#these new guys feel like designs a brand would pick from a roster of fan entries

[p0rk-guts]

Soooo. Was Poppy Playtime Chapter 3 a fluke or

[radiodespieds]

Spider-Man Remastered is the worst possible marketing material for the PS5

This should be obvious to any brand manager, advertising director, or any other job you can get after a communication bachelor. Spider-man Remastered does not help sell the PS5 over its competitors in any way.

Let’s run this through the motions, shall we ?

What is marketing supposed to do for you, a marketing executive ?

Marketing is supposed to help you sell a product. Does that sound obvious ? Then I’m sorry to tell you, you’re not a Sony Public Relation Director. Chances are you’re not being paid as well either.

Marketing is supposed to make people want to buy your goddamn console. There’s a myriad of ways to do that, which I categorize in two sections : Embellish and Distinguish. When you Embellish, you sell all the advantages of your product, put its features and quality forward, the point being that people like things that are good for them. When you Distinguish, you address the most specific description of your target audience and position yourself as a distinct solution for them.

Now if you’re the PS5, or if at least you’re in charge of its launch, you’re gonna want a good combination of Embellish and Distinguish. That’s not very unique, most products who have competition need to touch both of these bases. But if you’re a tens-of-billion dollar market just on your own, it sounds reaaaaally important for you to touch both of these shiny bases. After all, the slightest lost opportunity, any 0.01% margin error is gonna net you millions of dollars in losses.

You’re the PS5. A gaming console. Some appeal of your console over the other guy’s is the games you keep for yourself. The exclusives. At launch, there’s not many of these, plus people have limited attention spans you have to choose the ones to put forward carefully (Sony had 5 big ones). Your selection should be diverse, as to create an atmosphere of richness of abondance, and as to appeal to several markets at once

What should a launch game do ? It should Embellish, proving the power of your console, the raw capacity for the lusted after Graphics. More importantly, it should also Distinguish you, from your direct competitors but also from your own, older generation console. You don’t want people to just stick with what they have, even for a little longer, ok ? They’ve got to drop their dumb multi-processor hundreds of dollar console and come get the new Wall-E-themed one you just made for them. New games should be shiny and beautiful, but they should also

What’s the problem with Spider-Man Remastered, you ask?

Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered, or Insomniac’s Marvel’s Spider’s Man Remastered, is a remake of the old-age video game from like, two years ago. By “remake”, we mean to say that it is exactly the same game with raytracing added and some texture updates. Oh, and they changed the face actor of Spider-Man for no good reason, we’ll talk about this one in a bit.

Seriously though, it is exactly the same game. It is not, as the marketing would like you to believe, a better game in any capacity. If you hadn’t played any version of the game before, and had to try them both but without knowing which one is the remastered, you would have a hard time picking your favorite one.

Youtube videos love to show you side-to-side comparison footage, and sure enough the two sides do look different, but the fastest way to decide which one looks better is to pick whichever has the PS5 logo.

There are indeed differences in quality, like the full-surface reflections made possible by raytracing. But the differences in most of the game are so tiny that they are quickly overshadowed by any personal preference. Don’t like higher saturation ? The PS4 version will look better to you. Think higher contrast makes thing look cartoonish rather than realistic ? maybe that PS5 version is not for you.

As an aside : one big, notable through the whole game difference, is the face change. Let’s not dwell on it too much, let’s just say that it is... bad. And hilariously unjustified. The new version of your game is going to be identical on all point, except the main acting device for you character is going to be stiff and unexpressive ? Sure, why not. Why not go full 1984 on your user and pretend this was made to make the way for better acting ??

it quickly became apparent that delivering even more believable-looking characters made finding a better facial match for actor Yuri Lowenthal – who we all love as Peter – a necessity.

Bryan Inthiar from Insomniac

Sure, Bryan.

How does that relate to the PS5 itself though

After all this negativity, I want to quickly go over what Spider-man Remastered does well (or at least okay) for the PS5′s marketing. Insomniac’s Spider-Man on the was one of the beloved exclusive titles on the PS4, widely praised among fans and critics for its attention to detail, smooth gameplay and smooth swinging, and overall fun. Putting the new version at the forefront reminds all customers of the quality of the exclusive roster coming with playstations. If you want these games, then you’re going to want a PS5 going forward. Marketing checkmate.

However, that’s not much. If you already own one of the “exclusive” launch title on your PS4, why would you go for a PS5 right now ?

Maybe you’re excited at the new possibilities the new console is bringing to developers, and all the ways they’re gonna make games better. And... what are these ways again ?

Better graphics ? You look at the Remastered game. It is barely different. There’s visibly no improvement on that side. The Miles Morales game also looks the same apart from new character designs.

Dual sense trigger sensibility thingie ? It’s nowhere in the game’s promo material, in great part because the game was created for the PS4′s controller. That also applies to Miles Morales.

So what makes the PS5 itself exciting ? If you’re a consumer looking at Spider-man promo material, you’d be hard-pressed to tell, and that’s a problem. The Playstation game universe is exciting, but the PS5 feels just like an expensive admission ticket for its future. It doesn’t bring much on its own, it just allows you to continue getting the newer titles. That feels... like scalping ? Not a good result in terms of consumer marketing.

Hopefully, marketing executives are already catching up on the fact that simply increased computing power isn’t a sales advantage anymore. You either have to apply that power to different things (VR / augmented reality), or you have to focus on completely new functionalities, like Nintendo has been doing since the Nintendo DS. Maybe by the next generation of console, we’ll have an explosion of new features and no talk of power and speed.

Or, if the last generations are anything to learn from, we’ll get exactly the same as we’ve ever had. Some type of revamped branding applied on a barely-more powerful machine with barely-distinguishable games.

[junker-town]

What Ron Rivera’s firing means for Cam Newton and the Panthers

Panthers owner David Tepper (left) and general manger Marty Hurney (right) are likely to make many more changes after firing Ron Rivera.

Firing Ron Rivera was just step one in the Panthers reboot.

In a move that was surprising only because of the timing, the Panthers fired longtime head coach Ron Rivera. Relatively new owner David Tepper made the move after Carolina’s semi-embarrassing (the Panthers had so many injuries) loss at home this weekend to lowly Washington. It was the Panthers’ fourth straight loss and dropped them to 5-7 on the season.

The move, which most expected to happen at the end of this season, ended a successful run for Rivera. He was the winningest coach in franchise history, posting a 76-63-1 record in almost nine seasons. The Panthers reached a Super Bowl in 2015 after going 15-1 in the regular season. Franchise quarterback, Cam Newton, was the NFL MVP. The Panthers came up short against the Broncos, but Rivera still helped the team become the NFC Champion for the first time since 2003.

Rivera should leave Charlotte with his head held high and proud of his accomplishments in Carolina. He’s an outstanding coach and will be coaching next season if he wants a job.

The question now: Where do the Panthers go from here?

I’ve thought since Tepper took over the team before the 2018 season that he’d attempt a total reboot of the franchise when he got the chance, as most new owners want their own people in these power positions. Well, that chance is now.

Firing Rivera was the first move to make after this season fell off the tracks. Here is what Tepper had to say about the timing of the firing:

#Panthers owner David Tepper said he wanted to show patience on the football side but "I just thought it was time, given the way things have gone the last two seasons, to put my stamp on this organization on the football side as we've done on the business side."

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) December 3, 2019

Based on his other comments, we have some hints about the direction Tepper wants to go in, too. Tepper wants to be cutting edge. He wants to be more innovative and to invest more in analytics:

David Tepper says Ron Rivera accepted analytics and the new processes in the NFL "to a certain extent." Adds that he thought it was time for "fresh blood to change the culture."

— Joe Person (@josephperson) December 3, 2019

Tepper mentioned hiring an offensive coordinator, which would continue the NFL trend from the previous offseason.

Tepper: "In the modern NFL, I think there's a preference for offensive coordinators. ... That doesn't mean if you find someone excellent on the defensive side you don't consider it."

— Joe Person (@josephperson) December 3, 2019

This leads me to believe the Panthers will look toward a younger offensive coordinator who is willing to be innovative and coach the team in the image of his vision. But as Tepper said, I don’t think the Panthers should limit themselves to just an offensive guy.

Find the best coach. Find a Jim Harbaugh. An overseer of the franchise who’s cutting edge. An awesome motivator paired with outstanding coordinators.

It appears helping to lead the search for a new head coach will be current general manager Marty Hurney, who most (including myself), thought would be fired alongside Rivera. David Tepper cites Hurney’s ability to judge college talent as the reason to keep him on the staff.

In the announcement of the firing of Rivera, Tepper mentioned adding two positions to the front office, assistant general manager and VP of football operations. I assume both of these positions will be hires who use analytics more frequently than most and their team is built around that model. Hurney will be in charge of player scouting and these new hires will be in charge of the money/analytics and having to blend the player scouting with the analytics.

This is all brand new territory for a notoriously conservative franchise under former owner Jerry Richardson. Under John Fox and, even during the first few seasons of Rivera’s tenure, the franchise was old school. Defense, special teams, and some flash on offense. No outside noise, no analytics, and nothing on the cutting edge. Not anymore. I like this new Panthers organization.

All that change probably means a new quarterback too

The first decision the new Panthers front office will need to make is the future of their current franchise quarterback, Cam Newton.

Last season, Newton started the season on fire. He was off to one of the best years of his career. Newton had 15 touchdowns with four interceptions and was 6-2 as the Panthers starter. But then he got injured in a November game in Pittsburgh.

He didn’t win another game before heading on to injured reserve. Entering this season, Newton was “healthy” again, but was eventually sidelined with a foot injury. He only played in two games this season and the Panthers lost both. When the 2020 season begins, he will be 31 years old and coming off multiple injury-shortened seasons. I think the Panthers are moving on from Cam.

For one, it feels like the perfect opportunity to start the reboot process. Tepper has made it extremely clear he want his franchise to head in a different direction and releasing Newton would fall in line with that thought process. The Panthers can get out of Newton’s deal with almost no penalty, which makes it a clean break financially for them. Even more important than those factors are these next two:

Does the new coach want to be tethered to Cam Newton? Ron Rivera embraced Newton and had his offenses designed around his quarterback’s strengths. He allowed Cam to be Cam. Will a new coach be as accepting? Also, it feels like a bad start to a relationship if you’re forcing a quarterback upon a new coach. He needs to choose his own guy.

Do you trust Cam Newton to stay injury free next season? If you keep Newton on the roster and build around him only for him to get hurt again, you’re going to have another poor season. That’s something, I assume, is unacceptable for Tepper.

One thing that could KEEP Newton in Charlotte is Hurney staying in his general manager role. Hurney drafted Newton and it’s clear he’s a fan of his 2011 draft pick. But this is the only reason I could see the Panthers sticking with him.

It’s an absolutely perfect time to draft a first-round quarterback and begin the reboot process if you’re the Panthers. Clean break. Start over with a new coach and a new front office.

There’s one last thing to consider as well: Tepper wants a new stadium. Even though he’s a billionaire, he will ask for money to help fund that stadium and having a new trendy team, with an up-and-coming quarterback could help sell the public on the idea.

In the end, the firing of Rivera is just the start of a Tepper reboot of the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers are going to get younger, more analytical, and it will start with a new coach and probably a new quarterback too.

[whittlebaggett8]

All the ways beauty YouTubers James Charles and Tati Westbrook have been affected by their explosive public feud, Defence Online

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James Charles is on the left, and Tati Westbrook is on the right.

source

Kevin Mazur/MG19/Getty Images and Tati Westbrook/YouTube

On Friday, beauty vlogger Tati Westbrook announced the end of her longtime friendship with makeup artist James Charles in a YouTube video titled “Bye Sister.”

Since the video was posted, Charles has lost nearly three million YouTube subscribers, while Westbrook has gained more followers than that amount.

Multiple celebrities have also unfollowed Charles on Instagram, and his merchandise website appears to have been taken down.

Westbrook, who typically posts new YouTube videos at least three times a week, has not uploaded anything to the platform since Friday. However, she has been publicly supported by stars like Shane Dawson.

Visit INSIDER’s homepage for more stories.

Beauty vloggers James Charles and Tati Westbrook have had a whirlwind week.

On Friday, Westbrook released a 43-minute-long video in which she ended her friendship with Charles, claiming that he used her to achieve fame and success. She also accused the 19-year-old of trying to manipulate others using his “fame, power, and money.”

Since her video was released, Charles has lost nearly three million YouTube subscribers, while Westbrook has gained just as many. Charles has also lost a number of celebrity Instagram followers, and Westbrook has yet to upload a new YouTube video, which she typically does at least three times a week.

Below, take a look at all the ways Westbrook and Charles appear to have been affected since their public feud.

Since Tati Westbrook publicly ended her friendship with James Charles on Friday, the 19-year-old makeup mogul has lost nearly three million YouTube subscribers.

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James Charles’ live subscriber count on Tuesday.

source

Social Blade

Prior to the release of Westbrook’s video, Charles had amassed more than 16 million YouTube subscribers. At the time of this post, however, the beauty vlogger is down to 13.4 million.

According to Social Blade, a website that tracks YouTube subscriber counts, the number of Charles’ YouTube followers appears to be going down every minute.

Westbrook, however, appears to have gained the number of subscribers that Charles has lost.

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Tati Westbrook’s live subscriber count on Tuesday.

source

Social Blade

Before posting her “Bye Sister” video on Friday, Westbrook had a following of more than 5.9 million on YouTube. At the time of writing, her Social Blade page shows her having 10 million subscribers and counting.

A live counter has been created to track their respective subscriber counts.

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The subscriber counts of Westbrook and Charles are being livestreamed on YouTube.

source

Tea4real/YouTube

Since Friday, a channel on YouTube called Tea4Real has been hosting a subscriber-count livestream. The live video shows the changing number of subscribers held by Westbrook and Charles respectively.

The video also lists the number of subscribers the two had prior to their feud.

Charles has lost tons of celebrity Instagram followers.

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James Charles and Kim Kardashian West at the KKW Beauty launch in 2017.

source

Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images

So far, at least eight celebrities have unfollowed the makeup artist on Instagram: Kim Kardashian West, Kylie Jenner, Shawn Mendes, Demi Lovato, Katy Perry, Iggy Azalea, Ariana Grande, and Zhavia Ward.

Charles was also unfollowed by seven major YouTube stars, including Jeffree Star, Ethan and Grayson Dolan, Emma Chamberlain, Ricky Dillon, Antonio Garza, and, of course, Tati Westbrook.

Former fans of Charles’ are retaliating against the makeup mogul by destroying his namesake eye-shadow palette.

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A TikTok user burns their James Charles x Morphe eye-shadow palette.

source

Masterblanket/TikTok

On TikTok, for example, some former fans have posted videos of themselves burning the James Charles eye-shadow palette from Morphe. Twitter users took different approaches, like one person who threw their palette across pavement.

But while many people on social media said they no longer support Charles, others felt the palette is “too expensive” to completely destroy. Instead, some people chose to get creative with their makeup and cover the James Charles logo with new designs, such as a photo of Snoop Dogg, a painting of Shrek, and a label with Westbrook’s name.

YouTube stars like Jeffree Star, Shane Dawson, and Trisha Paytas seemingly endorsed Westbrook’s vitamin brand, Halo Beauty.

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Shane Dawson.

source

Shane Dawson/YouTube

Following Westbrook’s video on Friday, YouTuber Trisha Paytas took to Twitter to announce that she purchased vitamins from the beauty vlogger’s brand, Halo Beauty.

“24 hours ago I had no idea what a Tati was and now I’m buying every product she has,” Paytas wrote on Twitter. “Mainly cause I need my hair to grow.”

Read more: The explosive YouTube war between James Charles and Tati Westbrook is all because of vitamin supplements. Health experts say they can be a scam.

When a fan replied and said the vitamins work, Dawson answered his tweet: “It really does!! I use it daily!! Not spon! haha.”

While the two are not formally sponsored by Westbrook or her brand, the timely stamp of approval from Dawson and Paytas showed many fans that YouTube fan-favorites had taken sides.

That said, on Monday, Dawson spoke about the feud in an Instagram story, and seemed to offer a more heartfelt take on the public drama without necessarily picking a side.

“Even though I believe some people need to be humbled I also could never enjoy watching someone go through something like this,” he said, adding that he wants to “focus on good stuff” and that he feels like he has “tea poisoning from all this drama.”

Westbrook’s vitamin brand is said to have seen an “unexpected influx of orders” after the release of her video.

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Tati Westbrook showcases her product, Halo Beauty.

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Tati Westbrook/YouTube

According to one Twitter user, Halo Beauty sent an email to people who recently placed orders, informing them that the brand is “a few days behind” its shipping process.

“Due to an unexpected influx of orders, we are a few days behind processing your shipment,” Halo Beauty appears to have written in an email sent to customers. “Please know that our Halo elves are hard at work, and everything should be running smoothly by the end of this week!”

However, Westbrook hasn’t uploaded a new YouTube video since Friday.

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Tati Westbrook in a May 2019 YouTube video.

source

Tati Westbrook/YouTube

The beauty vlogger typically uploads content three times a week, but has been nearly silent since her Friday video.

On Twitter, she said that she wouldn’t post a video on Monday because her “heart is still too heavy.”

“I feel like I need to remind you that we can hold truth & inspire change without grabbing onto hate,” Westbrook said in a tweet. “Honor your blessings, don’t abuse them. Celebrating pain will only bring it to your door. Love you guys, see you soon.”

Charles faced additional backlash in Australia, where he delayed a meet-and-greet, seemingly as a result of his feud.

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YouTubers Dan Locke and Chloe Macdonald.

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Exploration Date/YouTube

In the midst of the feud on Friday, Charles made an appearance at the Pacific Fair Shopping Centre in Queensland, Australia, for a meet-and-greet and Q&A.

According to fans who attended the event, Charles arrived two hours late, leaving many fans stranded outside in hot weather.

YouTubers Chloe Macdonald and Dan Locke, who are behind a channel called Exploration Date, also attended the event, and vlogged their experience. In their video, Macdonald and Locke said they waited two hours for Charles to arrive and that he “wasn’t himself” during his five-minute-long Q&A session.

Charles’ merchandise website, Sisters Apparel, appears to have been taken down since Westbrook’s video was released.

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The Sisters Apparel website said it would be “opening soon” on Monday.

source

Sisters Apparel

The website once stocked sweatshirts, T-shirts, joggers, phone cases, and other products emblazoned with Charles’ catchphrase: “sisters.”

But on Monday, a visit to the Sisters Apparel website brought viewers to a black-and-white page that read, “Will be opening soon…” The website also said it is “currently under construction,” and offered an email sign-up for fans to learn about “launch updates.”

On Tuesday, the website appeared to have undergone another change, as a privacy-error message appears on its homepage.

While Charles and Sisters Apparel have yet to share any information about the website, some fans believe that Jeffree Star might have something to do with its apparent disappearance.

On Twitter, fans have pointed out that Sisters Apparel is stocked by Killer Merch, a company that Jeffree Star co-owns. Some believe that, because Star has sided with Westbrook, he may have chosen to remove Charles’ website from his company’s roster.

Representatives for James Charles and Tati Westbrook did not immediately reply to INSIDER’s request for comment.

The post All the ways beauty YouTubers James Charles and Tati Westbrook have been affected by their explosive public feud, Defence Online appeared first on Defence Online.

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[ryanonwrasslin-blog]

The Wrestling Optimist - March 30, 2017 - Wrestlemania Preview!!! Part 1

Welcome to my weekly, mostly optimistic, look at the wonderful world of professional wrestling. This came about because I’m working my hardest to stop being such a miserable smark, and this column is my best effort at both keeping myself honest and funneling out the various thoughts I have on wrestling. For the most part, this will be a WWE-themed piece every week, and it’s still evolving, but for now I think I’ve found a solid format. I urge you to join me in being a happier wrestling fan, whatever that may mean to you!

Theme of the Week

Mania is upon us! And the crowd goes mild! Rather than do a typical review of the shows this week, I’m going to focus my efforts on Wrestlemania for two reasons. 1) The go-home shows don’t have a whole lot to offer (Raw in particular), and even the good stuff is tied so heavily into Mania that it works better to just write one big piece. 2) I mean, it’s Mania. Why would I look backward? This is one of the more exciting times of the year, and certainly the most high-profile. I have a lot of thoughts about this year’s card, so let’s just dive right in, shall we?

Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royale

The AMBAR or the ‘Dre, however you want to abbreviate it, has become a fun staple of Mania and an easy way to get everyone on the card. I also like that it’s building a nice legacy of winners with Cesaro, Big Show, and Baron Corbin the three winners to-date. We already have around 30 people confirmed for this event, and I imagine there will be a fun surprise or two, though no one of serious consequence. 

To me, barring an enormous surprise, there are only two possible entrants that could win this thing. And honestly, there’s really only one:

Braun should win and almost certainly will win, and given how little booking there has been for most of these guys, I imagine he’ll do most of the eliminating. But the other, very slim possibility?

Sami Zayn

If it wasn’t WWE, I’d say there was a huge payoff and pop waiting to happen with Sami shockingly eliminating Braun at the end to win. It wouldn’t hurt Braun if you make him look dominant during the match, but it could be a really big moment for Sami. But this is WWE, so...

The Pick: Braun Strowman eliminates half the entrants himself, we end up with a final three of Braun, Big Show, and Sami because WWE couldn’t give a fuck about Smackdown (this is going to be a theme). Braun eliminates both and starts on a path to a world title in 2017.

Austin Aries vs. Neville for the Cruiserweight Championship

I’m going to get to this with the Smackdown Women’s match, but I struggle with the Pre-Show designation for matches that are supposed to matter. I see the argument that it gives them significantly more time and a chance to do something memorable. But I really can’t get past the appearance that being on the Pre-Show makes these matches appear lesser.

In this particular case, though, I’m fine with the Cruiserweight match being on the pre-show. It’s a new division, and this is a nice building block, and this is a match that people should be really into because of how good these two are in the ring.

The Pick: Neville retains after a really strong, energetic match because Neville should hold this belt for like 6-plus months, look incredible throughout, and really build the division’s prestige up. And Aries is a great character that can take the loss.

Smackdown Women’s Championship Six-Pack

Okay, now I’m going to get upset. This match has no goddamn business being on the pre-show, and WWE is shitty as hell for putting it there while they continue to hype up the Women’s Revolution or what the fuck ever they call it. Hell, the same night it was announced this was on the pre-show, Stephanie McMahon had the nerve to retweet a story about the evolved state of women in the WWE. The whole women’s division’s handling this year is garbage, because the dirty little secret is that there were several great storylines in the women’s division they could have built for Mania matches in place of some of the garbage we’ll see on the main card, but instead they decided to pile them all into two matches, with only one on the main card.

I’m going to avoid too much fantasy booking here, though, so I’ll just say that the Smackdown women have been treated as second class by WWE since the beginning of the brand split, and for no goddamn reason at all. You can’t just expect the division to become important on its own, you have to occasionally give them the rub. Becky and Alexa have been doing great work since the brand split, Mickie has been a breath of fresh air and honestly might be the best female worker on the main roster (give me her over Bayley 1000x over), and Naomi was primed for a big pop at Mania. Having that match at night in Orlando and having Naomi’s entrance in a dark stadium would have been HYPED. To be frank, they utterly blew it, and I honestly can’t forgive it.

I couldn’t believe how mad I was when I heard the official word. I’d been bracing myself for it, but goddamn I was still furious when I saw the announcement. It sucks, and shows that WWE, for all their catchphrases, is still full of shit when it comes to truly supporting women’s wrestling.

/end rant

The Pick: I honestly don’t know. On the main card I would have picked Naomi for sure. But here, I think I’ll pick Becky to win, but mostly just because Becky is my personal soft spot for all things wrestling. I’d pick her to pin Braun Strowman if the opportunity came.

Ladder Match for the Raw Tag Team Championships

While I’m fresh off of the SDL women’s rant, here’s another one to bitch about. Why are six dudes with ground-based offense in a ladder match? What, is Sheamus gonna jump off the first rung and brogue kick someone? This is a waste of what’s usually a fun match.

Of course, it doesn’t help that WWE has lost all interest in booking coherent tag divisions on the main roster. I honestly had to think for a moment to remember which team held the belts and I watch the show every week.

Why couldn’t we have given this to the SDL women and have Alexa hit a Twisted Bliss off a ladder, or get a Mick Kick knock someone off the second rung, or Naomi do something bonkers-ass good from the top of the thing?

The Pick: Ugh, I guess Enzo and Cass. This likely will lead the show, and Cesaro will probably do some cool offense because he’s f-ing Cesaro, but the rest of the match will be a letdown. Unless, of course, it turns into a certain Broken ladder match, in which case I’ll retract all complaints.

Shane McMahon vs. AJ Styles

I’ve talked myself into this match so long as it ends with an AJ win and so long as the “Shane Spot” is cool but doesn’t damned near kill poor AJ. I won’t require it, but I do hope we get a long stretch of AJ just beating the shit out of Shane and dominating the match.

Hell, you can even use it to get to a Shane Spot. Have AJ beat Shane so bad he gets overconfident and leaves himself vulnerable to a Shane comeback that leads to Shane, like, climbing to the moon and jumping.

The Pick: AJ, obviously. Shane misses his big jump, AJ throws him through something dangerous, like a Wrestlemania sign, and the ref stops the match.

Kevin Owens vs. Chris Jericho for the US Championship

Easily the best told story in all of the Mania card. I’m excited for this match and I hope they’re smart enough to give it the necessary time. No one needs Shane/ AJ, Taker/ Reigns, or Trips/ Rollins to go 20+ minutes. Give this thing at least 15 in the ring and I fully expect it will turn out as the best match on the card by a lot.

The Pick: Owens wins in an all-time classic, and god willing, starts defending the US Title almost every Monday night.

Dean Ambrose vs. Baron Corbin for the Intercontinental Championship

When they were fighting with construction equipment backstage, I was excited for this match. I thought for certain that we’d be getting some ridiculous, fun, hardcore-style match that would see them fight backstage and let Ambrose do some of the bonkers stuff he wanted to do with Lesnar last year.

But since then, WWE has farted around with this feud and it now seems like it’s just a regular singles match. What a drag. Ambrose is best when he’s either in a blood feud or when he’s fighting outside of the ring. This feels like neither, and I’m worried this match might not be very good.

The Pick: Corbin wins for sure. WWE clearly likes the guy and wants to get him closer to the main event.

Triple H vs. Seth Rollins in an unsanctioned match

If it’s really unsanctioned, we shouldn’t be getting some over the top Trips entrance, right? Right? Oh, yeah, never mind. In all seriousness, Trips’ entrances at Mania are always among the high points of any show. I can’t even imagine what’s coming this year.

The real question this year is what happens with this unspoken faction that’s emerged with Trips, SmoJo, and KO. And seeing as how Samoa Joe isn’t booked anywhere else, there’s like a 99% chance he shows up in a big way here, right? But how does Rollins answer that? No matter how great you want Seth to look, you can’t expect him to beat SmoJo and Trips both. Are we in for a surprise on Seth’s side? I honestly can’t figure this one out, but I’m intrigued to see what they do.

The Pick: Seth wins, right? There’s no way Trips would put himself over. I think? I guess? Alright, yeah, if this faction is going somewhere, he might. Still, I’ll stick with Seth with some surprise help.

John Cena and Nikki Bella vs. The Miz and Maryse

Man, I’ve done the full pendulum with this one. At first, I was cringing when rumors were leaking out about this. And then Miz and Maryse did the work of a lifetime getting me excited by repeatedly wrecking Cena’s shit on the mic, culminating with Total Bellas Bullshit. But then, Cena’s return-fire promo on Smackdown Live last week smirked away all consequences of the feud and left me certain that this only ends one way.

The Pick: LOL Cena Wins. And probably not just win. I fear Cena is gonna show weakness for like a minute total, Nikki is gonna fuck Maryse’s shit up (even though Maryse was a pretty decent wrestler once upon a time) and these two are gonna win in the most insufferable way.

Elimination Match for the Raw Women’s Championship

Man, I’m nervous about this one, and about the Raw Women in general. This title has been inconsistent and overbooked since Summerslam and I’m worried this is going to be the culmination of that. Bayley has been, quite frankly, a botchy, nervous mess since her call-up and I don’t know that Wrestlemania is going to do anything to calm those nerves. Meanwhile, I’d guess we’re less than a week away from Sasha nailing a backstabber on Bayley and getting that heel turn, but in the meantime, Sasha’s been weird about this Bayley thing.

Nia has been fine in limited moments, but I don’t know what to think of her in a Mania match. It’s really going to come down to how much Charlotte and Sasha’s instincts can carry this thing. I worry this will end up being a letdown.

The Pick: Bayley retains if only so that we can get the Sasha heel turn.

Roman Reigns vs. The Undertaker

Ughhhhh. I just do not care about this one. Ideally, Reigns will pose and snarl over ‘Taker’s wrecked body, soaking in the boos from the crowd and flipping them the finger. Anything other than that, anything that keeps Reigns as a tweener or whatever the fuck alignment he is now, is going to suck.

The Pick: I guess Reigns, right? It’s hard to believe, and it’s honestly not going to do much for him, but Reigns ain’t losing, right?

Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt for the WWE Championship

That this isn’t the main event is lame. Lesnar and Goldie don’t give a fuck about WWE and in two years, I’d wager neither one will still be in the company. Orton has enough star power to merit a main event and that could do wonders for Wyatt’s stature.

Alas, we just have to know that it should be the main event. Though their prior encounter wasn’t much to get excited about, I have high hopes for this. They likely held back in their prior match given that they knew an alignment switch was coming.

As for the result, I’m torn. Wyatt just got the belt and could really use a longer reign to solidify himself. But Orton is Orton, and WWE has to like the thought of him anchoring Smackdown even if I’m nervous as hell about what they’ll do with him once this Wyatt business is concluded.

The Pick: Fuck it, I’m picking Wyatt. He needs a Mania win.

Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal Championship

I remain surprised that the WWE fans haven’t started shitting on this in the build to Mania. At this point, it probably won’t happen, though if the match stretches on for too long, it’s a distinct possibility.

But WWE is smart. This match won’t get even eight minutes, I predict, and half of that will be spent either glaring at each other or waiting for their competitor to get back to their feet.

The Pick: Lesnar ducks an early spear and the tide turns quickly against Goldberg. Maybe he gets a few clubbing shots in, but Lesnar wins in very strong fashion. And here’s hoping Lesnar doesn’t disappear until Summerslam afterward.

That’s it for this week. Here’s hoping Mania is at least tolerable! And hey, if nothing else, Raw and Smackdown should be fucking LIT next week. Until then...

[yesterdaysdreams]

July Faves

Hey guys! Time for another monthly faves post.

This month’s post is a hefty one, I’ve had lots of time to surf the Internet and be inspired by articles and ideas I see. It seems having a baby stuck to you while you spend all day on the sofa has its perks! July has passed in a bit of a daze, the first few weeks I barely left the house, but I’m happy to say that I’m feeling well enough to start venturing out, getting back into some low impact hikes and taking Frankie along for the ride! These last few days I’ve also been feeling really inspired and ready to get creative… Now if only Frankie would sleep long enough for me to get something done.

July Faves

Wearing

Loving all the puffed sleeve romantic dress and top styles that I have been seeing everywhere – makes me want to rent a villa in Tuscany! Here are a few faves: this black mini, this red and white striped top (and in blue and white!), this gorgeous red and white polkadot top,  and this white lace dress.

Soooo feeling everything yellow and burnt orange right now, is anyone else into it too? Here are a few dresses I’m so planning to wear on my next tropical vacation: this yellow lace maxi, this yellow dress, this stunning burnt orange dress (comes in soooo many colours!).

If you haven’t got into resin yet, perhaps it’s time to try it out? A pair of resin earrings (like these, these, these or these) are a new fave of mine.

Stumbled upon this bag brand a few years ago in Tokyo, I didn’t buy anything but the gorgeous woven leather designs have stuck in my mind. Which one would you choose?

Reading

I just read this book and loved it so much!

“Nothing good happens after 2 — 1 — 12…11?”. Sound familiar? Maybe you’re going through social menopause?

Making

Guys I’m so inspired to get creative, something that’s a bit of a challenge since I’ve mainly been glued to the sofa feeding Frankie! But it feels fantastic to get excited about making and creating, after the exhaustion of the third trimester.

Recently made my own vase lamp, using a lamp kit (from this website)! So so fun and excited to share more.

Sooo inspired to make some more projects for little Frankie, in the works currently? A brass mobile, a beautiful linen canopy and two new outfits.

Now that I’m sans bump, I’ve been so ready to get back into linen high waisted trousers (like these), think I’ll whip up a new pair!

Really inspired to do some painting! One reason being I bought a whole bunch of frames from Urban Outfitters which when they came I worked out they were all the wrong sizes for the art I have (hello baby brain), meaning I need to make some of my own. Art store here I come. In a parallel universe I would be able to paint like this… A girl can dream!

Nesting

Have fallen for all things related to dried flowers – particularly the whimsical vibes of pamper grasses and dried palm fronds. Expect to see so much more of that here.

LOVE the headboard of this bed, thinking it needs a little DIY action, don’t you think?

You know you’re old when you get excited about new towels. I picked up some gorgeous waffle knit ones from Zara Home and they’re so luxe!

Just added this shade of linen bedsheets to my roster, so pretty!

Banana pancake scented candle? Sign me up!

I want this pool so bad.

Mama-life

Waiting patiently for myself and Frankie to be recovered enough to go swimming, planning all those matching swimsuit moments (pathetic I know).

Frankie’s nursery has definitely got a theme happening (I know for a fact she’s a big fan of boobies!), so naturally I really want to get one of these custom made. You send a selfie of your own boobs and the ceramic artist makes a pot for you!

I liked this.

Images thanks to:

Hazel And Folk, Hazel And Folk, Spell Byron Bay, Layered Vintage, Nikki Joiner, Audrey Rivet, Justina Blakeney, The Joshua Tree House, With Jean, Markt Marche

The post July Faves appeared first on A Pair & A Spare.

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[flauntpage]

Extending Brett Brown is a No-Brainer

Was news of Brett Brown’s reported three-year contract extension a smoke screen for the Colangelo/Ringer bombshell?

I have no idea, but it’s not like any misdirection would be strong enough to pull us away from that story.

So on Tuesday, the most talked about Sixers’ news probably went in this order:

Colangelo Twitter allegations

Simmons dating Kendall Jenner report

Markelle Fultz doing cartwheels

Joel Embiid dunking on fools

Brett Brown extension

I could sit here and list out reasons why locking up Brett Brown is a good idea, but let’s actually do it in reverse order. Phil is not a Brown fan for many reasons, so I’ll give him the floor first to lay out his argument on why this is the wrong move.

Phil Keidel:

There’s nothing like getting it when you haven’t gotten it in a long time. For men, it can lead to “I love you” or even “will you marry me” way sooner than it should.

Some of you are nodding knowingly; a lot of you are pretending to know but you’re not fooling me.

Anyway, the Sixers hadn’t had it in a really long time — playoff basketball that is — and after winning one series against a pretty bad Miami Heat team and then getting humiliated by a crippled iteration of the Boston Celtics, the Sixers have extended their head coach for three seasons beyond the one he was already signed for.

And there’s no good reason why.

Even if you are willing to overlook the seasons where he had little talent (I don’t), judging him on only the past season still doesn’t justify this extension.

Ben Simmons won’t shoot from outside five feet. Markelle Fultz gave them nothing this season. Even if the coach didn’t draft these players, isn’t he supposed to make them better? In Fultz’s case, to make him play at all?

The Sixers won a lot of games in the Eastern Conference. The conference champion is an absurd underdog in the Finals. Making the playoffs in the Eastern Conference has little competitive value.

He worked with Gregg Popovich for awhile. Great. Charlie Weis worked for Bill Belichick, too. And Pop just fell out with Kawhi Leonard. Brand names aren’t always as good as the packaging.

Add in the multiple blown 20+ point leads — one in Game 2 of the Boston series — and the urgency to extend a 57-year-old basketball lifer just because he’s what’s here… just isn’t there.

Five years is a long time to go dry, but that’s no reason to put a ring on it before it’s even remotely necessary.”

For starters, I disagree with the stance on the Process years. I’m willing to overlook the seasons that Brett Brown coached Kendall Marshall and Phil Pressey and Henry Sims. I’m on the record saying that I considered 2017-18 to be his first year in charge of a real roster, but if you want to lump in the prior year to his evaluation period, the year where Joel Embiid played 30-some games and you had guys like Dario Saric and Ersan Ilysasova in the fold, then I think that’s probably fair.

Here’s the thing – and I mentioned this yesterday – but the modern-day NBA is less about coaching and much more about talent. How much coaching did Ty Lue, Mike D’Antoni, and Steve Kerr do in their respective conference finals? D’Antoni watched his team miss 27 straight three pointers in a game seven at home. Kerr found a way to play nine and 10-man rotations in games four and five. Lue just stood there watching LeBron James. Coaching matters to a point, then it’s all about star power from there.

Anyway, Phil mentions Ben Simmons’ inability to shoot. If you wanna blame Brett Brown for trying to mold a 6’10” ambidextrous dude into a point guard, sure, that’s fair, but I think you give it 2-3 years before deciding if it’s a success or failure. Markelle Fultz feels more like a Colangelo misstep at this point, but again, we’re a whopping one year into a kid’s NBA career. He turned 20 yesterday. Sure, Brown is ultimately responsible for improving these guys, but Markelle needs to get out of his own head and Ben just needs to start knocking down shots that we know he can make. You need a sample size > 1 season.

Yes, there’s no guarantee that assistants are automatic slam dunks. Phil correctly mentions Charlie Weis, who is 41-49 as a head coach. Romeo Crennel and Josh McDaniels were whatever at the helm after branching out from the same Belichick tree. James Borrego probably won’t do a ton with that Charlotte roster right away. I think the Spurs/Popovich thing is a little overvalued, if we’re being honest. Hiring the assistant brewer at Smuttynose doesn’t mean he or she is gonna automatically roll out a killer Old Brown Dog spinoff at your industrial park startup. The water is different and so are the co-workers and customers.

As for the blown leads, I’d simply chalk that up to a young team not knowing how to close out games. The Sixers were fast starters and came ready to play. Isn’t that a credit to the coach that his team was often prepared? You can’t blow a big lead if you don’t build a big lead, but you know as well as I do that the NBA is a game of runs, and the Warriors’ third quarters in these playoffs should prove that. It’s misguided to think that any double-digit lead built up in the 1st or 2nd period is going to OBVIOUSLY hold until the end of the game. The Sixers got much better at this as the season continued.

But more than anything, when you evaluate Brett Brown, you need to look at what he’s building here from a big picture sense. Here’s a coach that won 52 games with a rookie converted point guard and second-year big man coming off of multiple injuries. He’s constructing a high-tempo, pass-happy team that values the sharing of the basketball, three-point shooting, defense, and consistent rhythm and flow. He is diametrically opposed to slowing the game down and playing isolation ball, which he’s said on the record several times before. He doesn’t want to walk the ball up the floor and play a deliberate and conservative game just to curb turnovers and stem runs.

Now, of course you can approach that philosophically and say that it’s stupid to try to mirror what the Warriors are doing. Playoff basketball, as Boston and Cleveland showed us, is about defensive matchups, hunting mismatches, exploiting weaknesses, and game planning around or against superstars. The Sixers were a freight train built for the regular season that hit the skids in the playoffs. Brown’s biggest challenge moving forward will be to tweak his team for April and May basketball while keeping intact the fan-friendly and aesthetically pleasing brand that he’s installed over the last few years.

If you accept that, you can tolerate blown leads and turnovers, because that’s just a natural by-product of the play style. The Warriors get disjointed and sloppy, too, and they cough up the ball and go cold from the floor. But when they’re on, they’re on, and it’s the best thing to watch in the association. Similar to Chip Kelly’s Oregon, Brett Brown is not going to line up with a fullback and run out the clock. Should he learn how to do it? Maybe.

As for the timeout issue, yeah, I think Brett can be better there. I think he got better with it as the season progressed and he became comfortable with the new rules, and you’d see him often call time right the beginning of an opponent run, or when he saw something defensively he didn’t like. He’d usually nip it in the bud, so game two in Boston was a bit of a head-scratcher to me. He also should have kept T.J. McConnell in during game two and was slow to make his adjustments overall.

And when it comes to play calls, Brett Brown is not incapable of dialing up looks for JJ Redick from dribble hand-offs and a variety of off-ball screens. He’s not incapable of baseline designs that get Ben Simmons posted up on the low block. He called some beautiful “horns” sets this season and was very good in ATO and BLOB/SLOB situations.

At the end of game four in Miami, he whipped up two brilliant calls, essentially icing the game with this Redick/Embiid fake pick and roll + DHO action:

So whether or not he calls more set plays or prefers to let his players freestyle out there, that’s a really interesting thing to pay attention to going into this next season, when the stakes are higher and the excuses are fewer.

I always viewed this season as a developmental year bridging the end of the Process era to the future. For that reason, I wouldn’t have cared whether the Sixers won 52 games or 32 games if we saw significant progress. Ben Simmons looks like a stud who needs to work on his shooting. Joel Embiid became an All-Star. Dario Saric was an unheralded banger. Redick was, more or less, a natural fit. The jury is still out on post-contract Robert Covington and Fultz was really the only true disappointment of the season.

So if the alternative is to fire Brett Brown (and bring in who?), or to leave him guessing on the final year of his deal, I don’t think either of those strategies make sense. Most teams are going to extend a 52-win coach with a young core of players who like him. If he ultimately fails, like Dwane Casey, then you can always justifiably pull the plug after 59-23 and a semifinals sweep.

We’re not at that point yet. We’re not even close to it.

Extending Brett Brown is a No-Brainer published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

[worstbooked-blog]

Is Triple H Running the WWE?

In recent years it has been pretty apparent who the WWE had earmarked for future greatness. The Rock, Brock Lesner, John Cena and Kurt Angle where all pushed very early in there professional wrestling careers without the need to pay their dues. But do any of the present roster stand out in the same way? Here's a fast take a look at a number of the stars who may probably be the subsequent principal event superstar.

Randy Orton.

Worst WWE Wrestlers 2017

If it wasn't for Orton's horrible angle and behavioral issues Randy Orton would already be one in all WWE's prime canine. His first run as champion came too soon and was a panic resolution after Chris Benoit's title reign failed to deliver rankings success, this plus the issue that WWE pushed him as a fan favorite however because of his arrogant attitude the followers the place by no means prone to besides Orton. Each time Orton has been thought-about for a title run since he is completed some thing stupid to put the stoppers on it.

It was believed Orton would feud with Triple H at Summerslam upon Triple H's return however it's now recognized Triple H is pushing for Orton to be given a run as champion as he feels Orton is ready and the fans perspective in the direction of John Cena could be greater if he spent a bit time chasing the title as a substitute of holding it, the query is will Orton screw up earlier than that point?

Johnny Nitro

A variety of wrestling experts have commented on Nitro claiming him to be the "next Shawn Michaels". His character actually resembles Michaels in his early profession, from his cocky angle to his in the ring look however what number of "next Shawn Michaels" have there been over time and what number of have reached the identical heights? This mentioned it does seem WWE administration assume a substantial amount of Johnny Nitro and should you proves he can handle himself as ECW world champion then his subsequent reign may very well be proper on the very prime of the WWE.

Bobby Lashley

Not precisely a revelation however WWE obviously see Lashley as a potential Megastar. His look and powerhouse model will all the time win him fans however despite been given large air time and the benefit of feuding with Vince McMahon (McMahon only ever feuds with guys earmarked for the top) I have never been overly impressed. He is positively bettering however for me the jury continues to be out on whether Lashley can really reside up to the WWE's high expectations.

Mr. Kennedy

Most likely the perfect employee on the microphone since The Rock, which was always going to provide him a huge benefit over the remainder of the competition. Entertaining and little question a massive fan following awaits once he's carried out his half as an heel ( something Lesner, Cena, Angle and The Rock all did). Slight improvement on his in ring performances and an extended spell without being sidelined by injuries might yet see Mr. Kennedy fulfilling his dream of competing in the main event of Wrestlemania .

CM Punk

Punk would definitely be one of the followers high picks but throughout the WWE itself issues don't appear as possible. He was famously on the end of a slating from Triple H and Shawn Michaels (they said he could not "work" a WWE style match) and his clear dwelling persona may not make him the preferred man backstage.

His strong belief in the clean dwelling angle could nevertheless be a blessing for CM Punk, with the latest problems WWE have had with the media over steroid abuse who would make a greater champion than CM Punk. Bret Hart's street to the top was helped within the ninety's because of the steroids trial of Vince McMahon perhaps CM Punk could benefit in a similar method.

MVP

WWE have up to now been impressed with the performances of MVP both within the ring and on the microphone which bodes effectively for the way forward for MVP. Certainly not the frontrunner to be the WWE's subsequent massive thing but if others slip up MVP might very nicely step into the higher tier of the WWE.

Marcus Cor Von

When wrestling in TNA as Monty Brown he was seen as a star of the long run but since becoming a member of WWE issues have not fairly continued in the same vein. This isn't a complete shock nevertheless as WWE have in recent times made wrestlers coming from exterior the WWE's personal improvement promotions work tougher and in the midst of the cardboard before permitting them to shine. Some really feel this is to make WWE appear superior to and more durable to conquer than other promotions, whether true or not Marcus Cor Von isn't presently the place he'd prefer to be within the WWE's pecking order.

Nonetheless, don't discount Cor Von's probabilities of becoming the subsequent large thing as WWE clearly noticed something in him to convey Marcus Cor Von to the corporate in the first place and perhaps once he is proven WWE his dedication to the corporate he might get the push that almost all of us anticipated.

Let's hope one among these guys can make it as the following neatest thing as although none are the finished article all are open, and able to, enchancment and of putting on decent entertaining matches. I might a lot relatively see any of these guys given an opportunity to fight at the prime of the card than the likes of Mark Henry and The Nice Khali any day of the week.

THQ and WWE have an extended business relationship. Annually, the corporate is up with new wrestling games based mostly on this largest professional-wrestling promotion in the world. The gameplay and graphics turn into more advanced annually and the followers seem to be very pleased with it. But THQ has decided to shake up their plans about their latest wrestling recreation. They need to let the fans have a very new WWE gaming experience from this yr and the mystery will likely be unveiled on the Digital Leisure Expo this yr. The publisher has planned two individual WWE based games this 12 months, WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2011 and a brand new recreation referred to as WWE All Stars. The first will launch later this fall and the later is predicted to be obtainable from early 2011. The two games, as stated by the THQ officials, can be distinctly different from one another, both visually and gameplay wise. Let's take a look at the synopsis of those two games right here.

WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2011

THQ guaranteed that the visual effect of the newest model of SVR 2011 will likely be fully different. Due to the new physics system; any further every desk you crash by, every chair shot you are taking and every ladder you leap from; it can appear like extra true to life. How the wrestlers will use them is up to them. They may bash them on the opponent or use them for extra advanced architectural violence. For instance, they may lean one ladder in opposition to one other to make use of it as a launching ramp or stack a desk on prime of another. So when the body crashes through it, it seems to be cool. Developers are planning to use this new physics to the vehicles as properly. Things appear to be much more thrilling.

WWE All Stars

If you happen to search for an over-the-prime recreation, WWE All Stars is what's going to suit you most. This model new wrestling promotion is being developed by THQ San Diego and veteran sport designer Sal DiVita is the brain behind this mission. He's leading the WWE All Stars Creative Team. The identical workforce has additionally labored for 2008's TNA Impression sport. The control of this recreation is completely different and reportedly rather more fascinating than SVR. In consequence, the game play expertise will probably be much more vivid and fascinating for the gamers. The combos are simply superior. The sport seems to be a compelling combination of outdated and new skills of WWE superstars. So maintain your breath as far more will likely be revealed this about WWE All Stars in 2011. Until then, keep tuned!

Kurt Angle's current contract with TNA expires this August. In latest months, Angle was probably not vocal about his former organization WWE like he was once within the first few months when he left it. In sure occasions, he even expressed his desire to depart TNA. All of these incidents started speculations that the former WWE superstar might make a return to it. Nonetheless, very just lately Kurt Angle addressed all these rumors to be false and hinted that will not ever return to WWE again.

Why did Kurt Angle go away WWE?

These are two foremost causes behind Kurt Angle's exit from WWE:

• Kurt was not happy with the artistic workforce of WWE. He was getting good publicity, was being concerned in great storylines however he believed WWE was not using him to his fullest. Also, he was probably not proud of the way in which wrestling matches were shaping up. He wished to exhibit his athletic excellence to the fullest, however he was not allowed to take action, as he clarified in a lot of his interviews after leaving WWE.

• The second cause was even more vital. Angle was not happy with the tight schedule that WWE usually has and he believed it was taking a toll on him. He wanted a lighter schedule which WWE was not keen to offer him. Kurt Angle then though of disassociating him with the group.

Why is Kurt Angle not going to rejoin WWE?

Time heals every part and the same is a truth on this case as nicely. Kurt Angle always accepted the truth that it was WWE that brought him to skilled wrestling which led to all these applaud that he at present enjoys. Things went bitter when he left WWE but now he likes to regulate his tongue earlier than making any foul feedback on WWE. However, that doesn't mean he's going to affix WWE again. He's extraordinarily proud of the way his TNA career has formed up. He has hinted that he might stop wrestling altogether however he will never once more join WWE. He would higher be concerned in TNA, not as a wrestler, but he'll prefer to be a part of it and entertain audiences.

Coronary heart failure induced the death of one other former WWE star Lance Cade. The wrestler died a untimely dying on the age of 29 solely. Cade aka Lance McNaught was a pupil of the "Coronary heart Break Kid" Shawn Michaels and started his profession in 1999. Cade quickly turned an expert and worked in Japan and was later signed by Vincent Kennedy McMahon in a developmental contract.

Within the 12 months 2003, Lance Cade was teamed up with Mark Jindrak as an emerging tag team they usually were given a spot in Uncooked. The tag crew spilt a 12 months later and Lance teamed up with Trevor Murdoch. The duo spent three years together and in addition gained the WWE Tag Team Championship during this tenure. The duo had received the tag titles 3 times and each Cade and Murdoch were thought of as the subsequent era WWE superstars.

However despite a considerable hike to his in-ring character, Cade failed to succeed in the heights as a singles performer and was lastly launched by WWE in 2008. He joined FCW, the developmental territory of WWE in September 2009 and was launched from there as effectively in April 2010.

Details on the reason for his dying are yet to be revealed. Throughout his total career Cade battled prescription drug points and that reportedly was instrumental in his release from WWE. At the moment, he was in the midst of a major storyline developed around his mentor Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho. Cade was scheduled to headline a professional wrestling show at Sumo Corridor in Tokyo, Japan on Aug. 29. WWE formally released a press release on thirteenth August, 2010 and the organization extended its deepest condolences to the McNaught family. Several current and former WWE superstars like Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley and Matt Hardy have been surprised by the untimely loss of life of Cade and conveyed their prayers and thoughts to Cade's family.

Only some weeks back, the wrestling fans were shocked to see a cameo look by Booker T in a Friday night TNA house show in Lake Charles, Texas. The TNA officials had announced earlier that as a result of AJ Type's incapacity to perform that evening's primary occasion; he will be changed by none other than the "5 Time WCW Champion." Booker T. Booker tried to play a heel during his cameo and so as to take action; he appeared down upon the TNA fans and the promotion itself. Booker said he is here solely to win the TNA World Heavyweight Title. Because it happens within the cameo appearances, Booker fought nicely however succumbed to RVD, the TNA World Heavyweight Champion following a 5 Star Frog Splash.

This look drew some consideration of the fans as Booker has parted ways from TNA final yr and reportedly shares a sour relationship with the TNA management. He was severely criticized for poor locker room presence and was all phrases about how he can be a part of WWE at any time when he wanted. To make things even worse, he even refused to take the job to Matt Morgan, then thought-about as a less in style TNA wrestler. This was a severe violation of company guidelines and TNA determined to not entertain Booker further. Since then there was no Booker T in TNA and after this cameo appearance, fans thought this would possibly the first step of his return to TNA. However TNA officers have confirmed that it was only a one-time take care of Booker and no further negotiation has taken place in the intervening time.

There were rumors that WWE continues to be all for Booker T, however only if he decides to keep up a full schedule. But on the age of 45, this may properly not be doable for him. WWE thinks he isn't necessary enough to appear as an element-time wrestler, one thing that HBK or The Undertaker enjoys at these later years of his career. WWE refused a similar proposal in case of Jeff Hardy and RVD as properly which was a significant component of their signing with TNA. Now we had to wait and watch Booker's subsequent step which is able to actually decide his profession as an in-ring performer.

[11wwewrestlers-blog]

11 WWE Wrestlers Released (Fired) in 2007

The Wrestler Owen Hart

Kurt Angle's current contract with TNA expires this August. In current months, Angle was not really vocal about his former group WWE like he was once within the first few months when he left it. In sure occasions, he even expressed his want to go away TNA. All of those incidents started speculations that the previous WWE superstar could make a return to it. However, very not too long ago Kurt Angle addressed all these rumors to be false and hinted that will not ever return to WWE once more.

Why did Kurt Angle leave WWE?

These are two important causes behind Kurt Angle's exit from WWE:

• Kurt was not satisfied with the inventive group of WWE. He was getting good publicity, was being concerned in great storylines but he believed WWE was not utilizing him to his fullest. Additionally, he was not likely proud of the way in which wrestling matches had been shaping up. He needed to exhibit his athletic excellence to the fullest, however he was not allowed to take action, as he clarified in many of his interviews after leaving WWE.

• The second reason was much more important. Angle was not proud of the tight schedule that WWE usually has and he believed it was taking a toll on him. He wished a lighter schedule which WWE was not keen to present him. Kurt Angle then although of disassociating him with the organization.

Why is Kurt Angle not going to rejoin WWE?

Time heals the whole lot and the same is a fact on this case as nicely. Kurt Angle at all times accepted the fact that it was WWE that introduced him to skilled wrestling which led to all these applaud that he presently enjoys. Things went sour when he left WWE but now he likes to regulate his tongue before making any foul feedback on WWE. However, that does not imply he is going to affix WWE back. He is extremely happy with the way in which his TNA profession has shaped up. He has hinted that he may stop wrestling altogether nonetheless he will never once more be a part of WWE. He would higher be concerned in TNA, not as a wrestler, but he will wish to be a part of it and entertain audiences.

Kurt Angle mainly is excited with TNA's development lately and put up-wrestling profession, he desires to be concerned with whereabouts of the manufacturing home where he has 30% shares - North Shore Photos. Who knows, perhaps an performing career is in the playing cards for this legendary wrestler!

In recent times it has been pretty apparent who the WWE had earmarked for future greatness. The Rock, Brock Lesner, John Cena and Kurt Angle the place all pushed very early in there pro wrestling careers with out the need to pay their dues. However do any of the present roster stand out in the same method? Here is a fast take a look at a few of the stars who might potentially be the subsequent important occasion famous person.

Randy Orton.

If it wasn't for Orton's horrible perspective and behavioral issues Randy Orton would already be one among WWE's high canines. His first run as champion got here too soon and was a panic choice after Chris Benoit's title reign didn't convey rankings success, this plus the issue that WWE pushed him as a fan favorite however due to his boastful attitude the fans the place never likely to except Orton. Every time Orton has been considered for a title run since he is finished some thing stupid to place the stoppers on it.

It was believed Orton would feud with Triple H at Summerslam upon Triple H's return however it is now identified Triple H is pushing for Orton to be given a run as champion as he feels Orton is ready and the fans perspective in direction of John Cena would be greater if he spent somewhat time chasing the title as a substitute of holding it, the query is will Orton screw up earlier than that time?

Johnny Nitro

A lot of wrestling consultants have commented on Nitro claiming him to be the "subsequent Shawn Michaels". His character certainly resembles Michaels in his early career, from his cocky perspective to his in the ring look however how many "subsequent Shawn Michaels" have there been through the years and how many have reached the same heights? This mentioned it does seem WWE management suppose a substantial amount of Johnny Nitro and in the event you proves he can handle himself as ECW world champion then his subsequent reign could possibly be proper at the very prime of the WWE.

Bobby Lashley

Not precisely a revelation but WWE obviously see Lashley as a potential Megastar. His look and powerhouse type will always win him followers but despite been given huge air time and the good thing about feuding with Vince McMahon (McMahon solely ever feuds with guys earmarked for the highest) I have never been overly impressed. He's positively improving however for me the jury continues to be out on whether Lashley can actually stay as much as the WWE's excessive expectations.

Mr. Kennedy

Probably the very best employee on the microphone since The Rock, which was always going to give him a huge advantage over the remainder of the competitors. Entertaining and no doubt a large fan following awaits once he is executed his half as an heel ( one WWE Wrestlers Released in 2007 thing Lesner, Cena, Angle and The Rock all did). Slight enchancment on his in ring performances and a long spell with out being sidelined by injuries could but see Mr. Kennedy fulfilling his dream of competing in the primary occasion of Wrestlemania .

CM Punk

Punk would positively be one of many fans prime picks however throughout the WWE itself issues don't seem as potential. He was famously on the end of a slating from Triple H and Shawn Michaels (they stated he could not "work" a WWE type match) and his clean residing persona could not make him the preferred guy backstage.

His strong belief within the clean dwelling attitude may however be a blessing for CM Punk, with the recent issues WWE have had with the media over steroid abuse who would make a better champion than CM Punk. Bret Hart's street to the top was helped within the ninety's due to the steroids trial of Vince McMahon perhaps CM Punk could benefit in a similar method.

MVP

WWE have to this point been impressed with the performances of MVP each in the ring and on the microphone which bodes effectively for the way forward for MVP. Certainly not the frontrunner to be the WWE's next huge thing but if others slip up MVP might very effectively step into the upper tier of the WWE.

Marcus Cor Von

When wrestling in TNA as Monty Brown he was seen as a star of the future however since becoming a member of WWE things have not quite continued in the same vein. This is not a complete shock however as WWE have in recent times made wrestlers coming from outdoors the WWE's own improvement promotions work tougher and in the middle of the cardboard earlier than permitting them to shine. Some really feel this is to make WWE appear superior to and more durable to conquer than other promotions, whether true or not Marcus Cor Von is not presently the place he'd like to be in the WWE's pecking order.

Still, do not discount Cor Von's chances of turning into the following massive thing as WWE clearly noticed something in him to convey Marcus Cor Von to the company within the first place and maybe as soon as he is proven WWE his dedication to the company he might get the push that most of us anticipated.

Let's hope one in every of these guys can make it as the following best thing as although none are the finished article all are open, and capable of, enchancment and of placing on respectable entertaining matches. I would a lot rather see any of those guys given an opportunity to battle at the prime of the card than the likes of Mark Henry and The Great Khali any day of the week.

THQ and WWE have a protracted business relationship. Each year, the corporate is up with new wrestling video games based mostly on this largest professional-wrestling promotion on the planet. The gameplay and graphics become more advanced each year and the followers seem to be very proud of it. However THQ has determined to shake up their plans about their newest wrestling sport. They want to let the fans have a completely new WWE gaming experience from this 12 months and the mystery might be unveiled on the Electronic Entertainment Expo this year. The publisher has deliberate two individual WWE based games this year, WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2011 and a model new game referred to as WWE All Stars. The first will launch later this fall and the later is predicted to be available from early 2011. The two games, as stated by the THQ officers, will likely be distinctly completely different from one another, each visually and gameplay smart. Let's have a look at the synopsis of those two games right here.

WWE SmackDown! vs. Uncooked 2011

THQ guaranteed that the visible effect of the most recent version of SVR 2011 will be completely different. Because of the new physics system; to any extent further each desk you crash by means of, each chair shot you are taking and each ladder you leap from; it is going to seem like extra true to life. How the wrestlers will use them is up to them. They may bash them on the opponent or use them for more complex architectural violence. For example, they may lean one ladder towards one other to use it as a launching ramp or stack a desk on top of another. So when the body crashes through it, it looks cool. Builders are planning to use this new physics to the cars as properly. Things seem to be a lot more exciting.

WWE All Stars

In case you search for an over-the-high recreation, WWE All Stars is what's going to swimsuit you most. This brand new wrestling promotion is being developed by THQ San Diego and veteran game designer Sal DiVita is the brain behind this undertaking. He's main the WWE All Stars Inventive Staff. The same crew has additionally labored for 2008's TNA Impression sport. The control of this game is different and reportedly far more fascinating than SVR. Because of this, the game play experience will probably be rather more vivid and attention-grabbing for the players. The combos are simply awesome. The game seems to be a compelling combination of previous and new talents of WWE superstars. So maintain your breath as much more might be revealed this about WWE All Stars in 2011. Till then, keep tuned!

WWE has lately released a few of their superstars and officers, but once more. The list includes some huge names like Maria and Gregory "Hurricane" Helms. Along with these two, the remaining who got pink slips are Paul Burchill, Charlie Haas and referee Scott Armstrong.

Maria who recently turned 28 was arguably one of the vital standard female faces of the corporate. She was the cover woman of Playboy and had additionally gained "Diva of the Year" Slammy Award in 2009 - an award where the winners are voted by the followers. The star has been axed after being with the corporate for six lengthy years and she tweeted lately that the information was fairly shocking to her. Significantly for the fans of Maria as she was one op the highest most divas in the enterprise as of late and it will really be robust for WWE to replenish her house.

Gregory Helms' exit was less surprising though for the fans. The wrestler was not too long ago arrested and charged with being "intoxicated in a public place" in Kentucky along with Chris Jericho. He was not a serious card wrestler anyway and was given a less important position in currently defunct ECW. He's anticipated to hitch TNA quickly and has already made a verbal agreement with the organization. TNA has plans to start out a new steady with Jeff hardy, Shannon Moore, Helms and Jesse Neal.

Many people especially males are fond of watching action-packed scenes resembling movies, extreme sports and dangerous stunts. But what do men remarkably appreciated are the actions throughout the ring. Even children favored it as properly. What we're referring to here is the WWE or World Wrestling Leisure. WWE is likely one of the highest types of amusement next to NBA. As a consequence of its success, numerous WWE collectibles happen to be created. These include video games, toys and lastly WWE Halloween costumes.

Halloween is a special occasion for both kids and adults. It's as a result of this is the time of the year whereby they'll costume like heroes they would like to be. For guys, macho look will be frequent this Halloween season. If that is the case, WWE costume is a thing that it is best to take into consideration. Show how powerful and robust you are in entrance of the crowd by carrying such a wonderful costume with a touch of WWE. It is as much as you to choose which character you'd prefer to characterize. However for individuals who are still confused until now, below are a number of suggestions that will assist you.

Mark William Calaway also referred to as the Undertaker is among the many famous skilled wrestlers. Who among of us will not recognize the demonic-confronted wrestler who normally wears black sleeveless gown with equivalent tribal pants? If you're one of his lovers, you'll be able to impersonate him and turn out to be the crowd's celebrity. Make a incredible entrance placing some dry ice with the lights off. However one factor that you shouldn't neglect would be the belt as though you stand as the World Champion. You can even put some henna tattoos to signify that Undertaker look. Perform your Tombstone pile-driver, smack your opponent and present your demonic face to the crowd this Halloween season.

Have you ever ever dreamt of becoming of one in all WWE hall of famers? If yes then, this is your likelihood to be certainly one of them and that's by wearing this awesome Hulk Hogan costume. What are you hanging around? Put your blue bandana in your head and turn into a macho man this Halloween season. Hulk Hogan costume is actually simple but it will actually create a huge impact to the attendees. Everybody knows Hulk Hogan and impersonating him will surely carry head turns on the market.

The costume also consists of some extras like wig, mustache and combat sneakers to definitely signify the determine you need to be. Different costumes accessible embody:

[yahoo-shutdown-corner-blog]

What do the Packers do now? Plus: Will there be a Super Bowl rematch?

Welcome to the War Room, where Yahoo Sports’ football minds kick around the big topics of the day. Today, we’re talking Green Bay—what do the Packers do now that Aaron Rodgers is out for the year? Plus: with a New England Patriots/Atlanta Falcons rematch on the horizon, what are the chances for a Super Bowl repeat? All this and more, this week in the War Room.

Question 1: Congratulations, you’re the Packers’ general manager! What the hell do you do now that your Hall of Fame quarterback is out for the year?

Zach Pereles First things first, I’m *gasp* holding steady with what I’ve got in Brett Hundley as my starter. Following his sophomore season at UCLA, pundits thought Hundley could be a first-rounder. But he stayed in college and dropped amid accuracy issues and pocket awareness concerns. He’s a very very good athlete, a dual-threat, and he’ll be surrounded by talented playmakers. The Packers get the Saints at Lambeau on Sunday and then a bye. I’m not one to make rash decisions. I’ll trust my coaching staff to give Hundley a game plan that emphasizes his strengths — getting him out of the pocket via play-action and maximizing opportunities to use his legs — and masks his weaknesses.

But if Hundley struggles, I’m looking to trade. The Packers will have a boatload of picks in 2018, and there are plenty of guys available. Look at Scott Tolzien, who will soon be the third-stringer in Indy but knows the Green Bay system very well. What about Colt McCoy in Washington? The Redskins love having him around as an insurance policy, but the market is opening up for Kirk Cousins this offseason. McCoy’s days in Washington could be numbered if the Redskins have to go in a completely new direction there. The Dolphins have said they won’t go with Matt Moore no matter how much Jay Cutler struggles. Could he be an option? I’m making calls soon, but not until after Hundley makes his first-ever NFL start.

Frank Schwab The Packers have developed Brett Hundley for three seasons. He has looked good in the preseason. He has looked so good in those preseason games, he has been a subject of trade rumors. It would be absolute madness to travel down any other road. The Dolphins’ experience with Jay Cutler should tell us that grabbing a guy out of retirement isn’t always smart (I’m not sure why Tony Romo would leave his job anyway; he’s pretty good at it). Anyone available in trade, like Scott Tolzien, just gives everyone a newer face than Hundley to complain about. We know Tolzien is bad; we’re not sure if Hundley is good or bad yet. No good quarterback is available in a trade in mid-October. Teams aren’t trading a good backup quarterback in Week 7, unless it’s for a ransom. Anyone available in free agency is available for a reason. Even Colin Kaepernick would need time to learn the offense and get comfortable, whereas Hundley knows all of that and has shown potential. When fans come up with fantasy scenarios at quarterback, they rarely acknowledge how difficult it would be for any quarterback to learn a brand new system in the middle of a season (or that the names they throw out aren’t any better than a team’s current options). The Packers might want to upgrade the backup position behind Hundley, but the Packers can’t consider anyone other than Hundley to start. Why develop him, watch him perform well in the preseason, then go find a probably worse option when Aaron Rodgers goes down?

Anthony Sulla-Heffinger After I’m done crying myself to sleep, I’m waking up and standing pat with my quarterbacks right now. There’s no possible way Green Bay can replace Aaron Rodgers, but the quarterback trade market is woefully thin and none of the available options represent a significant enough upgrade from Brett Hundley for me to make a panicked move. I’m not prepared to give up any worthwhile assets (remember, Sam Bradford fetched a first-round pick last year) for what essentially amounts to a 10-game rental at the very least. Assuming the rest of the team can get/stay healthy, Hundley might be able to survive as a game manager and keep the Packers afloat in the NFC North, leaning on an improved running game with Aaron Jones and Ty Montgomery and a defense that can hopefully continue to be a bend-but-not-break unit.

Jay Busbee The Packers don’t have the luxury of playing in, say, the AFC South, where a 9-7 record might be good enough to get in the playoffs. Detroit and Minnesota look stronger than Green Bay right now, and even Chicago could give the Packers a run if Mitchell Trubisky continues his upward trajectory. What’s the upside? This is one year that you just have to accept reality. There’s no “L” in Packers, but there’s a big one right there at the front of Lambeau Field.

Jordan Schultz I’m calling Colin Kaepernick! Brett Hundley has been in our system three years and STILL looks like a deer in the head lights. Here’s the thing: Aaron Rodgers covers up a ton of holes on our roster. Our offensive line is battered right now and we rank 18th in the league in points allowed. That number will only worsen with our battered secondary. Come to think of it, we have no running game to speak of: sixth-worst in pro football to be precise. And that is precisely why a 29-year-old Kap makes so much sense. We can dumb things down for him while he gets accustomed to the playbook. Read-option, quick hitters, designed QB draws: the things he does well.

So much is made about Rodgers’ ability outside the pocket. Make no mistake: Kap isn’t in that class. But we know we can roll him out. He certainly possesses that skill set. How many available quarterbacks on the street—right now—can say the same thing? Remember too, Colin is from Milwaukee; he grew up a huge Packer fan. No free agent or backup will be hungrier to achieve success either. And, despite all the talk of him being a potential distraction, this was someone whom his 49ers teammates awarded the Len Eshmont Award for his “inspirational and courageous play” last season. LAST SEASON! Not 5 years ago.

Look, we’ve been to the postseason eight straight years. We have three terrific receivers in Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Davante Adams. We essentially know Aaron is shut down for the duration of this season. Kaepernick is far from perfect, but he’s ideal for us: Remember, he compiled 18 total touchdowns and just four interceptions, along with nearly 500 yards rushing, in part-time duty for a really bad 49ers team last year. If you’re asking me which quarterback gives us the best possible chance to win football games, it’s Colin Kaepernick, and I’m not sure it’s even close.

[Enter the $100K Baller football contest. $10 to enter and $10K to 1st place]

Blake Schuster I suddenly feel a bit better about talking myself out of taking Rodgers as my QB for the next 10 years. As for the actual Packers, I’m sticking with Hundley. This guy has been in the system for a few years and had the privilege of working with Rodgers for all of them. I have to think Mike McCarthy walking into the locker room and saying “this is our guy” would help boost confidence and get the team to rally around him. The NFC North isn’t exactly a murderers row right now. It’s totally possible for the Packers to win the division and give Rodgers a chance to gut it out in the playoffs if it comes to that. Green Bay just needs to trust that it already has their quarterback.

What do the Packers do now? (AP)

Question 2: The Patriots and the Falcons have their Super Bowl rematch this weekend. Give your assessment of these two teams’ fortunes, fates, and likelihood for a February rematch at this point in the season.

I’ll be shocked if we see Atlanta back in the Super Bowl. Not because it doesn’t have the talent, but because it’s clear this isn’t the same team as last year. Maybe it’s the dreaded hangover or maybe it’s the loss of Kyle Shanahan. Either way, this team is trending in the wrong direction after opening the season with so much promise. So you can expect New England to jump on the opportunity to twist the knife a bit more in the rematch this week. What better way to prove to the team that almost beat you that they were frauds than to blow them out the next time you see them? Atlanta may think the Super Bowl was a game that got away from them but the Patriots get the chance to show that 25-point lead was more of a fluke than anything. –Schuster

I’m actually more disappointed in New England. The defense is slow—really slow. The surprise is how unsound that unit is. I can’t remember seeing a Patriot defense miss so many tackles. The Stephon Gilmore and Malcolm Butler duo at corner has been a disaster. Gilmore has looked lost and confused. Butler has been a shell of the Second-Team All-Pro player he was a year ago. He looks soft and unsure of himself, which is why he’s not pressing well either. Their ineptitude is a big reason why the Pats rank dead last in both total defense and passing defense.

Tom Brady has been excellent for the most part, and I’m not sure he can’t bail the defense out the rest of the season. You almost forget that he’s 40 years old. Then again, the running game has been virtually nonexistent. They miss LeGarrette Blount more than I thought they would. His physicality and ability in short yardage down the stretch of games cannot be replicated. A healthy Dion Lewis offers a new dimension and I think he will ultimately become a really key part of this offense, but he’s a smaller guy, not a 15-touch type of player.

I thought Atlanta would struggle. Everything went so well in 2016: Matt Ryan played out of his mind, Julio Jones stayed healthy, the offensive line was strong and the defense overachieved when Desmond Trufant went down. Don’t get me wrong: This is still a very good football team. But the NFC South is brutal and if Ryan —six interceptions the last three games—doesn’t stop turning the ball over, the offense will only continue to sputter. Not scoring a single second half point at home against Miami has to be a huge wake-up call internally. This is a new season and the Falcons’ 3-2 record could just as easily be 1-4. –Schultz

I’m amazed at the mediocrity of both teams so far. The Patriots have played about one great half all season, against New Orleans in Week 2. The Falcons haven’t been much better. They’re a couple of late Bears drops and a few inches on Golden Tate’s final catch from being 1-4. That said, I still think these are two good rosters. There’s no reason they will be stuck playing like average teams all season. The rosters are way too good. Also, there are no favorites in the NFL right now. Every team is beatable. I’m figuring on both teams getting hot in the second half and going into the playoffs as a dangerous opponent. I can’t say it’s likely they both make the Super Bowl, but it could still happen. –Schwab

I’m far more concerned about Atlanta than I am about New England. Sure, the Patriots’ defense is among the league’s worst, but they have looked just as powerful as ever on offense. I’m betting on Bill Belichick and Matt Patricia to figure out a way to improve this defense before the playoffs, which in a down AFC, I’m expecting New England will make. Atlanta, however, is in a whole heap of trouble. The NFC South is better than anyone expected and as Frank mentioned, the Falcons are a couple of plays away from being 1-4 instead of 3-2. As Miami proved in Week 6, since the Super Bowl, no lead is safe for the Falcons, Matt Ryan is looking like a far cry from his MVP form from last year, and Julio Jones has yet to find the endzone. I think it’s safe to say that barring something wild, we won’t be seeing a Super Bowl rematch in February. –Sulla

I don’t think it’s unfair to say both of these teams have been underwhelming thus far. The Pats are far from the juggernaut we expected as their secondary continues to give up big plays. The Falcons are missing Kyle Shanahan and continue to lose games in which they lead in the second half (sound familiar?). The thing here is the Patriots are virtually guaranteed a playoff spot. The division — despite the Bills and Jets overachieving and the Dolphins somehow above .500 — stinks. They’re in. I’m not so sure about the Falcons, though. The Saints just put up 52 points despite a very pedestrian day by Drew Brees, and the Panthers are a solid, solid football team, too. You can’t even count the Buccaneers out just yet. Atlanta’s November stretch — at Carolina, versus Dallas, at Seattle and versus Tampa Bay — will be telling. I definitely don’t think we’re in for a Super Bowl rematch. –Pereles

I still don’t want to talk about it. –Busbee

That’ll do it for this week. Got a question for the War Room? Hit us up via email right here. See you next week! ____ Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.

[titoslondon-blog]

New Post has been published on Titos London

#Blog New Post has been published on http://www.titoslondon.co.uk/natacha-ramsay-levi-on-what-we-can-expect-from-her-chloe/

Natacha Ramsay-Levi on what we can expect from her Chloé

Natacha Ramsay-Levi has been at Chloé for all of six weeks when we meet on a Friday afternoon in May, in Paris. Thunderstorms are forecast, and in the plush confines of La Réserve, a grand hotel in the 8th arrondissement, the air is close. But as other diners fan their faces and implore waiters for iced water, Ramsay-Levi remains unruffled. “Chloé for me feels super natural,” she shrugs, settling into a velvet sofa. “I was very ready for the position.”

She has come straight from the Vogue shoot in the cavernous Chloé Maison, an ambitious five-floor renovation project 30 seconds from the brand’s Avenue Percier headquarters. Its endless Haussmann-style rooms are soon to be filled with an archive, an exhibition and events space, VIP fitting rooms and a press showroom, and parts will be open to the public, including the exhibition of Guy Bourdin’s photography for Chloé, which runs until September 3. It’s fitting that the new creative director should arrive just as the paint is drying.

But if the scale of this project is to be expected of a brand with such blue-chip French fashion credentials and commercial clout as Chloé (this year it will open 12 stores, including a new London flagship), the appointment of Ramsay-Levi is a little more surprising. When her predecessor Clare Waight Keller announced in January she would be leaving after six years at the helm, Ramsay-Levi – a relative unknown – was not the obvious candidate. A devotee of Nicolas Ghesquière, she rose through the ranks to become his design deputy at Balenciaga and then Louis Vuitton over a 15-year period. Hertaste for hard-edged, futuristic androgyny was, on paper, at odds with Chloé’s soft-focus, bohemian flou.

We order coffee and tiny cubes of chocolate arrive alongside. Natacha is wearing a white T-shirt, a black ruffled Balenciaga skirt (“old, by Nicolas”) and cowboy-style Louis Vuitton boots. She looks simultaneously younger and older than the brooding photographs that accompanied the news announcing her appointment in March: younger, because she is all smiles and no make-up; older, because she has presence informed by typical French candour. She has spent the past few weeks getting to know her team, scouring the archive, adjusting to a fast-paced schedule (“meetings and meetings and meetings”), and beginning in earnest to design her debut collection. Nothing so far has surprised her.

“Surprise would not be the good word,” she smiles, the first of many corrections she will make to my questions over the course of our meeting. “It was exactly what they told me, you know. At Chloé, everybody is luminous, joyful, people get along very well together… I need to be in a position where I feel we are all working in the same team, building the same thing. I like to be super open about what I do.”

Super open, and super precise. Ramsay-Levi knows where she is going with the 65-year-old brand, exuding the preternatural self-confidence that first endeared the 37-year-old to Chloé president Geoffroy de La Bourdonnaye when they met. “She understood Chloé straight away. She was very compelling,” recalls de La Bourdonnaye. “Chloé is always about freedom. It is very democratic, it does not impose. It is always of the moment, and Natacha understands that.” Her relative youth is another plus point. “I met Gaby Aghion, the founder of Chloé, many times, and Gaby always said to me that youth is very important. What Natacha has is the savoir-faire of the couture atelier, and the savoir-être of the cool young person.”

Ramsay-Levi’s vision for Chloé is pragmatic. She is keen to emphasise the invitations to personality that the Chloé girl has always been able to seize upon, and frequently returns to its impressive roster of designers – spanning Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney and Phoebe Philo, among others. “It’s a house that is about joy, it’s about naturalness, easiness, it’s about femininity. It’s something between maybe the street, the urban style, that has something very easy, and also the sophistication.” She pauses for breath. “Every woman can recognise herself with Chloé. You can really take it and make it personal.”

Tellingly, she doesn’t see the brand as bohemian – that’s not her style. She will undoubtedly give it back some streetwise boyishness for her first show in September, perhaps pairing those classic floaty lace confections with some tomboy suiting – but she shies from the idea of power. She prefers the term strength. “When I think about Chloé, I think about very delicate blouses, something that is pretty sophisticated.” Questions of how her futuristic design principles will evolve to incorporate Chloé’s lightness of spirit are immediately dismissed: “I am not doing Natacha’s brand, I am doing Chloé’s brand. The bags have to stay Chloé, the clothes have to stay Chloé.” Store interiors will also remain in their current guise, though she admits the show location will no longer be the Grand Palais.

What key pieces will she focus on for her first collection? “It’s kind of a cliché to even say them,” she sighs. “Of course it’s the blouse, it’s the pants, it’s the cape, it’s the long dress, the mousseline, the lace – Chloé is very diverse. But I think what is more important than picking up the pieces – it’s about the attitude.” She leans back into the dark green sofa. “It’s the way you take this DNA and make it talk with the present. And you mix it. And you make it modern. Add a bit of audacity.”

Ramsay-Levi is Paris personified. Born and raised in the city, she originally wanted to be a historian, but spent more time during her history degree wrapping fabrics around her body and making clothes for a “super naive” collection with a friend. “One day I realised I was going in the wrong direction for myself and I wanted to be creative. I wanted to dare. So I changed,” she says, simply. Her parents had their reservations about fashion but she enrolled at Studio Berçot fashion school nevertheless. She set her sights on Balenciaga, then helmed by Nicolas Ghesquière, and begged for an internship. Before long she had ingratiated herself with the tiny team by making coffee, and quickly clicked with Ghesquière.

She describes her time there as “a love affair”. She has hardly left his side for 15 years: when he left Balenciaga, where he eventually appointed her creative director, he took her to Louis Vuitton to work on prêt-à-porter. “He taught me everything… When I arrived [at Balenciaga] I was obsessed already with what he was doing. I felt it was so strong, I really wanted to be that woman. I thought it was the coolest thing ever,” she enthuses. His influence will undoubtedly inform her work at Chloé. “I always think about him, nearly every day,” she smiles bashfully. A topic she returns to continually is his skill in mixing: “He can mix high-end fashion with something that is very pop, very easy to understand.”

She switches off from fashion via family. She lives in central Paris, and is fiercely private about her life outside work. She has a four-year-old son, Balthus, with Olivier Zahm, the provocative founder of Purple magazine, who once publicised their painful break-up on his website. The couple are no longer together, and she is raising his 12-year-old daughter from a previous relationship. “It’s the most important thing, spending time with the kids. You forget everything – you don’t have a choice.”

Ramsay-Levi has the unabashed confidence of someone who runs with a cool crowd and is attuned to success. She doesn’t do self-doubt. “I have always been like that in my life. Timings are always good.” Of her career at Chloé, she doesn’t foresee any challenges. “The idea of ‘challenge’, it’s the idea of climbing a mountain,” she frowns. “I don’t feel I am climbing a mountain. I feel I am just walking strongly on a path that I love. So, no, I think the question is… I hope everybody will like it and want to wear it. I think that’s the only question.”

This article was originally published on Vogue.co.uk

The post Natacha Ramsay-Levi on what we can expect from her Chloé appeared first on VOGUE India.

[junker-town]

The Dodgers have the World Series win they’ve dreamed about for 29 years

Dodger Stadium is a baseball museum, and it has a new exhibit, even if it’s just one game.

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers hadn’t played a World Series game since 1988, but you would never have known, unless you read the thousands of articles or listened to the thousands of on-air discussions that mentioned this. I, uh, might have used YouTube videos once or twice or a few times to emphasize this point. It was an easy target. Pick a pop culture moment from ‘88, laugh at how dated it was, and tie the Dodgers into it.

I mean, look at Orel Hershiser’s sweater here:

But those callbacks and references were all trying too hard. If you wanted a perfect example of how long it’s been for the Dodgers, it’s been right in front of us all along. It goes something like this:

The last time the Dodgers were in the World Series, Dodger Stadium wasn’t that old.

It was just a stadium. It was 26 years old, which is exactly how old Guaranteed Rate Field is right now. That’s not an old ballpark. It’s basically brand new. And when the Dodgers were in the World Series last, it wasn’t like they were playing in a museum.

It’s a museum now, though.

Like how it's still 1973 here. http://pic.twitter.com/B3cBh3IGGu

— Brian Kenny (@MrBrianKenny) October 25, 2017

Dodger Stadium is the third oldest ballpark in baseball, behind Fenway and Wrigley, and it lets you know this, constantly. The last time the Dodgers were in the World Series, it was a regular ol’ ballpark. Now it’s a time machine that takes you back to the days of those fonts, those façades. When you walk into the place, names might pop into your head. Scully. Koufax. Drysdale. It’s where Kirk Gibson fired up the invisible chainsaw as he rounded second base. They don’t have a tribute to their proud Gold Glove winners. They have a freaking wing of Gold Gloves.

Photo credit: me, I took this, me

The entire park is festooned with jerseys and awards and memorabilia, and it should be. It’s all history in this ballpark. But the funny thing about history is that it happened a long time ago.

This is the backdrop to the Dodgers playing their first World Series game in nearly three decades. It’s like the current roster is busting their ass on the JV squad, but everyone keeps sharing newspaper clippings of what their older brother did years ago, and they can feel it every time they walk into the clubhouse.

You can understand why the current Dodgers would want to change that.

Clayton Kershaw doesn’t linger over the Hall of Gold Gloves as he starts his workday. He’s not worried about the monuments of retired numbers outside of the park, and he’s not worried about the collection of Warren C. Giles trophies on display. He’s worried about the present, the present, the present, not the past. If he were worried about the past, he would crumple into a tiny ball, like most of us.

This is because the past for the Dodgers isn’t all trophies and awards, especially when it comes to Kershaw’s era. There’s pain baked in. It’s recent and fresh, and the wounds are open. Kershaw has to think about Matt Adams when he closes his eyes, at least part of the time. He probably doesn’t think a lot about Hanley Ramirez just missing an inning-ending catch before that mess happened ...

... but he could. He could also complain about his team not scoring for him. He has a right to do all of that.

Whatever, it doesn’t matter, that was then, this is now, and what’s a Matt Adams, really? Something from another era, move on.

It’s with this mindset that Kershaw approaches his goal, which is to throw a white sphere with red seams in a way that the other team either hits it weakly or misses it entirely. It doesn’t sound so hard, except for the part where it’s just about the hardest job on the planet. No pitcher has been reminded of how tough it can be, over and over again, exactly at the wrong times. There’s always a Matt Adams or a Dexter Fowler. There’s always a seventh inning.

In Game 1 of the 2017 World Series, though, there were none of those things. There was just Clayton Kershaw, spotting his fastball like a 43-year-old Bartolo Colon, sliding his slider like Randy Johnson, and mixing in a rainbow curve every so often, like Sandy Koufax, whose three championships and career 0.95 postseason ERA are a hovering well, actually cloud that’s forever hanging over Kershaw’s Dodger legacy.

For the first time in Kershaw’s postseason career, though, he wasn’t beaten like an ornery mule throughout October.

For the last four postseasons, the Dodgers have used Kershaw on short rest in the NLDS. They’ve won their division titles handily, which allowed them to line their ace up for Game 1, just like they would want it. And then they would bring him back on short rest on game four when they wanted to a) close out a series they were leading or b) save a series they were trailing. Every danged time.

In this new Dodgers era, they’ve avoided grinding Kershaw into a powder that they can distribute to the rest of the team for its psychotropic effects. He pitches five innings, and if the Dodgers have a lead, cool. The bullpen’s got it. If he pitches six innings, and the Dodgers have a lead, cool. The bullpen’s got it. And in this game, if he’s really at his best, he pitches seven innings. The bullpen’s got it.

The history was hanging around this start, both the lingering history of the distant past and the festering history of the recent past. When the game was over, it was replaced with a new chapter. Here lies Game 1 of the 2017 World Series, in which Clayton Kershaw peeled the skin back from his opponents and fashioned it into a bowtie, which he presented to Ken Rosenthal, saying, “I think you should wear this to raise awareness of the Astros, who just had their skin flayed from their backs and removed. By me.” It was cold, calculating, and horrifying in its efficiency. It was also one of the best individual performances in Dodgers history since they’ve moved to Los Angeles.

It made Dodger Stadium feel so modern.

And if we’re going to talk about history and the place of the 2017 Dodgers, let’s talk about Chris Taylor seeing the first pitch from a Dodger in the World Series in 29 years and hitting it hard enough to fracture space and time.

CRUSHED! Chris Taylor gets the #WorldSeries going for the @Dodgers https://t.co/n2N87qQ3XQ

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 25, 2017

Dallas Keuchel worked hard, studied the scouting reports, concentrated, focused, took deep breathes, envisioned how his first World Series experience was going to go, and his first pitch went here:

Keuchel was so optimistic before that pitch.

But that first pitch was a sinker that didn’t much sink, and it was hit into the Sea of Tranquility by a guy who came out of the baseball mists in the spring.

It’s disingenuous to suggest the Dodgers have never had a player come of nowhere quite like Chris Taylor. Koufax was a wild mess in his early 20s, and you wouldn’t have wanted him on your fantasy team. Maury Wills was a 26-year-old rookie with a .298 on-base percentage and a .298 slugging percentage. There have been Dodger surprises before, and there will be Dodger surprises again.

There don’t have to be surprises this fortuitously timed, though. The Dodgers scuffled, and Joc Pederson didn’t progress as hoped, but guess what? This random shortstop they acquired from the Mariners can also play center. Isn’t that wild? He’s like a center-shortstop hybrid who can also hit like an All-Star. Is that valuable? That seems valuable.

The Dodgers waited three decades for a World Series game, and then their fans waited two seconds to transform into pure energy. They got that moment from a player who factored into exactly zero preseason predictions and forecasts, from a player who was as likely to be a part of Dodger Stadium history as Zach Lee, signed in 2023 as a free agent after a successful Mariners career.

The history started to bleed together with the present after one stinking pitch.

This brings us to Justin Turner, or, as I like to call him, “the old Chris Taylor.” He’s on the Dodgers’ roster through similar witchery, and he’s suddenly the most fearsome postseason hitter the game has ever seen, someone who benefits disproportionately from extra time to study his adversaries, it seems.

After 29 years, he’s the hero of the night, and what did it take? Oh, nothing, really. Just ...

Thirty teams passing on him five times or more in the 2006 Draft

The Reds trading him to the Orioles for a 33-year-old catcher

The Orioles designating him for assignment

The Mets giving up on him

The Dodgers being his hometown team, which convinced him to take a non-guaranteed minor-league deal, which is bananas for someone in that precarious of a career crossroads.

The Dodgers helping him reinvent himself

There was a wedding involved? Look, I don’t know ...

That’s what it took for Turner to be employed by the Dodgers on October 24th, 2017. What it took for him to be the hero was the slow heat-death of the world.

Because there were two outs, the heat may have changed the narrative from "Astros starter Dallas Keuchel escapes the inning with a 1-1 tie" to "Turner gives the Dodgers a 3-1 lead they never relinquished."

...

"When it's that hot here, the ball does travel a lot better," Turner added, "And if it's 10 degrees cooler, that's probably a routine fly ball in left field."

Nothing about Turner makes sense. Nothing about this situation made sense, none of it. The heat, Kershaw having to prove himself for some stupid reason, Chris Taylor, the heat, Turner’s metamorphosis, the heat ... none of it.

And it makes you realize just how little sense all of that history made back then, back in the ‘60s and ‘70s and ‘80s. All of those transactions falling into place, like a big Rube Goldberg machine, all of the players who could have gone down one possible career path, but instead went down the path that led to shiny trophies in an old ballpark. Orel Hershiser was drafted in the 17th round of the 1979 draft, nine picks after Galdenio Noda. That’s absurd. It’s all absurd. But you’re here because some very specific monkeys decided to do it eight million years ago, so it all makes sense.

Turner is a fine entry into that legacy of nonsense. Which is another way of saying that he’s a fine entry into this Dodgers legacy of carefully curated majesty and success. They’re synonymous, really.

The Dodgers didn’t play in a World Series game for decades because of a surfeit of nonsense. Now they have a surplus, and it’s fitting in beautifully with the team’s history, where they bullied other teams and outplayed and outmaneuvered them.

They have a World Series win for the first time since Clayton Kershaw was ambulatory. They have a World Series win for the first time since Dodger Stadium became an old stadium with an old soul and stories to tell.

They have a World Series win. Now they just need three more, like the Indians last year. Just like the Royals the year before that. The rest of the story will matter very much to Dodgers fans. But before Game 2, it doesn’t mean much at all. They have a slice of history, and it took 29 years to get it. Savoring the hell out of it is recommended.

[yahoo-puck-daddy-blog]

NHL TV ratings, Ryan Kesler and Phil Kessel (Puck Daddy Countdown)

(In which Ryan Lambert takes a look at some of the biggest issues and stories in the NHL, and counts them down.)

7 – THE RATINGS!!!!!

One of the things that has been pervasive in hockey over the past few weeks has been the smug chortling from Canadians like, “Oh ho, the ratings for NBC will be really bad if it’s a Ducks/Senators final, haha,” as though: a) anyone outside of an NHL or NBC boardroom should give a rat’s ass, and b) the real loser wouldn’t be the hockey fans who have to sit through up to seven games of the stultifying, ugly hockey both teams are capable of playing.

Like honestly, this is one of those things I cared about when I was 14 and wrestling ratings were a thing. The Monday Night Wars. I was a WWF guy, myself (though I also watched Nitro!) and so to see my preferred brand of pro wrestling pull ahead was something of a personal vindication. In retrospect, it was dumb to feel this way.

Again, I was 14.

So why does Canada care? As though they have some sort of provenance over Hockey Caring, after the Senators didn’t sell out a home playoff game, and after ratings for Sportsnet’s coverage are repeatedly abysmal. (Apparently they’re just fine from these playoffs, but guess what: It’s because the Leafs and Oilers made it for the first time in a million years.)

Point being: Who cares however many million people? If you’re the only one in the United States watching a game, what’s the big deal?

Go back to worrying about whether the Senators are Hashtag Canada’s Team.

(They’re not, by the way.)

6 – Battle of the Ryans

Not that I’m choosing sides here because their names are both so so good, but Ryans Johansen and Kesler are in a bit of a feud.

It’s not hard to see who has the moral high ground, though. Kesler chicken-wing elbowed Johansen right in the chin — and shocker: he didn’t get a call from DOPS about it — and Johansen was steamed. Understandably so.

Of course, Johansen did a dumbass thing by complaining about it, because when you tell a goalie “cut it outttttt!” and there’s no discipline forthcoming from someone in a position of authority, the bully is only gonna turn up the heat on you. Perhaps Kesler will resort to the “I’m not touching you” trick in future meetings. I hope so.

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To be clear: Kesler should have been suspended for last night’s Game 3. Johansen is right that the stuff Kesler gets away with — and in fact, gets praised for on every broadcast and every article from a non-Nashville outlet about this series — is beyond the pale. There’s no way it should happen in today’s game.

But it’s the playoffs so it’s going to. Peter Laviolette would be wise to use last change to free Johansen from his tormentor as much as possible, not just because Kesler might try to pants him during the national anthem, but also because he’s very clearly leasing space in Johansen’s head at this point. Which is, of course, the plan.

Why play into it?

5 – The Stars goaltending situation

“Hmm,” thought Jim Nill as his team’s season prematurely smoldered, “I have two goalies who are very bad and over-30 and quite expensive. It’s a real problem. What to do, what to do?

“Ah, I know. As a GM who people used to think was very smart but who let two middle-pairing UFA defensemen walk for nothing in the offseason because of how expensive my two bad, old goalies are, I will sign a bad, old goalie for a lot of money. And a lot of years. And I will be sure to give up an asset to do it!

“And sure, I could wait until the playoffs are over and see if I can get, say, Marc-Andre Fleury, or maybe one of Detroit’s goalies. But what’s the fun in that?

“So who can I get who fits the bill? Has to be a UFA. And preferably he’d already be pretty close to 31. And he’d have to be coming off a career-worst season. And if possible, it would be ideal to get someone who was also plagued by lower-body injuries, which are particularly bad for goalies because they aren’t easy to recover from. Especially if they’re really tall!

“And what, if — and maybe I’m being crazy here — what if we also didn’t really have a good plan for how to deal with the two other old, bad goalies I still have on the roster?

“Jimmy, that just might work!”

Ben Bishop. Who will be 31 in November. Got six years and a little less than $5 million per. And all for the low, low price a fourth-round pick and a goaltending logjam that will be almost impossible to work out without dead cap space.

Beautiful.

4 – The Penguins goaltending situation

The good news for the Penguins, though, is that Marc-Andre Fleury continues to play some very good hockey in Matt Murray’s stead. That gives them approximately a million options for the next two seasons.

The question is whether teams will be willing to accommodate a team that has gone to two straight Conference Finals (and perhaps more before this postseason is all over) that might need some cap wiggle room. As I said in the mailbag yesterday, there really aren’t a lot of teams that need goaltending help, and a $5.75 million backup probably isn’t ideal as part of a going concern.

[Join a Yahoo Daily Fantasy Hockey contest now]

But if Dallas is willing to give up all that to get Ben Bishop, imagine what a desperate team would give up for a goalie who only has two more years left and is coming off what will probably be, at worst, a .925 postseason save percentage.

Not ideal, but not terrible.

3 – Jason Botterill

First of all, you don’t get to all of a sudden decide to say, “My name is pronounced this other way,” after decades in hockey. This is Jason “It’s pronounced Kroag now” Krog and Brad “Marsh-AND” Marchand all over again. This isn’t on us, Jason!

But second of all, shoutout to a college hockey guy finally getting his shot to run a team. Of course, that team happens to be the Buffalo Sabres, at a time when their blue line is made up of a bunch of guys I wouldn’t trust to protect my computer at Starbucks while I went to the bathroom for a second. And also their owner is a huge fanboy who thinks he knows anything about hockey, when in fact he does not.

So congrats on the job and everything, but uhhh, good luck.

Phil Kessel of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

2 – Angry Phil Kessel

A million individual blessings to America’s most beautiful and kind hockey boy, Phil Kessel, who loves to shout at his teammates and score goals and be perfect in all ways.

Kessel’s goal on Monday night to win that horrid 1-0 game and even the series was his 29th in his playoff career. And despite playing in Toronto for a bunch of years, that puts him in fairly exclusive company.

Since Kessel’s career began, he’s one of only 20 guys to score at least 29 playoff goals. But again, because his teams were so bad, you have to keep in mind he’s only played 60 playoff games, compared to the 85-plus for literally everyone in front of or behind him.

So how’s this one for a stat: Out of the 231 players to appear in at least 50 playoff games since 2006-07, Phil Kessel — who plenty of people hated and called an out-of-shape loser right up until he won a Cup — is first in goals per game, at 0.48.

That’s ahead of playoff choker Alex Ovechkin, but also playoff Clutch Performer Daniel Briere.

So, y’know, stay angry, Phil. It’s working!

1 – Watching paint dry

Okay so an interesting lesson anyone on Twitter has learned in recent weeks is that you should not under any circumstances express your extremely correct opinion that the Ottawa Senators play boring-ass, defense-only-ass, Ambien-ass hockey.

They do. Everyone knows that it is boring and no one besides Senators fans should enjoy it. In general, you want to be scoring about one goal per period. Ottawa’s offense is well below that number, and it should come as no surprise that they’re last in the playoffs in goals for per 60.

This isn’t a value judgment, by the way. To say they are boring is not to say they don’t deserve to be in a conference final. When you have a minimally talented team and you’re trying to get wins, you use whatever tactics work. Obviously. Games 1 and 2 of the Eastern Conference Final are a great example: Ottawa scored three goals in six-plus periods and held the Penguins to two. Now, this is a badly banged-up Penguins team. And they’re still only 1-1 in the series.

But the best Ottawa can do is hope to make every game a coin flip, especially at this point of the postseason. The idea that you’re going to get reliable results in the form of really close games that go one way or the other is preferable to playing run-and-gun, because everyone on earth knows the Penguins would shred them playing run-and-gun.

Point is, of course Ottawa fans don’t think this is boring. Either playing to come back from a 2-1 deficit or protect a 1-0 lead is going to make you really goddamn nervous. That gets the adrenaline pumping, and if your heart is racing for the last 20 minutes of every game, you’re going to feel like, “Wow I just sweated my way through a really intense hockey game.”

But believe me when I say, if you don’t have skin in the game, you’re gonna find this hockey boring as hell. It’s by design and everything, but that doesn’t make it aesthetically pleasing. Try not to equate “unimaginably tense for you” with “enjoyable for everyone.”

(Not ranked this week: The Nashville anthem guy.

My man, this is like Harry Zolnierczyk complaining to the media that Filip Forsberg is getting the big minutes. Figure it out.)

 Ryan Lambert is a Puck Daddy columnist. His email is here and his Twitter is here.

(All statistics via Corsica unless otherwise noted.)

Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

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[ryanonwrasslin-blog]

The Wrestling Optimist - March 9, 2017

For those newbies, this is my first in what I anticipate becoming roughly a weekly edition of my thoughts, from a mostly optimistic viewpoint, on the wonderful world of professional wrestling. I'm working my hardest to stop being such a miserable smark, and this column is my best effort at both keeping myself honest and funneling out the various thoughts I have on wrestling. For the most part, this will be a WWE-themed piece every week, and it's still evolving, but for now I think I've found a solid format. Also, I typically intend for this to be a weekly column, but I was excited to try it out after Fast Lane (and really put my efforts at optimism to their most extreme test), so this particular column will only cover Raw, Smackdown Live, Talking Smack, 205 Live, and NXT.

Theme of the Week: We really are in the fast lane to Mania. The PPV may have left a lot of people a little displeased, but I think Raw and SDL did a nice job this week of building to the Jaws-like creature lurking in our midst, the reportedly 6.5 hour Wrestlemania now less than a month away. On Raw we got Y2J vs. KO, and the Women's Triple Threat officially booked, set up a possible Cruiserweight title match, while also getting Lesnar vs. Goldberg hyped, and Reigns vs. Taker hinted at with the subtlety of one of the Big Dog's Superman Punches. And the inevitable pre-show Tag title match will get clarity next week. That's an awful lot of productivity even for 3 hours.

Smackdown Live, not to be outdone, settled on Wyatt vs. Orton officially, made an intriguing Women's Championship free-for-all, kept the build on for the Mixed Tag, set conspiracy theory AJ Styles loose on Shane O'Mac, and hinted that we're going to get a hardcore type of Intercontinental Title match between Corbin and Ambrose.

The Mania card is now starkly visible, with the unknowns being whatever is happening with the Triple H/ Seth Rollins/ Samoa Joe/ Sami Zayn/ maybe Finn Balor storyline, whether Big Show vs. Shaq happens, how the poor SDL Tag division will be handled, which undercard guys will fill out the AMBAR, and then designating a few of these as pre-show.

For my own druthers, I mostly don't care how the card order stacks up, but I'm going to lose it if the Smackdown women end up on the Pre-Show as I fear they might. My girls Becky and Alexa deserve better than that.

10 Best Moments of the Week

Teasing the Phenomenal Forearm into the RKO Some day they are going to have Orton hit him with the RKO when going for either the forearm or the 450 and it's going to be the coolest thing since the Curb Stomp RKO, and I'm glad they clearly know how cool that is.

Heyman rushing out to address the CM Punk chants and halt whatever ill-fated improv Goldberg was about to attempt I'm not positive that Heyman was rushed out there early to cut off the Punk chants and prevent Goldberg from saying something that would only make the chants worse, but it certainly looked that way and it was another hilarious reminder of how little WWE can trust Goldberg to do pretty much anything.

The Miz motherfuckin' ETHERS John Cena I have nothing to add to his masterpiece. Go watch the SDL and Talking Smack segments.

FORK YOU! - I loved Baron Corbin pinning Dean Ambrose under a forklift. I'm always in for goofy prop fights, and there's always a place on the card for something like this at Mania. I hope this is how the match goes at Mania, a sometimes goofy, sometimes brutal street fight sort of affair. We know that Ambrose wanted the Mania match with Lesnar to go way too far last year but was rebuffed. Let him try this year with someone young and hungry like the Lone Wolf.

Austin Aries, the hero the Cruiserweight division needs Running Aries as the apparent face against Neville could be a weird fit in the long run, but I was all in for this segment on Raw. Aries is the outsized character the division needs right now to complement all the work Neville is doing and the better ring-work we've started seeing from guys like Tozawa and Swann.

The SAnitY and Dillinger story really comes together I don’t know about everyone else, but seeing Roddy get dragged out beaten half to death by the rest of the group, and seeing Tye and Jose get fired up about it, worked like hell for me. That awkward trio coming together against the heels was lacking something and this helped fill in the storyline, as did EY yelling “YOU DID THIS” at Tye. Good stuff.

As the Smackdown Women's Division Turns Becky gets turned on by a tag partner again (at this point I’m surprised Luke Sanders hasn’t turned on her), and Mickie at last turns on Alexa. Sometimes the easy story is the right one. If Naomi makes it back, she's pretty clearly going to win the title, but if not I really hope they have Becky overcome a whole Rogues gallery of heels to win (throw in Eva Marie and Carmella to really put it over the top). She's been turned on so many times that she needs the perseverance story.

For a night, the Part-Timers were booked well I'm as deeply skeptical as anyone that Raw can get me fully invested in a Lesnar/ Goldberg feud or an Undie/ Strong Roman feud, but credit where it's due, they did an excellent job on Raw this week. Goldberg eating an F5 was long overdue and I honestly wanted to see the whooping get worse.

TJP and Shinsuke dab on each other WWE spent a few headscratching months booking TJP after the Cruiserweight classic, but this was a fun match and felt like the right way to handle him, as a cocky, shitty, sorta heel who also does some seriously cool shit in the ring.

The way AJ Styles says, "Randy Orton burns down a man's house and gets rewarded for it!" I knew AJ was among the best in the ring prior to his WWE run, but his promos have been a wonderful surprise to me. He is a natural on the mic and has a goofy charisma, and for whatever reason I chuckled for a long time after he said this particular line.

Let the Smark Out

For as much as I’m trying to be an optimist, wrestling is not a perfect product. Far from it, really, and when you have problems with something, it’s healthy to let that sort of thing out. So, in the hopes of keeping a 5:1 ratio tilted toward the good side, here are my two complaints of the week:

Are we seriously doing this with Emma again? She was in such a good place as Evil Emma with the half-gloves and the shoulder pads. Given how shallow the Raw Women’s division is, why did they feel the need to screw around with something that was working????

I’ve known for weeks that the Styles/ Shane O’Mac feud was coming, but now that it’s here, it hurts even more. There is obvious proof on the roster in multiple forms that you only get so many Wrestlemania’s out of your top workers (like Balor and Rollins both being potentially on the shelf for this year after not being on last year’s card either). To use up one of those years for Styles, unquestionably the best in-ring performer in the company, and probably the world, is asinine. I know there is no bigger honor in WWE eyes than to fight against a McMahon (and I strongly suspect we’re heading toward either a Bayley or Sasha vs. Stephanie program in the next year), but I have no interest in seeing AJ selling for ol’ Baby Jabs McMahon. 

Let’s Rank Stuff!

One of the best things to do as a wrestling fan is to compare things. Who's on the Mount Rushmore of wrestling? Who was the most over with the crowd? Who's the best in-ring worker? What's the most uncomfortable Attitude Era storyline in retrospect? That's what I'm going to do here every week, pick a topic and rank it as I see it. Feel free to chime in with your own thoughts! I'd love to hear them.

This week's ranking: The Status of the Championship Belts

It's been almost 8 months since the Brand Split, which saw WWE add a whopping 4 title belts to their company (and a fifth in the UK Title even more recently) and with Wrestlemania approaching, I thought now would be a fun time to rank those titles in terms of their current level of prestige. Keep in mind the old adage about the wrestler making the belt, not the other way around. So without further ado, in reverse order:

13. UK Championship - Too young to be any higher. If Pete Dunne gets it, though, this thing could rocket up the list. That dude has incredible potential.

12 US Championship - Man what a precipitous fall. A short 18 months ago, Cena had made this thing into probably the second best belt in the company. But more recently it's been seen being dragged around by a disinterested Roman Reigns like he was worried that touching too much of it might infect him with some terrible disease. The good news is that I can see KO winning this at 'Mania and proudly defending it, not because it represents America or anything, but because KO is convinced anything he has is just the best.

11 Smackdown Tag Team Championships - Another letdown since the brand split. Slater/ Rhyno was fun, but American Alpha is surprisingly struggling right now.

10 Raw Tag Team Championships - The shenanigans required to get New Day to the tag title record didn't help anyone, and now I can't help but view The Club as utterly inconsequential. Tag team wrestling on the main roster is in a bad way right now. Thankfully, there's hope on the horizon if WWE is smart enough to realize it.

9 Cruiserweight Championship - Talk about the wrestler making the belt. Putting this thing on Neville was the step that was badly needed to salvage this belt and the entire division.

8 Smackdown Women's Championship - This division has done wonders in terms of drawing out depth and giving its characters chances, but it's in need of some excellent, or rather Bex-cellent, wrestling and something memorable. I think maybe they missed an opportunity not having Becky and Nikki fight for this at some point. Face vs. Face can be tricky, but these two could have done it, it would have given more prestige to the belt and now rumors are Nikki may be on her way out. That’s a seriously missed opportunity if so.

7 WWE Universal Championship - Yikes. I was closer to putting this thing 8th than moving it higher. It's impressively ugly, KO's title run was consistently neutered, and now Dadberg is drenching it in sweat for the next few weeks before Lesnar takes it from him at Mania and promptly disappears for a few months. If we do this ranking again in June, this belt might be 13th.

6 NXT Women's Championship - Asuka is obviously great and the coming feud with Ember should be a lot of fun, as should Nikki Cross' pursuit, but the belt hasn't kept up with some of the others under the WWE umbrella. From where it was during Sasha/ Bayley, things have slipped a bit in part because no one legitimate has come for Asuka. Yet.

5 NXT Tag Team Championships - Several of the best matches of 2016 were contested for this belt, and honestly I feel like it should be higher. I just couldn't quite bring myself to pull the trigger. That said, there's no shame in being 5th and the sole beacon of light for tag team wrestling in WWE.

4 Raw Women's Championship - I didn't love the hot potato of the belt, same as most people, and I loathe it when WWE starts talking about "making history," but this title is a very important one right now.

3 Intercontinental Championship - This likely would have been number 2 if I'd done this ranking in the fall thanks almost entirely to the Miz. Ambrose has been fine as champ since then thanks to his pedigree as a former WWE Champ, and if they are setting up Baron Corbin to win the title at Mania, that could be a great step toward both making a star and helping keep the belt relevant.

2 NXT Championship - One of the most impressive lineages of any championship belt in wrestling history right now. At times, it probably has surpassed even the WWE Championship itself. I'm curious to see how they handle Bobby Roode's reign after having one indy giant after another hold it for years on end. Obviously Roode is no slouch, but this does feel like an interesting point for the title.

1 WWE Championship - I'm glad they're back to just calling it the WWE Championship. That just sounds so much better than adding any sort of "world" modifier to it. It's the franchise, the belt with all the history behind it, and that WWE itself even clearly tries to pay respect to, and this past year or so has only added to the legacy. Getting AJ Styles' name on the belt was great for everyone, Cena tied the record with it, and now Bray Wyatt, a character that WWE has always viewed as a long-term face of the company, is battling another all-time legend in Randy Orton at Wrestlemania for it. That's great stuff.

Match of the Week

This was supposed to be a column that covered everything after Fast Lane, but I have to give it up one more time for Neville vs. Jack Gallagher. That’s unquestionably the match of the week.

Where Do We Go From Here?

I sketched out a rough idea of the Mania card earlier in the column, but for the next few weeks I’m excited for the build. That’s where these matches are set up for memorable moments and big crowd pops or destined for failure. I covered the Triple H saga in this segment in the Fast Lane column, but I was surprised to see it not get a ton of attention on Raw this week. It’s starting to feel like WWE doesn’t even quite know what to do with it at this point.

If we get through this week’s Raw without some kind of stakes for Mania set for those two and the various other players in their drama, I’m going to start doubting whether the match is actually happening, and if maybe we’ll only get some kind of confrontation only at the show.

The Finisher

Big Show vs. Shaq would be kinda cool if it happens, but if it doesn’t, I hope they do Strowman vs. Show II. Strowman is ready for something more than winning the AMBAR, and Show deserves a reward for getting into such ridiculous shape. Plus, those two had low-key the most surprisingly fun match of 2017 so far, and you could do a lot worse than a ten minute hoss fight at Mania. Make it happen, WWE.

[yesterdaysdreams]

July Faves

Hey guys! Time for another monthly faves post.

This month’s post is a hefty one, I’ve had lots of time to surf the Internet and be inspired by articles and ideas I see. It seems having a baby stuck to you while you spend all day on the sofa has its perks! July has passed in a bit of a daze, the first few weeks I barely left the house, but I’m happy to say that I’m feeling well enough to start venturing out, getting back into some low impact hikes and taking Frankie along for the ride! These last few days I’ve also been feeling really inspired and ready to get creative… Now if only Frankie would sleep long enough for me to get something done.

Wearing

Loving all the puffed sleeve romantic dress and top styles that I have been seeing everywhere – makes me want to rent a villa in Tuscany! Here are a few faves: this black mini, this red and white striped top (and in blue and white!), this gorgeous red and white polkadot top,  and this white lace dress.

Soooo feeling everything yellow and burnt orange right now, is anyone else into it too? Here are a few dresses I’m so planning to wear on my next tropical vacation: this yellow lace maxi, this yellow dress, this stunning burnt orange dress (comes in soooo many colours!).

If you haven’t got into resin yet, perhaps it’s time to try it out? A pair of resin earrings (like these, these, these or these) are a new fave of mine.

Stumbled upon this bag brand a few years ago in Tokyo, I didn’t buy anything but the gorgeous woven leather designs have stuck in my mind. Which one would you choose?

Reading

I just read this book and loved it so much!

“Nothing good happens after 2 — 1 — 12…11?”. Sound familiar? Maybe you’re going through social menopause?

Making

Guys I’m so inspired to get creative, something that’s a bit of a challenge since I’ve mainly been glued to the sofa feeding Frankie! But it feels fantastic to get excited about making and creating, after the exhaustion of the third trimester.

Recently made my own vase lamp, using a lamp kit (from this website)! So so fun and excited to share more.

Sooo inspired to make some more projects for little Frankie, in the works currently? A brass mobile, a beautiful linen canopy and two new outfits.

Now that I’m sans bump, I’ve been so ready to get back into linen high waisted trousers (like these), think I’ll whip up a new pair!

Really inspired to do some painting! One reason being I bought a whole bunch of frames from Urban Outfitters which when they came I worked out they were all the wrong sizes for the art I have (hello baby brain), meaning I need to make some of my own. Art store here I come. In a parallel universe I would be able to paint like this… A girl can dream!

Nesting

Have fallen for all things related to dried flowers – particularly the whimsical vibes of pamper grasses and dried palm fronds. Expect to see so much more of that here.

LOVE the headboard of this bed, thinking it needs a little DIY action, don’t you think?

You know you’re old when you get excited about new towels. I picked up some gorgeous waffle knit ones from Zara Home and they’re so luxe!

Just added this shade of linen bedsheets to my roster, so pretty!

Banana pancake scented candle? Sign me up!

I want this pool so bad.

Mama-life

Waiting patiently for myself and Frankie to be recovered enough to go swimming, planning all those matching swimsuit moments (pathetic I know).

Frankie’s nursery has definitely got a theme happening (I know for a fact she’s a big fan of boobies!), so naturally I really want to get one of these custom made. You send a selfie of your own boobs and the ceramic artist makes a pot for you!

I liked this.

Images thanks to:

Hazel And Folk, Hazel And Folk, Spell Byron Bay, Layered Vintage, Nikki Joiner, Audrey Rivet, Justina Blakeney, The Joshua Tree House, With Jean, Markt Marche

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