’s boring, small, and not befitting a B1G team.

Other Stadiums I’ve seen in person on a non-gameday

Michigan State’s Spartan Stadium – We drove by on vacation when I was a kid.

Minnesota’s TCF Bank Stadium – Impressive. Good thing they moved from the old HHH Metrodome.

Indiana’s Memorial Stadium – Walked on the field. It’s way better than Northwestern for one.

Vanderbilt Stadium – Drove by, not much to look at.

Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium – Really cool vibe. Definitely a bucket list item to see a game in Knoxville.

Kentucky’s Commonwealth Stadium – Drove by. Not much to look at.

Georgia’s Sanford Stadium – I saw from afar while on Georgia’s campus back in 2001? Georgia’s campus is one of the most gorgeous I’ve ever seen. Beautiful.

Texas’s Darrell K. Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium – Walked on the field, stepped on the Longhorn. It’s huge.

Oregon’s Autzen Stadium – Walked inside with nobody else there. Incredible! I want to move there and buy season tickets.

Washington’s Husky Stadium – Looked in through their pad-locked gates. Awesome!

Arizona State’s Sun Devil Stadium – Drove by. Looked really cool.

Baylor’s McLane Stadium – Drove by on the highway. It’s new and fantastic. We probably should’ve stopped to look closer.

Dutch Lion’s Top Running Back Duos

Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins & Mike Weber – They combined for 2029 rushing yards and 17 TD’s.

Oklahoma’s Rodney Anderson & Trey Sermon “On the Mount” – 1905 rush yards and 18 TD’s.

Florida State’s Cam Akers & Jacques Patrick – 1772 rush yards and 14 TD’s

Washington’s Myles Gaskin & Salvon Ahmed – 1768 rush yards and 24 TD’s

Alabama’s Damien Harris & Najee Harris – 1370 rush yards and 14 TD’s

Clemson’s Travis Etienne & Tavien Feaster – 1435 rush yards and 20 TD’s

Stanford’s Bryce Love & Cameron Scarlett – 2507 rush yards and 27 TD’s

Michigan’s Karan Higdon & Chris Evans – 1679 rush yards and 17 TD’s

Special Mention……

Arizona’s QB Khalil Tate & RB J.J. Taylor – 2258 rush yards and 17 TD’s

So that’s it for this year’s College Football Spectacular. I hope you enjoyed the Preview. I KNOW you’ll enjoy the games. Have a great season!

Dutch Lion’s 2018 College Football Spectacular! 2018 College Football Spectacular! Inspired by the Sports Illustrated series of “College and Pro Football Spectacular” preview issues they pumped out between 1982 and 1986, I’m bringing back this concept.

[kae-karo]

sooo.... dan and phil in 2018... what's up with that? but really, can you believe it? it seems like a wacky fever dream now.

okay so remind me, cause i feel like i’ve heard of those guys before? like, somewhere in the back of my mind those names ring a bell? they did like, a stage show or something? i thought maybe they like. made youtube vids but that doesn’t sound right

(anyway,,,,,,,dnp in 2018, eh?)