#the fact that the last game they ever pitched was under an eclipse too and was the only game they pitched where the flowers won

[haunthouse]

thinking about. violet mason

[inventors-fair]

Animal Planet - Full Commentary

Like I mentioned earlier, there were a lot of great entries this week. Full commentary below the cut. - @teaxch​

@bread-into-toast​ - Indomitable Tardigrade

Tardigrades are famous for their ability to live through anything, and indestructible plus protection from everything covers almost every effect in the game that might remove a creature, with only non-targeted non-destruction removal getting through. I also like temporarily gaining indestructible on a tardigrade more than I like it on some other creatures that have gotten it as a replacement for regeneration (Drudge Sentinel, Icehide Troll), because Tardigrades really do become indestructible, rather than just putting themselves back together.

@deg99 - Anikole-Watusi

The flavor text is doing a lot of work on this card, helping justify an ability that otherwise would be a bit incongruous. With a reasonable statline at base rate, the card is less reliant on the second ability than the similar Stormwild Capridor, and it’s also threatening enough that preventing it from being bolted or fighted to death is valuable even if you have no ways to trigger it yourself.

@demimonde-semigoddess​ - Beetle Colony

The design of this card is interesting in that it is both a card that you don’t want to play in a deck with no forests, but also has incidental added value if your opponent is playing forests. (You could play the card in a deck with no forests, with the intent of only ever using the last ability, but that’s pretty far below rate, so I don’t think it makes the cut if you’re on that plan.)

The big boundary-push on the card is that it’s an aura that taps, and one that goes on a card type that people often tap pretty casually. Tapping enchantments appeared in Future Sight as a thing that Magic hadn’t done yet, but otherwise haven’t appeared. I’m not sure that this card crosses the threshold of what it would take to be worth breaking that rule on its own (as opposed to being an additional upkeep trigger or something), but it would be reasonable in a set that included other tapping enchantments.

@dimestoretajic​ - Bara, Friend to All

This is a strong tech piece; a fair number decks across a range of formats have few, if any ways to deal with a card like this mainboard. It’s fast enough that it’s not practical to go under it, it requires specific pieces of removal to handle, and even if it is handled eventually it can often put an aggressive deck effectively out of the game. (That said, most decks do have answers for something like this in the board, although not reliably great ones.) This might be safe in a product that skips standard, but it’s not totally clear whether this is something that would make it in a commander-focused product. (It’s not too powerful for Commander as a format, but it’s not something that all commander-product decks have many good ways to deal with.) I’m also not sure whether this could go in a product meant to be drafted. If this was introduced into certain non-rotating formats, it could certainly be an interesting role-player.

@fractured-infinity​ - Cunning Cuttlefish

There’s currently no shapeshifters in Magic that use this technology in quite as straightforward a way as this - Cryptoplasm might come the closest, with Dimir Doppelganger also playing in that space. This was one of a few Cuttlefish entries this week, and shapeshifting with controlled size is a pretty clever way to implement a Cuttlefish’s abilities. This card also allows for some shenanigans if you control an evasive creature and a creature with a saboteur effect. I wasn’t initially sure whether this should only last until the end of the turn, but precedent suggests that it’s fine for it to persist.

@ghoulcaclulator64​ - Snake-Head Larva

Morph and saboteur abilities go together naturally, enough so that Headhunter, Silent Specter, and Haunted Cadaver all play in this space. For its morph cost, this card has a fairly brutal saboteur effect, and it’s appropriate to put it at rare for that reason. That said, as long as it only connects once, it’s pretty fair, and if the other morph cards in the set obey the KTK-forward soft rules about the size of creatures with cheap morph costs, then it can at least be blocked safely.

@gollumni​ - Zhalfiran Zebra

This card homages two existing cards, Master Decoy and Zhalfiran Decoy, rather than alluding directly to something that the animal is known for outside of Magic, which is a novel twist on the prompt. The card entering the battlefield tapped presumably references those two cards needing to tap to use their abilities. It reads a little oddly in a vacuum, as it’s not a drawback that appears often on white cards, but the connection to the second ability helps to to feel part of a piece. I do think that there’s room to push this card a bit - even at common, sorcery-speed tapping for one turn isn’t worth a huge amount.

@grornt​ - Nude Defenders

Surprisingly one of three cards this week that made use of the Skulk mechanic, Nude Defenders is a spin on Rat Colony that’s more insular and that has less power, but gains the aforementioned mechanic. I’m not sure whether Skulk plays well into the fantasy offered by the rest of the card of building up a large group of creatures that are themselves individually large, however. It still has some utility in that it can help get a last few points of damage in and generally prevent very large creatures from blocking (the Defenders in many circumstances will at least trade, rather than just getting eaten), but the two parts read as negative tension.

@helloijustreadyourpost​ - Clever Octopus

The second of the skulk entries this week. It’s clear what this card is doing - it steals small objects when it attacks (including things like food and treasure, which octopuses value) - but executing that ends up requiring a lot of text. I see the value in keeping your opponent from sacrificing whatever it is you target with the ability by preventing sacrifices of artifacts entirely, but most card just accept the fact that sacrificing a permanent is an answer to abilities that would steal it. I think that the extra text may be worth it here because the set of things that the octopus can steal includes a lot of things that can easily be sacrificed, but it’s on the line.

@hypexion​ - Abyssal Angler

I really like this design overall. “Creature that can force a creature to attack, but also must block the attacker” is a combination of abilities that I was a little surprised doesn’t already exist on a creature, given the very clear story it tells. I’ve gone back and forth on whether or not I like the subtle drawback of the ability being mandatory; if your opponent has only a 4/4, you must commit your Angler to blocking that creature if it’s untapped, which is a missable but relevant interaction. It does tell an interesting story of an Anglerfish in over its head, however.

@i-am-the-one-who-wololoes​ - Battle-Ready Emu

It’s hard to do a card with a single short line of rules text that’s both novel and a complete and understandable reference to a real-world phenomenon (or event, in this case), and I think this card pulls it off. In many environments, the Protection is largely trinket text, but as evergreen colored artifacts allow Wizards to print more and better equipment at lower rarities, it’s something that has a growing chance of mattering.

@jsands84​ - Eclipse of Moths

Cards that allow your opponent to escape part of their effect by paying a certain color of mana aren’t common, but I like this more than Quenchable Fire for two reasons. First, the hybrid cost to buy out of the effect means that more, but not all, decks have the option to do so. Second, the repeatability of the effect means that the cost can legitimately add up over time. There are shades of the not-so-popular Rhystic mechanic, but I think in small volumes it’s fine, especially when tied to clear flavor, as this is.

@juggernaut-is-a-metalhead - Decaying Waverider

I wasn’t completely sure what to make of this card; the card mostly holds together, except for the art (although the dog is very cute), and doesn’t seem to be a top-down representation of the animal depicted, unless I’m missing something. Skulk and the ability to destroy cheap things on ETB is an interesting combination, as depending on your opponent’s curve, this might remove the only creature that can block it. 

@loreholdlesbian​ - Coveted Rabbit

This is a strong design for a card that goes in a deck with spells that target your own creatures, specifically because it itself is a creature. The simplest execution of the mechanics of this card would be to just make the foot itself an equipment card, but this implementation allows you to up the creature count in an aura- or combat-trick-heavy deck by being a creature itself.

@misterstingyjack​ - Beaver Dam

The bulk of the power of this card is vested in its last ability. Being able to pitch lands for business is worth a lot in the late game, and the defensive nature of the card as a whole helps support a longer-game plan. The rest of the card tells a nice and flavorful story as well. +0/+1 counters aren’t a tool that’s used any longer, and I’m not sure if this card crosses the threshold for making it worth bringing them back; the card could use another counter type and scale with the number of those counters, if +0/+1 counters weren’t being used.

@nicolbolas96​ - Protective Mother Boar 

I’m not sure if there are any “mom will fight you if you hurt one of the other ones” cards that represent the mother creature itself rather than the baby, which is an interesting point of novelty. This card represents potentially quite a lot of face damage, but cleverly uses the Crested Sunmare trick of tying a powerful effect to a tribe that tends to be used for limited filler rather than for serious constructed shots. (Although the number of Constructed-interesting boars has gradually crept up over time.)

@nine-effing-hells​ - Aposematic Display 

Menace and Deathtouch as a combination mean that blocking the creature is very costly, so there’s some synergy there - your opponent will generally treat the creature as unblockable. (Which is completely fair for the card’s cost - in blue, auras that make creatures unblockable can cost a single mana.) What I mostly want to talk about is the interaction between menace and the last ability. Because of the nonobvious way those abilities interact (if your opponent has only one creature that can block the enchanted creature, they don’t have to block it, but if they have two or more, then the targeted creature and another creature both have to block the enchanted creature), putting the two abilities on the same card is probably a complexity flag, but the card is uncommon. The specific combination has the interesting (but not necessarily desirable) effect of making Menace a drawback a significant fraction of the time, as the second ability is nullified entirely as long as your opponent doesn’t leave up two or more blockers.

@reaperfromtheabyss​ - Sandfish Skink

I didn’t think much of the ability at first, but the more I thought about it, the more impressed I was with its flexibility. It spoils a range of combat tricks, it lets the Skink block a large creature and then swap to a small one, and it allows the Skink to block things it wouldn’t normally be able to block. There’s a lot packed into a simple ability, which makes for an impressive design.

One small note - it should probably be limited to targeting attacking creatures that are attacking you or a creature you control. While I believe the game rules can handle the circumstance where you target one of your own attacking creatures, the Skink itself, or a creature attacking another player in a multiplayer game, it’s probably better to sidestep that entirely by limiting the legal targets.

@snugz​ - Bombardier Beetle

This is an interesting design, and another in the category of cards that seem like they should already exist. The big question with this card is: Is it green? Almost all similar effects (with a fixed amount of damage) are red, and in practical terms the ability functions a lot like Double Strike, but only against creatures. Not every card needs to be in the color that’s number one in something, but this ability feels borderline in Green, which doesn’t have a long history of creatures being able to one-sided fight nonfliers without external help. (That said, I guess the fact that it’s blocked or blocking is sort of like it’s fighting?)

@starch255​ - The White Whale

This is a wrath attached to a large body, with a bit of a twist that players o-ring one creature each instead. Putting a card that some players will interpret as a Whale tribal card in a color with no Whales might disappoint some players slightly, but it’s a pretty on-flavor way to keep the card from affecting itself or other copies of itself. This is currently one of the easiest to cheat out/reanimate/blink wraths in the game - it’s pretty standard for creatures that wrath on ETB to only get that effect when cast from hand, or to require some additional investment or action.

@typical-davinci-impersonator - Leyline Cuttlefish

This is already a bear, so the card is basically serviceable in limited even if the ability doesn’t end up mattering, but I’m assuming that this exists in an environment where color matters. Depending on the way that color-matters is implemented, there’s an argument that this could maybe cost 1 instead, but given that 2/2 for 2 isn’t a statline that colorless gets much, the ability can be pretty marginal and this is still an interesting card. Being directly tied into what Cuttlefish can do in a very literal way limits the environments where it makes sense as a card, but makes it quite resonant if there were a reason to print it.

@walker-of-the-yellow-path​ - Blue Glaucus

I had to look this one up - for the benefit of anybody who’s in the same boat, this is a slug that preys on jellyfish-like creatures and actually stores their stinging cells in its own body for defense. It’s also immune to the stings of some such creatures.

The card has a lot going on, and a lot of it is novel, although most of the text directly references the abilities of the actual organism. The third ability is interesting in that it can be proactively built around, although Deathtouch creatures more often die on your opponent’s turn than on yours, making the mana potentially more difficult to use.

I’m not totally sure that the creature needs morph, but morph + deathtouch is a good combo, so it’s reasonably justified if the set it appears in already has morph.

@wolkemesser​ - Magical Hat

If I had done Honorable Mentions this week, this would definitely have made the cut. It’s super rare that such a clear and clever story can be told with just one relatively straightforward line of rules text. I respect the decision to leave off flavor text even though cards with three lines of rules text almost always have it; the card doesn’t need any help explaining what’s going on. I had a hard time gauging the rate on this card, but I think it’s within the band of fair.

[writesowhatnext]

working up the courage // lee jordan

Summary: Lee Jordan is a flirt; who would’ve thought that he had a softer side?

Request: Lee Jordan flirting with one of the ravenclaw quidditch players during commentary? Maybe she’s chill and even replies back to his pick up lines?

A/N: I found it so hard to write Lee just because he’s not mentioned nearly enough but I’m excited but am unsure about my writing tbh after a bit of a break also CHARACTERISATION HELP who is lee Jordan that is my QOTD

Reader: unspecified, Ravenclaw

Warnings: nope, I don’t think

It was next to impossible to walk down the halls of Hogwarts without the knowledge of who Lee Jordan was. Even if you didn’t know him, you’d heard him or, at the very least, heard of him. He had the largest gob that the school had to offer and boy, was he proud of it. It seemed only natural when he was given the role of Quidditch commentator and Professor McGonagall liked to think of it as redirecting his talkative talents from the classroom to the Quidditch pitch.

To his credit, he did try to keep it professional.

There was the odd slip up here and there, of course. Especially when the Slytherin team were being ruthless cheats or Gryffindor caught the snitch; he was at heart, after all, just a boy with a favourite quidditch team. The worst it ever got was when he called Flint, the Slytherin captain, a ruthless toe-bag. He’d had more PG-13 insults in mind but McGonagall had swiped the microphone from him before he could deliver them to his adoring fans.

Just as it had been then, it was even harder to be professional whenever he noticed you in the crowds, bundled up in your blue scarf and chatting animatedly to your friends. The first time he did it, he’d seen you around a few times, even smiled a couple too if he was feeling particularly brave. You were definitely nowhere near friends, but something about the adrenaline rush of the Quidditch pitch had him buzzing and his inhibitions were dropping like flies.

“Hufflepuff scores again!” he roared, his words met with the cheers and boos of the stands around him. Unable to help himself given the look on the Slytherins’ faces, he chuckled.

“Now, where was the Slytherin keeper?” he goads, enjoying the glare he received from one of the Slytherin chasers as she flew past.

His grin faded as he spotted you a few rows below him, laughing at his provocation with your head thrown back. The warmth that flooded through him at the sight of your smiling features was unfamiliar and, for the first time in his life, he felt actually nervous about something.

“Doesn’t matter, though,” he shrugged, biting his lip. “Because I think I’ve found a keeper in the fourth row.”

Professor McGonagall tutted next to him, but he could hardly be expected to pay attention when you turned around with wide eyes and an even wider smile. Was he talking to you? He smirked, waving with his free hand. Oh, you realised, pleasantly surprised, he was talking to you.

“Fifth row, actually,” you yelled back, raising your eyebrows. Butterflies swam in your stomach at his interest and you felt warm under his stare. You sat around your giggling friends, not too abashed at the attention.

“Ladies and Gentleman,” he said cheerfully, not quite ready to tear his eyes away from you. Your witty response had greatly lifted his mood, but not quite erased the uneasy pit in his gut. “It seems I have a correction: I definitely meant the fifth row.”

You beamed at his words and all he could think was how much he hoped to see that expression on your face many more times.

“Mr Jordan,” McGonagall said, her tone stern, but a familiar twinkle in her eye.

“Sorry, Professor,” Lee replied, not sorry in the slightest. You laughed at his scolding, turning back towards the match. When you looked back at him again, he glanced at you, and your insides turned to mush.

Between that match and the next, you were rather disappointed that Lee hadn’t come to speak to you. You only caught flashes of him in the corridor between lessons. Often, you offered each other coy smiles and awkward waves, but never anything more. You were almost convinced that he’d forgotten all about your little interaction: that was, until the Ravenclaw game.

“The score is 90-30 to Hufflepuff!” Lee yelled. His almost cheerful tone was dramatically different from the foul mood you were now in and he could tell by your face that you were less than pleased. You were scowling rather deeply and whilst he hadn’t spoken even a syllable to you since the last time he piped up during a quidditch match, he found the words tumbling from his lips before he could stop them.

“Maybe the Ravenclaw seeker will catch the snitch and put a smile on my favourite Ravenclaw’s face.”

Your mouth dropped open as you swung your head around, probably fast enough to get whiplash. He grinned at you; definitely you, you decided. You couldn’t help the smile growing on your lips: he hadn’t forgotten.

“And there it is,” he said, his voice amplified tenfold by the enchanted microphone. You bit your lip, attempting to stifle the squirming of your stomach. He didn’t speak again for the rest of the match, but he did wink when he announced Ravenclaw scoring, a fact that had heat rushing to your cheeks. You were almost certain that time that he’d find you after the game. Again, though, you were mistaken.

Lee didn’t know what was wrong with him. He was Lee Jordan. Everyone knew him and he was never nervous around people – that was just who he was. He was a bloody Gryffindor; he’d never been anxious about anybody until he thought about spending time with you. The idea alone had his mouth drying up and the echo of his heartbeat in his ears when you smiled at him made him feel like a child. It felt so stupid: why could he flirt with you when the whole of Hogwarts was listening but not just speak to you in the corridors? He told himself, though, that he was just too busy to come and find you, what with quidditch and schoolwork; as if his palms weren’t sweaty every time he saw you across a room.

“So, what’s with you and that Ravenclaw?” Fred asked, shadowing him as he walked down the corridor.

“The one you keep flirting with during quidditch,” George added, eclipsing his other shoulder.

“What Ravenclaw?” Lee said quickly, stopping in front of the portrait of the fat lady behind a couple third years. “Don’t know what you’re on about, mate.”

Fred and George paused, sharing a look at his blatant lie.

“Right,” they said, following Lee through the portrait hole.

“So, there’s absolutely no reason why you keep looking at a certain Y/N in the corridors?”

Lee frowned under Fred’s gaze. He didn’t even know that he didn’t know your name.

“Nuh-uh,” he insisted, cursing himself mentally for his poor response. “I don’t even know who that is.”

George hummed, rolling his eyes and pinching his chin between his fingers in mock thought.

“Do you believe that, Georgie?”

“I don’t believe I do, Freddie.”

“Do you know what I think?”

“No, I don’t, actually.” Oh, but he did. “What do you think?”

Lee threw his bag on the floor, letting his head droop backwards onto the sofa with an impatient sigh.

“I think that Lee here might have a bit of a crush.”

“A crush?” George asked, both twins plonking themselves down either side of him. “Never!”

“Yes, George, a crush. On that funny little Ravenclaw, no doubt.”

“Oh, piss off, you two.”

What Lee was reluctant to admit to himself, and decidedly never going to admit to them, was that, like a broken clock twice a day, they were, in fact, right. It wasn’t something he liked to realise, but he liked your effect on him even less. As he sat there, though, commentating the Slytherin vs Gryffindor game, he spotted you in your usual seat and found himself filled with the confidence only a microphone could give him.

“The sun is bright and it seems like a wonderful day for Slytherin to cheat again!” he said, laughing at the response from the crowd, more than pleased as you beamed at your friends.

“It seems that Hufflepuff will start this game; apparently Marcus Flint has not yet found a way to rig Madam Hooch’s coin toss-“

“Mr Jordan,” Professor McGonagall warned, her voice strict despite the slight curve of her lips.

“Alright, alright,” he said, allowing his eyes to drag across the crowd and settle on you. “Professor McGonagall is not a fan of my jokes… Maybe the lovely Ravenclaw in the fifth row is?”

He almost regretted it as his voice trailed off and he was scared, for a moment, that the twins, and the rest of the school, would tease him mercilessly. But then you turned around. He matched your expression as you grinned at him, shooting him a thumbs up and pulling your lip between your teeth. His chest tightened a bit and he found himself wanting to tell you everything he thought about you: how attractive you were, how much he loved to make you laugh, how much he wished he could ask you out. He couldn’t, though, and as McGonagall encouraged him to do his job, he resigned himself to another week of pining.

When the game ended, you’d decided you’d had enough and, despite your friends’ protests, you rushed towards the Gryffindor Quidditch changing room with one thing on your mind and one thing only. Your resolve, though, crumbled slightly when you shoved open the door and ended up face to face with a very confused Oliver Wood.

“Can I help you?” he asked, frowning as he adjusted his bag on his shoulder.

“I’m looking for-“

“Oh, shut up, both of you,” Lee shouted from the corner of the room, his exclamation followed by a round of cackles. Oliver turned to face the noise before returning to you, recognition plastered on his features.

“Ah,” he said, stepping to the side to let you in.

You thanked him quickly and immediately went inside to find Lee. In your haste, you forgot it was a changing room and your expression blanched at the sight of the Weasley twins shirtless and talking to the only person you actually wanted to speak to. Their eyes lit up when they saw you even though you’d never actually had a conversation with either of them and given their reputation, you figured that your nerves were preservative.

“Hello there,” one of them said, crossing his arms over his chest and grinning.

“How can we help you today?”

You frowned, watching Lee turn around. Surprise riddled his features as he pushed between the ever-so-slightly taller boys.

“You can’t,” you said rather blankly, lifting your hand to gesture to Lee. “I’m here to talk to him.”

“Um,” Lee said, regrettable mesmerised by the sight of you up close. “Yeah, yes, sure, yes, of course.”

“I think he’d like that,” one of the twins teased, earning a chuckle from the other.

“Don’t know what gives you that impression, George.”

“Oh, shove off,” Lee snapped, grabbing your wrist and pulling you over to a deserted corner of the room. You barely registered the twins cooing, too focused on the feel of his warm skin.

“Sorry about them,” he said, turning to face you. His brows drew downwards as he followed your eyes to his hand, immediately letting go of your wrist. “And that.”

“It’s fine,” you replied, far too quickly. It struck you as odd that you both, it seemed, were a lot more nervous without the crowds around you.

“You never came to say hi,” you said, frowning at your accidental accusatory tone. “I mean-“

“Would you believe me if I said I was nervous?”

You opened your mouth to retort sarcastically. Everyone knew that Lee Jordan was never nervous. Of you, as well? Highly unlikely. But then you noticed his almost ashamed expression and the sincerity in his dark eyes and you closed your mouth again.

“Of me?”

“Well,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. “You’re very hot.”

You barked a laugh in surprise, even happier still when his features seemed to lift.

“Am I really your favourite Ravenclaw?”

He smirked a little, his tongue poking out between his lips for a second.

“Oh, without a doubt.”

“Then it seems only right I ask my favourite Gryffindor out then,” you said, feeling less and less anxious. “Doesn’t it?”

“Well,” he said, tilting his head to the side in jest. “That seems like the courteous thing to do.”

You hummed a laugh.

“Well?” you prompted, raising your eyebrow. “What do you say? Hogsmeade this weekend?”

“I’d love to,” he said, happier than he could remember being for a while. You frowned when his expression turned worried and he leant in conspiratorially. “Can we maybe say I asked you out? I wouldn’t hear the end of it from-“

“Too late!” one of the twins called from the doorway as they made to leave.

“We already know that Y/N here has bigger balls than you.”

Lee rolled his eyes as they left and you found yourself giggling, unable to keep the smile off your face. He realised, as he listened to your laughter, that maybe he didn’t mind them teasing him if you were there.

harry potter tag list:

@creator-appreciator​ @decadentwastelandtrash @loveisblindness​ @xinyourdreamsx​ @brainlesspasta​ @hariosborn​ @staringmoony​ @rexorangecouny​ @alittletoomanyobsessions​ @peachesandpinks​ @yuptha-tsme​ @obsessedwithrandomthings​ @dreamer821​ @iprobablyshipit91​ @in-slytherin-we-trust​ @haphazardhufflepuff​ @princesof-theuniverse​ @whovianayesha​ @msmimimerton​ @extra-trash77​ @potterverseimagine​ @my-own-mindpalace​ @sxrensxngwrites​ @damonwhitlock​

[grigori77]

2020 in Movies - My Top 30 Fave Movies (Part 2)

20.  ONWARD – Disney and Pixar’s best digitally animated family feature of 2020 (beating the admittedly impressive Soul to the punch) clearly has a love of fantasy roleplay games like Dungeons & Dragons, its quirky modern-day AU take populated by fantastical races and creatures seemingly tailor-made for the geek crowd … needless to say, me and many of my friends absolutely loved it.  That doesn’t mean that the classic Disney ideals of love, family and believing in yourself have been side-lined in favour of fan-service – this is as heartfelt, affecting and tearful as their previous standouts, albeit with plenty of literal magic added to the metaphorical kind.  The central premise is a clever one – once upon a time, magic was commonplace, but over the years technology came along to make life easier, so that in the present day the various races (elves, centaurs, fauns, pixies, goblins and trolls among others) get along fine without it. Then timid elf Ian Lightfoot (Tom Holland) receives a wizard’s staff for his sixteenth birthday, a bequeathed gift from his father, who died before he was born, with instructions for a spell that could bring him back to life for one whole day.  Encouraged by his brash, over-confident wannabe adventurer elder brother Barley (Chris Pratt), Ian tries it out, only for the spell to backfire, leaving them with the animated bottom half of their father and just 24 hours to find a means to restore the rest of him before time runs out.  Cue an “epic quest” … needless to say, this is another top-notch offering from the original masters of the craft, a fun, affecting and thoroughly infectious family-friendly romp with a winning sense of humour and inspired, flawless world-building.  Holland and Pratt are both fantastic, their instantly believable, ill-at-ease little/big brother chemistry effortlessly driving the story through its ingenious paces, and the ensuing emotional fireworks are hilarious and heart-breaking in equal measure, while there’s typically excellent support from Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Elaine from Seinfeld) as Ian and Barley’s put-upon but supportive mum, Laurel, Octavia Spencer as once-mighty adventurer-turned-restaurateur “Corey” the Manticore and Mel Rodriguez (Getting On, The Last Man On Earth) as overbearing centaur cop (and Laurel’s new boyfriend) Colt Bronco.  The film marks the sophomore feature gig for Dan Scanlon, who debuted with 2013’s sequel Monsters University, and while that was enjoyable enough I ultimately found it non-essential – no such verdict can be levelled against THIS film, the writer-director delivering magnificently in all categories, while the animation team have outdone themselves in every scene, from the exquisite environments and character/creature designs to some fantastic (and frequently delightfully bonkers) set-pieces, while there’s a veritable riot of brilliant RPG in-jokes to delight geekier viewers (gelatinous cube! XD).  Massive, unadulterated fun, frequently hilarious and absolutely BURSTING with Disney’s trademark heart, this was ALMOST my animated feature of the year.  More on that later …

19.  THE GENTLEMEN – Guy Ritchie’s been having a rough time with his last few movies (The Man From UNCLE didn’t do too bad but it wasn’t exactly a hit and was largely overlooked or simply ignored, while intended franchise-starter King Arthur: Legend of the Sword was largely derided and suffered badly on release, dying a quick death financially – it’s a shame on both counts, because I really liked them), so it’s nice to see him having some proper success with his latest, even if he has basically reverted to type to do it.  Still, when his newest London gangster flick is THIS GOOD it seems churlish to quibble – this really is what he does best, bringing together a collection of colourful geezers and shaking up their status quo, then standing back and letting us enjoy the bloody, expletive-riddled results. This particularly motley crew is another winning selection, led by Matthew McConaughey as ruthlessly successful cannabis baron Mickey Pearson, who’s looking to retire from the game by selling off his massive and highly lucrative enterprise for a most tidy sum (some $400,000,000 to be precise) to up-and-coming fellow American ex-pat Matthew Berger (Succession’s Jeremy Strong, oozing sleazy charm), only for local Chinese triad Dry Eye (Crazy Rich Asians’ Henry Golding, chewing the scenery with enthusiasm) to start throwing spanners into the works with the intention of nabbing the deal for himself for a significant discount.  Needless to say Mickey’s not about to let that happen … McConaughey is ON FIRE here, the best he’s been since Dallas Buyers Club in my opinion, clearly having great fun sinking his teeth into this rich character and Ritchie’s typically sparkling, razor-witted dialogue, and he’s ably supported by a quality ensemble cast, particularly co-star Charlie Hunnam as Mickey’s ice-cold, steel-nerved right-hand-man Raymond Smith, Downton Abbey’s Michelle Dockery as his classy, strong-willed wife Rosalind, Colin Farrell as a wise-cracking, quietly exasperated MMA trainer and small-time hood simply known as the Coach (who gets many of the film’s best lines), and, most notably, Hugh Grant as the film’s nominal narrator, thoroughly morally bankrupt private investigator Fletcher, who consistently steals the film.  This is Guy Ritchie at his very best – a twisty rug-puller of a plot that constantly leaves you guessing, brilliantly observed and richly drawn characters you can’t help loving in spite of the fact there’s not a single hero among them, a deliciously unapologetic, politically incorrect sense of humour and a killer soundtrack.  Getting the cinematic year off to a phenomenal start, it’s EASILY Ritchie’s best film since Sherlock Holmes, and a strong call-back to the heady days of Snatch (STILL my favourite) and Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels.  Here’s hoping he’s on a roll again, eh?

18.  SPONTANEOUS – one of the year’s biggest under-the-radar surprise hits for me was one which I actually might not have caught if things had been a little more normal and ordered.  Thankfully with all the lockdown and cinematic shutdown bollocks going on, this fantastically subversive and deeply satirical indie teen comedy horror came along at the perfect time, and I completely flipped out over it.  Now those who know me know I don’t tend to gravitate towards teen cinema, but like all those other exceptions I’ve loved over the years, this one had a brilliantly compulsive hook I just couldn’t turn down – small-town high-schooler Mara (Knives Out and Netflix’ Cursed’s Katherine Langford) is your typical cool outsider kid, smart, snarky and just putting up with the scene until she can graduate and get as far away as possible … until one day in her senior year one of her classmates just inexplicably explodes. Like her peers, she’s shocked and she mourns, then starts to move on … until it happens again.  As the death toll among the senior class begins to mount, it becomes clear something weird is going on, but Mara has other things on her mind because the crisis has, for her, had an unexpected benefit – without it she wouldn’t have fallen in love with like-minded oddball new kid Dylan (Lean On Pete and Words On Bathroom Walls’ Charlie Plummer). The future’s looking bright, but only if they can both live to see it … this is a wickedly intelligent film, powered by a skilfully executed script and a wonderfully likeable young cast who consistently steer their characters around the potential cliched pitfalls of this kind of cinema, while debuting writer-director Brian Duffield (already a rising star thanks to scripts for Underwater, The Babysitter and blacklist darling Jane Got a Gun among others) show he’s got as much talent and flair for crafting truly inspired cinema as he has for thinking it up in the first place, delivering some impressively offbeat set-pieces and several neat twists you frequently don’t see coming ahead of time.  Langford and Plummer as a sassy, spicy pair who are easy to root for without ever getting cloying or sweet, while there’s glowing support from the likes of Hayley Law (Rioverdale, Altered Carbon, The New Romantic) as Mara’s best friend Tess, Piper Perabo and Transparent’s Rob Huebel as her increasingly concerned parents, and Insecure’s Yvonne Orji as Agent Rosetti, the beleaguered government employee sent to spearhead the investigation into exactly what’s happening to these kids.  Quirky, offbeat and endlessly inventive, this is one of those interesting instances where I’m glad they pushed the horror elements into the background so we could concentrate on the comedy, but more importantly these wonderfully well-realised and vital characters – there are some skilfully executed shocks, but far more deep belly laughs, and there’s bucketloads of heart to eclipse the gore.  Another winning debut from a talent I intend to watch with great interest in the future.

17.  HAMILTON – arriving just as Black Lives Matter reached fever-pitch levels, this feature presentation of the runaway Broadway musical smash-hit could not have been better timed. Shot over three nights during the show’s 2016 run with the original cast and cut together with specially created “setup shots”, it’s an immersive experience that at once puts you right in amongst the audience (at times almost a character themselves, never seen but DEFINITELY heard) but also lets you experience the action up close.  And what action – it’s an incredible show, a thoroughly fascinating piece of work that reads like something very staid and proper on paper (an all-encompassing biographical account of the life and times of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton) but, in execution, becomes something very different and EXTREMELY vital.  The execution certainly couldn’t be further from the usual period biopic fare this kind of historical subject matter usually gets (although in the face of recent high quality revisionist takes like Marie Antoinette, The Great and Tesla it’s not SO surprising), while the cast is not at all what you’d expect – with very few notable exceptions the cast is almost entirely people of colour, despite the fact that the real life individuals they’re playing were all very white indeed.  Every single one of them is also an absolute revelation – the show’s writer-composer Lin-Manuel Miranda (already riding high on the success of In the Heights) carries the central role of Hamilton with effortless charm and raw star power, Leslie Odom Jr. (Smash, Murder On the Orient Express) is duplicitously complex as his constant nemesis Aaron Burr, Christopher Jackson (In the Heights, Moana, Bull) oozes integrity and nobility as his mentor and friend George Washington, Phillipa Soo is sweet and classy as his wife Eliza while Renée Elise Goldsberry (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Jacks, Altered Carbon) is fiery and statuesque as her sister Angelica Schuyler (the one who got away), and Jonathan Groff (Mindhunter) consistently steals every scene he’s in as fiendish yet childish fan favourite King George III, but the show (and the film) ultimately belongs to veritable powerhouse Daveed Diggs (Blindspotting, The Good Lord Bird) in a spectacular duel role, starting subtly but gaining scene-stealing momentum as French Revolutionary Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette, before EXPLODING onto the stage in the second half as indomitable third American President Thomas Jefferson.  Not having seen the stage show, I was taken completely by surprise by this, revelling in its revisionist genius and offbeat, quirky hip-hop charm, spellbound by the skilful ease with which is takes the sometimes quite dull historical fact and skews it into something consistently entertaining and absorbing, transported by the catchy earworm musical numbers and thoroughly tickled by the delightfully cheeky sense of humour strung throughout (at least when I wasn’t having my heart broken by moments of raw dramatic power). Altogether it’s a pretty unique cinematic experience I wish I could have actually gotten to see on the big screen, and one I’ve consistently recommended to all my friends, even the ones who don’t usually like musicals.  As far as I’m concerned it doesn’t need a proper Les Misérables style screen adaptation – this is about as perfect a presentation as the show could possibly hope for.

16.  SPUTNIK – summer’s horror highlight (despite SERIOUSLY tough competition) was a guaranteed sleeper hit that I almost missed entirely, stumbling across the trailer one day on YouTube and getting bowled over by its potential, prompting me to hunt it down by any means necessary.  The feature debut of Russian director Egor Abramenko, this first contact sci-fi chiller is about as far from E.T. as it’s possible to get, sharing some of the same DNA as Carpenter’s The Thing but proudly carving its own path with consummate skill and definitely signalling great things to come from its brand new helmer and relative unknown screenwriters Oleg Malovichko and Andrei Zolotarev.  Oksana Akinshina (probably best known in the West for her powerful climactic cameo in The Bourne Supremacy) is the beating heart of the film as neurophysiologist Tatyana Yuryevna Klimova, brought in to aid in the investigation in the Russian wilderness circa 1983 after an orbital research mission goes horribly wrong.  One of the cosmonauts dies horribly, while the other, Konstantin (The Duelist’s Pyotr Fyodorov) seems unharmed, but it quickly becomes clear that he’s now the host for something decidedly extraterrestrial and potentially terrifying, and as Tatyana becomes more deeply embroiled in her assignment she comes to realise that her superiors, particularly mysterious Red Army project leader Colonel Semiradov (The PyraMMMid’s Fyodor Bondarchuk), have far more insidious plans for Konstantin and his new “friend” than she could ever imagine. This is about as dark, intense and nightmarish as this particular sub-genre gets, a magnificently icky body horror that slowly builds its tension as we’re gradually exposed to the various truths and the awful gravity of the situation slowly reveals itself, punctuated by skilfully executed shocks and some particularly horrifying moments when the evils inflicted by the humans in charge prove far worse than anything the alien can do, while the ridiculously talented writers have a field day pulling the rug out from under us again and again, never going for the obvious twist and keeping us guessing right to the devastating ending, while the beautifully crafted digital creature effects are nothing short of astonishing and thoroughly creepy.  Akinshina dominates the film with her unbridled grace, vulnerability and integrity, the relationship that develops between Tatyana and Konstantin (Fyodorov delivering a beautifully understated turn belying deep inner turmoil) feeling realistically earned as it goes from tentatively wary to tragically bittersweet, while Bondarchuk invests the Colonel with a nuanced air of tarnished authority and restrained brutality that made him one of my top screen villains for the year.  One of 2020’s great sleeper hits, I can’t speak of this film highly enough – it’s a genuine revelation, an instant classic for whom I’ll sing its praises for years to come, and I wish enormous future success to all the creative talents involved.

15.  THE INVISIBLE MAN – looks like third time’s a charm for Leigh Whannell, writer-director of my ALMOST horror movie of the year (more on that later) – while he’s had immense success as a horror writer over the years (co-creator of both the Saw and Insidious franchises), as a director his first two features haven’t exactly set the world alight, with debut Insidious: Chapter III garnering similar takes to the rest of the series but ultimately turning out to be a bit of a damp squib quality-wise, while his second feature Upgrade was a stone-cold masterpiece that was (rightly) EXTREMELY well received critically, but ultimately snuck in under the radar and has remained a stubbornly hidden gem since. No such problems with his third feature, though – his latest collaboration with producer Jason Blum and the insanely lucrative Blumhouse Pictures has proven a massive hit both financially AND with reviewers, and deservedly so.  Having given up on trying to create a shared cinematic universe inhabited by their classic monsters, Universal resolved to concentrate on standalones to showcase their elite properties, and their first try is a rousing success, Whannell bringing HG Wells’ dark and devious human monster smack into the 21st Century as only he can.  The result is a surprisingly subtle piece of work, much more a lethally precise exercise in cinematic sleight of hand and extraordinary acting than flashy visual effects, strictly adhering to the Blumhouse credo of maximum returns for minimum bucks as the story is stripped down to its bare essentials and allowed to play out without any unnecessary weight.  The Handmaid’s Tale’s Elizabeth Moss once again confirms what a masterful actress she is as she brings all her performing weapons to bear in the role of Cecelia “Cee” Kass, the cloistered wife of affluent but monstrously abusive optics pioneer Aidan Griffin (Netflix’ The Haunting of Hill House’s Oliver Jackson-Cohen), who escapes his clutches in the furiously tense opening sequence and goes to ground with the help of her closest childhood friend, San Francisco cop James Lanier (Leverage’s Aldis Hodge) and his teenage daughter Sydney (A Wrinkle in Time’s Storm Reid).  Two weeks later, Aidan commits suicide, leaving Cee with a fortune to start her life over (with the proviso that she’s never ruled mentally incompetent), but as she tries to find her way in the world again little things start going wrong for her, and she begins to question if there might be something insidious going on.  As her nerves start to unravel, she begins to suspect that Aidan is still alive, still very much in her life, fiendishly toying with her and her friends, but no-one can see him.  Whannell plays her paranoia up for all it’s worth, skilfully teasing out the scares so that, just like her friends, we begin to wonder if it might all be in her head after all, before a spectacular mid-movie reveal throws the switch into high gear and the true threat becomes clear.  The lion’s share of the film’s immense success must of course go to Moss – her performance is BEYOND a revelation, a blistering career best that totally powers the whole enterprise, and it goes without saying that she’s the best thing in this.  Even so, she has sterling support from Hodge and Reid, as well as Love Child’s Harriet Dyer as Cee’s estranged big sister Emily and Wonderland’s Michael Dorman as Adrian’s slimy, spineless lawyer brother Tom, and, while he doesn’t have much actual (ahem) “screen time”, Jackson-Cohen delivers a fantastically icy, subtly malevolent turn which casts a large “shadow” over the film.  This is one of my very favourite Blumhouse films, a pitch-perfect psychological chiller that keeps the tension cranked up unbearably tight and never lets go, Whannell once again displaying uncanny skill with expert jump-scares, knuckle-whitening chills and a truly astounding standout set-piece that easily goes down as one of the top action sequences of 2020. Undoubtedly the best version of Wells’ story to date, this goes a long way in repairing the damage of Universal’s abortive “Dark Universe” efforts, as well as showcasing a filmmaking master at the very height of his talents.

14.  EXTRACTION – the Coronavirus certainly has threw a massive spanner in the works of the year’s cinematic calendar – among many other casualties to the blockbuster shunt, the latest (and most long-awaited) MCU movie, Black Widow, should have opened to further record-breaking box office success at the end of spring, but instead the theatres were all closed and virtually all the heavyweights were pushed back or shelved indefinitely.  Thank God, then, for the streaming services, particularly Hulu, Amazon and Netflix, the latter of which provided a perfect movie for us to see through the key transition into the summer blockbuster season, an explosively flashy big budget action thriller ushered in by MCU alumni the Russo Brothers (who produced and co-wrote this adaptation of Ciudad, a graphic novel that Joe Russo co-created with Ande Parks and Fernando Leon Gonzalez) and barely able to contain the sheer star-power wattage of its lead, Thor himself.  Chris Hemsworth plays Tyler Rake, a former Australian SAS operative who hires out his services to an extraction operation under the command of mercenary Nik Khan (The Patience Stone’s Golshifteh Farahani), brought in to liberate Ovi Mahajan (Rudhraksh Jaiswal in his first major role), the pre-teen son of incarcerated Indian crime lord Ovi Sr. (Pankaj Tripathi), who has been abducted by Bangladeshi rival Amir Asif (Priyanshu Painyuli).  The rescue itself goes perfectly, but when the time comes for the hand-off the team is double-crossed and Tyler is left stranded in the middle of Dhaka with no choice but to keep Ovi alive as every corrupt cop and street gang in the city closes in around them.  This is the feature debut of Sam Hargrave, the latest stuntman to try his hand at directing, so he certainly knows his way around an action set-piece, and the result is a thoroughly breathless adrenaline rush of a film, bursting at the seams with spectacular fights, gun battles and car chases, dominated by a stunning sustained sequence that plays out in one long shot, guaranteed to leave jaws lying on the floor.  Not that there should be any surprise – Hargrave cut his teeth as a stunt coordinator for the Russos on Captain America: Civil War and their Avengers films.  That said, he displays strong talent for the quieter disciplines of filmmaking too, delivering quality character development and drawing out consistently noteworthy performances from his cast.  Of course, Hemsworth can do the action stuff in his sleep, but there’s a lot more to Tyler than just his muscle, the MCU veteran investing him with real wounded vulnerability and a tragic fatalism which colours every scene, while Jaiswal is exceptional throughout, showing plenty of promise for the future, and there’s strong support from Farahani and Painyuli, as well as Stranger Things’ David Harbour as world-weary retired merc Gaspard, and a particularly impressive, muscular turn from Randeep Hooda (Once Upon a Time in Mumbai) as Saju, a former Para and Ovi’s bodyguard, who’s determined to take possession of the boy himself, even if he has to go through Tyler to get him.  This is action cinema that really deserves to be seen on the big screen – I watched it twice in a week and would happily have paid for two trips to the cinema for it if I could have.  As we looked down the barrel of a summer season largely devoid of blockbuster fare, I couldn’t recommend this enough.  Thank the gods for Netflix …

13.  THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 – although it’s definitely a film that really benefitted enormously from releasing on Netflix during the various lockdowns, this was one of the blessed few I actually got to see during one of the UK’s frustratingly rare lulls when cinemas were actually OPEN.  Rather perversely it therefore became one of my favourite cinematic experiences of 2020, but then I’m just as much a fan of well-made cerebral films as I am of the big, immersive blockbuster EXPERIENCES, so this probably still would have been a standout in a normal year. Certainly if this was a purely CRITICAL list for the year this probably would have placed high in the Top Ten … Aaron Sorkin is a writer whose work I have ardently admired ever since he went from esteemed playwright to in-demand talent for both the big screen AND the small with A Few Good Men, and TTOTC7 is just another in a long line of consistently impressive, flawlessly written works rife with addictive quickfire dialogue, beautifully observed characters and rewardingly propulsive narrative storytelling (therefore resting comfortably amongst the well-respected likes of The West Wing, Charlie Wilson’s War, Moneyball and The Social Network).  It also marks his second feature as a director (after fascinating and incendiary debut Molly’s Game), and once again he’s gone for true story over fiction, tackling the still controversial subject of the infamous 1968 trial of the “ringleaders” of the infamous riots which marred Chicago’s Diplomatic National Convention five months earlier, in which thousands of hippies and college students protesting the Vietnam War clashed with police.  Spurred on by the newly-instated Presidential Administration of Richard Nixon to make some examples, hungry up-and-coming prosecutor Richard Schultz (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is confident in his case, while the Seven – who include respected and astute student activist Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne) and confrontational counterculture firebrands Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen) and Jerry Rubin (Succession’s Jeremy Strong) – are the clear underdogs.  They’re a divided bunch (particularly Hayden and Hoffman, who never mince their words about what little regard they hold for each other), and they’re up against the combined might of the U.S. Government, while all they have on their side is pro-bono lawyer and civil rights activist William Kunstler (Mark Rylance), who’s sharp, driven and thoroughly committed to the cause but clearly massively outmatched … not to mention the fact that the judge presiding over the case is Julius Hoffman (Frank Langella), a fierce and uncompromising conservative who’s clearly 100% on the Administration’s side, and who might in fact be stark raving mad (he also frequently goes to great lengths to make it clear to all concerned that he is NOT related to Abbie).  Much as we’ve come to expect from Sorkin, this is cinema of grand ideals and strong characters, not big spectacle and hard action, and all the better for it – he’s proved time and again that he’s one of the very best creative minds in Hollywood when it comes to intelligent, thought-provoking and engrossing thinking-man’s entertainment, and this is pure par for the course, keeping us glued to the screen from the skilfully-executed whirlwind introductory montage to the powerfully cathartic climax, and every varied and brilliant scene in-between.  This is heady stuff, focusing on what’s still an extremely thorny issue made all the more urgently relevant and timely given what was (and still is) going on in American politics at the time, and everyone involved here was clearly fully committed to making the film as palpable, powerful and resonant as possible for the viewer, no matter their nationality or political inclination.  Also typical for a Sorkin film, the cast are exceptional, everyone clearly having the wildest time getting their teeth into their finely-drawn characters and that magnificent dialogue – Redmayne and Baron Cohen are compellingly complimentary intellectual antagonists given their radically different approaches and their roles’ polar opposite energies, while Rylance delivers another pitch-perfect, simply ASTOUNDING performance that once again marks him as one of the very best actors of his generation, and there are particularly meaty turns from Strong, Langella, Aquaman’s Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (as besieged Black Panther Bobby Seale) and a potent late appearance from Michael Keaton that sear themselves into the memory long after viewing. Altogether then, this is a phenomenal film which deserves to be seen no matter the format, a thought-provoking and undeniably IMPORTANT masterwork from a master cinematic storyteller that says as much about the world we live in now as the decidedly turbulent times it portrays …

12.  GREYHOUND – when the cinemas closed back in March, the fate of many of the major summer blockbusters we’d been looking forward to was thrown into terrible doubt. Some were pushed back to more amenable dates in the autumn or winter (which even then ultimately proved frustratingly ambitious), others knocked back a whole year to fill summer slots for 2021, but more than a few simply dropped off the radar entirely with the terrible words “postponed until further notice” stamped on them, and I lamented them all, this one in particular.  It hung in there longer than some, stubbornly holding onto its June release slot for as long as possible, but eventually it gave up the ghost too … but thanks to Apple TV+, not for long, ultimately releasing less than a month later than intended.  Thankfully the film itself was worth the fuss, a taut World War II suspense thriller that’s all killer, no filler – set during the infamous Battle of the Atlantic, it portrays the constant life-or-death struggle faced by the Allied warships assigned to escort the transport convoys as they crossed the ocean, defending their charges from German U-boats.  Adapted from C.S. Forester’s famous 1955 novel The Good Shepherd by Tom Hanks and directed by Aaron Schneider (Get Low), the narrative focuses on the crew of the escort leader, American destroyer USS Fletcher, codenamed “Greyhound”, and in particular its captain, Commander Ernest Krause (Hanks), a career sailor serving his first command.  As they cross “the Pit”, the most dangerous middle stretch of the journey where they spend days without air-cover, they find themselves shadowed by “the Wolf Pack”, a particularly cunning group of German submarines that begin to pick away at the convoy’s stragglers.  Faced with daunting odds, a dwindling supply of vital depth-charges and a ruthless, persistent enemy, Krause must make hard choices to bring his ships home safe … jumping into the thick of the action within the first ten minutes and maintaining its tension for the remainder of the trim 90-minute run, this is screen suspense par excellence, a sleek textbook example of how to craft a compelling big screen knuckle-whitener with zero fat and maximum reward, delivering a series of desperate naval scraps packed with hide-and-seek intensity, heart-in-mouth near-misses and fist-in-air cathartic payoffs by the bucket-load.  Hanks is subtly magnificent, the calm centre of the narrative storm as a supposed newcomer to this battle arena who could have been BORN for it, bringing to mind his similarly unflappable in Captain Phillips and certainly not suffering by comparison; by and large he’s the focus point, but other crew members make strong (if sometimes quite brief) impressions, particularly Stephen Graham as Krause’s reliably seasoned XO, Lt. Commander Charlie Cole, The Magnificent Seven’s Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and Just Mercy’s Rob Morgan, while Elisabeth Shue does a lot with a very small part in brief flashbacks as Krause’s fiancée Evelyn. Relentless, exhilarating and thoroughly unforgettable, this was one of the true action highlights of the summer, and one hell of a war flick.  I’m so glad it made the cut for the summer …

11.  PROJECT POWER – with Marvel and DC pushing their tent-pole titles back in the face of COVID, the usual superhero antics we’ve come to expect for the summer were pretty thin on the ground in 2020, leading us to find our geeky fan thrills elsewhere. Unfortunately, pickings were frustratingly slim – Korean comic book actioner Gundala was entertaining but workmanlike, while Thor AU Mortal was underwhelming despite strong direction from Troll Hunter’s André Øvredal, and The New Mutants just got shat on by the studio and its distributors and no mistake – thank the Gods, then, for Netflix, once again riding to the rescue with this enjoyably offbeat super-thriller, which takes an intriguing central premise and really runs with it.  New designer drug Power has hit the streets of New Orleans, able to give anyone who takes it a superpower for five minutes … the only problem is, until you try it, you don’t know what your own unique talent is – for some, it could mean five minutes of invisibility, or insane levels of super-strength, but other powers can be potentially lethal, the really unlucky buggers just blowing up on the spot.  Robin (The Hate U Give’s Dominique Fishback) is a teenage Power-pusher with dreams of becoming a rap star, dealing the pills so she can help her diabetic mum; Frank Shaver (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is one of her customers, a police detective who uses his power of near invulnerability to even the playing field when supercharged crims cause a disturbance.  Their lives are turned upside down when Art (Jamie Foxx) arrives in town – he’s a seriously badass ex-soldier determined to hunt down the source of Power by any means necessary, and he’s not above tearing the Big Easy apart to do it. This is a fun, gleefully infectious rollercoaster that doesn’t take itself too seriously, revelling in the anarchic potential of its premise and crafting some suitably OTT effects-driven chaos brought to pleasingly visceral fruition by its skilfully inventive director, Ariel Schulman (Catfish, Nerve, Viral), while Mattson Tomlin (the screenwriter of the DCEU’s oft-delayed, incendiary headline act The Batman) takes the story in some very interesting directions and poses fascinating questions about what Power’s TRULY capable of.  Gordon-Levitt and Fishback are both brilliant, the latter particularly impressing in what’s sure to be a major breakthrough role for her, and the friendship their characters share is pretty adorable, while Foxx really is a force to be reckoned with, pretty chill even when he’s in deep shit but fully capable of turning into a bona fide killing machine at the flip of a switch, and there’s strong support from Westworld’s Rodrigo Santoro as Biggie, Power’s delightfully oily kingpin, Courtney B. Vance as Frank’s by-the-book superior, Captain Crane, Amy Landecker as Gardner, the morally bankrupt CIA spook responsible for the drug’s production, and Machine Gun Kelly as Newt, a Power dealer whose pyrotechnic “gift” really isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.  Exciting, inventive, frequently amusing and infectiously likeable, this was some of the most uncomplicated cinematic fun I had all summer.  Not bad for something which I’m sure was originally destined to become one of the season’s B-list features …

[spottoydog]

In the episode Deep Dive we not only get to see Marco wield Star’s wand (successfully) but we also see something that has yet to happen before to anyone who isn’t mewman or a part of the Butterfly family: the appearance of cheek marks/emblems.

So what does this mean? Does Marco have a secret heritage connected with the Butterflies? Highly doubtful-- since that plot thread is currently tied around another character and I don’t think the writes would retread the same idea of “secret Butterfly,” especially since the other main lead is already a Butterfly royal (and love interest, I don’t think Nefcy/Disney is going to pull a Game of Thrones.)

However, the subjects of heritage and inheritance are some of the main overarching themes of Svtfoe, so the possibly of Marco being tied to something bigger than he is as the “human lead” is more likely than we may think. Already there are two things that come to mind that hint to Marco being destined for greater things that have yet to come into fruition. One being the surprisingly ever looming presence of the Blood Moon, that so far has only been noticed (though never directly acknowledged) by Marco, even long after the Blood Moon’s last official showing (every 667 years.) The other is the still as yet to be explained foreshadowing in the floor carvings of St. Olga’s that suggest to tie together with both Star and Marco: A crescent moon encircling the sun and locking a star between its horns.

In all honesty that could be the ultimate significance of Marco’s moon cheeks, the representation of his and Star’s bond. Marco’s motivation to finally use the wand at the end of Deep Dive was to reestablish the “lost connection” he had with Star when she entered the realm of Magic and is what inevitably snaps her back to reality.

Maybe that’s not the whole story, but it is currently the most complete one we have so far…

Crescent moons are a tricky thing to pin any solid one-to-one symbolic meaning to in this show, since we see them in many places already: King River’s scepter, Star’s pajamas, and in multiple occasions we see crescent moons tied to Eclipsa. Eclipsa’s chapter even has her cheek emblem superimposed on a crescent/eclipse symbol, and considering the effect reading the chapter had on Marco, that may come into play again now that the chapter’s author is an active player in the story (she’s already called Marco “adorable,” but hey that’s been an established fact sine episode one.)

Classically a crescent has been visual shorthand for the moon across cultures and time and its symbolic use has been tied to a multitude of ideas. Ideas such as emotions and the unconscious, maternal and nurturing instincts, nature and the spiritual, and the list could go on. To go through every possible correlation and make an objective statement on how it could or could not relate to Marco would be tedious and lead to a lot of moot points.  

However, there is one aspect of the moon present both in myth and popular culture that I will be elaborating on: The moon as a catalyst for transformation.

Let’s go back to season one, and revisit one of the most foreshadow heavy glimpses into Marco’s subconscious (and a heavy Blood Moon presence) the nightmare he had at the beginning of the episode Red Belt.

Marco emerges from a glowing green fissure, similar to the one created by the cleaved wand, candle in hand and in nothing but his sleepwear. He then notices a rather feral looking Star chewing on an obi (that could be his current green belt or red one he’s searching for, since everything in this shot looks green.) After letting out a high pitched screech, Star runs into a tunnel beneath broken lockers on all fours with the sash still in her mouth. Obviously put off by this odd behavior Marco questionably says Stars name, unsure of what the heck he just saw, but then he turns and notices a solitary locker and panics at not being able to remember his lock combo. After fiddling with it the combination lock begins to shake violently and burst apart on its own, the door swinging open to a cascade of mewberty heart petals that conceal a padded inside and a violet tinged Marco dressed in a suit and tie, hands folded. 

The obvious connotations of seeing himself like a corpse in a casket are comically subverted by Marco’s vocal distress of seeing himself in a suit. Cutting back to the locker/coffin we see the figure in the suit replaced by Mr. Candle who asks him, “What are your plans for the future, Mr.Diaz?”

There it is, the big question of Marco’s season 3 arc and why he came left Earth for Mewni: to discover his future. Marco’s search for his red belt in his dream could be interpreted as an allegory for his search for his identity/development and growth as a person. The red belt is what his heart was fixed on obtaining in the episode and signified the next step of advancement in martial arts, which has always been a core part of Marco’s character and how he’s been able to keep up with Star in fighting evil monsters (Buff Frog has called him “Karate Boy” and a lot of Marco centric episodes in the first two seasons focus this aspect of his.) But by the end of the dream the red belt gets swept up by the Blood Moon, just like all his friends and classmates who have “moved on with their lives,” and Marco is left bare once more.

Marco’s karate while helpful in the first two seasons, on its own is not going to be of use against enemies like Toffee, Miss Heinous/Meteora, or Mina Loveberry. Nor was his normal “safe kid” reason and caution able to bring back Star from the magic dimension. Marco is going to have to use magic again in the future, and I have reason to believe it’s going to drastically change him.

So let’s talk about…mewberty.

Specifically why dream Marco was buried underneath mewberty petals in the locker. Now you could interpret it as Marco’s subconscious being afraid of getting smothered to death by Star’s uh…webbing, which can be symbolically read as him being afraid of getting caught up in and hurt by Star’s confusing teenage emotions. The fact that Star is depicted a feral mess absconding with an important symbol of his identity at the beginning of the dream and as guilty looking party when he failed to obtain red belt at the end of it, Marco’s subconscious seems pretty messed up over Star either way (and that was before he knew Star had a crush on him and realized his own feelings for her.) But Marco’s possibly buried feelings of resentment towards Star aside, while the locker in the dream is presented as a coffin, in the context of the episode Mewberty it has also been thematically used as a cocoon. Remember that Star went through her own transformation in a locker, a thematically appropriate vessel for a teenager’s magical monster puberty. Before Deep Dive and Battle for Mewni I thought that the locker in the dream meant that Marco was going to be transformed by the corrupted half of the cleaved wand and Toffee’s influence (thinking back to the end of Strom the Castle) and that Marco was going to loose agency of his future development. But now that the wand has been reformed and Marco has used the wand of his own volition resulting in a temporary pair of cheek marks, I think it’s even more plausible that Marco’s decisions…

To go to Mewni (for Star)

To use magic (for Star)

…are going to eventually culminate into Marco’s ultimate identity, resulting in the Marco we know to “die” and a new Marco to emerge. Not to mention Marco already went through normal human puberty in ‘Running With Scissors’, off-screen yes but still we’ve already seen what adult Marco looks like. (Side note: being a macho adult and going on adventures with Heckapoo are also things Marco gave up for Star, twice.) The next logical step has to be seeing what freaky magical monster puberty does to Marco, right?

And speaking of monsters, let’s talk next about… Monster Arm.

I think a lot of us agree that this thing is going to come back, and since Marco had just recently used dark magic, that just might be what agitates its reappearance for the second half of season three. I don’t however think it’s going to come back the same way it did the first time as a parasitic appendage, or else Star can just zap it back to normal. Will it try playing the same tricks on Marco again? Maybe… It did try and prey on Marco’s pride and desires to get him to trust it the first time around, but now Marco’s priorities have shifted almost entirely from season one. Marco doesn’t want to beat Jeremy, get Jackie’s affection, or be known as a “misunderstood bad boy” by his classmates. Now he wants to make sure Star is safe and support her as a friend and squire. So I see this possible return going a number of ways: monster arm could point out Marco’s inability to protect Star from Toffee level treats, it could point out how Marco keeps putting Star first, giving so much and getting little in return, it could even bring up Star’s confession and the emotional tailspin that Marco has been burring under “squire duties.” (Gee, can you imagine the irony if monster virus called Star a “bad influence’ for Marco?)

My hope is that if Marco’s monster virus does return it will not remain as parasitic entity trying to undermine Marco, but will reflect more of its last proclamation of being “a part of you now,” that Marco will have to accept and make peace with…and give Marco a sweet full body monster transformation power!

“So what are you saying Spot? That Marco going to go through some sort of Monster version of Mewberty, just because is cheeks glowed crescent moons that one time he used magic? That’s crazy talk, crazy talk!”

Now here me out…I’m about to come full circle with this post. The next phrase you will read in this essay I spent way too much time on will explain everything:

Werewolf Martial-Artist.

“Spot what does Marco’s Halloween costume have to do with this?”

I don’t know reader, what other visual media has spiky haired hand to hand fighters that transform into hulking monsters under the light of the full moon?

It’s a DBZ reference! You know, that thing Marco’s original character pitch was a super-fan of and rival to Star’s Sailor Moon obsession. And if Star dressing up as Ludo end up as foreshadowing to her brief possession of his body at the end of battle for Mewni, then by golly so can Marco’s costume be foreshadowing as well!

[hucc]

HUCC v Occasional Casuals Sunday 2nd June 2019

The 2019 campaign finally got underway on Sunday against The Occasional Casuals. 

 With a strong looking batting line up, returning skipper Anthony duly wins the toss, and, as night follows day, elects to bat first under sunny skies and on top of a dry looking Millfields’ strip.

 Our first wicket partnership is the latest in an illustrious line of ‘& Dave’ combinations. Where Sam & Dave led, and Chas & Dave followed, captain Anthony ‘Caveman’ Pearce and Dave ‘Das Fawbermeister’ Flobear have emerged as the Shakademus and Pliers of HUCC opening batsmen.

 17 overs in and batting first seems an excellent choice.  At the scheduled drinks break Ant & Dave have accumulated 85 runs at 5 an over without a wicket lost and almost untroubled.  While I could mention some of the classy shots they played, what I really want to tell you about is the Dave Fawbert Five. You may have heard of the Dave Clark Five.  Let’s face it, you probably haven’t, it doesn’t really matter.  Dave calls for a tight single catching Anthony slightly on the back foot.  By ‘slightly’ I mean leaning back on his bat staring disbelievingly at the onrushing Dave before….hold on, I’m coming… grudgingly setting off, reaching maximum velocity and launching a full length dive to make his ground, and were glad all over as the fielder’s wayward throw powers off to the boundary. Gertcha.  But enough of the antiquated-musical-Dave references (you got all three though right?), this was a proper full-length, arms outstretched, face-plant of a dive.  What Anthony lacks in motivation for the quick singles, he more than makes up for with determination to keep batting. 

So, 85 without loss after 17 overs.  It’s a healthy position.  It is indeed nothing less than a platform.  Previous HUCC sides, facing possibly slightly more penetrating bowling attacks, conceivably judged by less generous umpires, have stood atop similar platforms then fallen sickeningly to feeble surrender.  Controversial words I know, intended in no way to diminish the batting or indeed umpiring excellence that followed.  But if Millfields had a public address system the announcement at drinks would be something along the lines of ‘the next service leaving this platform is scheduled to terminate at Disappointment, stopping off at Incompetence-on-Sea, Bitterness and Rancour’. 

 Have you ever wondered whether you spend too much time on trains?

 There is of course no public address system.  In fact, as anyone who’s had a wee behind a tree at Millfields will testify, there are literally no facilities at all. [I should however clarify for the benefit of anyone from the Park User Group that I have not stooped to such depraved abuse of the delightful London Plane trees at North Millfields.  I merely point out that some other teams, particularly the more elderly, infirm and intoxicated have succumbed.  In a further legal disclaimer I am in no way suggesting that our opposition was entirely elderly, infirm and intoxicated.  Most were only one of those things].

 I think I got away with that. 

 So, match report-wise: we batted really well.  Anthony went past 50 for the 10th time as a Hackney Umpire, and after both openers were caught behind, Kieran and Simon injected pace into proceedings, scoring freely.  Although perhaps a little rusty, Special K, was still the pick of batsmen on both sides.  Coming into this game Kieran’s average was 66.00 which he consolidated by getting out for 66, bowled executing an uncharacteristic sweep/slog/flail. Ol ‘The Juice’ Thompson kept the momentum going and was joined by Chris ‘Ready’ Salter who showed some of the innovation that makes the short form of the game so enjoyable.

 By the end the Occasional Casuals had somewhat fallen away to Sporadic Lackadaisicals.  All that is except for Mr Enthusiastic who, from the depths of the boundary continued to vociferously encourage his teammates: “Come on lads we’ve got this” etc at the back end of 259-5 in 35 overs is a top effort and I salute you.

 Back out to defend our total we followed up this excellence with the bat with a general lack of competence in the field.  Perhaps it was the luxuriant cushion of runs, maybe it was a general lack of practice, or could it possibly have been the opposition’s ‘Chocolate’ Brownies.  So generously and repeatedly offered.  So deliciously moreish, potentially, hallucinogenically moreish?  

As has already been explored, at length, in previous match reports, there is something highly contagious, I could say catching but it doesn’t seem the right word, about the inability to hold the ball should it loop slowly in the air towards you. On this we were collectively poor, and there is no need or reason to single out Ol here, genuinely I don’t think his drop was the worst we have ever seen, although Manny may disagree.

 After 11 wicketless (but not entirely chanceless) overs, the batsmen were starting to gain in confidence and, at 64-0, the sun felt that bit more oppressive, the outfield a touch quicker, the loss of that 11th player potentially that much more significant.

 Fielders retreated towards the boundary.  The skipper changes up the bowling.  David ‘Dorx’ Dawkins has a happy knack of taking wickets, and it was from my vantage point on the rope at Cow Corner that I could see just how plumb LBW their opener was to David’s second ball, the famed quicker slow one.  Though I was a way back and it could have been the slower quick one to be honest.  And, thanks to this break-through, 64 for 0 slides chaotically into 85-4 as Anthony’s double change of bowlers brings a wicket in each of four consecutive overs.  So it was reaching their own mid-innings’ drinks break, that while the Casuals had scored slightly more runs, 95, those 4 wickets and our own post-drink burst of runscoring made 259 seems a long way away.  

 Talking of David D, he recently came back from an exotic work trip to Thimphu and the surrounding areas.  On this occasion however it was Simon who wins the award for Bhutan the ball over the boundary rope in another classic piece of mis-fielding that had us scratching our heads at what just happened. Fair play to Simon though he did take the only actual catch from our fielding ‘effort’ a well-judged effort at point to complete three wickets for slow left arming.

 While our fielding may have generally been crap we had moments of quality.  Mr Enthusiastic decides a slightly risky 2 is on the cards, (‘come on we’ve got this’), but ‘Ready’ Salter covers the ground quickly and puts in a good throw.  Barney behind the stumps still has a huge amount of work to do to stretch out, catch the ball and break the stumps, but he does and Mr Enthusiastic runs merrily off the pitch towards the non-existent pavilion, stopping only to suggest to the incoming batsman that they are on the brink of a famous victory.

 Despite this optimism the batting side then had Ol’s bowling to content with.  Soco (I assume this stands for Scene Of Crimes Officer) defending a brisk straight one from Ol lobs the ball gently Dorx, who palms it up, attempts a one-handed grab and tragically floors it.  It may or may not have been Mark Twain who coined the phrase ‘Comedy is tragedy plus time’.  In this case very little time was needed. During David’s juggling Soco has identified a chance for a cheeky single, because nothing eases the pain of a 129 run mauling like converting it into a mere 128 run trouncing.  As he flails towards the other end, the alchemy of tragedy and time completes its divine transmutation to comedy gold as David picks up throws and hits and another wicket is wasted.

 A deafening silence greets the next wicket as Ol bowls their valiant skipper with a full toss.  The skipper looks imploringly at his team mate at square leg who appeared to be facing in the opposite direction but was still able to correctly judge it a legal delivery.  A sad way to go, but there it was and the innings then capitulated to 129 all out, exactly halfway to the target they had been set. 

It was the third time in the last four games we had scored more than 250.The third time in the last six games that we’d bowled the opposition out.  129 runs is the biggest margin of victory we have achieved, eclipsing the 80 run win against Lewisham All Stars in September 2011.  But for a win, an epic win on a grand scale, somehow it felt a bit anticlimactic. Hard fought victories that seem in doubt until the end, we can now do.  Losses of all description we have a long track record of.  Thrashing the opposition? Maybe it’s a case of getting used to it. Plenty more games in the season to test that out.

 HUCC 258-5 (A Pearce 77; K Kumaria 66; S Griffin 38)

OC 129-10 (O Thompson 3/5; M O’Brien 3/32; D Dawkins 2/23)

 Hackney Umpires win by 129 runs.  Man of the match Kieran Kumaria.

[ethelbertpaul444-blog]

Toronto’s Aaron Sanchez reignites inning restraint debate

David Lengel: Aaron Sanchez is the whiz of the Blue Jays gyration, at least for one or two more starts Lets start with the obvious: nothing not renowned surgeon Dr James Andrews , not agent Scott Boras , not Washington Nationals and New York Mets general managers Mike Rizzo and Sandy Alderson , not Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz knows the right path when it comes to protecting young arms. When young Nats hurler Stephen Strasburg was controversially shut down in September of 2012 and New York ace Matt Harvey blew through his innings restriction last-place season, both were coming off Tommy John elbow surgery: Aaron Sanchez, the Toronto Blue Jays 24 -year-old ace at the center of the latest innings debate has not, farther muddying the questions. Jays GM Ross Atkins, who along with their Ceo and President Mark Shapiro have been deliberating a decision to pulled the former reliever from the starting gyration possibly sooner rather than later, is smart enough to realize that he doesnt know whats right either. Theres not data either way, Ross told TSN radio in Toronto on Tuesday. With all the unknowns winging around Toronto, heres what we do know: Sanchez is the centerpiece of what is arguably the best starting rotation in the American League. Hes run 17 starts without a loss, a long time active unfold in MLB, while compiling a 2.71 ERA during a season in which hes become a legitimate Cy Young candidate. Sanchez is also efficient, averaging 14.9 lurches per inning, good enough for sixth in MLB. Why is Atkins preparing to remove Sanchez from the spin? At 139.1 innings thrown this season, Sanchez has already eclipsed his 2014 high marking of 133.1 innings, who the hell is thrown between the Blue Jays and their bush league affiliates. In a disagreement where home-grown pitching whizs are a scarcity, the Jays are highly motivated to keep Sanchez health for the long term. In addition to theoretically protecting Sanchezs prized right arm, the move too mounts up what could be a formidable 1-2-3 bullpen perforate together with set-up soldier Jason Grilli and closer Roberto Osuna. It could help a aid core that ranks 11 th in ERA, but that thought also presumes Sanchez has no editions moving back to relief work. Replacing Sanchez in the spin “wouldve been” inconsistent Francisco Liriano, acquired at the non-waiver trade deadline, with journeyman Scott Feldman waiting in the backstages if that didnt work out. We feel like transitioning him[ Sanchez] to a relief character would be the best act for us being in Play 7 of the World Series, said Atkins on a conference call following the deal for Liriano. Interesting thought, specially when you consider the dogfight Toronto are in to even reach the playoffs, let alone the World Series. When Strasburg left the spin in 2012 the Nats had a 6.5 tournament NL East lead in early September. Meanwhile, the fact that one is well aware right and wrong for Sanchezs health in the long run isnt continuing those working in Toronto and beyond from taking slopes. On Wednesday, Torontos SportsNet5 90 radios Andrew Walker said its crazed to throw him 240 innings![ that number would be reached only if Sanchez finished the season and the Jays experienced an extended playoff pas ]. Categorically insane! Smoltz, who sloped both as a starter and then in the bullpen, told Torontos The Fan radio on Wednesday that he doesnt like the space Toronto are handling the situation. Going to the bullpen and youre not the closer has a lot more of an effect on your forearm and organization than parties recall because you dont have a characterized capacity. Its not like they go in the seventh inning of every competition were gonna get him up and get him in. When youre a top-line starter, which I make[ Sanchez] is, you got to make sure that that becomes the DNA of this player. Jays starting catcher Russell Martin has discovered the majority of members of Sanchez innings up close. I dont like it, Martin said here on Sportsnets Tim& Sid show. You got a guy who is cruising, testifying no mansions of tirednes … How many stressful innings has he had? I dont think hes had too many, you know? His innings are pretty scavenge … if the guy is completely healthy and putting up character start after quality start, I dont even know why its a discussion right now. Thats merely my views. Im not the one attracting the fibres. Martin wants to win and apparently, so do his team-mates, so such a move could potentially stir the clubhouse negatively at exactly the incorrect time. Throw out all of the unknowns in the health question and youre left with a pure baseball decision. Removing a Cy Young candidate shapes little to no sense, and risks derailing all the momentum the rejuvenated franchise is hold. Canadas team are poised to break through the 3 million marker in attendance for the first time since 1993 and are among the favourites to reach the playoffs and potentially acquire their third World Series title. They should be all in for today , not tomorrow. Video of the week On Sunday, Cincinnati Reds hurler Homer Bailey accomplished his long wander back from Tommy John surgery, sloping well in his first major league tournament since April of 2015. But he was still rust-brown: with runners on the recess in the sixth, San Diegos Wil Myers took off for residence after Bailey turned his back following a stroll, spanning the plate easily to steal a operate. Bryan Price came out to discuss the play with the adjudicator, but “havent had” recourse after given to understand that his pitcher was sleeping at the rotation. Cue the lulluby … Quote of the Week Ken Rosenthal (@ Ken_Rosenthal) August 2, 2016 To those upset with first version of Puig story: Im with you. I take great pride in accuracy. It infuriates me that a key item was wrong. Thats Ken Rosenthal rationalizing for his Yasiel Puig story that said that the Dodgers outfielder had stormed off after learning he wouldnt be on the team airliner to Denver. When Rosenthal learned that Puig wasnt at the ballpark, and thus could not have stormed off “the authors ” evidenced genuine class in admitting the error, and also added that the information came from informants, but thats not an justify. Its my work to check everything thoroughly. Puig, who was replaced by the incoming Josh Reddick and sent down to the children by LA, was sympathetic. Yasiel Puig (@ YasielPuig) August 2, 2016 @ken_rosenthal don’t annoy bro, we all become blunders #puigyourfriend #seeyousoon Whos closer to victory: Donald Trump or the Cubs? Well, the New York Post produced some little-known photos of the Trumpsters wife Melania this week, and, depending on your disposition in life, that could be considered either a win or a loss. However, the flap with Humayun Khan must be a black mark species wherever youre standing. When you weigh it all up, Le Grande Orange has been playing from behind all week. Meanwhile, the Cubs experienced a walk-off win on Sunday against the Mariners thanks to pitcher Jon Lester, who cant throw to first base but can lay down one heck of a bunt. While in the very same recreation, pitcher Travis Wood made a fantastic catch up against the ivy in left field. And all that came before Chicago wiped the Marlins: Cubs get the edge this time around. How did the minors piss off Goose Gossage this week? By Miamis Derek Dietrich stripping off his uniform top after snapping an 0-20 slump with a pinch-hit walk-off triple to defeat the Cardinals on Sunday, thats how. Goose would go gonzo if he saw this. Meanwhile, Goose continued to stick to his AR-1 5s concerning the practice baseball is heading. While addressing young musicians in Maine over the weekend, Gossage told the girls: I said my agreement about at-bat moves and remaining video games in check. Nobodys overtaking the light to teach these boys how to play. They reach so much money, theyve got a bunch of coach-and-fours that have never been in the big league that exactly tiptoe around these people. I was taught how to deed. You act like health professionals. Ive said my armistice. The activity, in my views, is going to hell. Actually, based on Dietrichs physique, it looks like the game is going to the gym. Nine expects in order 1) Has there ever been a Subway Series with less sizzle than the 2016 publication of Mets v Yankees? One New York radio host said it best: this line is more like a wake. The Mets are sinking fast under the weight of incredible harm issues, and the Yankees are eventually in full rebuilding mode after coping Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller, Ivan Nova and Carlos Beltran. All the Yanks have now is bringing up the children and deciding whether or not the Yanks preserve Alex Rodriguez around long enough to thumped his 700 th home run or precisely release him, the latter of which is being reportedly being seriously considered. Meanwhile, the Mets, who are clinging to National League wild card hopes, acquired Jay Bruce from the Reds, in a move that also adjusts up what could be one of the most difficult outfield the defence of all-time: Yoenis Cespedes( now on the disabled list) in left field, Curtis Granderson in middle and Bruce in claim. If Braves fans to benefit from pray for rainfall after Spahn and Sain, Mets fans better better start praying for strikeouts and ground balls on every slope. Perhaps John McEnroe can help with that? Give that serviceman a contract! 2) Can the Colorado Rockies form the playoffs? Its not beyond reasonable suspense, even without Trevor Story, who may be lost for the season after sustaining ligament shattering in his left thumb. The Rox, who held on to their key element at the non-waiver trade deadline, are 14 -5 since the infringe. Most of this Rockies guide has come on the road where their pitching has been far superior. In Colorado, where the staff members almost always suffocates in Denvers thin air, theyre rock bottom in team ERA rankings with a 5.98 marker. Fantastically, along the road, the Rox have given up 98 fewer operates, posting an Period of 3.62: thats third in the NL, in front of the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, St Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants. Tyler Chatwood is 6-0 with a 1.30 Era in nine away starts, and 4-6 with a 5.69 ERA in 10 home starts, which is ridiculous. Naturally, their greatest obstacle to contacting the season is their own stadium, where unfortunately they have 32 competitions continuing against 26 on the road. 3) Wednesday was D-Day for baseball and softball, in addition to providing athletics climbing, skateboarding, surfing and karate: all endeavors being considered for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. All five became the slouse, but dont reckon for a minute that MLB will halt their season to send actors: their brass are fully committed to constituting the World Baseball Classic the crown jewel of international play-act. Still, that doesnt mean it isnt good for the athletic or the players. John Blundell (@ JBMLBPR) August 3, 2016 Last time baseball was an Olympic sport( 08) these guys won bronze. Strasburg, Fowler, Cahill, Arrieta. #mlb #Wbsc pic.twitter.com/ ZLzpfQDGkU 4) Heres a downer kindnes of the official Instagram of Skeeter Duffy, Matt Duffys large-scale feline TAGEND Thanks for all your lovin’ San Francisco. We’re gonna miss ya. Onwards to Tampa! #furrevergiant #duffcat #duffmanforever #byeSF A photo posted by Skeeter Duffy (@ duffcat3 5) on Aug 1, 2016 at 9:17 pm PDT Duffy, who was sent to the Giant as part of a cope to for hurler Matt Moore, was the felines meow in San Francisco last season, playing the hot corner in place of the departed Pablo Sandoval. Duffy broke out, positing an unexpected. 762 OPS, but hasnt been able to match that Giant spark in 2016. Now he and Skeete, who has over 15,000 folloers on Instagram, are apparently patronizing for Iams and catnip after a long transcontinental flight to Tampa, a true-life blow to felines in the Bay Area. UPDATE: its too hot for Skeeter in Tampa, so hes staying with Duffys mothers. 5) Heres a record you require no part of: the Los Angeles Dodgers, currently in second place in the NL West while guiding the wild card race, have made 22 musicians on the disabled inventory this season, that after starting 2016 with 10 players on the DL. Only the 2015 New York Mets can pair these sort of harm numbers, and on the bright side for LAs love, many of whom are in a nasty feeling with Clayton Kershaw not eligible to pitch until late August, New York won the NL East. 6) Just periods after putting together one of the best, if not the good bullpen in baseball, the Indians rotation received a punch with Danny Salazar thumping the DL with elbow inflammation. Clevelands righty hurler abode his shortest start to the season while get pasted by the Twinneds on Monday and had what was supposed to be a precautionary MRI on Tuesday. Salazar had given up 21 moves over his last five starts after allowing merely 23 moves over his first 15 starts of the season. Cleveland are trying to acquire their first World Series entitle since 1948 and are four games up on the Beast in the AL West. 7) On the heels of the Tribe are the red hot Detroit Tigers, who have won eight straight recreations while going health at precisely the right time. With a payroll of roughly $200 m, the team werent prepared to attain meaningful adds-on at the busines deadline, but they are getting buttress in matters of the activations of Jordan Zimmerman and JD Martinez from the disabled schedule. After being left for dead by most experts picking the Royals to repeat as AL Central champs this season, the Tigers ought to have hang about thanks to a high-powered offense driven by Miguel Cabrera, Ian Kinsler and JD and Victor Martinez. Now their pitching staff are coming around with their second half ERA dropping by 1.33 to 3.14. With tough line against the Mets, Navigator, Red Sox and Rangers coming up, the next few weeks will show us how real Detroit are. 8) Joey Votto is having an interesting era with love lately. On Monday Joey Votto desegregated it up with a person in a Reds jersey while chasing a fouled ball into the stands. Cut4 (@ Cut4) August 3, 2016 It took some innings, but Joey Votto& a @Reds fan sorted everything out. Full Story: https :// t.co/ iCNjYJulXz pic.twitter.com/ bwznPWocJB Votto apologized, but the mea culpa comes just days after he chastened a young love who asked for his batting gloves in San Francisco. Melanie Nichols (@ kiasuchick) July 27, 2016 Kid asks for Joey’s batting gloves. Votto responds “You’re sitting in the figurehead row, you’re elite. This isn’t a ‘Make A Wish’ situation” … Im all for messing with followers as long as its kept flare, but the Make–AWish Foundation crack is totally unnecessary. 9) And ultimately, on Tuesday, umpire Bob Davidson encountered a devotee at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Philly Influencer (@ PHL_Influencer) August 3, 2016 A fan was ejected from video games by home plate umpire Bob Davidson pic.twitter.com/ k7gwhG9K2l Davidson has a reputation for confrontation, but it seems the veteran ump got it right this time, speaking to the fan about homophobic heckling before security questioned the offender to leave. People heartened me, said Davidson. which is unusual in this town for me Read more: www.theguardian.com http://dailybuzznetwork.com/index.php/2018/08/30/torontos-aaron-sanchez-reignites-inning-limit-debate/

[latestnews2018-blog]

Why Japanese Women Dominate America's Pastime

New Post has been published on https://latestnews2018.com/why-japanese-women-dominate-americas-pastime/

Why Japanese Women Dominate America's Pastime

The world’s only active professional women’s baseball league was started in Japan in 2009 by the president of a health food company. The story goes that Kenichi Kakutani of Wakasa Seikatsu, a maker of supplements that “address things like specific eye problems and inner fragrance,” was moved to do something after watching a baseball tournament for high school girls.

As a spokesperson for the league told The New York Times in 2012, “he wanted to create an environment where they could focus on baseball and make money playing.”

Thus was born the Japanese Women’s Baseball League (JWBL). It’s tiny ― four teams in all ― but it exists. And it goes a long way toward explaining why, on the women’s side, America’s pastime is dominated by Japan, the smart money to win the Women’s Baseball World Cup, which opened Wednesday. It’s the infrastructure — inner fragrance, you might call it.

Most Americans’ knowledge of women in baseball comes from the 1992 film “A League of Their Own,” from which we learned that there is no crying in baseball and that during World War II and for a few years after the war, women played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Perhaps some have heard that a few women also played in the Negro Leagues, or maybe they watched Mo’ne Davis pitch in the Little League World Series a few years ago, or perhaps they caught an episode of the recent but canceled-too-soon fictional drama “Pitch,” which imagined what life would look like for the first woman to play in Major League Baseball.

The history of women in baseball, though, is as long as the history of men in baseball. “Women have always played the game,” says Kat Williams, a professor of women’s sports history and the president of the International Women’s Baseball Center. Since the 19th century, “we’ve always umpired and coached and tended the fields and kept the stats and owned the teams.”

And women are playing today. In fact, the very best female baseball players from across the world are in Viera, Florida, to participate in the Women’s Baseball World Cup, which runs until Aug. 31. The tournament has been held every other year since 2004, and this year features 12 teams: Japan, USA, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), Hong Kong, Cuba, Korea, the Netherlands, Puerto Rico, Canada and Australia. Together, they represent five different continents.

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Rina Taniyama (left) and Miku Kitayama (right) talk during the Women’s Baseball World Cup as Japan plays against Hong Kong.

This is the first time the event is being played in the United States. But the U.S. Women’s National Team is not the team to beat. Japan is the top-ranked team in the world and the winner of the last five World Cups. The team has won 21 straight games, its last loss at the World Cup coming in 2012 against the United States.

Ayami Sato, Japan’s star pitcher, is probably the best female baseball player in the world. She won the MVP award at the last two World Cups after shutting out the eventual silver medalists in the final (in 2016, Japan beat Canada; in 2014, the United States).

The JWBL has a lot to do with the country’s dominance. The women in the league play much more often at a higher competitive level than just about anyone else in the world.

Oscar Lopez, the head of communications for the World Baseball Softball Confederation, the organization that puts on the WBWC, says that the Japanese team has “a lot of support [from baseball fans] and also a lot of commercial support, sponsors, which may or not be an advantage to other nations.” He points out that this year, Forbes ranked the JWBL 16th among “the most powerful women in international sports.”

The average attendance at JWBL games is roughly 1,200, but on the high end, games can attract upward of 5,000 spectators, JWBL spokesperson Kana Kawabata told HuffPost via email. For the women’s game to grow in Japan, it won’t be enough for the league to expand; Kawabata would like to see more female teams at the high school level, too.

That’s another thing about Japan: The country has a pipeline from youth baseball to the pro league, something the U.S. can only envy at this point. 

What we’re imagining is women in the major leagues, but that’s not even the issue. The issue is, why can’t we deal with the fact that girls and boys should play baseball together when they’re little? Jennifer Ring

Despite the positive impact that Title IX has had on women’s sports in the United States, it created a “separate but equal” regime that, in some ways, entrenched sexist assumptions about women and sports. This is particularly apparent with respect to baseball and softball, long held to be his and hers equivalents, even though the games are very different, down to the size of the field itself.

Baseball could skirt Title IX rules and regulations regarding equal access because women already had softball. Plenty of girls play baseball when they are young, but by the age of 12, when Little League ends, most have been pushed out of the sport. Some play middle school ball, though often as the only girl on an otherwise all-boys team. Fewer still play baseball in high school. Only a handful have ever played collegiate baseball, and there are some women who have played on a professional men’s team in the minor leagues and independent pro leagues.

WBSC

Team USA’s Malaika Underwood celebrates on Aug. 23, 2018, in Viera, Florida.

And then there is the U.S. Women’s National Team, which began in 2004, the same year as the first women’s Baseball World Cup. Both were formed after years of grassroots efforts to establish an international presence for the U.S. in women’s baseball and after a series of more informal competitions.

There is nothing connecting the national team to those young girls on the diamonds — no IMG Academy program, no national AAU circuit, no equivalent to soccer’s AYSO. What infrastructure does exist is regional and amateur.

American girls who play baseball are often left to make their own way, which they do because of how much they love the sport.

To witness the distance between how girls and women’s baseball is valued in this U.S., all you have to do is turn on your TV. There, you will find the Little League World Series on the Worldwide Leader in Sports. If you want to watch the Women’s Baseball World Cup, you have to go online to the YouTube channel for the World Baseball Softball Confederation, the organization putting on the tournament, and stream the games there.

Japan has a different relationship to baseball than the United State does, in part because “baseball in Japan happens in the spring and summer when it’s in the middle of the school year,” says William Kelly, a professor of anthropology and Japanese Studies at Yale. “So, baseball’s actually the equivalent of basketball or football here in the U.S., at the high school and college level. Everybody pays attention to it.”

There are only a handful of public high schools in Japan with girls’ teams but, Kelly says, roughly 25 or 30 private high schools have them. “The girls who want to play baseball can go to a private high school,” he explains. “They can go to a university, or they can join the professional women’s league, and they can aim for the national team and get enough support that they can actually train for it.”

Japan has “an organizational structure there that can take girls to the national team that we don’t have here in the U.S.,” he added.

American girls who play baseball are often left to make their own way, which they do because of how much they love the sport.

Still, it’s important to put the league in context. According to Kelly, while baseball is the most popular sport in Japan, the women’s version remains on the fringe.

“Women’s baseball, unlike say, women’s soccer, is in double jeopardy,” Kelly explains, “because women’s baseball is completely eclipsed by men’s baseball and has been, in Japan and the U.S., since the late 19th century, in the few times when women were able to play organized baseball. But it’s also in jeopardy to softball, because girls get tracked into the softball very early on.”

Softball, a sport originally created so that men could play baseball during the frigid winter months, was useful to men in different countries as they professionalized the sport of baseball and needed somewhere to direct women interested in a stick-and-ball game.

On the website for Little League, there is a timeline of major moments in the organization’s history. There are only two listed for 1974, and they are: “Little League rules are revised to allow participation by girls,” and “Little League Softball and Senior League Softball programs are created.” The former happened only because a court forced Little League’s hand. Little League officials fiercely contested the gender integration of baseball, with one league president worrying about incurring lawsuits should girls “get breast cancer from getting tagged out on the boobs.” The creation of the softball program shows how deliberately that sport was used to keep girls out of baseball.

It was a very effective technique that has now been entrenched throughout the world. Dana Bookman, founder of the Canadian Women’s Baseball Association, says she accidentally started an all-girls baseball league in 2016 when she put out feelers to try to find other girls to play baseball with her 6-year-old daughter. Bookman’s daughter had been the only girl in a league with roughly 400 boys, and had decided she didn’t want to play anymore.

There are now about 1,000 girls playing in leagues under CWBA auspices in three different provinces. This isn’t too surprising in Canada, which has a more robust (though still wanting) infrastructure for girls and women’s baseball than the U.S. does, including the annual Baseball Canada championships for U16 girls, U21 women and senior women’s teams from different provinces. Despite this popularity, Bookman says that she has had people say to her face, “Girls play softball, boys play baseball.” 

WBSC

Stacy Piagno pitches for the U.S. Women’s National Team on August 23, 2018.

This idea that only boys play baseball is wrong. And more and more, it seems people are starting to appreciate that. The International Women’s Baseball Center was created a few years ago out of a general sense that change was coming, said Kat Williams, its president.

Williams can remember the eureka moment, down to the date: “Feb. 22, 2014, a group of us sat round over pizza and beer,” Williams said. She explained that they came up with the idea for the IWBC because “we felt that shift.”

The women involved in the IWBC knew there was “not a women’s baseball museum or educational center or focal point.” The center is being built in Rockford, Illinois, across the street from Beyer Stadium ― where the Rockford Peaches, of “A League of Their Own” fame, played. The center’s focus will be on education and preserving history.

The center also supports the annual Baseball For All national tournament, which recently concluded its fourth contest. This year, there were 24 teams and nearly 300 girls who competed. According to Justine Siegal, who founded BFA in 2010, the tournament is a yearly culmination of the work her organization does to help communities start their own girls’ teams or find a team nearby on which girls can play.

For Williams, the BFA tournament is a moment during which you can take in the history of women in baseball and also glimpse its future. You can see 91-year-old Maybelle Blair and 85-year-old Shirley Burkovich, two former players from the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, greet each of the girls during the opening ceremonies. “And you have not lived until you have watched 10-year-old girls march in in their baseball uniforms into the arms of 91-year-old Maybelle Blair,” Williams says.

For those girls who participated in the BFA tournament, and really any girl who plays baseball in the U.S., their main goal is to play on the USWNT. “Nearly every single one of those girls at the Baseball For All tournament, when asked, ‘What do you want to do?’ their answer is, ‘Play for the U.S.A. team,’” Williams said.

To do that, though, one has to find a way.

Nearly every single one of those girls at the Baseball For All tournament, when asked, ‘What do you want to do?’ their answer is, ‘Play for the U.S.A. team.’ Kat Williams, International Women’s Baseball Center

Ashley Bratcher, senior director of baseball operations at USA Baseball, says that the World Cup is a “three-week opportunity” for many of the women competing who otherwise do not get to play on the highest levels in baseball. “They all have jobs and families,” she said, and “are juggling that to prepare for this stage.”

Training is an ad hoc affair. On the U.S. women’s team, Bratcher says, one player “owns a CrossFit gym, so she’s got a built-in way to stay in shape. Some are hitting instructors or giving lessons and things like that, so they’ve got regular access. Then you’ve got others who are hitting off a tee in the backyard and juggling being a mom, or going to a local high school to find someone who will catch a bullpen for them so they can get their pitching in.” 

While there is a romantic element to this ― the hard-working woman who loves baseball so much she does whatever she can against whatever odds to play for her national team ― it’s mainly frustrating. Veronica Alvarez, a former member of the U.S. national team and now the pitching coach for the team at the World Cup, says: “Being Team USA, you expect gold. And the people, I assure you, among the higher-ups, they expect gold out of us.” But she wonders how anyone could expect gold from a team whose players see each other only at the trial and then for one week of practice together before the tournament.

“It’s hard to go from being a woman with a full-time career to practicing two-a-days, and getting her body ready, and on your own time,” Alvarez says. “It’s hard because nobody really sets us up for that success.”

Alvarez says that the women on the team will take what they call “baseballcations.” On their own and paid for out of their own pockets, small groups of players will choose a city and a weekend where they can meet up to practice. “They’re having these baseballcations in Jacksonville, and Atlanta, and different parts of the country where they’re able to come together. Whether it’s four of them or six of them, they’re finding the way to do it.” 

Being Team USA, you expect gold. And the people, I assure you, among the higher-ups, they expect gold out of us … It’s hard because nobody really sets us up for that success. Veronica Alvarez, former member of the U.S. national team

Baseball For All founder Siegal knows the importance of the national team for the growth of the women’s game in the U.S., but she’s also realistic about how far the country has to go. “It’s correct to think that the Women’s National Team has inspired girls to stay in baseball,” she says. “I think it’s also correct to say we still have a major challenge in the U.S. of encouraging girls to stay in the game.”

There is support these days from Major League Baseball through its Trailblazers and Breakthrough Series, and there’s hope that having the U.S. host the Women’s Baseball World Cup this summer will capture attention for the sport.

Yet Siegal cautions that for real change to occur, “the next step is actually implementing that support at the local level so that girls as young as six and seven aren’t automatically shuffled to softball, but rather given the true opportunity to play baseball or softball.”

Jennifer Ring, a professor of political science and author of Stolen Bases: Why American Girls Don’t Play Baseball, echoed Siegal’s thoughts. “What we’re imagining is women in the major leagues, but that’s not even the issue. The issue is, why can’t we deal with the fact that girls and boys should play baseball together when they’re little?” 

WBSC

Team Japan bows during a game against Hong Kong at the Women’s Baseball World Cup.

Maybe one day, the United States will have a small professional women’s league like Japan ― and then it will benefit, like Japan does, from its national team players spending so much more time on the mound, behind the plate, or out in the field.

Maybe a rich CEO will see the women playing in the Women’s Baseball World Cup and decide he needs to help fund part of the pipeline and give these women more of a chance to play the game they love. 

Through her work, Ring knows some of the players on the USWNT really well. Thinking about the team taking the field in Florida and competing against the best female baseball players in the world, she can’t help but feel a little sentimental bias. “They’re these great women who deserve gold,” she said. “And I hope they get it for their sakes.”

But there’s a larger picture. “If we’re not really going to support girls’ baseball as a nation and nurture the girls to a national team, of course we’re not gonna beat Japan,” she said. “In a sense, Japan deserves to win.” 

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[elitesportsny]

Elite Sports NY

https://elitesportsny.com/2017/11/27/new-york-jets-ranking-best-quarterback-options-2018-beyond/

New York Jets: Ranking the best quarterback options for 2018 and beyond

SAN DIEGO, CA – DECEMBER 21: Wyoming (17) Josh Allen (QB) drops back to pass during the San Diego Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl game between the BYU Cougars and the Wyoming Cowboys on December 21, 2016, at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, CA. (Photo by Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

With seven losses on the season, it’s time to start the New York Jets quarterback investigation for the season of 2018 and beyond.

Hey, at least they didn’t finish 0-16. Right, Colin Cowherd, you brilliant football man?

Or hey, at least they didn’t fulfill that powerful message from an “unnamed” NFL exec naming the summer New York Jets personnel the worst in a decade. Right, Daniel Jeremiah?

From an NFL exec- "I think the Jets might have the worst roster I've seen in a decade."

— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) June 7, 2017

I’m guessing both of those fellas didn’t read Elite Sports NY over the summer. Exhibit A came in when we immediately debunked the silly “worst roster in a decade” notion by comparing the roster to the winless Detroit Lions nine years ago. Exhibit B came when we announced to the world that this Jets personnel group is much improved from a season ago. (Don’t pay attention to the over-the-hill veteran names that were cut. Production simply wasn’t there.)

But let’s move on. Forget the past. Forget our feelings in terms of so-called “NFL experts” not paying attention to us and going on to make fools of themselves. In fact, I believe this group is underachieving a tad. Look at the roster. Look at the games. Todd Bowles — who Cowherd proclaimed as the runner-up as coach of the year in early November — is underachieving with this young talented group.

ESNY 2017 New York Jets Expert Picks. #NYJ #NYJets #Jets #NewYorkJets #NFL

A post shared by EliteSportsNY (@elitesportsny) on Sep 10, 2017 at 10:07am PDT

Like previously mentioned, we must move on. It’s now time to commence the real fun — the New York Jets quarterback fun.

A veteran free agent signing? A drafted phenom in the top 10? A middle-round gem? Or how about somebody who’s actually on the roster? With seven losses on the season, it’s now officially time to dig in and look ahead — even though so much can still happen between now and the draft.

We now rank the best quarterback situations for the New York Jets in 2018 and beyond.

 NEXT: Notables 

Notables

Christian Hackenberg (New York Jets)

Mason Rudolph (Oklahoma State)

Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma)

Lamar Jackson (Louisville)

Clayton Thorson (Northwestern)

Luke Falk (Washington State)

Christian Hackenberg lands on the notables section for one serious reason: we don’t believe he can get the job done.

In fact, if the Penn State product receives a start late this season and runs with it to a degree in which comforts the organization beyond its wildest dreams, it’d be the greatest situation in the world. The No. 2 pick from a couple years ago would be validated. No more picks would be wasted and assets used in the pursuit of a franchise QB. Having that guy in-house would be the ideal situation.

We just don’t think he has the goods. Something’s missing in-between the ears.

Mason Rudolph, Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson and Luke Falk all land on the notables as serious quarterback prospects via the NFL Draft. It’s just too early to project where most of these guys will land in terms of draft positioning.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – OCTOBER 18: Kirk Cousins #8 of the Washington Redskins pitches the ball during the second quarter against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on October 18, 2015 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)

Don’t Touch Notables

Kirk Cousins

Alex Smith

It’s not that I’m against signing a veteran free agent quarterback. It makes sense in many situations.

But these two guys, Kirk Cousins and Alex Smith, make very little sense at this stage of the game for this specific organization.

With Cousins, the money will be outrageous. Somebody will give it to him. There’s no question about that. The deal with paying him the money, however, means that he’s the bonafide franchise guy with no doubts. This means there’s very little wiggle-room. There’s no backup option and all of your hopes and dreams hinge on that guy as the salary cap gets squeezed tremendously.

In terms of Alex Smith, no, the money won’t be a concern, but by signing Smith, the QB position will be “halfwayed.” He’d be the starter while another guy is the future.

Smith makes more sense, but is probably a waste of valuable cap space.

 NEXT: Number 5 Option 

No. 5 Option: Bryce Petty

New York Jets, Baylor, Age 26

6-foot-3, 230 pounds, right-handed

2015 NFL Draft: Round 4, Pick 4

The No. 5 option is simple, yet another in-house option nobody believes in (similarly to Christian Hackenberg).

As it stands right now, Petty’s the guy who’ll get the call once the suits in the front office force Todd Bowles to make a change. It’s not Josh McCown‘s fault. In fact, he’s been everything (and more) in terms of what the organization and fans expected heading into August.

It’s simply the nature of the business.

CHECK OUT the New York Jets Team Center: News, Stats, Standings

If the fanbase had its way, Petty or Hackenberg would be touching the center’s ass this coming Sunday when New York plays host to the Kansas City Chiefs. Although it probably won’t go down like that, Petty could do some serious damage when he does get that call.

Think about it. Should Petty impress to the degree that it leaves “franchise quarterback” notions in Mikey Mac’s head, future draft picks and assets could be saved.

Should Petty play as well as possible in the coming weeks, a drafted would certainly still be on the wishlist. But perhaps they decide to go second-round QB instead of first.

The in-house guy is always the best option when talent and potential are even across the board.

 NEXT: Number 4 Option 

PASADENA, CA – SEPTEMBER 30: Josh Rosen #3 of the UCLA Bruins looks to pass during the second half of a game against the Colorado Buffaloes at the Rose Bowl on September 30, 2017 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

No. 4 Option: Josh Rosen

UCLA, Junior, Age 20

6-foot-3, 220 pounds, right-handed

2018 NFL Draft Projection: Top 5 selection

What most scouts love about the kid is his smoothness. He plays and acts like he belongs to the elite class at any level. He’s not a tremendous athlete, but does move around the pocket extremely well. His release his quick and does move through progressions and manipulate safeties at an elite collegiate level.

It’s amazing the difference a year makes.

At the end of last college football season, it was Sam Darnold and everybody else. Darnold was hyped up as the “generational talent” while the rest followed.

Now, it’s Josh Rosen, Sam Darnold and everybody else. Actually, it’s more than that. There is a myriad of projections involving five or more signal-callers.

It does seem like Josh Rosen is atop the leaderboard at this very moment. Throwing for 3,727 yards and 26 touchdowns to just 10 interceptions, Rosen’s eclipsed Darnold on many draft boards.

And now that he fully declared himself for the draft by running out with the seniors on senior night, all the kid’s doing now is waiting for his top-five selection.

#UCLA junior QB Josh Rosen ran out of the tunnel with the seniors tonight. Your move, #Browns pic.twitter.com/jJRZN1oA9P

— Ƒunhouse (@BackAftaThis) November 25, 2017

Maccagnan is doing the appropriate thing by keeping tabs on the kid, but we have him at No 4 purely due to head-to-head competition with Darnold. Both will probably fall as top three picks and the Jets will most likely fall outside of that area in the first round.

Extra assets would have to be relented to land Rosen.

New York Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan is listed on the attendance sheet at tonight's Cal-UCLA game at the… https://t.co/7nSajx2CGq

— Elite Sports NY (@EliteSportsNY) November 25, 2017

 NEXT: Number 3 Option 

No. 3 Option: Andrew Luck

Indianapolis Colts, Stanford, Age 28

6-foot-4, 240 pounds, right-handed

2012 NFL Draft: Round 1, Pick 1

Speaking of generational quarterback talents, let’s discuss Andrew Luck.

Yes, the shoulder is scary. The kid who twice put his talentless Indianapolis Colts on his shoulder and marched them through the NFL Playoffs is the greatest mystery in the NFL at the moment.

First of all, how bad is the shoulder? The man is traveling across the globe for answers. Owner Jim Irsay is rumbling about the injury as less than genuine, as it’s only in his head.

In terms of damaged goods or injury prone, I just don’t see it with Luck. The man never missed a game during the first three years in Indy:

Pro Football Reference

It wasn’t until he fearlessly continued to play hard behind that horrid offensive line that the injuries finally came.

Although reports have surfaced that Luck isn’t going anywhere, perhaps he is secretly taking this thing slowly while knowing he’ll never play for the organization ever again. I know I wouldn’t after hearing what my owner had to say about me.

Luck is the second best QB option for the Jets under one condition … the price must be right.

Under normal circumstances, At least two first rounders (possibly three) would be needed for a talent like Luck. In this case, who knows? Maybe the Jets could snag the guy on the cheap and remain off-the-hook for a big number of that guaranteed money he has coming to him.

It’s risky, no doubt. But Andrew Luck is, by far, the best NFL quarterback on this list and it’s not even close.

 NEXT: Number 2 Option 

LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 09: Sam Darnold #14 of the USC Trojans claps during the first half of a game against the Stanford Cardinal at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 9, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

No. 2 Option: Sam Darnold

USC, Redshirt Sophomore, Age 20

6-foot-4, 220 pounds, right-handed

2018 NFL Draft Projection: Top 3 selection

The first issue scouts yell at the moon about concerning Sam Darnold is his long delivery. His release isn’t quick like Rosen or Allen. In fact, he matches up very well with Andrew Luck (while at Stanford). What I love and what separates him from Rosen is the intangibles from the pocket. His pocket awareness is elite and his clutch composure is sublime. He possesses that extra it factor that does it for me.

Don’t overthink it. Sam Darnold is the best quarterback talent in this draft. He’s perhaps the best QB talent since Luck (aside from a few Carson Wentz fans).

The reason he falls to No. 2 on this list is purely due to the fact New York would have to pay mightily to acquire his services. The cost of moving into the top two of the draft is ridiculous.

A slightly down year in 2017 shouldn’t sway the thought of the 2018 draft as owned by Darnold. What the kid showed in the Rose Bowl last January is just the beginning.

He’s a pure playmaker from the QB spot. Although he’s not a pure athlete, his mobility is absolutely top-notch at the NFL level and when he throws on the run, NFL scouts go wild.

His frame, his age, his arm — it’s everything an NFL scout drools over this time of year.

While, yes, he would cost the Jets significant assets (as they’d have to trade up to the No. 1 or 2 spot, much easier if the San Francisco 49ers are present), it’d be worth every penny.

Don’t overthink it. The kid has everything you want in an NFL quarterback.

 NEXT: Number 1 Option 

No. 1 Option: Josh Allen

Wyoming, Junior, Age 21

6-foot-5, 233 pounds, right-handed

2018 NFL Draft Projection: First Round selection

He’s a bigger quarterback and has a golden arm. In fact, his arm is so strong that touch on certain passes needs to be a working point. He’s not Ben Roethlisberger big, but does mirror the man in certain pocket situations. Many scouts beleive he has the highest ceiling of all the 2018 signal-callers.

The news is already out. The New York Jets reportedly love Josh Allen. Although, they also reportedly loved Mitchell Trubisky a draft ago. So, who the hell knows.

What’s intriguing about Allen is that in a loaded QB class such as this (whether it turns out that way or not), he won’t cost you a top-five selection (most likely). Instead, he may go around the No. 10 through 15 range.

And, obviously, this is exactly where the Jets may land in the first round making the match all-too-perfect.

He’s listed as the best option not only because he’s a talented franchise quarterback prospect who possesses the greatest arm in the draft, but because he is the most realistic option at the moment.

The Jets can come away with their new face of the franchise with a sheer first round pick. No extra assets, trades or funny business needed. A clean call to Josh Allen in the first round while moving on in plugging other holes.

 NEXT: At 4-7, the Jets fascinating quarterback discussion officially begins 

[annajamesjournalist-blog]

Can thrillers really be feminist?

For The Pool

There is a dead woman. She is bloodied and battered. She’s probably naked, she’s almost definitely beautiful. A ruggedly handsome detective with a dark past stands over her and shakes his head at the sadness of it all. A steely look enters his eyes as he resolves to avenge this horrible waste of female flesh.

The above may read as sarcasm, but it’s an all too familiar opening for the crime genre. All stats seem to show that thrillers are overwhelmingly read by women and yet we still have to regularly negotiate the uncomfortable or downright problematic treatment of women and women’s bodies. But, increasingly, people are saying enough is enough. The team adapting Robert Galbraith/JK Rowling’s Cormoran Strike books for TV have recently publicly criticised the “voyeuristic level of violence against women” in TV dramas. And, when it comes to books, there is an increasingly noisy collection of female characters wielding axes, cocktails and secrets, and an ever-deepening pool of writers questioning whether there’s another way to explore our darkest fears without having to sacrifice any feminist principles.

There’s still a strangely intense fascination with women who write crime and thrillers; still regular thinkpieces, even documentaries, where women writing about violence are treated a little like dogs walking on their hind legs. It smacks uncomfortably close to the rather Victorian belief that women couldn’t be surgeons because of their constitutions, as if dealing with blood coming out your vagina once a month would make you more, rather than less, squeamish. And, despite this, more and more male writers are writing under genderless or even outright female names. Author Martyn Waites describes the books he writes as himself as “more complex, more metaphorical, the kind of things things I like in writing” whereas (although it’s unclear if these are Waites or the journalist's words) when he writes as Tania Carver, the books are “simpler” and “more mainstream”.

Last year, Terrence Rafferty wrote a piece for The Atlantic called “Women Are Writing The Best Crime Novels”. The title of the article is deceptively positive and, among his praise for specific books, the piece is full of frustrating, patronising assumptions about female writers and readers. Even though it’s male writers choosing to write under female pseudonyms, apparently it’s “a bunch of very crafty girls” sneaking in, redefining the genre. On the subject of recent megahits like The Girl On The Train, Rafferty goes on to explain that “writers of the current school tend to favour a volatile mixture of higher-pitched first-person tones: hectoring, accusatory, self-justifying, a little desperate. Reading these tricky 21st-century thrillers can be like scrolling through an especially heated comments thread on a web site of wandering unaware into a Twitter feud”. Leaving aside that the horrors of comment threads or Twitter trolls are distinctly male-dominated, the language used here shows that, even very loosely masquerading as praise, there’s a deep discomfort with the way women have changed the crime and thriller market.

But, as with many things, peel away the layer of men making things weird (#notallmen) and you have a lot of women (and some men) getting on with actually interrogating what writing a feminist thriller really means. Erin Kelly’s latest book, He Said/She Said, revolves around a Ched Evans-esque rape trial, after a couple see what appears to be a sexual assault during an eclipse at a festival. The book grew from the idea of a crime taking place during an eclipse, not the desire to write a feminist thriller, but as Kelly says, “It must be feminist, because I’m getting emails from Men’s Rights Activists telling me that I’m a rabid man-hater.”

Kelly’s book explores sexual assault head-on; it’s at times a difficult book to read, but it shows that thrillers can tackle these things without slipping into gratuitous descriptions of violence against women. “The best thrillers don’t deny the female condition, but hit the sweet spot between exploiting real-life victims for cheap thrills and turning a novel into a morality play. I agonised over using an allegation of rape as a plot device,” Kelly says. “More so than I ever have when writing a murder. But for every sensitive, thoughtful examination of rape in fiction there are literally thousands of raped and murdered and mutilated women whose victimhood is little more than a plot device. I knew I was treading on eggshells, but I walked with incredible care. I researched this book more thoroughly than anything else I’ve ever written.”

Ruth Kenley-Letts, the executive producer for Strike, said “great efforts had been taken to treat the crimes against female victims with sensitivity on screen” and it’s something book editors are increasingly sensitive too as well. “It’s a tough one,” Sam Eades, a commissioning editor at Orion, says. “It’s important for fiction to reflect the society we live in – and violence against women happens to those we love and care abou – but that’s not to say I wouldn’t love to read a thriller that explored the world how it could be, not just as it is now.” Alison Hennessey, a commissioning editor for crime at Bloomsbury, has issued a blanket ban on books that start with the rape or murder or a woman being investigated by a male detective: “There are enough of these books out there already, and enough violence in the world, frankly, that I’m not interested in contributing more to that unless the book was doing something to explore why this happens.”

I can’t help but think of the people who defend the level of sexual violence in Game Of Thrones by saying it’s historically realistic, or that’s just what would have happened in a society like that, even though it’s a society where there is also magic and dragons. Art in whatever form is important because it lets us explore how we feel and react to the real world, and yet it is fiction – it does not have to do or be anything. But if fiction is where we explore life, thrillers are where we explore fear. They arguably don’t work if they’re not tense, uncomfortable reads. I had to stop reading He Said/She Said at several points to calm down, and I worked myself up into a righteous fury reading Little Deaths by Emma Flint – but at what was going on in the story, not because of the way the writer was handling it. “I don’t know a single woman who has never been made to feel threatened or afraid,” Flint says. “Our real-life experience gives an extra frisson of terror to reading about a woman being followed home, a woman who has a stranger sit next to her in an otherwise empty train carriage. We are used to being afraid that we will become victims.”

So, it’s not that these subjects shouldn’t be tackled in thrillers (as Kelly says, “I read this shit on my phone every day – not to explore it is just another kind of silencing”) – it’s how to skirt a very delicate line without tipping into gratuitous and exploitative presentations. How do you write a book about people doing awful misogynistic things without writing an awful misogynistic book? There’s no easy checklist of how to make a thriller feminist, and everyone has their own definition of what that means. But, as Kelly says: “I think any novel that makes the reader think seriously about the fact that women still cannot move through the world with the same ease as men can be read as feminist. Sometimes the authorial intent to write a feminist novel is clear, but with crime fiction it’s more of a Trojan horse. Big Little Lies arguably got more women examining their prejudices about domestic abuse than a Guardian editorial.”

Here are a few of our favourite feminist thrillers to try:

THE POWER BY NAOMI ALDERMAN It would be impossible to not mention the book that won this year’s Baileys Prize. A tense, blistering, darkly humorous look at what might happen if women suddenly became the physically stronger sex. It’s impossible to read it without interrogating your own perspective on gender.

LITTLE DEATHS BY EMMA FLINT A startlingly insightful, intelligent read about the way society closes its walls against women who are not what they are asked to be and the way the patriarchy is terrified by the women it cannot control, and how far it will go to reassert that control.

HE SAID/SHE SAID BY ERIN KELLY A pageturner that tackles sexual assault head-on. When a couple witness what seems to be a rape during an eclipse, they get embroiled in a court case and the lives of the two people affected. It always puts plot and character first, but isn’t afraid to interrogate how we decide who we believe and who to trust.

PULL ME UNDER BY KELLY LUCE Coming out next month, this scratches at the edge of the genre, as there is no trail of bodies or plot twists. Instead, it’s a tight, intense portrait of one woman’s psychological state as she tries to leave behind the legacy of a horrifying act she committed as a 12-year-old. A sharp literary read about guilt and anger.

OUT BY NATSUO KIRINO From one extreme to the other, this shocking, violent crime novel follows four female friends working together in a factory who band together to try and cover up the murder by one of them of their abusive husband, and things escalate from there. One for readers who like their biting feminist commentary with some dismemberment.

THE WOMAN WHO RAN BY SAM BAKER While it’s a little awkward to mention a book by the co-founder of the site, a list of feminist thriller recommendations would be incompletely without this modern take of Anne Brontë’s The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall. Not quite a retelling, but playing with Brontë’s themes of gossip, broken relationships and carving out your own identity.

[ethelbertpaul444-blog]

Toronto’s Aaron Sanchez reignites inning restraint debate

David Lengel: Aaron Sanchez is the whiz of the Blue Jays gyration, at least for one or two more starts Lets start with the obvious: nothing not renowned surgeon Dr James Andrews , not agent Scott Boras , not Washington Nationals and New York Mets general managers Mike Rizzo and Sandy Alderson , not Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz knows the right path when it comes to protecting young arms. When young Nats hurler Stephen Strasburg was controversially shut down in September of 2012 and New York ace Matt Harvey blew through his innings restriction last-place season, both were coming off Tommy John elbow surgery: Aaron Sanchez, the Toronto Blue Jays 24 -year-old ace at the center of the latest innings debate has not, farther muddying the questions. Jays GM Ross Atkins, who along with their Ceo and President Mark Shapiro have been deliberating a decision to pulled the former reliever from the starting gyration possibly sooner rather than later, is smart enough to realize that he doesnt know whats right either. Theres not data either way, Ross told TSN radio in Toronto on Tuesday. With all the unknowns winging around Toronto, heres what we do know: Sanchez is the centerpiece of what is arguably the best starting rotation in the American League. Hes run 17 starts without a loss, a long time active unfold in MLB, while compiling a 2.71 ERA during a season in which hes become a legitimate Cy Young candidate. Sanchez is also efficient, averaging 14.9 lurches per inning, good enough for sixth in MLB. Why is Atkins preparing to remove Sanchez from the spin? At 139.1 innings thrown this season, Sanchez has already eclipsed his 2014 high marking of 133.1 innings, who the hell is thrown between the Blue Jays and their bush league affiliates. In a disagreement where home-grown pitching whizs are a scarcity, the Jays are highly motivated to keep Sanchez health for the long term. In addition to theoretically protecting Sanchezs prized right arm, the move too mounts up what could be a formidable 1-2-3 bullpen perforate together with set-up soldier Jason Grilli and closer Roberto Osuna. It could help a aid core that ranks 11 th in ERA, but that thought also presumes Sanchez has no editions moving back to relief work. Replacing Sanchez in the spin “wouldve been” inconsistent Francisco Liriano, acquired at the non-waiver trade deadline, with journeyman Scott Feldman waiting in the backstages if that didnt work out. We feel like transitioning him[ Sanchez] to a relief character would be the best act for us being in Play 7 of the World Series, said Atkins on a conference call following the deal for Liriano. Interesting thought, specially when you consider the dogfight Toronto are in to even reach the playoffs, let alone the World Series. When Strasburg left the spin in 2012 the Nats had a 6.5 tournament NL East lead in early September. Meanwhile, the fact that one is well aware right and wrong for Sanchezs health in the long run isnt continuing those working in Toronto and beyond from taking slopes. On Wednesday, Torontos SportsNet5 90 radios Andrew Walker said its crazed to throw him 240 innings![ that number would be reached only if Sanchez finished the season and the Jays experienced an extended playoff pas ]. Categorically insane! Smoltz, who sloped both as a starter and then in the bullpen, told Torontos The Fan radio on Wednesday that he doesnt like the space Toronto are handling the situation. Going to the bullpen and youre not the closer has a lot more of an effect on your forearm and organization than parties recall because you dont have a characterized capacity. Its not like they go in the seventh inning of every competition were gonna get him up and get him in. When youre a top-line starter, which I make[ Sanchez] is, you got to make sure that that becomes the DNA of this player. Jays starting catcher Russell Martin has discovered the majority of members of Sanchez innings up close. I dont like it, Martin said here on Sportsnets Tim& Sid show. You got a guy who is cruising, testifying no mansions of tirednes … How many stressful innings has he had? I dont think hes had too many, you know? His innings are pretty scavenge … if the guy is completely healthy and putting up character start after quality start, I dont even know why its a discussion right now. Thats merely my views. Im not the one attracting the fibres. Martin wants to win and apparently, so do his team-mates, so such a move could potentially stir the clubhouse negatively at exactly the incorrect time. Throw out all of the unknowns in the health question and youre left with a pure baseball decision. Removing a Cy Young candidate shapes little to no sense, and risks derailing all the momentum the rejuvenated franchise is hold. Canadas team are poised to break through the 3 million marker in attendance for the first time since 1993 and are among the favourites to reach the playoffs and potentially acquire their third World Series title. They should be all in for today , not tomorrow. Video of the week On Sunday, Cincinnati Reds hurler Homer Bailey accomplished his long wander back from Tommy John surgery, sloping well in his first major league tournament since April of 2015. But he was still rust-brown: with runners on the recess in the sixth, San Diegos Wil Myers took off for residence after Bailey turned his back following a stroll, spanning the plate easily to steal a operate. Bryan Price came out to discuss the play with the adjudicator, but “havent had” recourse after given to understand that his pitcher was sleeping at the rotation. Cue the lulluby … Quote of the Week Ken Rosenthal (@ Ken_Rosenthal) August 2, 2016 To those upset with first version of Puig story: Im with you. I take great pride in accuracy. It infuriates me that a key item was wrong. Thats Ken Rosenthal rationalizing for his Yasiel Puig story that said that the Dodgers outfielder had stormed off after learning he wouldnt be on the team airliner to Denver. When Rosenthal learned that Puig wasnt at the ballpark, and thus could not have stormed off “the authors ” evidenced genuine class in admitting the error, and also added that the information came from informants, but thats not an justify. Its my work to check everything thoroughly. Puig, who was replaced by the incoming Josh Reddick and sent down to the children by LA, was sympathetic. Yasiel Puig (@ YasielPuig) August 2, 2016 @ken_rosenthal don’t annoy bro, we all become blunders #puigyourfriend #seeyousoon Whos closer to victory: Donald Trump or the Cubs? Well, the New York Post produced some little-known photos of the Trumpsters wife Melania this week, and, depending on your disposition in life, that could be considered either a win or a loss. However, the flap with Humayun Khan must be a black mark species wherever youre standing. When you weigh it all up, Le Grande Orange has been playing from behind all week. Meanwhile, the Cubs experienced a walk-off win on Sunday against the Mariners thanks to pitcher Jon Lester, who cant throw to first base but can lay down one heck of a bunt. While in the very same recreation, pitcher Travis Wood made a fantastic catch up against the ivy in left field. And all that came before Chicago wiped the Marlins: Cubs get the edge this time around. How did the minors piss off Goose Gossage this week? By Miamis Derek Dietrich stripping off his uniform top after snapping an 0-20 slump with a pinch-hit walk-off triple to defeat the Cardinals on Sunday, thats how. Goose would go gonzo if he saw this. Meanwhile, Goose continued to stick to his AR-1 5s concerning the practice baseball is heading. While addressing young musicians in Maine over the weekend, Gossage told the girls: I said my agreement about at-bat moves and remaining video games in check. Nobodys overtaking the light to teach these boys how to play. They reach so much money, theyve got a bunch of coach-and-fours that have never been in the big league that exactly tiptoe around these people. I was taught how to deed. You act like health professionals. Ive said my armistice. The activity, in my views, is going to hell. Actually, based on Dietrichs physique, it looks like the game is going to the gym. Nine expects in order 1) Has there ever been a Subway Series with less sizzle than the 2016 publication of Mets v Yankees? One New York radio host said it best: this line is more like a wake. The Mets are sinking fast under the weight of incredible harm issues, and the Yankees are eventually in full rebuilding mode after coping Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller, Ivan Nova and Carlos Beltran. All the Yanks have now is bringing up the children and deciding whether or not the Yanks preserve Alex Rodriguez around long enough to thumped his 700 th home run or precisely release him, the latter of which is being reportedly being seriously considered. Meanwhile, the Mets, who are clinging to National League wild card hopes, acquired Jay Bruce from the Reds, in a move that also adjusts up what could be one of the most difficult outfield the defence of all-time: Yoenis Cespedes( now on the disabled list) in left field, Curtis Granderson in middle and Bruce in claim. If Braves fans to benefit from pray for rainfall after Spahn and Sain, Mets fans better better start praying for strikeouts and ground balls on every slope. Perhaps John McEnroe can help with that? Give that serviceman a contract! 2) Can the Colorado Rockies form the playoffs? Its not beyond reasonable suspense, even without Trevor Story, who may be lost for the season after sustaining ligament shattering in his left thumb. The Rox, who held on to their key element at the non-waiver trade deadline, are 14 -5 since the infringe. Most of this Rockies guide has come on the road where their pitching has been far superior. In Colorado, where the staff members almost always suffocates in Denvers thin air, theyre rock bottom in team ERA rankings with a 5.98 marker. Fantastically, along the road, the Rox have given up 98 fewer operates, posting an Period of 3.62: thats third in the NL, in front of the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, St Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants. Tyler Chatwood is 6-0 with a 1.30 Era in nine away starts, and 4-6 with a 5.69 ERA in 10 home starts, which is ridiculous. Naturally, their greatest obstacle to contacting the season is their own stadium, where unfortunately they have 32 competitions continuing against 26 on the road. 3) Wednesday was D-Day for baseball and softball, in addition to providing athletics climbing, skateboarding, surfing and karate: all endeavors being considered for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. All five became the slouse, but dont reckon for a minute that MLB will halt their season to send actors: their brass are fully committed to constituting the World Baseball Classic the crown jewel of international play-act. Still, that doesnt mean it isnt good for the athletic or the players. John Blundell (@ JBMLBPR) August 3, 2016 Last time baseball was an Olympic sport( 08) these guys won bronze. Strasburg, Fowler, Cahill, Arrieta. #mlb #Wbsc pic.twitter.com/ ZLzpfQDGkU 4) Heres a downer kindnes of the official Instagram of Skeeter Duffy, Matt Duffys large-scale feline TAGEND Thanks for all your lovin’ San Francisco. We’re gonna miss ya. Onwards to Tampa! #furrevergiant #duffcat #duffmanforever #byeSF A photo posted by Skeeter Duffy (@ duffcat3 5) on Aug 1, 2016 at 9:17 pm PDT Duffy, who was sent to the Giant as part of a cope to for hurler Matt Moore, was the felines meow in San Francisco last season, playing the hot corner in place of the departed Pablo Sandoval. Duffy broke out, positing an unexpected. 762 OPS, but hasnt been able to match that Giant spark in 2016. Now he and Skeete, who has over 15,000 folloers on Instagram, are apparently patronizing for Iams and catnip after a long transcontinental flight to Tampa, a true-life blow to felines in the Bay Area. UPDATE: its too hot for Skeeter in Tampa, so hes staying with Duffys mothers. 5) Heres a record you require no part of: the Los Angeles Dodgers, currently in second place in the NL West while guiding the wild card race, have made 22 musicians on the disabled inventory this season, that after starting 2016 with 10 players on the DL. Only the 2015 New York Mets can pair these sort of harm numbers, and on the bright side for LAs love, many of whom are in a nasty feeling with Clayton Kershaw not eligible to pitch until late August, New York won the NL East. 6) Just periods after putting together one of the best, if not the good bullpen in baseball, the Indians rotation received a punch with Danny Salazar thumping the DL with elbow inflammation. Clevelands righty hurler abode his shortest start to the season while get pasted by the Twinneds on Monday and had what was supposed to be a precautionary MRI on Tuesday. Salazar had given up 21 moves over his last five starts after allowing merely 23 moves over his first 15 starts of the season. Cleveland are trying to acquire their first World Series entitle since 1948 and are four games up on the Beast in the AL West. 7) On the heels of the Tribe are the red hot Detroit Tigers, who have won eight straight recreations while going health at precisely the right time. With a payroll of roughly $200 m, the team werent prepared to attain meaningful adds-on at the busines deadline, but they are getting buttress in matters of the activations of Jordan Zimmerman and JD Martinez from the disabled schedule. After being left for dead by most experts picking the Royals to repeat as AL Central champs this season, the Tigers ought to have hang about thanks to a high-powered offense driven by Miguel Cabrera, Ian Kinsler and JD and Victor Martinez. Now their pitching staff are coming around with their second half ERA dropping by 1.33 to 3.14. With tough line against the Mets, Navigator, Red Sox and Rangers coming up, the next few weeks will show us how real Detroit are. 8) Joey Votto is having an interesting era with love lately. On Monday Joey Votto desegregated it up with a person in a Reds jersey while chasing a fouled ball into the stands. Cut4 (@ Cut4) August 3, 2016 It took some innings, but Joey Votto& a @Reds fan sorted everything out. Full Story: https :// t.co/ iCNjYJulXz pic.twitter.com/ bwznPWocJB Votto apologized, but the mea culpa comes just days after he chastened a young love who asked for his batting gloves in San Francisco. Melanie Nichols (@ kiasuchick) July 27, 2016 Kid asks for Joey’s batting gloves. Votto responds “You’re sitting in the figurehead row, you’re elite. This isn’t a ‘Make A Wish’ situation” … Im all for messing with followers as long as its kept flare, but the Make–AWish Foundation crack is totally unnecessary. 9) And ultimately, on Tuesday, umpire Bob Davidson encountered a devotee at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Philly Influencer (@ PHL_Influencer) August 3, 2016 A fan was ejected from video games by home plate umpire Bob Davidson pic.twitter.com/ k7gwhG9K2l Davidson has a reputation for confrontation, but it seems the veteran ump got it right this time, speaking to the fan about homophobic heckling before security questioned the offender to leave. People heartened me, said Davidson. which is unusual in this town for me Read more: www.theguardian.com http://dailybuzznetwork.com/index.php/2018/08/30/torontos-aaron-sanchez-reignites-inning-limit-debate/

[ethelbertpaul444-blog]

Toronto’s Aaron Sanchez reignites inning restraint debate

David Lengel: Aaron Sanchez is the whiz of the Blue Jays gyration, at least for one or two more starts Lets start with the obvious: nothing not renowned surgeon Dr James Andrews , not agent Scott Boras , not Washington Nationals and New York Mets general managers Mike Rizzo and Sandy Alderson , not Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz knows the right path when it comes to protecting young arms. When young Nats hurler Stephen Strasburg was controversially shut down in September of 2012 and New York ace Matt Harvey blew through his innings restriction last-place season, both were coming off Tommy John elbow surgery: Aaron Sanchez, the Toronto Blue Jays 24 -year-old ace at the center of the latest innings debate has not, farther muddying the questions. Jays GM Ross Atkins, who along with their Ceo and President Mark Shapiro have been deliberating a decision to pulled the former reliever from the starting gyration possibly sooner rather than later, is smart enough to realize that he doesnt know whats right either. Theres not data either way, Ross told TSN radio in Toronto on Tuesday. With all the unknowns winging around Toronto, heres what we do know: Sanchez is the centerpiece of what is arguably the best starting rotation in the American League. Hes run 17 starts without a loss, a long time active unfold in MLB, while compiling a 2.71 ERA during a season in which hes become a legitimate Cy Young candidate. Sanchez is also efficient, averaging 14.9 lurches per inning, good enough for sixth in MLB. Why is Atkins preparing to remove Sanchez from the spin? At 139.1 innings thrown this season, Sanchez has already eclipsed his 2014 high marking of 133.1 innings, who the hell is thrown between the Blue Jays and their bush league affiliates. In a disagreement where home-grown pitching whizs are a scarcity, the Jays are highly motivated to keep Sanchez health for the long term. In addition to theoretically protecting Sanchezs prized right arm, the move too mounts up what could be a formidable 1-2-3 bullpen perforate together with set-up soldier Jason Grilli and closer Roberto Osuna. It could help a aid core that ranks 11 th in ERA, but that thought also presumes Sanchez has no editions moving back to relief work. Replacing Sanchez in the spin “wouldve been” inconsistent Francisco Liriano, acquired at the non-waiver trade deadline, with journeyman Scott Feldman waiting in the backstages if that didnt work out. We feel like transitioning him[ Sanchez] to a relief character would be the best act for us being in Play 7 of the World Series, said Atkins on a conference call following the deal for Liriano. Interesting thought, specially when you consider the dogfight Toronto are in to even reach the playoffs, let alone the World Series. When Strasburg left the spin in 2012 the Nats had a 6.5 tournament NL East lead in early September. Meanwhile, the fact that one is well aware right and wrong for Sanchezs health in the long run isnt continuing those working in Toronto and beyond from taking slopes. On Wednesday, Torontos SportsNet5 90 radios Andrew Walker said its crazed to throw him 240 innings![ that number would be reached only if Sanchez finished the season and the Jays experienced an extended playoff pas ]. Categorically insane! Smoltz, who sloped both as a starter and then in the bullpen, told Torontos The Fan radio on Wednesday that he doesnt like the space Toronto are handling the situation. Going to the bullpen and youre not the closer has a lot more of an effect on your forearm and organization than parties recall because you dont have a characterized capacity. Its not like they go in the seventh inning of every competition were gonna get him up and get him in. When youre a top-line starter, which I make[ Sanchez] is, you got to make sure that that becomes the DNA of this player. Jays starting catcher Russell Martin has discovered the majority of members of Sanchez innings up close. I dont like it, Martin said here on Sportsnets Tim& Sid show. You got a guy who is cruising, testifying no mansions of tirednes … How many stressful innings has he had? I dont think hes had too many, you know? His innings are pretty scavenge … if the guy is completely healthy and putting up character start after quality start, I dont even know why its a discussion right now. Thats merely my views. Im not the one attracting the fibres. Martin wants to win and apparently, so do his team-mates, so such a move could potentially stir the clubhouse negatively at exactly the incorrect time. Throw out all of the unknowns in the health question and youre left with a pure baseball decision. Removing a Cy Young candidate shapes little to no sense, and risks derailing all the momentum the rejuvenated franchise is hold. Canadas team are poised to break through the 3 million marker in attendance for the first time since 1993 and are among the favourites to reach the playoffs and potentially acquire their third World Series title. They should be all in for today , not tomorrow. Video of the week On Sunday, Cincinnati Reds hurler Homer Bailey accomplished his long wander back from Tommy John surgery, sloping well in his first major league tournament since April of 2015. But he was still rust-brown: with runners on the recess in the sixth, San Diegos Wil Myers took off for residence after Bailey turned his back following a stroll, spanning the plate easily to steal a operate. Bryan Price came out to discuss the play with the adjudicator, but “havent had” recourse after given to understand that his pitcher was sleeping at the rotation. Cue the lulluby … Quote of the Week Ken Rosenthal (@ Ken_Rosenthal) August 2, 2016 To those upset with first version of Puig story: Im with you. I take great pride in accuracy. It infuriates me that a key item was wrong. Thats Ken Rosenthal rationalizing for his Yasiel Puig story that said that the Dodgers outfielder had stormed off after learning he wouldnt be on the team airliner to Denver. When Rosenthal learned that Puig wasnt at the ballpark, and thus could not have stormed off “the authors ” evidenced genuine class in admitting the error, and also added that the information came from informants, but thats not an justify. Its my work to check everything thoroughly. Puig, who was replaced by the incoming Josh Reddick and sent down to the children by LA, was sympathetic. Yasiel Puig (@ YasielPuig) August 2, 2016 @ken_rosenthal don’t annoy bro, we all become blunders #puigyourfriend #seeyousoon Whos closer to victory: Donald Trump or the Cubs? Well, the New York Post produced some little-known photos of the Trumpsters wife Melania this week, and, depending on your disposition in life, that could be considered either a win or a loss. However, the flap with Humayun Khan must be a black mark species wherever youre standing. When you weigh it all up, Le Grande Orange has been playing from behind all week. Meanwhile, the Cubs experienced a walk-off win on Sunday against the Mariners thanks to pitcher Jon Lester, who cant throw to first base but can lay down one heck of a bunt. While in the very same recreation, pitcher Travis Wood made a fantastic catch up against the ivy in left field. And all that came before Chicago wiped the Marlins: Cubs get the edge this time around. How did the minors piss off Goose Gossage this week? By Miamis Derek Dietrich stripping off his uniform top after snapping an 0-20 slump with a pinch-hit walk-off triple to defeat the Cardinals on Sunday, thats how. Goose would go gonzo if he saw this. Meanwhile, Goose continued to stick to his AR-1 5s concerning the practice baseball is heading. While addressing young musicians in Maine over the weekend, Gossage told the girls: I said my agreement about at-bat moves and remaining video games in check. Nobodys overtaking the light to teach these boys how to play. They reach so much money, theyve got a bunch of coach-and-fours that have never been in the big league that exactly tiptoe around these people. I was taught how to deed. You act like health professionals. Ive said my armistice. The activity, in my views, is going to hell. Actually, based on Dietrichs physique, it looks like the game is going to the gym. Nine expects in order 1) Has there ever been a Subway Series with less sizzle than the 2016 publication of Mets v Yankees? One New York radio host said it best: this line is more like a wake. The Mets are sinking fast under the weight of incredible harm issues, and the Yankees are eventually in full rebuilding mode after coping Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller, Ivan Nova and Carlos Beltran. All the Yanks have now is bringing up the children and deciding whether or not the Yanks preserve Alex Rodriguez around long enough to thumped his 700 th home run or precisely release him, the latter of which is being reportedly being seriously considered. Meanwhile, the Mets, who are clinging to National League wild card hopes, acquired Jay Bruce from the Reds, in a move that also adjusts up what could be one of the most difficult outfield the defence of all-time: Yoenis Cespedes( now on the disabled list) in left field, Curtis Granderson in middle and Bruce in claim. If Braves fans to benefit from pray for rainfall after Spahn and Sain, Mets fans better better start praying for strikeouts and ground balls on every slope. Perhaps John McEnroe can help with that? Give that serviceman a contract! 2) Can the Colorado Rockies form the playoffs? Its not beyond reasonable suspense, even without Trevor Story, who may be lost for the season after sustaining ligament shattering in his left thumb. The Rox, who held on to their key element at the non-waiver trade deadline, are 14 -5 since the infringe. Most of this Rockies guide has come on the road where their pitching has been far superior. In Colorado, where the staff members almost always suffocates in Denvers thin air, theyre rock bottom in team ERA rankings with a 5.98 marker. Fantastically, along the road, the Rox have given up 98 fewer operates, posting an Period of 3.62: thats third in the NL, in front of the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, St Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants. Tyler Chatwood is 6-0 with a 1.30 Era in nine away starts, and 4-6 with a 5.69 ERA in 10 home starts, which is ridiculous. Naturally, their greatest obstacle to contacting the season is their own stadium, where unfortunately they have 32 competitions continuing against 26 on the road. 3) Wednesday was D-Day for baseball and softball, in addition to providing athletics climbing, skateboarding, surfing and karate: all endeavors being considered for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. All five became the slouse, but dont reckon for a minute that MLB will halt their season to send actors: their brass are fully committed to constituting the World Baseball Classic the crown jewel of international play-act. Still, that doesnt mean it isnt good for the athletic or the players. John Blundell (@ JBMLBPR) August 3, 2016 Last time baseball was an Olympic sport( 08) these guys won bronze. Strasburg, Fowler, Cahill, Arrieta. #mlb #Wbsc pic.twitter.com/ ZLzpfQDGkU 4) Heres a downer kindnes of the official Instagram of Skeeter Duffy, Matt Duffys large-scale feline TAGEND Thanks for all your lovin’ San Francisco. We’re gonna miss ya. Onwards to Tampa! #furrevergiant #duffcat #duffmanforever #byeSF A photo posted by Skeeter Duffy (@ duffcat3 5) on Aug 1, 2016 at 9:17 pm PDT Duffy, who was sent to the Giant as part of a cope to for hurler Matt Moore, was the felines meow in San Francisco last season, playing the hot corner in place of the departed Pablo Sandoval. Duffy broke out, positing an unexpected. 762 OPS, but hasnt been able to match that Giant spark in 2016. Now he and Skeete, who has over 15,000 folloers on Instagram, are apparently patronizing for Iams and catnip after a long transcontinental flight to Tampa, a true-life blow to felines in the Bay Area. UPDATE: its too hot for Skeeter in Tampa, so hes staying with Duffys mothers. 5) Heres a record you require no part of: the Los Angeles Dodgers, currently in second place in the NL West while guiding the wild card race, have made 22 musicians on the disabled inventory this season, that after starting 2016 with 10 players on the DL. Only the 2015 New York Mets can pair these sort of harm numbers, and on the bright side for LAs love, many of whom are in a nasty feeling with Clayton Kershaw not eligible to pitch until late August, New York won the NL East. 6) Just periods after putting together one of the best, if not the good bullpen in baseball, the Indians rotation received a punch with Danny Salazar thumping the DL with elbow inflammation. Clevelands righty hurler abode his shortest start to the season while get pasted by the Twinneds on Monday and had what was supposed to be a precautionary MRI on Tuesday. Salazar had given up 21 moves over his last five starts after allowing merely 23 moves over his first 15 starts of the season. Cleveland are trying to acquire their first World Series entitle since 1948 and are four games up on the Beast in the AL West. 7) On the heels of the Tribe are the red hot Detroit Tigers, who have won eight straight recreations while going health at precisely the right time. With a payroll of roughly $200 m, the team werent prepared to attain meaningful adds-on at the busines deadline, but they are getting buttress in matters of the activations of Jordan Zimmerman and JD Martinez from the disabled schedule. After being left for dead by most experts picking the Royals to repeat as AL Central champs this season, the Tigers ought to have hang about thanks to a high-powered offense driven by Miguel Cabrera, Ian Kinsler and JD and Victor Martinez. Now their pitching staff are coming around with their second half ERA dropping by 1.33 to 3.14. With tough line against the Mets, Navigator, Red Sox and Rangers coming up, the next few weeks will show us how real Detroit are. 8) Joey Votto is having an interesting era with love lately. On Monday Joey Votto desegregated it up with a person in a Reds jersey while chasing a fouled ball into the stands. Cut4 (@ Cut4) August 3, 2016 It took some innings, but Joey Votto& a @Reds fan sorted everything out. Full Story: https :// t.co/ iCNjYJulXz pic.twitter.com/ bwznPWocJB Votto apologized, but the mea culpa comes just days after he chastened a young love who asked for his batting gloves in San Francisco. Melanie Nichols (@ kiasuchick) July 27, 2016 Kid asks for Joey’s batting gloves. Votto responds “You’re sitting in the figurehead row, you’re elite. This isn’t a ‘Make A Wish’ situation” … Im all for messing with followers as long as its kept flare, but the Make–AWish Foundation crack is totally unnecessary. 9) And ultimately, on Tuesday, umpire Bob Davidson encountered a devotee at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Philly Influencer (@ PHL_Influencer) August 3, 2016 A fan was ejected from video games by home plate umpire Bob Davidson pic.twitter.com/ k7gwhG9K2l Davidson has a reputation for confrontation, but it seems the veteran ump got it right this time, speaking to the fan about homophobic heckling before security questioned the offender to leave. People heartened me, said Davidson. which is unusual in this town for me Read more: www.theguardian.com http://dailybuzznetwork.com/index.php/2018/08/30/torontos-aaron-sanchez-reignites-inning-limit-debate/