#the linchpin of our animosity

[larkral]

HAPPY WIPSDAY Thanks for the tags @forabeatofadrum @artsyunderstudy and @hushed-chorus thanks for sharing your writings, friends.

Everyone, I am standing on the doorstep of 100k words in A Dangerous Affinity and I am full of feelings. My beautiful, dark, sweet, tender baby. It's getting so big. It's getting so close to done! (For those doing the math, most of the chapters are ~5k words, and true to form I'll probably hit 100k sometime near the end of chapter 20, though I've written a few scenes ahead. 😏)

Unfortunately almost everything in ADA right now is intensely spoilery. But here, enjoy this redacted little bit of Baz POV:

I step towards him. Three steps to cross [redacted]. I wrap my arms loosely around his shoulders, press my nose into the cluster of curls just above his ear and breathe there for just a moment. Whatever’s happening, we’re together. We’ll make it through. (We have so far.)

And from my @erotic-grope-fest piece, which...has plot now? What is happening to me? (Also Baz POV. It's a Bazzy day)

"Just practice your declensions, Snow," I say. "Always helps me."  That's not quite true. Whenever I need to subdue an unfortunate erection I think about The Mage, but it's not a particularly opportune time to bring up the linchpin of our animosity.  He grunts out a laugh and closes the door behind him.  I lay back on his bed, and I can't help the little smile that blooms on my face. Simon Snow. I kissed Simon Snow.  Simon Snow kissed me.  The shifted ceiling is a shade more familiar, the room warm and dimly lit. Simon Snow is in the next room willing away an erection that I caused so that he can come back to this bed and kiss me some more. (I hope.) (It's the only reasonable thing to do, isn't it?) 

Tags below the cut.

Come, friends, join us in the cuddle puddle of WIPsday: @raenestee @facewithoutheart @cutestkilla @sillyunicorn @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @basiltonbutliketheherb @ileadacharmedlife @asocialpessimist @bookish-bogwitch @aristocratic-otter @captain-aralias @petedavidsonscock @takitalks @yeonjunenby @carryonvisinata @takenabackbytuesdays @martsonmars @nightimedreamersghost @chen-chen-chen-again-chen @ionlydrinkhotwater @aroace-genderfluid-sheep​ @shrek-gogurt @palimpsessed @fatalfangirl @onepintobean​ (ps: A Micah in my ADA? It's more likely than you think.)

[yukisubmarino]

Politics! Euphonium: A short essay

(I’d like to say I spent a week thinking about this, but in reality I was just late watching the newest episode, for like—work and stuff :D)

The biggest reason Hibike! Euphonium presents such engaging political theater involves the dynamic between the president and vice president of the Kitauji High School band. Whether through serendipity or conscious planning, the two highest-ranking members of the band have presented staunchly different but compatible leadership styles that ultimately life the band’s competitive abilities—sometimes at the expense of the band’s cohesion.

Haruka and Asuka led the band in Kumiko’s first year as president and vice-president, respectively, and they could not have had more contrasting styles. Haruka was a peacemaker, deferent to a fault and rarely outspoken unless absolutely needed. Asuka was the life of the party, magnetic and popular and absurdly talented—surely the better pick to lead the band.

Except Asuka was never motivated by the band’s success, but by her own journey within the band. She had no patience for slackers or less-talented members (which was just about everybody else in the band) and only put on her party mask as a way to keep the mood light. Her shortcomings as a leader were fatal—and she knew that. What the band needed in a leader was a punching bag to absorb all the blows that Asuka dodged, someone resilient enough to maintain shape despite receiving punch after punch—even if she wasn’t terribly inspiring to begin with. Haruka was the president Kitauji needed even if Asuka was the leader Kitauji wanted.

The roles swapped in Kumiko’s second year.

Yuuko—the outspoken and brutally honest linchpin—ascended to the presidency with the equally honest but more tactful Natsuki as her second-in-command. Again, an oil-and-water pairing—even more so with legitimate animosity between the two—that ended up maturing into the leadership tandem Kitauji needed to take a step up in their performance. With Yuuko’s tough love and Natsuki’s cynical comfort, they formed another pairing for our next leadership group to look up to.

And, girl, has it had a rough start.

A lot of that is on Kumiko, the newly minted president, but some of it falls on Asuka, the drum major and power behind the throne. If this were Congress, Kumiko would be the speaker of the House and Reina would be the whip. With an actual whip that she would whip people with.

Reina being a hardass to the least-experienced and most scared members of the band was the most predictable thing in the world. Reina not caring about whether the band’s weakest links leave or not was similarly predictable. What was difficult to predict was Kumiko’s reaction to Reina’s tough treatment.

After all, Kumiko signed off on the band’s desire to aim for gold at the nationals—Reina is just following her lead. And Kumiko would never undermine or even challenge her wife’s behavior, even if it makes her own work as president more difficult. How should she proceed?

Ultimately, Kumiko takes the time to listen to the overwhelmed and disgruntled first years, following her own advice to treat every member as an essential pieces to the band’s success. The shortcomings she presented in her first year—her desire to be well-liked and avoid conflict as much as possible—actually serve her well in a position that requires never-ending politicking and compromise. Could you imagine Reina leading negotiations?

What makes Kumikio a perfect president is her understanding that this is just high school band and student enrichment should take a meaningful precedence over winning a shiny medal. Not that she’ll ever tell anyone that, of course. Everyone has set the same goal to win that medal, after all.

Whether all of this will end up working out is anyone’s guess (actually it’s not, I just haven’t read the novels :X), but I have a strong feeling that Kitauji is set up to whether any storm with Kumiko and Reina at the helm.

You’re probably wondering where the current vice-president Shun fits into all of this. The answer is nowhere because Shun is a waste of time that doesn’t merit discussion. Essay done.

[twothpaste]

wellll i gotta ask about our boy Bronson wiiith 12, 21, 25??

YEAAA BRONSON!!!! (Putting answers below a readmore because they're long 🕺)

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?

I assure y'all I'm very normal and not at all unwell regarding All The Shit I Made Up About Bronson. The blundering apocalyptic naval admiral who accidentally got his own fleet destroyed, defected like a coward, and never faced the consequences. Who tried to make amends by serving as the White Ship's captain, but never washed his hands of blood. Dude who has no clue how to navigate grief, 'cause he couldn't face it himself when folks who trusted him died on his watch. So wracked with subconscious guilt he just wants to stuff his head in an amnesiac hole and spend the rest of his days as a humble bumfuck Nowhere blacksmith. Again, normal about Bronson. Nothing to see here.

21. If you're a fic writer and have written for this character, what's your favorite thing to do when you're writing for this character? What's something you don't like?

I love making him lowkey pathetic when push comes to shove. He's a capable leader if things are running according to plan, an easygoing and sensible person generally, people do respect him, etc. But when faced with truly difficult dilemmas, he ends up floundering uselessly. Falls back on old habits, like feigning control over the situation, trying & failing to order people around, throwing up his hands and hoping everything works itself out. There's several situations in TSS where Bronson, despite all his barking bravado, is clearly the least effective team player - and it cracks me up! (Deep down, after a lifetime of shit flyin' disastrously off the handle despite his best efforts, he's painfully aware of how little control he really has… 🥲)

I'm having a hard time thinking of anything I don't like about writing him. He comes off a little stiff & stagnant sometimes I guess (granted I've been writing him at the grizzled & curmudgeonly age of 61 dfgdfhg). Not certain I've managed to convincingly convey the value he brings to his community, since he's often bumbling about, or giving lukewarm advice. In TSS I wanted him as a sort of linchpin, holding the whole operation together with his steady & familiar presence, even though he goofs up a lot? I've def had a lot of moments with him where it's been hard to thread that line, and I'm not sure I pulled it off. But even still, Bronson's never been unfun to handle as a character ❤️

25. What was your first impression of this character? How about now?

When I first played Mother 3 as a clueless little 17 or 18 year old, Bronson was one of the few Tazmilians who really stuck out in my mind. He leaves a pretty strong impression in Chapter 1, huh! Still in high school, I was embarrassingly bad at relating to or connecting with adult characters. But even back then - and definitely now - I think what I liked about him was how flawed he is, how human his writing felt. Dude tries so hard to help find Hinawa, ends up too late, and absolutely blunders like a jackass when it comes time to relay the news. He fucks up royally by throwing Flint in jail, too, but you can tell by the way he talks to Flint that he bears no ill will or animosity. Puts up no protest against the Pigmasks & Tazmily's industrialization, but he's one of the few villagers who remains neighborly as ever toward Lucas. He's really just some guy tryin' his best to do right by his community, handling shit in the only ways he knows how. His failures are so honest, I can't really bring myself to blame him too harshly. Throughout the game he always somehow feels like a trustworthy ally, even when he's just lounging on the beach while the world goes to hell. The most lovably ineffectual Real One ever.

[whump-cravings]

TR3 - Leverage

Masterlist

694 words | Original Work: The Royal Three

Content | Whumper POV, power dynamics, surrender, referenced impalement, Baltar being the wettest boy in the foreground and Hakon being the most feral in the background

Two of the Nitasi royals knelt before him, hands shackled, gazes down, and faces grim. Defeated. The boy—Prince Baltar—had tears tracking down his chin.

"Please ignore him, my lord," said the girl, Princess Rohisa.

The 'him' in question laid a few feet away, pinned in place by a spear and several soldiers. General Dreth had expected something a little different from the defense's linchpin than the rabid beast that was Prince Hakon. The man thrashed despite grievous injuries, snarling and spitting ferociously as if he could stop the invasion all by his lonesome. Perhaps the pain had driven him mad.

"'General' will do, your highness," Dreth said. "Worry not; in your brother's stead, Vall recognizes your surrender as representative for Ironda."

"Will you execute him?" the girl asked bluntly, expression unchanging. Beside her, Prince Baltar sucked in a breath, casting a big, fearful look up at Dreth.

Dreth glanced between them. Rohisa's attitude seemed closer to the animosity he'd witnessed among royal children, while Baltar still clung to the innocence of youth. Odds were good that Baltar still carried weight with both his older siblings, if he was that fond of them. Hakon might be worth keeping around.

"No. If he survives his injuries, he'll live."

Baltar's relief was palpable, and interestingly enough, Rohisa's shoulders relaxed fractionally and she released a slow breath. So she was concerned about Hakon's life. Good—that made him all the more effective as a hostage.

The girl bowed her head a little further in evident obeisance and gratitude—she certainly knew how to play the part of a humbled enemy. "Thank you, Sir General. To what do we owe your mercy?"

"Not mine—their majesties Delravi," he corrected. "Mercy which will continue to be extended on the condition that you swear loyalty and fealty to the Delravi royal family and act under their direction and will henceforth."

"B-but H-Hakon—" Baltar started softly to Rohisa, voice wet and high with urgent distress. His sister leaned and placed her hands over his, squeezing before re-centering herself.

"Their majesties Delravi have the fealty of the Nitasi family," Rohisa said, raising her gaze to meet Dreth's, expression set with determination. "As the next head of house after the heir prince, I am prepared to make a public statement to that effect." Beside her, Baltar grimaced.

"Excellent," Dreth said with a genial smile, though he didn't trust this woman as far as he could throw her. These siblings had fought too hard to welcome such humiliation. "Your cooperation will greatly ease the difficult transition for your citizens and people."

The princess nodded, then lowered her eyes again. "May I request medical aid and twice daily meals for our brother?"

Baltar looked at Rohisa sharply, then at Hakon, dismayed realization coming over him. The honesty was a refreshing contrast to his sister, though Dreth suspected once the boy regained composure, he would exhibit more control.

"You may always make requests," Dreth said with a smile.

Rohisa's jaw muscles flexed, then relaxed as she took in a breath to speak.

"P-Please," Baltar blurted while leaning forward, more tears spilling out. At his movement, several soldiers started.

Dreth held out a hand to forestall the response. "I could hardly deny such a heartfelt plea." It looked like his fun was over for now. He nodded to those wrangling the eldest Nitasi. "Take Prince Hakon to Healers Polet and D'mora and instruct them to do all they can to ensure his well-being."

Baltar let out a miserable little sob of relief, slumping as if all the energy had gone from him.

"We once again thank their majesties Delravi for their generosity," Rohisa said, her own shoulders dropping with apparent exhaustion as she watched her elder brother being forcefully loaded onto a stretcher. No surprise there; the battle had been raging through the night before and all day today. Dreth hadn't had to do much fighting himself, but the siblings had been holding the line for hours.

Dreth turned away. He had other things to do. "Sumul, see to it that the young prince and princess have comfortable arrangements. The rest of you, with me."

taglist: @nabanna @emcscared-whumps @whumpy-writings @nicolepascaline @i-can-even-burn-salad @dont-touch-my-soup 

[mrsparknamjoon]

01. the linchpin | reliability • kth

index | next

pairing: taehyung x reader word count: 1.900 genre: drama, light angst rating: pg-13 warnings: cursing au: ceo/office trope: enemies to friends to lovers tags: ceo!taehyung, office!au, best friend!yoongi, unresolved emotional tension, mutual pining, slow burn crosspost: ao3

summary: a predictable mistake in buying shares becomes the perfect opportunity for taehyung to show everybody in the company no one is above his rules. what he didn’t know was that his plan would backfire making him question what the real meaning of trust is

A/N: this story began as a drabble bc i love dramatic scenes, whether in movies, television or books. confrontation is always one of my favorite things about them so i decided to try to write one for the first time ever. clearly i still have a lot to learn but i hope you like it!

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Another meeting, another group of incompetent people that I can't believe I hired. Sitting at the end of a long wood table, I scrolled through my phone reading a few emails while all the shareholders took their positions. It was absurd that I had to call a meeting on Friday night because of a predictable and, quite frankly, stupid mistake but here we were.

“Mr. Kim, we're ready” my secretary said discreetly as she handed me a folder filled with documents.

“Thank you” I replied as I got up from the chair and started spreading the papers on the table in front of me.

“Good evening! First, I would like to thank you all for coming on such short notice. The reason for this emergency meeting is to talk about the purchase of a few Min Industries shares” I paused and gazed into the eyes of everyone present. Some of them were curious, tired, others frightened and one in particular very angry.

“I believe all of you realized that ever since it happened our company has started to fall into devaluation, thanks to someone’s stupid and hasty decision” I continued while looking at the documents before me. “I don't want an explanation about what happened or why it happened, just how we are going to solve it” I turned and faced my main suspect, “Today”

“Mr. Kim, if I may, I think I speak for everyone here when I say that there is nothing legally wrong with the purchase” said Lee Sung, one of our oldest and most efficient lawyers. Still, it was a matter of principle for me and everyone knew that.

“I understand, Mr. Lee, but this is not what I'm worried about” I began calmly walking around the table while elaborating my thoughts, “You see... although Min Industries doesn’t compete directly with us they have affiliates who do. Therefore…”

“Therefore it’s smart to buy the shares precisely because it gives us more control over the affiliates” said Y/N, interrupting me.

I couldn't help the smirking that escaped my lips. Y/N took the bait and it was all I needed. From the beginning, I knew she was the one leading the expansion project and everything was going well until she put my credibility with Min Yoon Gi in check.

Yoon Gi and I are old friends, practically brothers, but our families have a particular rivalry that has lasted for almost 50 years. It is nothing that explicit or dramatic. An outsider wouldn't see the animosity, for example. I see it as a truce, however, it's still a delicate matter for our parents and grandparents. When we both took over the businesses, we agreed that we would not repeat their mistakes and promised to interfere as little as possible in each other's company. If it was strictly necessary, we would have to talk before any steps were taken. That was the deal and that is why I was furious at Y/N's audacity to make a decision like this one. She was aware of our family's situation even if not exactly about what I had promised my friend.

“Are you serious, miss Y/LN?”

“Why would I be kidding?” she replied looking confused, twisting the pen between her fingers like she was bored.

“I have no idea, but to call that a smart decision, one that immediately impacts my company's profit, not to mention my personal reputation, seems like a joke. And a bad one to say the least” I said, staring at her intensely as I approached her chair.

The atmosphere got heavy and I couldn't care less. I was right and everyone knew it. Y/N took a risk, as she is paid to do, but the risk was not worth it and she needed to take responsibility for it. If it was anyone else I would have already fired without even calling a meeting. Luckily, she's a key part of the company and one of the shareholders as well so I decided to scold her in front of others to send a subtle warning that nothing goes unnoticed by me and that measures will always be taken, regardless of the level of the hierarchy. This is my way to send a warning because I don't do threats.

Y/N gulped and shifted in her chair, visibly uncomfortable with my proximity.

“So I'm going to ask you again, miss Y/N: are you serious?” I crossed my arms and tilted my head to the side, watching her try very hard not to lose her composure. I had known Y/N for a long time and she always managed to be as cold as me, yet on occasions where her professionalism was questioned her replies used to be impulsive.

“Mr. Kim, I'll be frank” she started, standing up and walking towards the pulpit next to the projection screen. “It was indeed a risk on my part to put Vante Enterprises ahead of such a high-profile acquisition and, for the embarrassment caused, I sincerely apologize”

“Why do I feel like there's a 'but' coming?” I asked, sitting on the chair that she left vacant.

“But"

“See?” I turned to Seo Nu sitting on my left. He laughed politely because I laughed first. Deep down he didn't think it was funny and just wanted to suck up to me. Clever.

“But I still believe that in the long run, we’ll reap great results… excellent results, in fact! Here's a chart” Y/N pointed at the screen in front of us and began to confidently defend her decision, clearly and calmly, completely different from the Y/N of a minute ago who I thought would lose her temper.

* * * * * * *

The meeting room broke out in applause as soon as Y/N finished presenting a chain of detailed information regarding the shares, and although I was surprised by the level of research she prepared, I was unable to hide my dissatisfaction as CEO by confirming that Y/N still didn't understand the problem.

“Could you guys excuse us?” I looked at Y/N and then at the other shareholders. Since the person responsible presented herself there was no need to keep putting on a show, right? I got up, buttoned my jacket, and returned to my original spot on the table to organize the papers I had left lying there.

While arranging them all in a pile, the room emptied and Y/N approached.

“You love to exaggerate things, don't you?” she snarled looking me up and down.

“You love to ignore the rules and interfere with what doesn't concern you, don't you?” I fired back mimicking her attitude.

Y/N stopped for a moment and studied my expression. For a split second, I could feel a question in the air as if she wanted to know if that's what I actually thought of her — a nosy and unprofessional person who ignored her superiors on purpose. I didn’t. She looked hurt. Still, her voice gave no indication that my response had affected her.

“I love my work! It's great and you pay me well” she said, taking the papers from my hand. “Oh, what do we have here?”

“Don't be childish, give me the papers Y/N” I motioned my hands and closed my eyes feeling exhausted.

“What are these projections? How come I have never seen them before?” Y/N's voice came out louder than before depicting a mixture of shock and disbelief. “There is no actual proof that these companies are connected, it doesn't make sense” she walked back to the pulpit, eyes glued to the documents to compare the numbers and references with the slides she had spent hours preparing.

“Y/N give me the papers, that information is above you” I demanded in a firm tone. “Besides, my intention with today's meeting was to get you to find a solution to your own mess but even that you weren't able to”

“How can I solve it if I don't have all the information, Tae Hyung?” Y/N lowered the papers she was gripping so tightly in front of her face and I could see red, teary eyes along with the angry tone in her voice. She hadn't called me Tae Hyung since college and that felt like a blow in my stomach.

“If I had known that the companies were connected I would have thought twice before buying the shares... I…” Y/N's voice failed but she cleared her throat and continued “...this is your fault!”

“Mine?” I asked dumbfounded.

“You left me in the dark and I made an important decision without having all the information” she pushed the papers onto my chest and started pulling the projector's wires angrily, “This is not what I call trust”

“Seriously? Are we going to talk about trust? Bit ironic, don’t you think?” I started chasing her around the room while she collected her belongings and threw them into a big purse.

Y/N snorted like what I just said was absurd.

“You know very well the situation between my family and Yoon Gi's. I always made it clear that we don't do business with them and yet you went there and did it” I placed my hand on top of her purse, preventing her from continuing what she was doing. “Where is my trust in you now?” I questioned her almost in a pleading tone.

Y/N pulled the purse off the table in one swift motion and I almost lost my balance.

“You know what? You're right. I was wrong” she said, looking defeated. “I shouldn't have shown interest in shares that involved Yoon Gi's company, but you definitely shouldn't have hidden these documents from me either” she continued taking a few steps back, slowly moving away from me. “And that's where you fucked up. You're still obsessed with secrets and rules, keeping everyone who tries to help you away"

“Wait a minute” I interjected. This was unfair, it was not like that.

“I'm not done talking” she gazed at me very seriously and I had no choice but to stop and listen. “I know that we have differing opinions on many things and I have teased you too much in the past 10 years with my analysis and requirements, but I never... I say never... would do anything that would harm the company”

“I know” I whispered, feeling kind of dumb for blurting it all out like that.

“It doesn't look like it” she placed the purse on her shoulder. “For me, you're trying to find a reason to get me out of here”

My jaw dropped in shock. Y/N had no idea how much I valued her work, and at this very moment, I didn't know what to say first. An apology? An explanation? A plea? I could have said anything, but I didn't. Not even a fucking sound. My mouth remained open as my thoughts flew through my mind at a frightening speed, making it look like I was confirming her impression.

“I’m gonna save you the trouble. I quit”

Y/N gave me what looked like a small bow or maybe a quick nod as if to excuse herself and then left the room without another word, leaving me leaning against the table without understanding what had just happened, finding myself, for the first time in a long time, completely alone.

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𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 ❤ 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘀𝗸! 𝗶 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ revised version: 09.25.2021

[mvalleefootball-blog]

Patriots Stun Steelers; The NFL is King

By Michael Vallee

Sometimes the star of a game is an individual player.  Someone that steals the show with a singular effort.  Think Michael Jordan, sick with the flu, dropping 38 on the Utah Jazz in the NBA Finals.  Sometimes the star of a game is an entire team, one that collectively takes over with a transcendent performance.  The New England Patriots trailing 28-3 and winning the Super Bowl certainly qualifies.  And sometimes the star of a game is simply one play or one moment.  Ask Seattle Seahawks fans about this one, I have a feeling they might be able to come up with an example.

But in certain instances, the star of the game is the game itself or, more specifically, the league in which it resides.  In Sunday’s 27-24 Patriots victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers there were many standout performances and moments but the real star of the game was the National Football League and its total domination of our sports universe.

No other league can touch the anticipation factor of the NFL.  The Patriots vs. Steelers has been circled on the NFL calendar for weeks.  Everybody from Patriots and Steelers fans to network executives and beat writers were eagerly awaiting Sunday’s game which featured a stable of superstars and two future Hall Of Fame quarterbacks.  In a cluttered sports landscape it felt like the only game that really mattered.  What is the equivalent in other sports leagues?  Quick, what day do the Houston Rockets play the Golden State Warriors?  OK, how about what month?  Do you have any idea?  Me neither.  

I guess the baseball equivalent would be Red Sox/Yankees but does the baseball world outside of Boston and New York really care about that series?  They might watch parts of a game or two but does it really matter to out-of-market fans?  And how do even Sox and Yankees fans get geeked up for a series that will be played six times in a season and have little functional impact in a 162-game schedule?  Pittsburgh vs. New England had urgency and desperation, the result of clear and tangible consequences for both teams regarding home-field advantage and first round byes.  Fans from coast-to-coast knew the stakes and, more so than any other sport, cared about the outcome.

A marquee matchup like Patriots/Steelers stirs interest across the entire football world.  When you are dealing with teams that have won as often as Pittsburgh and New England, odds are, you are either a fan of one of those two teams or absolutely despise everything about one or both of those teams but, either way, you are going to be watching.  Additionally, you might not love or hate either team but know your team has to deal with one or both of them if they want to win in January.  Or maybe you have no dog in the hunt but just love football and there is no way you’re missing a chance to watch arguably the two best teams in the NFL, two teams with a long history of mutual animosity, knock the hell out of each other for 60 minutes.  A hockey diehard could easily miss a Tampa Bay Lightning/L.A. Kings game and not think twice.  There is nobody that calls themselves a football fan that was missing Sunday’s game.

It’s appointment television.  It’s what people revolve their social calendars around.  It affects not only your schedule but the schedule of your family.  I am sure a lot of Christmas shopping was done on Saturday knowing that being in a mall at 4:25 Sunday was not an option.  I wouldn’t be surprised if the NFL’s cultural dominance even affected some drinking schedules.  How many guys do you think didn’t go out Saturday night, or went out and drank less, because they wanted to be at “full strength” for the big game on Sunday?  That might seem like a stretch, or even a little insane, but I bet that number is bigger than you think.  That is the reality of America’s obsession with football.  It’s like nothing else in sports.

And the ratings for this one more than backed that up.

The Patriots/Steelers did a 17 rating, making it the highest rated NFL game this year.  The game also did a 32 share which means one out of every three televisions that was turned on in America was watching this game, an unheard of number in the age of multiple choices and splintered audiences.  The game peaked in the final half hour with a 20.5 rating and 36 share.  There has been a lot of yapping this year about the NFL’s declining ratings and dubious future but you didn’t hear any of it on Sunday.

The NFL is also the only sport that consistently delivers in the regular season.  How often do we hear people say about hockey or basketball, “I’m just waiting for the playoffs”?  Which is understandable considering that the intensity level for the winter sports increases exponentially in the playoffs.  But anybody that watched the Steelers and Bengals two weeks ago beat the hell out of each other for four quarters knows that simply isn’t true about football.  The regular season can be every bit as intense and brutal as the postseason.

And this was abundantly true on Sunday.

The only thing better for the NFL’s dominance than a nationally hyped game is a nationally hyped game that delivers - and Sunday’s Patriots game delivered in a big way.  Patriots/Steelers was a three hour football explosion of big plays, big moments and big performances.  It had drama and suspense - heroes and goats - controversial calls and controversial decisions.  There were last second comebacks and botched final drives.  The outcome was always in doubt.  Literally every second mattered.  It was one of those games that reminds us why we watch sports.

Imagine switching over in the middle of that game to a baseball game.  It would be like going from the roller coaster to the merry-go-round.

All of this says nothing of the ancillary activities that are also crucial to the NFL’s dominance.  Throw out, for a minute, all the loyalties, passion and hatred that drives sports fans and just think of what Sunday’s game was like for the millions that bet on it.  Patriots -2.5, trailing by five, driving for the “winning” touchdown.  A crucial two-point conversion looming if they score.  Massive financial swings riding on every play.  Pittsburgh responding with a huge play and apparent game-winning touchdown.  The play reversed…...the clock running…….both the point spread and under/over (52.5) are in play…….a gut-wrenching interception that simultaneously realized and dashed the hopes and dreams of gamblers everywhere from Pasadena to Peoria.  It was gambling tension at its finest.

Then there’s the office pools, football cards, pick four pools, pick five pools, underdog pools, big money winner-take-all suicide pools, futures bets (Patriots over/under wins was 12.5), any and all of it just adds layers to the cultural sports monopoly of the NFL.

And then there’s fantasy football.  We don’t do much fantasy talk on this blog as I don’t generally like to mix real football with pretend football but it’s impossible to ignore or deny the role of fantasy football in all of this.  Week 15, for most fantasy leagues, is the playoffs and Sunday’s games offered a bevy of highly productive offensive stars that can make or break a fantasy team.  While most probably tuned in for the football, don’t kid yourself, there were a lot of eyeballs on that game sweating out the production of the Bells, Bradys, Browns and Gronks.  

Purists hate it, your girlfriend doesn’t understand it and those that don’t participate most likely find the whole thing absurd but there is no denying its impact.  Fantasy sports has grown from an obscure hobby to a multi-billion dollar industry, and the pseudo-monopoly held by the NFL is yet another linchpin of its dominance.

All that was before the emergence of daily fantasy sports, the high stakes game-changer that just recently exploded onto the sports world, and is, of course, dominated by the NFL.  This new phenomenon, which reduces players to mere numbers on a screen and can turn nobodys into millionaires, has allowed the NFL to capture a certain fringe geek element that might have otherwise been occupied with something else.  They might not love football but they are now engaged because they have found a way to link it to their computers and smartphones.  Yet another financial notch in the NFL’s belt.

It can still be argued that the NFL’s future is far from secure.  Audiences continue to fracture, youth football participation is down and the effects of CTE loom like a dark cloud on the horizon.  And the current product is not perfect.  The games are increasingly micro-managed and slowed down by confusing rules and an archaic replay system; and NFL leadership, from Jerry Jones to Roger Goodell, is often an embarrassment.  

But on a day like last Sunday that all just seems like a bunch of white noise for talk show hosts and sports columnists to pontificate about.  It might not be perfect but there is no denying that the NFL is a cultural tour-de-force that is extensively ingrained throughout American society.  All ages and both sexes watch it, the president tweets about it, networks live and die by it, advertisers flock to it and the sports media can’t get enough of it.  In our sports solar system, the NFL is the sun and everything else is just rotating around it.  Mark Cuban once said about the NFL, “Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered.  And they’re getting hoggy.”  Maybe, but if all the sports leagues are competing, that hog is miles ahead and the gap ain’t closing anytime soon. 

Game Notes

-Amateur Hour:  Another Patriots’ opponent, another late-game meltdown.  It’s hard not to sound like a homer when you cite all the times New England’s opponents have puddled in the final minutes of a big game and you conclude that the Patriots are simply smarter and more composed than their counterparts.  But how often does something have to happen before opinion becomes fact.  Atlanta in the Super Bowl, Seattle in the Super Bowl, Baltimore in the AFC Championship, Pittsburgh on Sunday, and on and on it goes.  Someday we might look back on this historic run and conclude that the Patriots’ ability to handle situational football, and perhaps as important, their opponents complete and total lack of ability to handle situational football was the most crucial component to their success.

-Rah, rah, sis boom bah:  The more you watch him the more Tomlin looks less like a head coach and more like a glorified male cheerleader.  His handling of the final moments of Sunday’s loss and subsequent comments are doing little to dispel that notion.  For starters, the offensive “brain trust” of Tomlin, Roethlisberger and OC Todd Haley had three minutes and 20 seconds to formulate a plan of attack while the refs reviewed the Jesse James touchdown yet reportedly the Steelers spent the entire time playing grabass and assuming they had already won the game.  That’s more time than you get for an actual timeout yet they seemed wildly unprepared after the touchdown was overturned. 

And this only gets worse.

According to Tomlin the reason they had no timeouts was because referee Tony Corrente mistakenly awarded them a timeout.  His reasoning is so dumb I can’t possibly do it justice so I’ll just let him do it, “I was looking at Ben. Ben was signaling timeout, but he wasn’t signaling at you (Corrente), he was signaling timeout at me, trying to get confirmation of what we wanted to do.”  So let me get this straight, following a 69-yard gain, which is a moment when most teams would call a timeout, your quarterback, who is on the field of play, signaled for a timeout but wasn’t actually signaling the refs that he wanted a timeout but was asking his coaches if they wanted a timeout and it’s all Corrente’s fault that he didn’t accurately read Roethlisberger’s mind to decipher his true intentions.  I think we’re starting to get a window into why Tomlin never learns from his mistakes - apparently he doesn’t think he makes any.

Oh, and we’re not done.

Tomlin, displaying a mindblowing level of ignorance, also asked Corrente this Mensa-level question, “Why did you award that timeout, the timeouts are supposed to come from the bench?”  What?  WHAT?!?  Timeouts only come from the bench?  Alright, Tomlin’s gotta just be fucking with us at this point.  How can that question come out of an NFL head coach’s mouth?  Are we actually supposed to believe that in his 16+ year NFL coaching career he has never seen a quarterback call a timeout?  That is so ridiculous on so many different levels when I first read it my brain had trouble processing it.  It feels like a quote from The Onion.

-Jedi Master:  Imagine Belichick giving that answer as to why his team didn’t have anymore timeouts.  Or try to picture Belichick, Brady and McDaniels standing around for over three-minutes at then end of a crucial game and doing absolutely nothing.  Belichick is the anti-Tomlin: No intense dramatic scowls, no excessive enthusiastic hand-clapping, no meandering aimlessly on the sideline; Belichick learns from his mistakes and has an actual working knowledge of the NFL rule book.  He knows rules that the refs don’t even know yet, Tomlin, who is on the NFL Competition Committee, doesn’t even know that quarterbacks, in the course of an NFL game, sometimes call timeouts.  When the Patriots face the Steelers, for Belichick, it must feel like he is playing chess against his grandson.

-What down is it again?:  Don’t think for a minute Roethlisberger is off the hook for that late-game debacle.  There is no excuse for a future Hall Of Fame quarterback to ever throw that pass.  None.  That is the type of pass you throw on 4th down or if your team is trailing by 4+ points.  On third down, with your team down by three, that ball has to go out of the back of the end zone.  Throw it away, kick the field goal and take your chances at home in overtime.  There are high school quarterbacks that understand that.  And Big Ben’s entire approach to the play was a hot mess.  If you’re not going to clock the ball, why not just take a deep breath, call out a play at the line-of-scrimmage and take a legit shot at the end one?  Instead Roethlisberger looked panicked, rushed to the line despite plenty of time, attempted some half-ass fake spike then threw the ball into triple-coverage.  Baffling.

-Revenge is a dish best served unhinged:  If you want to have a laugh, peruse Twitter and Youtube for reactions to the end of the Patriots game on Sunday.  Too many examples to cite them all here but think Seattle fans circa 2014 with the added twist of a controversial call.  In short, Steelers fans lost their f’n minds.  It’s hard enough losing to the same coach and quarterback for 15 years straight but to lose at home, blow a late lead and have it all come to fruition because of an annoying NFL rule is enough to send any sports fan reeling.  The saddest part of their reactions was the repeated and desperate cries of “cheaters”.  It’s perfectly understandable to not like the NFL’s “survive the ground” rule regarding what is and isn’t a catch, but somebody needs to inform Steelers fans (and Raiders fans for that matter) that NFL officials enforcing a rule already on the books is not actually cheating nor is it the NFL rigging the outcome for New England.

-OK, maybe we’ll cite one example because this is really damn funny:  https://www.instagram.com/p/Bc1McOfjcSD/

-Words to live by:  There are two concrete truths in life: never get involved in a land war in Asia and never throw a slant on the goal line against the Patriots in a big game.

-Taking the chalk:  The Patriots victory over the Steelers meant that every NFL favorite, based on the point spread, won week 15 - only the third time since the 1970 merger that has happened.

-“Never stop fighting till the fight is done”:  One of the sneaky underrated plays from the game was the Patriots defense keeping Steelers receiver Juju Shuster out of the end zone on his 69-yard catch and run in the final minute.  When the speedy Shuster cut back to the middle of the field in Patriots territory it looked like he was a sure bet to score.  But the Patriots secondary never gave up on the play, eventually pinning him down and gang tackling him on the 10-yard line.  

-Why was Trey Flowers covering (or trying to anyway) Le’Veon Bell on some key pass plays?  That was a very Tomlinian move by Belichick.

-Gronk smash Pittsburgh:  It is widely accepted that Gronkowski is not only the best tight end in the NFL but is on a trajectory to be the best tight end of all-time, but a week ago if someone asked you what the signature game of his career was you might have struggled to come up with an answer.  I think it’s safe to say that is no longer the case after what Gronk did to the Steelers.  Despite a slow start, Gronkowski finished the game with 9 catches for a career-high 168 yards (10 catches if you include the two-point conversion).  Nowhere was Gronk’s dominance more on display than on the game-winning drive, when he completely took the game over with five plays:

Play one:  Brady to Gronk deep down the middle for 26 yards

Play two:  Carbon copy of play one, another 26 yards

Play three:  Gronk reaches down and snatches the ball just before it hits the ground for another 17 yards

Play four:  Gronk seals off a defender with a key block on Dion Lewis’ 9-yard game-winning touchdown

Play five:  Gronk fakes an inside release, jukes the defensive back out of his jock, catches a wide-open two-point and celebrates like a deranged mad man

It was Gronk at his unstoppable best.  Someday a guy will have to go in that room at the Pro Football Hall Of Fame and make the case for Gronkowski’s induction and after Sunday that guy’s job just got a whole lot easier.  Now all he has to do is walk in, pop in the Pittsburgh tape, kick back, and watch the HOF votes tumble in.

-Tomlin not double-teaming Gronkowski at any point on that final drive is a fireable offense.

-Shhhhhhhh:  Tony Romo remains razor sharp with the Xs and Os stuff but desperately needs to learn the art of how to shut the hell up.

-Make space on the mantel:  Brady all but wrapped up the MVP on Sunday.  Not only did Brady lead the Patriots to a key road win but his MVP competition was decimated.  A week after Carson Wentz tore his ACL, dark-horse candidate Antonio Brown hurt his calf and Russell Wilson and the Seahawks imploded against the Rams.  

-No easy task:  If Brown is healthy come January and the Steelers get past the Jaguars don’t count me as one of the people that thinks this rematch will be an easy win for the Patriots if the game is played in Foxboro.  Pittsburgh represents all kinds of matchup problems for the Patriots defense and, despite the Steelers dubious history against Belichick and Brady, Pittsburgh could easily win next month in New England.

-Belichick is not pliable:  Interesting story in the Boston Globe by professional shit-stirrer Bob Hohler, who details how Brady whisperer Alex Guerrero has had his his team privileges revoked, banning him from team flights and from the sideline during games.  It’s hard to know just how big a riff this represents between Brady and Belichick, if any, because none of the principals are talking but it is definitely a situation worth monitoring.  The importance of this story would multiply tenfold if Jimmy Garoppolo was still a Patriot.   

-Stars and stripes:  A Great story emerged last week about Tom Brady and his commitment to supporting the troops.  According to Pittsburgh Steelers left tackle, war hero and unabashed supporter of the National Anthem, Alejandro Villanueva, Brady routinely Skypes with soldiers stationed overseas on the front lines.  Brady has said nothing about this and has sought no publicity for his actions.  Go ahead Steelers fans tell me again how much you hate Tom Brady.