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natrogersfics · 3 months

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Super Bowl Sunday (Romanogers Version)

Edits in this collage by @faith2nyc Read on AO3

The whistle blows, sealing their win. But even as the confetti rains down from above in a plethora of colors and his teammates erupt in elation all around him – jumping and high-fiving and joyfully screaming over the blaring music – Steve can’t help but steal a glance at the scoreboard just to be sure.

Avengers 21-14 Guardians FINAL

They had truly done it. Against the odds, their team had pushed through a season littered with injuries and shock, last-minute trades. He takes his helmet off, his lips curling up in a smile as he shakes his head in disbelief.

“How does it feel to be a three-time Super Bowl Champion, Cap?”

He turns to see that Maria Hill, the lead anchor from SHIELD Sports, has made her way to him. She holds a microphone up as the rest of her camera crew and the Avengers’ PR team crowd around them. Impressing a seasoned veteran like Maria is no easy feat, but even he can see the touch of awe in her expression, and his pride swells just in the slightest. He chuckles, his shoulders lifting in a shrug as he contemplates her question.

He recalls the first time he had won as though it was just yesterday. The adrenaline that had lingered in his veins long after the whistle had blown and he had gotten his hands on the Lombardi. The satisfaction of having conquered his life-long dream was euphoric. The thirst to feel this high once again immediate. In that moment, all the sacrifices he had made from the grueling workouts to the missed Holidays with his family – they were all worth it.

His second win was further sweetened by the vindication. Of having proven to the media and the pundits and every person that doubted his return from injury that they were wrong. Bringing the trophy home for the Avengers was his way of repaying the fans for their continued belief in what he still had to offer and the team for standing by him after the circus that his personal life had thrown them into. Above all, though, his second ring was another means for him to show Natasha how much he valued every risk she had taken for him – for them – and for this beautiful life that they now shared.

But this time… This time feels disparate. It’s no less sweet by any means. When there are footballers who could only dream of winning the Super Bowl once, much less three times, he knows what a privilege it is for him to be standing here, victorious, at this very moment. And it’s not as though this time is any less hard-fought or miraculous as the others. In more ways than one, getting here has been harder than it’s ever been. Even so, there’s something distinct about this particular win that he can’t quite put a finger on, so he tells Maria the one thing he does know for certain.

“I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet,” he says, earning a laugh from Maria and the crowd around them. “But what I do know is that I’m so proud of this team. Every single person played their hearts out tonight and gave their absolute everything. They deserve this.”

“As do you, their fearless leader.”

“They make my job easy, that’s for sure,” he says with a grin.

“To that we can agree,” Maria says. “Let’s talk about the fans then. Any message for them?”

“Oh, definitely-”

“Daddy!”

Even in the midst of the pandemonium surrounding him, the voice is one he could pick out anywhere. Years of media training had honed his ability to tune out the loudest of distractions especially when he’s right smack in the middle of a televised interview, but not this one. He could never ignore this one.

He turns towards the sound, and he feels his face threatening to split in half with how wide his smile grows when he sees Nadia making her way towards him, her pigtails swinging from side to side as she runs as fast as her little legs will take her. Bucky is a half a step ahead, his teammate clearing a path for his daughter in the melee. Natasha lingers a few paces behind them, carrying Brady as Pietro dutifully flanks her. His eyes meet Natasha’s for the briefest of moments, and they share a smile before he crouches down, opening his arms out wide.

“There’s my girl!” he says as he scoops Nadia into his arms and rises to his feet.

“You win, Daddy!” Nadia exclaims, beaming from ear to ear. “I so proud of you!”

There’s a chorus of aww around them, but he can’t focus on anything other than how his heart feels too big for his chest right now. “Thank you, sweetheart,” he says, making Nadia squeal when he nuzzles her cheek. And, as if sensing her presence, he shifts Nadia against one hip so he can use his other hand to pull Natasha into his side just as she comes to stand next to him. His smile widens as he looks down at her and their son, who’s still somehow sleeping soundly against her chest. “Hi there.”

“Hi,” Natasha greets before smiling. “Congratulations, Cap.”

“Thank you,” he says, leaning down for a kiss. There’s a smirk on her lips when they pull away. “You’re about to say something about how sweaty I am, aren’t you?”

“More like how you might be forgetting something,” she deadpans, nodding towards the cameras when his brow furrows in confusion.

His eyes widen. “Oh, right,” he says, earning a laugh from everyone as he turns back towards Maria. “The fans. I mean, what else is there to say but thank you? Thank you for the support and the belief you gave this team.” He shakes his head. “I’m sure I speak for the entire team when I say that your support has powered us through the most difficult of challenges this season and it’s the reason why we did whatever it takes to get to this final game. We hope you enjoy this one!”

Maria nods before a playfully sly grin makes its way to her face as she adds, “And maybe start preparing for the next?”

Despite the chuckle that falls from his lips, Maria’s question gives him pause. Regardless of the season’s results, his response to this very question has been the same for as long as he can remember – a resounding hell yes! and a call for their fans to lock in for what’s to come. This time, though, he finds himself only pulling Natasha closer just as Nadia rests her head against his shoulder.

“Let’s celebrate this one first,” he says finally, and from the corner of his eye, he catches the way Natasha’s head suddenly whips towards him.

“You heard the Captain’s orders,” Maria says into the mic before nodding at him. “Thanks, Steve. Enjoy the rest of the celebrations.”

“Thanks, Maria.”

With a final smile at Maria and her crew, he drapes an arm around Natasha, leading her in the direction of the sideline. It’s when they make it out of earshot of the reporters that Natasha places a hand on his elbow, stopping him in his tracks. He knows he’s good enough to convince Maria and the rest of the country that there’s nothing more to his response other than him wanting to live in the moment. But he can’t fool his wife. And as she looks up at him now, a million and one questions swirling in her eyes, he knows without a doubt that she understands the implication of his words. She sighs. “Steve-”

A soft whimper interrupts her, and they both look down to where Brady is situated against her chest to see their son stirring awake. Natasha smiles when his eyes flutter open. “Hey, you,” she coos, lifting Brady out of his carrier. “Look who finally decided to join the party.”

Brady blinks up at her before looking around, his eyes settling on him. “Dada win?”

“Hey, Bud,” he says, moving to take Brady from Natasha’s arms. “Yes, dada won.” Brady gives him a little clap, and with a chuckle, he dusts a kiss to the little boy’s temple before doing the same to Nadia, who’s still busy taking in the lively scenery around her. He pulls both kids closer to him, reveling in the joy of just having them in his arms before letting out a contented sigh. He’s held many titles in his life from Rookie of the Year to MVP. None of them could quite hold a candle to his favorite – Dad.

When he looks back at Natasha, he finds that her expression has softened to one of pure admiration for the scene before her. “Later, okay?” he says, because yes, while he had seemingly made his mind up in a single moment of clarity, this is a discussion they need to make as a family. And they would, just not right at this moment. “We’ll talk later.”

She holds his gaze for a second longer before nodding. “Okay.”

“Get in here,” he says, smiling when Natasha just shakes her head fondly before wrapping her arms tightly around them. “Oh, I love you guys so much.”

“We love you too, Daddy,” Nadia says. “But can we get Icees now?”

He and Natasha share an amused glance, and as he looks back at Nadia, he has to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing when he sees his daughter staring patiently at him, waiting for a response. “Yes, baby girl,” he says with a chuckle. “We can get Icees now.”

Masterlist Read more of the Game Plan 'verse here

#Romanogers #Game Plan #one shot #Steve Rogers #Natasha Romanoff #Super Bowl #Football AU #And I'd Choose You

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kleenexwoman · 2 months

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I got tagged by @mischief-and-tea-by-the-sea to list some of my WIPs so people can ask me about them, but frankly a lot of them blur together and I'm a little brain dead today. So here's some new names for them.

MARVEL

Steve Rogers is Sir Gawain, Dracula Is There

Steve Rogers Reacts to the 20th Century in Real Time

Steve Rogers Plays Steve Rogers

That Coffee Shop AU

Eros Disrupts Fated Frostiron

Justin Hammer Meets the Old Gods

GOOD OMENS

~Oysters~

Crowley Chills in Hell

Mt. Moriah Vision

STRANGER THINGS

Eddie Summons A Demon

Stevie Goes to the Mental Ward

Steve And Eddie Go To Spooky Jail

KARATE KID

Lombardy 484 AD

#good omens #good omens fanfiction #stucky #frostiron #justin hammer #steddie #cobra kai #lawrusso

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nerdyrevelries · 1 year

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Rosella: Rose in Bloom’s Italian Adaptation

Back in August of 2022 when I was doing Alcott Adaptation August (a month where I watched and reviewed every single adaptation of Little Women that I could reasonably find; still need to finish my reviews of 2019 and 1978), I was scouring IMDb for anything that Louisa May Alcott had a writing credit on. I found something really surprising: A 1964 Italian TV mini series called Rosella. Could this be an adaptation of my favorite underappreciated Louisa May Alcott novel, Rose in Bloom? Naturally, I had to know more.

The IMBd page tells us very little. In addition to Louisa May Alcott, there is one other writing credit, Anna Maria Romagnoli, who wrote the screenplay. Then we have a director, Lelio Golletti. It was produced and distributed by RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana and filmed in black and white. Finally, we have a cast list: Rosella is played by Laura Efrikian, Marco is played by Enzo Cerusico, Carlo is played by Marino Masé, Stephano is played by Vittorio Mezzogiorno, Febe is played by Angela Cavo, Zia Clara is played by Loredana Savelli, Arci is played by Paolo Modugno, Giacomino is played by Marco Paolini, Zia Myra is played by Anna Maria Ackermann, Debora is played by Vittoria Di Silverio, Zia Jessica is played by Delia Valle, Zia Pace is played by Donatella Gemmò, Zio Frank is played by Gerardo Panipucci, and Dottore is played by Carlo Lombardi. Based on my nonexistent Italian, I would guess that Rosella is Rose, Marco is Mac, Carlo is Charlie, Stephano is Steve, Febe is Phebe, Arci is Archie, Zia Clara is Aunt Clara, Zia Myra is Aunt Myra, Zia Jessica is Aunt Jessie, Zia Pace is Aunt Peace (who might have been combined with Aunt Plenty to make the cast more manageable?), Debora is the cook who is sometimes called Debby and sometimes called Dolly in Eight Cousins, and Zio Frank must be one of the uncles, though it’s unclear which one. However, I was stumped by Giacomino and Dottore.

The wonderful @thatscarletflycatcher offered to do some research for me as she’s a Spanish speaker, which is a lot closer to Italian than I am, and she managed to find some promo images with captions that she translated for me. I’m including them below the cut since there are some pretty big spoilers.

Rose (Laura Efrikian) is a girl from a good family that became an orphan early in life. She is taken away from school and received in the home of Aunt Peace. It is there that she receives the visit of her cousins that give her a welcome.

Rose’s aunts consult with each other to restore confidence and serenity to the girl left so soon deprived from the affection of her parents. But their cures don't give good results and raise the skepticism of Uncle Alec.

According to this, there is a “zio Alec” who was not listed on the cast list. Which means that Zio Frank can’t be Uncle Alec. My guess would be that he’s Uncle Mac, but I’m not sure.

Now it is Uncle Alec, her guardian (Gianni Agus), who thinks of another remedy. With a lot of tact, he tries to accustom Rose to a sporty and healthy life in the open air and to share joys and sorrows with her cousins.

So, here we have proof that Uncle Alec was not on the cast list and also that he was played by Gianni Agus.

Even Deborah (Vittoria Di Silverio), the old cook of the house, and Phebe (Angela Cavo), who helps her with the domestic chores, get together to help Rose, and Phebe confides to Deborah that they have already become friends.

Aunt Myra (Anna Maria Ackermann) tells her nephews that she's worried about the health of her nephew Mac, who risks losing his eyesight from reading too much. It will be Rose with her thoughtfulness the one to help Mac.

Uncle Alec has prepared a ship trip to Campbell’s Island. Rose is a bit afraid. Then, uncle and niece reach land happily. Uncle Alec, taking Rose's hand, walks onto the island. "To be happy," he says, "each man must have an island. But... there's someone roasting something over there. Who are the pirates on Campbell’s island?" (Gianni Augus: Uncle Alec; Laura Ephrikian: Rose)

The island is, in fact, inhabited. Then in fact Rose's five cousins appear to give her, noisily, a welcome. Rose pretends to be angry: "Is it possible that it must always be you the ones to surprise me?" "If only the smell of the roasting fish had not betrayed is..." Archie answers. (Marino Masé: Charlie; Enzo Cerusico: Mac; Paolo Modugno: Archie; Vittorio Mezzogiorno: Steve; Marco Paolini: Jamie)

This caption gives us confirmation that the cast has been condensed to some degree. Rose now has five cousins instead of seven. (The cuts are, of course, Will and Geordie, which is the correct choice since they have no narrative function except to add some extra numbers.) I’m also now pretty sure that Giacomino is Jamie.

The aunts get together to discuss Rose's future. Deborah takes the opportunity to get help making butter. The discussion is lively. Aunt Clara exclaims, moved: "Rose's future is as dear to me as it is to you." And Aunt Myra adds: "In the meantime, her education has decidedly worsened." Timidly, Aunt Peace replies "But Alec's experiment isn't over yet..." (Vittoria Di Silverio: Deborah; Anna Maria Ackermann: Aunt Myra; Donatella Gemmò: Aunt Peace; Loredana Savelli: Aunt Clara)

The fact that Aunt Myra seems to be rather concerned with education makes me think that the Aunt Myra of Rosella may be a combination between the Aunt Myra of the book and Aunt Jane, just as the Aunt Peace of Rosella seems to be a combination of the Aunt Peace of the book and Aunt Plenty.

Rose has found her cousins Archie and Charlie smoking. She's scandalized: "It is bad for your health, and you don't like it, so why do you keep doing it?" "Why shouldn't we?" Charlie answers fast. "It is for the sake of your health that I say it to you," Rose replies, "and to please me." To which Charlie retorts, "Would you give up your earrings if we gave up our cigarettes?" Archie wavers a little. "Don't be cruel! You know how much she cares!" he tells his cousin. But Rose has not a single moment of doubt: "I care more about you than about my earrings. I accept the deal."

Phebe tirelessly copies a page from the almanac. Caught as she is in her difficult task, she doesn't hear Rose enter the room. When she realizes it, it's already too late. "What are you hiding, Phebe?" Rose asks. "I am just trying to study a little," the girl answers embarrassed. "I am so ignorant". Rose: "Would you like me to be your teacher?" "That would be marvelous!" Phebe replies. "But Deborah always needs me."

The greeting of Aunt Peace has turned into a party. They have gathered together to give their welcome to Uncle Alec, Rose, and Phebe as they come back from their trip to Europe. Rose is moved: "I cannot believe I love this house so much," she says. "I think I only want you, Aunt Peace." (From the left, Phebe: Angelia Cavo; Rose: Laura Ephrikian; Archie: Paolo Modungno. Standing, from the left, Charlie: Marino Masé; Mac: Enzo Cerusico)

Phebe, sitting at the pianoforte, sings an old folk song. Archie listens to her enraptured. When the song ends, Charlie and Mac applaud vigorously. Only Archie remains in the same fixed position he was at the beginning of the song. Phebe stands up confused and happy.

At the small table prepared for two, Rose and Uncle Alec have a meal. Rose has decided, to make Aunt Clara happy, to dedicate herself for three months to a worldly life. She tells this news to Uncle Alec, who, a bit shocked, exclaims: "And so, you will have three months of trial. Three months are not much, but they can be just enough." (Uncle Alec: Gianni Agus)

Rose, dressed in white, makes her triumphal entrance into Aunt Peace's drawing room, which has been turned into a ballroom for the occasion. The girl has her "card" filled with names, and the gentlemen fight over her. Charlie is the most insistent, and they form an splendid couple indeed.

Charlie and Rose meet at the park. Charlie wants to communicate to his cousin his decision to depart for Calcutta to start a new business and redeem himself in her eyes, after having frightened her, one evening, when he showed up at Aunt Peace's house completely drunk. "Yes, I'm determined," he says. "I cannot resist. I have too many bad habits." "When will you go, Charlie?" Rose asks. "In a month," the youth answered.

Charlie, having fallen off a horse, has suffered a spinal injury. He's in a very grave condition, and Rose runs to his bedside. The young man asks her humbly to forgive him for having disobeyed her. The disgrace did indeed happen because Charlie, during a goodbye lunch with his friends, had drunk a lot. (Charlie: Marino Masé; Rose: Laura Ephrikian)

Charlie dies. A little later, Rose opens an orphanage for poor children to which she devotes her full attention. One day, searching after two little ones in the forest, she's caught in a storm. Pneumonia is the consequence. The affectionate letters from Mac, her other cousin, and the visit of Phebe, help the girl recover fast.

To completely recover, Rose is invited to spend some time on the mountains. Mac joins her. The affectionate conversation is rekindled between the two. Rose is persuaded that her cousin has talent, and motivates him to write a book. "Your very letters were the ones that have revealed something about you to me," she says, "something that perhaps you yourself don't even know. You were born to be a writer, Mac." The young man is moved but a little disappointed. He rather expected from Rose different words. "Do you want me to?" he asked.

Archie goes to pick Phebe up at the convent where the girl now lives. He proposes marriage to her, but Phebe cannot accept becoming part of the Campbell family if they don't want her. (Archie: Paolo Modugno; Phebe: Angela Cavo)

Rose has restarted her activities at the orphanage. Uncle Alec is in charge of the healthcare of the children. The little ones enter three-by-three, and doctor Alec studies them attentively: "Come on, tongue out!" And turning to Rose he adds: "It will almost be disagreeable to me to give this job to my successor, Dr. Mac Campbell. It is not a very profitable one, this position, but it brings a lot of satisfaction." (Uncle Alec: Gianni Agus)

Aunt Clara has conceded, and Archie and Phebe get engaged. During the party, Mac intervenes. He tells Rose that he has a secret to tell her, and he gives her a poetry book he wrote. "This is half of my secret." Rose is happy. "And the other half?" She asks trembling. "I will have to employ my whole life in telling it to you," Mac says. "Would you like to hear it?"

I’m not sure if this is meant to imply that Archie is Aunt Clara’s son in this version or just that she was the biggest objector to Phebe marrying in and with her acceptance, there was no one among the Campbells who was still against their marriage.

From these screenshots and descriptions, it would seem that the adaptation covers events from both Eight Cousins and Rose in Bloom. Otherwise, there are still many things that are mysterious about it. I’m still not sure which uncle “zio Frank” is supposed to be, and I have no idea who Dottore is. Neither Scarlet or I have been able to find out if this adaptation still exists somewhere or if it’s lost media. Scarlet kindly wrote an email on my behalf (since my Italian remains nonexistent) to the company that made and distributed the adaptation to try and figure this out, but thus far she’s been passed between email addresses for different people and departments and we don’t seem to be any closer to an answer.

Still, if this is the only information we ever get about this adaptation, it still makes me happy to know that it at one point did exist. Perhaps there’s some 90-year-old Italian woman who tuned into the slot that ran Rosella, TV Dei Ragazzi (the TV of children), in 1964 and fell in love with the characters and story just as much as I did. I will never meet this Italian woman, and even if we did, we wouldn’t be able to communicate unless she had learned English at some point, but it’s cool to think how the same story can touch people all around the world. They may never know each other, but for at least one moment, their hearts are connected throughout time and space.

And personally, I think that’s pretty cool.

#Louisa May Alcott #Rose in Bloom #Eight Cousins #Rosella #Adaptations #Mac Campbell #Rose Campbell #Archie Campbell #Phebe Moore #Steve Campbell #Uncle Alec #Aunt Myra #Aunt Peace #Aunt Jessie #Aunt Clara #Jamie Campbell #And whoever Zio Frank and Dottore are.

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bookgeekgrrl · 8 months

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My media this week (27 Aug-2 Sep 2023)

📚 STUFF I READ 📚

🥰 Unseen (Rath & Rune #2) (Jordan L. Hawk, author; Joel Leslie, narrator) - back in Widdershins with Librarian Sebastian & his be-tentacled half-human lover Vesper Rune, trying to collect the evil Books of the Bound. The Rune brothers are also finding that unfortunately it's harder to cut ties with an abusive family than one might wish.

🥰 Pretend to Be Nice (Interdepartmental Cooperation #2) (seekwill) - 57K, GO Gabriel/Beelzebub - same universe as Golden Handcuffs, just as good as that fic - I love a fic where two jagged edged people learn to see how their broken pieces fit together

🥰 Unknown (Rath & Rune #3) (Jordan L. Hawk, author; Joel Leslie, narrator) - On the hunt for the Book of Bone. Widdershins may know its own but the Old Families definitely still cause a lot of harm

😍 The 70 Days After Groundhog Day (Ptelea) - really great Batfam fic - Dick's POV, focusing on Jason & Dick but also about Jason's relationship to everyone after a 53-day timeloop that only Jason can remember

💖💖 +121K of shorter fic so shout out to these I really loved 💖💖

love you like rlb (orphan_account) - MCU: stucky, 3K - forever fave, reread - when Steve wakes up he finds the phrase 'love you like rlb' is world-famous, but no one knows why and he doesn't tell them, at least not immediately

No Place Like Home (asocialconstruct) - MCU: stucky, 5k - post-WS Bucky time travels to pre-war Stucky & sexy times ensue - always a fun, hot read

Cassiopeia, Orion, Bootes (AidaRonan) - Stranger Things: steddie, 10K - forgot how much I love this fic with the hilarious tag 'he was a gator boi' & some extremely excellent monsterfucking

[Podfic] The Three-Steve Solution (seleneaurora) - MCU: stucky/samsteve/stony, 6K - excellently done podfic of a hilarious cracky fic with multiverse Steves of different omegaverse designations being kidnapped by baddies and their respective partners showing up to rescue them

[podfic] Doctor Feelgood (cricketsong1985) - MCU: stucky, 10K - fave, relisten- another great podfic - Bucky discovers one of Steve's kinks and sets out to make his fantasy real - hot sex but also I love how well their relationship is expressed

📺 STUFF I WATCHED 📺

Celebrity Jeopardy - s1, e5

Insane Pools: Off the Deep End - s1, e1

Leverage - s2, e5

Make Some Noise - s2, e1

Maine Cabin Masters - s1, e1-8; s8, e1-4

Harley Quinn - s4, e8

Um, Actually - s8, e12

What We Do In The Shadows - s5, e9-10

Only Murders In The Building - s3, e5

D20: Mentopolis - "Grappling With Death" (s1, e4)

D20: Adventuring Party - "A Random Sequence of Events" (s14, e4)

🎧 PODCASTS 🎧

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Villa de Vecchi

The Sporkful - A Garlic Dispute 20 Years In The Making

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - It’s Getting Hot in Here

Re: Dracula - August 30: Millions of Kisses

Ed Zitron's 15 Minutes In Hell - Episode 4 - Rob Corddry, Actor

Vibe Check - Introducing The Stacks with Traci Thomas

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - How to Quarantine in a Ghost Town

99% Invisible #551 - Office Space

Switched on Pop - Olivia Rodrigo’s Good Ideas

⭐ Song Exploder - Re-issue: Janelle Monáe "So Afraid"

Re: Dracula - August 31: Do Not Fail

⭐ One Year - 1955: The Weather Girls

⭐ One Year - 1955: The Crockett Craze

Dear Prudence - Relationship Podcasts Are Ruining My Friend's Life. Help!

Re: Dracula - September 1: Am Writing

Pop Culture Happy Hour - Suits And What's Making Us Happy

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Maine Windjammers

Welcome to Night Vale #233 - Citizen Spotlight: The Vampire of Lombardi Street

⭐ One Year - 1955: The Team Nobody Would Play

Re: Dracula - September 2: Suck From my Wound

🎶 MUSIC 🎶

Inflammable Material [Stiff Little Fingers] {1979}

Nobody's Heroes [Stiff Little Fingers] {1980}

Funky Hangout

my Journey playlist

The '90s Ska Revival

Vintage Blues Reworked

Boats, Beaches, Bars & Ballads [Jimmy Buffett] {1992}

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ceekbee · 11 months

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"Xtra Thoughts

June 14

The memories of tomorrow depend on your attitude today.

–Dave Weinbaum

“Make sure the thing you’re living for is worth dying for.”

–Charles Mayes

“I have a special purpose!”

–Steve Martin

“When we become aware of our humility, we’ve lost it.”

–Anonymous

We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.

–Joseph Campbell

Injure others, injure yourself.

–Chinese Proverb

“I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do.”

–Helen Keller

“I’ve never known a man worth his salt who in the long run, deep down in his heart, didn’t appreciate the grind, the discipline… I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour – this greatest fulfillment to all he holds dear – is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle, victorious.”

–Vince Lombardi"

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mostbelovedwwewrestlertournament · 3 months

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Most Beloved WWE Wrestler Tournament

#wwe #wwf #pete doherty #steve lombardi #the brooklyn brawler #most beloved wwe wrestler tournament

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kwebtv · 1 year

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Character Actor

Anthony Caruso (April 7, 1916 – April 4, 2003) Film and television character actor in more than one hundred American films, usually playing villains and gangsters, including the first season of Walt Disney's Zorro as Captain Juan Ortega.

In some of his television roles, Caruso played sympathetic characters, like "Ash", on an early episode of CBS's Gunsmoke, and again in 1960 as “Gurney”, a murdering, yet ultimately sympathetic cowboy. He also played “Lone Wolf” in a 1961 episode entitled “Indian Ford”.

In 1954, Caruso played Tiburcio Vásquez in an episode of the western series Stories of the Century. He appeared in the first Brian Keith series, Crusader. In 1957, he appeared in the fourth episode of the first season of the TV western Have Gun – Will Travel starring Richard Boone titled "The Winchester Quarantine".

In 1957, Caruso appeared in episode "The Child" on NBC's The Restless Gun. In 1959, he was cast as George Bradley in the episode "Annie's Old Beau" on the NBC children's western series, Buckskin.

That same year, he portrayed Matt Cleary on CBS's Wanted: Dead or Alive episode "The Littlest Client", with Steve McQueen. Also 1959, he also guest-starred on the ABC/Warner Brothers western series, Sugarfoot, in the episode "The Extra Hand", along with guest stars Karl Swenson and Jack Lambert as well as the series star, Will Hutchins. The same year he appeared in the 'Syndicate Sanctuary' episode of The Untouchables.

In 1960, Caruso played a Cherokee Indian, Chief White Bull, in the episode "The Long Trail" of the NBC western series, Riverboat, starring Darren McGavin.

Also in 1960, he returned to Gunsmoke playing a murderous cowboy named “Gurney” in S6E5’s “Shooting Stopover”. Again his character was a hard man, but through the character’s death, Caruso successfully made him sympathetic.

In 1961, he appeared twice on the ABC/Warner Brothers drama series, The Roaring 20s, including the role of Lucky Lombardi in "The Maestro". He was also cast with Will Hutchins in a second The Roaring 20s episode entitled, "Pie in the Sky." Early in 1961, he was cast as Velde in the episode "Willy's Millionaire" of the short-lived ABC adventure series, The Islanders, with Diane Brewster.

Caruso guest-starred in an episode of the ABC western series, The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, based on a Robert Lewis Taylor novel of the same name. Caruso guest-starred three times on CBS's Perry Mason. In 1962, he played Keith Lombard in "The Case of the Playboy Pugilist." Also in 1962, Caruso played Cody Durham in "Cody's Code" on Gunsmoke. In 1965, he made two Perry Mason appearances, both times as the murder victim: first as title character Enrico Bacio in "The Case of the Sad Sicilian," then as Harvey Rettig in "The Case of the Runaway Racer."

In 1964, he guest-starred in the Bonanza episode "The Saga of Squaw Charlie" playing a Native American man shunned by almost everybody and with only two friends, Ben Cartwright and a little girl named Angela. In 1969 he starred alongside Ricardo Montalban in Desperate Mission, a fictionalized telling of the life of Joaquin Murrieta. From 1966 to 1970 he guest-starred three times on the long-running NBC western The Virginian, starring James Drury. In 1965 he guest-starred on ABC's The Addams Family as Don Xavier Molinas.

Some of his other roles were that of the alien gangster "Bela Oxmyx" in the classic Star Trek episode "A Piece of the Action", Chief Blackfish on the NBC series Daniel Boone, and Louis Ciavelli (the "box man" or safecracker) in The Asphalt Jungle. Caruso played the comical character of the Native American "Red Cloud" on the 1965 Get Smart episode "Washington 4, Indians 3," and Chief Angry Bear in the episode "You Can't Scalp a Bald Indian" of Rango.

In 1970, Caruso made a guest appearance on the ABC crime drama The Silent Force in the episode "A Family Tradition." In 1974, he appeared in the final episode, entitled "The Fire Dancer," of the ABC police drama Nakia. Anthony Caruso also had a memorable, recurring roll as “El Lobo” on The High Chaparral. (Wikipedia)

#Anthony Caruso #TV #Character Actor

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nflsundayticket · 4 days

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Andy Reid's Contract Extension Sends Shockwaves Through NFL

The Chiefs announced the contract extension for the 66-year-old head coach, as well as GM Red Beach and the team president, Mark Donovan. Reed's deal is going to run through 2029, and NFL Network reports that it's going to make him the highest-paid head coach in the league. And remember, Kansas City coming off their third Super Bowl title in the Reid era. They've also won eight straight AFC West titles and have made six straight appearances in the AFC title game. For now, or for more, I should say, let's welcome in our NFL analyst and two-time Super Bowl champ himself, Brian McFadden. And look, BMac, there was a lot of talk after the Super Bowl that Reid might be hanging it up. Clearly, that's not happening. So what do you make of Big Red staying in Kansas City for half a decade? This is huge for the organization. This is huge for the fan base. I mean, this is big time for all of us as well, right, Chris? Because we're in the midst of talking about this dynasty the Chiefs are currently involved in, of course, trying to win their third Super Bowl in a row, something that we've never seen done in the Super Bowl era. This is huge when you talk about the commitment, right? So one would think and one would assume Andy Reid is not making this commitment not knowing if Patrick Mahomes will be the quarterback the rest of the way when you look at the length of his contract. So clearly, there's been some communication when you talk about Andy Reid and Pat Mahomes just staying tied to the H with that organization, which is huge, because when you look at that player-coach relationship, one of the best relationships that we've watched in the National Football League. So when you talk about just having that stability on the offensive side, and don't forget, Chris, as well, remember they signed Steve Spagnuolo to an extension a week or so after winning the Super Bowl in Las Vegas. So now they have their defensive coordinator locked up for the long term. The same can be said for their head coach and play caller. So the structure they have on the coaching staff is huge when you look at the development and the production that they've been able to do with those two guys on the sideline in Steve Spagnuolo and Andy Reid, two of the best coaches in the game by far. Now, the other thing we have to talk about, BMac, Reid's age. So he's going to be 71 by the time this contract runs out. Do you have any concerns about the length of this deal, or has he earned the benefit of the doubt that he's still going to be able to perform at a high level and have that creativity with the offensive schemes once he does reach 71? I don't have any issues with the deal because I think 5 years is a nice sweet spot for Andy Reid, especially when the motivation is still there, and most importantly, winning. Who gets tired of winning, right, Chris? Who gets tired of being successful? I mean, that's something that we're all driven by is winning and trying to continue to do something that many people say that you can't do. So when you talk about the 5-year window being 71, last time I checked, Bill Belichick just finished coaching. I think he was 69 or 70, if I'm not mistaken, and he clearly wants to continue to coach. Unfortunately, he will not be coaching this year. So I think that's a nice sweet spot for Andy Reid. And when you know he hits that four-year plateau or that five-year plateau, then it's something to think about. But I have when you look at this window, this five-year window, and seeing how well this team has been able to perform with Pat Mahomes, one would think more in good health in a 5-year stretch, they should at least, bare minimum, right, Chris, see two more sticky Lombardis. Hey, I think that's at the bare minimum. I think that's doable as long as Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes are there, Travis Kelce. I think it's very likely. Now, speaking about hoisting more Lombardi trophies, they're going for an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl, which would be crazy. Do you think they get there from what you've seen so far and what you expect going into the season? Man, I'm not betting against Kansas City. I'm not betting against Andy Reid, Pat Mahomes, Steve Spagnuolo, what they did last year. For me, watching how they were able to win ball games and win the championship, I feel like this was the time to get to really catch Kansas City sleeping at the wheel because they had some issues on the offensive side. The wide receivers were dealing with drops. They weren't as efficient as what we've seen in years past, especially scoring points per ball game. But their defense prevailed. And then, of course, the offense came to the party, making timely plays that led them to win a championship. One would think they will improve their team on both sides of the football, specifically speaking on the offensive side. So what happens to the rest of the National Football League? What happens to the rest of the AFC West if this team that just won a Super Bowl and what I saw, it was kind of like a down year because we didn't really see the video game-like numbers that we've seen in years past from Pat Mahomes? What happens if they improve when it comes to the personnel with talent? So to answer your question, no question, I'm not betting against Kansas City until I see otherwise. I'm I have to ride with Kansas City. Now, anything can happen. That's why the game of football, the NFL, is such an entertaining league because anything can happen. But number 15 has shown all of us going back to year a year ago in 2022, he was able to prevail on one leg, one ankle. Then going back to what we just most recently witnessed, dealing with inconsistencies at the wide receiver position, he still found a way. You better believe number 15 will find a way in 2024. Yeah. Uh, I'm with you. I'm never betting I bet against KC when they played the Ravens never doing that again whatsoever, BAC with the latest giving great perspective on Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes. He loves it, saying, 'Yes, sir,' as Andy Reid is going to be the head coach of Kansas City through 2029. Read the full article

#Ambition #AndyReid #ChampionshipCulture #CoachingDynasty #ContractExtension #KansasCityChiefs #Legacy #NFL #NFLFranchise #SuperBowl

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lilad03-blog · 7 days

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Did John Wayne Play Fordham University’s Football Coach?

Photos from IMDb.com

Trouble Along The Way (1953) was released through Warner Brothers on April 4th of 1953. This black & white comedy starred Film Legend John Wayne and was directed by the great Michael Curtiz, who is himself best remembered for Casablanca, The Adventures of Robin Hood & White Christmas.

Was this film about Fordham Football?

A Catholic College in The Bronx

Submitted for your approval is the fictitious St Anthony’s Catholic College. It is located in, of all places, The Bronx; Fordham University is located in the Fordham Road community. Which is the busiest commercial section of Bronx County. Also, it is the one Roman Catholic institution in the Borough that played big time football during this era. (Sorry Manhattan College- just in case they are wondering.)

The Society of Jesus (S.J.)

Specifically, it is a Roman Catholic Institute of Higher Learning that is not run by the Archdiocese. But in turn it is managed by “The Order”; Perhaps they mean The Jesuits? No one attempts to explain this any further … So why not.

A Thinly Veiled Version of Cardinal Spellman?

The story includes a fictitious Cardinal O'Shea, who also happens to be a St Anthony’s alumni. In the film, he uses his influence to schedule games with institutions such as the University of Notre Dame. Francis Cardinal Spellman, then the Archbishop of New York, held a B.A., from Fordham University, from 1911. After being elevated to this position back in 1939, he also became the face of the American Catholic Church throughout this period until his death in 1967.

"Winning isn't everything -- it's the only thing."

These words are attributed to Coach Steve Williams, the fictional athletics instructor played by Wayne. In the actual context of the movie, they actually appear in print, on a sign, in his office. However, this sounds a lot like something Vince Lombardi (FCRH Class of 1937) might have said, now doesn’t it?

Dates Sync-Up With Closing Out of the Football Program

Perhaps most importantly, this movie, which was released in 1953, involves a scandal that appears to shut down the football program. It should be noted that Fordham University dropped Big Time Football after the 1954 season.

The Plot Line

Recently divorced, Steve Williams has trouble finding a job due to his inability to get along with his prior superiors. If he doesn't find work soon, he'll risk losing custody of his 11 year old daughter Carole (Sherry Jackson). He needs a job to keep the wolf-at-bay as well as a social worker assigned to see if his daughter should not be taken away from him.

1942 Oscar winner Charles Coburn (right) Photo IMDb.com

Meanwhile, Father Burke, the school’s rector, played by veteran character actor Charles Coburn, hires Williams/Wayne to improve the school’s failing financial situation. St. Anthony's is heavily in debt. They may have to close their doors. Father Burke reasons that the school could get back on its feet if it had a successful football team. He hoped this would secure the financial support of the school’s alumni too.

Coach Wiliams/Wayne’s character violates the preseason training regulations believing the added “practice” time will give him the advantage over Holy Cross, Notre Dame and "Santa Carla" (perhaps a fictitious version of Santa Clara). This was because conference rules prevent these schools from practicing during summer sessions. The New York Archbishop, who is also an alumni, uses his influence to schedule games with the institutions mentioned above.

Note: The only game that is actually played is against the fictional Santa Carla, where St Anthony’s tactics are discovered. This includes paying players and bringing in athletes much older than the accepted age. Perhaps the film’s producers wanted to avoid complaints from the real California University by creating a thinly veiled phony?

Film critic Hal Erickson of All Movie wrote: “Against his better judgment, Father Burke hires the troublesome Steve Williams, who'll stop at nothing to assemble a winning team. Somehow, Williams has to turn into a regular human being and that's where social worker Alice Singleton (Donna Reed) comes in. Described as ‘More sentimental than most Wayne vehicles, Trouble Along the Way is well worth the ride.’”

On The Other Hand: Was this not Fordham Football?

Why Did Fordham Actually Drop Football in 1954?

The team’s record that final year was 1 win; 7 loses; 1 tie. Average attendance, when home games were played primarily at the Polo Grounds, in Upper Manhattan, were 11,950. This was down from the prior year’s average of 16,000 plus. (Football did not return to campus until students brought the sport back as a “club” team in 1964.)

It seems it was not a scandal, but the inability to fund big-time football in the era of television and coast-to-coast jet travel that brought the sport down. According to Fordham Librarian J.P. McCabe, in his monograph 125 Year of Fordham Football: On December 15 (1954) the President of Fordham, Rev. Laurence McGinely, S.J., announced that Fordham could no longer afford to support a football program.

Would Notre Dame ever play the Fordham Rams?

Would legendary Notre Dame ever play the Rams in football? An examination of Fordham football seasons from 1928 to 1954, an era which saw them playing back-to-back major bowl games, shows many battles against other leading catholic colleges and universities. Boston College, Holy Cross, Saint Mary’s and Villanova pop-up as regular opponents. In reality, Notre Dame never played against Fordham.

In fact, whenever some of the catholic schools talk about rebuilding their Division 1-A program, conversations often turn to possibly booking a game with Notre Dame. Now, the only other Power-5 catholic program-Boston College-has met them 26 times but that rivalry didn’t start until 1975. This was during these latter years when both programs found themselves together in two different major sports conferences-The ACC and before that the now splintered Big East Conference.

“Much like an old-time Irish Ward boss, Notre Dame knows they already have the Catholic Vote. They want to be a national darling; So don’t count on those big pay days.”

A Bronx Setting? The ‘Shoot’ Never Left Southern California.

Many of the exterior football scenes were filmed at Pomona College in Claremont, California. In fact, under IMDB.com Goofs section, there appears to be a State of California Flag on a poll in the background in one scene.

Fordham Has Produced Many Church Leaders

According to the List of Fordham University alumni, there have been almost twenty Archbishops, Auxiliary Bishops, Bishops and Cardinals. This includes our own Class of 1980 Gordon Bennett, SJ, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of the Mandeville Diocese: https://www.pinterest.fr/bergin0639/famous-fordham-graduates-from-class-of-1980/

It is not really a stretch to imagine a loyal alum in a position of church authority willing to use his influence to acquire top name opposition-now is it? Could the Cardinal Spellman reference simply be a coincidence?

Vince Lombardi Quote Dispute

When this movie comes up, questions arise about the use of a quote that could be attributed to Vince Lombardi (Class of ‘37) and a member of the Seven Blocks of Granite."Winning isn't everything -- it's the only thing." These words were from Coach Williams, the fictional football instructor played by Wayne. This sounds like Coach Lombardi … or does it?

The closest offering I can find under ESPN Classic Vince Lombardi quotes seems to be: “Winning is not a sometime thing; it's an all-time thing." Nice, but not exactly the same intense language. Besides, with a release date of April 4th, 1953, and actual filming taking place in the fourth quarter of 1952, this would suggest an A-List Hollywood Picture would be trolling for quotations from the then offensive line coach at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Lombardi would not start on his way to immortality, becoming the head coach for the Green Bay Packers, of the NFL, until their 1959 season.

Hearing From The Fordham Faculty

“As far as I can tell, film-history-wise, there is no direct connection to a football coach or a football scandal at Fordham.” said Karen Williams, Ph.D in Communication & Media Studies, in an email response. “Nowhere in the film's promotional material is it suggested that the story is based on real events. The writer of the film's original synopsis (based on a listing of his papers at Boston University) was Robert Hardy Andrews, and based on that it suggests that it is an original story, not based on a newspaper article or other pre-existing source.”

The Rose Hill campus Senior Lecturer added: “Andrews's background also suggests that he does not have any meaningful connections to Fordham.”

What Do You Think?

The Fordham similarities are pretty clear whether or not they were intentional, subconscious or coincidental. My first exposure to this movie was as a child, long before I entertained any notions of attending Fordham; I walked into the livingroom and my dad, who was raised in The Bronx, had just started watching it. He said simply, “This is about Fordham.” So I’m in the positive camp I guess.

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ADDENDUM

Romance or Assault? Is it still a John Wayne Movie?

Screenshot. Donna Reed who won an Academy Award in 1954 for her work in From Here To Eternity.

Click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NVeSPdMm2s

Fordham University has a Graduate School of Social Work.

I forwarded this video clip, contacted several department faculty and asked the following 3 questions:

Were Coach Williams' actions wildly inappropriate? (I know it's the 1950s and he is John Wayne ... but ...?)

What about Ms. Reed's reply?

What would you advise a social worker to do next?

“I'm a fan of re-examining history because we always seem to learn more about ourselves and the world when we do.” Dr. Shirley Gatenio Gabel, the Quaranta Chair for Justice for Children at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Social Service writes: “I'm not sure how you see a social worker being called in here, especially in the 1950s. It appears the character that Donna Reed is playing was being sexually harassed; however, Title VII-the law that prohibits sexual harassment at work-was part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”

She added: “I don't know what government agency the Donna Reed character may have called in the 1950s and how a social worker may have gotten involved.”

Note: Having re-watched this movie recently-for the 3rd time-I thought the producers didn’t know what to do with any potential romantic development either. Despite publicity stills suggesting they become one-big-happy-family (see below) these questions go largely unanswered by the film’s ending.

IMDb.com: People: John Wayne, Donna Reed, Sherry Jackson

External Links: https://www.pinterest.fr/bergin0639/is-trouble-along-the-way-actually-fordham/

Did John Wayne Play Fordham's Football Coach?

#johnwayne #fordhamuniversity #vincelombardi #notredame #donnareed #ostoncollege #villanova #holycross #santaclara #pologrounds #warnerbrothers #football #sports

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dan6085 · 10 days

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Sports dynasties are celebrated for their sustained excellence and ability to dominate their respective sports over multiple seasons or years. Here is a list of 20 of the greatest sports dynasties of all time, with details on why they stand out:

1. **New York Yankees (MLB, 1949-1964)** - With 16 playoff appearances and 10 World Series titles in 16 years, the Yankees set a benchmark for success in professional baseball.

2. **Boston Celtics (NBA, 1957-1969)** - Won 11 NBA championships in 13 seasons, including eight in a row, under the leadership of coach Red Auerbach and star Bill Russell.

3. **Montreal Canadiens (NHL, 1950s-1970s)** - Dominated hockey with 16 Stanley Cup titles over 27 seasons, including five consecutive from 1956 to 1960.

4. **Chicago Bulls (NBA, 1990s)** - Won six NBA championships in eight years, with two three-peats from 1991 to 1993 and 1996 to 1998, led by Michael Jordan.

5. **Green Bay Packers (NFL, 1960s)** - Under coach Vince Lombardi, won five NFL championships, including the first two Super Bowls.

6. **Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL, 1970s)** - Captured four Super Bowl titles in six years (1974-1979), powered by their "Steel Curtain" defense.

7. **UConn Huskies Women's Basketball (NCAA, 1995-present)** - Over 25 years of dominance, including 11 NCAA championships and multiple undefeated seasons.

8. **San Francisco 49ers (NFL, 1980s-1990s)** - Five Super Bowl titles in 14 years, with legends like Joe Montana, Steve Young, and Jerry Rice.

9. **Edmonton Oilers (NHL, 1980s)** - Five Stanley Cups in seven years, led by Wayne Gretzky, marking one of the most dynamic scoring teams in NHL history.

10. **Real Madrid (Football, 1950s)** - Five consecutive European Cups from 1956 to 1960, with stars like Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas.

11. **Los Angeles Lakers (NBA, 1980s)** - Won five championships in the 1980s, popularizing the "Showtime" fast-break style under coach Pat Riley and Magic Johnson.

12. **Brazil National Football Team (1958-1970)** - Won three out of four FIFA World Cups, a testament to their unmatched skill and revolutionary tactics.

13. **New England Patriots (NFL, 2001-present)** - Six Super Bowl titles in two decades, with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, highlighting a new era of NFL dominance.

14. **Chicago Blackhawks (NHL, 2010-2015)** - Three Stanley Cups in six seasons, marking a modern hockey dynasty with a talented core.

15. **Cleveland Browns (NFL, 1950-1955)** - Dominated the early NFL landscape with three championships in six years under coach Paul Brown.

16. **FC Barcelona (Football, 2008-2012)** - Under Pep Guardiola, won numerous titles including the Champions League and La Liga, known for their tiki-taka style.

17. **Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB, 1950s-1960s)** - Won four World Series titles and dominated the National League with a roster that included Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale.

18. **Australia Cricket Team (1999-2007)** - Dominated world cricket with unparalleled success in both Test and one-day cricket, winning three consecutive ICC Cricket World Cups.

19. **Minnesota Lynx (WNBA, 2011-2017)** - Four WNBA championships in seven years, led by Maya Moore and coached by Cheryl Reeve.

20. **Miami Heat (NBA, 2010-2014)** - Reached four consecutive NBA Finals and won two championships, featuring the "Big Three" of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.

These dynasties are renowned not only for their winning records but also for their ability to maintain high performance over extended periods, often defining their sport's history in the process.

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denimbex1986 · 18 days

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'When we meet Tom Ripley at the start of Steve Zallian’s eight part adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s celebrated novel The Talented Mr Ripley, he’s not the fresh faced chancer of Matt Damon’s Ripley in Anthony Minghella’s 1999 version. Andrew Scott’s Ripley is a grifter in his 40s, a jaded low-level fraudster living in New York. He’s not even especially talented – or not at this point anyway.

An encounter with shipping magnate Herbert Greenleaf sees Ripley heading to Italy on Greenleaf’s dime to lure back his errant son Dickie (Johnny Flynn) who is living in the idyllic city of Atrani on the Amalfi coast. Here Dickie paints, hangs out on his yacht, flirts with the locals and lives in a beautiful home with his girlfriend Marge (Dakota Fanning). Ripley insinuates himself into Dickie’s life but soon grows obsessed, not just with the lifestyle but with Dickie himself.

If you’re going to set a movie in Italy, hopping between Atrani, Rome, Venice and other luxury beauty spots, shooting entirely in black and white is a bold choice. Yet all episodes of this show are as black and white as the story isn’t… It drapes the show in noirish vibes and highlights the sinister side of the cities. Rolling waves are hellish depths (where at least one person will meet their end), blood is thick, black and viscous; luxury apartments suddenly look musty and dark, with secrets and threats hiding round every corner. Later when detective Ravini (Maurizio Lombardi) is hunting Ripley like a dog, just a wag of a tail behind him at every step, the series evokes classic black and white crime thrillers. But shooting Italy in monochrome does a bit of a disservice to the views. Greenleaf’s life doesn’t feel as idyllic and aspirational as it does in the Minghella version. It’s effectively creepy but it does take something away from our understanding of why it’s so important to Ripley to be part of that life. And it just doesn’t look much fun.

This is a complaint that could be leveled at the series as a whole. To be fair, Zallian’s adaptation isn’t going for fun but spaced out over eight episodes it can feel like a bit of a slog. Scott’s Ripley is a murderous psychopath, he plays the part impressively, though by the character’s nature he is very difficult to read. Is he truly in love with Dickie, who he dreams about and fantasizes conversations with long after they are apart, or was he more upset to be humiliated and exposed? Does he hate Freddie because Freddie sees through him and is wealthy and privileged in a way Ripley is not, or is it more, as is implied, because Freddie (played by Eliot Sumner, the child of Sting and Trudy Styler) is comfortably queer while Ripley struggles with his own sexuality – it’s a theme ever-present throughout and Scott plays Ripley with a bubbling undercurrent of self-hate as well as arrogance. Scenes between the two are some of the best in the series, and that includes those after Freddie’s demise. Ripley’s coldly methodical behavior when trying to dispose of Freddie’s corpse is quietly gripping, and peppered with the darkest humor as he attempts to navigate the elevator, and the streets outside his apartment holding up a dead Freddie in a hat to cover his staved-in skull. He’s about to be caught at any second, and the repeated cuts back to the apartment building’s all-knowing cat who is Ripley’s only true witness are pleasingly knowing.

The show is at its best when Ripley is a hair’s breadth from coming undone, flipping between identities on a dime and expertly juggling multiple “truths”. He might be a conman and a murderer, but the audience still wants him to get away with it. Scott’s a great actor and his Ripley is a deeply troubled man, and Marge sees through him almost from the off. For fans of portentous noir, this could be the Ripley for you, and there are further Ripley stories to mine should Netflix wish to carry the series forward.

Certainly if you haven’t read the book or seen the film, which still holds up very well 25 years on, you might enjoy the cat and mousing and the strong performances. However, if you have, eight episodes of rather dour cat and mousing where you already know Ripley is going to get away with it might be a Netflix series too far.'

#Andrew Scott #Netflix #Ripley #Dakota Fanning #Marge Sherwood #Dickie Greenleaf #Johnny Flynn #Matt Damon #Anthony Minghella #The Talented Mr Ripley #Patricia Highsmith #Maurizio Lombardi #Inspector Ravini #Freddie Miles #Eliot Sumner

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natrogersfics · 7 months

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Game Plan - Chapter 14: You've Got the Love (FINAL)

Artwork by @faith2nyc Read on AO3

While the Avengers did win the Wildcard game last year, they failed to make it out of the playoffs. The season that followed was a difficult one, with several new faces joining the team, but this time, they managed to make it all the way to the biggest game of the season – the Super Bowl.

The Super Bowl is hosted in the stadium of the Los Angeles Commandos – Steve’s former home. It’s a bittersweet homecoming for him, but between his commitment to bringing home the Lombardi for the Avengers and knowing that all his nearest and dearest will be cheering him on, he’s determined as ever to get this win. As he runs out of the tunnel and into the field with the rest of the team, his eyes scan the seats by the fifty-yard line, where he spots what he’s looking for. Sarah and Melina are seated together, laughing at something the other said. Next to them, Yelena and Sam are busy arguing over something on Yelena’s phone, and if he had to go out on a limb, he bets it’s something to do with Yelena beating Sam in their fantasy league. It’s only when he locks eyes with Natasha that his lips pull up in a blinding smile. The jersey she’s wearing – his jersey – is a few sizes too big on her, but he swears she’s never looked more beautiful to him than right at this moment. He brings a hand up to his chest, tapping it just over his heart twice as he holds her gaze, and the wink she sends his way in return is all the encouragement he needs to power him through this game.

The Avengers win the Super Bowl, beating the Thunderbolts by a single touchdown pass from Steve to T’Challa and giving the Avengers its first trophy in years.

Steve sneaks Natasha away from the after party to take her to the same hotel they stayed in during their charity campaign. There, they reminisce about where they first realized they would make a good team and the idea that unbeknownst to them then, this is also where they first fell in love. It’s then that Steve sinks down to one knee, holding up a ring as he asks Natasha to be on his team forever. She says yes.

Days later, everyone receives a notification about a post on Steve’s Instagram page. It’s a picture from the team parade when the Avengers make it back to New York to celebrate with the fans. In it, Steve and Natasha’s hands are intertwined, a Super Bowl ring on his finger and an engagement ring on hers. No caption needed. It goes on to be the most liked post on Steve’s feed to date.

3 years later

Natasha wraps up a call just as Steve walks into her home office, and her eyes immediately light up when she sees their daughter in his arms. It didn’t take long after tying the knot before she and Steve decided to start a family. But what had started out as a joyous decision quickly turned into one heartbreak after another. It took two years into their quest to have a family before they both agreed to halt the treatments. Between the stress it put on Natasha’s body and the mental and emotional anguish it brought them both when it inevitably did not work, they both acquiesced to the fact that maybe it just wasn’t in the cards for them. They had each other, and that was enough.

It wasn’t until they were both at the children’s hospital for their quarterly visit for the Avengers Children’s Foundation that they came across a newborn recovering from heart surgery. Her procedure had been paid for with the funds raised by the charity, and when Steve and Natasha asked about how the child’s parents were fairing, they were informed that sadly, the baby was abandoned.

Days pass after their hospital visit before Steve makes note late one evening that he’s noticed Natasha tossing and turning every night. With a sigh, Natasha admits that she thought she had given up on the idea of them having a family, but truth be told, she couldn’t get the child they met out of her mind. She tells Steve that she knows they wanted kids of their own, but Melina changed her life by adopting her. She thinks they could do the same for this little girl. Steve is quiet for a beat, worrying Natasha, but all her worries fade when he reassures her that he doesn’t need their child to look like them in order to love them. While he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about that little girl either, he didn’t want to be insensitive to Natasha and bring up adoption when he knows she did everything she could when they were going through treatment to conceive.

The adoption process was long and harrowing – perhaps the hardest challenge they’ve faced as a couple to date – but it was all worth it. By the end of the year, they were parents to Nadia Yelena Rogers.

Back in the present, Steve announces that he’s just changed Nadia and that they’re ready to attend Yelena’s graduation. As Natasha walks over to them to take Nadia into her arms, Steve asks her if she’s feeling any better from this morning. Natasha dusts a kiss to the crown of Nadia’s head, lamenting that while she’s a little tired, between their infant daughter and the fact that her and Loki’s PR firm has officially taken off, it’s just something she’s going to have to get used to.

Steve, Natasha, and Nadia attend Yelena’s graduation. There, Melina introduces them to Alexei, the man she’s been seeing for the last six months. As Melina and Alexei banter, Steve and Natasha look at each other knowingly, sharing a smile. They’re joined by Kate, Yelena’s girlfriend, and their group bursts into a cheer the second Yelena is called up to receive her doctorate.

“She’s out like a light,” Steve notes as he walks into their ensuite later that night, but he immediately freezes when he looks into the mirror to see tears streaming down Natasha’s face through the reflection. “Nat? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she says as she turns to face him, swiping away her tears with the backs of her hands as she does. When she sees the unconvinced look on his face, she chuckles quietly. “These are happy tears, I swear.”

Relief washes over him, but only lightly. “All right, well, care to share?”

Natasha closes the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his neck. He clasps his fingers at the small of her back, pulling her closer as she looks up at him. “Steve,” she says, the joy in her voice palpable despite the quiet way with which she says his name. “I’m pregnant.”

His eyes widen. Of all the things his wife could have said in this very moment, this was the last thing he expected. “Really?” he says, the corners of his mouth already twitching in a smile. Natasha bites her lip, nodding. “Natasha.” He lifts her into his arms then, eliciting a laugh from her as he captures her lips in his. His smile is so wide when they pull away that he feels like his face might split into two – but he couldn’t care any less. He puts her back down on her feet, a million and one questions rushing out of him all at once. “When did you find out? Are you feeling okay?”

“I got a call from the doctor just before you came in,” she says. “It’s still early, Steve, but given that we’ve never made it this far along…” She sighs. “I’m hopeful. Definitely happy… and also plenty terrified.”

Steve sighs, rubbing his hands comfortingly down her shoulders. “I know this has been hard in the past, Nat-”

“It’s not just the past,” she says, a chuckle of disbelief falling from her lips. “Nadia’s not even six months old yet, Steve. Can we do this?” She gestures blindly towards their surroundings. “All of this? The kids, the dog, the business, your games-”

“Natasha,” he interrupts, cupping her face in his hands as he meets her gaze. “We’ve got this. All of this.”

“What makes you so sure?”

“It’s you and me, Nat,” he says. “We’ve always made a great team.” He watches as his words slowly but surely melt away the worry in her eyes. It’s not going to be easy, but he knows in his core that they can do this. He smiles. “Besides, when have we ever gone according to the game plan?”

Natasha laughs. “Good point.”

Two Years Later

The Avengers win their next Super Bowl not long after the last. Steve and Natasha are aboard the double decker bus as it slowly drives down Fifth Avenue when Darcy calls for them to take a photo amidst all the cheer and confetti. Steve hoists Nadia up, situating her against his hip before wrapping an arm around Natasha, pulling her close.

“One sec!” Natasha says, adjusting the muted earmuffs over Brady's ears. “Okay, look at aunt Darcy, baby boy!”

“Say cheese!” Darcy yells, snapping a photo of the family in their matching Rogers jerseys. She looks into the viewfinder to inspect her work before grinning. “Perfect. Just perfect.”

Chapter 13 | Game Plan master post

Disclaimer: scenes in this chapter have been abbreviated in light of my decision to step away from writing. As such, a shift in writing style from the earlier chapters may be noticed.

#Romanogers #Game Plan #one night stand AU #Steve Rogers #Natasha Romanoff

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