#starter ;; owen marshall

[kittywriites]

[[ open ]] [[ assistant, intern, employee, etc ]]

He’d been watching her for most of the evening, but that shouldn’t have come as a surprise. It was rare for his gaze to linger on something else when she was an option, but tonight? He’d been thinking about sliding his hand up her dress since the moment she walked in. Owen tossed back the remainder of his drink and then grabbed another off a passing waiter’s tray, moving towards the girl when she was finally alone. “That dress sure is something.” he said in a low voice, not shy at all about the way he drank in the sight of her little cocktail dress. God, he loved these stupid fucking office parties. He took his sweet time bringing his gaze back up to meet hers, lips curled in the hint of a smirk. “Your boyfriend really lets you leave the house like that?”

[wovetalesarc]

starter call for the following muses, please specify! : marta   cabrera   ,   jack   daniels   ,   loid   forger   ,   gillian   owens   ,   milo thatch , theo   bennet   ﹙   oc   ﹚   ,   stacey   morgan   ﹙   oc   ﹚   &   marshall   weatherly   ﹙   oc   ﹚.

[swayhere]

canon starter call - open to anyone !

i have a strong urge to write some canon muses, so if you would be interested in writing against any of the canon muses listed under the READ MORE below, please comment/IM me and i can send a starter your way or reply to one of your starters.

i do not require you to know anything about my muse's canon, but i'm more than happy to tell you about it if you ask. i'd be happy to write canon muses against your ocs! also, mixing fandoms is 100% ok with me unless your canon muse is problematic and makes me uncomfy. my canon muses do not have all their memories or relationships from their life unless we plot it, but they will have the same general personality/ambitions.

if you are willing to write against my canon muses but don't care which, just like this post, and i'll take a look at your open starters and/or send you a closed starter at random with a muse i think fits the vibe.

*please don't agree to write against my canon muses if you're one of those picky weirdos that will be up in arms if i don't write a cannon muse exactly how you would.

( if you'd prefer to write against an oc muse only, check this post. )

canon muses i'd like to write: bold = extra big muse rn. strikethrough = exclusive, so not rn.

muses from tv shows: 

911 — eddie diaz , evan buckley , athena grant , bobby nash , karen wilson

911: lonestar — carlos reyes , grace ryder , judson ryder , t.k. strand , owen strand

as the world turns — dr. reid oliver , luke snyder

boy meets world — shawn hunter , jack hunter , angela moore , topanga lawrence

chuck — sarah walker , chuck bartowski , bryce larkin 

degrassi — jimmy brooks , sean cameron , ellie nash , marco del rossi , sav bhandari , drew torres , zoe rivas , miles hollingsworth iii , tiny bell , esme song , 

gilmore girls — jess , luke

good trouble — gael martinez , jamie hunter , callie adams foster , mariana adams foster , evan speck , joaquin perez , dennis cooper 

how i met your father — sid , ian , sophie , jesse

how i met your mother — marshall eriksen , lily aldrin , victoria

how to get away with murder — laurel castillo , connor walsh , oliver hampton , michaela pratt , frank delfino 

jessica jones — jessica jones

lost — kate austen , juliet burke , daniel faraday , desmond hume , sayid jarrah , sun-hwa kwon , claire littleton , walter ‘walt’ lloyd , charlie pace , hugo ‘hurley’ reyes , shannon rutherford , miles straume 

new amsterdam — lauren bloom , elizabeth wilder , casey acosta

new girl — nick miller , winston bishop , cece parekh

one tree hill — nathan scott , lucas scott , keith scott , chase adams , brooke davis 

outer banks (obx) — jj maybank , kiara carrera

please like me — arnold 

rosewell, new mexico — michael guerin , maria deluca , isobel evans

scandal — olivia pope , prezzy fitz

scooby doo — daphne blake

stranger things — robin buckley , steve harrington , jim hopper , chrissy cunningham , eddie munson , max mayfield , eleven , mike wheeler 

superstore — jonah simms

the 100 — finn collins

the bear — richie jerimovich, carmy berzatto , marcus , sydney adamu  

the mindy project — danny castellano 

the office — ryan howard , jim halpert , pam halpert , kelly kapoor , holly flax

the politician — river barkley , astrid sloan 

the young & the restless — sally spectra , adam newman , chelsea lawson , phyllis summers , lily winters , sharon newman , chance chancellor , victoria newman , tessa porter , amanda sinclair , cole howard

younger — josh , kelsey peters

muses from books: 

along for the ride ( book version only ) — eli stock , auden west , maggie  

one of us is lying ( book version only ) — cooper clay , nate

red white & royal blue — alex claremont-diaz , prince henry , zahra bankston

we were liars — gatwick ‘gat’ matthew patil

muses from movies: 

dead poets society — neil perry , charlie dalton , todd anderson

harry potter — lee jordan

les mis — enjolras , grantaire 

super 8 — joe lamb , martin , preston

twilight — irina denali , jasper cullen

[easthavenhq]

EAST HAVEN'S 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EVENT: THE WIND STORM

With the 1 year anniversary of East Haven's opening, we have decided to have an event that centers around a wind storm that is blowing it's way through town, inciting chaos where ever it goes. The event will start on January 5th at 12pm (noon) and end on January 15th at 12am (midnight). No new starters should be posted after January 10th.

You were placed into groups that are listed below. You will be expected to write with at least one character in that group that you normally do not write with. You are still free to do other threads with others in the group, but are required to at least one.

Participation for this event will be mandatory. Acceptances and checks will be held as usual. Reminder: Injuries need to be in by January 3rd*. You can find the form here. Details of this will be posted on the 5th.

Characters and locations are listed under the cut and will be updated with acceptances & unfollows. Please use the tag easthavenevent007.

East Haven Memorial - Maple Hills

Stevie Wagner - Kayla Johnny Wagner - K Sunny Hussan - Jennie River Jackson - Star Sarah Ruiz - El Gale Peterson - Nadine Callum Jackson - Madison Alec Kincade - Justin Aubrey Miller - Lital Wesley Levitt - K

City Hall - Downtown

Nate Clairmont - Kayla Brody Evans - Jackie Aarin Duskin - K Chantel Bedford - Katelyn Ann-Marie Seigert - Jennie Maggie Sommers - Kayla Mallory Sinclair - K Verity Wagner - Mat Max Diax - Star Isabella Castro - JimJam Andrew Jackson - Nadine

Willow Springs Apartments - Downtown

Ashi Hussan - Kayla Emre Ediz - K Orion Blakely - Justin Jude Sanchez-Khalid - Star Amerie Chen - Mat Dana Allen-Lopez - K Apollo Williams - Desi Riley Day - Marie Celine Ediz - Gigi Beyza Senkan - Kayla

Heywood University - Downtown

Liliana Santos-Blake - Nadine Cami Quintana-Lopez - Marie Cristian Hernandez - Dix Asher Spring - Kae Wyatt Wheeler - K Prue Cassidy - Kayla Marcus Reyes - K Alex Fontenelle - Madison Frederick Sullivan - Star Genevieve Hernandez - Beki

Fire Department - Downtown

Connor Bowen - K Penelope Ruiz - Nadine Benjamin Jackson - Justin Harlow Hanlon - S Eddie Castro - Kayla Ari Seong-Paterson - Katelyn Keely Seigert - Desi Brady Levitt - Jennie Roman Rhodes - G Javier Rivera - Dix Renee Thompson - K

Mount Aston Lodge - Mount Aston

Josiah Huddington - Katelyn Neena Wagner - Gigi Dilara Baysal - K Malik Farouk - Jackie Travis Jackson - Kayla Samuel Bradford - S Cameron Hatcher - Dix Mason Paterson - K Josh Pryce - Nadine Diego Castro - Star

Gas n Go - Sutherland Park

Shane Marshall - Jay Alice Cheung - K Bridget Levitt - Kayla James Morrison - Sam Quentin Levitt - Nadine Hunter Renner - Star Bee Bowen - El Estella Harris - Lital Julieta Alvarez - K Alliannah Vaughn - Katelyn

Animal House Shelter - Maple Hills

Evren Osman - Katelyn Morgan Fontenelle - K Alaric Farrow - S Lance Browne - Justin Roberta Rhodes - Kayla Gavin Gunther - Jackie Chanse Ainsworth - Kae Chloe Austin - Madison Mateo Torres - K Isla Ricci - Mat

South Pines - Primrose Heights

Abraham Wilson - K Julian Heywood - Nadine Luciana Medina - Kayla Owen Bentley - Star Ricky Thompson - Jennie Luna Morales - Lital Simon Heywood - Marie Matt Wheeler - Kayla Valentina Delgado - K Rohan Belton-Stone - Justin

Old Maple Way - Maple Hills

Dean Walker - Dix Nicole Peterson - Kayla Haven Sinclair - Katelyn Oliver Hensley - JimJam Aster Moon - G Hazal Senkan - K Kanyon Webb - Jackie Aindreis Blythe - Marie Yasmin Ansari - K Sydney Heywood - Gigi Demir Ediz - Lisa

Tequila Cowboy - Sutherland Park

Donovan Morgan - Star Marcel Vaughn - Mat Amayah Fontenelle - Nadine Abel Morgan - K Teagan Weatherford - Katelyn Jaslene Clairmont - K Maverick Bennett - Dix Sofia Carmichael - Kayla Romeo Clark - Jackie Graham Winters - JimJam

Maple Hills Mall - Maple Hills

Parker Campbell - K Xia Huang-Clark - Kayla Viktor Pierce - Dix Lenny Clairmont - K Nancy Lee - Kayla Nora Sinclair - Beki Tyler Day - Star Summer Cassidy - El Ali Webster - Sam Daniel Kwon - Nadine Harrison Lee - Jennie

Moose Lodge Rentals - Primrose Heights

Nick Wagner - Kayla Eli Browne - K Vivek Virani - Jackie Charlie Davis - Star Waverly Erickson - Em Cael Montgomery - Nadine Adem Sahir - Madison Jeremy Lieberman - Kayla Jo Spring - Marie Logan Walker - K

*We did change this so we could have time to talk to and plan these injuries.

[bongaboi]

UTSA: 2023 Frisco Bowl Champions

Owen McCown completed 22 of 31 passes for 251 yards and two touchdowns, and UTSA earned the first bowl victory in program history by beating Marshall 35-17 in the Frisco Bowl on Tuesday night in Frisco, Texas.

McCown, a redshirt freshman and the son of longtime NFL quarterback Josh McCown, got the starting nod because decorated starter Frank Harris sustained a shoulder fracture on Nov. 24 – an injury that was revealed just hours before kickoff Tuesday.

Joshua Cephus hauled in seven receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown for the Roadrunners (9-4). Robert Henry ran for two touchdowns and 37 of UTSA’s 135 rushing yards.

Marshall quarterback Cole Pennington, son of program legend Chad Pennington, completed 15 of 33 passes for 258 yards. Rasheen Ali gained 92 yards and a touchdown on nine carries for Marshall (6-7).

Pennington was shaken up on a big third-down sack during the fourth quarter, with Marshall trailing 28-17. Colin Parachek relieved Pennington on a fourth-and-14 attempt and threw to his left, where Kam Alexander made a leaping interception and returned it 57 yards to the Marshall 17-yard line.

Rocko Griffin stormed into the end zone on the next play to put UTSA up 35-17 with 8:39 to go.

Mike Green had two of the Marshall defense’s six sacks, and Micah Abraham and Eli Neal intercepted McCown during the first quarter.

While McCown took his lumps early, Marshall jumped out to a 14-0 lead.

Ethan Payne scored on a 1-yard rush following McCown’s second pick for the first points of the game. Ali burst away for a 64-yard touchdown sprint on the first play of the second quarter to make it 14-0.

Henry responded for UTSA with a 3-yard scoring run on the next drive. Then, Cephus caught a pass in the right flat and navigated the right sideline for a 44-yard touchdown to tie the game with 8:53 left in the half.

After Rece Verhoff put Marshall ahead with a 44-yard field goal, UTSA conducted a 13-play, 75-yard drive to take a 21-17 lead just before halftime. Henry’s 1-yard rushing score capped off the march.

With 4:49 remaining in the third quarter, McCown used play action to reach David Amador II on his left, and the freshman receiver took it 19 yards to the end zone for his first career touchdown and a 28-17 advantage.

–Field Level Media

[heartbmulti]

Quando Diego Júlio — ou melhor DJ como era conhecido entre os colegas — percebeu que o dia doze de junho estava se aproximando, o rapaz, presidente da DELTA TAU SIGMA, decidiu que, mesmo estando longe de casa, iria comemorar o dia dos namorados e assim também fazer seus colegas ficarem cientes da comemoração que acontecia em sua terra natal. O brasileiro teve a ideia de promover um evento entre alguns amigos que deram os nomes para seu vice; eles fariam um sorteio de duplas e marcariam um encontro. O que melhor, afinal, para se conectar com aquele dia senão um Blind date?

Para sua surpresa, muitos colegas deram seus nomes, tornando o evento um grande sucesso no campus, falado durante a semana inteira. Isso movimentou a fraternidade e trouxe uma visibilidade melhor para os membros. Os mais ricos se mobilizaram para patrocinar o evento, pagando por reservas em restaurantes caríssimos, tendo entrada para boates reservadas e mais alucinantes de LA, sem contar as visitas agendadas nos parques temáticos.

Cada participante recebeu no celular uma mensagem com o local, tipo de roupa a se usar e a hora do encontro. Eles não tiveram a informação de quem seria seu par, para isso teriam que ir até o lugar descobrir e desfrutar de todos o encontro planejado! A única regra do evento foi: divirtam-se! O amor pode estar no ar.

THERESA KINGSLEY & HELENA SAINT CLAIRE:  Museu de Cera Madame Tussauds às 15h00. Tipo de roupa: casual.

FREDERICH ADLER & MALIA PRESCOTT: Dolby Theater às 19h00. Tipo de roupa: formal.

THOMAS HOWELL & DARCY HENDRIX:  Exchange LA às 22h00. Tipo de roupa: casual chique.

FRED COLLINS & PRIMROSE WINSLOW: California Adventure às 10h00. Tipo de roupa: casual.  

ELMER EACKER & OLIVE CARTER:  Pacific Park às 14h00. Tipo de roupa: casual.

CARINA RODHES & SARAH YALSA: Estúdios Warner Bros às 16h00. Tipo de roupa: casual.

EDWARD HARRIES & OH DAEHYNEON: Venice Beach às 10h00. Tipo de roupa: casual.

THEODORE MARSHALL & NIEL ST.HEART:  Venice Beach às 17h00. Tipo de roupa: casual.

DAPHNE LUKIN & DOROTHY KOLSTON: Paramount Studios às 15h00. Tipo de roupa: casual.

NATALIE GRIMALDI & ELAIN JONE-FAITHER: BOA Steakhouse às 22h00. Tipo de roupa: formal.

ELEANOR MILLER & ALEXANDER MATARAZZO: Playhouse Hollywood às 22h00. Tipo de roupa: casual chique.

JOSEPH SIMMONS & OLIVIA EVANS: Boardner’s by La Belle às 21h30. Tipo de roupa: casual chique.

DOMINIC AUBRY & GABRIEL MELLET: Restaurante Spago às 19h00. Tipo de roupa: casual chique.

JACK DELANEY & ELIZABETH OWENS: Restaurante Spago às 21h30. Tipo de roupa: casual chique.

NICOLE BLANCHARD & NYLIAN WESTWOOD:  BOA Steakhouse às 19h00. Tipo de roupa: formal.

MILES ABERNATHY & OCTAVIAN MARSHALL: Disneyland às 14h00. Tipo de roupa: casual.

DANIEL ALVAREZ & HARLOW WILLIAMS: Pacific Park às 18h00. Tipo de roupa: casual.  

CALLÍOPE JONES & KATE SEDGWICK:  SideCar Doughnuts às 15h00. Tipo de roupa: casual.

ANTHONY HAMILTON & ABIGAIL PENDRAGON: Staples Center às 20h00. Tipo de roupa: casual.

PAIGE WALKER & DEMETRIUS MARK-MILLER: Santa Monica Bay às 17h00. Tipo de roupa: casual.

AMY MARSHALL & STEVEN BANCROFT:  Santa Monica Bay às 10h00. Tipo de roupa: casual.  

RILEY LEWIS & RIVER CHAMBERS: Griffith Observatory às 18h00. Tipo de roupa: casual.

DOMENICO TERRANOVA & BARBARA ELIZA HART: TCL Chinese Theater às 16h00. Tipo de roupa: casual.

HAILEY CLARK & CALEB WRIGHT: Disneyland às 19h00. Tipo de roupa: casual.

ALICE ADAMS & VINÍCIUS DE OLIVEIRA: TCL Chinese Theater às 20h00. Tipo de roupa: casual.

ANTHONY SMITH & CHESTER O’MALLEY: SideCar Doughnuts às 13h00. Tipo de roupa: casual.

INFORMAÇÕES OOC

Oi seus lindos! Aqui está o nosso jeito que comemorar o dia dos namorados brasileiro já que o rp não estava aberto quando teve o dos EUA.

Os lugares e as duplas foram escolhidas através de sorteios para ser tudo mais democrático para todos.

Como sabemos que nem todo mundo tem tempo de sobra para estar no rp, nós vamos deixar esse pequeno plot drop durando até 0h do dia 19. Vocês terão uma semana para desenvolver como quiser; se passou da data e ainda não terminaram e for vontade de ambos os players continuar, colocar a interação em flashback. As interações que não forem do blind date podem continuar normalmente.

Nós estipulamos um lugar e horário para cada dupla mas não significa que seu chat/turno precise ficar somente naquele lugar. Explorem Los Angeles como bem entenderem!

Quem for começar a interação, por favor, postar na tag “blindate:starter” para que não só a central veja se o plot drop está fluindo mas também para os outros coleguinhas se quiserem acompanhar.

Postar looks e marcar o @ está mais do que liberado mas não é obrigatório. Lembrando que a tag de starter é “heartb:looks”.

E por último mas o mais importante: DIVIRTAM-SE!

[junker-town]

College basketball’s top 100 players for 2019-2020 season: No. 100 through No. 51

Colorado’s Tyler Bey, Michigan’s Jon Teske, and Xavier’s Paul Scruggs all appear in our top 100 college basketball players countdown.

Counting down the top 100 players in college basketball for the 2019-2020 season.

We’re counting down the top 100 players in college basketball for the 2019-2020 season. Find players No. 50 to No. 1 in a separate post later today. — ed. note

100. Collin Gillespie, JR, G, Villanova

Gillespie was handed the keys to the Villanova offense a year ahead of schedule last season, and it showed. Expect him to benefit from that experience and be an all-conference performer for Jay Wright as a junior.

99. Daniel Oturu, SO, C, Minnesota

Oturu established himself as a fierce inside presence in his first collegiate season, leading all Big Ten freshmen in rebounding, field goal percentage and blocks. With Jordan Murphy and Amir Coffey gone, Oturu will have to thrive in an expanded role if the Golden Gophers are going to make it back to the NCAA tournament.

98. Tulio Da Silva, SR, F, Missouri State

The Brazil native and South Florida transfer was the MVC Newcomer of the Year last season while averaging 14.3 ppg and 7.4 rebounds. Da Silva, who set a school record for dunks last season with 42, will be the unquestioned star for a Missouri State team that is the preseason pick to win the Missouri Valley.

97. Jay Huff, JR, F, Virginia

Tony Bennett has a history of taking guys with pedestrian stat lines but a handful of flashes of brilliance and turning them into standouts by the time they’re juniors and seniors. Expect Huff, a 7’1 forward who can shoot the three and handle the rock a little bit, to be the next who follows that path.

96. Nathan Knight, SR, G, William & Mary

William & Mary is one of only four original Division I programs that has never made the NCAA tournament. It’s on Knight, who averaged 21.0 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game last season, to remove the Tribe from that dubious club in his final collegiate season.

95. Trent Frazier, JR, G, Illinois

Frazier has been Illinois’ most consistent performer over the last couple of down seasons, and figures to maintain that role in a year where the Illini hope to return as a national player. Ayo Dosunmu is the guy getting all the (deserved) NBA buzz, but Brad Underwood doesn’t get this team into the Big Dance unless Frazier performs like an all-conference caliber player.

94. Remy Martin, JR, G, Arizona State

The man with the perfect name to be a highly entertaining Arizona State point guard is back for his junior season after helping to lead the Sun Devils to back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances for the first time in 30 years. Martin battled through injuries throughout his sophomore season, but still earned Second Team All-Pac-12 honors after averaging 14.2 points and a league-leading 6.2 assists per game.

93. Trent Forrest, SR, G, Florida State

Forrest, who has been nagged by injuries throughout his college career, will be the heart and soul of a Florida State team talented enough to once again be a threat to the top of the ACC. Forrest is a dogged defender and a consistent performer on the offensive end who’s always at his best when the stakes are the highest.

Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

92. Jordan Bowden, SR, G, Tennessee

Bowden and backcourt mate Lamonte Turner have had their fair share of shining moments in Knoxville already, but they’ve never stood directly in the spotlight. With the Grant Williams/Admiral Schofield era now a thing of the past, that’s all about to change. Bowden was a double-figure scorer a year ago, but his 10.6 ppg is going to need to increase if the Volunteers are going to make it back to the NCAA tournament’s second weekend.

91. Samuell Williamson, FR, F, Louisville

A late-blooming McDonald’s All-American, Williamson is a silky-smooth wing who should benefit greatly from the attention that preseason ACC Player of the Year Jordan Nwora is going to receive from opposing defenses.

90. Elijah Hughes, JR, G, Syracuse

Hughes was a surprise standout for Jim Boeheim last season, averaging 13.7 ppg in his first season after transferring in from East Carolina. He’s the only returning starter from last year’s 20-win team, and should be the Orange’s No. 1 option on offense this season.

89. Nick Rakocevic, SR, C, USC

Rakocevic may suit up for a program that has a reputation for being a little bipolar, but personally he’s about as reliable a player as there is in the Pac-12. He ranked among the Pac-12’s top-10 in six categories last season, scoring average (10th), rebounds (third), field goal percentage (eighth), blocked shots (fifth), offensive rebounds (first) and defensive rebounds (third).

88. A.J. Lawson, SO, G, South Carolina

Lawson averaged 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game while being forced to play more minutes than Frank Martin would have liked as a freshman. His 6’6 size makes him a matchup issue for pretty much every opponent on the Gamecocks’ 2019-20 schedule.

87. Chris Lykes, JR, G, Miami

The diminutive — he’s listed at 5’7 and that seems generous — Lykes figures to be one of college basketball’s most entertaining players in 2019-20. He ranked ninth in the ACC in scoring (16.2 ppg) last season and figures to have an even bigger green light as a junior. That’s welcome news for a guy who seems willing to pull up from just about any spot across halfcourt.

Photo by Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

86. Joe Wieskamp, SO, G, Iowa

Assuming Jordan Bohannon is never healthy enough to play this season, Wieskamp is going to be the guy for Fran McCaffery. He’s already an established marksman from the outside, but Wieskamp’s offensive game will need to become a bit more diversified if he’s going to approach the overall numbers Hawkeye fans would expect to see from a healthy Bohannon.

85. Jared Butler, SO, G, Baylor

Baylor found its stride last season when Butler found his and began running the show for the Bears at the point. He averaged 10.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game for a Baylor squad that advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament, but which has loftier aspirations in 2019-20.

84. Jahmius Ramsey, FR, G, Texas Tech

The former five-star recruit significantly upped expectations for his freshman season by dropping 44 points in one of Texas Tech’s August exhibition games in the Bahamas. Ramsey figures to be one of the offensive focal points for a Red Raider team looking to replace the production of Jarrett Culver, Matt Mooney and Tariq Owens from last season’s national runner-up squad.

83. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, FR, F, Villanova

Trying to predict who’s going to do what for this year’s Villanova team feels damn near impossible. Jay Wright has a bunch of similar pieces to work with, and it’s likely going to take a bit of time to figure out who goes where. A super versatile 6’9 wing, Robinson-Earl feels like the ‘Nova newcomer best equipped to come in and be consistently productive from night one on. He’ll be a double-double threat every time he steps on the court this season.

82. Admon Gilder, SR, G, Gonzaga

One of the top grad transfers in the country, Gilder comes to Gonzaga by way of Texas A&M, where he was forced to miss all of last season with a blood clot in his right bicep. Before that, he was the driving force for two highly successful Aggie teams. Gilder averaged 12.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists for a Sweet 16-bound Texas A&M team in 2017-18, and 13.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists the year before that.

81. Paul Scruggs, JR, G, Xavier

Naji Marshall is going to be the frontman for this year’s Xavier team, but Scruggs showed glimpses down the stretch of last season that he has the ability to be an All-Big East performer. He was terrific in March, most notably when he scored 28 points and handed out seven assists in the Musketeers’ overtime loss to Villanova in the Big East tournament semifinals.

80. Kahlil Whitney, FR, F, Kentucky

Another five-star Kentucky freshman, it’ll be interesting to see exactly what role Whitney winds up playing for this year’s UK team. Whatever role it is, Whitney’s freak athleticism and ability to play and defend multiple positions demands that it’s going to be a prominent one.

79. Omer Yurtseven, JR, C, Georgetown

The versatile 7-footer averaged 13.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game for NC State in 2017-18 before deciding it was time for a change of scenery. He’ll fill the void left by the graduation of Jessie Govan, and should serve as the perfect compliment to the explosive backcourt duo of James Akinjo and Mac McClung.

Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

78. Ochai Agbaji, SO, G, Kansas

Agbaji’s redshirt was burned in the middle of last season out of necessity, and he responded more impressively than Bill Self could have ever imagined. He hit a bit of a wall down the stretch but still posted respectable — all things considered — averages of 8.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game for the season. If his outside shot improves enough, he’ll have all the tools necessary to help Kansas make a run at the national title and then bolt for the greener pastures of the NBA.

77. Dejon Jarreau, JR, G, Houston

In 2018, Rob Gray passed the torch to Corey Davis Jr., who then passed it on to Jarreau after the Cougars had their hearts broken by Kentucky in the Sweet 16 last March. A former top-50 recruit, Jarreau was impressive enough last season to earn the AAC Sixth Man of the Year award despite playing just 18 minutes per game. With its three starting guards from last season all gone, Jarreau will be asked to do much more in 2019-20.

76. Davide Moretti, JR, G, Texas Tech

As a sophomore last season, Moretti became the only player in the history of the Big 12 to shoot at least 50 percent from the floor, 50 percent three, and 90 percent from the free-throw line in a season. He’ll be asked to up his scoring output now that Jarrett Culver is getting paid to play the game.

75. Tyler Bey, JR, F, Colorado

With McKinley Wright injured last season, Bey stepped up to lead the Buffs with 13.6 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 54.1 percent from the field. Now Bey is ready to team up again with a healthy Wright to form what should be one of the best inside-outside duos in the country this season.

74. Precious Achiuwa, FR, F, Memphis

The “other” five-star freshman on Memphis’ loaded 2019-20 squad, Achiuwa should reap the benefits of the extreme amount of attention James Wiseman will receive from opposing defenses. His ability to knock down the outside shot should also allow the Tigers to adequately space the floor in Penny Hardaway’s halfcourt sets.

73. Javonte Smart, SO, G, LSU

Smart had an ... interesting ... freshman season in which he averaged 11.1 points and 2.4 assists per game. He was sensational at times, most notably when he scored 29 points in an 82-80 OT win over Tennessee that proved to be the deciding factor in LSU claiming the SEC’s regular-season championship. His production should increase as a sophomore as he steps into the role previously occupied by Tiger star Tremont Waters.

72. Xavier Johnson, SO, G, Pittsburgh

Johnson was a monster for Pitt in his freshman season, breaking the school’s 34-year-old freshman scoring record and establishing himself as the only player in Division I to average at least 15.5 points and 4.5 assists per game. He achieved those offensive numbers despite often being asked to defend the opposition’s best player on the other end of the floor.

71. Matt Haarms, JR, C, Purdue

The man with arguably the best head of hair in college basketball is back to man the middle for another year in West Lafayette. The 7’3 Haarms is an established defensive force who will be looking to improve his numbers (9.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.1 bpg) in a season where the Boilermakers figure to be less reliant on the outside shot.

Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images

70. Mustapha Heron, SR, G, St. John’s

The cupboard isn’t entirely bare for new St. John’s head coach Mike Anderson. In his first year after transferring in from Auburn, Heron averaged a solid 14.6 ppg last season, but often seemed unsure of how to coexist in a backcourt also occupied by score-crazy point guard Shamorie Ponds. Ponds is gone now, which means Heron and fellow veteran guard LJ Figueroa should have an opportunity to post some gaudy numbers on a team that will be otherwise extremely thin on scoring.

69. Jon Teske, SR, C, Michigan

Already one of the top interior defenders in college basketball, Teske became a legitimate offensive threat for the first time in his college career last season. If his improvement on the end of the floor continues, he should be one of the most well-rounded big men in the country this season as a senior.

68. Lamine Diane, SO, Cal State Northridge

The best player in the country you’ve never heard of, last season Diane became the first ever Big West player to win the conference’s Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Newcomer of the Year awards all in the same season. He broke single-season school records for points (818), rebounds (368), field goals made (340), blocks (72) and double-doubles (20), and was also the only player in the country to average above 24 points (24.8), 10 rebounds (11.2) and two blocks (2.2).

67. Xavier Sneed, SR, G, Kansas State

Sneed is the top returning scorer (10.9), rebounder (5.5), three-point shooter, and minutes leader (30.7) from a Kansas State squad that shared the Big 12 regular-season title with Texas Tech in 2018-19. He’s also the player most responsible for making sure the Wildcats don’t take a dramatic step backwards in 2019-20.

66. Aaron Henry, SO, F, Michigan State

Henry entered the starting lineup midway through last season, and every now and then provided Michigan State fans with a glimpse into a very bright future. He can knock down the outside shot, he’s explosive when he needs to be, and his Miles Bridges-esque frame should allow him to be one of the better finishers in the Big Ten this season. He also figures to have more opportunities than originally expected with Josh Langford (who would be on this list if healthy) sidelined until at least January, Henry is going to be an NBA Draft pick, the only question is when.

65. Bryce Aiken, SR, G, Harvard

Aiken enters his senior season with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. His junior year ended prematurely after he dropped 38 points in the Ivy League tournament championship game, but still saw his top-seeded Harvard squad upended by arch-rival Yale. The Crimson are the overwhelming favorites to win the Ivy in 2019-20, and Aiken, who dropped 33 or more points in four of the 17 games he played in last year, is the pundits’ pick to once again be the conference’s top performer.

64. John Mooney, SR, F, Notre Dame

Mooney was the lone bright spot in an otherwise dismal season for Mike Brey and Notre Dame in 2018-19. He led the ACC in rebounding at 11.2 rpg, and his 20 double-doubles were six more than any other player in the conference. Mooney figures to have significantly more help in his final college season.

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

63. Nojel Eastern, JR, G, Purdue

A Big Ten All-Defensive Team selection a year ago, Eastern will be asked to up his offensive production now that All-American Carsen Edwards and senior sharpshooter Ryan Cline have moved on. Despite playing on the wing, Eastern led the Boilermakers in rebounding a year ago at 5.5 rpg.

62. Antoine Davis, SO, G, Detroit Mercy

The nation’s leading returning scorer at 26.1 ppg, Davis was outscored last season by only Campbell’s Chris Clemons (30 ppg) and Hofstra’s Justin Wright-Foreman (27 ppg). Davis became the first freshman ever to lead the Horizon League in scoring, and his 132 three-pointers broke the Division I record for triples by a freshman that had previously been held by Stephen Curry. Expect the coach’s son to fill it up at an even higher clip for the Titans this season.

61. Josh Green, FR, F, Arizona

Nico Mannion is the Arizona freshman everyone is talking about, but Green is going to get his fair share of headlines during the season as well. The Australian native is an off the charts athlete who has the potential to be the perfect running mate with Mannion in transition.

60. Neemias Queta, SO, C, Utah State

One of the nation’s most surprising freshman stars last season, Queta shattered Utah State’s previous single-season blocks record of 59 by swatting 84 in his first collegiate season. He also led the team in rebounding at 8.9 rpg and ranked second in scoring at 11.8 ppg. Expect Queta’s second season with the Aggies to be his last before bolting for the NBA.

59. Charles Bassey, SO, C, Western Kentucky

Everyone assumed Bassey’s first season at Western Kentucky would be his only season at Western Kentucky, but here we are. Bassey was the C-USA Freshman of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year after averaging a team-best 14.6 points, 10 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game in 2018-19. There aren’t many teams in the country, and there certainly isn’t another one in Conference USA, that have an inside presence who can do the types of things Bassey can do.

58. Kellan Grady, JR, G, Davidson

A First Team All-Atlantic 10 selection last season, Grady ranked third in the conference in scoring at 17.3 points per game. He eclipsed the 20-point mark on 13 occasions, including a 31-point effort in Davidson’s final game of the season, an NIT loss to Lipscomb.

57. Skylar Mays, SR, G, LSU

Mays was the only LSU player to start all 35 games last season, averaging 13.4 points per game for the SEC regular season champions. He’ll be asked to shoulder a larger chunk of the offensive load with Tremont Waters now cashing checks from the Boston Celtics.

56. Lamonte Turner, SR, G, Tennessee

Injuries delayed the start of Turner’s 2018-19, but the former SEC Sixth Man of the Year still wound up averaging 10.9 points, 3.8 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game on that loaded Volunteers squad. He’ll be asked to up that points per game average in his final collegiate season as Tennessee adjusts to life without Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield.

Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

55. Grant Riller, SR, G, Charleston

An extremely safe bet to win CAA Player of the Year and finish in the top 10 nationally in scoring, Riller is coming off a junior season in which he averaged 21.9 ppg and shot just a hair short of 54 percent from the field. He set a single game school record when he scored 43 points in a 99-95 loss to Hofstra last February.

54. Derek Culver, SO, C, West Virginia

Bob Huggins was forced to throw his freshmen into the fire last season, and Culver came out looking like a true Targaryen. The big man averaged 11.5 points and 9.9 rebounds per game on the season, and his eight double-doubles in conference play were the most of any player in the Big 12.

53. Reggie Perry, SO, F, Mississippi State

After flirting with a professional turn, Perry ultimately opted to return to Starkville after a freshman season in which he seemed to just brush the surface of his potential. He averaged a respectable 9.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, but struggled with consistency. That inconsistency figures to be a thing of the past if his play this summer — when he earned Most Valuable Player honors at the FIBA U19 World Cup — is any indication.

52. Marcus Evans, SR, G, VCU

Despite dealing with injuries throughout his college career, Evans has been a First Team All-Conference selection in each of his three collegiate seasons. A year ago, he averaged a team-high 13.6 points, 3.2 assists and 1.9 steals per game for a VCU squad that dominated the Atlantic 10.

51. James Akinjo, SO, G, Georgetown

Georgetown fans are heading into the 2019-20 season dreaming about a return to the Hoya glory of the 1980s (and 2007). The biggest reason why might be Akinjo, who earned Big East Freshman of the Year honors last season after averaging 13.4 points and 5.4 assists per game for a Georgetown team that surprised many by winning 19 games and finishing tied for third in the final league standings.

[creepykingdom]

Universal Studios Hollywood’s all new Jurassic Offerings

Costa Rican-inspired cuisine and flavorful Tiki cocktails served at Jurassic Café and all-new tropical Isla Nu-bar add to the dynamic guest experience as part of Universal Studios Hollywood’s new mega attraction opening this summer, “Jurassic World—The Ride,” based on the JURASSIC WORLD blockbuster films.

Along with an array of souvenir collectible, limited edition and one-of-a-kind dimensional dinosaur sculptures from the Jurassic Outfitters store, guests can savor a piece of this exciting thrill ride even after they’ve gone home.

Borrowing its name from the fictitious Central American island in the JURASSIC WORLD movies, the stand-alone, open-air Isla Nu-bar, complete with a thatched roof, serves up tropical-themed Tiki cocktails in three collectible cups:  Etched Tiki, Bamboo-styled Tiki and Tiki God.

Whether blended or made-to-order with fresh juices, every aromatic blended drink is adorned with a pineapple leaf and edible orchid flower.  Flavorable beverages include Tropical Margarita, Piña Colada and Painkiller, along with island cocktails such as Tiki Tai, Bird of Paradise, Ti Peach, Rum Runner and Mai Tai.

With Universal Studios Hollywood’s Executive Chef Marie Grimm at the helm, the new Jurassic Café caters to a selection of Costa Rican-themed cuisine, inspired by the location of the JURASSIC WORLD movies.  Mouth-watering menu items include Sweet Corn Cakes with Slow Roasted Mojo Pork or Spicy Mojo Jackfruit, Citrus Glazed Chicken, Fresh Roasted Red Snapper and Isla Burger. Tempting starters include savory Chorizo and Potato Empanadas, Crispy Lettuce Leaf Roll with Shrimp, Tropical Fruit Salad and Pomegranate Guacamole with plantain chips.  All entrees will be accompanied by fresh green papaya salad and Costa Rica’s national dish, Gallo Pinto – traditional rice and beans.

The Jurassic Outfitters store will feature a variety of collectable merchandise to commemorate the ride’s opening, including a selection of exclusive items. From limited edition t-shirts and hats to drinkware, pins, amber stones and jewelry, Jurassic Outfitters will offer keepsake merchandise for every member of the family.

The shop will also carry a variety of custom-made, high-end collectible dinosaur sculptures and maquettes. These incredibly crafted statement pieces replicate the Tyrannosaurus rex, Velociraptor, Dilophosaurus, Styracosaurus, Pachycephalosaurus and Triceratops and range in price up to $1,000.

In addition to experiencing the exhilaration of the new thrill ride, guests will have the opportunity to become immortalized in one of the ride’s momentous scenes as they plunge down its treacherous 84-foot waterfall with the introduction of slo-mo video capture offered exclusively at “Jurassic World—The Ride.”  The iconic moment will be available for purchase and received digitally for riders to share via their social media platforms so they assure their friends that they indeed survived the vicious dinosaurs. Keepsake digital images will also be available for purchase.

“Jurassic World—The Ride” features an original storyline that will take guests on a breathtaking excursion through the theme park as depicted in Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s film, JURASSIC WORLD.  It will soar to new heights with the addition of iconic dinosaurs from the movie, including the colossal Indominus rex and the magnificent aquatic Mosasaurus in her natural habitat.  The ride also features the stars of the JURASSIC WORLD films – Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard and BD Wong who reprise their roles as Owen Grady, Claire Dearing and Dr. Henry Wu.

The mega attraction captures the essence of the blockbuster movies and comes to life in collaboration with the award-winning and inspired minds at Universal Creative, the Academy Award®-winning special-effects visionaries at Industrial Light & Magic, a division of Lucasfilm, Ltd., Universal Pictures and acclaimed filmmakers Steven Spielberg, Colin Trevorrow and Frank Marshall.

When “Jurassic World—The Ride” opens this summer, guests will be welcomed to a dramatically reimagined space reflective of the hit films.  A fresh entry statement, stonework landscaping, and a contemporary redesign of the iconic JURASSIC WORLD gates, illuminated with billowing flames, will create the framework for the all new aesthetics.

With so much to see and do at Universal Studios Hollywood, the new California Neighbor Pass invites guests to experience 175 days of fun for $149 when purchased online. Visit www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com for more details. Blackout dates and restrictions apply.

More information is available at www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com. Like Universal Studios Hollywood on Facebook and follow @UniStudios on Instagram and Twitter.

[bloodshedfalls]

WINTER WONDERLAND

Much to the surprise of the entire residency of Red Creek, Christmas and New Year passed, it what can only be described as a thoroughly uneventful fashion. Though there were parties galore, and drama to be found around every turn, it was merely the kind of drama you’d expect to find around that time of year. There were family arguments over the dinner table, I mean sure - maybe not every family draw a shotgun on each other, but not everybody’s brother just found out he’s a werewolf. There were lovers tiffs at parties because it’s the worst feeling when you finally find your boyfriend in the crowd of people and he has someone else lipstick on his collar - or maybe it was blood? There were missing people reports, robberies and a few reports of burnt Christmas puddings and broken hearts on New Years Eve, but nobody died - well, almost nobody, Mean Old Man Herbert finally whispered one final ‘Stay off my lawn’ before passing away peacefully in his sleep at the beginning of the coldest winter Red Creek has witnessed in a hundred years; but look on the bright side, Kids are now free to play on his lawn without fear!

Speaking of the coldest winter in a hundred years, the snow storms of Red Creek did not cease over the holiday period, much the opposite - to the dismay of the entire town who found it harder and harder to go about their day to day lives as the snow piled up around them. Eventually, the roads out of town became too treacherous to drive on, leaving residents trapped yet again, but if only they’d known that was far from the worst to come. Weeks passed and the town eventually ran out of salt to grit the roads and the sidewalks, people gave up shoveling their paths, many even gave up trying to leave the house entirely. The town came to a standstill, yet the storm raged on. Situations hit a critical point earlier in the week when the entire town lost power, knocked out by the heavy snowfall - officials said nobody could get out to them to do repairs until the storm stopped, and the snow melted.

The Mayor and the Sheriff pooled together all available resources and split them across three locations around town that were known to have backup generators; the Hospital, the High School, and the Sheriff’s Department. Word was sent out that those that were still able should make their way to one of these three locations immediately, for shelter, food, and warmth. The residents made their way to the three safety points in dribs and drabs, some headed out immediately - wasting no time, not wanting to get stuck in their ice cold homes, others made their way a few days later as the temperature dropped below zero, and others had yet to be seen or heard of.

But with the winds picking up outside and the temperature continuing to drop, even those that had found sanctuary with the generators were beginning to feel the cold. The town found themselves huddling together freezing, wondering if this storm would ever let up.

And then there were the rumors of a house, just off Main street, who’s lights were still on… another generator?

Welcome to January’s event - starting a little differently this time round, we’ll jump in mid-event, so to speak, in the midst of the action. Your characters will be at one of the three generator locations, and will be listed below. Please try to interact with as many new characters that you might not have spoken to before during this time.

It should also be noted that some species will be effected by the cold more so that others:

Tetra’s will deteriorate quickly, they cannot rely on frozen water and the drop in temperature will have dried out all moisture in the air.  

Reapers will also find themselves in a worse condition, due to already running at a lower than average temperature, they will be the first to suffer not to mention that they are still a mortal creature.

All other mortal creatures that run at a normal temperature (Human, Witch, Banshee, Hunter, Imps and Shapeshifters) will be effected by the cold, but less rapidly.

Werewolves and Phoenixes naturally run at a higher temperature and therefore will find they can withstand the cold for longer than most.

Vampires are immortal, and though they cold cannot kill them, and will effect them slower, they will start to deteriorate.

Ghosts have no physical body and are therefore unaffected by the cold.

Also please note that not everyone would have heard the rumor about the house with the lights on to start with, a search party will be chosen later in the event (by the admins) to go and check it out. Please feel free to message us if you are interested in being involved.

The event will start 17/01/17 @ 11:59PM GMT and end on 21/01/17 @ 11:59PM GMT

Remember, put a hold on all pre event threads, you may pick them up again once the event has finished. Also remember the three starter rule still applies, so once there are three starters posted for each group you must answer them before posting your own! Tag starters with: bloodshedstarter & your character’s location. Also make sure to run any major plots by the main for admin approval. But most importantly, HAVE FUN!

HIGH SCHOOL

Lyra Carmikael

Jericho Kane

Fletcher Swan

Eleanor Drake

Dominic Willingham

Gabriel Westwood

Wisteria Fontaine

Finley Darius

Giana St James

Caitlyn Thompson

Mercedes Peltier

Kayleigh Fairmont

Nolan Chase

Catherine Hamilton

Diana Vaughn

Sarah Davis

Vincent Petrov

Ripley Kincaid

Dawn Cassidy

Matilda Hunt

Kirsten Lawe

Liam Stephens

Logan Marshall

Sawyer King

Jack Dawson

Harlow Halliday

Ace Doherty

Leslie Murray

Victoria Kyle

Heath Lllewellyn

Sesha Kaur

Alexander Dragov

Shelby Fontaine

Seth Talbot

Rory Talbot

Ronan Carmikael

Kara Michaels

Dora Saint Claire

Aemilia Carmikael

Ryan Darius

Lucas Astor

Jaxon Dubois

Francesca Mendoza

Joslyn Curie

Christian Donovan

SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT

Jordan Darius

Kenzie Hale

Levi Fairchild

Noah Carmikael

Brooke Marshall

Owen Hurst

Eli Livingston

Mathias Roux

Tate Emerson

Tanner Ayers

Elizabeth Blackwood

Carter Kane

Matthew Peterson

Emma Teague

Adrian Chevalier

Mace Wyler

Cornelius Lindstrom

Lenore Dauphine

Laurent Bernard

Cameron Jackson

Faye Archer

Bonnie Dragov

Clark Roschell

Felix Marius

Quinn Stephens

Allison Gilbert

Thalia Levesque

Agneis Amell

Djohariah Olvera

Clarice Dagny

Temperance Goldthwaite

Jonah Burke

Benjamin Knight

Aurelia Winters

Wyatt Talbot

Cassidy Talbot

Micah Carmikael

Hope Cress

Tripp Blais

Keaton Baird

Nico Oron

Rhaella Colwyn

Carmen Exposita

HOSPITAL

Jonathan Drake

Bishop Danes

Maddox Chase

Thea King-Roschell

Christopher Talbot

Grace Sheridan

Ophelia Jermaine

Andrew Stephens

Rowan Harrison

William Adler

Rosalina Sanchez

Damien Hunt

Dawson Wooddruff

Lara Talbot

Brandon Rutherford

Caleb Marshall

Otis DeMarco

Lexa Reznik

Savannah Fontaine

Alice Roschell

Ruaraidh Vasile

Simone Artois

Ransome Gullage

Desmond Vaughn

Brennan Talbot

Devlin Clary

Jace Walsh

Anastasia Johnson

Jasmine Turner

Josephine Clover

Kaz Vietteleva

Aurora Blake

Dominique Demorian

Murphy Halloran

Jamie Knight

Wren Fontaine

Zeke Callen

Asher Carmikael

Remi Carmikael

Nora Cress

Lyssa Deveraux

Rose Beck

Kevin Tenniel

Byron Verlaine

Ezra Lin

Garen Turner

[jurassicparkpodcast]

Universal Studios Hollywood’s All-New Isla Nu-bar and Jurassic Café Serve Up Island-Inspired Tiki Drinks and Costa Rican Cuisine & More!

Jurassic June is currently in full swing and today we get our first look at some of the food and drink offerings coming to the brand new Isla Nu-Bar and Jurassic Cafe at Universal Studios Hollywood’s updated Jurassic World section! There’s a fun new souvenir for Jurassic World: The Ride and Jurassic Outfitters will see some updates as well - with new items to take home after your trip! Universal Hollywood has released a sampling of images and new information that can be found in the press release below - Let’s check it out!

I am salivating over the food offerings already! We can see a lovely mix of elegant, yet practical fare with Citrus Glazed Chicken, Roasted Red Snapper, Tropical Fruit Salad, Pomegranate Guacamole with Plantain Chips and the Isla Burger. Delicious!

These images are just a small sampling of the food available at Jurassic Cafe - more of which can be found in the press release below. The Costa Rican flair is obvious here, and I love it!I can’t wait to try them all.

I think we’ve all already fawned over the addition of Isla Nu-Bar to the park, so it’s great to finally get a look at the cocktails! Maybe even more spectacular than the food offerings are the tropical themed Tiki cups. I love Tiki vibes and it’s great to see the refreshing drink offerings served in collectible designs. You can tell Universal Studios is really trying to sell you on an authentic Jurassic World experience, making it feel as “in-world” as possible.

You’ll be able to indulge in flavorful drinks such as the Tiki Tai, Bird of Paradise, Ti Peach, Rum Runner and Mai Tai. In addition to the amazing drinks, each cup will be topped with a pineapple leaf and edible archid flower! Incredible stuff!

Jurassic Outfitters is also getting a little bit of love, with new merchandise offerings! Exclusive items will be available for purchase to commemorate the opening of Jurassic World: The Ride and the newly updated land. This is an opportunity to take home the joy of the new attraction and remember it for years to come! They will also be selling select high-end merchandise that can run you up to $1000! I know a lot of high end collectors out there who will jump at the chance!

Lastly, it looks like there’s going to be a fun new way to remember your journey onto Isla Nublar, as you’ll be ale to download slo-mo videos from your plummet away from the Indominus Rex and the Tyrannosaurus Rex! You will be able to purchase the slo-mo videos and have the chance to share them online with your friends. Sounds like a blast to me!

As of right now, we still do not have an opening date for the land and Jurassic World: The Ride. Please check out the full press release from Universal Studios Hollywood below:

"Universal City, CA, June 17, 2019 – Costa Rican-inspired cuisine and flavorful Tiki cocktails served at Jurassic Café and all-new tropical Isla Nu-bar add to the dynamic guest experience as part of Universal Studios Hollywood’s new mega attraction opening this summer, “Jurassic World—The Ride,” based on the JURASSIC WORLD blockbuster films. Along with an array of souvenir collectible, limited edition and one-of-a-kind dimensional dinosaur sculptures from the Jurassic Outfitters store, guests can savor a piece of this exciting thrill ride even after they’ve gone home. Borrowing its name from the fictitious Central American island in the JURASSIC WORLD movies, the stand-alone, open-air Isla Nu-bar, complete with a thatched roof, serves up tropical-themed Tiki cocktails in three collectible cups: Etched Tiki, Bamboo-styled Tiki and Tiki God. Whether blended or made-to-order with fresh juices, every aromatic blended drink is adorned with a pineapple leaf and edible orchid flower. Flavorable beverages include Tropical Margarita, Piña Colada and Painkiller, along with island cocktails such as Tiki Tai, Bird of Paradise, Ti Peach, Rum Runner and Mai Tai. With Universal Studios Hollywood’s Executive Chef Marie Grimm at the helm, the new Jurassic Café caters to a selection of Costa Rican-themed cuisine, inspired by the location of the JURASSIC WORLD movies. Mouth-watering menu items include Sweet Corn Cakes with Slow Roasted Mojo Pork or Spicy Mojo Jackfruit, Citrus Glazed Chicken, Fresh Roasted Red Snapper and Isla Burger. Tempting starters include savory Chorizo and Potato Empanadas, Crispy Lettuce Leaf Roll with Shrimp, Tropical Fruit Salad and Pomegranate Guacamole with plantain chips. All entrees will be accompanied by fresh green papaya salad and Costa Rica’s national dish, Gallo Pinto – traditional rice and beans. The Jurassic Outfitters store will feature a variety of collectable merchandise to commemorate the ride’s opening, including a selection of exclusive items. From limited edition t-shirts and hats to drinkware, pins, amber stones and jewelry, Jurassic Outfitters will offer keepsake merchandise for every member of the family. The shop will also carry a variety of custom-made, high-end collectible dinosaur sculptures and maquettes. These incredibly crafted statement pieces replicate the Tyrannosaurus rex, Velociraptor, Dilophosaurus, Styracosaurus, Pachycephalosaurus and Triceratops and range in price up to $1,000. In addition to experiencing the exhilaration of the new thrill ride, guests will have the opportunity to become immortalized in one of the ride’s momentous scenes as they plunge down its treacherous 84-foot waterfall with the introduction of slo-mo video capture offered exclusively at “Jurassic World—The Ride.” The iconic moment will be available for purchase and received digitally for riders to share via their social media platforms so they assure their friends that they indeed survived the vicious dinosaurs. Keepsake digital images will also be available for purchase. “Jurassic World—The Ride” features an original storyline that will take guests on a breathtaking excursion through the theme park as depicted in Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s film, JURASSIC WORLD. It will soar to new heights with the addition of iconic dinosaurs from the movie, including the colossal Indominus rex and the magnificent aquatic Mosasaurus in her natural habitat. The ride also features the stars of the JURASSIC WORLD films – Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard and BD Wong who reprise their roles as Owen Grady, Claire Dearing and Dr. Henry Wu. The mega attraction captures the essence of the blockbuster movies and comes to life in collaboration with the award-winning and inspired minds at Universal Creative, the Academy Award®-winning special-effects visionaries at Industrial Light & Magic, a division of Lucasfilm, Ltd., Universal Pictures and acclaimed filmmakers Steven Spielberg, Colin Trevorrow and Frank Marshall. When “Jurassic World—The Ride” opens this summer, guests will be welcomed to a dramatically reimagined space reflective of the hit films. A fresh entry statement, stonework landscaping, and a contemporary redesign of the iconic JURASSIC WORLD gates, illuminated with billowing flames, will create the framework for the all new aesthetics. With so much to see and do at Universal Studios Hollywood, the new California Neighbor Pass invites guests to experience 175 days of fun for $149 when purchased online. Visit www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com for more details. Blackout dates and restrictions apply. More information is available at www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com. Like Universal Studios Hollywood on Facebook and follow @UniStudios on Instagram and Twitter."

Written by: Brad Jost

[jasonheart1]

Renck: My way-too-early Broncos' 53-man roster

CENTENNIAL, Colo. -- On a somber Christmas Eve afternoon at FedEx Field, quarterback Brock Osweiler stood in front of his offensive linemen, prodding for a better performance. He received disinterested looks as if he were trying to convince them coal was a shrewd, affordable stocking stuffer.

A few weeks earlier in Oakland, quarterback Paxton Lynch sat on the bench, towel draped over his head, tears in his eyes. His return to the starting lineup ended in a mess of gaffes and an injury that left questions about his toughness.

 In Kansas City in October, Trevor Siemian prompted the carousel of misery with a three-pick performance that symbolized the ineptitude of a season-scarring eight-game losing streak.

 Now, on the eve of Broncos training camp, “The Decision” at the league’s most important position no longer exists. If the Broncos’ instincts were right, they found “The Solution.” Case Keenum, coming off a career-year where only Drew Brees was more accurate, takes over. Can he change the fortunes of a team looking to avoid its first back-to-back losing seasons since 1972? Keenum remains critical to success, but the U-turn will not happen without help.

 Which brings me to my way-too-early projected Broncos’ 53-man roster. This is a fluid situation because of injuries and, you know practices and games, but here’s my Denver7 attempt at clarity:

 QUARTERBACK (3): Case Keenum, Paxton Lynch, Chad Kelly.

The Broncos’ revival starts with Keenum. General manager John Elway believes the former journeyman “could be just hitting his stride.” Denver will perform cartwheels if Keenum duplicates last season’s stats in Minnesota. The Broncos were drawn to Keenum because of his toughness, leadership and the fact that “being the Broncos quarterback will not be too big for him,” coach Vance Joseph said. The key is a 3-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio (he posted 22 and 7 last year). If he pulls that off – staying under 30 passes per game remains significant – the Broncos will return to the playoffs. Lynch holds the edge for the backup job because of the time and money invested him. However, his future is cloudy. If he fails to beat out Kelly, Lynch should become a trade candidate – a longshot – or bide his time until season’s end when he can be cut with more manageable dead money. I do wonder if the Broncos will attempt to add a veteran during camp if Lynch and Kelly don’t impress in the first few games.

 RUNNINGBACK/FULLBACK (5): Royce Freeman, Devontae Booker, D’Angelo Henderson, Phillip Lindsay, Andy Janovich.

 Royce Freeman possesses maturity and experience beyond his years. As a result, I would not be surprised if he starts. Devontae Booker enters camp with the edge. However, the Broncos can ill-afford to have a starter with a 3.6 yards-per-carry average as they attempt to become a more physical team. Booker must improve to keep the job given the Broncos’ desire to run the ball (it was essential to Keenum’s success in Minnesota where the Vikings ranked in the top five in yards and attempts). The competition figures to be fierce for the final spots. Lindsay has to boast special teams versatility to beat out David Williams, though how the receiver position shakes out could impact the final running back spot.

 WIDE RECEIVER (6): Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Courtland Sutton, DaeSean Hamilton, Isaiah McKenzie, Jordan Taylor.

 This represents a position where the cuts could force the admission of mistakes. Carlos Henderson begins camp on the exempt list with no guarantee he makes the team. Jordan Taylor could find a path to the roster as punt returner, but will he get healthy? The top four are locks with two simple questions: how many snaps will Sutton and Hamilton log, and will they come at the expense of one of the veterans? If Sanders plays some in the slot, it could create multiple avenues to use the young players. McKenzie earned scorn last season for his awful work on punt returns. He has been humbled and is hungry. I would not use him on punt return initially – could Hamilton or Lindsay fill that role? -- but he might be a dangerous change-of-pace weapon on offense. Philly Brown, expected to sign Friday, will push for a job, too.

 TIGHT END (3): Jeff Heuerman, Jake Butt, Austin Traylor.

There’s no denying how awful the production has been from this position since Owen Daniels retired. Daniels, at least, remained a threat inside the 20. Heuerman has been a disappointment, unable to capitalize on playing time last season. He figures to make it as the starting blocking tight end. But Jake Butt holds the key to the position blossoming. He profiles as a red zone target. Kyle Rudolph functioned as Keenum’s safety net last year – 57 catches, 532 yards, eight touchdowns. Traylor showed flashes last season. If Troy Fumagalli is healthy, he could supplant Traylor. But Fumagalli could be slowed after sports hernia surgery leading him to start the season on the injured list.

 OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (8): Garett Bolles, Jared Veldheer, Ron Leary, Connor McGovern, Menelik Watson, Matt Paradis, J.J. Dielman, Billy Turner. 

 The Broncos desperately need this group to play better. Two new line coaches teaching shorter pass-blocking drops should help after Denver allowed a staggering 52 sacks last season. Putting Leary, the team’s best lineman, on the left side next to Bolles should benefit both players. Paradis anchors the center spot, stronger than ever after being able to lift this offseason for the first time in years without hip pain. I consider signing him a contract extension. McGovern enters camp as the favorite to beat out Max Garcia. If Garcia fails to land the starting job, I am not sure he makes the team. Veldheer settled down at right tackle over his final 10 games in Arizona last year. Is he finally the balm on an open wound? Menelik Watson, if he sneaks on the roster, will do it by serving as a backup guard. Billy Turner’s versatility gives him a slight advantage to stick.

 CORNERBACK (5): Chris Harris Jr., Bradley Roby, Tramaine Brock, Isaac Yiadom, Marcus Rios.

 The No Fly Zone exists as long as Harris wears orange. He arrives angry and prepared to prove there will not be a significant dropoff without Aqib Talib. The Broncos moved on from Talib because of their confidence in Roby. He has played his best games as a spot starter, but needs to practice well to deliver a strong performance for a full season. Brock is a solid nickel corner, Yiadom will help on special teams, and Rios edges out Brendan Langley. I would not be surprised if Langley makes it, but he needs a strong camp to overcome last year’s first impression.

 SAFETY (4): Justin Simmons, Darian Stewart, Su’a Cravens, Will Parks.

 Simmons projects as a future Pro Bowler, and will step forward in his second year as a starter. No one missed T.J. Ward more than Stewart. He found himself out of position too frequently last year. He might need a good camp to make the team. Su’a Cravens is a wildcard. At his best, he’s a physical hybrid player who could help cover tight ends, a persistent problem for years. Will Parks will be pushed for his roster spot by multiple young players. He embraces challenges, so I expect him to find his way onto the team.

 DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (7): Derek Wolfe, Adam Gotsis, Shelby Harris, DeMarcus Walker, Clinton McDonald, Domata Peko, Zach Kerr.

 If the Broncos realize a bounceback, this group will play a large role. There is versatility, talent and experience. Wolfe holds the key. Neck surgery revitalized his outlook. He can provide an inside rush, and stop the run. Gotsis, whose off-field issues regarding an alleged rape in college could impact his status, rebounded in his second season. Harris represented an undervalued find. Walker weighs 273 pounds and should become a solid rotational player after losing a year to a misguided outside linebacker experiment. McDonald brings energy, and if his shoulder is healthy, projects as a solid addition. Nose tackle Domata Peko, who found the fountain of youth in Denver, returns for another year with Zach Kerr capable of backing him up. There’s little not to like about this group.

 OUTSIDE LINEBACKER (5): Von Miller, Bradley Chubb, Shaquil Barrett, Shane Ray, Jeff Holland.

 Miller boasts talent capable of winning NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors. He can reach 18 sacks if a threat emerges opposite of him. Chubb could have been the first overall pick in the 2017 draft. He’s that good and disruptive. If he reaches eight sacks, Miller should deliver a career year. Barrett provides strong depth, and will be leaned on heavily if Shane Ray’s balky left wrist fails to cooperate. Ray avoided a fourth surgery, but will his strength return allowing him to shed blockers? When it comes to talent, Jeff Holland is an undrafted free agent in name only.

 INSIDE LINEBACKER (4): Brandon Marshall, Todd Davis, Josey Jewell, Keishawn Bierria.

 Davis represents a core player moving forward after receiving a new contract. He will be expected to provide more leadership. Marshall leaned out to 228 pounds in attempt to stay healthier and improve in coverage. Josey Jewell draws raves for his instincts and sound tackling, but must show he can make up for a lack of speed. Bierria should contribute on special teams, and edge out a host of players for a final sport.

 SPECIALISTS (3): Brandon McManus, Marquette King, Casey Kreiter.

McManus found his groove after a rocky start last season. With this team likely to play close games, he cannot slump again. King represents an upgrade over Riley Dixon, his booming leg matched only by his personality.

  Enjoy this content? Follow Denver7 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and download the Denver7 app on iOS and Android devices for continual access to breaking news, weather and sports.

Want Broncos news? Denver7 Broncos insider Troy E. Renck is your source. He talks to the players, covers the games and reports scoops on Denver7 and the Denver7 app. He is a CU grad who has covered pro sports in Colorado since 1996, including 14 years at The Denver Post. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and TheDenverChannel.com’s Broncos page. Troy welcomes most of your emails at Troy.Renck@kmgh.com.

from Local News https://www.thedenverchannel.com/sports/broncos/broncos-way-too-early-projected-53-man-roster-entering-training-camp

[bloggingandtackling]

It’s a shame if the Hall of Fame doesn't add these great names

On Aug. 4, the Pro Football Hall of Fame will enshrine eight new members to its hallowed Hall: Bobby Beathard (former Redskins GM), Robert Brazile (a linebacker with the Houston Oilers in the 1970s and 80s), Brian Dawkins (a hard-hitting safety with the Eagles and Broncos), Jerry Kramer (an offensive lineman with the historic Packer teams of the 60s), Ray Lewis (a killer LBer with the Ravens), Randy Moss (second greatest WR of all-time), Terrell Owens (third greatest WR of all-time) and Brian Urlacher (terrific linebacker with the Bears).

It’s cliché to do so, especially this time of year, but since it’s my blog I’m going to do it anyway and ask the question “who isn’t in the Hall of Fame that should be?” Most of the time, Hall of Fame voters get it right. Take for instance 2017 when Kurt Warner and Terrell Davis were both enshrined after having to wait several years. Both were extraordinary players with short careers but the Hall of Fame came to its senses and inducted them properly. Now it’s time for the voters to come to their senses again for these seven players who should be considered for the Class of 2019 and beyond...

Doug Flutie. It’s called the “Pro” Football Hall of Fame, not the “NFL” Hall of Fame. Flutie’s NFL numbers as a QB are pedestrian: 14,715 yards passing, 86 touchdown passes and another 1,634 yards rushing and 10 TDs. But Flutie is the rarest of football players having excelled as a quarterback for three different professional football leagues - the NFL, the CFL and USFL. When factoring in all three of these leagues and 21 years (21 years!) of football, Flutie threw 369 touchdown passes and for 58,179 yards -- more yards and touchdown passes than John Elway, Warren Moon and Dan Fouts, all Hall of Famers whose careers intersected at some point with Flutie. Additionally, Flutie rushed for 6,759 yards (total), which is almost 2,000 more than Randall Cunningham, who is the NFL’s all-time leader in rushing yards as a quarterback. Flutie had six seasons in the Canadian Football League where he threw for more than 5,000 yards, including two seasons where he threw for more than 6,000 yards! Yes, it’s the CFL but it’s still football. When Flutie, who began his pro career with the Bears in 1986 and played three seasons (as a non-starter) for the Patriots from 1987-89, re-entered the NFL with the Buffalo Bills in 1998 he was supposed to be well past his prime at 36 years-old, but he made the Pro Bowl that season, was the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year and helped the Bills to the playoffs. His worst passer rating as a starting QB was 72.0 with the Chargers in 2001, when he was 39. Joe Namath’s best passer rating was 74 in 1969 when he was 26. Namath was enshrined in Canton in 1985. Call me crazy but Doug Flutie is a Hall of Famer.

Jim Plunkett. This one is a bit of a stretch but I still want to make my argument on behalf of Plunkett. Like Flutie, Plunkett won the Heisman Trophy as college football’s best player. He was drafted first overall in 1971 and played for some horrific New England teams of the 1970s. He bounced around, even sat out a season (1979) until called into duty for the Oakland Raiders in 1980 when starter Dan Pastorini (ironically drafted two spots after Plunkett in 1971) was injured. While Plunkett did just enough to win the games that didn’t matter he excelled in the ones that did. He led the Raiders to Super Bowl XV and was named the game’s MVP. During a five-year stretch, he was 34-11 as a starter during the regular season and 8-2 in the playoffs while winning another Super Bowl, Super Bowl XVIII, for the Raiders at the age of 36. His 8-2 mark in the postseason is better than Peyton Manning. Naysayers point to his 164 TD passes to 198 interceptions. But compared to Namath, Plunkett has just nine fewer touchdown passes but 22 fewer career interceptions. Yes, that’s right, Broadway Joe’s TD to INT ratio is 173-220. Plunkett was never a Pro Bowler but he spent his career in the same era as Ken Anderson, Terry Bradshaw, John Elway, Dan Fouts, Bob Griese, Dan Marino, Ken Stabler, Roger Staubach and Fran Tarkenton. All but Anderson are in the Hall of Fame. Only Bradshaw won more Super Bowls. Plunkett, in fact, is the only starting quarterback to win multiple Super Bowls NOT in the Hall of Fame. Stats don’t lie but winning speaks volumes.

Dave Dalby. A teammate of Plunkett’s with the Raiders, Dalby, too, was highly regarded but lightly rewarded during a playing career in which the former UCLA All American never missed a professional football game (205 total). For three seasons, he played behind legendary center Jim Otto but following Otto’s retirement in 1974, Dalby started the next 152 games consecutively while winning Super Bowls XI, XV and XVIII along the way. He was named to his only Pro Bowl in 1977 but, like Plunkett, Dalby was overshadowed during his era by other players like Hall of Famers Jim Langer and Mike Webster, arguably the greatest centers in NFL history. Dalby spent his entire career (1972-85) as a Raider and endured just one losing season (1981) during that timeframe. He anchored an offensive line that featured tackle Art Shell and guard Gene Upshaw, both Hall of Famers, and as I mentioned before, Dalby played in all 205 games during his 14-year career -- probably the greatest stat of all.

Donnie Shell. If it’s winning that should be the ultimate ticket to Canton, then why in the hell isn’t Donnie Shell in the Hall of Fame? A starting safety on the Steelers vaunted Steel Curtain defense of the 1970s, Shell did more than just play for a winner, he made five Pro Bowls as a strong safety and intercepted 51 passes while recovering 19 fumbles during a career that spanned 14 seasons. Like Dalby, once Shell became a full-time starter he wasn’t leaving the playing field and he started 159 straight games from 1977 through 1987, not including 11 playoff games. Oh, and he won four Super Bowls (IX, X, XIII and XIV) during his career. Shell intercepted 14 more passes than Dawkins and was a three-time First Team All-Pro, same as Kenny Easley who’s in the Hall of Fame. Detractors will point out there’s an abundance of Steelers already in the Hall of Fame, including four players (Mel Blount, Joe Greene, Jack Ham and Jack Lambert) from the 1970s defense but Shell deserves a place in Canton. It’s long overdue.

Lemar Parrish. While I’m on the subject of defensive backs, allow me to campaign on behalf of Parrish, a cornerback who was the first “shutdown” corner if there ever so was one. Parrish starred for the Cincinnati Bengals when there were no Cincinnati Bengal stars (1970-77). He intercepted 47 passes during a 13-year career (1970-82) but perhaps the most impressive feat during his playing days is the fact that Parrish was named to the 1974 Pro Bowl after not intercepting any passes at all. In 1979, he led the NFC with nine interceptions for the Washington Redskins and was named First Team All-Pro. During his career with the Bengals, Redskins and Bills, Parrish was an eight-time Pro Bowler and scored 12 touchdowns, including four by interceptions, three off of fumble recoveries, four as a punt returner and one for good measure as a kickoff returner. He was Deion Sanders before Sanders was Primetime. Eligible for the Hall of Fame since 1988, Parrish is still waiting for his bust to be sculpted. There are only 13 cornerbacks in the Hall of Fame, including Emmitt Thomas who played as many seasons as Parrish but made three fewer Pro Bowls, and Mike Haynes, maybe the best corner not named “Deion Sanders” but has one fewer interception than Parrish. 

Mike Kenn. An offensive tackle for the Atlanta Falcons, Kenn’s career spanned three decades beginning with his rookie season in 1978 all the way through his final season of 1994. You know the old saying, “a pro’s pro?” Well, Kenn is a pro’s pro. Do you know how many games Mike Kenn played? 251. Do you know how many games Mike Kenn missed? 0. Kenn ranks ninth all-time in games played and started (251) for his career. While he was a two-time First Team All-Pro, Kenn was a five-time Second Team All Pro and was voted to five Pro Bowls in his career -- 1980 through 1984. Kenn was so good, according to Pro Football Reference, he’s one of the 200 best players -- of all time, not just o-linemen. Atlanta quarterback Steve Bartkowski led the league in passing in 1980 and 1981. Bartkowski. Atlanta. THE Atlanta Falcons. During that two-year stretch, Bartkowski threw 61 TD passes (31 in 1980 and 30 in 1981) and the reason he was able to throw 61 touchdown passes is because of Michael Lee Kenn. The main argument against Kenn and his Hall of Fame candidacy is lack of playoff games. He only played in six but his approximate career value is the same as Howie Long, a Hall of Fame defensive end with the Raiders, and better than Hall of Fame offensive linemen Shell, Jonathan Ogden, Mike Munchak and Tom Mack. 

Roger Craig. When it comes to approximating career value (according to Pro Football Reference), Craig ranks the same as Kenn and Long and better than other running backs in the Hall of Fame, most notably John Riggins and Eric Dickerson. If I’m allowed to be biased, and Blogging & Tackling is my blog so I’m allowed, then Craig is my champion for “What the Hell Hall of Fame? Why Is This Guy Not In?” Craig was a standout running back on the 49er dynasty teams of the 1980s. He starred at Nebraska in college (full disclosure: also my alma mater) and was drafted to the Niners as a FULLBACK. Yes, Craig was a fullback in his first four seasons in the NFL. All he did as a fullback was lead the league in receptions (92 in 1985), rush for 1,050 yards (also in 1985) and have 1,016 yards receiving (also in 1985). He was the first player in NFL history to record a season with 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in the same season (1985, duh). Marshall Faulk (Hall of Fame, 2011) is the only other player to accomplish this feat (1999). Craig was both ahead of his time and an old school-type of player. He ran with the reckless abandoned of a fullback but had the hands of a wide receiver, catching more than 65 passes in a season five times while rushing for 700 or more yards in a season six times. Perhaps keeping Craig out of the Hall of Fame is the same argument that kept Terrell Davis out of the Hall for so many years: his career wasn’t long enough. Craig played 11 seasons, mostly with the Niners (1983-90) but had one lackluster season with the Raiders (1991) where he still rushed for 590 yards in a playoff season for the team, and two forgettable years (1992-93) with the Minnesota Vikings. What’s not factored in with Craig’s memorable career is the 16 playoff games he played in and started for San Francisco, which is the equivalent to a full season. Craig’s playoff accomplishments are this: 841 rushing yards, 606 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, including three in Super Bowl XIX. Football fans will note that the 49er dynasty ended with a Craig fumble against the New York Giants just as the Niners were trying to kill out the clock with a 13-12 lead in the NFC Championship Game following the 1990 season. Craig’s fumble led to Lawrence Taylor’s recovery and the Giants were able to win the game in the final seconds on a field goal by Matt Bahr. It was Craig’s last game with the team and a heartbreaking way to go out but as I said before, Craig was ahead of his time. He was a perfect fit for the West Coast Offense but his “high knees” running style and toughness while engaging tacklers harkened back to the running backs before he starred. Craig was voted to four Pro Bowls and that was during the heydays of Hall of Famers like Walter Payton, Eric Dickerson and Tony Dorsett along with 1,000 yard rushers Joe Morris, Herschel Walker, George Rogers and Gerald Riggs. He was the 1988 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, rushing for a career-high 1,500 yards and leading the 49ers to a win in Super Bowl XXIII, and he still ranks in the Top 10 in several Super Bowl offensive categories. For his career, Craig won three Super Bowls and scored four touchdowns in those championships. He’s the only player in NFL history with 13,000+ yards from scrimmage NOT in the Hall of Fame. Put. The. Man. In.

Do you agree or disagree with my argument? Are there other players from the 1970s, 1980s or 1990s more deserving of Hall of Fame recognition than the seven players I blogged about?

[junker-town]

What are college football recruiting’s most loaded positions in 2018?

And which positions don’t quite measure up?

National Signing Day is just eight days away now. Each college football recruiting class is different from another. Some years provide great linebackers. Other years offer a ton of superstar running backs. But there is not the same amount of talent available at each position on a year-to-year basis.

Coaches know this, and they have to balance their needs with their wants. For example, if a staff knows that the coming year lacks elite players at a certain position, it might try to load up in the current class at that spot. Or vice-a-versa.

What does the 2018 recruiting class offer? Let’s take a look at which positions stand out compared to recent years, and which might not quite measure up.

UP: QB

This is a special QB class, probably the best in a decade. It is awesome at the top, and pretty deep.

Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, Georgia’s Justin Fields, and USC’s J.T. Daniels could easily each be not only the top QB in many previous years, but the top players overall.

Lawrence is probably the most highly acclaimed passer ever. Fields is like a jumbo version of Russel Wilson. And Daniels was so good that he is skipping his senior year altogether to enroll at USC, where he might start.

But it’s also a deep year. On the 247Sports Composite rankings, there are 32 QBs with a four-star rating. That is way more than 2017 (24), 2016 (21), 2015 (23) or 2014 (24).

Down: Running back

We’ve been spoiled in recent years.

The 2014 class featured five five-star running backs, including Leonard Fournette, Dalvin Cook, Sony Michel and Nick Chub — players who were no doubt NFL bound if they could stay healthy. The 2017 class was nearly as good, with four five-stars including Najee Harris, Cam Akers, Stephen Carr, and D’Andre Swift.

The 2018 class has just two five-star backs, in Georgia’s Zamir White, and Miami’s Lorenzo Lingrard. And White tore his ACL recently. It’s also not a deep year for the position, with the fewest number of four- and five-star players (15) in the last five classes.

Up: Receiver

Justin Shorter, the No. 1 receiver is Penn State bound, and those who are fans of both the Eagles and Nittany Lions should be happy because his pro comp is Terrell Owens. USC’s Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the most technically advanced receivers I’ve ever scouted. LSU’s Terrace Marshall has great size, hands, and body control. And Clemson’s Derion Kendrick should be a nightmare in space.

But what makes this position up for 2018 is the depth. There are 64 receivers rated four- or five-stars, way more than the average of 49 from the previous four classes.

Up: Guard

The numbers don’t fully back me up on this, as the 17 blue-chip guards is right about the average of the last four classes. This argument is not about depth, however, it’s about the elite of the elite. Georgia’s Jamaree Salyer might be the best guard prospect in the history of modern recruiting rankings. Fellow Georgia signee Trey Hill could be an immediate starter at a lot of top schools. Penei Sewell, who is uncommitted as of January 30, is also special and had a legitimate argument for five-star status.

Down: Defensive tackle

Where are the freaks? Not in 2018 at defensive tackle, I can tell you that. It’s not a bad year for the position in terms of depth, with 26 blue-chippers equaling the average of the previous for classes.

But over the last three classes, there have been 15 five-star DTs come through the ranks, and the vast majority of them would have easily been the No. 1 DT in the 2018 class. As it stands Ohio State’s Taron Vincent is listed as a five-star, but the services are fairly split on whether there should even be one in the class at all.

Up: Long corners

Teams want length at cornerback. This year, they can find it. 18 of the top 25 cornerbacks are listed at 6’0 or taller, with 13 of the 25 at 6’1 or more. That includes Pat Surtain Jr., and his American Heritage teammate Tyson Campbell, both of whom are uncommitted. This class is not incredibly polished, but for my money it has the most freakish athletes since the class of 2013.

[cover32-yahoopartner-blog]

It’s make or break for some Seahawks players this weekend

Week 3 of the preseason is finally here as the Seattle Seahawks welcome the Kansas City Chiefs to town. This is the most important game of the preseason as it is widely viewed as the “dress rehearsal” game for most teams. Starters will usually play all the way up to the first series of the second half. Most teams like to have their starters get used to coming out after halftime to keep playing. Another reason this is a big game is because with the starters chewing up a good chunk of the time and reps, the young roster hopefuls have less time to impress the coaching staff. Let’s take a look at whom this game has the biggest implications on.

Rees Odhiambo

This might be the biggest opportunity for Odhiambo to impress the coaching staff. This is at the expense of losing promising LT George Fant to a season ending ACL injury. The door is wide open for Odhiambo to be the starting left tackle for this offensive line. Odhiambo had a very strong outing against Los Angeles Week 1, but had a very forgettable outing against Minnesota last week. Most of Odhiambo’s reps in Week 1 came at left guard, in which they slid starting guard Luke Joeckel over to left tackle.

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Odhiambo was a force in the run game and was solid against interior rushers. Minnesota was a completely different game for him. In wake of Fant’s injury, Odhiambo was called upon to get an extended look at tackle. Speed rushers gave him fits as often times, he was caught lunging and rushers were executing crisp swim moves on him. When Head Coach Pete Carroll was addressing the situation, he offered this on Odhiambo:

“The running game was good. Passing game, he had some good stuff and some stuff he’d like to fix. He’s capable of doing it all. He’s a very good athlete at the position. We drafted him highly with the idea that he’d be able to do this. I’ve never backed off the thought that physically he can do it all. Now, he just has to make sure he can settle in and execute and function really well with the guys.”

Tanner McEvoy

Tanner McEvoy is the football definition of a Swiss Army Knife. Primarily playing receiver, McEvoy also enjoyed time at Wisconsin as a defensive back. He also played a little bit of quarterback. McEvoy’s arm led a fan favorite trick-play last season.  Quarterback Russell Wilson threw a bubble screen pass to McEvoy behind the line of scrimmage, and McEvoy fooled the Saints secondary with a 40-yard pass to running back C.J. Prosise.

With the emergence of Kasen Williams, McEvoy’s spot is in jeopardy. Williams has flashed this preseason, winning multiple jump balls, including being on the receiving end of a touchdown from Wilson last week. McEvoy isn’t as good of a receiver that Williams is. His value was through versatility and special teams play. Williams has made a few very nice special teams plays and has essentially locked himself onto the 53-man roster. With plenty of doubt, the Seahawks wouldn’t cut rookie draft pick Amara Darboh. McEvoy needs to show up this week and remind folks why he deserves to be on this team.

DeAndre Elliot

Elliot is and isn’t in danger of losing his spot on this team. He is, because in typical Seahawk fashion, they signed veteran cornerback Tramaine Brock last week to add depth, and add competition to the secondary. Brock primarily played nickel against Minnesota this past week. The bright side for Elliot is the Seahawks have a lengthy track record of bringing in vets that don’t make the cut. Antoine Winfield and Terrell Owens are a couple of popular names that come to mind.

Elliot has every measurable the front office looks for in their cornerbacks. Elliot still displays excellent special teams play, and very hard-hitting defense at times. Being 24 also doesn’t hurt his case ether. Fans would just like to see Elliot force a turnover to really prove that he is not just a special teams player, but also a valuable depth cornerback.

The post It’s make or break for some Seahawks players this weekend appeared first on Cover32.

[junker-town]

How 2017 can show Jeff Brohm was a great hire for Purdue

Even if the Boilermakers don’t win many more games just yet.

This preview originally published June 20 and has since been updated.

The most intriguing hires are the ones that both portend quality and make a nod toward a happy history. The most frustrating hires are the ones that do neither.

Purdue’s hire of Darrell Hazell in 2013 fell into the latter category for me. I gave it a B+ when it was first made, but when the time came to write the Purdue preview that summer, I was increasingly lukewarm. I called it taking the mannequin home — finding the most Big Ten person available, with the deepest Big Ten ties, and asking that guy to win in the Big Ten. Hazell was a longtime Jim Tressel assistant who played safe, focused on defense and ball control, and had had one good year as a head coach.

The hire was sensible, but it in no way acknowledged Purdue’s history. Over the last 60 years, the school has made three good football hires:

Jack Mollenkopf was a high school coaching legend in the Toledo area and spent nearly a decade on Stuart Holcomb’s Purdue staff before taking the job full-time in 1956. By his second year, he had Purdue among the nation’s top 40 in scoring offense. By his fifth, he had the Boilers in the top 15. At the end of the 1960s, two of his players nearly won the Heisman — running back Leroy Keyes finished second to O.J. Simpson in 1968, and quarterback Mike Phipps finished second to Oklahoma’s Steve Owens in 1969.

Jim Young was Bo Schembechler’s defensive coordinator at Michigan, which checks a big BIG TEN box, but before coming to West Lafayette, he had spent four seasons at Arizona. In his third year, the Wildcats were 10th in scoring at 30 points per game. In his fourth, with new skill position starters, they still averaged 25.7 (22nd).

Like Young, Joe Tiller had spent four seasons as a Big Ten defensive coordinator (he was Purdue’s from 1983-86), but he had moved to offensive coordinator at Wyoming and Washington State, and his six years as Wyoming head coach had been marked by aerial innovation. In his last season in Laramie, quarterback Josh Wallwork threw for 4,090 yards, and the Cowboys were seventh in the nation, averaging 38.7 points per game.

These coaches went a combined 208-120-10 with 15 ranked finishes and 14 bowl bids in 31 years. (The number of bowls would have been higher if the Big Ten had been more than a one-bid league during Mollenkopf’s era.)

The other seven Purdue coaches in this span: 115-218-6 in 30 years, with three bowl bids and no ranked finishes.

Purdue has succeeded with an eye toward offense. Hazell was an offensive assistant at Ohio State, Rutgers, etc., but the hire lacked ambition, and it glommed onto someone else's history. Defense and ball control works when you’ve got Ohio State recruits, not whatever Hazell was going to attract to Purdue.

Hazell went 9-33. His recruiting wasn’t good enough to succeed with any style, and the conservatism assured the Boilermakers were both bad and aesthetically unappealing.

Credit new athletic director Mike Bobinski with understanding that both aesthetics and history are important. Bobinski dismissed Hazell midway through a dismal 3-9 campaign — Purdue’s fourth straight season with three or fewer wins and its seventh bowl-free campaign in nine years — and replaced him with the Tiller template: a successful mid-major head coach with a dynamite offense.

Brohm barely has more experience than Hazell; he spent three years as Western Kentucky’s head man, just one more than Hazell spent at Kent State. And while he has aced recent tests, he has plenty of iffy stops on his résumé: his first Louisville offense (2008) fell from ninth to 76th in Off. S&P+, his two seasons as Illinois’ quarterbacks coach (2010-11) were hit-and-miss, and his lone season as UAB coordinator (2012) was a non-starter. Plus, just because his teams score points doesn’t mean he’s destined to win.

Still, it’s hard not to be excited. Bobinski went out and nabbed a guy who’s won 30 games in three years and whose teams scored more points in three years (1,834) than Purdue has scored in six (1,784).

Brohm came to WKU with Bobby Petrino in 2013 and took over when Petrino left for Louisville after one season. He took everything Petrino (and Willie Taggart before him) was building and weaponized it. The Hilltoppers were 61st in S&P+ in his first season and in the top 20 in each of the last two years. They were the highest-ranking Group of Five team both years.

When Brohm has pieces, he knows how to use them. But it might still take him a little while to put pieces together. He inherits a quarterback who threw 21 interceptions last year, a receiving corps that has to replace its top four, and a defense that fell from 58th to 73rd to 99th in Def. S&P+ over the last two years. At WKU, he didn’t have to show patience. But on paper, this was a home run, and Purdue fans have reasons to be excited for the first time in a long while.

2016 in review

2016 Purdue statistical profile.

My 2016 Purdue preview was titled, “Purdue will field a football team in 2016.” We break out the snarky titles only when we’re sure a season is going to be awful.

If you’re scouring for a sliver of hope for 2017, it might be worth noting that Purdue’s mostly young offense — sophomore quarterback, sophomore running back, freshmen and sophomores accounting for 24 of 60 starts on the offensive line — showed some of up-and-down promise throughout the season, both before and after Hazell’s firing.

First 5 games (3-2): Avg. percentile performance: 39% (43% offense, 34% defense) | Avg. yards per play: Opp 5.4, PU 5.4 | Avg. score: Opp 31, PU 26

Last 7 games (0-7): Avg. percentile performance: 31% (42% offense, 27% defense) | Avg. yards per play: Opp 6.8, PU 4.9 | Avg. score: Opp 43, PU 24

The offense wasn’t good, but the high points — 6-plus yards per play in each non-conference game, 6.3 per play and 35 points against Iowa — were reasonably high. The defense, however, fell apart. The line, expected to be a relative strength, was destroyed by injury, and the Boilers had little else to offer.

Offense

Full advanced stats glossary.

If you’re scouring for optimism, you’ve also got this nugget:

QB Mike White, USF, 2014: 50% completion rate, 13.4 yards per completion, 2.9% INT rate, 6.2% sack rate, 5.9 yards per pass attempt (inc. sacks)

QB Mike White, WKU, 2016: 67% completion rate, 15.6 yards per completion, 1.7% INT rate, 4.1% sack rate, 9.8 yards per pass attempt (inc. sacks)

Under the guidance of Brohm and quarterbacks coach/offensive co-coordinator Brian Brohm, White thrived. His USF past was in no way a WKU prologue.

And David Blough’s 2016 was better than White’s 2014 in most categories. Or at least, it wasn’t worse.

QB David Blough, Purdue, 2016: 57% completion rate, 11.4 yards per completion, 4.1% INT rate, 5.1% sack rate, 5.8 yards per pass attempt (inc. sacks)

Blough threw more picks despite throwing shorter passes, but he was also facing better defenses than what White faced; Wisconsin ranked seventh in Def. S&P+, Penn State ranked 14th, Iowa ranked 15th, Minnesota ranked 23rd, Indiana ranked 31st, Northwestern ranked 32nd, and Nebraska ranked 33rd.

Blough was dealt a tough hand, but he still managed 3,352 passing yards and 25 touchdowns to go with his 21 picks, and now he’s under the guidance of QB whisperers. Plus, though the line has to replace three longtime starters, sophomore tackle Matt McCann has potential, and the addition of 6’8 Rhode Island transfer Dave Steinmetz (a three-year starting tackle for the Rams), NIU transfer Shane Evans, and 6’7 redshirt freshman Grant Hermanns offers options and upside.

That all sounds great! Now Blough just needs people to give the ball to. A minor issue, that. DeAngelo Yancey was the bright spot of Purdue’s 2016 offense, finishing with 49 catches for 951 yards. He’s gone. So are the next three on the list: Bilal Marshall, Cameron Posey, and Dominique Young. Running back Markell Jones showed efficiency potential but offered almost no big-play threat; in fact, Purdue had just 32 rushes of 10-plus yards in 2016, fewest in the country.

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Markell Jones

Jones had explosive moments as a freshman in 2015, so perhaps he shouldn’t be written off. But Jones aside, Purdue will be reliant on newcomers, injury returnees, and youngsters.

Running back D.J. Knox returns after missing 2016 with injury. He’s a bouncy 5’7, but didn’t provide much explosiveness.

Receiver Corey Holmes is a four-star Notre Dame transfer with length (6’2) and upside, though he gained just 96 yards in 11 receptions last year.

Running back Brian Lankford-Johnson provided all the explosiveness Jones didn’t, but after gaining 127 yards in 18 carries against Illinois, he carried just 21 times the rest of the year.

Receivers Isaac Zico and Terry Wright are 6’0 JUCO transfers who will be counted on soon.

Receivers Tyler Hamilton and Jackson Anthrop have speed to burn out of the slot, but both are freshmen (Hamilton’s a true freshman, Anthrop a redshirt).

Tight ends Cole Herdman and Brycen Hopkins combined for 45 catches and 527 yards last year; they could be threats, considering the success WKU’s Tyler Higbee had under Brohm in 2015 (38 catches, 563 yards). But this is a mix-and-match set of newbies and guys who didn’t carve out success on a bad 2016 offense. There are almost no seniors, so whoever emerges will provide continuity in 2018, but this might take a while.

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Corey Holmes

Defense

Brohm brought a large portion of his WKU staff with him to West Lafayette, and that includes new defensive co-coordinator Nick Holt.

Holt’s WKU defenses were angry, improving from 118th in Def. S&P+ in 2014 to 43rd in 2016. His 2016 defense dominated run games and forced opponents to the air. Granted, the Hilltoppers struggled to stop opponents through the air, but rendering them one-dimensional was a nice first step. Purdue had no such strength last year.

Brohm also brought Anthony Poindexter as defensive co-coordinator; the former All-American Virginia safety was Bob Diaco’s DC at UConn the last three years, carving out a bend-don’t-break niche that was the polar opposite of Holt’s. We’ll see what that means for Purdue’s philosophy.

Like WKU’s 2016 defense, however, the strength should reside up front. It should have last year, too, but the Boilermakers couldn’t keep anybody healthy. Of the eight primary linemen, only two played in all 12 games, and the other five missed a combined 29 games. Plus, Ja’Whaun Bentley, easily Purdue’s most disruptive linebacker, missed three games.

Bentley’s back, as are sophomore Markus Bailey and senior Danny Ezechukwu. WKU graduate transfer T.J. McCollum joins the rotation, too, and could form one of the better linebacking corps in the Big Ten. Bailey combined six tackles for loss with six passes defensed, and McCollum was a key piece of WKU’s strong run defense.

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Markus Bailey

Up front, losing tackle Jake Replogle and end Evan Panfil (combined: 21.5 TFLs, 7.5 sacks) hurts, but four others got decent experience between injuries. Holt and Poindexter are weighing moving 280-pound end Gelen Robinson (8 TFLs) inside, which could provide quickness alongside players like tackles Eddy Wilson and Lorenzo Neal and end Austin Larkin.

Depth could be a concern among the front seven, but the first string could be disruptive. You could have the exact opposite in the secondary, where injuries created depth of experience — seven returnees made at least 6.5 tackles last year — but few known quantities.

Sophomore safety Navon Mosley was asked to take on a huge role early, as were sophomore corner Josh Hayes and juniors Tim Cason, Jacob Thieneman, and Antonio Blackmon. Seniors Da’Wan Hunte (corner) and C.J. Parker (safety) are back as well. There are options, especially considering the addition of mid-three-star recruits T.J. Jallow (a JUCO corner) and Dedrick Mackey (freshman corner), but there’s no guarantee anyone will step up. The pass rush better come through.

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Navon Mosley (27)

Special Teams

Purdue’s special teams unit was young as hell, with a freshman place-kicker and kickoffs guy (J.D. Dellinger), sophomore punter (Joe Schopper), and freshman kick returner (Brian Lankford-Johnson). So there’s an excuse for why the Boilers ranked 83rd in Special Teams S&P+.

Lankford-Johnson was semi-efficient, and Schopper was downright good, so there’s reason to believe this unit will improve. Dellinger made just 75 percent of his under-40 kicks, though, and barely ever reached the end zone on kickoffs. [Update: Purdue’s since added grad transfer Spencer Evans, a big-legged kicker from Baylor.]

2017 outlook

2017 Schedule & Projection Factors

Date Opponent Proj. S&P+ Rk Proj. Margin Win Probability 2-Sep vs. Louisville 14 -24.7 8% 8-Sep Ohio 103 6.3 64% 16-Sep at Missouri 53 -13.1 23% 23-Sep Michigan 10 -24.0 8% 7-Oct Minnesota 47 -8.5 31% 14-Oct at Wisconsin 11 -27.7 5% 21-Oct at Rutgers 92 -1.8 46% 28-Oct Nebraska 42 -9.7 29% 4-Nov Illinois 85 1.8 54% 11-Nov at Northwestern 37 -15.7 18% 18-Nov at Iowa 48 -13.5 22% 25-Nov Indiana 39 -10.6 27%

Projected S&P+ Rk 87 Proj. Off. / Def. Rk 95 / 81 Projected wins 3.4 Five-Year S&P+ Rk -3.8 (86) 2- and 5-Year Recruiting Rk 72 / 71 2016 TO Margin / Adj. TO Margin* -17 / -5.9 2016 TO Luck/Game -4.6 Returning Production (Off. / Def.) 66% (55%, 76%) 2016 Second-order wins (difference) 3.0 (0.0)

Brohm doesn’t inherit a senior-heavy squad. That’s a plus. Granted, seniors could make up about half of the defense, but the odds are good that whoever emerges will return in 2018.

This might not be a full-fledged Year Zero situation, in which the smartest thing to do is strip the house to the studs and start over. Brohm might be able to get mileage out of Blough and some new skill guys, and maybe there’s enough in the defensive front seven to keep the Boilers in games.

Still, the schedule doesn’t include many likely wins, even for a slightly improved team. The Boilermakers will probably beat Ohio and could hope to split tossup games against Rutgers and Illinois and maybe steal an upset against a Missouri or Minnesota or Nebraska or Indiana. But 2017 will be mostly about planting seeds.

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