#which one had the biggest impact on me? henry and sam

[lakemichigans]

imo this was the most enjoyable episode yet! maybe not the best or my favorite, but definitely the most enjoyable. i'm curious to see how my non-gamer friends will feel about it though because half my enjoyment came from pointing at the screen like "hey! i know that thing! i've heard that line! i've seen that wallpaper!" lmao

[hatosaur]

tlou hbo ep.4 & ep.5 thoughts.

more analyze-y than the others ones because i’m talkin thru my damn feelings >:,(

getting ep. 4 outta the way real quick because it was mostly setting up for ep. 5 but also i didn’t get to rewatch it since last sunday so memory’s fuzzy.

i’ve seen people have mixed reactions to ep.4 and i get it, because it was so different to how it played out in the game. biggest breaking point from game-joel was a) him talking about tess (which i felt broke a rule for his character) and b) him being openly kind to ellie. being soft with her when she shoots the hunter. laughing at her joke. these aren’t the end of the world. i can see how it was all to show he’s warming up to ellie but it did still feel odd.

i do kinda get the sense that him being mean old joel would wreck the momentum and tone, since we’re not watching pre-rendered cutscenes sandwiched between gameplay segments. you can’t have the danger happening and THEN joel’s yelling at ellie. that’s just TENSION TENSION TENSION; him being nice and open was a good way to balance things out and give us (and ellie) a breather.

so ep. 5. i have to fuckin take deep breaths.

once again, i can’t fucking believe that i can know exactly what’s going to happen and this show will still floor me. i’m broken over the immediacy that henry killed sam with, different from henry talking out his thoughts in the game. his scared, stammered “what did i do?” as he looks to joel, because he can’t believe what he just did.

when i look back to game-henry, it wasn’t emphasized all that much that he was pretty much still a kid, taking care of a kid. show-henry had plenty of those moments. both versions are cocky but the cockiness show-henry has was more kid-like, especially in his interactions with joel, and it only made it hit harder when he looked at him in those last moments, as if for help, and when joel tried to gently get the gun away from him. i’m very glad for them amping up the connection between joel and henry.

the choices they made with sam were amazing. the kid was a great actor and i love seeing all the extra bits that came with him being deaf. i knew it wouldn’t matter all that much that he was younger and deaf; what mattered at the end of the day was his connection with ellie and they fuckin knocked it out of the park. i love that even without them being close in age, they latched onto each other anyway.

the bit with ellie’s blood was such an interesting change. because that was a stellar way of showing despite her maturity, she’s still a kid too. you can tell she really believed she could save him.

this coupled with sam’s superhero fixation...god. the thought of him thinking of her as a hero because of that.

another big change was showing ellie’s reaction to henry’s suicide, instead of joel’s like the game. in the game, i think it was to remind joel about the fragility and impermanence of good things. the show’s not really joel city, they can’t really keep it on him the whole time because that’s boring. not to mention, it’s about more than him. in the show, you can tell it’s to show the impact it’s going to have on ellie’s journey.

i wasn’t a big fan of kathleen initially -- felt she wasn’t intimidating enough as a leader -- but as we saw her more in ep. 5, i was disgusted with her, which is good! i do like the complexity of her, how she’s the leader of this big resistance movement but also seemed unsure and grasping in a lot of moments (of which surprisingly did not include the moments where she ordered people to be killed or argued that ellie and sam should die because “kids die”).

brief note, the child clicker was cool but like...a bit farfetched right?? i mean unless she was bit as a baby and has just been turning since then? aside from that, i do like that she foreshadowed sam’s turning in a way. kid infected is such a gutpunch.

another thing i liked were the parts ripped straight from the gameplay. just watching joel reach the house with the sniper in it caused a lotta moments where i was like “OH YEA THAT HAPPENED.”

WHEN THE INFECTED CAME OUTTA THE GROUND??? i was like “OH YEA THAT WAS PART OF IT.” this show’s great. i love seeing the funny ways they tie back to the game.

all the episodes have been good so far but it really seems like the odd-numbered ones have consistently been bangers.

NEXT ONE THO. JACKSON TIME. TOMMY. MARIA. LET’S GOOO >:)

[moviewarfare]

A Review of “The Last of Us (2023)”

I remember playing The Last of Us game long ago and massively enjoyed it. So I wasn't remotely surprised when a TV show adaptation was announced. I was worried as video game adaptions tend to be fairly poor for the most part. Does The Last of Us HBO show fall into the video game adaption curse or does it survive by being a good adaption?

One of the most important elements of adapting a video game is retaining all the core elements that made the game great. In terms of this, the HBO show is successful. The main core of the plot, the characters, the relationship, and the tone are all in this adaptation. The show does make changes from the game but I find the changes to be mostly good. For example, deeper meaning for Joel leaving QZ, exploration of Bill and Frank's backstory, Sam and Henry's plot, and Tommy and Joel's relationship. A lot of the changes give more depth to the characters and the worldbuilding. The set design is terrific and captures the exact feeling of the games. The makeup and design of the infected are creepy as they should be. Every scene with the infected is exciting with the memorable mansion scene being an awesome watch.

In terms of casting, Pedro Pascal is great as Joel. He retains the hardened, spiteful nature of Joel from the games but there are some differences. There is a lot of subtle warmth and vulnerability in his performance which leads to an emotional scene in episode 6 that isn't in the games but has a lot of impact. I was sceptical about Bella Ramsay as Ellie at first. Ellie in the game comes off as naturally witty and sarcastic but Bella's performance can feel a bit forced. It didn't help that her character is written as way more hostile compared to the game. However, I warmed up to her a lot by the end as Bella delivers on the more emotional and heart-warming scenes. Some of the best moments in the show are the quiet moments between Joel and Ellie which is thanks to the great chemistry between Pedro and Bella. The supporting cast does a great job as well with special praise to Nick Offerman as Bill, Lamar Johnson as Henry, Anna Torv as Tess, Merle Dandridge as Marlene and Gabriel Luna as Tommy. The biggest surprise in the supporting cast was seeing the original Joel and Ellie voice actors in substantial supporting roles as new characters where they show how great of an actor, they both are.

Nonetheless, I do have some gripes with this show and one of them is the lack of infected; especially in the second half. For a world that has supposedly been taken by this virus, we don’t get enough scenes with the infected. It gets jarringly obvious in the second half where I wondered if they just ran out of budget. In the game, there is a fair amount of downtime between Joel and Ellie after combat. The show doesn’t have a lot of these downtime scenes and because of that the relationship between the two doesn’t feel as strong and believable. It also disappoints me how rushed the finale was as it was incredibly short with a lot happening. It felt like the show needed an episode where it was just Joel and Ellie spending time together which would’ve made the finale has more impact. Episode 3 is no doubt one of the more memorable and hopeful episode in this show that is mostly doom and gloom. However, this episode feels like filler in the overall scheme of things. I had a similar issue with episode 7 which was just one entire flashback that was very slow-paced and dragged on for too long. Both of these episodes lacked our main characters interacting which is what this show needed more of.

Overall, this is a good adaptation of the video game. It’s not perfect but it does manage to convey the necessary story elements effectively in a TV show format. As someone who has family members who aren’t as into video games as me; this TV show is a great way to allow them to experience the story as well. I’m interested to see season 2 of the show. Whether they adapt the sequel or go in a new direction, I’ll be there to watch.

For more reviews like this visit:

https://moviewarfarereviews.blogspot.com/

[doux-amer]

My feelings on all the SDCC Marvel news:

Eternals - my interest went from zero to high when they got an Asian American woman as the director (I was blindsided by how much of an emotional impact this had on me because it never crossed my mind that it would be possible for someone like me to make a Marvel movie/get to play in the sandbox for one of the biggest loves of my life) to even higher when we found out the casting rumors and the potential queer character we might get to...something more lukewarm. I want this to be mostly POC so I really don’t care for the white actors in this at all, and I’m not really enthusiastic about how many people I recognize in this. That tends to take me out of a movie, and Marvel does best when it has lesser known actors although they tend to cast big names as villains or cameos so maybe that’ll be the case here. ALSO, BRIAN TYREE HENRY AND DON LEE/MA DONGSUK (AND KUMAIL, BUT LOL I’M SUPER DISTRACTED BECAUSE I KNOW I’LL JUST SEE HIM AS KUMAIL IN THE MOVIE), Y’ALL. LISTEN. THEY’RE GOING TO BE THE STARS OF THAT MOVIE!!!!!!! YOU MARK MY WORDS!

The Falcon and Winter Soldier - easily one of the works I’m most excited for. I want something gritty and political. I want Sam and Bucky together because they’re at their most interesting when they’re with each other and most boring when they’re with Steve. I want SHARON CARTER. CAST HER ALREADY GDI. WHERE IS SHE? They’ll be the real Team Cap because lbr, Team Cap/Cap Fam is a mostly fanon creation. And there’s going to be a female director for all six episodes!!! Tbh directors are less important in the TV world than in films, but still. Very excited about that.

Shang Chi - I’m still bored and disappointed as many of my Asian American friends are that this is going to be the first Asian-led MCU film. We don’t want a martial artist. We played martial artists for decades and we have enough high-quality ones from our motherlands. Give us an actual superhero ffs. BUT. BUT. Marvel’s really out here, making us more excited than we thought we’d be by casting TONY LEUNG!!!! That’s gonna get all the Asians in Asia excited. And Awkwafina and Simu Liu?!?! That’s going to play well to the Asian American millennial crowd. Bored but also tentatively excited. AND THE TEN RINGS? OH DAMN, are we really going to get them in the MCU for real now after the MCU forgot about them?

WandaVision - I don’t care, and Marvel knew I wouldn’t and dropped the Monica news so I’m doitforherSimpsons.jpg.

Loki - Look, I’m a simple woman with simple interests and I’m going to enjoy this. Thanks.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - GIVE ME CLEA. GO FULL-ON HORROR. USE THE DIRECTOR’S STRENGTHS. Please make it an acid trip because the first movie was boring af both visually and writing-wise. ALSO, STOP TEASING ME ABOUT THE MULTIVERSE, MCU. GIVE IT TO US OR DON’T.

What If...? - Unless...? Okay, sorry afslkfjslfj. Really, really pumped for this one although there’s one storyline that makes me snooze. Guess which one it is. UGH. BUT I REALLY WANT A MORE COMICS-INFLUENCED THING IN THE MCU SO PLEASE GIVE ME THAT AND MAKE IT GOOD AND EVERYTHING I WANTED, MARVEL. >:(

Hawkeye - I don’ttttt careeee about Clint. He should’ve died. Istg if he trains Kate, I’m going to throw some hands. Just do a bait and switch and make this entirely about Kate. While you’re at it, make her Korean because I’ve had enough of white characters and honestly if you’re going to make an archer, it makes zero sense to have them be white considering in the real world, Koreans dominate archery. Like....not even by a small margin. We’re miles and miles and miles ahead of everyone else. My girl would 100% be a rich Korean girl. MAKE HER KOREAN. Lol that’ll never happen so whatever. 

Thor 4: Please do right by Thor because the Russos, Markus, and McFeely did him so wrong. Please save him, Taika. BIG EYE EMOJI AT TESSA’S COMMENT. LET VAL GET A GF. LET VAL GET A GF!!!! I’m ambivalent about Lady Thor because I’ve always been ambivalent about the concept as it makes NO GODDAMN SENSE. But I flipped out because Jane deserved better, and I never even once thought this would be a possibility. Also, can we please somehow bring back Sif while we’re at it?

Black Widow - I want a gritty espionage/spy/whatever movie so I’m pumped. Nat deserved better even before Endgame. She deserved an entire movie. It should’ve come after TWS, and imo this is a big gamble as the character’s dead and this is set right after CW so these events already happened in the MCU timeline. :/ I hope it does well though. And I really wish there was some way to bring her back into the MCU, but oh well.

Blade - I never watched the original Blade, but I didn’t expect this AT ALL because Feige hemmed and hawed when asked if he’d bring him back in the MCU! AND WE GET MAHERSHALA. SIGN ME UP. I’M READY. MAHERSHALA!!! I’LL WATCH EVERYTHING EXCEPT GREEN BOOK FOR HIM! And to play a major character in both the film and TV side of the MCU? POWER MOVE. 

Listen, I’m super excited we might get an F4 movie because we seriously need a good one. Please, do it. And I know we don’t want an X-Men movie for a while, but that’s where my love for Marvel started as a kid and they deserve more than what they got so PLEASE!!! I don’t think we’ll get more Avengers movies or if we do, it won’t be for a long, long time. If we say bye for real to them and move onto the F4 and X-men, I won’t mind at all. 

[spotifypremiumapks]

Who is Rebecca Schaeffer? Wiki, Biography, Age, Family, Cause of Death

Rebecca Schaeffer Wiki - Rebecca Schaeffer Biography

Rebecca Schaeffer's death At the hands of a fan, Robert John Bardo, he left a legacy through a monumental change in the law. His murder, in part, prompted legislation that made stalking a crime. Schaeffer got his "big break" with his role on the CBS television show. My sister sam, ME! Reported online. He then landed roles in movies including Scenes from the class struggle in Beverly Hills, Journey of terror: the Achille Lauro case Y The end of innocence the article said. His fledgling career ended abruptly on July 18, 1989, at age 21, when he opened the door to a person who thought he was handing out a script for The Godfather III to his West Hollywood home, the article said. She was 21 years old. His life and death are being examined on a repeat episode of ABC. 20/20, which airs at 9 p.m. ET on Friday, August 20, 2021.

Bardo wrote in a letter

Bardo wrote letters to Schaeffer for about two years, but their content did not arouse suspicion. investigators told the Los Angeles Times in 1989. Detective Dan Andrews, an investigator at the time, said the letters were "typical fan letters" that included descriptions of himself, questions and comments about the performance, and questions about her. He also contacted his agents, but Andrews told the Times that the content of their conversation was "just like the letters" and "just inquisitive." Schaeffer herself thought the notes and gifts were "sweet." ME! Reported online. They were mailed to the studio lot where "My Sister Sam" was filmed, the article said. However, a letter Bardo sent to his sister in Knoxville, Tennessee, shortly before the murder, had a more "sinister" tone, the Times reported. Marcia Clark, who was a Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney at the time of the murder, paraphrased a portion of the letter to the Times as the murder investigation unfolded. "I have an obsession with the unattainable and I have to eliminate (something) that I cannot achieve," the letter read, according to the Times.

Schaeffer's last words were 'Why? Bardo told a psychiatrist in a jail interview.

Marcia Clark reflects on the prosecution of the Rebecca Schaeffer murder case: "I didn't know what else to say, other than that I am going to fight so hard to bring her killer to justice." "Your Biggest Fan": The 2 hour 20/20 encore special airs tonight at 9 | 8c in ABC. https://t.co/aztaOD7tVR pic.twitter.com/ulo03enEua - 20/20 (@ ABC2020) August 20, 2021 Bardo was unable to purchase a gun himself after revealing to a gun shop owner that he had a history of mental illness. according to E! Online. His brother bought the gun from him on the condition that they only use it together for target practice, the article said. Bardo paid a private investigator $ 300 to find out where he lived, E! Reported online. Read Also: Map Streams to Track the Storm & Live Radar : Where’s Henri Now Near Me? Bardo would later tell a prison psychiatrist that the only words he said to him after he shot him were: “Why? Why? "The article said. It was the second time Bardo had shown up on her doorstep, the article said. She told him the first time that she needed to prepare for an interview. The second time, he described her as "rude." "I forgot to give you something," he said before pulling the trigger, according to E! Online. The anti-stalking laws created after Schaeffer's murder provided a resource for other celebrities, including Madonna, Jeri Ryan, and David Letterman. Four women who had restraining orders against men who harassed them were murdered in Orange County, California, the same year as Schaeffer's murder. ME! Reported online. The killings led California to pass the first anti-stalking laws in the United States, which soon became a crime in the rest of the country, according to the article. “We didn't notice the ripples coming out immediately after Rebecca's death. But it was an earthquake ”. Schaeffer's boyfriend, Brad Silberling, told the outlet. Brad Pitt lived near Schaeffer at the time of his murder, the article said. He told Silberling, according to E! Online, "'It is not a consolation, but the impact of his loss and the sense of conscience and security for the younger actors was enormous.' Find an annotated grave that the change in the law helped provide resources to celebrities like Madonna, Jeri Ryan, and David Letterman. Schaeffer was killed by a single gunshot wound to the chest and was pronounced dead at the hospital. The cause of Schaeffer's death was a "penetrating gunshot wound" to the chest, his death certificate says. She died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after she was shot at her own residence, the coroner wrote on the death certificate. Her full name was Rebecca Lucile Schaefer. His headstone is engraved with the Star of David, based on gravestone photos in Find a Grave. She is buried in the Ahava Sholom Cemetery in Portland, Oregon, the website says. Schaeffer's grave is inscribed with one of his own quotes. I am so wise to think that love will prevail," says her tombstone. "I am so wise." FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK Read the full article

[simply-shakera]

2020 In Review

We made it to a new year. I do not take this lightly at all. The last few months have been extremely tough in so many different ways and has affected every area of our lives.  But here's the thing - we didn't give up and for that I celebrate us.

Many didn't live to see 2021. Before I proceed with my 2020 review I would like to take a moment to honour the lives of people in my life that I lost this year:

The beautiful and precious Anaya Anderson; sleep peacefully baby girl.

Two men with hearts of gold Justin Warner and Kareem "B.K" Wade

Two women who were pillars in the Black Canadian community Kike Lola Odusanya & Denise Jones

My cousins  Tash (TO), Marie (JA), Marlene & Don (US)

and three of the most jolly elders that lived long beautiful lives Papa Chunny, Mama Wilson, and Papa Henry

and ya'll I am adding Kobe Bryant and Chadwick Boseman to this list. I know I don't know these men personally but their passing really affected me. Something about losing such giants at such young ages was hard to understand knowing that they had so much fire left in them. Their work has left such an impact on their industries and hearts of many.

While navigating a global pandemic and one of the biggest civil rights movements in history - I was and still am dealing with a personal matter that has been pretty difficult. Still I give God thanks for his grace, love and endless blessings that have come in many forms. One of which is through friendship. I have had to lean on my friends A LOT - they were the MVPs of my 2020 - for real for real!... Alisha, Rena, Jeff, Sarah, Sid, Lily, Michelle (just to name a few) I am looking at YOU!

What was beautiful though is that throughout all the chaos, confusion and grief, I found the opportunity for discovery, healing and reconnection. 

Now for a fun recap!!!!!!! Let's laugh and relive some fave moments from the year and Simply Shakera highlights.

Moments I am proud of:

On a personal level there were many triumphs that were achieved from big to small. Professionally I went into 2020 with these priorities: to book more speaking events, to have Carnival Spice work directly with different school boards and to take Carnival Spice fitness programming online (the irony!!!!!!!!)

From the moment the year started I hit the ground running and achieved those goals . The path to get there didn't look ANYTHING like what I imagined but it is only the beginning. Here are some awesome highlights from along the way.

Received the People's Choice award for Best Dancer of 2019 via byblacks.com

Was selected as one of the Top 100 women in Canada to watch in 2020.

Was invited to hear former president Barack Obama speak live in Toronto.

Finally introduced VISION my goal setting and vision board workshop to the world.

Secured brand collaborations and speaking opportunities with some cool clients from TVO Kids to Nike Toronto.

Meanwhile in the land of spice, before the lockdown, Carnival Spice hosted our biggest in person event to date - that night still gives me goosebumps. We hosted an instagram live interview and dance class with Real Housewives of Atlanta star Tanya Sam that had an audience of over 3, 000. We've continually trended on Tik Tok since July and was even featured on the app’s explore page. The team performed at a few virtual and in-person events including the most dynamic Black History Month school assembly with over 500 people the day before lockdowns. Spice also celebrated a 7th birthday via a virtual event and was voted Best Dance Company for a second year in a row by byblacks.com. I’m proud of the #SpiceFam - we truly persevered against all odds.

Top 3 Internet Moments

VERZUZ!

Shout out to Timbaland and Swiss Beatz for developing this concept - it was the gift that kept on giving. Top music artists from different genres and eras had healthy battles on instagram using their respective music catalogues. These instagram live streams were mini concerts that provided some of the best internet moments of the year. Teddy Riley's technical difficulties (and the memes to follow) were hilarious. Brandy and Monica facing off was so uncomfortable to watch; but still, it was beautiful to have these young legends come together and be celebrated. However, nothing and I MEAN NOTHING was more monumental then BEENIE AND BOUNTY CLASH! Listen, the way that night revived my soul - WHEW! ...I'm sure many of my fellow Caribbean peeps can agree. The laughter, the music catalogues, the camaraderie between the artists, the memes, the entertainment quality that was similar to a past time. SO GOOD!

Tik Tok Dance Challenges.

Say what you want about Tik Tok but it is, BY A LANDSLIDE, my favourite app. I wish I joined earlier. I enjoy how it's a mix of fun, education and entertainment. Plus from a business perspective it positions your product or service directly in front of your audience. Although I never want to hear the songs Savage by Meg The Stallion, Savage Love by Jason Derulo, or WAP by Cardi B ever again, I must acknowledge how Tik Tok dances have changed the way music is heard and marketed. Even soca had success on Tik Tok! The #PutYuhBackOnItChallenge by Denise Belfon & Dj Flex was trending for months. The Carnival Spice take on the challenge achieved over one million views!!!

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion

This television moment was something the world never knew it needed. The HBO special was wholesome from beginning to end. As a huge fan of The Smiths and this show, it was beautiful for me to see all the characters come together to reflect and reminisce with us watching. I cried, I laughed, I learned and I was inspired.

My Top Music Picks:

Top Reggae: “Lockdown” by Koffee

Top Soca: “By Any Means” by Voice (groovy) & “Yuh Bad” by Preedy (Power)

Top R&B: “Hit Different” by SZA

Top Hip Hop: “Dior” by Pop Smoke (Rest in peace to this young artist)

Top Gospel: “Something Has To Break” - Kierra Sheard with Tasha Cobbs Leonard

Top Dancehall: “Call Me If”, Dexta Daps

Top Pop: “Savage Love” by Jason Derulo

Top Afro (and arguably the biggest song of the year): “Jerusalema” by Master KG

Top 3 Words of 2020

Entanglement

Speaking of The Smiths - Jada Pinket Smith gave us one of the most meme-worthy words of all time as she revisited a personal matter on an episode of her hit show the Red Table Talk.

Pivot & Zoom (It's a tie)

Lockdowns and safety protocols have been tough personally but especially professionally. Business owners like myself know these these two words far too well at this point. To stay afloat we constantly had to adjust our business models to ensure our business could some how operate with whatever safety protocols were in place. For many, pivoting meant taking our services virtual. Dancing in front of a phone screen has been taxing to say the least but I am grateful for the ability to have a way in which I can connect with my community and clients.

Quarantine

What once was a word you only heard on medical shows and sci-fi movies became how most of us lived our lives at some point in 2020.  Solitude was common; even if you were quarantining with other people. Drive-By Birthday parties & curb side deliveries were a thing. Stay in your bubble they said. If you have to leave home where a mask they said. Many introverts were excited to stay home until they realized it's MUCH different when you don't have a choice.

Top Media Moments

Even with a lockdown, your girl didn't lose her stride entirely. I remained 100% committed to my mission despite the world wind of changes going on in the back end. I enjoy being on camera and it was an honour to continue sharing my story and my work  with the masses. Here are a few videos interviews that you can click and check out:

Interview With One Caribbean:

Carnival Spice Fitness demo on Breakfast Television (1 of 2)

Carnival Spice Dance Workshop at the How She Hustles - 10 Year Virtual Celebration

Carnival Spice in Barrie for Cultures Day

Carnival Spice Dance Workshop with Kiss 925:

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CDMWVwwnd-q/?igshid=h3f2bppx2b03

We Are Carnival Spice - The Documentary:

https://youtu.be/2RLZBCw8jkM

Breakfast Television 2/2 - featuring my nephew Matteo

https://youtu.be/Go7ZpURAiLE

Interview with the Toronto Carnival Festival Committee

https://youtu.be/l53DvpbDaqw

What a year! We will never be the same. I do really want to say thank you again to every person this year that was intentional about pouring into me with love, advice, support and encouragement. It was needed and it was felt tremendously.

I pray for the safe keeping of you all; for your continued success and growth.

and now, I shall embark on what’s next, put my learnings from 2020 into action & continue to lead with passion & positive vibes.

Xoxo and Happy New Year.

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 12/12/2020

For the first time ever after being released in 1994, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” has hit #1 on the UK Singles Chart, like it did on the US Billboard Hot 100 last year and will probably do so this year. This is a really short week full of nothing so that might be the biggest story here, and the song deserves it. It’s a great song and it’s genuinely massive. I wonder how newer songs like Kelly Clarkson’s “Underneath the Tree” will be able to enter themselves into the Christmas canon after Mariah Carey proved that it can be done with modern pop. Well, that’s not for us to find out today, because this is REVIEWING THE CHARTS.

Rundown

Like I said in the introduction, this is far from a busy week, which almost surprises me. Sure, nothing important was released – except that Shawn Mendes album which flopped remarkably and debuted at #12 on the Albums Chart this week – but I did expect another festive flood of holiday tunes. To my surprise, this didn’t happen or at least not to the extent that I assumed it would. Sure, we still have a lot of Christmas songs replacing newer pop songs that had already been in the charts, ‘tis the season, but this week only had five notable drop-outs from the UK Top 75, and none of those are that notable. I guess “Ain’t it Different” by Headie One featuring AJ Tracey and Stormzy, one of the biggest hip-hop hits of the year, dropping out is a pretty big deal, but otherwise we just have “Diamonds” by Sam Smith, “UFO” by D-Block Europe and Aitch, “Come Over” by Jorja Smith and Popcaan, and I guess “Chingy (It’s Whatever)” by Digga D. All of these songs are recent and might have a rebound after the Christmas season is over, but I do have my concerns about the longevity of these songs, particularly because of how, you know, none of them are actually good. I guess now we could discuss some of our biggest fallers, which are of some quantity considering the season, so I’ll run these off quickly: “Midnight Sky” by Miley Cyrus at #15, “Therefore I Am” by Billie Eilish at #18, “Levitating” by Dua Lipa at #20, “you broke me first” by Tate McRae at #21 (these last four songs were all in the top 10 last week, by the way), “Prisoner” by Miley Cyrus featuring Dua Lipa at #22, “Really Love” by KSI featuring Craig David and Digital Farm Animals at #31, “Monster” by Shawn Mendes and Justin Bieber continuing to free-fall to #33, “Train Wreck” by James Arthur at #35, “Get Out My Head” by Shane Codd at #37, “Mood” by 24kGoldn and iann dior at #38, “Head & Heart” by Joel Corry and MNEK at #40, “Lemonade” by Internet Money and Gunna featuring NAV and Don Toliver at #45, “Dynamite” by BTS at #46, “Lonely” by Justin Bieber and benny blanco at #52, “See Nobody” by Wes Nelson and Hardy Caprio at #54, “i miss u” by Jax Jones and Au/Ra at #56, “What You Know Bout Love” by the late Pop Smoke at #57, “Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)” by Post Malone and Swae Lee at #61, “All You’re Dreaming Of” by Liam Gallagher off the debut at #62 (our biggest fall this week), same goes for “No Time for Tears” by Nathan Dawe and Little Mix at #71 and some long-lasting hits right at the tail end of the chart: “Princess Cuts” by Headie One featuring Young T & Bugsey at #72, “WAP” by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion at #73, and “Looking for Me” by Diplo, Paul Woodford and Kareen Lomax at #74. We do have a lot of Christmas gains and returning entries, so before we get to anything non-Christmas, let’s round off those real quick. Returning to the chart are “Santa’s Coming for Us” by Sia at #69, “Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!” by Frank Sinatra at #66 and “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby at #63. There are a lot more of our notable gains though: “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Sam Smith at #65, “Cozy Little Christmas” by Katy Perry at #58, “Love is a Compass” by Griff at #53, “Feliz Navidad” by José Feliciano at #51, “Christmas Lights” by Coldplay at #49 (the biggest gain and deservedly so), “Santa Baby” by Kylie Minogue at #44, “Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!” by Dean Martin at #43, “Sleigh Ride” by the Ronettes at #41, “Mistletoe” by Justin Bieber at #36, “Wonderful Christmastime” by Paul McCartney at #32, “Holly Jolly Christmas” by Michael Bublé at #30, “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” by John Lennon and Yoko Ono with the Plastic Ono Band featuring the Harlem Community Choir at #29, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Andy Williams at #28, “Merry Xmas Everybody” by Slade at #26, “One More Sleep” by Leona Lewis at #25, “Driving Home for Christmas” by Chris Rea at #17, “This Christmas” by Jess Glynne at #13, “Santa Tell Me” by Ariana Grande at #11, “Step into Christmas” by Elton John at #10, “Do They Know it’s Christmas?” by Band Aid at #8, “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” by Michael Bublé at #7 and finally, “Merry Christmas Everyone” by Shakin’ Stevens at #6. That’s not all of our gains and returning entries though, as we do have some peculiar events outside of the Christmas singles. First of all, “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd is up to #39 thanks to a remix with ROSALIA, and secondly, “WITHOUT YOU” by The Kid LAROI returns to the chart at #23. I have no idea why or how this happened but I want it gone as quickly as possible. Anyway, we have three new arrivals to talk about, none of which are particularly interesting, so let’s get on with those.

NEW ARRIVALS

#75 – “Real Stuff” – Juice WRLD and benny blanco

Produced by Dylan Brady, Jack Karaszewski, Henry Kwapis, Cashmere Cat and benny blanco

The song’s not called “Real Stuff”, but come on, this is a family show. About a year ago, Jarad Higgins, or Juice WRLD, died tragically at age 21 of a substance abuse-related seizure. Naturally, since it’s Juice and his label we’re talking about, they’re still pumping out unreleased content. Two songs of this nature were released around this time, one with Kid LAROI and Kim Petras we’ll probably see next week and even higher on the chart, but first of all, an emo rap anthem produced by benny blanco and Dylan Brady of 100 gecs. I mean, okay, sure, it is 2020 after all. Blanco posted on social media about how this was his first ever recorded song with Juice when they had a studio session before Juice was that recognised, and before he was signed, they cooked up a lot of music. This makes it surprising how it didn’t leak after all this time but it shouldn’t matter. What’s important is the quality of the song and since this is a genuine song from a real-life studio session, it’s not nearly as insincere and cynical as some of the other posthumous projects from Juice. Sadly, I don’t this makes it any good. The clicking, stuttering trap beat doesn’t sound bad with his bumping 808s but doesn’t complement the acoustic guitar strumming or even Juice as much as it should – and this is really early Juice, so it’s not like he’s mastered his style of emo-reminiscent self-loathing and painful, drug-induced relationship ramblings. It’s not even as catchy as Juice would start to be later on, so it is just a primitive version of whatever Juice’s sound would end up being. Sadly, we won’t get more development from the guy other than these cheap releases, and if benny blanco guided Juice more into a lane he’s comfortable with and more importantly, Juice was still alive, this could be an example of something great yet to flourish but since his incomplete discography of disposable output is all we have to evaluate, it makes Juice’s work much more difficult to appreciate, especially posthumously, where every throwaway bar about substance abuse has this haunting, unnerving impact it didn’t have before. Oh, and I really like the first verse, which is just aimless flexing but with more charm than he usually has, and with some promises of extra detail he could have gone into, before of course, it switches onto a different topic, an issue plaguing much of the man’s work. In conclusion, the song is fine but I don’t think I can listen to Juice’s work, complete or incomplete, released when he was alive or scrambled posthumously, without feeling sad or just having this contempt for the yes-men who surrounded him. Rest in peace, Juice.

#67 – “Oh Santa!” – Mariah Carey

Remixed by Ariana Grande and Jennifer Hudson

Produced by Scott M. Riesett, Marc Shaiman and Daniel Moore II

“Oh Santa!” is an original Christmas tune Mariah Carey wrote and released with Jermaine Dupri in 2010, for her second Christmas album, aptly titled Merry Christmas II You. The song wasn’t a success, and it couldn’t live up to “All I Want for Christmas is You”, which is fine. We don’t need more Mariah Carey songs in the Christmas canon if we already have an absolutely perfect one at the top of the charts, but if she wants to start flooding the market, I guess it’s best to do it with two experts at vocals, because for her little Apple TV Christmas special, she’s bought along Jennifer Hudson and Ariana Grande for whatever the triple version of a duet is. I assumed this would have been a returning entry because it’s a remix but the original never charted in the UK so I’ll have to talk about both here, and, well, there’s a reason “All I Want for Christmas is You” has never been replicated in terms of success and just sheer quality. I talked about this on my best list but there’s never been a song I feel is so ubiquitous of modern Christmas in the current millennium than “All I Want for Christmas is You”, an outright rejection of festive commercialism in preference of just having her significant other around for the holidays. “Oh Santa!” has a similar presence, but in this one, Mariah Carey’s asking for Santa Claus himself to wrap her crush in wrapping paper and gift it to her for Christmas, with a lot less of the warm intimacy of the classic song and without any of the charm. The 2010 version has this really gross drum machine and a lot of cheerleader-type chanting and clapping that starts off as really ugly – and the chanting still is – but honestly makes a pretty good backing for Mariah sliding over the beat with vocals that may not be as impressive as her best but are just as smooth as they should be over a more coy, low-key festive instrumental. My main issue with it is pace because whilst it is a short song, and she does treat us to some whistle notes and runs by the end, it just fades out and the instrumental doesn’t feel like it goes anywhere, making this song sound slow as all hell. If anything, this remix sounds dated, especially with the more modern vocal production with Ariana Grande and Jennifer Hudson, both in a constant struggle with Mariah for getting a word in, to the point where Hudson over-sells her belting and Grande is the only voice recognisable enough here that actually works. Half way in, the song completely devolves into a bridge of aimless runs and “harmonising” from everyone with that ugly chanting, seemingly unchanged from the original. Yeah, this isn’t pretty, and if anything is a remix of an older song that needed a lot more updates to make it work in a 2020 context and fits all of these incredible vocalists in. This could have been great with an original song that was completed to flatter everyone, but there’s too many cooks in the Christmas kitchen here and the cookies being made are being overcooked. Sure, let’s go with that analogy. Next.

#59 – “Daily Duppy – Part 1” – Digga D

Produced by AceBeatz

It’s not uncommon for freestyles to chart in the UK, particularly important British hip-hop tastemaker GRM Daily and their “Daily Duppy” freestyles, which have been the break-out moment for many rappers like Aitch or DIgDat because they reach a level of viral fame and attention that music videos can’t do as well, mostly because of the platform just letting them spit bars over usually decent beats. Digga D was actually opposed to doing one and even sparked some kind of feud with GRM Daily but that dried up soon enough for him to provide them with two “Daily Duppy” freestyles on two different beats but with one cold verse each. Only the first part charted here, as you’d expect, but I’ll cover both. The first part, produced by Ace Beats, has a pretty nice pitch-shifted vocal sample quickly abandoned for the same sample pitched differently, and then it comes back, under a pretty messy drill beat, and whilst Digga D’s riding it really well, I find it hard to be convinced by his delivery here, which is either checked-out or edited so heavily it’s bizarre. I mean, I thought this was a freestyle, right? He can just spit bars over the beat and it’ll be fine, but they add all these stuttering effects, ad-libs and censors that censor pointless words like “juice” but keep actual vulgarities completely intact, as well as censoring some locations but not others. It takes me out of the whole verse, honestly, even if some of it is some pretty slick and nice wordplay, with some funny punchlines and the typical pop culture references you can expect from the more lighthearted of UK drill. I know that people like to make references to their guns in ways that make them even more threatening and eerie, but just like 21 Savage calling his Draco a paedophile, I don’t think Digga D saying that he grooms young ethnic minority boys to sell drugs is “hard” or even enjoyable. I just think it’s pretty awful. I said I’d talk about the second part here, but honestly, it’s a lot less interesting, with a more trap-adjacent beat and boring synths instead of the cool vocal sample. Admittedly, it sounds more like a “freestyle”, but he wastes the moment where the beat cuts out by just rapping filler, and the quarantine references are going to date this, so, yeah, whilst I’m impressed by Digga D’s flow switches here, I’m not a fan of really anything else.

Conclusion

There’s not enough here to give an Honourable or Dishonourable Mention, so I’ll just have to give out the big ones... but everything here is mediocre, so I’m left with not a lot of content at all. I guess Best of the Week can go to the late Juice WRLD and benny blanco for “Real Stuff”, almost purely out of respect, even if the song is just listenable. Worst of the Week was really a toss-up, but I think I’ll give it to “Oh Santa!” by Mariah Carey featuring Ariana Grande and Jennifer Hudson for being such a waste of talent and potential. Only time will tell what comes next week, but I predict a busy one with Christmas music, Taylor Swift and hopefully Kid Cudi, but we’ll see really. I’m going to hazard a guess that we’ll get at least two songs from Taylor and only the Skepta track from Cudi, but I think we could easily have three from each. Here’s this week’s top 10:

You can follow me on Twitter @cactusinthebank for Imanbek fan-girling and thank you for reading, I’ll see you next week!

[wsmith215]

2020 NFL offseason winners and losers

Let’s break down some of the winners and losers from this NFL offseason. Some of the stories in the short term were obvious — you don’t need me to tell you again who won the DeAndre Hopkins trade — but I’m going to try to take a look at the bigger picture to see how players, teams, coaches and others around the NFL were impacted by the moves and decisions made over the past few months.

Let’s start with a trio of young quarterbacks from the 2019 draft, all of whom are leaving the acquisition portion of the offseason as their teams’ starters. It begins with the player who might have the biggest shoes to fill of any player in NFL history:

Jump to a winner/loser: Clowney | Edwards-Helaire | Haskins Lock | Minshew | Murray | Newton Prescott | Rodgers | Stidham | Trubisky

Stidham is one of the most obvious victors of the past few months. We all knew the Patriots and Tom Brady would come to terms on a deal … until they didn’t. Then we all knew that the Pats were going to acquire Nick Foles or Andy Dalton or pull off some impossible run up the draft board for Tua Tagovailoa … and that didn’t happen either. Through the entire player acquisition window, the only competition the Patriots added for Stidham is veteran Brian Hoyer, who lost his last battle with Stidham for the backup spot in training camp in 2019. Barring a last-second move for Cam Newton, Stidham is going to be the Week 1 starter for the Patriots.

Merely having a chance to play is a huge opportunity for Stidham and one rarely afforded midround picks who aren’t forced into action by injury. Imagine if one of the other teams looking for quarterbacks in that draft range last year took Stidham instead? The Panthers paid Teddy Bridgewater in lieu of handing things over to Will Grier (pick No. 100). Ryan Finley (104) is buried behind first overall pick Joe Burrow in Cincinnati, while Easton Stick (166) is third behind Tyrod Taylor and sixth overall pick Justin Herbert in L.A. One other late-round selection will be starting in 2020 — see the next winner — but there are midround picks who don’t really get a chance to play meaningful football across their rookie deals. Stidham will get his.

Jarrett Stidham is taking over for Tom Brady in New England in 2020, and the Patriots are bringing back most of their offense. Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire

The Patriots didn’t exactly add any star weapons for their new starter, but they did address their threadbare tight end room by using third-round picks on Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene. Retaining guard Joe Thuney on a franchise tag and getting back center David Andrews from a pulmonary embolism means the Patriots should be well-positioned to protect Stidham. It’s obviously way too early to say anything about how he will perform, but he has gone from being an afterthought to taking the reins for Bill Belichick & Co.

Likewise, the Jaguars cleared out a path for their 2019 sixth-round pick, as they traded away free-agent addition Nick Foles after paying him more than $30 million for four starts. Jacksonville then sat out the various free-agent quarterback options and didn’t use either of its first-round picks on a signal-caller. The Jags even added Tyler Eifert at tight end and used a second-round pick on wideout Laviska Shenault Jr., though their desperate attempts to get anybody to take running back Leonard Fournette off their hands found no takers.

Again, even having a chance to take meaningful reps as a sixth-round pick is rare. The last sixth-rounder to throw at least 400 passes over his first two seasons was Tom Brady, who threw three as a rookie in 2000 and 413 while leading the Pats to a Super Bowl in 2001. Minshew is already way ahead of the game in terms of opportunity; now, with just Joshua Dobbs and sixth-round pick Jake Luton backing him up, Minshew should get a full season to prove he’s an NFL quarterback.

Let’s hit a 2019 quarterback trifecta! Lock flashed promise while going 4-1 across his five starts at the end of the season, though it’s worth noting that those four wins came against the teams ranked 20th (Chargers), 26th (Texans), 27th (Lions), and 30th (Raiders) in pass defense DVOA. At the very least, he did enough for the Broncos to feel confident about opening the 2020 season with him as their starter.

While Denver held out some hope for luring Tom Brady, it didn’t make a move for any of the other quarterbacks when Brady decided to stay east. The Broncos didn’t even bring in a significant backup — the depth chart behind Lock consists of Jeff Driskel, Brett Rypien and Riley Neal. This is Lock’s team.

Drew Lock had seven touchdown passes and three interceptions while playing the final five games for Denver. Tim Warner/Getty Images

On top of that vote of confidence from general manager John Elway, no quarterback gained more weapons this offseason than the Missouri product. Lock already had a handful of exciting pieces in running back Phillip Lindsay, wide receiver Courtland Sutton and tight end Noah Fant. I can’t pretend I’m the biggest Melvin Gordon fan, and it’s not a great contract for the Broncos, but the running back can be valuable when he’s healthy and protecting the football. Elway then used his first two selections in the draft on wideouts Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler.

Denver didn’t address its problematic left tackle spot, but it did make a major addition on the interior by signing lineman Graham Glasgow to a $44 million deal. The Broncos finished up by adding experienced offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, who has gotten Sam Bradford, Case Keenum and Daniel Jones to exceed expectations over the past few seasons. It’s fair to be skeptical of Lock after just five starts, but outside of a left tackle, the 23-year-old has everything he could have asked for from his organization this offseason.

On the other hand, there’s a member of that 2019 quarterback class who might feel left out among all the additions. Washington did avoid the lure of using the second overall pick on a quarterback, but it did little to help its starting quarterback.

Haskins’ receiving corps beyond Terry McLaurin was lacking last season, and the most notable free agents his team imported to help out its young starter were Cody Latimer and Richard Rodgers. Washington used midround picks on hybrid back Antonio Gibson and wideout Antonio Gandy-Golden, but it also traded away star left tackle Trent Williams without adding a meaningful replacement.

Loser: Cam Newton, QB, free agent

Things haven’t worked out for the former league MVP, who might have hoped to play out the final year of his deal with the Panthers while earning $19.1 million. Newton was instead cut, and the coronavirus pandemic has prevented him from finding a new team. He hasn’t been able to conduct a public workout, though he has posted videos on Instagram that show him going through drills. In the meantime, the starting jobs and most of the prime backup jobs have been filled.

There are still at least seven teams that should be looking for a backup quarterback, including the aforementioned Broncos and Jaguars, who don’t seem to want to challenge their young starters. The Cardinals, Rams and Seahawks all need a veteran backup, but there’s little chance of Newton playing meaningful snaps for those teams in 2020.

2 Related

The two most logical landing spots left for Newton are in the AFC. Let’s start with the Titans, who gave Ryan Tannehill $91 million in practical guarantees over the next three years. Tannehill’s hold on the starting job isn’t going anywhere at that price tag, but the former Dolphins starter missed 24 games over his final four years in Miami. There’s a reasonable chance he misses time this year, and the Titans currently have seventh-round picks Cole McDonald and Logan Woodside behind their starter.

Tannehill was revelatory as a play-action passer last season, which fits what Newton does best. From 2017 through the first half of 2018, Newton posted a passer rating of 114.7 on play-action attempts, the seventh-best rate in the league. The Titans are built around Derrick Henry and their power-running attack, and it’s not difficult to imagine how Newton could play a role in that attack. A few starts for the Titans could help rebuild his value before the 2021 offseason.

The ideal job for Newton would be in Pittsburgh. The Steelers should get Ben Roethlisberger back after he missed 14 games in 2019 with an elbow injury, but the longtime starter is 38 and has missed 38 games over his 16-year career. Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges were replacement-level quarterbacks last season, and Newton could viably make his case to serve as Roethlisberger’s long-term replacement in Pittsburgh if he plays well in a couple of spot starts.

While the Bears started this offseason suggesting that Trubisky would be their Week 1 starter in 2020, their actions suggest that his future is tenuous. Chicago traded for Nick Foles, and in restructuring the former Super Bowl MVP’s deal, it guaranteed Foles $21 million over the next three seasons. Then the team declined Trubisky’s fifth-year option, which would have guaranteed a $24.8 million salary in 2021 for injury.

Failing to earn a fifth-year option pickup has typically been a bad sign. Eight other first-round quarterbacks have had their fifth-year option declined. None of them made it to a fifth year with the team that drafted them. Six of them — Jake Locker, EJ Manuel, Christian Ponder, Brandon Weeden, Johnny Manziel and Paxton Lynch — didn’t take an NFL snap anywhere in Year 5. Teddy Bridgewater spent his fifth year sitting behind Drew Brees, while the only one of the bunch who saw meaningful action was Blaine Gabbert in San Francisco.

Trubisky will instead have to look toward a teammate for hope. The Bears declined Kyle Fuller’s fifth-year option after injuries and inconsistent play, but after a breakout season, they used the transition tag to keep him around before matching a four-year, $56 million offer sheet. Fuller ended up making much more than he would have if the Bears had simply picked up that option in the first place. They have spent years trying to surround Trubisky with talent to confirm their belief that he was a franchise quarterback in the making. Now he has to overcome their skepticism and the odds.

There was little trade interest in Howard before he was dealt to the Eagles last offseason, and after seeing his rushing yards and yards-per-game figures decline in each of the past three seasons, I figured that the league would see him as a relatively replaceable zone runner. Alfred Morris, a similarly productive rookie, wasn’t able to ever get a significant deal.

Howard instead got a two-year, $10 million pact from the Dolphins with $4.8 million guaranteed in Year 1. Miami also added veterans Ereck Flowers and Ted Karras in free agency before using first- and second-round picks on offensive linemen. The Dolphins traded for Matt Breida, but they didn’t use a significant pick on a running back, and Breida has been a boom-or-bust player with injury issues during his time with the 49ers.

Howard landing meaningful guaranteed money, a starting job and a team that invested heavily in offensive linemen has to be considered a victory.

Jordan Howard averaged 4.4 yards per carry but only rushed 119 times for the Eagles last season. Eric Hartline/USA TODAY Sports

In a similar way to Newton’s, Clowney’s market has been depressed by medical concerns and an inability to evaluate those issues under the current climate. For all we hear about how NFL teams don’t focus on sacks, Clowney’s three-sack total from 2019 hasn’t helped his case. The former first overall pick is unquestionably talented, but the massive deal he might have received under typical circumstances after a more productive season hasn’t arrived.

Naturally, it seems like the logical thing for Clowney to do is sign a one-year deal with a contender and try to rebuild his value in the hopes of signing a big deal next year. Under normal circumstances, that idea makes sense. This isn’t a normal season, though, and there’s a chance that Clowney — and many other veterans — might not be able to sign big contracts next offseason.

As Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap wrote last week, the uncertainty around 2020 stadium and ticket revenue could lead to a meaningful drop in league income, which would result in a shrunken salary cap. Teams have seen the cap rise by an average of just under 6% over the past decade, up from $120 million in 2011 to $198.2 million in 2020. With players improving their share of revenue in the new CBA, the cap was expected to rise well north of $200 million in 2021. Now, Fitzgerald projects, the cap could fall somewhere between $130 million to $175 million in 2021, depending on how revenues are affected by the pandemic.

Obviously, it’s too early to project what the situation will be like next year, and the league could come to an agreement with its players to push future revenues forward to try to account for a reduced cap figure in 2021, but we could be looking at a different financial landscape next spring. Teams that were planning for a $210 million cap would be forced to cut veterans to get compliant, flooding the market with talented players. Many free agents would likely look for one-year deals in advance of a massive projected cap increase in 2022 and 2023, when local revenue would return to form and the league would be flush with television revenue from new deals. Clowney might end up stuck signing back-to-back one-year deals as a result.

Losers: Teams with lots of guaranteed money tied up in 2021

While we’re again months and months away from having any idea about what the cap will look like next year, there are teams that have to be sweating the possibility of a reduced cap. Take the Eagles, who already have $263.3 million on the books for 2021, much of it tied up in players who are core pieces of the roster. Getting down to $210 million would require a couple of restructures and cuts of veterans like DeSean Jackson, Alshon Jeffery and Marquise Goodwin. Moving to $175 million would require another $35 million in savings.

Barnwell and friends discuss sports — usually. • Podcast: Fantasy rookie draft » • Archive: Every podcast from Barnwell »

The Eagles would find a reduced cap most difficult, but teams like the Saints, Falcons and Steelers would also be in compromised positions. Again, the league and players could come to terms on a deal that could restore some of the missing revenue, and the NFL would get a bump from a possible 17-game season in 2021, but the alternative looms as a dangerous scenario for several of the league’s highest-spending teams.

I hit the most crucial parts of the DeAndre Hopkins trade when it happened in March, but it’s quietly a huge victory for Johnson. With the Cardinals slapping the transition tag on Kenyan Drake, Arizona was clearly moving forward with Drake as its starting running back. It wouldn’t have been surprising to see Chase Edmonds as the No. 2 behind him. Johnson was likely in line to get cut, where veterans like Devonta Freeman, Carlos Hyde and LeSean McCoy haven’t found a market.

Instead, the Texans traded for Johnson as part of the Hopkins deal, suggesting that Bill O’Brien sees him as a meaningful asset. With Houston treating Duke Johnson like a third-down back last season, David Johnson has a clear path to lead-back duties in an offense that ranked 11th in rush offense DVOA a year ago. There’s even a chance that the Texans pay Johnson the $9 million he’s due in 2021, which seemed out of the question when the offseason began.

While I wrote about why the Jordan Love decision might not be as bad as it seems for the Packers, it’s fair to say that Rodgers’ position can’t feel as good as it did a few months ago.

Green Bay seemed to set a deadline on the Rodgers era, and the only shopping it did to help Rodgers this offseason was to swap out tight end Jimmy Graham for wide receiver Devin Funchess. I still think the Packers could go after a veteran wideout like Kenny Stills, but you can understand why Rodgers would be cranky right about now.

One year ago, the Rams were coming off a trip to the Super Bowl. Every team wanted to hire a coach who vaguely resembled Sean McVay. Their young core seemed set to compete for another title. After a frustrating 2019 campaign left the Rams struggling for answers on offense and out of the playoffs for the first time since McVay arrived in town, it was clear that Los Angeles needed to make changes during the offseason.

I’m not sure those changes really helped, as this offseason felt like a repudiation of the Rams’ philosophy. They lost legendary defensive coordinator Wade Phillips and longtime special-teams coordinator John Fassel. Just two years after handing out huge contracts to Brandin Cooks and Todd Gurley, they punted on both of those deals, cutting their former MVP candidate at running back while trading the wide receiver to the Texans. They were even publicly called out for not paying Gurley and Clay Matthews bonus money, which should hurt the organization when it tries to sign free agents in the future.

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Sean McVay says the Rams are fully focused on the Cowboys in Week 1 after the NFL schedule release.

Furthermore, the Rams didn’t really resolve any of their problems this offseason. After trading two first-round picks to acquire Jalen Ramsey, they still haven’t signed their star cornerback to an extension. They swapped out Dante Fowler Jr. for edge rusher Leonard Floyd and used their top two picks to replace Cooks and Gurley, but they didn’t do anything to replace star inside linebacker Cory Littleton.

Crucially, L.A. almost entirely ignored an offensive line that crumbled in 2019, re-signing aging left tackle Andrew Whitworth while choosing to hope for a healthier 2020. With Jared Goff posting the league’s worst passer rating under pressure in 2019, McVay will need to conjure up a solution to get his prize pupil back on track this season.

Well, duh. The Buccaneers have Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski now. Even beyond those two additions, though, the offseason has gone extremely well for the Bucs. They needed to retain the core of their wildly underrated defensive line and managed to do so by franchising Shaq Barrett and re-signing both Jason Pierre-Paul and Ndamukong Suh. Their biggest hole heading into the draft was at right tackle, and they had to move up only one spot to get Tristan Wirfs.

This offseason was something out of a dream for Tampa Bay, which has a higher win projection in Vegas than the Patriots for 2020.

A particularly big winner in this scenario is Tampa Bay’s general manager. Licht has been the general manager for six years, and the Bucs have gone 34-62 during his time in charge. That’s the third-worst mark in football. The team has cycled through three coaches over that six-year span, and while Licht nailed first-round picks on wide receiver Mike Evans and defensive tackle Vita Vea, he’s also the one who drafted Jameis Winston and stuck with the embattled quarterback over the past five years. Licht also whiffed on most of his second-round selections, most notably kicker Roberto Aguayo, who was the low point of an almost comical inability from the organization to identify a competent kicker.

• All 255 picks » | Biggest takeaways » • Bowen’s favorites » | Pick analysis » • Experts on Round 1 » | Home setups » • Full class rankings from Scouts Inc. » More NFL draft coverage »

Licht is by all accounts a nice guy, and he has hit on a number of his midround selections too. Teams are generally too aggressive in getting rid of their top decision-makers, and I’m not saying Licht should have been fired. Typically, though, general managers with that sort of track record don’t get to enter a seventh offseason, and when Licht did, he managed to convince Brady and Gronkowski to come to town. Nobody would have batted an eye if the Bucs let go of Licht last offseason; now, if the Bucs live up to expectations, he might very well win Executive of the Year.

Loser: Tight end streamers against the Arizona Cardinals

If you played daily fantasy football or chose to stream your tight ends on a week-to-week basis in standard fantasy football, you knew about the Cardinals. Last year, Arizona allowed 309 points to opposing tight ends in PPR leagues, an average of 19.3 points per game. No other team was above 244, and the league average was 195 points, or just under 12.2 points per contest. It’s the second-worst season any team has posted against tight ends over the past 20 years, trailing only the 2013 Cardinals. Everybody from T.J. Hockenson to Ross Dwelley had their best games of the season against Arizona.

Vance Joseph-led defenses don’t always know what to do with tight ends — the Broncos ranked 26th against tight ends during his two years as Denver’s coach — but the Cardinals did something to address the problem this offseason by drafting Isaiah Simmons with the No. 8 overall pick. They’ve suggested that the talented Clemson defender will begin his NFL career at linebacker, where he’s likely to see plenty of action against tight ends in coverage. Arizona has managed to get the least out of athletic, hybrid defenders like Deone Bucannon and Haason Reddick in years past, but Simmons could very well ruin one of the easiest exploits in fantasy football.

Did any first-round pick end up in a more advantageous landing spot? Andy Reid told general manager Brett Veach that he thought Edwards-Helaire was better than Brian Westbrook before the Chiefs drafted the LSU back with the final pick of the first round. The only running back Reid had drafted before the third round across his career as a head coach and personnel executive before Edwards-Helaire was LeSean McCoy, who was the 53rd pick in the 2009 draft.

While the Chiefs have suggested that Edwards-Helaire will split time with incumbent Damien Williams, the future belongs to the rookie. Williams is a free agent after the season and wasn’t healthy for most of 2019 with hamstring issues. The Chiefs also said the same thing about Kareem Hunt and Spencer Ware in 2017, and when Ware went down with a knee injury in the preseason, Hunt was handed the job and finished his rookie year with 1,782 yards from scrimmage. Edwards-Helaire should turn into one of the most productive backs in football; the only real question is when.

Losers: Rookie coaches (and players)

It should go without saying that this is incredibly low on the list of upheavals caused by the pandemic, but while the NFL has managed to keep free agency and the draft on schedule, there’s no realistic way for football teams to practice. With team facilities closed, organized team activities (OTAs) have been postponed and will likely be canceled. Rookie minicamps are being conducted remotely. It’s unclear whether teams will be able to undergo a full training camp.

As a result, newcomers seem likely to suffer. Some rookie players already have a difficult time catching up with the speed of the league and the complexity of professional playbooks; now they’ll have to try to catch up on the finer points over Zoom. Likewise, rookie coaches who are attempting to install a new scheme and work with new players already were going to have their practice time reduced over the summer by the new CBA. They’re almost surely going to miss out on any pre-training-camp practice time.

The Chargers took quarterback Justin Herbert at No. 6 overall, but Herbert likely won’t get many live reps in front of his coaches before training camp. Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Naturally, the teams with new head coaches and coordinators — the Browns, Giants, Panthers and Washington — are the ones that are most likely to suffer from this lack of teaching time. Teams with stability could benefit. In an indirect way, though they could not have possibly predicted what was going to happen, teams such as the Steelers and Texans who dealt away much of their draft capital could end up feeling better about their decisions, given that rookies may struggle to make an impact in 2020.

Winners: Veterans negotiating contracts with the Houston Texans

You probably knew that the Texans weren’t going to get out of a winners and losers column unscathed. I’ll leave the Hopkins deal aside, but it’s worth noting just how dramatically the contracts the Texans handed out differ from those of their peers. Slot corner Bradley Roby signed a three-year, $31.5 million deal when guys like Chris Harris Jr. and Brian Poole were forced to sign smaller contracts and Logan Ryan remains a free agent. Wideout Randall Cobb inked a three-year, $27 million deal when the wideout market totally cratered.

The biggest deal, though, belongs to Laremy Tunsil. The Texans didn’t sign the offensive tackle to an extension after trading two first-round picks and a second-rounder to the Dolphins last August. Tunsil said that even he would have made that trade from the Dolphins’ perspective, and he continued to dabble in negotiations when he chose to represent himself in extension talks with O’Brien.

Tunsil did well. He ended up signing a three-year, $66 million extension, meaning he’ll make a total of $76.9 million over the next four years. The deal shattered the tackle market, where the largest average annual salary belonged to Lane Johnson at $18 million per season, and Johnson’s deal is really a paper extension for cap purposes with base salaries that will void next offseason. The largest real deal for a tackle is Trent Brown’s four-year, $66.8 million pact from last offseason. Brown averaged less than $17 million per season on his deal. Tunsil averaged $22 million on his extension and $19.3 million over the next four years. Nobody in the league got a bigger contract this offseason after adjusting for positional expectations. Tunsil even gets to hit free agency again before turning 30. Not bad for a part-time agent!

I mentioned three other 2019 quarterbacks earlier, but I’ll add a fourth to the list with the first overall pick from last year’s draft. It isn’t complicated, of course: Murray was given the gift of DeAndre Hopkins, who will add to a receiving corps that already featured Christian Kirk and Larry Fitzgerald. The Arizona offense was also better after adding Kenyan Drake last season, and Drake was retained on a transition tag. Kliff Kingsbury’s offense will not lack for weapons.

I’m still a little worried about the offensive line, but the Cardinals did re-sign left tackle D.J. Humphries after his best season and added Josh Jones to compete with Marcus Gilbert on the right side. Last year’s MVP was a second-year quarterback who took a leap forward after his team spent the offseason surrounding him with the right weapons. It’s asking a lot of Murray to follow in the footsteps of Lamar Jackson, of course, but Murray should have the pieces he needs to take a leap forward in 2020.

I’ll finish up with one of the most interesting unresolved sagas of the offseason. No, Prescott doesn’t have his deal yet, though the star quarterback will have long-term financial security once he signs the $31.5 million franchise tag. The Cowboys continue to say they intend to keep Prescott around on a long-term deal, but they did add Andy Dalton and suggested last week that Prescott “has to accept what [the Cowboys] want to pay him.”

play

1:09

Domonique Foxworth makes a case for why the Cowboys should sign Dak Prescott to a long-term contract.

Of course, Prescott doesn’t really have to accept that. The Cowboys can franchise him again in 2021 for $37.8 million, but with a third franchise tag costing them $54.3 million, they realistically have to get Prescott signed before the end of the 2021 season. And if the Cowboys think Prescott’s demands are unreasonable now, they’re not going to get cheaper, given that the likes of Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes are going to raise the market by signing extensions of their own.

I’ve got a much bigger piece on the Prescott situation in the works, so I’m not going to get into the will they/should they questions here. What I will say, though, is that Prescott is in the catbird seat. The Cowboys let go of Jason Garrett, but they retained offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and star wide receiver Amari Cooper before adding another valuable weapon in rookie wideout CeeDee Lamb. Prescott lost veteran center Travis Frederick to retirement, but he’s well-positioned to deliver a big season for an offense that finished second in DVOA a year ago. If Prescott does that, well, the Cowboys might need to accept what Dak wants to be paid.

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[deanscarlett]

huh?

I guess re-watching previous episodes in order to write new ones is OH SUCH A CHORE!

rant/spoilers about last night’s episode under the cut

There’s several things that pissed me off last night (regarding continuity, mostly) so let’s start with Crowley and the whole “keeping Nick’s corpse”.

I’m like 99.9999999% certain that Nick VAPORIZED when Lucifer left that vessel to possess Sam in Swan Song. You don’t see him anywhere around the room. Which brings me to the next 2 points:

How the fuck was Crowley able to recover AND get the vessel repaired?

WHY?! Why would Crowley, the guy that wanted nothing more than getting rid of Lucifer (aka, his BIGGEST competition regarding the throne - and NO, I’m not fucking buying the fuckery from last week’s episode about how the Throne was offered to him. Crowley is one cunning demon, he staged LOTS of things to get rid of Lucifer so he could seize that Throne for himself), why ON FUCKING EARTH WOULD HE WANT TO KEEP THAT VESSEL AROUND? Zero fucking logic, writers...

Then there’s the whole time travel fuckery... We keep being told in the show (and pretty much every movie/serie that involves time travel) that you CAN’T be messing around with it.

Gavin being alive in the XXI century certainly affects things to a degree, but not in a way that fucks up the time continuity. He was a dude that died at the sea, him being here, DOES NOT have an impact in the history between the point in time he was taken from and the point in time he was dropped off (dude was GONE in both timelines, no domino effect like the one we saw in “My Heart Will Go On”. BUT, sending him back AFTER he had some part to play in the VERY recent past (9x21) CAN have a domino effect that the writers completely ignore, cause there’s like, say, 50% chances (I’m making up the math, but you get my point) that him being sent back UNDOES Abaddon’s death. Now, that depends on what precise time he was dropped off by the spell the brother’s did, IF he popped up in the past RIGHT after Abaddon left, then no harm. And also, HOW COME CROWLEY, ROWENA AND THE BOYS REMEMBER HIM, EH? Okay, my head aches when it comes to fucking time travel. 

And then there’s the spell itself.

Back in s8, Henry describes the spell to the boys as “blood leads to blood”... Sam used HIS OWN BLOOD to ignite the spell... By CANON, HE would have been the one time travelling and not THE FUCKING GHOST. WHAT’S THE LOGIC BEHIND THAT? I’ll tell you what logic: one pulled out off the writers’ asses. 

Wait, so now the boys can conjure up time travel like’s a call to Taco Bell, AND for such trivial thing?

HOW ABOUT REVISING PAST SEASONS AND EPISODES QUITE THOROUGHLY BEFORE SITTING DOWN TO WRITE?

end rant.

[blackkudos]

Roberta Flack

Roberta Cleopatra Flack (born February 10, 1939) is an American singer and musician. She is best known for her classic #1 singles "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "Killing Me Softly with His Song" and "Feel Like Makin' Love", and for "Where Is the Love" and "The Closer I Get to You", two of her many duets with Donny Hathaway.

Flack was the first, and remains the only, solo artist to win the Grammy Award for Record of the Year on two consecutive years: "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" won at the 1973 Grammys as did "Killing Me Softly with His Song" at the 1974 Grammys.

Early life

Flack lived with a musical family, born in Black Mountain, North Carolina to parents Laron LeRoy (October 11, 1911 – July 12, 1959) and Irene Flack (September 28, 1911 – January 17, 1981) a church organist, on February 10, 1939 (some sources give her birth year as 1937) and raised in Arlington, Virginia. She first discovered the work of African American musical artists when she heard Mahalia Jackson and Sam Cooke sing in a predominantly African-American Baptist church.

When Flack was 9, she started taking an interest in playing the piano, and during her early teens, Flack so excelled at classical piano that Howard University awarded her a full music scholarship. By age 15, she entered Howard University, making her one of the youngest students ever to enroll there. She eventually changed her major from piano to voice, and became an assistant conductor of the university choir. Her direction of a production of Aida received a standing ovation from the Howard University faculty. Flack is a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority and was made an honorary member of Tau Beta Sigma by the Eta Delta Chapter at Howard University for her outstanding work in promoting music education.

Roberta Flack became a student teacher at a school near Chevy Chase, Maryland. She graduated from Howard University at 19 and began graduate studies in music, but the sudden death of her father forced her to take a job teaching music and English for $2800 a year in Farmville, North Carolina.

Career

Early career

Before becoming a professional singer-songwriter, Flack returned to Washington, D.C. and taught at Browne Junior High and Rabaut Junior High. She also taught private piano lessons out of her home on Euclid St. NW. During this period, her music career began to take shape on evenings and weekends in Washington, D.C. area night spots. At the Tivoli Club, she accompanied opera singers at the piano. During intermissions, she would sing blues, folk, and pop standards in a back room, accompanying herself on the piano. Later, she performed several nights a week at the 1520 Club, again providing her own piano accompaniment. Around this time, her voice teacher, Frederick "Wilkie" Wilkerson, told her that he saw a brighter future for her in pop music than in the classics. She modified her repertoire accordingly and her reputation spread. Flack began singing professionally after being hired to perform regularly at Mr. Henry's Restaurant, on Capitol Hill, Washington, DC in 1968.

Mr. Henry’s is still in operation at 6th and Pennsylvania Ave, SE, and was owned by Henry Yaffe.

The atmosphere in Mr. Henry’s was welcoming and the club turned into a showcase for the young music teacher. Her voice mesmerized locals and word spread. A-list entertainers who were appearing in town would come in late at night to hear her sing (frequent visitors included Woody Allen, Bill Cosby, Ramsey Lewis and others).

As Yaffe recalled, “She told me if I could give her work there three nights a week, she would quit teaching.” He did and she did.

To meet Roberta’s exacting standards, Yaffe transformed the apartment above the bar into the Roberta Flack Room. “I got the oak paneling from the old Dodge Hotel near Union Station. I put in heavy upholstered chairs, sort of a conservative style from the 50s and an acoustical system designed especially for Roberta. She was very demanding. She was a perfectionist.”

1970s

Les McCann discovered Flack singing and playing jazz in a Washington nightclub. He later said on the liner notes of what would be her first album First Take noted below, "Her voice touched, tapped, trapped, and kicked every emotion I've ever known. I laughed, cried, and screamed for more...she alone had the voice." Very quickly, he arranged an audition for her with Atlantic Records, during which she played 42 songs in 3 hours for producer Joel Dorn. In November 1968, she recorded 39 song demos in less than 10 hours. Three months later, Atlantic reportedly recorded Roberta's debut album, First Take, in a mere 10 hours. Flack later spoke of those studio sessions as a "very naive and beautiful approach... I was comfortable with the music because I had worked on all these songs for all the years I had worked at Mr. Henry's."

Flack's cover version of "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" hit number 76 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972. Her Atlantic recordings did not sell particularly well, until actor/director Clint Eastwood chose a song from First Take, "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", for the sound track of his directorial debut Play Misty for Me; it became the biggest hit of the year for 1972 – spending six consecutive weeks at #1 and earning Flack a million-selling Gold disc. The First Take album also went to #1 and eventually sold 1.9 million copies in the United States. Eastwood, who paid $2,000 for the use of the song in the film, has remained an admirer and friend of Flack's ever since. It was awarded the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1973. In 1983, she recorded the end music to the Dirty Harry film Sudden Impact at Eastwood's request.

In 1972, Flack began recording regularly with Donny Hathaway, scoring hits such as the Grammy-winning "Where Is the Love" (1972) and later "The Closer I Get to You" (1978) – both million-selling gold singles. Flack and Hathaway recorded several duets together, including two LPs, until Hathaway's 1979 death.

On her own, Flack scored her second #1 hit in 1973, "Killing Me Softly with His Song" written by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel, and originally performed by Lori Lieberman. It was awarded both Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female at the 1974 Grammy Awards. Its parent album was Flack's biggest-selling disc, eventually earning double platinum certification. In 1974, Flack released "Feel Like Makin' Love," which became her third and final #1 hit to date on the Hot 100. That same year, Flack sang the lead on a Sherman Brothers song called "Freedom", which featured prominently at the opening and closing of the movie Huckleberry Finn.

1980s

Roberta Flack had a 1982 hit single with "Making Love", written by Burt Bacharach (the title track of the 1982 film of the same name), which reached #13. She began working with Peabo Bryson with more limited success, charting as high as #5 on the R&B chart (plus #16 Pop and #4 Adult Contemporary) with "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love" in 1983. Her next two singles with Bryson, "You're Looking Like Love To Me" and "I Just Came Here To Dance," fared better on adult contemporary (AC) radio than on pop or R&B radio.

In 1986, Flack sang the theme song entitled "Together Through the Years" for the NBC television series, Valerie later known as The Hogan Family. The song was used throughout the show's six seasons. Oasis was released in 1988 and failed to make an impact with pop audiences, though the title track reached #1 on the R&B chart and a remix of "Uh-Uh Ooh-Ooh Look Out (Here It Comes)" topped the dance chart in 1989. Flack found herself again in the US Top 10 with the hit song "Set the Night to Music", a 1991 duet with Jamaican vocalist Maxi Priest that peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and #2 AC. Flack's smooth R&B sound lent itself easily to Easy Listening airplay during the 1970s, and she has had four #1 AC hits.

Later career

In 1999, a star with Flack's name was placed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. That same year, she gave a concert tour in South Africa; the final performance was attended by President Nelson Mandela. In 2010, she appeared on the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, singing a duet of "Where Is The Love" with Maxwell.

In February 2012, Flack released Let it Be Roberta, an album of Beatles covers including "Hey Jude" and "Let It Be". It is her first recording in over eight years. Flack knew John Lennon and Yoko Ono, as both households moved in 1975 into The Dakota apartment building in New York City, and had apartments across the hall from each other. Flack has stated that she has already been asked to do a second album of Beatles covers. She is currently involved in an interpretative album of the Beatles' classics.

Personal life

Flack is a member of the Artist Empowerment Coalition, which advocates the right of artists to control their creative properties. She is also a spokeswoman for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; her appearance in commercials for the ASPCA featured "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face". In the Bronx section of New York City, the Hyde Leadership Chart School's after-school music program is called "The Roberta Flack School of Music" and is in partnership with Flack, who founded the school, which provides free music education to underprivileged students.

Between 1966 and 1972, she was married to Steve Novosel. Flack is the aunt of the professional ice skater Rory Flack. She is mother to rhythm and blues musician Bernard Wright.

According to DNA analysis she is of Cameroon descent.

In popular culture

Her collaboration with Donny Hathaway is mentioned in the song "What A Catch, Donnie" on Fall Out Boy's fifth studio album, Folie à Deux.

American experimental producer Flying Lotus had a song named after her ("RobertaFlack") on his Los Angeles album.

In 1991, Hong Kong singer Sandy Lam recorded a covered version of "And So It Goes" called "微涼" in the album 夢了、瘋了、倦了. Although it was not officially promoted by the record company, it was played by many DJs.

In the Red Hot Chili Peppers' song "My Lovely Man", on the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Anthony Kiedis sang "I listen to Roberta Flack, but I know you won't come back."

She is a favourite singer of Vic Wilcox, manager of an engineering firm in David Lodge's campus/industrial novel "Nice Work", winner of the Sunday Express Book of the Year award in 1988.

In the 2013 Marvel movie, X-Men, Days of Future Past, her hit "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" is playing on the radio in the room when Hugh Jackman's character, Wolverine's consciousness initially arrives back in 1973.

Accolades

Flack was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2009.

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Flack has received four awards from thirteen nominations.

American Music Awards

The American Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony created by Dick Clark in 1973. Flack has received one award from six nominations.

Discography

First Take (1969)

Chapter Two (1970)

Quiet Fire (1971)

Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway (1972)

Killing Me Softly (1973)

Feel Like Makin' Love (1975)

Blue Lights in the Basement (1977)

Roberta Flack (1978)

Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway (1979)

I'm the One (1982)

Born to Love (1983)

Oasis (1988)

Set the Night to Music (1991)

Roberta (1994)

The Christmas Album (1997)

Holiday (2003)

Wikipedia

[paradoxicalca]

r/hockey NHL Power Rankings Week 1: Toothless Sharks Edition

/r/Hockey NHL Power Rankings Week Sep 30, 2019 - Oct 6, 2019 (29/31 Rankers Reporting)Thank YouThank you to all of the volunteers doing the power rankings. Each ranker has their own system and have their own reasonings and analyis. It truly is a lot of work.RankersSpoilerOrganizersSpoilerVisualizationThe visualization contains historical data, so you can see how your team has done over time. Hopefully, we can run this for many years in hopes that we can see the rise and fall of teams by /r/hockey opinion.It automatically updates so feel free to bookmark. You can find it hereProcessHow does this work? Throughout the course of the week rankers are able to access an app that will allow them to rank teams. At the end of the period we calculate the average ranking for every team and collate all of the analysis provided by rankers.The app then generates a post that is first proofread and then posted to /r/hockey!RankingsRanking (avg)TeamDeltaOverall RecordRecord This WeekComments1 (3.09)Vegas Golden Knights-2-0-02-0-0Not a major surprise the Golden Knights came out with something to prove when they played the San Jose Sharks and out scored them 9-2 in two games to start the season. The Knights have clearly worked on their Penalty Kill allowing 0 goals while scoring 3 shorthanded goals themselves. The Golden Knights have only played against one team so far but they have a huge test on Tuesday as the Boston Bruins visits T-Mobile Arena. The Golden Knights are playing without two quality forwards in Cody Eakin and Alex Tuch, who got hurt during the preseason, and their number 1 defenseman, Nate Schmidt, who got hurt early during the season opener.2 (3.35)Boston Bruins-2-0-02-0-0The Bruins start the season on the road and picked up where they left off last season, playing a strong defensive game but not a high octane offense either. Two wins to start the season is great but the real test will be Vegas this Tuesday. With some new teammates and players still recovering from the long playoff run, it will take time to build chemistry and the anemic powerplay shows that. Halak got the first shutout in the League which bodes well for another 1a/1b season.3 (4.89)Toronto Maple Leafs-2-0-12-0-1Its the first week of the season and the leafs are showing they still have some rust to shake off. Going 2-0-1 is great espcially when we had a back to back but 10 goals against is not ideal. That being said the team has looked good. Auston Matthews once again getting off to an early start with 5 goals in 3 games. Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly also sitting with 5 points in 3 games. The offence is as usual clicking for the Leafs it's just a matter of getting things set on the defensive end and not taking dumb penalties. Despite this though the leafs have stilled walked away with 5 of a possible 6 points so I think it safe to say this has been a successful opening weeks for the buds.4 (5.56)Colorado Avalanche-2-0-02-0-0Start of a new season and Big Moose (Rantanen) is back! Avs have a lot of turnover from last season 8 different players starting from closing night of the regular season, though some of that is injuries. The new guys look good, but the Top Line is still flying. This defense is ridiculously young, only Johnson has more than 300 games played and 3 of them have less than 50 combined, mistakes will be made, but the hope is they learn from them and get better and better. Our depth is better this year, but chemistry still needs to be worked on, our second line cannot find its flow right now, but it has moments. Shout out to Grubauer already stealing a game against Minnesota. Oh and Calder watch Makar already has two assists through two games, oh and he played 22 minutes on opening night.5 (6.18)Carolina Hurricanes-3-0-03-0-0Hard to judge a team after only 1 week of play, but as the team is starting to gel around the newcomers, flashes of brilliance are starting to mainfest. Gardnier is looking like the #1 PP QB we have been lusting for, Haula has a nose for the net, Aho and Svech are looking brilliant, and Edmusson and Slavin are making the brilliant defensive plays we need of them.6 (6.35)Washington Capitals-2-0-12-0-1Even in the absence of Kuznetsoz the Caps are still one of the best teams in the league. Vrana seems poised to enter the next level this season which is good news as Ovechkin is starting the season off slow.7 (8.29)Tampa Bay Lightning-1-1-11-1-1Tampa looks different this season so far. While the new additions like Kevin Shattenkirk and Patrick Maroon seem to be plugging in very well, the team is having a lot of trouble staying out of the box, especially in key situations. That, combined with a low shot total, is resulting in some frustrating play, and has caused 2 bad losses. Hopefully this is just a slow start for the team, because if these penalties continue, it could be a long season.8 (8.29)Buffalo Sabres-2-0-02-0-0Players without a point after two games: Elite 2nd line winger Vladimir Sobotka, Johan Larsson, Jimmy Vesey, and Henri Jokiharju. Our fourth line has been on fire. Sam Reinhart looks like a top 10 passer in the league. The hype level is reaching heights never before seen, and there are two possible outcomes. First, the Sabres Sabres it all up, or second, the Jack Adams trophy is renamed in Ralph Krueger's honor. Don't let me down Buffalo.9 (9.47)St. Louis Blues-1-0-11-0-1Binnington looks good, Faulk seems to fit in, Blais and some other young players look primed to fill in the gaps in our roster, and Jaden Schwartz decided to avoid the early season slump from last season by scoring one last night!10 (11.09)New York Rangers-2-0-02-0-0Mika Zibanejad is a God. Ok we got that out of the way. This team is very fun to watch right now, but there are obviously still issues. The first line is very fun to watch and so is the first power play unit. Mika has 8 points in 2 games which is very exciting, but in terms of the rest of our centers, there isn't much to say. We need a true 2C but we should let one of the kids (Andersson, Chytil, Howden) grow in to the role rather than panic and just get a rental, even though Strome has been quite the opposite of good. The defensive side of things hasn't been as bad as projected also. I think we should stick with the pairings we played in game 2, but there will likely be a lot of shuffling. I'm looking forward to the rest of this season though! LGR11 (12.97)Nashville Predators-1-1-01-1-0Hockey's finally back, and it's time for the first (half) week of power rankings where everything's made up and the points don't matter. This offseason saw the Preds make some pretty major moves, which even after the limited sample size of 2 games are already making an impact. The biggest headline was of course the 1-2 combo of a trade that saw Subban go to NJ, freeing the cap space needed to sign UFA Duchene to a 7 year, $56m deal. The addition gives the Preds a solid 1a/1b, and Duchene has looked strong already posting 5 assists. Also significant was the hiring of Dan Lambert to run the PP, after a year where the Preds posted the 33rd worst PP% since the stat began being tracked in 1977. While only time will tell how the change in system works out, it has already looked promising in the preseason and first 2 games. Overall optimism is high, as this looks to be another year where the Preds will be a top contender in the West and hopefully make up for their first round exit in last year's playoffs.12 (13)Calgary Flames-1-1-01-1-0The curse continued for the Flames as they lost their 10th straight season opener. The team rebounded nicely against Vancouver, largely due to a great shutout performance from Rittich. Through 2 games Lucic has been mostly unnoticeable other than his 21 PIMs, but I don't think Flames fans expected much else. Thankfully, the Flames have enough firepower elsewhere, especially from Johnny Hockey whos started the season strong with 5 points through 2 games.13 (14.29)Anaheim Ducks-2-0-02-0-0The ducks are finally exciting to watch. Throw out your watch ability rankings and tune in for some high event hockey. In other news, Ondrej Kase is good and probably underrated. He leads the team in shots and was a driving force behind the ducks 3 goals against the sharks.14 (14.35)Edmonton Oilers-2-0-02-0-0The Oilers have come out this season swinging with a solid 2-0 first week. With wins against the Canucks and the Kings, both divisional opponents, the Oilers look poised to continue their positive efforts on the penalty kill to provide solid results on the final score line. Mike Smith has looked shaky, but the top line of McDavid, Draisaitl and Kassian has looked potent. The powerplay too with Klefbom and Neal has been dynamic. There are definite gaps with the loss of Larsson further exposing the lack of depth on defense, no scoring coming from the bottom 6, and close 1 goal games against teams unlikely to be in the running for playoffs come February. RNH is also distinctly missing from the score sheet. Cautious optimism is the way to go for now.15 (14.56)Montreal Canadiens-1-0-11-0-1Kept up with the best teams in the league, crazy fast and had a nice comeback win against the leafs (4-1). If the defense stabilizes, they will be a serious threat.16 (14.88)Florida Panthers-1-1-01-1-0The Panthers had two solid games and Bob and Hoffman stole the show during the home opener. Q's system will take some time to cement itself, but it's looking good.17 (15.47)Pittsburgh Penguins-1-1-01-1-018 (17.71)Philadelphia Flyers-1-0-01-0-0Thank goodness this only counts for the regular season and I dont have to address the HC Lausanne game. They played well against the blackhawks, with AV's system seeming to help us create chances. Hart looked good in net, giving up larger rebounds as the only real knock I had for him. Basically we won the first game, so its about to be an 82-0 season and a 16-0 playoff run. Gritty will hoist the cup soon. And his day with the cup will be glorious. Praise Gritty.19 (17.94)New York Islanders-1-1-01-1-0The biggest change this off-season was in net, with Varlamov replacing Lehner as the 1a. Varlamov didn't look fantastic but only let in 2 goals in his debut, with improvement surely to come as he settles into the Korn system with the tremendous defense in front of him. Greiss picked up where he left off last year, looking fantastic. Barzal continues to be a magician with the puck, Nelson still has a filthy wrister, and perhaps most importantly, the fourth line is looking completely healthy. Beauvillier has impressed in his two games, hoping to add consistency. Things to look for include Dobson making his debut, and what the Islanders end up doing with Hickey (consistent part of their blue-line for the last half-decade) and Ho-Sang (requested a trade) who are on their AHL affiliate while having the talent that would make some NHL rosters.20 (18.44)Detroit Red Wings-2-0-02-0-0The Bertuzzi-Larkin-Mantha line that broke through last season picked up where they left off in their weekend openers against Nashville and Dallas. Jimmy Howard is looking excellent and looks to have another season where he can give the Wings a chance to win any game as long as there’s effort from the skaters. Outside of the top line and goaltender the Wings look absolutely average especially without Andreas Athanasiou carrying a 2nd line. Outside of Hronek, the defense group looks slow and sometimes even lazy as they fail to exit the defensive zone on many attempts and produce too many unforced turnovers, giving opposing teams extended zone pressure. This team can definitely score and get their shots off however any opposing teams will not have trouble keeping up with the Wings on the scoreboard regardless of any lead the Wings have. If they keep scoring 4+ goals a game, they will have a chance at competing for a wild card spot this season.21 (19.62)Winnipeg Jets-1-2-01-2-0Little bit of good, lots of bad. Defensive depth seemed to be a real liability, Anthony Bitteto proved he was not a worthy NHL defenseman, Helly and Brossoit have yet to return to the forms we know they can get to and we have trailed for almost all of our 3 games. But, on the bright side, Laine and Connor seem to have real chemistry and are working well with Copp, and the top line of The Knife, Ehlers and Captain Wrench has been quite good. The Letestu/Bourque line has left lots to be desired, as their age has certainly shown through. For this team to succeed we need lots of 3rd Period vs New Jersey and much much less whole game vs the Islanders. One brighter note is that Kulikov has been a lot better than last season, and Heinola is also one of the lone bright spots on an inexperienced/unskilled back end.22 (21.71)Chicago Blackhawks-0-1-00-1-0The Blackhawks started on the wrong foot, losing 4-3 against the Flyers in Prague. Patrick Kane factored in every goal (1G, 2A). Alex DeBrincat signed a 3 year extension at $6.4M AAV. Team defense should hopefully improve when both Connor Murphy and Calvin de Haan recover from their groin injuries. Also, fans are excited to see if Kirby Dach can contribute this season after missing training camp with a concussion.23 (22.24)Dallas Stars-0-3-00-3-0There's many issues. Injuries. Slow starts or weak finishes. Key players not producing. But there's signs of life, and the pieces are still here. Monty has some work to do to make those pieces fit. More tough opponents next week, so things need to change sooner than later or this losing streak is bound to grow.24 (24.03)New Jersey Devils-0-1-10-1-1This week is a shitshow with rankings, so I personally put anyone with one game played near the lower middle simply for not enough data. Now onto the Devils. Oof. Nearly 2 full periods that went really well and then just everything just seemed to fall apart. We had a scare thinking Cory may have hurt himself again, but that seems to be averted and he was available in Buffalo. Speaking of Buffalo, damn I hope that game doesn't weigh too much on Blackwoods mind. Honestly, I'm just hoping that this is the struggle of having several new guys on the team all learning to play together. I don't want to believe that the Devils are in the bottom 10 of the league, but the last 4 periods they played certainly made it appear that they are.25 (24.94)Arizona Coyotes-0-2-00-2-0Two games into the season, the Coyotes are looking extremely good, despite the win %. The defense, which was 5th best in the NHL last season, is starting right where it left off, allowing only 1.5 GPG. Kuemper has been stellar as well, with a SV% of 94.5%. In regards to offense, the Coyotes are finding it, but are yet to convert; in fact, the only goal comes in the first game against Anaheim, courtesy of the Kessel-Keller-Stepan line. This being said, the Coyotes have outshot the opponent 68 to 55 in the first two showings (owning 54.3% of high danger scoring chances), especially flashing dominance against Boston, controlling possession the majority of the game. With a shot percentage of only 1.5% and a PDO at 94.7, the Coyotes can expect to start winning games at a high level, so long as they continue playing how they are playing.26 (25.91)San Jose Sharks-0-3-00-3-0Not much to say, just that the Sharks have looked awful so far this season. Everyone looks lazy. It feels like the Sharks want to recreate game 7 against Vegas by giving everyone 3 goal leads.27 (26.06)Los Angeles Kings-0-1-00-1-028 (26.38)Minnesota Wild-0-2-00-2-0The only real change from last season to this season is the aging process for the Minnesota Wild. Key signing Mats "Lizard" Zuccarello was just another step in that direction. It's very early, but Nashville and Colorado should fight for the Central title; Minnesota clearly looked outmatched and outskilled in these first two games. New GM Bill Guerin may get the green light to blow things up early if this is all the Wild have to offer for their on-ice product - and their off-ice product is not much better.29 (26.79)Vancouver Canucks-0-2-00-2-0The Canucks probably deserved better in their season opener vs. The Oilers, and they probably deserved exactly what they got on Saturday vs. the Flames. Thus far, the team has demonstrated that it can be quite exciting - even dominant. It has also demonstrated how difficult it is to compete in this league - even with a few shiny new pieces on your roster. Hopefully the announcement of the new Team Captain during Wednesday's home opener will bring about a much needed change of fortunes - because as Oilers and Buffalo fans can long attest, a prolonged skid to start the season can make it very difficult for a team of young guns to turn the corner.30 (28.03)Columbus Blue Jackets-0-2-00-2-0Not quite the start of the season the Jackets were hoping for. The youngest team in the league is going to have some growing pains, especially with our two unproven goaltenders. That being said, outside of the goaltending, the rookies have looked promising. Within the next few games, stuff will start to click.31 (30.09)Ottawa Senators-0-2-00-2-0Operation #DernièrePourLafrenière is moving forward swimmingly, with the Sens giving up the season's first hat trick to Zibby and looking nearly as bad as the Sharks on the PP. Chabot and White are signed up long term, so all that's left to do for the season is to lose a ton of games, let the kids get as much playing experience as possible, and watch hometown hero Scott Sabourin trigger some Leafs and Habs fans. Oh, and pray Eugene Melnyk's cash-flow problems to force a sale of the team. r/hockey NHL Power Rankings Week 1: Toothless Sharks Edition Source

[torentialtribute]

Rugby news: Just what is Eddie Jones up to?

Not for the first time, everyone in the room with Eddie Jones left the same question: & # 39; hand? in his head? & # 39;

Before the 2003 World Cup, Jones had bewildered Australian colleagues when he instructed them to study supermarket aisles to improve their lineout exercises.

For the 2015 World Cup, he ordered his Japanese players to take off their boots and ride at the hip depth in the ocean.

Eddie Jones continues to throw surprises around England to the World Cup 2019 to lead

And yesterday, 48 hours before calling his England squad for the 2019 World Cup, Jones had the room scratching his heads when he couldn't remember his own team.

Only Jones knows if it was actually a trick to amuse the failure between Ben Te & # 39; o and Mike Brown who dropped for Sunday's game against Wales

Players have reiterated the importance of cohesion in the summer camps, so it would be in Jones's interest to turn attention back to him ick-skinned himself.

Asked to confirm the reports of the Treviso fight, he said, "No, I cannot confirm it."

Further insisting on team discipline concerns, Jones insisted that he could not be & # 39; happier & # 39 ;.

Asked if I was still fighting for Monday's World Cup selection, he answered: & As far as I know … unless you can tell me something else? & # 39;

Jones refused to confirm that there was a failure between Ben Te & # 39; o (above) and Mike Brown

The absence of Te & # 39; o has partially forced Jones to name an improvised XV for the Quilter warming Sunday match against Wales.

Three more injuries had been made yesterday, although the head coach was unable to make his selection when asked during his afternoon press conference.

Press Officer: & # 39; Do you want to do a squadron? update? & # 39;

Jones: & # 39; Sorry? & # 39;

Press Officer: & # 39; Do you want to do a squadron update? & # 39;

Jones: & # 39; Err, yes, no. What do you want me to do? & # 39;

Press Officer: & # 39; Only in terms of the team for this weekend. & # 39;

Blank expression.

Jones: & # 39; So you want me to remember all this? I can't remember them all, mate. & # 39;

Lewis Ludlam came to England but Jones could not have his name remember

It was left to the press officer to confirm that flanker Lewis Ludlam, Jonathan Joseph center and winger Joe Cokanasiga had been brought in to replace Sam Underhill, Henry Slade and Ruaridh McConnochie

The announcement shifted the odds of bookmakers in favor of Wales, who have mentioned a fully loaded side for their trip to Twickenham.

England won 15 of the 16 games in the run-up to their victorious 2003 World Cup campaign. A defeat would stack control of their preparations, but Jones played down the importance of building momentum through victories.

& # 39; History shows that that is not correct, & # 39; he said, with an unopened package and a microphone as a plug to show the time remaining between now and the World Cup.

& # 39; Momentum starts when you go to the World Cup, & he added.

& # 39; It was there for England in 2003, but I have to follow the course that I think is suitable for this team. This is my fourth World Cup and I have a pretty good idea of ​​how to prepare.

& # 39; Based on personal experience with Australia in 2003, we won one of our four Tri-Nations games and were defeated 100th minute of the final.

& # 39; With South Africa in 2007, we won one of the four Tri-Nations contests and finished in the World Cup.

& # 39; At Japan, we lost four of the six warm-ups last time and eventually caused one of the biggest World Cup problems. Results are important, but that is a superficial image.

& # 39; It's how you use these games, how you structure your team, how you build combinations, how you see who can play with each other, who can handle certain pressures, how you make your team adaptable to play .

& # 39; If you look at the World Cup, the games will be really tough, focused on defense.

& # 39; I saw the US play Japan on Friday night and the US play an emergency defense; Level two countries are now.

& # 39; The Rugby Championship games are slogathons.

& # 39; You think the World Cup will be like that – tight, sharpening things – so you use these games to try and experiment. & # 39;

Jones calls his 31-person World Cup team on Monday at 1:00 PM, for many of Sunday's team this is their last chance in the four-match experiment.

Gloucester scrum-half Willi Heinz was a surprise shot as vice-captain against Wales

Eyebrows were raised in the appointment of rookie scrum-half Willi Heinz, from New Zealand, the vice captain but Jones defended the decision.

Danny Care, Ben Spencer and Dan Robson have all been left behind, the Jones instead relied on a player who has never worn an England shirt despite the sound of a ticking clock toward Japan.

& # 39; It's all about merit, mate, & # 39; said Jones.

& # 39; It is what you do that matters. He has had a huge impact since joining the team.

& # 39; We brought him in to see him a few years ago.

& # 39; He went back to club rugby, has improved his game immeasurably and now he is the vice-leader of this game. & # 39;

Jones insisted that fans should not become too enthusiastic about warm-up matches

By leaving such changes with scratches too late, Jones left the room as a hostage to a fortune.

He stopped at a laptop on his way out for an update to the Bledisloe Cup match yesterday.

What was the A Will Blacks score, boys? & # 39; he asked. It ended 47-26 to Australia, to which Jones laughed: Warm-up games, boys. Don't get too excited about warming up games! & # 39;

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[mikemortgage]

‘A betrayal’: Oshawa contemplates life without its golden-ticket employer

By Geoff Zochodne and Jake Edmiston

Doug Sanders, an Oshawa, Ont., city councillor, worked for 34 years at General Motors Co.

When Sanders started there in 1976, he said, GM’s plant workers in Oshawa were seen as having golden tickets — good-paying stable jobs.

“They always assumed you were going to be OK, because General Motors was never going away,” he said in an interview.

On Monday, that assumption was dealt another — possibly final — blow after General Motors announced it would not allocate future products to several of its plants beginning next year, including its assembly in Oshawa, a city of approximately 160,000 located about a 45-minute drive east of Toronto.

Consumer demand and competitiveness: Why GM closed its Oshawa plant

GM to close Oshawa plant, four U.S. plants in massive reorganization

USMCA not to blame for GM plant closures, but it's killing all hope of exporting from North America

GM said its decision — which would leave the Oshawa plant and its more than 2,000 workers facing closure after 2019 — would accelerate the company’s “transformation.”

Even for a city that has learned to cope with the erosion of the local auto industry, the decision came as a surprise.

“It shocked me,” said Oshawa Mayor John Henry. “We didn’t get a heads up at all…. I got the call (Sunday) afternoon. Then I got a call back that said it was a rumour. Then I got a call again from somebody else that said it wasn’t a rumour. … Then I finally caught up with General Motors and found out what was going on.”

GM’s announcement immediately jolted governments and prompted calls for action from organized labour.

“Sisters and brothers, buckle up,” said Jerry Dias, national president of autoworker union Unifor, in a speech to members at the local union hall on Monday.

“The message today to General Motors is we are not going away without a fight,” Dias added. “This is a shame and it is a crime and it is a betrayal and we’re not going to accept their decision, not one iota.”

While the workers may not be going anyone, it appears increasingly likely that General Motors’ time in Oshawa is coming to an end.

Ironically, it was another transformation more than a century ago, that helped bring them together in the first place.

In the 1870s, Robert McLaughlin Sr. was looking for a place to park his thriving carriage company. And McLaughlin, who was a manufacturing trailblazer of sorts, ended up moving the company from Enniskillen, Ont. to Oshawa, which was earning a reputation as a bit of an industrial powerhouse.

In its new home, the company, McLaughlin Carriage Works, would grow to become the biggest such business in the British Empire, according to a history of the family by the Parkwood National Historic Site.

Eventually, Robert’s sons, including Robert Samuel McLaughlin, who would come to be known as “Colonel Sam,” convinced their father that the future was horseless, the history says.

The McLaughlin Motor Car Company was then formed in 1908, and the future Colonel Sam was made president.

McLaughlin Motor Car was bought by GM in 1918, helping to “facilitate the formation of the Canadian operation of General Motors of Canada,” the history says, and Sam was again named president of the Canadian company.

“This year literally marks the 100th anniversary of General Motors in Oshawa,” said Jennifer Weymark, the archivist of the Oshawa Museum.

And during that time GM has left its fingerprints all over the city, from street names (GM Canada’s headquarters are located on Colonel Sam Drive) to the city’s lakefront park, which Weymark said was sold by the company to the city for one dollar.

Oshawa also played a big role in helping to bring the labour movement to Canada, according to Weymark, with GM workers going on strike in 1937 over (among other things) the right to have their union recognized.

In response, the premier of Ontario at the time, Mitchell Hepburn, sent in his own police force, dubbed “Hepburn’s Hussars” and the “Sons of Mitches (or Mitch’s).”

Nearly 50 years later, negotiations between GM and the United Auto Workers reached a point where Oshawa workers began to get a bit rowdy.

“They’re crazy,” a union official says in the documentary Final Offer, which chronicled the 1984 talks. “Like dogs, pissin’ on the Globe and Mail box.”

But those contract negotiations also helped contribute to a break between the American and Canadian autoworkers, leading to the creation of the Canadian Auto Workers union.

When GM decided to close a truck plant in Oshawa in 2008, members of the CAW (which would later help form Unifor), blockaded the company’s head office in the city. They would disperse, eventually, after a court ordered them to do so.

The truck plant closure hit harder, Sanders said, forcing Oshawa city politicians to start trying to diversify the local economy.

Since then, much has been made of the city’s college and university. Suburbs have bloomed all over the north end. A former GM property near the heart of the city has been paved over for a Costco.

Mayor Henry said Oshawa wasn’t at any risk of becoming a bedroom community for people working in Toronto.

“Absolutely, not,” he said. “In the morning, the GO Train leaves with people on it but I’m proud to say people get off the GO Train to go to work or go to school in Oshawa.”

Still, Henry lamented GM’s apparent decision to depart.

“If their plan is to go to autonomous vehicles or electric vehicles, we’re graduating the very people they need to do that,” he said, referring to the automotive centre at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. “It’s already here. Why not build it where the technology and the talented people were located?”

From a business perspective, the closures may have little to do with what Oshawa does or doesn’t have to offer.

The latest threat to Oshawa’s GM plant was predicted in 2014 by Joe McCabe, president and CEO of the U.S.-based AutoForecast Solutions. When the news broke, McCabe said he wasn’t surprised.

“This is a GM issue,” he said in an interview. “Too many plants, with too little utilization, and too many products. So there wasn’t any bargaining chip to say ‘we will stay here if you give us X, Y and Z,’ because they already have too much excess capacity elsewhere in North America.”

GM has been busy trying to bounce back from its 2009 bankruptcy, which saw the governments of Canada and Ontario chip in around $10.8 billion to help bail it out. The deal came with covenants guaranteeing that GM would keep a certain amount of production in Canada (it also has plants in Ingersoll and St. Catharines, Ont.). Those covenants have since expired.

The Oshawa plant currently builds the Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Impala and Silverado and the GMC Sierra. It has, however, had other products pulled out of the plant in its recent history, such as the Chevrolet Camaro, which had been built in Oshawa before the decision was made to produce the next-generation version in Michigan, at a cost of around 1,000 jobs.

Unifor has noted that each direct auto job is tied to an estimated seven spin-off jobs. As of October, there were more than 2,000 workers at the Oshawa plant, meaning there could be more than 14,000 spin-off ones hanging in the balance.

While Unifor has vowed to contest GM’s decision, adamant that the plant’s closure was not a “foregone conclusion,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford was not as optimistic after a call with Travis Hester, president of GM Canada.

“I asked him very simply, ‘Is there anything we can do?’” Ford said. “And I was shot down not once, numerous times.”

Instead, Ford said his focus is on supporting the GM plant workers, including a request to the federal government to extend employment insurance benefits by five weeks — to a total of 50 weeks — for those impacted in the auto sector.

Dennis DesRosiers, with DesRosiers Automotive Consultants, said the demise of the automotive sector in Oshawa has been so gradual that the GM plant closure isn’t likely to deal a death blow to the city.

Production statistics, which DesRosiers compiled Monday, show that in 15 years, the Oshawa plant has dropped from a peak of nearly one million vehicles in 2003 to 148,133 vehicles in 2017.

“Oshawa already has already lost three quarters of its automotive in the last two decades. And it’s growing and surviving,” Desrosiers said. “It has survived quite well without them.

“So there’s no obituary required.”

Henry, meanwhile, who will depart the mayor’s office to become the Durham Regional Chair, said the slow decline in the GM plant’s workforce has seen the city adapt, building a health sector with the Lakeridge Health Corp., and an educational sector that includes Durham College, UOIT and Trent University campuses.

“Is it going to affect us? Yes,” Henry said, referring to the GM announcement. “But we’ve diversified.”

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[ethanalter]

Rob Corddry previews the season finale of 'Ballers' and talks 'Twin Peaks'

Rob Corddry in Season 3 of ‘Ballers’ (Photo: Jeff Daly/HBO)

After overseeing his own show, Childrens Hospital, for seven seasons as a producer, director, writer, and star, Rob Corddry approaches his acting gig on the HBO series Ballers almost as a vacation. “Childrens Hospital was like swinging three bats in the batter’s box,” the actor tells Yahoo Entertainment. (The cult Adult Swim series wrapped up its run last year with a surprisingly dramatic series finale.) “Ballers is like stepping up to the plate with only one bat. It’s very light and fun!”

A big source of fun for Corddry is the opportunity to play sidekick to one of the world’s biggest stars, Dwayne Johnson, who headlines Ballers as football star-turned-financial manager Spencer Strasmore. On the show’s third season, which concludes Sept. 24, Spencer and his work buddy, Joe (Corddry), take their wheeling-and-dealing ways to a whole new level, trying to be the instigating forces behind a major league deal in the sports world. “What I liked about this season is that Joe wielded a lot of power and responsibility, and really enjoyed it,” Corddry says. “In the beginning, I thought, ‘How do I portray this guy who can drink all night and go to work without a hangover, yet make it clear that he’s very good at his job?’ Each season, you find him getting a little more responsible and taking the reins a little bit more.” We spoke with Corddry about this year’s big Ballers storylines, his love for (and theories about) Twin Peaks, and what to expect from his upcoming Childrens Hospital spin-off.

Ballers made news earlier this year when Elizabeth Warren revealed she was a super-fan. What was your reaction when you heard that news? I got emailed something by someone, and my first reaction was, “No. No she’s not.” And then I realized she actually did say this; it’s literally in the first page of her book! She didn’t wait until page two or chapter five. I still had some doubts, and thought that maybe it’s just for a certain voting demographic. But then Sam Bee invited me on to her show, because she was interviewing Elizabeth Warren and she was going to surprise her with me. And right up until the interview, Sam and I were a little worried. Like, what if she doesn’t actually care about Ballers and has to fake it?

But then I walked out and the Senator went, “Joe!” [Laughs] It was crazy. But now it makes sense to me that she likes the show; she’s the fiscal policies senator, so she’s always dealing with people that want more or maybe that have just gotten more for the first time. It all revolves around money, so I can see why she’d be very fascinated by the show. The show has a very diverse fan base; I am approached by the most unexpected of people, and she’s the best example of that. On Election Night, once she knew that Hillary was going to lose, she and her husband just binged Ballers as escapism. So that’s where this soft spot came from; it was a comfort to her during one of the worst times in her life.

The big storyline this season involved Spencer and Joe’s attempts to bring a football franchise to Las Vegas. Have you had personal experience being in a city that’s gained or lost a sports team? No, I’m from Boston and then lived in New York for a long time, so the sports teams are pretty entrenched there. But here in L.A., we just found ourselves with two football teams, neither of which I care about. [Laughs] That’s my very limited experience with it. Vegas, however, is a different beast altogether. I think what makes this show so good is that it gives people a peek behind the curtain. We have former football players on our writing staff, so it’s very authentic.

One of the big joys of this season is seeing Steve Guttenberg as a Vegas bigwig. I imagine you grew up watching him in movies — what was it like acting opposite him? Doing this show, I hardly ever get to the see the rest of the cast, but they make up for it in spades by putting me with people like Steven Guttenberg. This role is really antithetical to how we picture him, and he plays it in this really friendly, gleeful way, just on the edge of smarmy. But also so creepy! He almost reminds me of a David Lynch character. They say that you should never meet your idols, but Steve does not let you down. He’s one of those guys like Henry Winkler; a golden soul who I love to be around.

Corddry and Will Sasso on ‘Childrens Hosptial’ (Photo: Darren Michaels/SMPSP)

I’m surprised you never offered him a role on Childrens Hospital. He seems like a natural fit. I bet he was brought up! And I bet the Party Down connection pushed him back a little bit. We shared cast with Party Down, and we made Party Down references in one of our episodes. He had done that Party Down cameo and it was a very memorable one. So we probably felt that we’d be beating it on the head.

You mentioned that you don’t get to hang out with the rest of the cast very often. You also notably don’t have a love interest on the show. Are you pushing for that to happen? The writers actually told me they were considering it for this season, but ultimately killed it. And you know what? I totally agree. I don’t think we need to see that side of Joe. I mean, I would like to see more about his wife, who died mysteriously on a boat. That little Easter egg was dropped in Season 1, and he references it every once in a while. He referenced it this season, talking about how great it was when his wife died. So that’s a whole thing that might be worth thinking about. But no, a girlfriend [isn’t in the cards]. It’d probably be interesting because she’d be a lunatic, just like Joe. I can’t see him being like the settling-down type.

Did they share their idea for what a Joe-centric romantic storyline might have looked like with you before they killed it? They did, and it was one of those things that sounds good when it’s pitched in the writers’ room, then you think about it for a little bit longer, you realize nothing’s happening there. How does it serve the larger story of the whole show? Because my character is there to serve. He can be a good plot device, and he’s also there to serve at the pleasure of Spencer. If you want to do something, do something with that. Make people wonder if he’s gay. Or, gay for Spencer! Make that a storyline. That’d be interesting. Because he’s not gay, but he’s totally in love with him.

If they ever do get around to telling the story of Joe’s wife, who would you want to play her in flashbacks? Natalie Wood. [Laughs] No, Lizzy Caplan. She is someone that Joe might want to murder. And someone who I would love to hang out with for a day or so.

And it ties back into that whole Party Down/Childrens Hospital thing. There you go! We’ll get them all eventually.

Dwayne Johnson is known for having a crazy work schedule; it seemed like he was making several different movies while also filming Ballers this year. Does that ever impact your relationship onscreen at all? No, I admire the guy. He is nothing if not driven. Back in the first season, I was watching the Oscars one night and I had to turn it off at 9:00 because I had a 7 a.m. call the next day. And goddamn it if he didn’t show up presenting an Oscar! I was like, “You gotta be at work at 7 a.m. — what are you doing?” He just does that. He loves to work. So it hasn’t impacted my personal or professional relationship with him at all, except to say that I love seeing him when he’s tired.

Corddry and Dwayne Johnson in ‘Ballers’ (Photo: Jeff Daly/HBO)

What does a tired Dwayne Johnson look like? He just tells you he’s tired. We know each other pretty well by now, so I would ask him, “You tired today?” And he would just go, “Oh, dude.” He’s not a snapper. If anything, he’s nicer to people when he’s sleepy. And you know, he’s got a new kid, too. So I love just watching the monitors and going, “Okay, you’re human.”

Does this season end on a cliffhanger? There is a cliffhanger of sorts, but the Oakland Raiders-to-Vegas story is resolved in a very cool, creative way. You kind of don’t see it coming. They kept having to re-write the show as we got closer to the end, because there was movement to bring the Raiders to Vegas in real life! If that happened, they wanted to be able to have art imitate life.

The core cast of characters has been pretty stable throughout all three seasons. Is there a big death or departure looming? Well, if you’re playing Spencer’s girlfriend, don’t buy a helicopter! [Laughs] That’s what I’ve learned. Otherwise, no. If anything, it looks to me like people’s roles are growing. Like Reggie [played by London Brown], he had a cool storyline this year and I think there’s a bright future for his character. And you know who I’m really impressed with this season? Troy Garity, who plays Jason. He’s like me in that he serves other peoples’ stories, but I think he’s a really good actor and so well cast.

It’s almost like he has Jane Fonda for a mother. I know, right? I didn’t even know that until well into the first season, maybe even the second. It’s very funny.

Has she ever dropped by the set? Yeah, she stops by all the time, and is like, “Do it better you old poop.” [Laughs] Boy, I wish! That’d be fun.

What are your off-season plans now that Ballers is on hiatus and Childrens Hospital is wrapped? I have three shows in development. One is another Mr. Neighbor’s House special for Adult Swim, and another is a Childrens Hospital spinoff. I can tell you that it’s, of course, the same comedic tone and shares some of the same actors. But it’s completely different from Childrens Hospital in any other regard. It’s more like a global thriller/mystery told serially with cliffhangers every week. Where we shunned continuity before, we really have to adhere to it here. That’s really hard, man. I don’t know how these guys do it.

So now you have a sense of what Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse experienced on Lost! Oh my God! Never get yourself in a situation like that unless you’re David Lynch. Did you see Twin Peaks: The Return?

Kyle MacLachlan on ‘Twin Peaks: The Return’ (Photo: Showtime)

Oh yes. It’s a masterclass in madness. It is! I’m still obsessed with it. I don’t want it to be over, and I loved the finale. I would love to do something like that. That’s probably what people said when they saw Twin Peaks the first time. Maybe someday I’ll figure out what my version of that is, because I just love the mythology.

What’s your personal take on what happens at the end of the finale? I don’t mind that there was no defined resolution. I think that freeze frame of Laura whispering into Cooper’s ear says it all. There’s a secret that we cannot know, and the viewer will never be privy to. So why not just be satisfied with this? Well, because we love the characters, and it’s hard to let go of something like that.

Ballers airs Sundays at 10 p.m. on HBO.

[footyplusau]

Rohan Connolly predicts the 2017 AFL season final ladder

Few things a football writer churns out have the capacity to embarrass them quite as much as a season preview. Trust me, I know.

Last year wasn’t a great one for me on the prognostication front. So bad, in fact, I managed to leave both eventual grand finalists out of my forecast top eight. Yep. Really.

Hope to heartbreak: Where to now for the Swans? Photo: Getty Images

In my defence, the Western Bulldogs after 22 games were only three spots higher than I’d placed them. And before the finals, who seriously thought the seventh-placed Dogs, nursing a truckload of injuries and facing a road trip to Perth, could actually win the premiership?

But as much as a qualifier, that’s a good example of just how difficult this tipping business has become. To adapt American industrialist Henry Ford, history, increasingly, is bunk.

So much so that, headed into the 2017 premiership season, there are only two teams I’m prepared to say categorically won’t be playing finals: Brisbane and Carlton.

Some teams you can’t discount (but I’m about to)

Before I run through my top eight, another qualifier … we’ve had 17 seasons since the turn of the new millennium. In only one of those have there been fewer than two changes to the final eight. In 11, the top eight has changed by at least three teams. And if ever a year looked capable of tossing up a repeat, it’s 2017.

That said, I’m sorry fans of North Melbourne, Geelong and Adelaide, finalists all last year. It’s nothing personal.

Admittedly, I’m not sure North Melbourne will fall quite as far as some are predicting. While there’s certainly been a massive clearing of the decks, the Roos have plenty of promising talent still to have much of a go. I like their trade-ins, too, Nathan Hrovat a real talent up forward, ditto Marley Williams out of defence. I’ve got the Roos 11th. That’s not necessarily outright failure. But nor is it a vote of confidence.

Harry Taylor playing forward for the Cats: Inspiration or desperation? Photo: Getty Images

Geelong worries me, even coming off a top four finish. Zac Tuohy is a good pick-up, I like the look of newcomer Tom Stewart, but Corey Enright remains a big loss defensively.

There’s plenty of talls besides Tom Hawkins, but how reliable are Zac Smith and Rhys Stanley? Will Mark Blicavs be as effective with the abolition of third man up? And is Harry Taylor playing forward inspired, or a move borne of desperation?

In the midfield they have a crack duo – Dangerfield and Selwood. But Geelong to me seem to have lost much of the x-factor. The Cats will need Steve Motlop and Nakia Cockatoo both pulling out special seasons to help recapture it, and another level reached by Cam Guthrie, Mitch Duncan, Sam Menegola and Scott Selwood. And they’re big asks.

Adelaide’s firepower is the envy of most. The Crows have Rory Sloane and Scott Thompson in the midfield; their backline is solid indeed. But several players – Richard Douglas, David Mackay, Matt and Brad Crouch, Rory Atkins, perhaps even a forward thrown into the pivot in Charlie Cameron – are going to have to rise to another level.

So who makes the eight?

At the bottom of the top, I’m including three newbies (two precocious up-and-comers and one habitual tease) who weren’t in the eight last year – and one who was.

A fit Jamie Elliott will add even more potential to a healthy Magpies attacking line-up. Photo: Getty Images.

Collingwood? I can see the eye rolls from here. But surely they are overdue a bit of luck on the injury front.

Importantly, the Pies have pumped another year’s experience into a considerable army of younger players. Jordan De Goey, Brayden Maynard, Josh Smith and Tom Phillips are just a few who have shown good signs in pre-season.

Not everyone has been a fan of their top-ups from other clubs. But former Docker Chris Mayne and Giant Will Hoskin-Elliott could make a difference up forward, alongside a healthier Jamie Elliott and Alex Fasolo, enough support for the very promising Darcy Moore.

The defence still looks a little thin for height and strength. But there’s no denying the class and depth of the Pies’ midfield now. Daniel Wells would be merely the icing on the cake for the likes of Pendlebury, Treloar, Sidebottom, Adams, Greenwood, Crisp and so on. I give the Pies another chance.

If they don’t make it this year, coach Nathan Buckley has conceded he’s as good as gone. I might be in a bit of trouble, too, after going out on a limb for them once again.

New co-captain Jack Viney leads an imposing group of tough young Demons. Photo Getty Images

It’s been coming a while for Melbourne. But I reckon they’re ready, and not just because of an impressive JLT series. An already decent midfield bats deeper now with Jordan Lewis and Jake Melksham. Michael Hibberd offers more valuable defensive run.

Mostly, though, it’s about a number of players looking ready for career-defining years. Christian Petracca is the most obvious. But throw in Jesse Hogan up forward. Christian Salem, Clayton Oliver. Their younger stars are tough, too. Think new co-captain Jack Viney and Angus Brayshaw. It’s an imposing blend.

There’s some enthusiasm out there for writing Hawthorn off. I don’t share it. Of course Mitchell and Jordan Lewis are major losses. But Tom Mitchell and Jaeger O’Meara pretty handy replacements. Then there’s a “recruit” called Jarryd Roughead who has a profound impact both up forward and on the ball when unleashed.

Yes, some players are going to have to go up a cog or two. But you don’t lightly dismiss any team with names still like Rioli, Gunston, Burgoyne, Gibson, Birchall, Smith and Breust.

Like the Demons, St Kilda look ready. Perhaps more ready. The Saints were close enough to taste it last year. Now, in my view, they have the requisite midfield depth given the pick-up of Koby Stevens and Jack Steele to assist Steven, Armitage, Ross, Weller, Dunstan and co. Not to mention a more imposing-looking defence thanks to the arrival of Nathan Brown and return from suspension of Jake Carlisle. I think they may be a little more consistent than Melbourne.

Steele reinforced: The Saints now have the depth to stake a top eight claim. Photo: Getty Images

The top four

In the disappointment of that elimination final loss to the Bulldogs, it was easy to forget that West Coast won nine of 10 games in the lead-up. The Eagles’ biggest weakness has been midfield depth. And they have done a lot to remedy that with the recruitment of Sam Mitchell, who should take an enormous load off Matt Priddis and Luke Shuey particularly.

The Western Bulldogs? Well, Luke Beveridge’s coaching performance last year may well go down as close to the best of all time considering the catalogue of injuries suffered along the way.

New Bulldog Travis Cloke’s got a point to prove. Getty Images 

On paper, at least, they should be better again, particularly up forward, where a team that was only the 12th highest-scoring outfit in 2016 now boasts an All-Australian key forward in Travis Cloke keen to prove a sizeable point to Collingwood, and, back from suspension, Stewart Crameri.

We already know there’s depth, evenness and a great coach. It’s psychology which may prove the Bulldogs’ biggest challenge trying to back up a premiership for the ages.

The runner-up

The juggernaut that is Greater Western Sydney is certainly going to take some stopping. No one beats the Giants for depth of talent. Still in the bottom half of the AFL in terms of age, GWS now boasts the fourth-most experienced squad in terms of average games per player.

Besides the glut of experienced youth, GWS have nailed all their experienced recruits, too, going back to Callan Ward, then Shane Mumford and last year, Steve Johnson. Perhaps Brett Deledio will prove a similarly inspired pick-up. But are they as dependable, week in, week out as the team I’ve tipped to win it? Not necessarily.

And that team is … (drum roll)

They are such a perennial we tend to take them for granted. I certainly did this time last year.

But who is as reliable as Sydney? The Swans have missed finals just once in the past 14 years, and played in five grand finals over that period. They finished 2016 on top of the ladder, and despite some very untimely injuries and not a lot of luck, were still within one point of a grand final lead with just seven minutes left to play.

Up forward, they have not only Lance Franklin, whose pre-season has looked ominous, and Kurt Tippett, but potentially a revitalised Sam Reid, and now some decent ground-level goalkicking support in Tom Papley.

Can Lance Franklin break his premiership duck with the Swans? Photo: Getty Images

The midfield remains the AFL’s most consistent. Tom Mitchell’s ball-winning ability is a loss. But Isaac Heeney (once he recovers from glandular fever) might provide a touch more class in there. Ditto Callum Mills should he spend more time there.

And while Heath Grundy and Jarrad McVeigh aren’t getting any younger, the reinforcements keep coming. Aliir Aliir in the key post, Zak Jones to provide run off half-back. Coach John Longmire has more flexibility than perhaps he’s known at his disposal now.

And after two grand final losses in the space of three years, he and his list have motivation to spare. I have a hunch it might be third time lucky for this band of Swans.

​

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[paulodebargelove]

Happy Birthday to James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love CoolJames), is an American rapper, actor, author, and entrepreneur from Queens, New York. He is known for such hip hop hits as “I Can’t Live Without My Radio”, “I’m Bad”, “The Boomin’ System”, “Rock The Bells” and “Mama Said Knock You Out”, as well as romantic ballads such as “Doin’ It”, “I Need Love”, “Around the Way Girl” and “Hey Lover”.

LL Cool J is also known as one of the forefathers of pop rap. He has released 13 studio albums and two greatest hits compilations. His twelfth album Exit 13 (2008), was his last for his long-tenured deal with Def Jam Recordings. His latest album, Authentic, was released in April 2013. In 2010, VH1 considered him to be in their “100 Greatest Artists Of All Time” list.

LL Cool J has also appeared in numerous films, including In Too Deep, Any Given Sunday, S.W.A.T., Mindhunters, and Edison. He currently stars in an action role as NCIS Special Agent Sam Hanna, on the CBS crime drama television series NCIS: Los Angeles. LL Cool J is also the host of Lip Sync Battle on Spike.

Early life

LL Cool J was born James Todd Smith on January 14, 1968, in Bay Shore, New York, the son of Ondrea Griffeth (born January 19, 1946) and James Louis Smith, Jr. In an episode of Finding Your Roots, LL learned his mother was adopted by Eugene Griffith and Ellen Hightower. The series’ genetic genealogist CeCe Moore identified LL’s biological grandparents as Ethel Mae Jolly and Nathaniel Christy Lewis through analysis of his DNA. LL’s biological great-uncle was hall of fame boxer, John Henry Lewis.

He began rapping at age 9 and was influenced by hip-hop group The Treacherous Three. In March 1984, when NYU student Rick Rubin and promoter-manager Russell Simmons founded the then-independent Def Jam label, 16-year-old Hollis, Queens-native James Todd Smith was creating demo tapes in his grandparents’ home. His grandfather, a jazz saxophonist, bought him $2,000 worth of equipment, including two turntables, an audio mixer and an amplifier. Smith later discussed his childhood background and rapping, stating that “By the time I got that equipment, I was already a rapper. In this neighborhood, the kids grow up in rap. It’s like speaking Spanish if you grow up in an all-Spanish house. I got into it when I was about 9, and since then all I wanted was to make a record and hear it on the radio.” By using the mixer he had received from his grandfather, Smith produced and mixed his own demos and sent them to various record companies throughout New York City, including Simmons’ and Rubin’s own Def Jam Recordings.

In a VH1 documentary (Planet Rock: the Story of Hip Hop and the Crack Generation), LL Cool J, at 14 years of age, revealed that he initially wanted to call himself J-Ski but did not want to associate his stage name with the cocaine culture (the rappers who use “Ski” or “Blow” as part of their stage name e.g., Kurtis Blow, Joeski Love were associated with the rise of the cocaine culture as depicted in the 1983 remake of Scarface).

Under his new stage name, LL Cool J (an abbreviation for Ladies Love Cool James), Smith was signed by Def Jam, which led to the release of his first official record, the 12-inch single “I Need a Beat” (1984). The single was a hard-hitting, streetwise b-boy song with spare beats and ballistic rhymes. Smith later discussed his search for a label, stating “I sent my demo to many different companies, but it was Def Jam where I found my home.” That same year, Smith made his professional debut concert performance at Manhattan Center High School. In a later interview, LL Cool J recalled the experience, stating “They pushed the lunch room tables together and me and my DJ, Cut Creator, started playing. … As soon as it was over there were girls screaming and asking for autographs. Right then and there I said ‘This is what I want to do’.” LL’s debut single sold over 100,000 copies and helped establish both Def Jam as a label and Smith as a rapper. The commercial success of “I Need a Beat”, along with the Beastie Boys’ single “Rock Hard” (1984), helped lead Def Jam to a distribution deal with Columbia Records the following year.

Musical career

1985–1987: Radio

Radio was released to critical acclaim, both for production innovation and LL’s powerful rap. Released November 18, 1985, on Def Jam Recordings in the United States, Radio earned a significant amount of commercial success and sales for a hip hop record at the time. Shortly after its release, the album sold over 500,000 copies in its first five months, eventually selling over 1 million copies by 1988, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. Radio peaked at number 6 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and at number 46 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. It entered the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart on December 28, 1985, and remained there for forty-seven weeks, while also entering the Pop Albums chart on January 11, 1986. Radio remained on the chart for thirty-eight weeks. By 1989, the album had earned platinum status from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), after earning a gold certification in the United States on April 14, 1986, with sales exceeding one million copies. “I Can’t Live Without My Radio” and “Rock the Bells” were singles that helped the album go platinum. It eventually reached 1,500,000 in US sales.

With the breakthrough success of his hit single “I Need a Beat” and the Radio LP, LL Cool J became one of the first hip-hop acts to achieve mainstream success along with Kurtis Blow and Run-D.M.C.. Gigs at larger venues were offered to LL as he would join the 1986-'87 Raising Hell tour, opening for Run-D.M.C. and the Beastie Boys. Another milestone of LL’s popularity was his appearance on American Bandstand as the first hip hop act on the show, as well as an appearance on Diana Ross’ 1987 television special, Red Hot Rhythm & Blues.

The album’s success also helped in contributing to Rick Rubin’s credibility and repertoire as a record producer. Radio, along with Raising Hell (1986) and Licensed to Ill (1986), would form a trilogy of New York City-based, Rubin-helmed albums that helped to diversify hip-hop. Rubin’s production credit on the back cover reads “REDUCED BY RICK RUBIN”, referring to his minimalist production style, which gave the album its stripped-down and gritty sound. This style would serve as one of Rubin’s production trademarks and would have a great impact on future hip-hop productions. Rubin’s early hip hop production work, before his exit from Def Jam to Los Angeles, helped solidify his legacy as a hip hop pioneer and establish his reputation in the music industry.

1987–1993: Breakthrough and success

LL Cool J’s second album was 1987's Bigger and Deffer, which was produced by DJ Pooh. This stands as his biggest-selling career album, having sold in excess of three million copies in the United States alone. It spent 11 weeks at #1 on Billboard’s R&B albums chart. It also reached #3 on the Billboard’s Pop albums chart. The album featured the singles “I’m Bad”, the revolutionary “I Need Love” - LL’s first #1 R&B and Top 40 hit, “Bristol Hotel”, and “Go Cut Creator Go”. LL Cool J’s third album was 1989's Walking with a Panther. Released in 1989, the album was a commercial success, with several charting singles (“Going Back to Cali,” “I’m That Type of Guy,” “Jingling Baby,” “Big Ole Butt,” and “One Shot at Love”). The album however was often criticized by the hip-hop community as being too commercial and materialistic, and for focusing too much on love ballads. According to Billboard, the album peaked at #6 on the Billboard 200 and was LL Cool J’s second #1 R&B Album where it spent four weeks.

While the previous album Bigger and Deffer, which was a big success, was produced by The L.A. Posse (at the time consisting of Dwayne Simon, Darryl Pierce and, according to himself the most important for crafting the sound of the LP, Bobby “Bobcat” Ervin), Dwayne Simon was the only one left willing to work on producing Walking with a Panther. Bobcat said he wanted more money for the album after realizing how much of a success the previous album really had become but Def Jam refused to change the contract which made him leave Cool J. According to Bobcat this is the reason that Walking with a Panther was met with very mixed reception at the time of its release.

In 1990, LL released “Mama Said Knock You Out”, his fourth studio album. The Marley Marl produced album received critical acclaim and eventually went double Platinum selling over two million copies according to the RIAA. LL won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance in 1992 for the title track.

1993–2005: Continued success and career prominence

After acting in The Hard Way and Toys, LL Cool J released 14 Shots to the Dome. The album had three singles (“How I’m Comin’”, “Back Seat” and the strangely titled “Pink Cookies in a Plastic Bag Getting Crushed by Buildings”) and guest-featured labelmates Lords of the Underground on “NFA-No Frontin’ Allowed”. The album went gold.

LL Cool J starred in In the House, an NBC sitcom, before releasing Mr. Smith (1995), which went on to sell over two million copies. Its singles included “Doin’ It” and “Loungin”. Another of the album’s singles, “Hey Lover”, featured Boyz II Men sampling Michael Jackson’s “The Lady in My Life,” which eventually became one of the first hip-hop music videos to air on VH1. The song also earned him a Grammy Award. Yet another single from the album, “I Shot Ya Remix”, included vocal work by Foxy Brown. In 1996, Def Jam released this “greatest hits” package, offering a good summary of Cool J’s career, from the relentless minimalism of early hits such as “Rock the Bells” to the smooth-talking braggadocio that followed. Classic albums including Bigger and Deffer and Mama Said Knock You Out are well represented here. In 1997, he released the album Phenomenon. The singles included “Phenomenon” and “Father”. The official second single from Phenomenon was “4, 3, 2, 1,” which featured Method Man, Redman & Master P and introduced DMX and Canibus.

In 2000, LL Cool J released the album G.O.A.T., which stood for the “greatest of all time.” It debuted at number one on the Billboard album charts, and went platinum. LL Cool J thanked Canibus in the liner notes of the album, “for the inspiration”. LL Cool J’s next album 10 from 2002, was his 9th studio (10th overall including his greatest hits compilation All World), and included the singles “Paradise” (featuring Amerie), “Luv U Better”, produced by Pharrell and The Neptunes and the 2003 Jennifer Lopez duet, “All I Have”. The album reached platinum status. LL Cool J’s 10th album The DEFinition was released on August 31, 2004. The album debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard charts. Production came from Timbaland, 7 Aurelius, R. Kelly, and others. The lead single was the Timbaland-produced “Headsprung”, which peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100. The second single was the 7 Aurelius–produced, “Hush”, which peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100.

2006–2012: Later career and touring

LL Cool J’s 11th album, Todd Smith, was released on April 11, 2006. It includes collaborations with 112, Ginuwine, Juelz Santana, Teairra Mari and Freeway. The first single was the Jermaine Dupri-produced “Control Myself” featuring Jennifer Lopez. They shot the video for “Control Myself” on January 2, 2006 at Sony Studios, New York. The second video, directed by Hype Williams, was “Freeze” featuring Lyfe Jennings.

In July 2006, LL Cool J announced details about his final album with Def Jam Recordings, the only label he has ever been signed to. The album is titled Exit 13. The album was originally scheduled to be executively produced by fellow Queens rapper 50 Cent. Exit 13 was originally slated for a fall 2006 release, however, after a 2-year delay, it was released September 9, 2008 without 50 Cent as the executive producer. Tracks that the two worked on were leaked to the internet and some of the tracks produced with 50 made it to Exit 13. LL Cool J partnered with DJ Kay Slay to release a mixtape called “The Return of the G.O.A.T.”. It was the first mixtape of his 24-year career and includes freestyling by LL Cool J in addition to other rappers giving their renditions of his songs. A track entitled “Hi Haterz” was leaked onto the internet on June 1, 2008. The song contains LL Cool J rapping over the instrumental to Maino’s “Hi Hater”. He toured with Janet Jackson on her Rock Witchu tour, only playing in Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, and Kansas City. In September 2009, LL Cool J released a song about the NCIS TV series. It is a single and is available on iTunes. The new track is based on his experiences playing special agent Sam Hanna. “This song is the musical interpretation of what I felt after meeting with NCIS agents, experienced Marines and Navy SEALs,” LL Cool J said. “It represents the collective energy in the room. I was so inspired I wrote the song on set.”

In March 2011 at South by Southwest, LL Cool J was revealed to be Z-Trip’s special guest at the Red Bull Thre3Style showcase. This marked the beginning of a creative collaboration between the rap and DJ superstars. The two took part in an interview with Carson Daly where they discussed their partnership. Both artists have promised future collaborations down the road, with LL Cool J calling the duo “organic” One early track to feature LL’s talents was Z-Trip’s remix of British rock act Kasabian’s single “Days Are Forgotten”, which was named by influential DJ Zane Lowe as his “Hottest Record In The World” and received a favorable reception in both Belgium and the United Kingdom. In January 2012, the pair released the track “Super Baller” as a free download to celebrate the New York Giants Super Bowl victory. The two have been touring together since 2011, with future dates planned through 2012 and beyond.

2012–present: Authentic, G.O.A.T. 2 and future projects

In June 2012, LL Cool J began work on his thirteenth studio album. Stating, “I’m going to be doing a little bit of the album on the [My Connect Studio], make sure that it is official.”

On October 6, 2012, LL Cool J released a new single from Authentic Hip-Hop called “Ratchet”. Following that, on November 3, 2012, LL Cool J collaborated with Joe and producers Trackmasters with his 2nd single, “Take It”.

LL Cool J hosted the 55th Grammy Awards on February 10, 2013, as well as the 57th Grammys on February 9, 2015.

On February 8, 2013, it was announced the album title would be changed from Authentic Hip-Hop to Authentic with a new release date of April 30, 2013, and a new cover was unveiled at the same time. At around the same time, it was announced that LL Cool J had collaborated with Van Halen guitarist Eddie Van Halen on two tracks on the album.

On October 16, 2013, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced LL Cool J as a nominee for inclusion in 2014.

In October 2014, he announced his upcoming 14th studio album will be called G.O.A.T. 2 with a release window of 2015. LL Cool J stated about the album “the concept behind the album was to give upcoming artists an opportunity to shine, and put myself in the position where I have to spit bars with some of the hardest rhymers in the game.” However, the album had been put on hold and has yet to be released. LL Cool J explained the reason for the album being put on hold, saying “didn’t feel like it was feel it was ready yet”.

On January 21, 2016, LL Cool J received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In March 2016, LL Cool J had announced his retirement on social media, but quickly announced coming out of retirement and that another new album is on the way.

In July 2016, LL appeared on ABC's Greatest Hits.

Acting career

While LL Cool J first appeared as a rapper in the movie Krush Groove (performing “I Can’t Live Without My Radio”), his first acting part was a small role in a high school football movie called Wildcats. He continued to pursue acting, landing the role of Captain Patrick Zevo in the 1992 film Toys in which he shared the silver screen with Robin Williams. In 1995, he landed his own television sitcom, In the House. He starred as an ex-Oakland Raiders running back who finds himself in financial difficulties and is forced to rent part of his home out to a single mother and her two children.

In 1998, he had a role in the film Halloween H20. In 1999's Deep Blue Sea, he played the wise-cracking cook on a top-secret sea base besieged by genetically enhanced sharks. He received rave reviews for his role as Dwayne Gittens, an underworld boss, nicknamed “God” in In Too Deep. Later that year, he had a starring role in Any Given Sunday, in which he played Julian Washington, the talented but selfish running back on the dysfunctional Miami Sharks. Since then, LL Cool J has appeared in a variety of films, such as the 2002 remake of Rollerball, Deliver Us from Eva, Mindhunters, and S.W.A.T.

In 2005, he returned to television in a guest starring role on the Fox medical drama House as a death row inmate felled by an unknown disease in the episode “Acceptance”.

LL Cool J also appeared as Queen Latifah’s love interest in the 2006 movie Last Holiday.

He also guest starred on 30 Rock in the 2007 episode “The Source Awards” as the hip-hop producer Ridikulous, who Tracy Jordan fears is going to kill him.

LL Cool J appeared in Sesame Street’s 39th season where he introduced the word of the day, “Unanimous”, in episode 4169 (Sept. 22, 2008) and performing “The Addition Expedition” in episode 4172 (Sept. 30, 2008).

LL Cool J is currently a series regular on the CBS police procedural NCIS: Los Angeles, a spin-off of NCIS (which itself is a spin-off of the naval legal drama JAG). He portrays NCIS Special Agent Sam Hanna, an ex–Navy SEAL who is fluent in Arabic and an expert on West Asian culture. The series debuted in autumn of 2009, but the characters were introduced in an April 2009 crossover episode on the parent show.

LL Cool J appeared in a cameo role, where he is credited with being the product lead of Google’s Gmail Tap, an April Fool’s Day joke launched by the Gmail team, purporting to bring a Morse Code keyboard to the platform.

Since April 2015, LL has hosted the show Lip Sync Battle.

Other ventures

LL Cool J worked behind the scenes with the mid-1980s hip-hop sportswear line TROOP. LL Cool J launched a clothing line (called “Todd Smith”). The brand produces popular urban apparel. Designs include influences from LL’s lyrics and tattoos, as well as from other icons in the hip-hop community. LL Cool J has written four books, including 1998's I Make My Own Rules, an autobiography cowritten with Karen Hunter. His second book was the children-oriented book called And The Winner Is… published in 2002. In 2006, LL Cool J and his personal trainer, Dave “Scooter” Honig, wrote a fitness book titled The Platinum Workout. His fourth book, LL Cool J (Hip-Hop Stars) was cowritten in 2007 with hip-hop historian Dustin Shekell and Public Enemy’s Chuck D.

LL Cool J started his own businesses in the music industry such as the music label in 1993 called P.O.G. (Power Of God) and formed the company Rock The Bells to produce music. With the Rock The Bells label, he had artists such as Amyth, Smokeman, Natice, Chantel Jones and Simone Starks. Rock the Bells Records was also responsible for the Deep Blue Sea soundtrack for the 1999 movie of the same name. Rufus “Scola” Waller was also signed to the label, but was released when the label folded. LL Cool J founded and launched Boomdizzle.com, a record label / social networking site launched in September 2008. The website accepts music uploads from aspiring artists, primarily from the hip-hop genre, and the site’s users rate songs through contests, voting, and other community events.

He also appeared in an introduction to Wrestlemania 31.

Political involvement

In 2002, LL Cool J supported Republican Governor of New York George Pataki’s bid for a third term. In 2003, LL Cool J appeared before a senate committee hearing on P2P file-sharing, voicing his support alongside the RIAA, expressing that he just wished “music could be downloaded legitimately.” He has also voiced his support for New York State Senator Malcolm Smith, a Democrat, during an appearance on the senator’s local television show and has worked with Smith in putting on the annual Jump and Ball Tournament (since 2003) in the rapper’s childhood neighborhood of St. Albans, Queens. In a February 10, 2012 televised interview with CNN host Piers Morgan, LL Cool J expressed sympathy for President Obama and ascribed negative impressions of his leadership to Republican obstruction designed to “make it look like you have a coordination problem.” He was quick to add that no one “should assume that I’m a Democrat either. I’m an Independent, you know?” In LL Cool J’s Platinum 360 Diet and Lifestyle, he included Barack Obama in a list of “People I admire” saying, “He accomplished what people thought was impossible.”

His song “Mr President” on his album Exit 13 questioned the rationale for the Iraq War, and also expressed sympathy with illegal immigrants.

Legacy

With the breakthrough success of his hit single “I Need a Beat” and the Radio LP, LL Cool J became one of the first hip-hop acts to achieve mainstream success along with Kurtis Blow and Run-D.M.C.. Gigs at larger venues were offered to LL as he would join the 1986-'87 Raising Hell tour, opening for Run-D.M.C. and the Beastie Boys. Another milestone of LL’s popularity was his appearance on American Bandstand as the first hip hop act on the show.

The album’s success also helped in contributing to Rick Rubin’s credibility and repertoire as a record producer. Radio, along with Raising Hell (1986) and Licensed to Ill (1986), would form a trilogy of New York City-based, Rubin-helmed albums that helped to diversify hip-hop. Rubin’s production credit on the back cover reads “REDUCED BY RICK RUBIN”, referring to his minimalist production style, which gave the album its stripped-down and gritty sound. This style would serve as one of Rubin’s production trademarks and would have a great impact on future hip-hop productions. Rubin’s early hip hop production work, before his exit from Def Jam to Los Angeles, helped solidify his legacy as a hip hop pioneer and establish his reputation in the music industry.

Radio’s release coincided with the growing new school scene and subculture, which also marked the beginning of hip-hop’s “golden age” and the replacement of old school hip hop. This period of hip hop was marked by the end of the disco rap stylings of old school, which had flourished prior to the mid-1980s, and the rise of a new style featuring “ghetto blasters”. Radio served as one of the earliest records, along with Run-D.M.C.’s debut album, to combine the vocal approach of hip hop and rapping with the musical arrangements and riffing sound of rock music, pioneering the rap rock hybrid sound.

The emerging new school scene was initially characterized by drum machine-led minimalism, often tinged with elements of rock, as well as boasts about rapping delivered in an aggressive, self-assertive style. In image as in song, the artists projected a tough, cool, street b-boy attitude. These elements contrasted sharply with the 1970s P-Funk and disco-influenced outfits, live bands, synthesizers and party rhymes of acts prevalent in 1984, rendering them old school. In contrast to the lengthy, jam-like form predominant throughout early hip hop (“King Tim III”, “Rapper’s Delight”, “The Breaks”), new school artists tended to compose shorter songs that would be more accessible and had potential for radio play, and conceive more cohesive LPs than their old school counterparts; the style typified by LL Cool J's Radio. A leading example of the new school sound is the song “I Can’t Live Without My Radio”, a loud, defiant declaration of public loyalty to his boom box, which The New York Times described as “quintessential rap in its directness, immediacy and assertion of self”. It was featured in the film Krush Groove (1985), which was based on the rise of Def Jam and new school acts such as Run-D.M.C. and the Fat Boys.

The energy and hardcore delivery and musical style of rapping featured on Radio, as well as other new school recordings by artists such as Run-D.M.C., Schooly D, T La Rock and Steady B, proved to be influential to hip hop acts of the “golden age” such as Boogie Down Productions and Public Enemy. The decline of the old school form of hip hop also led to the closing of Sugar Hill Records, one of the labels that helped contribute to early hip-hop and that, coincidently, rejected LL’s demo tape. As the album served as an example of an expansion of hip hop music’s artistic possibilities, its commercial success and distinct sound soon led to an increase in multi-racial audiences and listeners, adding to the legacy of the album and hip hop as well.

He is mentioned in the 2015 biopic Straight Outta Compton.

Discography

Radio (1985) Bigger and Deffer (1987) Walking with a Panther (1989) Mama Said Knock You Out (1990) 14 Shots to the Dome (1993) Mr. Smith (1995) Phenomenon (1997) G.O.A.T. (2000) 10 (2002) The DEFinition (2004) Todd Smith (2006) Exit 13 (2008) Authentic (2013)