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ollyarchive · 4 years ago

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Olly Alexander: ‘I want to make the community proud. I don’t know if I've always got it right’

David Levesley

As Ritchie Tozer in Russell T Davies’ devastating 1980s-set drama It's A Sin, Olly Alexander told a story from a tragically formative decade in gay history. As himself and as frontman of synthpop trio Years & Years, he contributes to a new narrative. But, as he reveals here, the insecurities and anxieties written into minority identities are not just a personal challenge: they can shape stories told by, for and about all his peers

It is the afternoon before It’s A Sin is broadcast to the nation and its star, 30-year-old musician and actor Olly Alexander, is buying a cat cushion. “It’s for a friend!” he says, mortified to be caught in the act of buying a plush feline.

Where once being the star of a primetime Channel 4 drama might mean greenrooms, watch parties and a celebratory afters, this is January 2021, so a flame-haired Alexander is sitting in his kitchen, drinking a smoothie the exact same lilac as his top.

“I’ve had a lot of restless energy,” he says, having binge-watched The Real Housewives Of New York City in between doing lots of squats and “watching homoerotic YouTube workout videos”. It’s not quite the normal build-up to a game-changing drama, but is there a better way to remember peacetime than watching a show filled with period pieces such as “friends drink indoors” or “strangers have guiltless sex at a house party”? It’s A Sin is both a masterpiece and a reminder that someday we will, once again, be able to be eaten out by hot men. “You’re so welcome,” Alexander says, laughing. “If I can bring anything to the British public, it’s a lesson in anal hygiene.”

Anal hygiene are two words we have probably never published together in GQ, but, more importantly, are probably not the subject of many – if any! – scenes in a piece of media not uploaded to OnlyFans. They are, however, the subject of a crucial scene in the first episode of It’s A Sin, in which Alexander’s character – an 18-year-old fledgling queer from the Isle Of Wight called Ritchie Tozer – gets rimmed by his campus crush, Ash Mukherjee (Nathaniel Curtis). No gay men watching came out of that scene not feeling seen and, like all the other sex scenes in It’s A Sin, it feels deeply realistic and fantastically homosexual.

“I can tell you I’ll never forget being practically butt-naked with my arse in the air in front of colleagues,” says Alexander, laughing. But by that point, he says, he had done so many sex scenes that it felt somewhat rote. “‘Ritchie’s got a dirty bum! Stick that arse in the air and look disappointed!’” What was interesting, he says, was the dynamic of trying to produce the most authentically gay experiences possible on camera.

‘WE UNDERSTOOD THESE CHARACTERS WITH A KIND OF SHORTHAND THAT GAY PEOPLE UNDERSTAND’

They were working with Ita O’Brien – a movement director and arguably the OG intimacy coordinator – but, for her sins, not a gay man. So while everyone would have an input in how a sex scene would be best shot, “There came a point when they would say, ‘Please tell us, because we’re not gay men.’” So then the writer, the performers, the director and O’Brien’s team would come to a consensus on how to make a threesome look like three men shagging, yet also make it look the best it could on camera and make sure “you never touch each other’s genitals, basically”.

Alexander says O’Brien’s input was a “lifesaver” for him on set. Although by the end he felt comfortable, he was at first intimidated by just how exposing this would be. “I had a bit of a hysterical breakdown. I was really worried I couldn’t do it. I just didn’t feel safe.” This was interesting to hear from Alexander, the proudly queer frontman of the band Years & Years, who “spent four years on the road performing and finding this character that I do feel sexy in”. It was then that O’Brien and the team asked him to bring whatever made him feel comfortable on stage into the room before the cameras rolled. “So I would sing before the takes, be a little bit of Olly on stage,” he says, laughing. “That was my way of tricking my brain and thinking it was a character. Which, of course, it was.”

Before he was Olly Alexander, consummate gamine artiste, Olly Alexander Thornton was a singled-out kid at a primary school in Gloucestershire (where his mother ran a music festival). He was, like many other gay kids growing up, bullied and harassed for being something “other”, which everyone is able to see long before you can define it yourself. “I remember being in primary school and I had long hair and people would call me a girl,” he says, and the wound still feels raw when he recounts it.

“I knew that was bad for boys. I didn’t like the things that other boys liked: I just wanted to play with the girls and watch Disney movies. Which obviously straight boys do as well,” he mentions, always making sure to provide caveats to include all facets of the human experience. Although the bullying began to subside by secondary school in Monmouthshire, he still stood out: he had big curly hair – “I was trying to hide my ears” – and would wear make-up or a choker sometimes on nonuniform days. “I think I was trying to figure out who I was,” he says. “Imagine getting to discover your own sexuality without any preconceived ideas! I mean, maybe that’s impossible. But it would be nice, right? Why should people bullying you be your first brush with your own sexuality?”

Like Ritchie Tozer, Alexander moved to London at 18 to pursue acting, but he also had designs on becoming a musician. “Because when you’re writing a song, you’re the director, the star, the producer, the writer. I wanted all of that! I needed that to be able to express myself,” he proclaims with faux hysteria. For years he found success as an actor in a diverse selection of roles: he appeared in Gaspar Noé’s Enter The Void, costarred with seemingly every other white British actor in The Riot Club and also in God Help The Girl, a musical film written by Belle And Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch. “Then Years & Years just got to a place where it was going to take over and needed my full time,” Alexander says. So his focus moved to the music.

‘IMAGINE DISCOVERING YOUR SEXUALITY WITHOUT ANY PRECONCEIVED IDEAS!’

It was on their third single, “Real” – released in 2014 – that Alexander first felt his art and his sexuality really intermingle. “It was the first time I put in a male pronoun – I say ‘Do it, boy’ – and it’s quite subtle, but it was a big deal for me at the time.” This was when Years & Years were trying to get signed to a major label, so doing something so consciously queer felt like a risk (the band went on to sign with Polydor later that year).

While pop music has long had an element of queerness about it – you need only look at the artists featured in It’s A Sin to see how gay 1980s pop was – Alexander has long been frank that sexuality and success are not always seen as natural bedfellows. At a Stonewall event in 2018 he recounted being told during his media training, “Maybe it’s better not to say anything about your sexuality at all.” In the same year, he told NME there had been progress, but that “I just know there are people who are hiding their sexuality, so it’s still not gone completely”.

Alexander doubled down on it with the music video – featuring his Bright Star costar Ben Whishaw – where he “purposefully made it gay. There’s a cruising element to the very beginning. It’s slightly ambiguous, though, because back then I wasn’t quite ready to launch into being the gay crusader I think I am now.” In 2015 the band won the BBC’s Sound Of 2015 poll, releasing their first album, Communion, the same year. It became 2015’s fastest-selling debut album from a UK-signed band.

‘I JUST WATCHED LIAM PAYNE TAKE HIS TOP OFF, BUT NOW I’M NOT ALLOWED TO?’

But despite the success, and the realisation that audiences were either supportive of – or simply unfazed by – the queerness of Years & Years’ music, there is always an anxiety for Alexander about just how accepting people are willing to be. “I’ll tell you for real,” says Alexander, “I go out on stage – even if it’s for our own audience – and I’m like, ‘What if some of them don’t like me? What if some of them have an issue with me today?’ I always feel like I’m going to try a bit harder next time, try to do a bit more.”

While the character of “Olly Alexander, Years & Years frontman” is one that bespangles its performer with confidence, being queer in the music industry isn’t always an easy thing to navigate. He remembers seeing a tweet from someone who said Alexander’s sexuality was a ruse to try to attract the pink pound – a term for the spending power of gay men – “And it had an impact on me, because I’ve consciously tried to [be openly gay] in a lot of circumstances where I wouldn’t normally. And then for someone...” He tries to think of how to put it and comes up short. “It can chip away at you.”

He wouldn’t change a thing about his success, he says, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t times when it isn’t hard to be out and proud while also getting your foot in the door. “When we’re playing a pop music festival, I’m looking at the other acts in the lineup and there aren’t that many gay people on them,” he says. “You see how quickly your show isn’t family friendly any more because I want to take my top off and I’m like, ‘Well, I just watched Jason Derulo and Liam Payne take their tops off and have all these women in underwear, but now I’m not allowed?’ What do you do with that?”

It’s A Sin marks a return to acting but, also, a chance to refresh Alexander’s musical batteries too. Following Years & Years’ second album – 2018’s Palo Santo – the third album was proving hard to pin down. “I’ve been trying to make this album for about 18 months at this point, stopping and starting, listening to all the songs and... it’s just not feeling relevant any more.” Alexander had always loved Russell T Davies’ work, so when he heard Davies was making a new TV show he “had to be in it. I would just jump at the chance to work with him. And that was before I read the script.” Years & Years had just finished touring Palo Santo and, to Alexander, it felt like the stars had aligned.

While the anxiety of performing queer sex scenes might have been particularly exposing for a gay man like Alexander, there were huge benefits for him being in a cast and crew that were predominantly LGBTQ+. “It was a revelation. I’ve never been on a set with so many queer people. I’ve never even worked with a gay director, so it was a completely new experience.” Plus, being asked to play part of a group of gay best friends, portrayed predominantly by gay actors, meant the chemistry came very quickly: “We understood these characters [with a] kind of shorthand that gay people understand.”

An inclusive, comfortable environment was beneficial for more than just sex scenes and simulating a decade of friendship. It’s A Sin also required its cast to grapple with the issue of HIV and aids, not just as a part of the furniture – as we do in the 21st century, with our knowledge of viral loads, sleeping with undetectable partners and new medications such as Prep – but really putting a forgotten part of British queer history under the lens, who it affected and how it changed the LGBTQ+ community irrevocably. “It’s an issue that is deeply surrounded by stigma and there’s a lot of trauma there and a lot of fear,” Alexander explains. “I know, personally, it was an area that I was scared to really engage with.”

He mentions that just before filming he made friends with an older gay couple at his gym and in talking about the show with them he was offered a rare opportunity to hear about personal experiences of the aids crisis. “It can be so difficult as a gay person to feel like you have intergenerational support,” says Alexander. “Elders are so important in our community. You can get so much from the people who have gone through so much before and fought that fight.”

For Alexander and the cast, It’s A Sin was a rare opportunity: a chance to be brought together with a whole group of men and women who were there at the time and who were willing to share their experiences with them. “I feel so lucky that I got to engage with that and keep learning. I was just scratching the surface and there are so many stories you can tell from this period. It’s impacted us all the way until now and it will in the future.”

Starring in It’s A Sin has also changed what Years & Years’ third album is going to sound like. After the initial writer’s block, Alexander says, he focused instead on the music of the show (Bronski Beat, Kelly Marie, the titular song by Pet Shop Boys) “and it really took my mind back to the club” – especially in the midst of a pandemic, when the queer nightlife venues that are the backbone of our community are so desperately missed.

“All the music I wanted to listen to in lockdown was high energy. It was dance floor. It was club music.” This was the music that had played such a huge role in his early life in London, had inspired the first Years & Years album and a genre that owes a great debt to the LGBTQ+ community. “I think at their heart, lots of these songs are about joy despite crushing pain. I just thought, ‘God, imagine hearing “I Feel Love” on the dance floor for the first time.’ What a transcendent experience that would be.”

‘ELDERS ARE SO IMPORTANT IN OUR COMMUNITY. YOU CAN GET SO MUCH FROM THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE FOUGHT THAT FIGHT’

And so Alexander went into the studio – as soon as it was safe to do so – and created a bunch of new songs. Is it easy to find collaborators behind the scenes who get it when he says, “I want it to feel like Britney meets Rihanna meets Hot Chip via New Order”?

“It can be a challenge to find someone that really understands,” admits Alexander. He recalled being sent round the songwriters and producers in Los Angeles that all artists are sent round at a certain point, “And some of those people are amazing – some amazing queer people as well – but predominantly... You know, they’re straight, so it can be quite challenging.”

Feeling safe with his collaborators hasn’t been an easy journey, but now he’s in a good place for it. He also pointed out that it’s not just queers who can understand his vision: his bandmates are straight, he points out – “I really believe in working with straight people! Some of my best friends are straight!” – and his frequent collaborator, the producer Mark Ralph, “is a real ally to us gays”, who was always willing to vibe along to Paris Hilton singles with him.

A new sound – a queerer sound – isn’t just a risk in a world where Alexander’s performances are held to double standards and the linchpins of queer culture can still be seen as synonymous with perversion. The impossible standards queer work is held to don’t just come from the straight world: gay men can be terrible recipients of work designed for them too.

Russell T Davies has dealt with it his entire career: “There’s the problem of lack of representation, but there’s the problem that when you are represented, it’s just not seen,” he explained when I spoke to him recently. “You just learn to cope. I worry about it. I probably worry about it more than I say here, but at the end of the day it’s never stopped me writing the next thing.” But he gets it because he, too, is a gay man who consumes art and he sees the same biases coming out when he watches other queer-centric work.

Yet he was amazed that artists younger than him are still dealing with the same crises: “It’s what comes with being a minority. It’s what comes of oppression and you kind of expect this to pass. But then you talk to young people like Olly, who’s a different generation from me, and you find them thinking the same things,” Davies said. “I was lucky to have my training during an age when you’d be lucky to get one review in the Times. Now you live in a world of reviewers.”

When I ask Alexander if he worries how gay men will respond to a gay artist’s work, it is no easier for him to respond than it was for Davies. “Oh, God, you’re making my heart race now,” he says, breathless. “I should be careful, because I don’t want to demonise anybody. But I tried to really unpack this myself and... I’ll just sort of say it.” It is clear that this is intense for him: his eyes are looking watery as he tries to phrase it delicately.

“I have this – I think irrational – anxiety about gay men tearing me down. And I tried to interrogate that within myself and I think it’s complicated, because a lot of it has to do with internalised phobias and shame, about how I see myself versus how other people see me.” He begins to cry. “What I do know is that I want them to not hate me. And I want to make the community proud. It’s been at the heart of pretty much every decision I’ve ever made. And I don’t know if I’ve always got it right.”

‘I HAVE THIS – I THINK IRRATIONAL – ANXIETY ABOUT GAY MEN TEARING ME DOWN’

It’s tough being an actor asked to shed light and humanity on a complex phase in British LGBTQ+ history; it’s just as tough to be a gay man trying to make pop music that speaks to the queer experience. But Alexander is doing both and, what’s more, he’s being unapologetically queer in the public eye. There aren’t many LGBTQ+ people in the position Alexander is in and it must be exhausting, I suggest, to be expected to speak for the needs and fears of an entire spectrum of sexual and gender identities. After all, he’s just one man who wants to be proud of who he is. “Sometimes, when I feel the most anxious, I have a voice in my head that goes, ‘Oh, Olly, why on earth did you put yourself in this position? You really are not the strong person people think you are.’” But, he says, he is learning he can’t speak for everyone, even if people expect it of him.

Instead, he’s focusing on being proud of what he’s done – the visibility, the audacity, the bravery – rather than the critique of his anxieties or Twitter trolls. “I’m always thinking about me as a teenager and how I’m creating the person I wanted to be in the world. I’m actually doing it! Holy fuck!”

#olly alexander #years & years #yearsandyears #years and years #gq #interviews #fashion #magazines #acting #its a sin #boys #articles #queer #lgbtq #lgbtq+#issues #aids #hiv #music

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doonitedin · 3 years ago

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ISL 2021-2022 Bengaluru FC vs Kerala Blasters FC LIVE

Welcome to Sportstar’s live coverage of this evening’s Bengaluru FC vs Kerala Blasters FC Indian Super League (ISL 2021-22) clash being played at the Athletic Stadium in Bambolim, Goa. This is Aneesh Dey bringing you live updates from the match. 6:15 PM- Highlights from what happened when both teams met the last time. 6:00 PM- Here is how we think the two teams will lineup today!! Bengaluru…

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blockchain2071tj-blog · 4 years ago

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Trivia Column�U"Virtual Globe" and Digital Collectibles in the Post-epidemic Era

In 2020, due to the severe impact of the epidemic (COVID-19), the use of the virtual planet has been rapidly spawned, as well as the digital change of industries is being carried out across the world regardless of nationwide boundaries; the question is, how do i prove that I am the creator of this work? ? Additionally it is because digital works are too easy to copy, as well as the resulting problems are the inability to confirm their scarcity. This short article is the newest opinion from the "Small Factors" column. The author can be Justine Lu, the co-founder and CEO of Lootex, a blockchain virtual treasure auction home. (Trivia: Industry Particular VII "Review and Possibility of Blockchain Online games" - Lootex. Justine Lu�U2020 Taiwan Blockchain Illustrated Guide) Being born being a human being gets the nature of gathering. From little to large, with all the growth of money, we've some series of different stages, whether it's shiny stickers, stamps, video game ace credit cards, comics, NBA player cards, dolls, all the way to fashion brand sneakers, brand-name hand bags, Famous watches and also artwork. So long as we can fulfill the emotional link or the excitement of hunting, we have been willing to spend time, money and energy to collect. Along with enjoying it at home, we can furthermore showcase with others, create topics, obtain keys to enter the city, and make friends , And even exchange transactions with people to expand your collection lineup. The mapping to the virtual world can be easy to visualize. For instance, in the game ?Globe of Warcraft?, somebody is always going after 100% full achievement, unlocking the Pokemon illustration of ?Pokemon Move?, collecting the exquisite furniture in ?Pet Crossing Club?... The key reason why game designers devote the game Entering the accomplishment and collection program is only arousing the player's selection addiction, assisting the ball player to experience this content that has not really been done, and motivating the player to continue the overall game, just to prolong the life span of the game. Related subjects: Private Encrypted Bond Era: NBA Players, Ethereum and Individual Bonds Related subjects: Zhai Li burst table, a Taiwanese group made "homogeneous girl" into a unique card token collection within the chain Let the Nationwide Treasure from the Palace Museum enrich your tropical isle. Image Resource: But, do you realize?

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Since it is unimpeded, it also brings tradable and exchangeable features to it. In other words, blockchain creates electronic assets that may exist independently, and may be used in different applications without unique communication. As for how exactly to define the "material value" of digital collectibles, we must go back to the old topics of currency consensus and requirement and supply. A lot of wonderful articles on the net are worth reading through, therefore i won't repeat them here. Related subjects: Column Sights | What supports the value of NFT property? The opportunity and liquidity high quality of on-chain art Digital collectibles have already been a trend. The concept of digital collectibles 's been around for a long period abroad. Lately, there has been a wave of using blockchain technology to make NFTs. List many relatively large investing platforms currently available on the market, such as for example: SuperRare: Gathering several well-known artists, "only sell works of art authorized by them" as its greatest feature, and the price is relatively high. Makersplace: A digital art auction house founded by early users of Pinterest. Inheriting the design of Pinterest, the city functions of collectors or artists are the most complete. KnownOrigin: The masterpieces collected on this site feel more street hippie, and the price is relatively near to the people. All three make use of smart contracts to design a profit revealing mechanism. 85% from the revenue from direct selling of works is usually attributed to the inventor, 15% is attributed to the publisher (platform); within the second-hand market, the seller will get 87% from the selling price. Creators can still obtain 10%, and web publishers (platforms) obtain 3%. 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If it's made into a 3D file format, you can even combine AR and VR showing off your very pleased trophies. // 3D is much more vivid than a rigid plane -The Fukuoka Museum of Japan scans social relics into 3D digital archives, which can be presented in AR. - -The picture shows the work of the Taisho era: Hakata humanoid "Chuo Yu"-international brand names such as for example LV and Gucci in the style industry have previously launched design virtual models with games such as for example ?Sim?, ?Animal Forest Friends?, etc.�QVehicle F1 racing in the world, Nike and NBA within the sports world are also rushing to adopt the asset file format of NFT. These brands not only need the product sales of physical products, but also generate topics through digital goods, and also generate another software scenario (the most frequent one is that digital collectibles could also be used in games, such as for example: NBA team management games ), perhaps it can also create another way to obtain financial resources. What's better still is that brand name owners have perfected the list of core fans, that may convey information more conveniently, airdrop gifts to honorable customers anytime, and include gamification design to make sure a higher amount of fan adhesion. Summary In 2020, due to the severe impact from the epidemic, the application of the virtual entire world will be rapidly spawned, and the world is undergoing digital transformation of industrial sectors regardless of nationwide borders. 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There may be brands worrying about being consumed tofu, as well as the threshold for followers to enter is certainly too high, shedding the original intention of contacting consumers in good sized quantities. It really is conceivable that in the foreseeable future, more and more physical activities will undoubtedly be "forced" to be in a free virtual planet. Perhaps one day, my favorite Japan singer Ringo Shiina no more has to pressure herself to conquer her fear of flying and go abroad to carry a concert. Fans all over the world can still take pleasure in her lively singing while sitting at home, and even purchase it at her very own wallet. Her NFT digital poster will be decorated within the virtual house, together with the commemorative NFT ticket, stored around the blockchain for a lifetime. ??

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chrmiing-arc · 4 years ago

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@goseabrook said: 📔 DO THE THING - so i done it 10 years later

It’s finally the day! The week has been long and hard but this afternoon is the final day of ROAR tryouts. Overall the week has been fantastic as normal, tryouts always are fun -- very stressful but fun. It gives us a chance to see what talent is out there and often we refresh out lineups and our bench, this year was no different. There was a lot of variety this year some kids from last year came back to try their hand at it again and they clearly put a lot of work into it but this year the competition bar was high. I helped with tryouts, during the year I helped some of them boost their skills and still gave them pointers this week but some of them have such potential. Like Carlos, he really surprised me when he came to tryouts. No only is he mean with a sword he clearly knows his stuff not to mention enthusiasm and that’s rare, we often get people who want to play but don’t know much else but kid knows his stuff and has talent. He’d be such an asset to out line up, no wonder coach has a spot reserved for him already.

There is so much range I don’t doubt some of us team regulars get benched for newer talent everyones replaceable... well apart from one, my partner for the last three years. Ben. This is going to be the first season I am going to be on the team without him. We’ve always had each others backs but now he’s had to stop for his other duties I don’t know who I want in his place. No one could ever replace him he is a great player and the best team leader we’ve had but we need a full team for the season so someone is going to have to step up and fill his shoes. Part of me is hoping I’ve proved to coach that I have shown coach that I have the making of a great captain and that it should be I leading this season. I hope I’ve done enough. Tourney is great but the hall is where my heart is, I give my everything to the team and really tried to show I am what we need I’ll find out at practice after school. Wish me luck!

.....

Well today just went from bad to worse. Not only did I get passed over for Captaincy losing out to my rival but somehow also got dumped before hand. How does this happen? Am I really that bad? Both of my friends have left me and now I don’t even have my team? I’ve lost everything. Is it my fault - What did I do to deserve this? I know Auds and I were only “dating” to get back at Ben, a rebound if you will but am I really that bad she felt she had to dump me and then run away? I was cool just being friends but she just left without saying a word and Ben doesn’t really hand out with me anymore - am I really that unlovable that I make everyone leave?

As for tryout those were just a joke, I thought we had a solid team. The team might not have technically been mine but I was his second, all those times he had others stuff to take care of I stepped up that position was mine by right. Everyone who tried out earned their sport showed they knew what was required but then out of nowhere the thief wants to fight me? I wasn’t ready for it - I was still trying to understand why Audrey left like that out of nowhere but I’d beat him once already without any trouble so why not show everyone a leader does what they must no matter what they have going on. Then SOMEHOW he bests me like no fair? I had to yield in front of my team oh wait no. Coach gave that to him too.

As ever I was a fair sport (even if I lost my cool for a moment in outrage) I shook his hand and told him he had improved that he was “good” at it. But seriously... I spent three years on this team working up from the bottom, spending my freshmen year as a stand in on the team getting maybe one or two fights the whole season and having to prove time and time again I had what it takes to be on the team never mind getting captaincy. I had to fight to stay on for some isle brute to swing in and snatch it without even proving he knows the sport? without showing that he is dedicated to the team? How is that fair? Coach is showing some serious bias, though I shouldn’t be surprised the same happened on the pitch right... He has played 2 rounds won 1 lost 1 hardly qualifies him as captain material meanwhile I have over 2 years experience. Way to take a great thing for granted. The boys and I have been playing years and get over looked merlin I’d rather his little friend got it than him he seemed to have some solid understanding of the sport. It’s just not fair first Tourney and Now ROAR.

It’s put me in two minds whether I even want to be on the team now, I could just play semi-pro in my own kingdom but I played a key role in shaping this team making it championship worthy I’m the best we have... well had. Everything I seem to be good at he can come along and do it just as well (if not better) it sucks, I thought when Ben left maybe I’d get a chance to lead and show I can be my own person but no that doesn’t look like it’ll happen. Maybe everyone is right... Maybe I am just another boring airhead prince. I trained my whole life for something to get shown up by fresh meat.. The time I gave that team and this is the thanks I get reduced to a joke, why should I even bother? I’m useless. I should have quite whilst I was ahead.

Can’t Keep a Team. Can’t Keep a Girl. Can’t Keep Friends.

Why can’t I do any of it right. Sport’s where the one thing I was meant to be great at and now I’m second rate - a benchwarmer at Tourney and second in command once again at ROAR, at least I still have track. I just want to throw it all away and give up.

#drabble tag.#♚・headcanons ⎯ the paper crown made him feel better ·✦#tw long post #q.

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caniacwrites · 5 years ago

Text

NHL Playoff Preview - East Play-in Matchup 2/4: NYI vs FLA

Hello, and welcome back to my series previewing each of the qualifying round playoff matchups! Today, I’ll be looking at the second play-in matchup in the East, the New York Islanders vs the Florida Panthers.

This series will be a rematch of the 2016 Eastern Conference Quarters, a battle which both teams likely won’t have forgotten. The Islanders were victorious in that series in 6 games, with then-captain John Tavares tying Game 6 in the final minute and going on to score the double OT winner to put the Isles through to the second round.

Both of these teams have very different looks now. New York, of course, is distinctly Tavares-less (having left the JT Years and entered the Age of Barzal), and the Panthers have kept their core intact while adding some promising young players and a future Hall of Fame coach in Joel Quenneville. The Islanders won all three games of the season series against Florida in 2019-20.

The Islanders’ defensive style that Barry Trotz began using last season still suits them very, very well. They lost Vezina nominee Robin Lehner to free agency over the summer, but Thomas Greiss - who, along with Lehner, captured the William Jennings trophy for the fewest goals allowed in 2018-19 - has been just as good as he was last year. FA pickup from Colorado Semyon Varlamov has been decent, so their goaltending tandem hasn’t suffered too much from Lehner’s departure. The Islanders still have the 5th fewest Goals Against of any team in the league.

However, New York is, like the Columbus Blue Jackets, another example of a team that finds success by commitee. The Islanders just do it a bit better. They have five players who have scored at least 40 points (nearly six if you count Anthony Beauvillier’s 39) and nine players who have hit double digits in goals. Mat Barzal is an extremely talented and exciting player to watch, even if he does get the merry-go-round going a little too often, and he is the spark that constantly ignites the team’s offense.

Unfortunately, sometimes he’s the only one who can do that. The Islanders have good depth, and when they get offensive contributions from across their lineup, they’re very dangerous. But as a side effect of their well-known defense-first style, they are prone to having difficulty finding the back of the net at times. To go along with having the 5th best Total Goals Against, the Islanders have the 8th worst Total Goals For. In fact, their stingy defense isn’t enough to overcome their at-times equally stingy offense, and they finished the shortened season with a -1 Goal Differential. To win in the playoffs, the saying is that you need your best players to be your best players. If the Islanders can do that - if Greiss plays as well as they know he can, if Barzal can be the catalyst for the offense while also getting depth scoring from the top 6 down - they’re a very good team.

The question is, is Florida better?

The Panthers’ top 6 is better, at least. Jonathan Huberdeau has rather quietly scored 78 points, putting him tied for 10th in the NHL in points and 7th in assists. The 2011 3rd overall pick also became Florida’s all-time leading scorer earlier this season, passing Olli Jokinen in more than 50 games fewer. Aleksander Barkov is one of the best two-way forwards in the entire league, a perennial Selke and Lady Byng trophy nominee. Mike Hoffman and Evgenii Dadonov round out their stars, with both players scoring at least 25 goals and 45 points. They have good depth scoring with Noel Acciari, Frank Vatrano, and Brett Connolly, to name a few, and even defensemen Keith Yandle and Aaron Ekblad both eclipsed 40 points.

The Panthers have a glaring issue, though, which is the biggest thing that gives me pause: goaltending. Good goaltenders are at a premium these days, and Florida thought they’d gotten one when they paid Sergei Bobrovsky huge money to sign with them in the summer, and, well... to say that he’s been lackluster is putting it nicely. In 48 starts, he’s posted a 3.23 GAA and .900 SV%, his worst GAA in his career by a significant margin and his second worst SV%. It was only in 2011-12, when it was .899 - a negligible difference, and that was a lockout-shortened season in which he faced almost 700 fewer shots than he did this year. It’s really laughable how much Florida is paying him when you look at his performance this year. And I don’t watch many Panthers games, but the ones I have, he's looked pretty much as bad as the numbers make it seem

Okay, so what are their other options for goaltending, then? One of them is Sam Montembault, a 23-year-old sophomore with an .890% SV and 3.34 GAA in 9 starts - not too encouraging. Florida’s last hopes in net could rest on the shoulders of rookie Chris Driedger, who posted a 7-2-2 record in his 11 starts. He also has a .938 SV% and 2.05 GAA. 11 games is not a very large sample size, but those are great numbers, and as a Hurricanes fan, Driedger was phenomenal in the game he played against Carolina, stopping 42 of 44 shots. He really was the only reason the Panthers were able to win that game. Of course, doing that in 11 games in the regular season and doing it in the playoffs are two very different things. And it should be noted that neither Montembault nor Driedger have any playoff experience between them. Still, if Bobrovsky continues to underperform, Driedger could be Florida’s best chance to salvage their playoff dreams.

I know this is long, but there’s one last thing I wanted to cover, and that is special teams. Both of these teams are not where they want to be in their special teams. Last year, Florida had the 2nd best powerplay in the NHL at 26.8% and 2nd most PPG with 72. Only Tampa Bay - the team that tied the record for most wins in a season - was better. They have not been able to repeat their success this season. Their powerplay has fallen to 21.3%, putting them 10th. That’s still not bad, but not as good as they hoped. Meanwhile, it may not shock you to learn that the Islanders inability to score goals applies to their powerplay, too. They’re tied for 7th worst, and 4 of the 6 teams that are below them are teams that did not even make the qualifying round of the Return to Play plan. (Of course, that also means there are 3 teams that didn’t make the play-in that have a better powerplay than New York. Yikes.). As for the penalty kill, you’d think that the Islanders’ defensive style would benefit them on the kill, but that hasn’t exactly been the case either. Their PK is 15th best at 80.7%, which like the Florida powerplay, isn’t bad, but also isn’t great. Florida’s penalty kill, meanwhile, is 20th at 78.5%. Special teams are extremely important in the playoffs, and both Florida and New York are equally average with theirs. I’d maybe give Florida the slight advantage because of their powerplay.

Final Prediction: New York, 3-1

I thought I was going to have a harder time deciding between these teams before I started, but once I got all my thoughts in order and down on the page, I realized that I just cannot see Florida winning with the goaltenders they currently have. Yes, the Islanders sometimes have a problem scoring goals, but the Panthers - especially Bobrovsky - have a far worse problem trying not to allow goals. The Panthers have a more star-studded group of forwards, but it hasn’t helped their special teams like it did last year and it won’t help their goaltending. I just can’t see this series going any way but a repeat of 2016.

Make sure to check back tomorrow for my preview of the Carolina Hurricanes vs the New York Rangers! I am obviously a lifelong Hurricanes fan, so I’m going to try not to be too biased, but either way I’m really looking forward to writing about that series. See you tomorrow!

CaniacWrites

#hockey #hockey blog #hockey blogs #nhl #nhl playoffs #new york islanders #florida panthers

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technouk · 6 years ago

Photo

Everyman Superstar DJ Carl Cox On Techno, Ibiza, Burning Man And Life In The Fast Lane Carl Cox Photo credit Dan Reid Carl Cox has provided the soundtrack for some of the best nights out for millions of clubbers and music lovers all over the world. "Coxy," as he is affectionately known, is one of the most famous DJs on the planet. It is not every day one speaks to such an iconic figure, so in advance of our interview, I talked to a couple of experts to hear their thoughts. Author, DJ and techno editor at Mixmag, Marcus Golden Barnes, is glowing in his appraisal. "I love Carl! He has worked tirelessly to transmit his unwavering love for music to millions of people all over the world. He is always buoyant and positive, and clearly revels in his job every single time he plays. Carl is a remarkable character who lives for music, there's no superficial facade, just pure, sincere love and soul." Ministry Of Sound DJ, journalist and Ibiza stalwart Timmy Sheridan is renowned for deflating the pretensions of many a superstar DJ with his withering editorial putdowns, and is not a man to suffer pretenders gladly. His evaluation of Carl Cox is telling. "Everybody loves Carl. He is unique because you get a sense that absolutely everything you see is what you get. He's literally the only survivor of the process of becoming famous I can think of in our scene. He is utterly without guile, couldn't be less of a diva if he tried and most miraculous of all, still has a fully functioning sense of humor. On top of all this, he is an unwavering standard of excellence. He's never sold out, faked it or failed to deliver over something like 35 years. Few can say that, almost none in the UK." Sheridan continues, not without a sense of humor himself, "As a footnote, I should add, I also get the impression that if something broke, Carl would be the first one to know and to try to fix it. Most DJs can't even mix, never mind solder, splice or make a cabinet." Sheridan is probably not wrong, Cox worked in all aspects of the building trade before getting into DJing, he tells me by phone from his home in Australia. "My last job before I was a DJ was a scaffolder, and before that, I was a painter and decorator, and before that I was I was a builder's mate, a plasterer's mate and a chippy." Perhaps as a result of his unpretentious roots, Cox has always been alive to his opportunities with a clarity which might elude those with less varied life experience. "I know what it's like to be on the other side of the coin. I know what it's like to wait in a queue, to save up my money to go to an event, when I couldn't wait to hear the DJ play. I was right in the middle of the dance floor listening to the sound system with a big smile on my face, and dancing my ass off! Most DJs don't have that experience, most go straight into the DJ booth. But I was a clubber for a least 10 to 15 years before I was DJing. The only reason that I DJed was that - all the time I was dancing - the DJ wasn't really giving me what I wanted. So I thought, the only way I can do that is to do it myself. So that's what I did, I became a DJ." Carl Cox Photo (c) www.visionseven.co.uk After years of perfecting his craft alongside luminaries such as Paul Oakenfold and Danny Rampling, his big break came when he was invited to perform on three decks at a 1988 Sunrise event in Oxford at 10am. "Since that day I haven't looked back," he reflects. His motivation has remained constant, "I just always love the gift of sharing the love of music. If it moves me then hopefully it moves others." Cox describes the early rave scene as a "Woodstock" for his generation, and is delighted to see new generations embracing aspects of dance music culture, decades later. His distinctive smile behind the decks is a sight welcomed by clubbers of all ages, and one gets a sense that he is still genuinely grateful for every moment. This is no mean feat considering his career is one marked by tireless productivity. "It's taken me a long time to get to where I am," he admits. Cox has performed at over 5,000 events the last 30 years, that's over 166 times a year on average, a punishing schedule when one takes into account the travel needed between events. Cox was one of the first DJ/producers to have a chart hit with "I Want You (Forever)" in 1991, and has sold well over 100,000 records as a solo artist. His 1995 mix CD, 'F.A.C.T.,' set a new benchmark for techno, selling over 250,000 copies, while his label Intec has sold over 600,000 copies of their vinyl and digital releases combined. At the time of his last "Global" radio show, his listenership was a phenomenal 17 million people worldwide. With these staggering levels of reach and influence, Cox is, of course, aware of his role as an ambassador for the music he loves. But he speaks with a palpable enthusiasm when talking about supporting the next generation of techno stars. In particular, he name-checks two young artists signed to his label. "We have a lady called Anfisa Letyago and another guy called Vikthor, both making some really amazing music. Most people don't know these artists, but they are the 'now generation' putting out their own new music." Anfisa Letyago's recent Intec release "Catch The Spirit" is indeed a thunderously euphoric techno banger. One can see why Cox is so excited to be supporting this new wave of the music he loves. Cox is also increasingly involved with events as not just a headliner, but also as a curator. His involvement with the massive US dance music festival Ultra started by curating a relatively small "Carl Cox & Friends" tent which would hold around 2,500 people. The festival quickly had to upscale their allocation for his lineup, and today a purpose-built "Carl Cox Megastructure" holds up to 20,000 clubbers for his specially curated experiences. He admits that the music industry is more demanding now than ever, and DJ/producers also need to be able to perform their music live in order to survive. "People really need to see something tangible," he reflects, name-checking Paul Kalkbrenner, Stephan Bodzin and KiNK as exemplars of the art. The name Carl Cox is also synonymous with the clubbing scene of Ibiza. He has been there since its inception and reminisces fondly about the early days. "You always have certain years in life where it was the best. In the '80s none of the clubs had roofs, you danced under the stars, it was phenomenal. When those roofs went on the clubs, everything changed." Cox's 15-year residency at Ibiza venue Space helped to establish it as one of the most important club nights in the world. "Space was always a club which was a catalyst of how people felt about the island, because it was very much for the people who lived on the island, for the workers and also people who came to club. It had that Spanish feel about it. It was always a non-VIP orientated club, it was a dancefloor club for people who really wanted to have a great time." Cox is well placed to comment on the changes in the island's culture and ethos. "Today there is a VIP 'three-tier system' in most places, and DJs are playing more commercially to get more people in the clubs. It's all progression, it's nothing more than that." While he is pragmatic about the changing emphasis of Ibiza clubland, he is singularly unimpressed with new opportunities to buy overpriced sushi from star chefs. He remembers well being able to get beautiful locally-caught and cooked fish for 15 euros, and reflects on the loss of these simpler times on the island with a hint of sadness. "Well, it's disappeared, that whole idea now is gone. When people are flying in on a private jet or arriving in a superyacht, it's kind of taking away the true essence of what made Ibiza great in the first place." As this gradual transformation of Ibiza was underway, Cox made his first visit to the Burning Man festival in 2008. "As soon as I got onto the playa, I was a Burner, I was just into it." Cox found an opportunity for creative expression unlike anything he had experienced before. "I thought, this is something else, a gathering of like-minded people who go there to be creative, to gift in a way of being able to express themselves, from the biggest sculpture to the smallest detail of something meaningful." Now a regular Burning Man DJ, Cox still relishes the creative canvas, which he has chosen to paint purple in homage to one of his musical heroes. "I decided after three years that I wanted to build a camp at Burning Man, and to have The Purple Party in tribute to Prince. Everyone dressed in purple, and I just played Prince records and '80s music." These days, Cox is spending more time with another lifelong passion, motor racing. He started in 2013 by sponsoring the New Zealand-based sidecar team of his friend, Gavin Sokolich. When they zoomed to victory at the first championship that year, Cox recalls thinking "Wow, this is cool. I wonder what else we can do." True to his nature, Cox embraced the opportunity with gusto. He bought a racing bike, another sidecar, and revamped his team over the course to two infamously demanding Isle Of Man TT races. His team, CC Motorsport, finished in the top three of the TT races last year. Cox also sponsors 15-time Isle of Man TT winner Michael Dunlop, seven-time World Champion Tim Reeves and his passenger Mark Wilkes. He is also a partner in the boutique motorcycle restoration company TT Motorcycles, and obviously loves the work they do, bringing classic '80s Honda and Yamaha motorbikes back to pristine condition. After speaking at length about his teammates and colleagues, he mentions almost as an aside, "I also drag race myself. I have a Mark One Ford Capri, which is very very fast, over two thousand horsepower. It runs this quarter mile from seven seconds dead, at over 200 mph a quarter mile." As our conversation returns to his first love, Cox still speaks with the untainted enthusiasm of his teenage self, unselfconsciously "dancing his ass off" in the middle of the dance floor. He mentions forthcoming gigs at Tomorrowland and Space Ibiza On Tour, recent remixes for Matthew Bushwacker and Yothu Yindi, his Dr. Funk "El Rancho" remix, and his remake of "Dark Alleys". Throughout our entire conversation, his gratitude for his place in the world is obvious. "I'm so happy, I feel blessed and honored to be doing what I'm doing. At the end of the day I feel privileged to be able to be in this position, and to give you what you believe you should be getting from me as a DJ, but also as a person, because at the end of the day I'll have a beer with anyone, "I'll have a shot with everyone. I don't see myself any higher than anyone else." " There is some poetic justice in this self-effacing superstar DJ rising to the highest point in the dance music industry, using his position to inspire and support others, while indulging his passion for life in the fast lane and loving every sweet minute of it. By all accounts, it could not have happened to a nicer guy. Carl Cox Photo by Dan Reid Carl Cox ‘Dark Alleys’ (Remixes) is out now via Circus Recordings. Carl Cox tour dates: Fri, JUN 14 - Kings Hall at Avant Gardner, Brooklyn, NY Sat, JUN 15 - Brooklyn Mirage, Brooklyn, NY Sun, JUN 16 - Olympic Stadium, Montréal, Canada Wed, JUN 19 - Ushuaa Beach Hotel, Ibiza, Spain Fri, JUN 21 - Ciudad del Rock, Monteagudo Del Castillo, Spain Sat, JUN 22 - Marenostrum Fuengirola, Spain Wed, JUN 26 - Glastonbury Festival, Pilton Green, U.K. Thu, JUL 4 - Petrovaradin Fortress, Novi Sad, Serbia Sat, JUL 6 - Parco Dora, Piemont, Italy Sat, JUL 6 - Kappa Futur Festival, Turin, Italy Thu, JUL 11 - Stadion Poljud, Split, Croatia Fri, JUL 12 - DC10, Ibiza, Spain Fri, JUL 19 - De Schorre Recreation Ground, Boom, Belgium Sun, JUL 21 - Poble Espanyol, Barcelona, Spain Fri, JUL 26 - Tomorrowland, Boom, Belgium Tue, JUL 30 - Privilege, Ibiza, Spain AUG 7-12 - Boomtown, Hampshire, U.K. For more live dates visit carlcox.com/tours " readability="191.56632781652"> Carl Cox has provided the soundtrack for some of the best nights out for millions of clubbers and music lovers all over the world. "Coxy," as he is affectionately known, is one of the most famous DJs on the planet. It is not every day one speaks to such an iconic figure, so in advance of our interview, I talked to a couple of experts to hear their thoughts. Author, DJ and techno editor at Mixmag, Marcus Golden Barnes, is glowing in his appraisal. "I love Carl! He has worked tirelessly to transmit his unwavering love for music to millions of people all over the world. He is always buoyant and positive, and clearly revels in his job every single time he plays. Carl is a remarkable character who lives for music, there's no superficial facade, just pure, sincere love and soul." Ministry Of Sound DJ, journalist and Ibiza stalwart Timmy Sheridan is renowned for deflating the pretensions of many a superstar DJ with his withering editorial putdowns, and is not a man to suffer pretenders gladly. His evaluation of Carl Cox is telling. "Everybody loves Carl. He is unique because you get a sense that absolutely everything you see is what you get. He's literally the only survivor of the process of becoming famous I can think of in our scene. He is utterly without guile, couldn't be less of a diva if he tried and most miraculous of all, still has a fully functioning sense of humor. On top of all this, he is an unwavering standard of excellence. He's never sold out, faked it or failed to deliver over something like 35 years. Few can say that, almost none in the UK." Sheridan continues, not without a sense of humor himself, "As a footnote, I should add, I also get the impression that if something broke, Carl would be the first one to know and to try to fix it. Most DJs can't even mix, never mind solder, splice or make a cabinet." Sheridan is probably not wrong, Cox worked in all aspects of the building trade before getting into DJing, he tells me by phone from his home in Australia. "My last job before I was a DJ was a scaffolder, and before that, I was a painter and decorator, and before that I was I was a builder's mate, a plasterer's mate and a chippy." Perhaps as a result of his unpretentious roots, Cox has always been alive to his opportunities with a clarity which might elude those with less varied life experience. "I know what it's like to be on the other side of the coin. I know what it's like to wait in a queue, to save up my money to go to an event, when I couldn't wait to hear the DJ play. I was right in the middle of the dance floor listening to the sound system with a big smile on my face, and dancing my ass off! Most DJs don't have that experience, most go straight into the DJ booth. But I was a clubber for a least 10 to 15 years before I was DJing. The only reason that I DJed was that - all the time I was dancing - the DJ wasn't really giving me what I wanted. So I thought, the only way I can do that is to do it myself. So that's what I did, I became a DJ." After years of perfecting his craft alongside luminaries such as Paul Oakenfold and Danny Rampling, his big break came when he was invited to perform on three decks at a 1988 Sunrise event in Oxford at 10am. "Since that day I haven't looked back," he reflects. His motivation has remained constant, "I just always love the gift of sharing the love of music. If it moves me then hopefully it moves others." Cox describes the early rave scene as a "Woodstock" for his generation, and is delighted to see new generations embracing aspects of dance music culture, decades later. His distinctive smile behind the decks is a sight welcomed by clubbers of all ages, and one gets a sense that he is still genuinely grateful for every moment. This is no mean feat considering his career is one marked by tireless productivity. "It's taken me a long time to get to where I am," he admits. Cox has performed at over 5,000 events the last 30 years, that's over 166 times a year on average, a punishing schedule when one takes into account the travel needed between events. Cox was one of the first DJ/producers to have a chart hit with "I Want You (Forever)" in 1991, and has sold well over 100,000 records as a solo artist. His 1995 mix CD, 'F.A.C.T.,' set a new benchmark for techno, selling over 250,000 copies, while his label Intec has sold over 600,000 copies of their vinyl and digital releases combined. At the time of his last "Global" radio show, his listenership was a phenomenal 17 million people worldwide. With these staggering levels of reach and influence, Cox is, of course, aware of his role as an ambassador for the music he loves. But he speaks with a palpable enthusiasm when talking about supporting the next generation of techno stars. In particular, he name-checks two young artists signed to his label. "We have a lady called Anfisa Letyago and another guy called Vikthor, both making some really amazing music. Most people don't know these artists, but they are the 'now generation' putting out their own new music." Anfisa Letyago's recent Intec release "Catch The Spirit" is indeed a thunderously euphoric techno banger. One can see why Cox is so excited to be supporting this new wave of the music he loves. Cox is also increasingly involved with events as not just a headliner, but also as a curator. His involvement with the massive US dance music festival Ultra started by curating a relatively small "Carl Cox & Friends" tent which would hold around 2,500 people. The festival quickly had to upscale their allocation for his lineup, and today a purpose-built "Carl Cox Megastructure" holds up to 20,000 clubbers for his specially curated experiences. He admits that the music industry is more demanding now than ever, and DJ/producers also need to be able to perform their music live in order to survive. "People really need to see something tangible," he reflects, name-checking Paul Kalkbrenner, Stephan Bodzin and KiNK as exemplars of the art. The name Carl Cox is also synonymous with the clubbing scene of Ibiza. He has been there since its inception and reminisces fondly about the early days. "You always have certain years in life where it was the best. In the '80s none of the clubs had roofs, you danced under the stars, it was phenomenal. When those roofs went on the clubs, everything changed." Cox's 15-year residency at Ibiza venue Space helped to establish it as one of the most important club nights in the world. "Space was always a club which was a catalyst of how people felt about the island, because it was very much for the people who lived on the island, for the workers and also people who came to club. It had that Spanish feel about it. It was always a non-VIP orientated club, it was a dancefloor club for people who really wanted to have a great time." Cox is well placed to comment on the changes in the island's culture and ethos. "Today there is a VIP 'three-tier system' in most places, and DJs are playing more commercially to get more people in the clubs. It's all progression, it's nothing more than that." While he is pragmatic about the changing emphasis of Ibiza clubland, he is singularly unimpressed with new opportunities to buy overpriced sushi from star chefs. He remembers well being able to get beautiful locally-caught and cooked fish for 15 euros, and reflects on the loss of these simpler times on the island with a hint of sadness. "Well, it's disappeared, that whole idea now is gone. When people are flying in on a private jet or arriving in a superyacht, it's kind of taking away the true essence of what made Ibiza great in the first place." As this gradual transformation of Ibiza was underway, Cox made his first visit to the Burning Man festival in 2008. "As soon as I got onto the playa, I was a Burner, I was just into it." Cox found an opportunity for creative expression unlike anything he had experienced before. "I thought, this is something else, a gathering of like-minded people who go there to be creative, to gift in a way of being able to express themselves, from the biggest sculpture to the smallest detail of something meaningful." Now a regular Burning Man DJ, Cox still relishes the creative canvas, which he has chosen to paint purple in homage to one of his musical heroes. "I decided after three years that I wanted to build a camp at Burning Man, and to have The Purple Party in tribute to Prince. Everyone dressed in purple, and I just played Prince records and '80s music." These days, Cox is spending more time with another lifelong passion, motor racing. He started in 2013 by sponsoring the New Zealand-based sidecar team of his friend, Gavin Sokolich. When they zoomed to victory at the first championship that year, Cox recalls thinking "Wow, this is cool. I wonder what else we can do." True to his nature, Cox embraced the opportunity with gusto. He bought a racing bike, another sidecar, and revamped his team over the course to two infamously demanding Isle Of Man TT races. His team, CC Motorsport, finished in the top three of the TT races last year. Cox also sponsors 15-time Isle of Man TT winner Michael Dunlop, seven-time World Champion Tim Reeves and his passenger Mark Wilkes. He is also a partner in the boutique motorcycle restoration company TT Motorcycles, and obviously loves the work they do, bringing classic '80s Honda and Yamaha motorbikes back to pristine condition. After speaking at length about his teammates and colleagues, he mentions almost as an aside, "I also drag race myself. I have a Mark One Ford Capri, which is very very fast, over two thousand horsepower. It runs this quarter mile from seven seconds dead, at over 200 mph a quarter mile." As our conversation returns to his first love, Cox still speaks with the untainted enthusiasm of his teenage self, unselfconsciously "dancing his ass off" in the middle of the dance floor. He mentions forthcoming gigs at Tomorrowland and Space Ibiza On Tour, recent remixes for Matthew Bushwacker and Yothu Yindi, his Dr. Funk "El Rancho" remix, and his remake of "Dark Alleys". Throughout our entire conversation, his gratitude for his place in the world is obvious. "I'm so happy, I feel blessed and honored to be doing what I'm doing. At the end of the day I feel privileged to be able to be in this position, and to give you what you believe you should be getting from me as a DJ, but also as a person, because at the end of the day I'll have a beer with anyone, "I'll have a shot with everyone. I don't see myself any higher than anyone else." " There is some poetic justice in this self-effacing superstar DJ rising to the highest point in the dance music industry, using his position to inspire and support others, while indulging his passion for life in the fast lane and loving every sweet minute of it. By all accounts, it could not have happened to a nicer guy. Carl Cox ‘Dark Alleys’ (Remixes) is out now via Circus Recordings. Carl Cox tour dates: Fri, JUN 14 - Kings Hall at Avant Gardner, Brooklyn, NY Sat, JUN 15 - Brooklyn Mirage, Brooklyn, NY Sun, JUN 16 - Olympic Stadium, Montréal, Canada Wed, JUN 19 - Ushuaa Beach Hotel, Ibiza, Spain Fri, JUN 21 - Ciudad del Rock, Monteagudo Del Castillo, Spain Sat, JUN 22 - Marenostrum Fuengirola, Spain Wed, JUN 26 - Glastonbury Festival, Pilton Green, U.K. Thu, JUL 4 - Petrovaradin Fortress, Novi Sad, Serbia Sat, JUL 6 - Parco Dora, Piemont, Italy Sat, JUL 6 - Kappa Futur Festival, Turin, Italy Thu, JUL 11 - Stadion Poljud, Split, Croatia Fri, JUL 12 - DC10, Ibiza, Spain Fri, JUL 19 - De Schorre Recreation Ground, Boom, Belgium Sun, JUL 21 - Poble Espanyol, Barcelona, Spain Fri, JUL 26 - Tomorrowland, Boom, Belgium Tue, JUL 30 - Privilege, Ibiza, Spain AUG 7-12 - Boomtown, Hampshire, U.K. For more live dates visit carlcox.com/tours Read More

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truesportsfan · 5 years ago

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Islanders nearly landed Zach Parise after Jean-Gabriel Pageau trade deadline coup

Lou Lamoriello got the center he needed, but not the winger he wanted.

In a hectic deadline day, the Islanders general manager landed veteran center Jean-Gabriel Pageau from the Senators to bolster an injury-riddled group of forwards for three picks, including a conditional first-rounder this year. However, he missed out on a reunion with former Devils captain Zach Parise, unable to get a deal done with the Wild.

“I don’t know what the definition of close is,” Lamoriello said. “You always think there’s something that could potentially happen but until it materializes, you weren’t close.”

According to The Athletic, Lamoriello was working with the Wild on a “complicated deal” that would have included winger Andrew Ladd as part of the return to Minnesota.

Lamoriello, though, did finish the deal for Pageau, a 27-year-old with 24 goals and 16 assists in 40 games this season, for a conditional first-round pick in 2020, a second-round pick in 2020 as well as a conditional third-rounder in 2022. The first-rounder is top-three protected; if the Islanders end up with a top-three pick, the Senators will instead receive the Isles’ 2021 first-rounder.

The Islanders then signed Pageau to a six-year contract extension with a $5 million annual salary-cap hit.

“Obviously, it was a lot of emotion, a lot of mixed feeling in the last few days,” Pageau said on a conference call. “It was my first time going through something like this. It was hard. Ottawa was home for me and I’m so thankful for everything they did for me. For all the opportunities and the chance that they gave me.

“But at the same time, I’m so excited to get it going. Right now, I can only thank Lou Lamoriello to have that confidence in me.”

After losing winger Cal Clutterbuck to wrist surgery and fourth-line center Casey Cizikas to a leg laceration, the Islanders needed reinforcements up-front although Clutterbuck may return next week.

“First of all, we felt that with our lineup, to solidify down the middle, we needed a center iceman,” Lamoriello said. “In particular, a right shot. There were very few and far between. And when you’re looking at a center, you try and get a complete player that can play in all situations. Certainly, this young man fit the bill.”

On Feb. 16, Lamoriello did the same for the Islanders’ defensive unit, which has been without top defenseman Adam Pelech since early January due to season-ending Achilles surgery. Lamoriello acquired veteran defenseman Andy Green from the Devils, sending them a 2021 second-round pick and defenseman prospect David Quenneville.

Pageau, who collected 182 career points in 428 games with the Senators, was playing on the first line for Ottawa. He’ll likely slot in to the Islanders’ bottom six to restore the depth they’ve lost due to injury.

Every game going forward holds weight for the Islanders, who currently sit with 76 points and occupy the first wild-card spot. They’re one point behind the Flyers for third place in the Metropolitan Division, but just two points ahead of the Blue Jackets, who are the first team below the playoff line in the Eastern Conference.

But the Islanders are now seemingly all patched up from the blows they took during the regular season.

Pageau certainly thinks so, expressing his excitement to join a team that will be “competing every year for the playoffs, for the championship.”

The Islanders capped off their busy trade-deadline day by shoring up their defensive depth, adding AHL righty Jordan Schmaltz from the Toronto organization in exchange for Bridgeport forward Matt Lorito.

source https://truesportsfan.com/sport-today/islanders-nearly-landed-zach-parise-after-jean-gabriel-pageau-trade-deadline-coup/

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paradoxicalca · 5 years ago

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(OC) Mike Milbury-ing the Islanders (An Alternate Reality)

(Previous parts of this series include: Don Cherry Drafts the Leafs, Tom Wilson-Proofing the Penguins, Dundon DIYs the Hurricanes, Re-Chiarelling the Oilers, Moneyballing the Sens, Covertly Tanking the Wild, and Frenchifying the Canadiens.)It was June 2006 when Charles Wang sat Mike Milbury down in his office."Michael, I think you know why you're here. Zdeno Chara. Roberto Luongo. Jason Spezza. Olli Jokinen. Todd Bertuzzi. Bryan McCabe. Michael, why are these players not on my team?""Chuck, you gotta understand I'm an active manager, a risk taker. Sometimes it looks bad, sure, but I'm gonna make this team a champion! I've just had some really awful luck - what are the odds that every player I trade away turns out to be a superstar?""Put your shoe back on Michael. I have given things a lot of thought, and I have decided that I am not firing you today. But I am very disappointed with how this team has developed. We need some stability. I am giving you one last chance to prove that you are ready and willing to build this team intelligently and not make us look like fools again. I am promoting your backup goaltender, Garth Snow, to assistant GM - he is a brilliant mind and I fear that another team will recognize this and steal him away. I have something for you: this is a 15-year contract I have written up for Rick DiPietro. I believe that he will be the best goalie in the league, and the backbone of this team for a long, long time. Please have him sign this, and we will proceed from there."Milbury took the stapled stack of papers, discreetly slipped his loafer back on, and rose from his seat. "You got it boss."As he walked out of the office and down the hall, Milbury read the contract. He suddenly understood how preoccupied Wang had been by the decision of whether or not to fire his general manager. It wasn't from the look in his eyes or the tone of his voice. It was from the fact that rather than Rick DiPietro, the contract in front of him had accidentally been addressed to Mike Milbury himself. A malevolent grin slowly crept over Milbury's face."You want stability you old son of a bitch?"~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The hockey world was astonished at the news that Mike Milbury, the man who had traded away seemingly half the players at the Turin Olympics, had been rewarded with an unprecedented fifteen-year contract by the New York Islanders. No one was more shocked than Wang himself. He immediately (but quietly) challenged its validity with the NHL's lawyers. Unfortunately, they had grown weary of Wang's incessant calls asking about things like 20-year contracts and paying contracts in commodity futures, and quickly ruled against him.His place in the Islanders' organization assured for the foreseeable future, Milbury got to work.Part II2006-07Determined not to make the same mistakes again, Milbury chooses not to trade his 1st round pick for Ryan Smyth. As a result, the Islanders miss the playoffs and pick 12th overall. The team selects D Ryan McDonagh.2007-08With the 10th overall pick, on the intel of their European scouts, the Islanders go off the board to select a small Swedish defenceman named D Erik Karlsson.2008-09By the summer of 2008, the Islanders are projected to finish near the bottom of the league with the underwhelming roster Milbury has constructed. Milbury is bristling with impatience: he misses the rush of being a 7th or 8th seed.The Islanders trade D Ryan McDonagh, their 2009 1st round pick (John Tavares), and a 2009 7th (Anders Lee) to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Vincent Lecavalier and Evgeny Artyukhin.They then resign Lecavalier to a 13 year $100 contract extension. Lecavalier isn't enough to keep the Isles out of the basement. However, they do notably draft C Ryan O'Reilly in the 2nd round and G Braden Holtby in the 3rd.2009-10Without a number 1 defenceman, and Milbury growing impatient with Karlsson's development, something must be done.The Islanders trade D Erik Karlsson, C Frans Nielsen, and RW PA Parenteau to the Calgary Flames for D Dion PhaneufSomehow this doesn't work, and the Isles still finish near the bottom of the NHL. The Islanders draft RW Nino Niederreiter and C Brock Nelson in the first round.2010-11The duo of Vincent Lecavalier and Kyle Okposo do their best but things remain grim on Long Island. Worse still, Rick DiPietro (who had been signed to a much more reasonable 14 year contract after the fiasco back in 2006) gets knocked out with a punch by Atlanta's Vezina trophy winning goaltender Brent Johnson in November and his career is suddenly over. They need a goalie for now and for the future, and they have only one way to get one: a trade.The Islanders trade RW Nino Niederreiter, C Ryan O'Reilly, G Braden Holtby, and a 2012 2nd (John Gibson) to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for G Steve Mason and C RJ UmbergerWith their prospect cupboard mostly empty, Milbury promises to Wang that he will not trade away the guy he takes in the 2011 first round. He proudly takes, on his scouts' advice, C Ryan Strome.2011-12All of these trades are starting to make Milbury look really silly again. The addition of Stamkos, Tavares, McDonagh, and Hedman to the Lightning has turned them into leading Stanley Cup contenders. Erik Karlsson is the leading candidate for the Norris trophy playing alongside Jay Bouwmeester. Even Ryan O'Reilly, who was an okay third-liner for the Isles, is suddenly tearing it up next to Rick Nash in Columbus. Meanwhile, Lecavalier and Umberger's production has declined, Phaneuf looks lost, and Mason has been an utter disaster for the Islanders.Milbury realizes something's got to change. If he wants to win a Cup, no more short-cuts. He has to build on the young pieces he has and not trade them away. Enough is enough.With the 4th pick in the 2012 draft the Isles select their new #1 defenceman of the future D Griffin Reinhart, and Milbury promises himself that he will never, under any circumstances, trade him away.2012-13Finally committed to a patient rebuild, the Islanders prepare for a difficult season. Sure enough, in a lockout-shorted campaign, the Islanders obtain the 5th overall pick. The Islanders receive a huge pile of offers for this pick, including one from Calgary that would include defenceman Mark Giordano and their 2011 4th round pick Johnny Gaudreau. But Milbury has learned his lesson the hard way, and he will not be made a fool of by prematurely trading a young player ever again.They use the 4th overall pick to draft Strome's future winger, RW Valeri Nichushkin.2013-14Strome's making progress, and Mason's minor resurgence keeps the 1st overall pick Aaron Ekblad out of the Islanders' grasp. Once again, a lot of teams call up the Islanders and try to get the 5th overall pick. Nice try, Predators, but if you think you're getting that pick for Filip Forsberg and Mattias Ekholm you are sorely mistaken. C Michael Dal Colle isn't gonna be another all-star Milbury's traded away, sorry bloggers.2014-15Eight straight years out of the playoffs is wreaking havoc on the Islanders' attendence numbers, and Wang asks Milbury to please try to make the team competitive so he can sell part of the ownership stake. Milbury reiterates that he wants to stay the course, but can't help himself but turn his eye to the trade market once again. As Gaudreau and Forsberg put up huge rookie seasons, he can't help but feel a little frustrated by the results of his change of heart and strategy.You can't help but be impressed by what Corey Perry did for the Ducks last season. You know, any team would be lucky to have Strome, Reinhart, Nichushkin, and Dal Colle - the rebuild is pretty much over, now it's time to build out. The Ducks don't want to give up their leading scorer, but Milbury is tantalized by the thought of him becoming the veteran anchor of a new dynasty...The Islanders trade their 2015 1st round pick (Jack Eichel), 2016 1st round pick (Matthew Tkachuk), and C Brock Nelson to the Ducks for RW Corey PerryYeah... that's the stuff. But for some reason Perry only scores 50 points next to Strome and an aging Lecavalier. Nichushkin, well, I'm sure he'll turn it around, but he looks awful. Phaneuf has a horrible year. Mason puts up big numbers facing over 35 shots a game but it's no use. The season is a nightmare and the Ducks receive the second overall pick. The Oilers put together an disgracefully low-ball offer for the Isles' future #1 defenceman Reinhart - who the hell is gonna be available at #16 who's that good? Milbury can't afford to trade away any more young talent. The Isles do trade into the 1st to get LW Anthony Beauvillier though.2015-16This season is a slog. With no pick, Milbury was depending on Ryan Strome and Valeri Nichushkin to take the next step, but they somehow regress. Dal Colle and Reinhart were supposed to enter the lineup with Calder-calibre seasons but they don't even make the team. This is a nightmare. The Isles finish 24th and lose Matthew Tkachuk.EpilogueIt's mid-way through another dismal season for the Islanders. In September, Milbury nihilistically traded a substantial package including Beauvillier to the Blue Jackets for Jack Johnson after hearing from him coaching staff that Griffin Reinhart once again did not make the roster out of training camp. Charles Wang calls him into the office to speak for the first time in years.When Milbury arrives, Wang surveys him carefully and begins to speak."Michael, as you know, as of today I have transitioned into minority ownership of the Islanders. I have been thinking about this day for a very long time. Do you know why?"Milbury, who's turned his office supply closet into a makeshift cellar of lukewarm six packs of Sam Adams, is not cognitively equipped to answer that question. Wang stands up and grabs him by the collar."It's because I can finally fire your dumb ass and not have to pay you 4 million dollars a year until I'm 77! I have lived a long life, and have made many mistakes. Do you remember when I asked you, all those years ago, why we do not just put a sumo wrestler in the net as a goalie?"Milbury chuckles and slurs "Yeah Chuck, I do""Well it turns out my mistake was not making the sumo wrestler my fucking general manager! I am replacing you with someone who can actually build a champion: Garth Snow. Your failure will shine even brighter next to his success."Wang releases Milbury and sits back down."Get out of here, Michael. You are without a doubt the most idiotic man I have ever met, and only an utter moron would care at all what you have to say about hockey."As Milbury staggers down the Nassau Coliseum hallway, his phone begins to vibrate incessantly - the news must have gotten out. He takes it out of his pocket and takes a call. The voice on the other end is breathless."Hey Mike, I'm calling on behalf of NHL on NBC. We just heard the news, and we knew we'd have to act fast. We're putting together a panel of brilliant hockey minds, and we think you're at that elite Pierre McGuire, Jeremy Roenick level. Interested?"Unemployment had hit Milbury hard - he had thrown up on the carpet. He was ready to get back in the game. Hockey had given him so much: a chance to compete for the Cup, millions of dollars, the chance to beat up some random guy with a shoe. It was time to finally give back and share his immense wisdom with the world.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Thanks for reading. I'm going to take a few days off and then be back with either Vancouver or Vegas. (OC) Mike Milbury-ing the Islanders (An Alternate Reality) Source

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thrashermaxey · 6 years ago

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Ramblings: Jackets Strike Lightning Again, Isles and Blues Also Up Two Games (Apr 13)

First-round playoff hockey is just nuts. You could argue that the best hockey is being played right now as opposed to closer to when the Stanley Cup is handed out. As a friend of mine told me, there are so many storylines and so much going on right now. Teams come out so fired up for the first round that by around the conference final you start to see those teams wear down, and by then it’s not the same.

Before I cover each game played on Friday, imagine all of Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, and Winnipeg being knocked out in the first round. Well, all of those teams are down 2-0 in their series. The first round can be bananas.

Columbus/Tampa Bay

Should we be that surprised about the Blue Jackets? After all, this is a team that not only decided to retain its pending UFAs in Sergei Bobrovsky and Artemi Panarin, but also double down on a potential Cup run by adding Matt Duchene. Even if it defies safe logic, you have to admire Jarmo Kekalainen for his testicular fortitude. This is a team that has a lot to lose this offseason and could be a shell of its former self should all three of these players walk away for nothing.

Maybe they had to go for it this season, if not to erase stats like these:

First time #CBJ have won a playoff game by more than one goal.

— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) April 13, 2019

The Duchene acquisition paid off in spades, at least for Game 2. Duchene scored a second-period power-play goal and added three assists in the 5-1 Columbus victory. Believe it or not, this was Duchene’s first playoff goal of his career, although the 28-year-old had played in only nine playoff games prior to Friday. No, that’s not a lot of playoff hockey. He might become one hell of a sleeper pick if the Jackets can pull off the upset. Do you think maybe he’ll want to stay in Columbus, especially if they go on a little run?

The Jackets will also need to take care of Zach Werenski in the offseason (he is an RFA). He also did his part on Friday, recording a Gordie Howe hat trick (goal, assist, fight with Brayden Point).

So now that CBJ has two wins in its pocket heading back to Nationwide Arena and its cannon, is it time for the 10 percent that predicted a CBJ series win to proclaim victory and the 90 percent of that picked Tampa to bust their brackets? Well, not so fast. A Columbus win is a very real possibility at this point. However, a team winning a series after dropping the first two games has happened many times. In fact, it’s hardly unprecedented for a team to win the Stanley Cup after losing its first two playoff games – even at home.

Case in point:

2017-18 Washington Capitals (against those very same Blue Jackets)

2005-06 Carolina Hurricanes

2001-02 Detroit Red Wings (I remember this series well)

1992-93 Montreal Canadiens

There may be more, but those are the ones that I can remember.

So if this adversity doesn’t kill the Lightning, then it’ll make them stronger. Obviously they have their work cut out for them in Game 3. They haven’t played an important game in months and are playing a team that has been playing meaningful games for quite a while. So this will be test in the true sense of the word.

Jon Cooper: “this is a five-alarm fire. We are facing adversity. Sometimes that’s good to face adversity.” Has faith in his group.

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) April 13, 2019

It looks like they’ll be without Nikita Kucherov for Game 3, as he’ll have a hearing with the NHL about this hit below. Kucherov appears to be facing supplemental discipline after frustration got the best of him here. People on Twitter are comparing it to the Nazem Kadri hit on Tommy Wingels that Kadri was suspended for three games for. I don’t think Kucherov’s hit isn’t as vicious, so I’ll say one, maybe two games. He’s a star player, and the Bolts are in a hole. You don’t think that’s factored in here, even if the hit is deemed to be as dirty as Kadri’s?

Nikita Kucherov trips up Markus Nutivaara and then hammers his head into the boards near the end of tonight's game. Suspension worthy?#GoBolts #CBJ pic.twitter.com/9IMIiKddIf

— Hockey Daily #StickTogether (@HockeyDaily365) April 13, 2019

I’m wondering if the Lightning’s kryptonite is teams that can use their physical style to push the Lightning’s small, speedy forwards to the perimeter. Washington did this last season, and so far Columbus appears to be adopting a similar game plan under John Tortorella. So far, it’s working wonders.

Pittsburgh/NY Islanders

This is a very intense series, particularly from the Islanders’ point of view. As I was telling my friend, man the Islanders sure look fired up in that loud old barn. They’re not just happy to be in the playoffs. That team and fan base has been through a lot. In fact, the collective group of players and fans seems pissed off to me. Pissed off about years of underdog status due to poor management. Pissed off about the arena situation. Pissed off about losing John Tavares. After all that, they’re letting all their frustration out on the Penguins.

Putting the cart way before the horse here, but what if the Isles faced Barry Trotz’s former team in the next round, then Tavares’ current team after that? I know who I’ll be pulling for in the small chance that this scenario plays out.

After Erik Gudbranson opened the scoring for the Penguins (bet for the sake of your playoff pool you were hoping it was someone else), Anthony Beauvillier equaled the score just three minutes after. This is what I mean about it being an intense series.

ANTHONY BEAUVILLIER CLEANS UP IN FRONT TO TIE IT UP!#LetsGoPens 1 – 1 #Isles (New York Leads Series 1-0) pic.twitter.com/UA1mE3HJeA

— Hockey Daily #StickTogether (@HockeyDaily365) April 13, 2019

Jordan Eberle and Josh Bailey scored in the third period to put the Islanders in the lead for good. Both Eberle and Mathew Barzal finished the game with two points and a plus-2. Eberle has two goals and four points in two playoff games this season. Guess how many playoff goals he had prior to this season. That’s right, the same number as Duchene, except in 13 games.

Pittsburgh is in the same predicament as Tampa Bay, but at least they’re coming home. We’ll soon find out how much playoff experience matters and if they want to win this series as badly as the Islanders do.

St. Louis/Winnipeg

I’ll admit that I was in the minority that picked Winnipeg to win this series (my playoff picks really aren’t looking good so far, but I’m guessing I’m not the only one). In spite of the two teams’ recent play, I didn’t think the Jets were being given enough credit for being a large physical team that looks built for the playoffs. Yet here they are down 0-2 and with an uphill climb heading to St. Louis.

Although Jordan Binnington was by no means terrible in this game, he was a bit more human, allowing three goals on 29 shots. On a side note, don’t get me started about him winning the Calder Trophy. Although he and Craig Berube have singlehandedly turned the Blues’ season around, I’m citing the Connor McDavid precedent. You miss a half season, you miss out. Sorry. At least I won’t call him the Hamburgler 2.0 (Andrew Hammond, in case you forgot), but I think his numbers fall back to earth a little once teams get a better read on him (or at least once he plays that full season). That doesn’t mean he won’t be a worthwhile starting goalie to own in fantasy, though.

Oskar Sundqvist led the way for the Blues with two goals, the first two playoff goals of his career.

Vegas/San Jose

The Sharks were gifted eight power plays in this game, scoring on one of them. The problem was that Vegas scored on two of those power plays. Yes, San Jose’s power plays. That turned out to be the difference in Vegas’ 5-3 win, which evens the series heading back to Sin City.

The Vegases stormed out to a 3-0 lead, which chased Martin Jones from the net after just under seven minutes and seven shots faced. The Sharks returned the favor late in the first period with three goals of their own and appeared to have the momentum to start the second period. However, Mark Stone scored a power-play goal early in the second period on a phantom goalie interference penalty handed to the Sharks.

The “goalie interference” on Logan Couture.#SJSharks #VegasBorn pic.twitter.com/BM8MLnGWwf

— Brodie Brazil (@BrodieNBCS) April 13, 2019

It wouldn’t be the playoffs without someone being unhappy with the officiating. Today it’s the Sharks. Not saying they don’t have a legitimate beef, but it’s not the first time a bad call was made and it certainly won’t be the last.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic left Friday’s game early in the second period. As a result, both Erik Karlsson (29:08) and Brent Burns (28:36) appeared to be double-shifted. Karlsson logged 9:25 in power-play time, which was more than third-pairing defenseman Joakim Ryan logged in the entire game (7:34).

Cale Makar is the 2018-19 Hobey Baker winner. After playing in Saturday’s championship game, it’s possible that he could debut with the Avalanche as early as Game 3 on Sunday night. Of course, we’ll be keeping an eye on the top prospect blueliner should he enter the Avs’ lineup. With 49 points in 40 games with UMass, the 2017 fourth overall pick is definitely a blueliner that should be heavily sought after in keeper leagues. You can check out Makar’s Dobber Prospects profile here.

Jaromir Jagr is giving middle-age guys hope everywhere.

Vintage Jaromir Jagr today…… pic.twitter.com/agNWVZdRuw

— Robert Söderlind (@HockeyWebCast) April 12, 2019

A follow-up on the roto league that I wrote about in last Saturdays Ramblings. Apparently a stat correction pushed the first-place team down one point, forcing a three-way tie for the league championship. So now three teams are showing as tied for first, as I was originally tied with another team for second.

The stat correction may not actually be correct, as it is believed to have to do with another team’s goals-against average, although I don’t know for sure if it would be enough for him to regain first place. Apparently no tiebreaker was set in this league (and maybe other roto leagues in Yahoo), so two or more teams can tie for first. If the stat correction did make a difference, then this league was basically decided by one goal. Either way, it was a hell of a ride that kept me interested until the very last day.

This was a truly bizarre ending to a team that I had autopicked (you can read more about it here). It’s in a fantasy writers “expert” league that I’ve now won twice: once in the last lockout-shortened season (2012-13) and now this three-way victory. As long as they don’t ask how and just ask how many, I’m good.

Finally, I'd like to wish my son Alex a happy 10th birthday! I can't believe that I've been a father for a decade now. Time sure flies. Hopefully he scores a goal or two at hockey later today. Scoring goals isn't only a gift for him, but also for me.

For more fantasy hockey information, or to reach out to me directly, you can follow me on Twitter @Ian_Gooding.

from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-jackets-strike-lightning-again-isles-and-blues-also-up-two-games-apr-13/

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weownthenitenyc · 6 years ago

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Get ready for the massive “Solomun + 1” takeover of the legendary EXIT Festival Dance Arena with Tale of Us

Last summer, global music juggernaut EXIT Festival displayed a true “Arenamagedon” in the colossal trenches of its spectacular stage Dance Arena, but this year’s lineup promises even bigger edition!

After Carl Cox announced his return to one of the planet’s greatest open-air raves, he was quickly joined by Paul Kalkbrenner, Amelie Lens, Maceo Plex, Jeff Mills, Charlotte de Witte, Boris Brejcha, Peggy Gou, Dax J, Monika Kruse, Adriatique, Satori, Johannes Brecht and many others. This “galactic” team of the greatest electronic stars of today will be completed by none other than Solomun, an EXIT regular since 2010 who brings his famous “+1” party format that conquered Ibiza! He will bring the spirit of the White Isle to the colossal 18th-century fortress with his special guests, the leading techno and house scene duo of today – Tale of Us! Special and original in their format, the “Solomun +1” parties in the famous Pacha club are considered the most talked about on Ibiza, the global hotspot for clubbing. Their unique concept will takeover EXIT’s gigantic stage for six hours, presenting Solomun and Tale of Us in their solo sets first and ending with a grand finale 2-hour b2b set!

Solomun brings his +1 to EXIT 2019 with Tale of Us

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During each week of the four-month summer season on Ibiza, Solomun personally picks one guest to share the DJ stand with him at the Pacha club for the whole night. This party series has seen monumental success, with Mladen’s list of guests including Sven Vath, Dixon, Black Coffee, DJ Tennis, and many other artists including Belgrade very own Vladimir Ivković! At the finale of its annual Ibiza season, Solomun invites Tale of Us, but also plays at the closing of their “Afterlife” series, causing many to dub this “back2back” as the currently hottest at the Spanish island! The Italian duo is currently at the pinnacle of their successful career, with their last year’s performance at EXIT Festival having been received as one of the best sets in recent years. Karm and Mateo have conquered the clubbing scene with tracks such as “Another Earth,” “Northern Star,” “Monument,” and one of the most popular labels in the past few years.

EXIT Festival 2018 Photo gallery

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Apart from locations such as Miami, New York, Paris, Tulum and of course, Ibiza, this exclusive map will include Novi Sad this year as well, as the home of EXIT festival, which Solomun once called as “one of the best experiences in his career!” His planetary rise happened, among other places, at EXIT Festival as far as 2010, when he played in the early morning hours which are exactly the ones he shines at the most. His unbreakable bond with EXIT was confirmed last year as well, when he “delivered” a very inspired set to the Arena, confirming his status as one of EXIT’s contemporary resident DJs, after which the audience gave him roaring ovations, enticing him to extend the set for another half-hour! The winner of the prestigious DJ Award for the best melodic house and techno in 2018 appears to be able to get anything done – apart from being the head of the Diynamic record label that recently celebrated its 100th release, he finds time to star in one of the most popular video games GTA, alongside the Tale of Us.

Special EXIT ticket offer: Buy 4, Get 5! Don’t forget that EXIT’s favorite group offer is back: friends who buy four tickets together receive one ticket as a present! “4+1” offer will last until a very limited number of packages are sold out! EXIT tickets are available at exitfest.org, and for those who wish to bundle them with accommodation and local transfer, there are also packages starting at €135. Default accommodation is the festival camp located on the city beach, while hotels can be booked through EXIT’s official tourist agency at exittrip.org.

EXIT Festival will be held 4-7 July 2019 at Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad, while the always diverse line-up will include The Cure, Greta Van Fleet, Carl Cox, Skepta, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, DJ Snake, Desiigner, Lost Frequencies, IAMDDB, Sofi Tukker, Solomun, Tale of Us, Tom Walker, Maceo Plex, Charlotte De Witte, Boris Brejcha, Peggy Gou, Jeff Mills, Amelie Lens, Dax J, Phil Anselmo & The Illegals, Tarja Turunen, 65daysofstatic, The Selecter, Peter & The Test Tube Babies, Whitechapel, Atheist Rap, Arcturus, Total Chaos and many more to come soon.

EXIT Festival 2019 will take place from 4th to 7th July 2019 www.exitfest.org

EXIT – where hedonism meets activism.

Started as a youth freedom movement in 2000 that brought down the oppressive regime of Slobodan Milosevic, EXIT has since grew into one of the leading festivals in the world with previous bookings that include Red Hot Chili Peppers, Madonna, Depeche Mode, Robbie Williams, Guns’n’Roses, Arctic Monkeys, The Prodigy and Motorhead to name but a few. As the only contemporary music festival that grew from the social activism, EXIT will mark the 50 years since the original 1967’s Summer of Love and remind its fans to peace movement of the 60’s, conveying the messages which in today’s world are needed more than ever.

Get ready for the massive "Solomun + 1" takeover of the legendary EXIT Festival Dance Arena with Tale of Us Get ready for the massive "Solomun + 1" takeover of the legendary EXIT Festival Dance Arena with Tale of Us

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tyleroakley-obsessed · 6 years ago

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Hey Memphis! It’s going to be a huge, awesome weekend in the city with tons of St. Patrick’s Day festivities, the Tigers in the AAC basketball tourney at FedExForum, lots of live music, crawfish, and much more. Even better, if you want to get around and enjoy the sunshine, you can rent an Explore Bike Share bike for just $3.17 all weekend. Details. Here are the five things you won’t want to miss this weekend, plus plenty of extras. Photo by Phillip Van Zandt But first, make sure you didn’t miss anything on the blog this week: the River Series spring concert lineup, March’s live music guide, National Pi(e) Day, the new Peabody Rooftop Party schedule, and a bicentennial events guide. 1. American Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament, FedExForum, Thursday – Sunday, prices vary, all ages Twelve college basketball teams (and their fans) are in town for the AAC Tourney! Beale is about to be crazy. Coach Penny leads Memphis against Tulane on Thursday at 2 p.m. Quarterfinals are on Friday, Semifinals are on Saturday at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., and the Conference Championship is Sunday at 2:15 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN. 2. Silky O’Sullivan’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Beale Street, Saturday, noon, free, all ages/kid-friendly Wear your green and bring the fam to historic Beale Street to enjoy live music, cars, dancers, floats and more at the 46th Annual Silky O’Sullivan Beale Street St. Patrick’s Day. There are a TON more St. Patrick’s Day events, so check those out here. 3. Memphis 901 FC vs. Loudoun United, AutoZone Park, Saturday, 7 p.m., $9 and up, all ages/kid-friendly The Memphis United Soccer League plays their second home game of the season this Saturday against some guys from Virginia. Last week’s home opener was a super fun sellout game (even though we lost) so get downtown this Saturday to see the Bluff City Mafia antics in action and cheer us on for our first win. 4. Madagascar: A Musical Adventure, Circuit Playhouse, Friday – Sunday, $25 adults/$10 It’s opening weekend for Playhouse on the Square/Circuit Playhouse’s latest musical show. I know y’all’s kids love the antics of those crazy penguins, so introduce them to the theater with this local professional show. Performances on Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Madagascar will show weekends and some Thursdays through April 7. 5. Rites To Play, Oak Alley at Rhodes College, Sunday, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., free, all ages/kid-friendly The Kinney Service Program at Rhodes hosts this totally free carnival at the college on Sunday with a bounce house, petting zoo, games, crafts, and food. It’s Galaxy-themed! Plus a few extras… St. Pawtrick’s Day, Lucky’s Social Club (730 S. Main), Saturday and Sunday, noon – 6 p.m., free, all ages/kid-and-dog friendly The new dog bar downtown has their super soft opening this St. Pawtrick’s Day weekend so you can check it out and give feedback. They’ll have live music, food trucks, and local beer. Bring your well-behaved dogs on leashes. When they open in May, Lucky’s will be membership-based. Time Warp Drive-In, Malco Summer Drive In, Saturday, dusk – until, $10, all ages (use parental discretion) This month, the Time Warp Drive-In goes back to Back To The Future by showing all three movies in the series this Saturday night. IRIS Orchestra: A Night To Remember feat. Inon Barnatan, GPAC/Brooks Museum, Saturday/Sunday, 7:30 p.m./ , $45+ From IRIS: “Hailed by The New York Times as “one of the most admired pianists of his generation,” Inon Barnatan is a force of nature at the keyboard…IRIS has put together a bold and creative program, most of which has never been performed before by the orchestra.” Eat This Book, Memphis Central Library, Saturday, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., free, all ages/kid-friendly The library hosts their first-ever festival to celebrate Memphis Food Culture! They’ll have a bazaar with local booths, local restaurants and food businesses, cooking demos, and food trucks. They’re pulling out a collection of food books, cookbooks, and other culinary-related books for the event. And even more… All Weekend 1776 The Musical at Theatre Memphis Significant Other at Playhouse on the Square (opening weekend) Quark Theatre presents RADIANT VERMIN at TheatreSouth (First Congo) St. Patrick’s Day at Celtic Crossing St. Patrick’s Day events all over town Friday South Main Sounds Songwriter Night Music of the People at Harris Concert Hall Space Jam at the Orpheum Theatre Patio Music Series at The Second Line Marsha Ambrosious w/ Karen Brown at Minglewood Lucky Brass Band at Bar DKDC Saturday Fast & The Furriest 5K at Shelby Farms Crawfish Boil at Loflin Yard Carl E More In Conversation w/ Grace Stewart at ArtUp St. Paddy’s Day Dessert Tasting at Primas Bakery + Boutique Eric Hutchinson w/ Nich Howard at the Hi Tone Puddles Pity Party at Minglewood Hall Tank and the Bangas at Minglewood (1884 Lounge) Nate’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade at Earnestine & Hazel’s 42nd Annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration at Murphy’s Jason D. Williams at Railgarten Live From the Green Room with Tonya Dyson Sunday Winter Jam at the Landers Center Imagene’s Gospel Brunch & Drag Show at Dru’s Place St. Patty’s Day Crawfish Boil at Crosstown Brewing The Emerald Isle Tour at Elmwood St. Paddy’s Day w/ Drivin N Cryin at Railgarten John Mellencamp at The Orpheum Meet Crazy Horse Family Elder at Bickford Community Center MidSouthCon 37 is going on at the Hilton, but it’s sold out! Y’all have fun and tag your cosplay pics #ilovememphis so I can share ’em. Whatever you decide to get into this weekend, I hope you have a great time. Come back here on Monday to tell me all about it! Are you a home owner in Memphis, with a broken garage door? Call ASAP garage door today at 901-461-0385 or checkout https://ift.tt/1B5z3Pc

http://ilovememphisblog.com/2019/03/5-things-to-do-this-weekend-3-15-3-17-2/

#I Love Memphis

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islesblogger · 6 years ago

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Game Review 20190301 VS WAS: Dead Leg Isles Fall to Caps 1-3

The most important game to date for both the Islanders and Capitals. The Islanders finally played the back end of a back to back like you’re supposed to… tired. Washington finally break the Isles’ D, and Greiss in the third. A PP goal, a fluke fowl (Emblem joke) tip, and an own goal empty netter by Bailey.

The IslesBlogger.com game reviews are being done in restaurant review form based on this post about Lou’s Burger Barn. I hope you enjoy the format. If you have any suggestions or critiques please do so in the comments section. Thanks.

The Staff (Lineup Changes)

LWCRWL127Lee29Nelson07Eberle L218Beauvillier13Barzal12BaileyL332Johnston53Cizikas15Clutterbuck L414Kuhnhackl51Filppula47Komarov FR16Ladd17Martin LDRDD103Pelech06PulockD202Leddy55BoychukD325Toews24MayfieldDR04Hickey21Sbisa##SeidenbergGOAL01Greiss40Lehner

Kuhnhackl in for Ladd

Johnston in for Martin

Greiss starts back end of B2B

Lou’s Burger of the Game (Hero)

Thomas Greiss played a solid game. There was no real hero here. This team looked exhausted all night. With the exception of a few bursts they played the whole game in their defensive zone. When you do that you’re goaltender hast to keep you in the game. He did.

Into the Chili (Goat)

Josh Bailey. As much as I would have liked this to have been Nick Leddy for officially becoming the Islanders SIXTH defenseman, I couldn’t do it. Bailey scored an own goal empty netter. You gotta get the goat when you do that. You just have to.

Salad Bar (Random Thoughts About the Game)

No legs. We’ve seen it a few times. The Islanders just had no legs tonight. They played way too much of the game in their own zone.

The goaltending matchup was Thomas Greiss vs the pipes. Three posts hit by the Islanders. Greiss played well. He let up two but it could have very well been 5-1 even before the third started.

The Killer B’s (Beau-Barzal-Bailey) look like they’re gonna be around to generate offense. This could be the first line, or it could be the fourth line. It all depends on how other teams match up. If they clog up the neutral zone, like Washington is going to do, then they are not net effective. Too many neutral zone turnovers because of too many bad neutral zone decisions.

I had to watch the Washington feed because CAPS games are blacked out in my area on NHL.TV. Have to take two aspirin per period to listen to Laughlin. He spent a whole hour talking about how the Kuhnhackl goal was offsides… thank Bossy they scored their fluke goal (Ovechkin’s Foul Tip) so he could stop whining.

I get the feeling that Barry Trotz knows Tom Wilson is afraid of Ross Johnston. He gave Matt Martin the night off after a very physical game against the Leafs. Tom Wilson responded by being a pussy cat all night. Make a note of that if the two teams should meet in the playoffs.

The war of attrition. These games have gone back to being neutral zone battles. The Caps clearly won the majority of those battles tonight. I’m not sure if they will should both teams battle rested. Ladd and Martin will make a difference in that regard.

Ii think this game was evidence that the road to the cup will be going through Long Island. Even on a hangover night, the Isles kept Washington off the board for 40+ minutes.

The Bubbly (Playoff Status)

TEAMW L OT P PPG PRJGRLCDPOATLA0TBL49124102 1.569 1291720A1BOS3817985 1.328 1091812A2TOR3921482 1.281 1051811A3METM0NYI3720781 1.266 1041810M1WAS3721781 1.246 102179M2CBJ3624375 1.190 98198M3WCW0MON3523777 1.185 97177W1PIT3322874 1.175 96198W2OUTXXCAR3423674 1.175 96198PHI3126870 1.077 88174FLA28251066 1.048 86194BUF2926866 1.048 86194NYR27271064 1.000 82182NJD2532858 0.892 7317-2DET2332955 0.859 7018-3OTT2237549 0.766 6318-6

The Caps move into a tie with the Isles for first, but the Isles have a game in hand.

Montreal beat the Rangers tonight to jump ahead of PIT and CAR for the first wild card position. They would be the Islanders’ first round opponent if the playoffs started today. That will probably change every time I do a game review.

Dessert (What’s Coming Up)

PHI (03/03/19) The Flyers are hanging on to their playoffs hopes by a thread. They can only lose four games with 18 remaining to make the bubble. They know where they are, that’s why Simmonds is in Nashville.

OTT (03/05/19) Since my last review OTT fired their coach Guy Boucher and replaced him with fiery Marc Crawford. Seems a little odd to name an interim coach at this point. I think we can all assume that Ottawa is just getting a jump on the next five years.

@OTT (03/07/19) Home in home with the wounded dog.

@PHI (03/09/19) Philadelphia could be completely out of the race by the time we get an eyeful of Gritty, or they could be back in it. A lot will depend on the Islanders and the Capitals not playing down to their level. But they have been awfully hot lately.

Game Review 20190301 VS WAS: Dead Leg Isles Fall to Caps 1-3 was originally published on islesblogger.com

#Barzal #Capitals #Islanders #Ovechkin

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