#which i still think they should have played in Philly and started a riot

[rayrobinsart]

So just in time for their tour to start up i finally finished this MCR comic print!! I’m super proud of it! Do you see those HANDS?? Best hands i’ve ever drawn in my LIFE

[daleisgreat]

Lockdown 2009

Greetings all and welcome to my fifth installment of marching through every TNA/Impact Lockdown PPV. Catch up on the previous entries right here! As I watched this PPV it reminded me of where I was with enjoying Impact in this era of April of 2009 when Lockdown emanated from Philly. Even though this was about a third of the way into infamous head booker Vince Russo’s eight year run with TNA, I think I was near the peak of my TNA/Impact fandom. They maintained a solid X-Division lineup and former X-Division stars were becoming mainstays in the World Title picture like Samoa Joe and AJ Styles. TNA was getting a lot of momentum with its Main Event Mafia faction consisting of former ‘Monday Night Wars’ stars like Nash, Sting, Booker T, Scott Steiner and Kurt Angle. TNA’s ‘Knockouts Division’ they established when Impact went two hours in 2007 put WWE’s then ‘Diva-Search era’ to shame and I feel it was the predecessor to the ‘Women’s Evolution’ era in the WWE for the past few years. This came to a halt when Eric Bishoff and Hulk Hogan arrived in TNA by the end of 2009 and within a year Impact went from must-see programming to becoming a chore and largely ignoring it by the end of 2010. There will be more on that to look forward to in future Lockdown entries. Here are some key takeaways I had from the 2009 Lockdown before I breakdown the matches…. -I think this is the final Lockdown with Don West announcing because Tazz at this time in the midst of his no-compete clause after finishing up with WWE after nine years. Don West did an entertaining short run as a heel announcer a couple months prior although he largely played it straight on this PPV. Sure enough, Tazz debuted in TNA a couple months later and West was gone from the announce desk. West was an affable and authentic voice for TNA in these early years for the promotion and while Tazz was always a solid announcer, I could not help but feel the announce desk permanently took a dip with the removal of West. -This was year two or three of TNA leaving the safety nest of the Impact-Zone Arena at Universal Studios for a bigger arena gate on the road. Lockdown was one of just a handful of PPVs that TNA took on the road per year and it paid off with a big-time atmosphere, especially with this 2009 card taking place in a city known for its passionate fan-base in Philly.

-Yearly props again go out to TNA promo-package voiceover guy, Barry Scott for delivering powerful narrations for all the storyline recaps before most matches yet again. His poignant voice makes any rivalry and PPV no matter how weak or strong at that moment seem must-see. WWE or AEW needs to hire this guy!!! -The 2009 DVD has a decent smattering of just over a half hour of extras. Aside from the pre-show match, there is a recap of the TNA Interaction fan fest, post-match interviews with Sting, Kevin Nash, Team 3D and a in-progress-of-being-stitched-up Mick Foley. Sting has some kind reflections after his match, Nash is a riot enjoying a post-match brewski, and they get so up close to the medical staff working on Foley that they have to issue a graphic content warning. A Smashing Pumpkins music video and a photo gallery I once again borrowed a few pics from for this entry round off the decent amount of extras. -TNA head honcho Dixie Carter made one of her first on-screen appearances for the company giving a quick interview to Jeremy Borash in the pre-show thanking the fans for their support. She started to make some PR appearances around this time to help promote the recently released Impact game on PS3 and 360 and I believe this was her TNA on-air programming debut. Regrettably, Dixie would go on to make more regular appearances in the years to come as an on-air authority figure much to the displeasure of viewers.

-I liked the frequent quick backstage interviews with talent before their matches and them combined with the aforementioned Barry Scott recaps served as a nice refresher on the rivalries going into this, and none overstayed their welcomes unlike a lot of modern WWE rivalry recap packages. I think Lauren was probably the fourth or fifth backstage interviewer for TNA at this point, and she did a fine good job with her reactions and adding in a quick take relative to the storyline’s after most of the interviews wrapped which added a nice ‘fan’s perspective’ view on the feuds. -Also worth noting is future TNA president and current top brass of NWA, Billy Corgan made an early TNA appearance in the music video hype package for the PPV, which is also a DVD extra, with him lending TNA Bullet with Butterfly Wings for use. Speaking of Corgan, you guys should really watch NWA Powerrr!! It and NXT are my current top two shows of the overcrowded 2019 wrestling bubble in America. -Before we begin (I know…sorry), I have to touch on the Suicide character making his Lockdown debut. He was a masked wrestler that debuted in the previously touted Impact videogame. The Impact game was ridiculously over-promoted on TV each week, eventually culminating in the videogame character becoming an actual wrestler. As of this writing, six different individuals have donned the Suicide gear for various stints for the character in TNA up until earlier this year when his most recent run ended. Worth noting is Suicide’s trademark fingers-to-the-temple pose. That same pose would coincidentally become the well-known cover art of the far better performing game, Borderlands when that game first released the following year. Naturally, having fans chant ‘Suicide’ and having him face off against opponents named ‘Homicide’ stirred controversy and TNA answered the criticism and would change his name to Manik…..before ultimately changing it back to Suicide due to presumably fan demand/creative resentment? TNA! TNA!

-Last year I noted how Lockdown 2008 had a shockingly low blade-job count with Brother D-Von being the sole wrestler who bled throughout the card. 2009 exponentially upped that number with six wrestlers donning the crimson mask with Abyss, Matt Morgan, Bully Ray, Mick Foley, Sting and Kevin Nash all doing the honors. Unlike WWE today, TNA did not change the mat canvas after a match if a wrestler bled so gradually throughout the night the mat transformed into a blood-soaked mess as you can see by the cell-phone photo I took with an overhead camera shot of the main event near the end of the PPV. -Ok, enough babbling, onto the matches of this 2009 Lockdown! The pre-show match is included as a DVD extra and has Eric Young squaring off against local Philly radio personality, Danny Bonaduce. Danny tries some slimy antagonist antics against fan favorite EY, and even sneaks in a little offense before Young surprised him with a roll-up for the win. Danny tried to avenge his loss by beating down Young afterwards, but Rhino came in for the save and gore’d the smithereens out of Bonaduce! The first official match on the PPV card was the annual X-Title, X-Scape contest. This saw champ, Suicide defending against ‘Black Machismo’ Jay Lethal, Sheik Abdul Bashir (formerly WWE’s Daivari), Kiyoshi and Consequences Creed (a pre-WWE Xavier Woods). I will give Vince Russo credit for accidentally stumbling into a legit thrilling finish for this X-Scape matc! It is probably one of my favorites of them so far. After a lot of trademark X-Division high-flying and a few pinfall eliminations, it came down to Suicide and Bashir to escape in order to win. Kiyoshi tried to climb the top of the cage to prevent Suicide from climbing over, but security intervened and pulled him down while Bashir attempted to sneak through the door during the distraction. Before Bashir could sneak out however, Suicide surveyed the surroundings and did a dive from the top onto the security and Kiyoshi outside the ring for the instant victory! It played out very convincingly and I was popping just as big for it as the crowd! -The second annual queen of the cage bout took place next between Sojourner Bolt, ODB, Daffney and then-Beautiful People intern Madison Rayne. Rayne would become a big player for the Knockouts division so it was interesting seeing her quite early in her TNA run. Unfortunately the Knockouts could not quite gel in this match and after several minutes of unremarkable action ODB hit a powerslam for the victory. The IWGP JR. Tag Titles match faired much better though with Motor City Machine Guns defending against LAX and No Limit. It was a bit on the spot-fest side of things, but a good one at that with the Guns successfully defending after hitting their Made in Detroit signature finish for the pin.

-Abyss and Matt Morgan squared off next in the uniquely titled ‘Doomsday Chamber of Blood’ that saw its stipulation being a wrestler cannot score a fall unto they make their adversary bleed. With that, we saw the use of tacks, glass shards and chairs resulting in the expected bloodbath. This Lockdown also took place while Abyss was a little ways into his ‘escaped mental facility’ version of his character and he referenced in a pre-match interview seeking therapy to stop weapon violence from one ‘Dr. Stevie.’ That Stevie turned out to be a TNA-debuting Stevie Richards fresh off his WWECW run who distracted Abyss by taking away a chair from him that caused Morgan to hit his finish for the win. This match gets the honors of being my annual induction for being a solid lock for the eventual WWE home video release of ‘Top 50 OMG Moments of TNA/Impact.’ -The Knockouts Title was on the line next in a triple threat with Awesome Kong defending against Angelina Love and Taylor Wilde. Unfortunately a freak concussion happened to Angelina Love a couple minutes in after she took a cross-body from Wilde. She looked on auto-pilot while Wilde tried to bide time with a hold, but eventually they got the call to go home and Wilde took a weak kick from a handcuffed Kong for the awkward sudden victory. Hate to see it whenever this happens, but this was still a few years before the concussion controversies gained steam in the NFL and before WWE and TNA banned head chair-shots, so part of me was surprised TNA did the right thing and quickly ended the match when they realized something was not right, so good on them for that.

-Both the TNA Tag Titles and IWGP Tag Titles were simultaneously up for grabs next between Team 3D and Beer Money. The announcers and promo package did a tremendous job hyping up this match for who would be the king of the tag teams and making this match have the vibe of a homecoming for Team 3D due to their ECW roots. All wrestlers left the cage within seconds of starting the match (they would be among many to do so throughout the night) and did a ECW-esque brawl throughout the crowd for old time’s sake! Eventually the action came back inside and saw a few good highspots that got the crowd and me rolling and finishing with Team 3D getting the feel good win after hitting Roode with a 3D through a table. -TNA’s version of War Games, Lethal Lockdown, happened next. It saw AJ Styles, Jeff Jarrett, Christopher Daniels and Samoa Joe team up against Kurt Angle, Scott Steiner, Booker T and Kevin Nash. Seeing how worn down Kurt Angle looked in his farewell match earlier this year it is remarkable how much better he looked ten years prior. He looks about 30 years younger! Highlights of this Lethal Lockdown see Steiner hitting impressive top rope suplexes and Franken-steiners to a big crowd pop and Scotty responded by doing an aggressive flurry of bird flipping motions to the Philly crowd before they could conjure up a ‘You Still Got It’ chant. After Jarrett entered last and the roof of the cage locked down with weapons on top, AJ and Angle quickly ascended on top of the cage roof with a big spot coming from AJ doing a splash through the roof of the cage onto a few Main Event Mafia members to a big reaction. The finish occurred when AJ got the pin on Booker T when Jarrett hit him with a guitar after Jarrett teased turning on AJ. TNA had another former WWE-debut immediately after the match though with Bobby Lashley having an odd motorcycle-themed tron and theme-song package as he posed to the crowd and did…..nothing else of note. This would be the first of two runs for Lashley in TNA where he eventually evolved into a pretty decent act before he went back to WWE last year.

-The main event saw Sting defend his world title against Mick Foley. I recall not being into Foley’s ‘executive shareholder’ authority figure character here where he was squabbling with Sting for calling him out for being inactive and being portrayed as losing his marbles. He continues that characterization by pounding his forehead to bust himself open at the very beginning of the match. Foley looks like he got himself in decent shape in time for this match, but he could not go like he use to by this point in 2009 as this was mostly a kick and punch affair until in a baffling booking decision, Foley attacks a cameraman for being in his way, only moments later to demand that same cameraman to hand him an out of reach barbed-wire bat from outside the ring, to which the cameraman who just got pummeled by Foley quickly acquiesces to. After beating down on Sting with the bat for a while the two engage in a anticlimactic climbing-over-the-cage affair that Foley gets the best of to become the new TNA World champion in an underwhelming headlining bout. The two put on a good effort, and I hate to slight Foley, but he and the odd booking dragged things down a couple notches to the ‘alright’ quality level. -This was a 50/50 night for the eight PPV matches. On one hand we had the off night for the women and the mediocre Doomsday and world title matches, but on the other we had two standout tag title matches, easily the best X-Scape match yet and better-than-usual Lethal Lockdown bout. Overall I would have to say the good outweighs the bad and will give 2009 Lockdown a solid thumbs-up. Join me next time as we enter the first of four Lockdowns that transpired during the not-so-highly-regarded Hogan/Bishoff run! Past Wrestling Blogs Best of WCW Clash of Champions Best of WCW Monday Nitro Volume 2 Best of WCW Monday Nitro Volume 3 Biggest Knuckleheads Bobby The Brain Heenan Daniel Bryan: Just Say Yes Yes Yes DDP: Positively Living Dusty Rhodes WWE Network Specials ECW Unreleased: Vol 1 ECW Unreleased: Vol 2 ECW Unreleased: Vol 3 Eric Bishoff: Wrestlings Most Controversial Figure Fight Owens Fight: The Kevin Owens Story For All Mankind Goldberg: The Ultimate Collection Hulk Hogans Unreleased Collectors Series Impact Wresting Presents: Best of Hulk Hogan Its Good to Be the King: The Jerry Lawler Story The Kliq Rules Ladies and Gentlemen My Name is Paul Heyman Legends of Mid South Wrestling Macho Man: The Randy Savage Story Memphis Heat NXT: From Secret to Sensation NXT Greatest Matches Vol 1 OMG Vol 2: Top 50 Incidents in WCW History OMG Vol 3: Top 50 Incidents in ECW History Owen: Hart of Gold RoH Supercard of Honor 2010-Present ScoobyDoo Wrestlemania Mystery Scott Hall: Living on a Razors Edge Sting: Into the Light Straight Outta Dudley-ville: Legacy of the Dudley Boyz Straight to the Top: Money in the Bank Anthology Superstar Collection: Zach Ryder Then Now Forever – The Evolution of WWEs Womens Division TLC 2017 TNA Lockdown 2005-2016 Top 50 Superstars of All Time Tough Enough: Million Dollar Season True Giants Ultimate Fan Pack: Roman Reigns Ultimate Warrior: Always Believe War Games: WCWs Most Notorious Matches Warrior Week on WWE Network Wrestlemania 3: Championship Edition Wrestlemania 28-Present The Wrestler (2008) Wrestling Road Diaries Too Wrestling Road Diaries Three: Funny Equals Money Wrestlings Greatest Factions WWE Network Original Specials First Half 2015 WWE Network Original Specials Second Half 2015 WWE Network Original Specials First Half 2016 WWE Network Original Specials Second Half 2016 WWE Network Original Specials First Half 2017

[livelikebrent]

Life isn’t tied with a bow but it’s still a gift...

The answer is: Yes, the title of this post is more or less a Kodak Black lyric. It was made into a very pretty, visually pleasing inspirational quote image I saw on social media, I took note of it for later use and here I am realizing it wasn’t made up by some super unique female author. But nevertheless, it’s true. So this blog post isn’t about a recent trip. But rather the holiday season and Brent not being here for it. It’s something I want to write about.

Some of you are reading this because you knew Brent, you snowboarded together or you grew up together. Some of you reading have never met Brent but heard about what a great guy he was...and I couldn’t be happier that he had an impact on you. While he didn’t know everybody, he sure knew a good chunk of the population. I couldn't tell you the last time he introduced me to someone, meaning only one person and that's where it ended. It was never, "Hey Ais, meet TJ." No, no. It was, "Hey Ais, meet TJ... OH and his wife Leslie. Oh and there are our friends Brandin and his wife Jaque, who is Buck and Tank's vet and then this is Maura who is engaged to Tom and is BFF with Caitlin. Not Tom though, Maura is BFFs with Caitlin and Tom is BFF with Josh. You met Josh when we went to dinner with him and Hannah...” AND IT WOULD GO ON. That’s not exactly how I met those individuals but just roll with the example. I've probably met the amount of people I was originally supposed to meet in my entire lifetime in the first year of dating Brent. It’s incredible. But, I digress. Here we are today regardless if I've been introduced to you (yet) or not. Sometimes, Brent would have friends in the same room as mine and there would be overlap without us even realizing it. Brent was all about bringing people together in one way or another. I think we can all agree that he was good at that.

This December I decided to bring together the Philly/Wilkes-Barre-ish crew to start a new tradition: Friendsmas. This year has been a roller coaster and wanted us all together during the holiday season. Out of the 15 people in this photo below (baby Fiona is running around and Josh doesn’t know how to handle the selfie stick) Brent introduced me to 12. That’s one dozen people that I wouldn’t have in my life right now if it wasn’t for Brent. That’s just the tip of the iceberg too. (Mind you there are some people missing from this photo that still play a vital role in my life today.) I’m extremely grateful for this bunch that I’ve become friends with and want me in their lives even after Brent being gone. We tried to get a group picture. But taking photos that night was not our strong suit and the kitchen may have filled with smoke due to the burning butter in Adam’s (delish) popovers...but the company and spread was pretty close to perfection. I hope this group of wonderful people grows and the tradition continues...because I think we need that. 

I think it’s very easy to harp on the loss and what we no longer have during a time like this. During a time of year like this. It’s inevitable to be quite honest. But I think sometimes we need to remind ourselves with what we do have and cherish it regardless. That is what I’ve been trying to do and how I’ve been trying to handle myself the last 5 months. But recently, I found myself lying in bed one evening trying to go to sleep but couldn’t stop thinking about Brent. As the tears welled up and I started to cry my phone rang instantly. It was Fletcher, a Carve 4 Cancer member and friend, calling me from his hotel room in Montreal to chat about Carve. Coincidence? Probably. But I like to think not. I think we’ve all shared plenty of tears and there are certainly more to come...but again, take the time to look around and think about what we have and what Brent did for us. Brent brought Fletcher into my life. Fletcher, a blood cancer survivor, joined the Carve 4 Cancer team almost two years ago. When Brent was re-diagnosed, Fletcher would call me, text me, he’d let me know him and his wife (who had been HIS caretaker) were always there to talk. But that night Fletcher called and we chatted for almost two hours about the non-profit and the future of it. He didn’t know I was upset and that his call was cheering me up or that I was in bed trying to fall asleep. But I was grateful for the conversation (even if most of it was pure business) at such an odd time.

Pictured below is another group of loved ones brought together. But this time, the tables have turned and I had introduced Brent to 20+ people all in one sitting. This is my Boston College Family. “But you didn’t go to B.C.” I know, I’m well aware. My father and brother did though! My Dad did it right. What I mean by that is he stayed friends with his (6? Am I missing anybody?) college buds that he lived with in Mod32A on campus. Then when they all graduated, went off and got married, they continued to stay friends, then when they had children, we all became friends...more like family, really. Years ago, we used to get together in the summers up in Scituate, Mass. for long weekends and playing with lobsters on the deck before cooking them, winters in New Jersey cutting down our Christmas trees together and random get togethers in between. But as we grew older and schedules became a bit more crazy we took a break from organized mass gatherings. But over the last several years, we started to get together again for tree cutting season and pumpkin picking for Oktobersfest! This crew grew from the B.C. boys, to married couples, to families and then to families with significant others and we now have our first official B.C. baby, my niece Madison Grace. It’s absolutely wonderful how much it has evolved over the years and how much of a riot we all have together. But two years ago, Brent was invited to the annual B.C. Tree Cutting Party in 2015. The weather was unseasonably warm that year and I was excited to introduce Brent to my extended family for the first time. It’s needless to say, he fully embraced them as they did him.

This specific B.C. gathering begins at my parent’s humble abode in New Jersey where everyone meets up in the early afternoon. Then we caravan to the tree farm, find our Christmas trees, chop those puppies down, stop in the barn on the farm to buy ornaments, beeswax candle sticks, grab some coco or coffee, take our annual group farm photo and eventually make our way back to the house. Then the day continues with endless food, drinks, games, white elephant gift exchange and catching up into the evening and early hours of the morning. Every bed, every room, and most of the floor space is filled with bodies and air mattresses. When morning rolls around, the food and coffee is once again never ending before everyone packs up and makes their way back home whether it’s to Orlando, Ocean City or Philadelphia. Sadly, that was the only mass Boston College gathering Brent was able to attend. BUT he did see this B.C. crew for random and smaller gatherings here and there. He absolutely loved it.

When the B.C. family heard the news this past July, everyone felt an immense loss. How could you not? It was Brent. Mind you, some of these people only met Brent once and traveled all of the way from Scituate to attend his funeral. Now that’s a love that makes me cry just thinking about it. I received cards, phone calls, text messages, packages, and more from the Boston College family expressing their sympathy, love and support. We truly are a family which Brent was very much a part of. My loss was their loss.

This year, our Tree Cutting Party was exciting and intense in more ways than one. it was my niece's very first tree cutting in general and the weather was so perfect. We’ve had bitter cold weather for this December gathering, we’ve had beautiful warm weather, we’ve had dreary December days but this year we had a perfect snowfall. I had thought this was already the best B.C. party so far soley because we finally cut Christmas trees down in the snow. But it got better.

When we got back to my parent’s house, the Irish whiskey was flowing, bottles were being popped, appetizers were consumed and then my brother, Chris (in most of the photos above), had the room silent. He stood in our living room with all eyes on him and myself sitting on the floor with one of my “cousins.” He said that the entire group wanted me to know they knew this year would be hard and wouldn’t be the same without Brent...but that he was present. He went on and told me they love me and they also wanted me to look around at the party and see Brent everywhere. Then simultaneously all twenty-eight of them took off their sweaters and button downs to reveal they were all wearing our Carve 4 Cancer #LiveLikeBrent shirts and had one waiting for me as well. (I actually thought about packing mine for the weekend but for some reason didn’t!) I don’t even know what I said in response to my brother and everyone in that room except, “Thank you” as I tried to hold back my tears, stood up and hugged Chris. I wasn’t sad or upset but honestly touched by the support and love from this group of people. One of the couples that live down in Orlando felt terrible they were unable travel up for Brent’s arrangements over the summer and felt compelled to do something. So they planned this thoughtful and unexpected surprise. Thank you.

“I’ve learned a lot this year. I learned that things don’t always turn out the way you planned, or the way you think they should. And I’ve learned that there are things that go wrong that don’t always get fixed or get put back together the way they were before. I’ve learned that some broken things stay broken, and I’ve learned that you can get through bad times and keep looking for better ones, as long as you have people who love you.” – Jennifer Weiner, Author

Everyone in their lifetime will lose somebody they love. I'm obviously not speaking on a break-up or a falling out with a friend. I'm talking about when the time comes for that somebody “to meet their maker”...as Brent would often refer to it. You will lose somebody, attend that wake, attend that funeral and if you're lucky...that's the extent in what you have to do with the loss. Emotionally you still need to deal with it - but not physically. You don't have to worry about stopping utility bills, car payments, cleaning out an entire home from top to bottom and this list goes on. But unfortunately, I'm sure some of you know that process a little too well. However, what are some of the positives after losing this person? It’s very difficult and almost impossible to even see at first. But what are you left with? When life deals you a shitty hand in cards how do you play them? As Brent's girlfriend I realized I was left with something. I'm not talking about the sweatshirt that he wore in the hospital that I slept in for a week straight after he passed. I'm also not talking about being left with his snowboards or the countless memories we had together either. I'm talking about you. I'm talking about his friends - he would always correct me...“Our friends, Aisling. They’re not just MY friends anymore.” - I'm talking about OUR friends, Brent’s drinking buddies, peers, new acquaintances...I'm talking about this community I’ve found myself in. Just stop and think about it. I have been left with this community of rad, insanely kind and special people that have also rallied around what started as a measly grass roots fundraiser almost 5 years ago!  But...it was Brent's little fundraiser. It was his fundraiser to help others in the blood cancer community. I was left with this (growing) team of people. I wasn't the only one left with a community or non-profit that was built together with Brent. Everyone reading this post was left with this too.

These friends, this Carve 4 Cancer community, has evolved from a fundraiser with a couple of raffle baskets into an official, full fledged non-profit recognized by the IRS into now with a foundation. It all comes full circle. Brent was originally raising money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to help others. He then decided he didn't want the money he raised to be managed by a huge organization. He, in true Brent fashion, wanted to take matters into his own hands and create the impact himself. Over the last 4 years we, Carve 4 Cancer, have donated over $30,000 to blood cancer research. Here we are in December of 2017 where we’ve announced a brand new foundation raising money to give a grants local cancer patients...the Live Like Brent Foundation. We have created a damn foundation, you guys! In just over one week, we receive the applications sent in from patients, get to know these individuals and help them financially. I'm sorry, but how amazing is that?! This is what Brent wanted and we’re going to make it happen. Also, I don’t think we’ve made this public but in 2018 we have a goal of raising $100,000. And we will make it happen. Mic drop.

To put it lightly, losing Brent has taken a toll on myself and the Carve team, the Evans, friends on the east coast, friends on the west coast and everywhere in between. But do you know what keeps myself and the team going at the end of the day? This Carve 4 Cancer community. Brent left us with the opportunity to continue his legacy, continue to pay it forward and have a really stellar time while doing so. How many people have something like that after they lose someone they love? How many people can say they have a community that wants to make a difference because of that loved one that we lost? I'm not going to sit here and tell you we are going to work until this disease is gone. I'm just simply not. But I will tell you we will work together and dedicate our time and talent to making a better today for cancer patients and those effected by this disease. I will fully immerse myself into planning a kickass gala with some of my team members to fund this foundation, carry Brent’s legacy, continue to raise these funds and help those in need together. 

Nevertheless, the purpose of this post is not by any means to solicit donations or ask you for financial support for Carve. I’ve been trying to handle myself and this situation the best I can and what I’ve found is that I’m thankful for the people Brent has surrounded me with. I hope some of you can relate and it helps you during this time of year as well. While you can't pick-up your phone and ask Brent to ditch his plans to hit the slope this winter season or go grab a beer...you can still do something for him. I decided at his wake to travel for him and finish that bucket list we had created together. You can go hit up the slopes twice as many times for him this winter. You can grab Carve 4 Cancer and hold onto it and get involved to whatever degree you’d like. You can sit at your dinner table on Christmas day and be thankful for the people that came into your life. Maybe Brent influenced that...maybe he’s the reason you’re with your loved one. (He always bragged about being a semi-successful matchmaker!) Brent wanted nothing more than to create an impact. I will tell you to let yourself feel his absence this winter season, I certainly will, but please, do good with it. Life definitely isn’t tied with a bow...but take a moment and think about what gift he left us with.

[365footballorg-blog]

Wiebe: Why your (playoff) team will lift the 2018 MLS Cup

October 31, 20182:34PM EDT

Can your team win MLS Cup? Sure, why not? It could happen. It probably won’t, though – better to get that out of the way now.

That’s how I started this column back in March, in which I did my best to make a case for all 23 teams to win MLS Cup. Let’s just say there were some serious logical fallacies in there. Looking at you Colorado Rapids, San Jose Earthquakes, Orlando City and eight other clubs for whom the dream is dead. Better luck next year.

For the 12 who qualified for the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs – in my book, the bare minimum it takes to call the league season a success – there’s another case to be made for lifting the Phillip F. Anschutz trophy on December 8. There’s also a chorus of haters waiting to bring everyone down.

Here we go, from No. 12 to No. 1 in the Supporters’ Shield standings, all in 280 characters or less because we’re all addicted to Twitter and nobody’s got time for 5,000 words on a Wednesday gameday. Don’t forget to get your Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs Bracket Challenge set and join the ExtraTime Radio league.

Real Salt Lake

Thanks to the LA Galaxy’s improbable defeat on Sunday, RSL veterans Nick Rimando, left, and Kyle Beckerman have one more shot at playoff glory | USA Today Sports Images

They’ll Win Because they’ve done it before. Remember ’09? RSL eked into the final playoff spot and won it all. Rusnak = Javi, Savarino = Espindola, Beckerman/Rimando = Beckerman/Rimando and … there is no Saborio equivalent. If they can get past the KO Round and get a home game, they’ve got a shot.

Haters Will Say Those “1 in a million” odds aren’t going to go their way twice, and LAFC already dropped five on them earlier this season at the RioT, and won 2-0 in Los Angeles. No playoff team has taken more road Ls (11) than RSL. Rested or not, Knockout Round is the logical end of the road.

Philadelphia Union

Jim Curtin, left, said Ilsinho, right, will play a key role in Wednesday’s Knockout Round game at New York City FC | USA Today Sorts Images

They’ll Win Because Corey Burke and Fafa Picault get stupid hot, and whoever pairs in central defense (pick from Auston Trusty, Mark McKenzie, Jack Elliott) goes full Maldini. The Union can draw on their USOC run. That will give them the drive (and necessary pragmatism) to grind out an MLS Cup shocker.

Haters Will Say it’s a step too far. If Philly couldn’t finish the Open Cup job in Houston after a raft of home games, what makes anyone think they can get past NYCFC at Yankee Stadium then the Shield-winning Red Bulls then likely ATLUTD or D.C. United and finally MLS Cup on the road? Dream on.

Columbus Crew SC

Gyasi Zardes, left, has made a strong bid for comeback player of the year with 19 goals this season | USA Today Sports Images

They’ll Win Because It’s fate. After the toughest year in club history off the field, Gregg Berhalter and the boys cook up the perfect reward for Crew SC supporters. Justin Meram, Pipa Higuain and Pedro Santos turn the clock back to 2017, and 3G cooks up the perfect tactical plan round after round.

Haters Will Say no team scored fewer road goals this season than Columbus (11), and you think they’re going to Audi Field and knocking LuchoRoo and D.C. United off their perch as league darlings? Please. Ain’t gonna happen. Their season ends on Thursday night.

D.C. United

Ben Olsen, right, is having his most enjoyable stretch as a head coach. Wayne Rooney, left, is a big reason why. | USA Today Sports Images

They’ll Win Because The Law Firm of Rooney, Acosta, Canouse & Hamid has quality, momentum and home-field advantage on their side. Check out the matchups. Semifinals against Red Bulls? You can’t hold them back, c’mon. Next up Atlanta? Benny vs. Tata = W. Bring the raccoons to the parade. They’ve earned it.

Haters Will Say They’ve won just once away all year. Red Bull Arena and Mercedes-Benz Stadium don’t have the same juju as Audi Field. Rooney’s magic has to fade at some point, right? You can get to Lucho Acosta by kicking him, which will happen a lot in the playoffs. Their luck will run out.

Portland Timbers

Can the Timbers surprise folks this postseason under first-year coach Giovanni Savarese | USA Today Sports Images

They’ll Win Because Diego Valeri is healthy this year, Sebastian Blanco can win a game singlehandedly and Diego Chara lives to smother your happiness, assuming you aren’t a Timbers fan. Gio’s got titles. He knows there’s no need to overcomplicate things. Solid defensive block and counter … all the way to MLS Cup.

Haters Will Say You can’t play Real Salt Lake every game. Since winning 3-2 at Seattle back on June 30, the Timbers’ only wins against playoff teams are the Union and Crew SC at home and the recent double vs. RSL. That’s two No. 6 seeds and a No. 5. Same period, other playoff teams: 0-3-2.

New York City FC

Will the return of Yangel Herrera, pictured, and Maxi Moralez spark NYCFC to a playoff run? | USA Today Sports Images

They’ll Win Because They’re finally healthy (ish). Did you read what David Villa said about Yangel Herrera? You should. NYCFC were already nails at Yankee Stadium. Now they’ve got their most influential player back in the nick of time. Jesus Medina is back, too. And everyone is doubting them. Good mix and a good read on it to boot.

HATERS WILL SAY Dome hasn’t found the answers, Villa isn’t the Villa of old and 2 wins in 10 (against Chicago and Philly … at home) aren’t indicative of postseason success. It’s too much to ask of Herrera to dominate games. Medina will be rusty. Same old, same old for the blue side of New York, which is to say … playoff flame out.

FC Dallas

Reggie Cannon has been a key part of Dallas’ steady back line | USA Today Sports Images

They’ll Win Because They’re consistent, if unspectacular. The backline isn’t gonna make boneheaded errors, and Maxi Urruti and Michael Barrios go HAM. Dated reference? Fair, but you could say the same about Urruti the goalscorer. May is a long time ago. Basically, Dallas find a way to score, and that sluggish second half doesn’t matter.

Haters Will Say Dallas can’t score and that sluggish second half matters. Forget MLS Cup, the Timbers are going to win in the Knockout Round because they have better attacking players and won’t give Dallas space to break into on the counter. Even if Dallas win, they’re not on the same level as Sporting, Seattle or LAFC.

LAFC

LAFC part-owner Will Ferrell is hoping his club’s inaugural season has a Hollywood ending | USA Today Sports Images

They’ll Win Because That’s what Bob Bradley does in expansion seasons. Coaching matters, and Bradley’s gonna gameplan like there is no tomorrow. Also, they’ve got the best collection of top-end attacking talent in the Western Conference. Vela, Rossi, Diomande and a couple former MVP candidates in the midfield.

Haters Will Say The backline can be shaky, and they can’t hold leads. And when you can’t hold leads, particularly at home, you lose in the playoffs. That could apply to the Knockout Round, but it most definitely applies to home-and-home series in which road goals matter a whole hell of a lot.

Seattle Sounders

Raul Ruidiaz celebrates his game-winning goal in Seattle’s win over San Jose on Sunday | USA Today Sports Images

They’ll Win Because they’ve had the best half-season in MLS history, they know exactly what it takes to get to MLS Cup and they have Stefan Frei, Chad Marshall, Ozzie Alonso, Cristian Roldan, Nico Lodeiro and Raul Ruidiaz up the gut. That’s a #squad. Roll the balls out, let these guys do their thing and have a parade at the end.

Haters Will Say What are they even good at? Do they have an identity? Whoops, that was Bobby Warshaw circa four months ago. Don’t worry, he’s come around.

They’ll be eliminated because they come up against a team as good or better (Sporting? LAFC? East top two?) and just can’t get it done on the day. The Sounders have weaknesses – every single team in MLS does – but I find it near impossible to pick against them in the playoffs.

Sporting KC

Sporting Kansas City clinched the top spot in the Western Conference with their victory over LAFC on Sunday | USA Today Sports Images

They’ll Win Because They’re balanced. No more defense and timely goals win championships … or perhaps more accurately, get you eliminated in the Knockout Round. Bad jokes aside, this version of Sporting can shut you out and blow you out. They’ve got loads more attacking quality and they’re deeper than ever before, plus the back six and Tim Melia are rock solid.

Haters Will Say Seth Sinovic is the key to everything and he’s missing the first leg of the conference semis. I’m only partially kidding. Dude only scores in the playoffs. Look it up. Haters will say that they still don’t have a primary goalscorer. It’s true. They’ve got a whole bunch of sporadic scorers, and that’s been more than enough. But in the playoffs when there’s no room for a dry spell?

Atlanta United

Striker Josef Martinez scored an MLS record 31 goals during the 2018 regular season | USA Today Sports Images

They’ll Win Because they’re the most talented team in MLS, and they keep things tight in the first leg of the Conference Semifinals to buy time for Miguel Almiron. He helps finish off either NYCFC or D.C. United, then Atlanta get two weeks to rest up and recover for the Red Bulls, who bottle it like usual. MLS Cup at MBS? That’s a win.

Haters Will Say “Hahahahahahaha [deep breath] Hahahahahahaha”

That’s literally what they’ll say on Reddit and Twitter. They’ll say it because Miguel Almiron wasn’t ready to be Miguel Almiron again, Josef Martinez’s historic season sputtered at exactly the wrong time and Tata said adios before the job was done. Don’t worry Five Stripes faithful, you’ll be fine.

New York Red Bulls

A young Red Bulls fan celebrates the club capturing its third Supporters’ Shield on Sunday | USA Today Sports Images

They’ll Win Because they’re MLS’s best team. Most points ever, and nobody understands their collective ethos/identity better than these Red Bulls. That goes a long way in the playoffs, when the games get more physical and the margins narrow. Then there’s the legacy aspect. This club isn’t lacking for motivation or pressure.

Haters Will Say “That’s so Metro.”

Need I say more?

Series: 

Topics: 

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Wiebe: Why your (playoff) team will lift the 2018 MLS Cup was originally published on 365 Football

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Read Harder 2018: A New Beginning

For this month's Read Harder challenge, Karen and Betsy read a book published posthumously and a book about true crime.

Karen: This is my third year doing this challenge, and finally, it feels like a bit of a breather.  The topics this year seem a tad bit easier, although I will definitely be reading outside of my comfort zone.  Or maybe it's just that my comfort zone has expanded.  Either way, another aspect I really want to add to this challenge is to try and include books from my own personal to-read bookshelf at home.  It is overflowing with gifts or advanced copies or however else I accumulate books that I have wanted to read at some point.  That point is now!

I was able to start with my true crime book. I was pretty nervous about this topic as I don't like to read things that are scary or gory - how do you get away from that with true crime? Luckily, someone mentioned the idea of a heist, which I can definitely handle. And then I was reminded of a gift a friend had given to me - Wendy Ruderman and Barbara Laker's book Busted. This true crime story about corruption in the Philadelphia police force was scary, but not in a gruesome way, more in a way-too-much power goes to one's head kind of way. This book took place at the height of the financial crash in 2008, when many newspapers were folding. It is a tale of corruption, but also a tale of why journalists are important, and why we need to still have newspapers around to do this kind of investigative reporting. It also helps that I grew up around Philly, and many of the locations and general way of life was familiar to me.

Betsy:  The book of true crime I selected was the The Bobbed Haired Bandit by Stephen Duncombe, which takes place in 1920s New York. Cecelia and Ed Cooney, working class 20-year-old newlyweds decide to hold up a corner store for a little extra cash. They have a baby on the way and struggle to survive on their meager paychecks, and while they don’t plan on more than one stick-up, Celia finds she has a knack for running the show while Ed grabs the money. Like Dillinger, she becomes national obsession and in some ways she savors the attention after a lifetime of poverty and anonymity. Duncombe’s coverage takes the reader on a series of robberies, a getaway, the return of the criminals from their Florida hide-out, to the court case and news coverage of the couple and the bungling New York Cops who are made to look like fools. Celia’s quirky remarks and radical hairstyle of the times made her out to be the exciting bandit she read about detective stories. What was most fascinating to me was the inevitable social commentary that took place in the media on women’s power, Ed and Celia’s destitute upbringing, prohibition, birth control, access to education, and the consequences of low-wage work. A century later, we’re still having these same painful discussions, which makes me wonder how things will be in another hundred years...

Karen:  My other challenge was to read a book published posthumously and I read two short but powerful books - both have been on my to-read list, if not actually on my shelf. I had been avoiding both of them though as I knew they would be difficult reads, knowing ahead of time that the author has died. But I'm really glad I read them - When Breath Becomes Air and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. The first book is written by a highly successful neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi, just about to finish his residency and begin his professional career. He has all the background he needs to realize his illness is something more than just a passing thing, but is instead stage IV lung cancer. He and his wife (also in the medical profession) move forward and take an active role in his treatment plan, figure out if they should have a child while Paul is still alive and try to process his devastating prognosis.  Paul has always been interested in the intersection of the physical world (the brain) and the thinking world (philosophy) and was an English major to boot, so this is a wide-ranging book covering many aspects of life. Beautiful, yet be prepared with tissues.

Jean-Dominique Bauby is the editor of the French edition of Elle magazine when he suffers a massive stroke that leaves him with "locked-in syndrome." Essentially his brain is functioning and intact, but he can only move his head a little bit, and can blink one eye. That is how he communicates and is able to transcribe this book - a beautiful and difficult treatise on life as he knew it, his family and where he is right now. The sheer determination to remember everything he wanted to say, communicated letter by letter makes this a commanding read. 

Betsy:  For my book published posthumously, I picked up Between the Acts by Virginia Woolf. I thought it might offer clues to her pending suicide at age 59 after struggling with bipolar disorder for most of her life. It seems fitting that she drowned in a river since she often described her depressive periods as plunging into deep waters, but she also believed the rapids to be the source of universal truth. That being said, this book was surprisingly uplifting. In fact, just before she died, Woolf sent her publisher a note saying she thought it was too silly and trivial to put out and she would revise. The novel takes place in 1939. A crowd has gathered at a country house for a theatrical village pageant, organized by Miss La Trobe. The storyline takes spectators through England’s history from Shakespeare to present day and Woolf writes in a way that presents the differing perspectives of each character before, during and after the show. The novel also plays with themes of community and collective identity versus uniqueness and individuality. In the end, I kept thinking of All the world’s a stage, which begins a scene in As You Like It and may offer a clue to Woolf’s demise.

Book Riot Read Harder Challenge: Here are some handy links to help you follow this challenge all year long.

Find out about the Read Harder Challenge and print out your own form to keep track of your reading: https://bookriot.com/2017/12/15/book-riots-2018-read-harder-challenge/

Get reading ideas for each of the challenges from library staff and the Tucson reading community: https://www.library.pima.gov/blogs/post/2018-reading-challenges-megapost/

Read Harder 2018: A New Beginning published first on https://medium.com/@SteampunkPCGames