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tblpress · 4 years

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The day before James Spader won an Emmy for his portrayal of Alan Shore, the morally dubious lawyer on “The Practice,” the actor was at the Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden at UCLA, admiring the statues -- especially the female forms. “Look at the beautiful curve of her back, right at the base of her spine,” he said, noticing a dancer at the top of Robert Graham’s “Dance Columns.” “It’s the most perfect curve in nature.” Then Spader felt a breeze and started ambling in the other direction. “I just want to walk into it,” he explained. “Oh, my God, that is nice.”

The sculpture garden, a favorite hideaway of Spader’s, brought out in him a charming mix of formality and earthiness. When Gaston Lachaise’s bronze powerhouse “Standing Woman” caught his eye, the memories rushed out. “My sons, when they were growing up, always enjoyed her rather ample” -- here he used a word not proper for this newspaper but that means “derriere” -- “and her rather ample breasts,” he said. The boys, Sebastian, now 15, and Ellijah, 12, would come here with their scooters. “So you come around,” Spader explained, “and lo and behold, you have that beautiful” -- that word again -- “over there. You can hardly resist scootering by and giving her a poke. She has nice calves too. She’s ample everywhere. She’s spectacular.”

James Spader, network TV star: To anyone familiar with the 44-year-old actor and his work, it sounds almost absurd. With the outre air of highbrow naughtiness and deep but slightly distracted intelligence he’s been known for since his 1989 big-screen breakthrough in “sex, lies, and videotape,” Spader could hardly have cooked up a more improbable career move. And yet starting tonight on “Boston Legal,” the new David E. Kelley show spun off from “The Practice,” TV viewers will get a weekly taste of the actor who has specialized in finding an endearing human side to wealthy school bullies, creepy cocaine dealers and sensuous sadomasochists.

Spader headed toward a section of the UCLA campus blanketed by California sycamores that he and his sons, he said, often climb and swing from. “See that?” he asked, pushing a branch down. “This is a perfect perching spot. I’d do it more aggressively, but there’s people around and it makes them nervous.”

Making people nervous is, of course, a Spader trademark.

“When we first went to the network about James, they shrieked in horror,” Kelley said. “James Spader is not a network face. They didn’t think he was the kind of persona American audiences would want to welcome into the living room on a weekly basis. But once we began to focus on him, he was the only choice. What James does so well is there’s a nucleus to this character that is humane and decent. He manages to let that nucleus shine through even when he’s committing egregious, contemptible acts. You don’t know if you like him or not, but you can’t wait to see him next.”

Kelley hired Spader to play the brilliant agitator whose dirty ways forced the firm of Young, Frutt and Berluti on “The Practice” to close its doors last year, after ABC slashed the show’s budget, forcing Kelley to fire half his cast. Spader, whose most recent television appearance had been a guest spot on “Seinfeld” in 1997, was supposed to play Alan Shore only long enough to shake things up.

“The goal in the beginning was to bring new life to the show, and the luxury we had as storytellers was that we didn’t have to protect the character for the sake of a long series run,” Kelley said. “You can only do so many things with a character that are overtly unlikable and still keep him redeeming and a character that people want to tune into and cheer for. Since we didn’t have that burden, we could swing away with him.”

The high-end firm of Crane, Poole and Schmidt might prove a better fit for Shore, who will be surrounded by other conniving legal eagles, including William Shatner as his boss, Denny Crane, and colleagues played by a cast including Rhona Mitra, Lake Bell, Monica Potter and Mark Valley. Alan Shore, Kelley promised, will “defy this law firm as he defies the conventions of regular characters on television.”

“When we watch James, there’s a lot of unknown complicated stuff in his mind, but we don’t know what that stuff is,” said Steve Shainberg, who directed Spader in “Secretary” (2002). “There’s something very unusual about him we can’t put our finger on, but that makes it more intriguing and exciting -- God help us.”

Yet for all the unpredictability that comes across on screen, Spader’s “Boston Legal” co-stars described him as meticulous, exact and particular on set.

“He’s always looking for the truth of the moment, and he gets fidgety when it’s not there,” said Shatner, who won a guest actor Emmy for his portrayal of Crane on “The Practice.” “He becomes as recalcitrant as a donkey until he can find the right way to deliver a line. He never says a word that doesn’t seem to come from the organic character. That’s because James himself is a little weird. But we love him for it.”

The Un-Brat Pack career

Two days after Spader nabbed the top acting award for a drama series, beating out television heavy hitters James Gandolfini, Martin Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland and Anthony LaPaglia, he was on the “Boston Legal” set at Raleigh Studios in Manhattan Beach. Three episodes of the show were being shot simultaneously, and he had found no time yet to contemplate his win. The Emmy, he said, was tucked away in a corner full of boxes as Spader, who recently separated from his wife, Victoria, waited to move into a new house.

“I was surprised at how quickly I lost the feeling of stunned confusion and ignorant bliss and how quickly it turned into work and pragmatism,” Spader said. “The award doesn’t mean anything to me -- and I don’t mean that in a derogatory sense. I just haven’t had time to go there yet. Even when my older son called to congratulate me, we moved rather swiftly on to the subject of an upcoming concert” -- the Pixies at the Greek Theatre -- “and the best way to score tickets, which is a much more constructive conversation for us.”

Like other actors who started taking shape in the ‘80s, Spader could easily have cultivated a Brat Pack aura. Instead, he went for a more original brand of alienation, playing seemingly WASPY characters with a devious air and an anti-WASPY erotic charge to them. The roles he took in movies such as “White Palace” (1990), “The Music of Chance” (1993), “Stargate” (1994) and “Crash” (1996) didn’t always hit big but always set him apart -- none more so than “Secretary,” in which Spader played E. Edward Grey, a lawyer who draws his self-mutilating young secretary into a joyful S&M; relationship.

“James is very formal and specific and respectful,” said Maggie Gyllenhaal, his costar. “I remember when we shot a five-page scene in which Mr. Grey asks me not to cut myself anymore, James noticed and responded to everything I did: every breath I took, every shift of my gaze, every movement of my hand. His work is very specific.”

And that, according to Camryn Manheim, who starred on “The Practice” for eight years, can be intimidating. “After you saw ‘Secretary,’ wouldn’t you be scared to go on a date with him?” Manheim said, laughing.

“I was scared of him,” she added. “He’s weird and strange and eccentric, and I mean a lot of that in the very best way. He plays all of these sexually charged characters. He looks at you too hard, like he’s got your number. But behind all of that, he’s a very simple man who is very thoughtful and insightful about the world and humanity.”

Confronted with the praise of his colleagues, Spader took a deep breath and looked skeptical. “Maybe this thing they are describing is just obsessive-compulsive. It just seems to be what the job is, to just try and get the right intention of whatever ... you’re saying. Who is to say if whether what you end up tumbling toward is the right place when you’re standing on your feet in the middle of it? I’ve had a lot of fun acting, and that’s been the only reason to continue doing it.”

Spader, who dropped out of the 11th grade to pursue acting in New York, attributes his interest in acting to the love of storytelling he inherited from his family. The son of teachers Todd and Jean Spader, the actor grew up with two sisters on the campus of Phillips Academy, a fancy Massachusetts prep school. “My father was an English teacher and he taught literature and poetry, and my parents would read aloud and my grandparents read aloud,” Spader said. “My grandfather would write stories and we would make up little plays to read and perform during the holidays. There was always a tremendous amount of humor in all the households I spent time in.”

But there were other reasons for wanting to become an actor. “I started doing theater when I started thinking of nothing but girls,” he said. “I can’t imagine that the two don’t relate. I don’t mean to be glib. In sports and in many other areas, girls and boys are separated. But in theater, you’re all mixed in together. How can it get any better than that?”

Being an actor, for Spader, has never been about celebrity. The press tent for interviews with winners at the Emmys came as a surprise and an “indignity,” he said jokingly. When someone at the Governors Ball on Emmy night remarked how rare it is that Spader has succeeded at being famous and simultaneously living a private life, the actor was incredulous.

“I don’t try to be mysterious,” Spader explained later. “I just protect my private life very carefully. I don’t go out a great deal. To see and be seen I could care less about. I don’t go to see movies at big premieres. If I go out, I go to a quiet place for a meal or I might go to listen to live music with a whole lot of people who are more interested in listening to the music than who is sitting next to them at the show.”

His new TV world

Spader may be on his way to television stardom, but he has never followed a television show from beginning to end -- the way he hopes viewers of “Boston Legal” will.

“That’s something I had no concept of,” Spader said. “Working on the show, I was experiencing the same anticipation for what was going to happen from week to week as the people who were watching it. When you do a film, you know what is going to happen to your character from start to finish. I knew very little about Alan Shore at the end of last season, and I still don’t. I like that constant shift because what I like the most about all of this is the telling of the story.”

What he likes the least is the fuss. He refused to hire a stylist for Emmy night, picking out his tuxedo and shoes himself. He did not prepare a speech. When his name was announced, Spader charmed the crowd by complimenting the women in the room: “You’ve all made wonderful choices in shoes and dresses tonight, and you all look absolutely beautiful.”

“I realized I was going to have to put together some sentences quickly and I wasn’t going to be yet another person to make a music joke,” Spader said. “It worked so well when the gentleman from ‘Arrested Development’ made the singing reference, but I knew that that couldn’t be used again, and certainly not by me. I really don’t have any idea what ... I was saying. Certainly, during the course of the four hours that I was there I had spent enough time admiring women’s shoes and dresses and how well they filled them.”

But as offhand as he may be about that trophy, it’s fitting somehow that Spader will be in the rare position of starting his new gig already having won an Emmy for the role. To his surprise as much as anyone’s, the TV gods have smiled on him. “Does anybody have any illusions about the fact that the Emmys come at the beginning of the television season? The timing seems precise to me,” he said. “And I think it’s grand.”

#james spader #interview #2004 #james spader quote #la times #boston legal #the practice #alan shore #james spader press #link #article

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tipsoctopus · 4 years

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Why we need them back: Leeds belong in the Premier League and this game proves it - opinion

Leeds United needed to stave off a shock relegation back in 2003 as they headed to Highbury to face Arsenal. The Gunners, by comparison, were attempting to defend their Premier League title.

What happened next? The Elland Road club, naturally, pulled a miraculous victory from somewhere and ensured that Arsene Wenger’s men would not be crowned champions.

Indeed, as financial troubles off the field began to take hold of the club, Leeds suddenly plummeted from a Champions League final two years previous and a fifth-place finish the season before to scrapping it out at the foot of the table, eventually finishing in 15th – just five points above the relegation zone.

Leeds still had a number of stars, such as Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell, while Arsenal entered the most important game of that season without several key players, namely Patrick Vieira, Sol Campbell, Lauren and Freddie Ljungberg. Accordingly, a new centre-back partnership of Martin Keown and Oleg Luzhny was formed, with Kolo Toure lining up at right-back.

Leeds’ star duo were quick to take advantage, particularly Kewell. Just five minutes in, a lofted pass from Jason Wilcox was caught on the chest by the Aussie attacker as he powered between Arsenal’s unfamiliar centre-halves in the left-hand channel.

Isolation Busters: The only quiz you need to cure your boredem

One step later and Kewell had rifled the ball on the half-volley, one of the sweetest strikes you’ll ever see in the Premier League, sending it fizzing through the air and crashing into David Seaman’s right inside netting. The Gunners stopper never stood a chance, and Leeds were unexpectedly one-nil up at Highbury.

Arsenal had plenty of attacking quality too in Denis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry, one of the Premier League’s most iconic strike-forces, and hit back after half an hour. A then-incredibly young Paul Robinson could only parry Ray Parlour’s speculative effort from midfield onto the post with his fingertips, leaving Henry to head home a rebound as the ball bounced out. It wasn’t the most stylistic goal Arsenal had scored that season, but a vital one at the time nonetheless.

A few minutes later, Parlour – still searching for his first goal of the campaign – had an effort – almost a carbon copy of the first – cleared off the line by Michael Duberry. And a few minutes after that, a long-ranger from Thierry Henry once again connected with the post. But as Sylvain Wiltord rose to convert the rebound in identical style, the linesman raised his flag for offside.

Arsenal would draw level once again in the second half, after an Ian Harte free kick took knicks of Ashley Cole and Gilberto Silva to trickle past Seaman – marking three seasons in a row in which the then-Ireland full-back had hit the net at Highbury. There was a little more precision to Arsenal’s second equaliser, Robert Pires and Henry combining to unleash the former in the box, where he quickly laid the ball back to Bergkamp, who stabbed it past Robinson with the outside of his boot.

That created a last half an hour in which Arsenal needed to score another to give themselves a chance of catching up with United before the end of the campaign and Leeds knew the home side were there for the taking, a consequence of the questionable defending they’d shown throughout the afternoon and the cauldron of pressure Highbury had become.

There was plenty of to-and-thro, not least including the most beautiful play of the day – Parlour stepping over a lay-off from Henry to allow Bergkamp the chance for a curler from just outside the box, which unfortunately continued to spiral instead of dropping into the top corner of the net – and Henry stepping in from the left, in typical Henry style, before once again booming a shot off the woodwork. It was later followed by a low cross travelling across the six-yard box, going begging.

Then, at the other end, the telling moment came in the 88th minute. Leeds captain Dominic Matteo, finding himself free in midfield for the first time of the afternoon, launched a long pass to Viduka, who was standing in yards of space in Arsenal’s half – too much space in fact; replays would show the Leeds front-man had run back from an offside position.

Nevertheless, Viduka charged towards the penalty area from the right-hand side, beautifully stepped over the ball to place it onto his left foot and curled it past a once again helpless Seaman into the right corner.

In a jackpot or bust fixture for both sides, it was Leeds who came out on top by the skin of their teeth, preserving their Premier League status for another season and clinching their old rivals, Manchester United, the title. Yet, Arsenal fans will argue fate played them a cruel hand that day; the Gunners hit the post four times, had a goal ruled out for offside and were caught by two stunning goals on the counter-attack, alongside a free kick that took a wicked double-deflection.

However, that epitomises why this game should be remembered as a Premier League classic. From efforts cannoning off the woodwork and cleared off the line to controversial offside calls, the difference in every area of the pitch and eventually the scoreline was a matter of mere inches. On another day, this game could have panned out entirely differently.

While Arsenal went on to become the Invincibles in the following season, however, Leeds could resist relegation no longer, plummeting into the second tier from which they are yet to return.

And if anybody doubts why we need Leeds back in the Premier League, they only need to look back at this incredible all-or-nothing game.

They’re a big club bursting with ancient rivalries, and have an incredible knack of showing up on the big occasions.

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johnnymundano · 4 years

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Phantom of Death (1988) (AKA Off Balance)

Directed by Ruggero Deodato

Screenplay by Gianfranco Clerici, Vincenzo Mannino and Gigliola Battaglini

Story by Gianfranco Clerici and Vincenzo Mannino

Music by Pino Donnagio

Country: Italy

Running Time: 90 minutes

CAST

Michael York as Robert Dominici

Donald Pleasence as Inspector Datti

Edwige Fenech as Helene Martell

Mapi Galan as Susanna

Fabio Sortar as Davide

Renato Cortesi as Agent Marchi

Antonella Ponziani as Gloria Datti

Carola Stagnaro as Dr. Carla Pesenti

Daniele Brado as Dr. Vanni

Caterina Boratto as Robert's mother

Ruggero Deodato as man at train station who lights cigarette and then gets on the back of his girlfriend’s scooter

Phantom of Death is a giddily entertaining Italian horror muddle with far more serious themes than one might reasonably expect from director Ruggero Deodato, the man known as “The Cannibal King”. My legal advisers have urged me to specify that this isn’t because Ruggero Deodato is actually the ruler of a bunch of people eaters, but because he directed Last Cannibal World (1977) and Cannibal Holocaust (1980), both of which were hugely successful and are still cited today as significant influences on horror. (This doesn’t mean they are any good, mind.) Phantom of Death takes on a far more universal horror than going into a jungle and being turned into pulled long pork by cannibals; the fear of ageing and also the horror of realising you’ve run out of time to stop being a dick and actually do something worthwhile with your life.

When the movie opens fantastic pianist Robert Dominici (Michael York) is definitely a dick. Robert revels in the adoration which comes with looking like Michael York and playing the piano by moving your shoulders and making intense faces while keeping your hands hidden. Unfortunately he revels in it to the detriment of his personal interactions. He’s a bit of a dick with the chicks, basically. Time is of the essence both in life and in Phantom of Death, so it doesn’t hang about; opening with Robert’s public tinkling of the ivories intercut with the stalking and slashing of a young woman. Yes, because this is a 1980’s Italian horror movie and so some maniac is going around slashing young women to death. Quicker than you can say “Liberace” the roster of victims expands to include Robert’s girlfriend. Unfortunately for Robert not only do the police led by Inspector Datti (Donald Pleasence) find him stood over her gory corpse, but earlier the pair had had a tiff. It seems pretty clear then that Phantom of Death will be a giallo, and Robert is odds on to be our typically ill-equipped sleuth. Yes, given the way Phantom of Death has gone thus far viewers could very well be forgiven for expecting a choppily edited, intrusively scored, minor giallo, notable mostly for the amount of blood it thinks a human neck can spurt and the presence of Michael York, Donald Pleasence and Edwige Fenech. Which would be fine by me, but Phantom of Death has other, higher ideas. If you’d rather be surprised by them then stop reading NOW.

It should be borne in mind at all times that any praise from hereonin is directed at a movie directed by someone called The Cannibal King; a movie that most normal people would dismiss as “godawful bloody nonsense” (as my Life Partner has opined of my viewing choices on numerous occasions). But if you are okay with the peculiar charms of the Italian horror movies of the 1970s and 1980s (or Christ-like in your tolerance for their failings) then Phantom of Death may be right up your (dimly lit) alley. Particularly impressive is the conviction with which it sets up the viewer to expect a giallo. The opening itself is a suave misdirection in the true giallo style; the two events, piano playing and lady slaying, are not occurring simultaneously, but you naturally assume they are. Then, and it’s quite ballsy this, Robert is given a personal reason to pursue the killer when he is found by the police at the scene of his girlfriend’s murder. He can’t possibly be the murder because it would be to obvious, you think. You think wrong. Admittedly Phantom of Death doesn’t let you think wrong for long, it soon makes it clear what’s going on, because it needs to start the real business of the movie; positioning Robert as a tragic killer, himself the victim of a killer, the disease progeria (AKA Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome).

Now, I’m not a medical professional but I’m going to assume that Phantom of Death takes a little (cough!) artist licence and that progeria itself doesn’t usually cause irresistible homicidal impulses. It’s probably hard to tell since in the real world it manifests in children, who, sadly, usually fail to reach the age of 13. As well as the symptoms required by a 1980s Italian horror movie, Robert also experiences the more usual symptoms of progeria which resemble rapid aging, with death resulting from heart ailments or strokes. Robert’s basically got the real world equivalent of Methuselah Syndrome from Blade Runner (1982) but on fast forward. No wonder he goes a bit loopy. When he isn’t killing women and playing cat and mouse with an increasingly distraught Inspector Datti, Robert indulges in the maudlin activities familiar from many serious Oscar® winning Sad Disease movies. He visits his first love for a bittersweet reminiscence, mournfully watches from afar a child afflicted with the selfsame disease, adopts a stray dog and talks to it soulfully about how tragic is his fate to be trapped in this afflicted cage of flesh. Amusingly though, this isn’t a serious Oscar® winning Sad Disease movie, no, it’s a 1980s Italian horror movie and so his first love is a hooker who he visits while dressed as The Phantom of The Opera, and the reunion is ruined by her violent death at his hands; the stricken child is obviously a fully grown dwarf in shorts playing with a ball. The fact that any soulfulness at all is evident under all this silliness is entirely thanks to Michael York.

The (doubtful) success of Phantom of Death is aided no end by Deodata’s cast being topped by two Legends; the insanely watchable Donald Pleasence and plummy voiced ‘70/’80s heart throb Michael York. York, normally cast as a bland lump, is pretty great here; obviously relishing the chance to do some acting for once. He evidently recognises it’s a gift of a role; even if it is wrapped in the ostentatiously crazed genre trappings and poor editing of a 1980s Italian horror movie. As the young, handsome Robert, York is in his element wallowing in the feminine attention but surprisingly, as Robert gets older, more scared and ever madder York’s performance keeps pace. It’s possible he might be overdoing it, but since he’s acting from inside steadily accumulating layers of 1980s prosthetic face make-up and a pair of fake brown teeth any hamminess is muted, leaving only a bizarrely touching performance.

Donald Pleasence, as Inspector Datti, gets less to do but manfully struggles to forge a character from some pretty dull dialogue. He is a charmingly concerned father to his daughter and a determined hunter of the mystery killer. When Robert’s increasingly deranged telephonic harassment of the cop expands to include his beloved daughter, Datti’s compartmentalised roles collide and Pleasence revels in the slow burn to full blown mania. One of the finest cinematic sights of my life has been seeing Donald Pleasence spinning round a shopping plaza yelling “I kill you! I kill you! Bastard! Kill you! Fucking Bastard! Bastard!” Thank you, Phantom of Death. No thanks though for under-using Edwige Fenech. Yes, gialllo regular Edwige Fenech is also here, speaking English in her own voice for once; but she is more of a niche attraction as she doesn’t have much to do. Obviously, what she does do she does with the usual effortless Fenech panache. Regally sporting terrible, shoulder padded ‘80s styles is the bulk of her role, but she’s mostly there to get pregnant with Robert’s child and so give the climax some emotional resonance among all the screaming and stumbling about. Not many movies end with a savage fight between an arthritic old man and a heavily pregnant woman, but Phantom of Death dares to go there.

Despite initially looking like a run of the mill giallo, Phantom of Death opts instead to try an allegorical rumination on the inescapable nightmare of senescence that awaits those of us who don’t die young. Fret not though, all this high mindedness is done in a relentlessly tasteless fashion. And no serious fan of 1980s Italian horror movies would want it otherwise.

#Phantom of Death #Off Balance #Movies #Giallo #Ruggero Deodato #Michael York #Edwige Fenech #Donald Pleasence #Italy #Horror #1988 #The 1980s

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ddaddsprompts · 7 years

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Hello :3 I'm the anon who requested for the kids to walk in on their dads "makin" Dadsona and I would just like to apologize for this misunderstanding. I really meant like more of a sweetheart situation than a lewd display is what the kids would've been seeing, like cuddling, cheek pecks, nose kisses or even some gentle flirting. I am not even into stuff that goes beyond making out, I just have a weird vocab -w- Please ignore my stupid wording and go on with your wonderful life

Hi there! Thank you so much for clarification and I’m sorry if my reply came across as rude or judgemental. I hope you’ll like what I’ve written! There’s a little extra something at the bottom ;)

🥃 Robertisn’t really one for public displays of affection and you could respect that;he is a very private person in general, even if that statement would surprisemost people. Sure, he talks a lot, he tells stories, but they barely containany truth. The most you expect when it comes to physical stuff when you’re out isan arm around your shoulders or him squeezing your thigh or arm, so when Robertpulls you close against him and guides your head to rest on his shoulder, you’resurprised. Judging by her expression, so is Val. She is staying the week at herfather’s place and the three of you are hanging out at Jim and Kim’s. They hadcome a long way since Amanda’s graduation party. There still are obstacles, butthey’re getting there, step by step. Sometimes, it feels like they’d never beenapart in the first place. You look up at Robert, about to ask why he’s sotouchy-feely today, but his expression makes you pause. He’s smiling. And hiseyes, they’re sparkling, like the ice in his drink. It takes your breath away.You turn your head to Val, who returns your gaze with a shrug and an eye rolladdressed to her father, who throws a grape at her. But she’s smiling too.

🍸Joseph, much to his children’s annoyance, is a very tactile person.Perhaps it’s got something to do with him being happy and wanting to let theworld know, perhaps it’s just his personality. Either way, his children don’tlike it. Part of you suspects he might be taking it up a notch just to annoythem. Something hits the back of your head and you don’t have to look to knowit was one of the tiny rubber balls Chris likes to play with. You move to turnaround, but Joseph curls his hand around your nape and gently keeps you inplace so he can continue rubbing his nose against yours in little nose kisses.It’s silly and you love it. Again, the kids, not so much. “Stop,” Christiewhines and dramatically flops down halfway across Joseph’s legs. Without stoppingthe nose kissing, he nudges her until she lies more comfortably with her headin his lap. “Stooop.” Again, he ignores her, a faint smirk on his lips the onlyevidence he heard her. Apparently Christie recruited her twin brother for herefforts, because Christian suddenly flopped down on Joseph too. “Stooooop.” Josephtries to ignore the two, but then Chris decides to join in on the fun, whichsends Joseph flat on his back, the children on top. He laughs and tries to pushthem off, but they hold on. For good measure, you place Crish on the top of thepile.

☕ Mat is a very, veryaffectionate person. It doesn’t matter whether you’re in private or in public,he’s almost constantly touching you in some way or the other, even if it’s onlya brush of his arm against yours. You’re spending some of your free time in theCoffee Spoon while Mat works behind the counter. He makes sure to drop by yourtable whenever he can to kiss the top of your head or give you a free refill –dating the owner of a coffee shop has its perks. That’s the scene Carmensitawalks in on, coming home from school: Mat kissing your forehead, his handresting on your shoulder; you nosing along his jaw, intending to find his lipsfor a quick kiss. Her backpack falling on the ground next to you causes the twoof you to break apart, the moment gone like a bubble that burst. Mat blushesdeep red, but you can feel the heat in your own cheeks, too. Carmensita gigglesand sits down on the couch next to you with a wide grin. “That was gross.”Being the mature person you are, you stick out your tongue. After making sureher day at school went okay, Mat goes back to work, leaving you two alone. You’reabout to go back to surfing on your phone when Carmensita leans in. “Thank youfor making Dad happy again,” she whispers. Mat shoots you a confused look whenyou pull her into a hug, your eyes wet.

🌹 Damien isn’t big on publicdisplays of affection, but once you’re both past the initial stage ofawkwardness in your relationship, he warms up to it at home. Apparently, hisfavourite thing to do, is to wrap his arms around your waist and kiss yourcheek. Some evenings, you will cuddle on his couch. Like you are now. Your headis cushioned on his chest, one of his arms wrapped around your middle while hedraws patterns on your back which you try to guess, and you couldn’t be morecontent. “What are you smiling about, my love?” You lift your head to findDamien looking at you with a curious expression. Instead of answering verbally,you crane your neck and kiss him. He hums, tightening his grip a little, andsettles his hand on the small of your back. There’s no sense of urgency behindthe kiss; neither of you attempts to deepen it. You just buried your fingers inhis luscious hair when the front door opens and Lucien walks inside. It takesyou two a few moments to realise you’re not alone anymore and to draw apart.Your instinct is to move off Damien, but he gently keeps you lying on top ofhim. “How was your movie, Lucien?” The teen shrugs. “It was fine. I’ll be in myroom.” Once he’s gone, you turn back to Damien and raise an eyebrow. “I’msurprised by his lack of care.” Damien chuckles. “I’ve raised him well.” You fondlyroll your eyes and kiss his chin.

🎣 Just like he’s alwaysbragging about, well, anything, Brian seems to really enjoy showing you off.The easiest way to do that in public is by wrapping his arm around your waistand kissing you, no matter the situation. At home, his love for physicalaffection doesn’t lessen – if anything, it increases. You quickly become usedto him randomly pulling you into his arms, picking you up or kissing whateverpart of your body, shoulders-up, he can reach. It’s no different today. You’reoutside; the sun is shining with just the right intensity, there’s a lightbreeze, and Brian is mowing the lawn without a shirt on. All in all, you muse,life is good. He finishes with his next set, having divided the lawn into quarters,and gets off the lawnmower. You know exactly what’s about to happen as he walksup to you and so, you’ve already lifted your head by the time he stops in frontof you. All he has to do is lean down to kiss you, cradling your face in his big,but gentle hands. “Hey Dad! Hey Y/N!” Brian draws back again and turns just intime to catch Daisy, who launched herself at him. He laughs and lifts her upinto his arms. “I’m just going to finish mowing the lawn real quick. We’ll eatdinner afterwards, alright?” He puts her back down and, before resuming hiswork, kisses you again. Daisy doesn’t even twitch. She’s more than used to itby now.

👟 It’s one of the biggest gamesof the softball season and so, emotions are running high. You’ve been on theedge of your seat ever since the opposing team took the lead. Thankfully, therest of the audience is just as excited as you are; even Craig, who usuallygives off an aura of pure calm and optimism, is agitated, varying betweenshouts of encouragement and orders. Then, finally, one of the Maple Bay girlsscores the match-winning point and the audience goes wild. You’d definitely behoarse tomorrow from all the shouting you are doing. Somehow, you make itthrough the rows of celebrants down to the field, where Craig is celebratingwith his team. Later on, you would blame the heat of the moment, the excitementstill running through your veins. You grip Craig’s shirt and pull him down intoa kiss. After a second of surprise, he tugs you closer and wraps his armsaround you, reciprocating just as eagerly. It’s only the loud “Eww”s comingfrom the girls that reminds you of where you are and, more importantly, thatyou have an audience. You flinch away from Craig and immediately blush deeply.Craig’s face isn’t any less red than yours. “C-congrats, girls! You wereawesome.” They stare at you with blank expressions. Briar and Hazel turn tolook at each other in disgust and roll their eyes. “We’ve changed our minds.You can’t date our dad anymore.” The seriousness of that statement makes youlaugh. “I’ll get you ice cream.” They communicate without words, in the wayonly twins and drunk people can, and finally nod. “Okay, you’re on probation.”

📖 You throw the door open with more vigour than necessary and let out a “whoop”.Damn, you’re pumped! You and Hugo went to the final match of the championship,the fight for the title, and The Eastern Dragon won. There’s no longer bloodrunning through your veins, but pure adrenaline. You’re almost more ecstaticthan Hugo. Or he’s just better at composing himself. “That last throw!” Youturn around, literally bouncing on your heels, and grasp his arms in an attemptto ground yourself. He grins and tugs you closer until your chests are pressedtogether. “You mean the Headlock driver?” You huff. “I don’t care what it’scalled, it was awesome! Thank you for taking me.” Hugo’s grin softens, makesway for a loving smile. You raise your arms to wrap them around his neck as heembraces you around your waist. The adrenaline slowly fades, but your skin isstill buzzing and you feel energised, almost like you’re high. You lean in atthe same time, your lips meeting halfway. You just stand there, kissing, forsome time. Just as you thought about heating things up when the door is thrownopen for a second time. Ernest barely spares you two a glance, but, stormingpast you, he still manages to scowl and bark out “Get a room!” You look from thedust he left in his hasty retreat back to Hugo and chuckle. “Want to get aroom?”

Bonus: 🐼

Thanksgiving, Amanda comes back to Maple Bay fromcollege to spend the holiday with her father. Well, her father, his boyfriendand boyfriend’s family. It’s still weird to see her Pops, the most sociallyawkward person she knows beside Mat, in a relationship – not because of herDad, but because… when did he up hisdate game?? She’s excited to see how things progressed ever since she left forcollege. She knows her Pops practically lives in [Dad]’s house now, since he told her over skype, but there are morethings than just that. Have they picked up some of their partner’s quirks andhabits? Who cooks (she sincerely hopes it’s not Pops or someone might die offood poisoning), who makes the laundry? She parks in front of their house andimmediately hops out. She doesn’t waste any time, just heads straight over to [Dad]’s home. The door is open when shetries the knob, so she pushes it open and barges right in. “Guess who’s—“Amanda trails off. Her father and [Dad] mighthave jumped apart the moment they heard her, but they weren’t quick enough forher not to have seen what they’d been up to. Pretty G, all things considered. Doesn’t mean she’s not going to do herdaughterly duty and act grossed out. “Ew!” She mock gags. “That’s so not what I wanted to see first thing Icome back home.” Her father scrambles to his feet and pulls her into abone-crushing hug. Across his shoulder, she sees [Dad] stand up as well. She winks. Glad her old man still has it inhim.

#dream daddy #dream daddy: a dad dating simulator #dream daddy a dad dating simulator #ddadds #ddadds imagine #Anonymous

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junker-town · 4 years

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Kobe Bryant’s 32 most iconic basketball moments, ranked

There were so many memorable NBA moments in Kobe Bryant’s career.

Counting down the most memorable moments of Kobe Bryant’s NBA career

Kobe Bryant’s life was cut short at the age of 41 on Sunday, along with the lives of 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant, six other passengers, and a pilot flying to the Mamba Academy on Kobe’s Sikorsky S-76B helicopter. This is a tragedy on multiple levels that goes far deeper than the loss of a famous basketball player.

For basketball fans, Bryant was a player that seared many of the sport’s most iconic moments in recent history. It’s impossible to remember them all, but in honor of his two jersey numbers (24 + 8), here are 32 that I’ll never forget.

32. The air-ball fest that started it all

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It’s only fitting that we begin with his lowest on-court moment, which also happened to be his first significant one as a pro. Bryant averaged only 15.5 minutes per game as a rookie on the that 1996-97 Lakers team, but in that moment, they needed him out of necessity. Veteran shooting guard Byron Scott sat with a wrist injury, small forward Robert Horry was ejected in the third quarter for shoving Jeff Hornacek, and Shaquille O’Neal fouled out with 1:46 to play in regulation after foolishly biting on a Karl Malone pump fake. That left a teenage Bryant as their best hope to extend their season.

It took all of that to give him a formative professional experience that would drive the rest of his career.

31. A dozen threes in a game?

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Fun fact: Kobe was shooting 28 percent from three-point range through the first 34 games of the 2002-03 season. My favorite part, via the Seattle Post-Intelligencer game story:

In fact, before the game, Los Angeles Times’ columnist T.J. Simers informed Bryant that his daughter — a state champion shooter — could beat Bryant in a three-point shooting contest. He asked Bryant to bet money on the contest, the proceeds going to charity.

30. The passes to himself off the backboard

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Kobe wasn’t the first to pull off this move — that’d be Tracy McGrady, who did it in the 2002 NBA All-Star Game. But it’s befitting of Kobe’s audacity that he did it in a playoff game in 2008 against the Jazz, then even more spectacularly in a postseason game against Houston the very next season.

29. Behind the back on the Nuggets

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The current Lakers have a a set play where LeBron James launches a full-court pass to a posting-up Anthony Davis off an opponents’ free throw. Here’s how I described it a month and a half ago:

In those situations, the Lakers like to take Davis off the rebounding line and put him on the opposite block for early post-ups the other way. (They borrowed this tactic from Alvin Gentry, who used it during the Pelicans’ brief Davis-DeMarcus Cousins twin towers era). LA inbounds to LeBron, and he rushes the ball up to feed Davis as quickly as possible, giving him space to go one-on-one before help arrives.

As the year has progressed, LeBron has become more audacious with his post entry passes. He’ll sometimes eschew dribbling up the court and instead toss 60-foot bombs on a rope to Davis’ waiting arms.

I’d like to think Kobe’s 2003 dunk inspired them.

28. Sharing 2009 All-Star MVP honors with his nemesis

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Kobe’s ongoing feud with Shaq was so multi-layered that it has its own seven-part Wikipedia page. It’s hard to know when it really started and when it really tapered down, because both men weren’t exactly the most reliable narrators. (Remember when Shaq told Stephen A. Smith that “it was all marketing?” Nice try, big fella). But their 2009 All-Star experience is considered a key de-escalator in the overall cannon. As Shaq told USA Today’s Sam Amick in 2016:

“Everything became cool (with Bryant) my last All-Star Game in Phoenix,” said O’Neal. “Me and him got the co-MVP (at All-Stars). It was a great time, (and) my son Shareef, who was like nine (years old) at the time (was there).

“I was just going to give the trophy to Kobe, and Kobe looks at my little man and says, ‘Here you go, Shareef.’ ... I was kind of surprised that he remembered his name. He was like, ‘Here you go, Shareef. Here’s the trophy.’ Then I knew everything that happened (during the Lakers days) was silly.”

27. Welcome to the NBA, Dwight Howard

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This was the first time Kobe tormented Dwight. It wouldn’t be the last.

26. Welcome to the NBA, Yao Ming

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This game took place late in Yao’s 2002-03 rookie season, and Yao actually held his own with 24 points and 14 rebounds before fouling out. But the Lakers still got the last laugh, winning without Shaq in double overtime thanks to Kobe’s 52 points. “I feel like I want to get to bed quickly,” Yao said through an interpreter, via the New York Times. “Once I am asleep, everything is in the past.”

Fun fact: the voice you hear on TNT’s color commentary is none other than Jeff Van Gundy. Four months later, the Rockets hired him to be their head coach.

25. Welcome to the NBA, Ben Wallace

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Your eyes don’t deceive you: that is indeed UNLV’s Thomas and Mack Center, future home of the indie-turned-mainstream NBA Summer League. At the time, it was the host of an otherwise forgettable 1997-98 preseason game between the Washington Wizards and the Los Angeles Lakers.

I’ll let Marcus Vanderberg of the now-defunct Ball Don’t Lie blog (miss u) take it from here:

With time winding down at the end of the first quarter, Bryant crossed over journeyman guard Jimmy Oliver and set his sights on the basket. Ben Wallace — either not knowing any better or proving that he didn’t give a damn even back in 1997 — stepped up in the paint and became the first person to find himself on a Kobe poster. Bryant took off from inside the free-throw line and demolished Wallace with a ferocious dunk that got Hall of Fame broadcaster Chick Hearn just a wee bit excited:

“Slaaaaaam dunk! Wooooo!”

24. Welcome to the NBA (Finals), Todd MacCulloch

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Calling the 2002 NBA Finals anticlimactic is like saying snow is inconvenient for drivers. But in case there was any remaining suspense, this Kobe slam in the third quarter of Game 1 vanquished it. Eleven years later, ABC commemorated this dunk with one of the coolest Finals promos in recent memory.

23. Not yet, Kevin Durant

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I’m a sucker for young buck vs. old head duels. This one wasn’t the most artful contest, nor was it the one that ended a playoff series. Kobe and KD both dropped more than 30 points, but they weren’t guarding each other. Both made big shot after big shot, but neither made a field goal in the final two minutes. It was ultimately Jeff Green’s missed three that ended things. Still, this game foreshadowed a passing of the torch and was a sign that the Thunder were going to be a damn problem for years to come. As Kobe told Durant and Russell Westbrook after Game 6, “Glad we’re done with you guys.”

22. Quiet, Denver fans

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This was another epic Bryant performance against a younger peer (Carmelo Anthony) that has been lost to history. The scissor-kick three Kobe hit over J.R. Smith to give the Lakers a one-point lead with just over a minute left is still seared in my mind. So is that scowl, a Kobe specialty that peaked in that moment.

21. Speaking of sucking the energy out of the building

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With 16 words, TNT’s Kevin Harlan simultaneously captured a single moment in Kobe’s career and the enduring quality that made him such a basketball villain to so many non-Lakers fans.

20. The buzzer beater on Dwyane Wade

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Kobe had many regular-season buzzer beaters, but this one stands out because he redeemed himself for missing a game-winning attempt a few seconds prior.

19. Scoring 61 at Madison Square Garden

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The Madison Square Garden mystique was cool, but I’ll most remember the spin move and jumper Kobe made on Wilson Chandler to cap the night off. Technical brilliance mixed with ingenious creativity.

18. Kobe Bryant 62, Dallas Mavericks 61

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During the third quarter, Lakers TV analyst Stu Lantz delivered a prophetic line. “The only guy that can stop No. 8 tonight,” Lantz proclaimed, “is Phil Jackson.” It turns out Kobe was the one who declined Jackson’s invitation to re-enter the game in the fourth quarter, but the point still stands.

17. The infamous non-flinch

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Like many Kobe moments, this one ended up being too good to be true. Still, I had to include it.

16. Vanquishing the “Kobe Stopper”

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Ruben Patterson was once an end-of-the-bench Laker who, according to legend, nicknamed himself the “Kobe Stopper” for the way he defended Bryant in practice. (As with other Kobe stories, this one is more myth than reality). Patterson eventually left the team and established himself as a key defensive player for Seattle and then Portland.

That brings us to the 2003-04 season finale. The Blazers had just been eliminated from the playoffs for the first time in 22 years, while the Lakers needed a win to clinch the Pacific Division. Still, Portland played hard, and would’ve stolen a victory had Bryant not hit two impossible long threes to end regulation and overtime. The first was with Patterson in his jersey, while the second was a moonball that fell into the hoop as Patterson and Theo Ratliff rushed to close out.

With the win, the Lakers rose to the No. 2 seed and dropped the Kings to No. 4. That made a big difference in their eventual NBA Finals run.

15. The Magic never had a chance

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Another brilliant Kobe playoff performance that has been lost to time. It wasn’t his most prolific or most important, but it set the tone for a series that was only going to go one way. I most enjoyed Kobe performances that showcased his all-around game, and this one was a textbook example. Here’s an old Silver Screen and Roll breakdown that’s well worth your time.

14. The 50-point streak

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The league’s current pace-and-space trajectory may render this streak less impressive with time, but it was absurd in the moment. Here’s a summary.

13. Take that, Alvin Gentry

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It’s easy to forget how close the Lakers came to losing the 2010 Western Conference Finals. They dominated the first two games, only to be flummoxed by a daring Suns tactic to use a 2-3 zone to limit LA’s inside dominance. LA never really solved the Suns’ wrinkle, but maintained a 3-2 series advantage after Metta World Peace’s serendipitous buzzer-beating putback in Game 5.

That set the stage for Kobe to brutally shut the door in Game 6. After mostly deferring in the first half, he staved off a furious Suns comeback with a series of impossible shots. His second-to-last bucket was a spinning fadeaway 21-footer over Grant Hill and Channing Frye to push the Lakers’ lead back to five. His final hoop: a pump-fake, rise-up jumper over Hill from nearly the same spot as the shot clock expired. As it dropped through the net, Kobe gave Suns coach Alvin Gentry a gentle butt tap, as if to say, Nice try.

“There’s an intense game going on and you almost have to laugh at what he does,” was Gentry’s interpretation. “I mean, I thought we played great defense on him. He just made tough shot after tough shot.”

And Kobe’s?

“It looked like a much tougher shot than it was.”

12. See ya, Sacramento

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My favorite Kobe playoff performance once you separate out the stakes. It had everything we’ve come to know about Kobe.

He flew back to Los Angeles during the one-day break after Game 3 because Vanessa was in the hospital. Once he felt confident she was OK, he returned to Sacramento late on the night before an afternoon Game 4.

He embarrassed nemesis Vlade Divac with a thunderous poster dunk early in the game.

During the second quarter, he told an enraged Chris Webber not to chuck the ball away after an offensive foul because he wanted to beat the Kings at full strength. NBC’s Jim Gray said this was “a real good show of sportsmanship.” That’s one way to put it.

When interviewed at halftime, Kobe told Gray he was happy the Lakers were losing because they needed a challenge.

Kobe bullied his way for 19 free throws and 16 rebounds.

His final bucket involved him splitting an attempted double-team for a layup to put the Lakers up four.

He told reporters that he viewed the game as “a life-or-death situation,” even though the Lakers already had a 3-0 series lead and had won their previous 14 games. (Not to mention Vanessa’s real-life health scare).

11. See ya, San Antonio

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All of the above, distilled into one play.

10. The unofficial passing of the torch

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We all figured this would be Michael Jordan’s last game against Kobe Bryant. The stars were aligned for something special. It still exceeded expectations.

It looked to be MJ’s night early on. He nailed his first four jumpers, then picked off a lazy Shaquille O’Neal pass and took it to the house. But then Kobe started shooting and scoring, and shooting and scoring, and shooting and scoring, and shooting and scoring. Twenty-five points in five minutes. Forty-two at halftime. Fifty-five in the end, mirroring the double nickel Jordan dropped against the Knicks in 1995.

“It came to a point where there was that curiosity factor: was he going to hit 80? I’m sure it went through his head,” said Phil Jackson, foreshadowing the future.

(There’s a story going around that Kobe wanted to get payback on Jordan for dissing him after an early-season Wizards win, but the timeline doesn’t quite add up).

9. That 6-24 game

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Let’s keep it 100 for a second: Kobe was awful in Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals and was ultimately saved by Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace. But the Lakers’ ultimate triumph was also a fitting tribute to Kobe’s determination in the face of failure.

8. The alley-oop to complete the Portland comeback

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History remembers this play as a symbol of the Kobe-Shaq relationship before it got messy. The reality is more complex, yet also makes the moment even richer. From Roland Lazenby’s 2016 book Showboat: The Life of Kobe Bryant:

Witnesses could hardly believe what they were seeing — a bonding moment between the center and the guard — but the victory was proof. It was as if Bryant had refused to get discouraged, and that paid off by season’s end. ‘I think they came to respect each other,’ [longtime Phil Jackson assistant coach Tex] Winter said, although the coaches could never be sure what the players were merely doing as a public gesture and what they truly felt. Scoop Jackson, for example, saw O’Neal running around at game’s end, looking to celebrate with anyone but his foil.

Asked about O’Neal, Bryant shrugged. ‘We just do it our separate ways,’ he said. ‘That’s all we did all season long. It just depended on what we needed in certain situations. So even though we go our separate ways, it all linked up in the end.’

In 2009, blogger Jason Kottke noticed something funny on the unedited version of the clip, which has sadly been removed from YouTube: (That last part is a stretch, alas).

O’Neal throws it down and the camera follows him as he heads down the court yelling in celebration, totally blowing right past Kobe, who has his hand out to high-five Shaq. Kobe half-heartedly grabs at O’Neal’s forearm as he passes; Shaq doesn’t even notice. [...] The unedited clip of the play1 shows an awkward ending to this awkward moment. After celebrating with the Lakers bench, Shaq looks for Kobe and the two finally acknowledge the play together. But it’s a brief moment; they slap hands and go their separate ways, foreshadowing Shaq’s departure four years later.

Knowing this only deepens my appreciation of the moment. The beauty of basketball is that two people without much real-life chemistry can become simpatico in an instant when they step between the lines.

7. Saving the Redeem Team

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Kobe’s most notable impact on Team USA was intangible. He was the last star to commit to playing in the 2008 Olympics, and his commitment signaled the importance of reclaiming basketball supremacy to a younger crew of stars that included the future Banana Boat crew. His leadership and work ethic rubbed off on those players, elevating them to levels they may not have reached otherwise.

But I’ll remember the way Kobe pushed them over the finish line in the fourth quarter of the gold medal game when Spain’s zone confused everyone else. Whenever Spain got close, Kobe had the answer. They couldn’t stop him.

Months later, he hung his gold medal in Pau Gasol’s locker during Lakers training camp in an attempt to motivate him. Ruthless, uncomfortably cruel, and ultimately successful: straight out of the Kobe playbook.

6. “Bryant, for the win. Baaaaaaang”

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This was when Kobe’s individual supremacy peaked. A few reasons why:

It came at the end of Kobe’s best individual season, when he averaged 35 points a game in leading a decrepit Lakers roster to 45 wins and a postseason berth. Imagine Russell Westbrook’s MVP season, but even more individually overwhelming. That was Kobe’s 2005-06.

The Suns actually wanted to play the Lakers in the first round. According to Jack McCallum’s book :07 Seconds or Less: My Season on the Bench with the Runnin’ and Gunnin’ Phoenix Suns, the Suns believed they could easily exploit the Lakers’ transition defense and bait Kobe into selfish play. They even rested key players for a late-season ABC contest to help facilitate the matchup.

The final 12.6 seconds of regulation were wild. With the Suns up five, the much-maligned Smush Parker, who was 1-14 from downtown in the series to date, hit a standstill three to cut the lead to two. Steve Nash, of all people, turned it over on the ensuing inbound, and Kobe sidestepped around Raja Bell and hit the game-tying floater over Boris Diaw’s outstretched arms. Absurd shot. (D’Antoni then drew up a beautiful out of bounds lob play for James Jones that failed because the officials ignored Luke Walton’s blatant hold.)

The Suns still led by one in the closing seconds of overtime when Nash bizarrely dribbled to the sideline. He attempted to pivot away from Walton and Lamar Odom and signaled for a timeout. But instead of calling a foul or honoring Nash’s request, the officials called a jump ball, even though a still photo later revealed Walton’s foot was out of bounds as he tied Nash up. Walton tipped it to Kobe and you know the rest.

At the time, it felt like the Suns were cursed and Kobe was destined to find a way to win no matter the circumstances. Which, of course, made Phoenix’s rally from a 3-1 deficit to win the series even more improbable.

5. The free throws after tearing his Achilles

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Longtime Lakers trainer Gary Viti once said that this was Kobe’s “gutsiest moment.” I don’t think Viti was referring to Kobe’s physical pain — a fully ruptured Achilles actually hurts less in the moment than many other serious injuries. Instead, I think he was noting Kobe’s strength to fight through his mental anguish at the thought of his body finally breaking down after years of feeling indestructible.

Watching Kobe’s postgame interview only drives home that point. He looks like a man finally coming to terms with his own athletic mortality.

4. A legend is born

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Most remember Kobe’s first championship run for the Game 7 comeback against the Blazers, but the six-game NBA Finals series win over the Pacers was no walk in the park. Kobe badly injured his ankle in a Game 2 victory when Indiana’s Jalen Rose slid under him on a mid-range jumper. (Years later, Rose admitted he did it on purpose). Kobe missed Game 3, an easy Indiana victory, and was a doubt for Game 4. He refused to shoot layups during pregame warmups, telling NBC’s Ahmad Rashad that he was “saving it for the game.” The game went to overtime, and with 2:29 left, Shaquille O’Neal fouled out jumping for a rebound with Rik Smits.

Remember: the Lakers hadn’t won a title yet and were up against a vastly more experienced team on the road. Lose this game, and the series would be tied 2-2 with Indiana hosting Game 5. The MVP was on the bench, and his co-star was operating at less than full capacity. The series swung in the balance.

Kobe’s response:

A vicious crossover and pull-up jumper on Reggie Miller on the next play.

A rise-up shot from nearly the same spot over a flummoxed Mark Jackson.

A crucial block from behind on an Austin Croshere layup that would have cut the lead back to one.

A reverse tip-in after the Pacers successfully denied him the ball with 5.9 seconds left to shove the advantage back to three.

This was when his clutch legend was born.

3. A curtain call for the ages

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A cartoonish mockery of the game of basketball for three quarters that turned into something magical by the end. That it upstaged the Warriors breaking the goddamn single-season wins record made it even more memorable.

What a perfect way for Kobe to go out.

2. 81

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Kobe’s basketball reputation is built on the premise that he plays his best when the moment is biggest. It’s ironic, then, that his best individual performance came in one of the most anonymous settings of his career.

The game took place on Jan. 22, 2006, a Sunday that was cleared for the NFL’s two conference championship games. Regular Lakers announcer Joel Meyers was calling the NFC title game, leaving backup Bill MacDonald to fill in. Jack Nicholson didn’t show up. Several other regular celebrities begged off the game.

Early on, there was little indication that Kobe was about to have one of those nights. The Raptors came out in a 2-3 zone that cut off the rest of Kobe’s teammates. They took a double-digit lead and swelled it to 18 to start the third quarter. Kobe had 26 first-half points: noteworthy, but hardly unusual.

In fact, it was part of the plan. As Toronto point guard Jose Calderon told ESPN:

People always ask me, “How is it possible to let one guy score 81 points?” Because we were winning almost the whole game. He can keep scoring as long as we’re up. Yeah, he’s killing us, but the rest of the team is doing nothing, and we’re winning. We didn’t think he would keep scoring like he was.

Once Kobe started heating up the third quarter, Raptors players pleaded for a change in strategy. Instead, coach Sam Mitchell stayed the course. “It was the most frustrating thing,” guard Mike James told ESPN. “Maybe that should have been one of those times where we were rebellious and went against Coach’s will.”

To this day, Mitchell defends his decision. As he told CBS Sports’ James Herbert in 2017:

It’s always funny to me ‘cause I look at the other side, if we win the game. Because it’s not like we got beat by 30. We were winning the game. My thought process during that was one, how can we slow him down?, and two, we can still win the game. As great a game as he was having, I thought we had just as good a chance to win the game. We were winning. So, you know, you’re trying to stop him because if you can stop him, it increases your chance to win. But also, you’re saying even if we don’t stop him, we can still win this game.

He gives himself too much credit, but he also has a point. Whatever the Raptors were doing was working for a large stretch of the game. Then, out of nowhere, Kobe caught fire and directed the sports world’s attention to a game they otherwise would have ignored.

And yet, as magical as this night was, it won’t stick with me as much as ...

1. Kobe and Gigi, geeking out

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... a father and a daughter — a teacher and a student, a mentor and mentee — gleefully sitting courtside while nerding out over a piece of basketball minutiae in a mundane regular-season game between two losing teams.

I’ve watched this sequence hundreds of times in the last 48 hours, and it still gets me. The world didn’t just lose a basketball star Sunday. It lost a past icon and a future legend. It lost a proud father and a happy daughter, sharing in a routine moment while doing what they both loved.

Rest in peace, Kobe and Gianna Bryant.

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paulbenedictblog · 4 years

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Fox news Power Rankings: Raiders continue to climb - NFL.com

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Some weeks are extra chaotic than others in the NFL. The equal goes for the Energy Rankings.

After a weekend of games that -- for the most segment -- ended with expected outcomes, now we contain a high 10 that system simplest small ride and a high three that continues to be static. Because the author of this column, I can admit to you that this brings me an odd measure of peace. Nonetheless it indubitably also feels tackle the silent sooner than the storm.

Demand Week 12 to replace every thing in the NFL. Unless it would no longer. Nonetheless if it does ... keep in mind, you heard it right here first.

Onto the impress ...

NOTE: The earlier rankings referenced in the lineup beneath are from the Week 11 Energy Rankings.

Old disagreeable: No. 1

Name it a gut-take a look at capture for a banged-up 49ers crew that refused to fold in opposition to the mercurial-bettering Cardinals. The Niners confronted a 16-0 deficit midway during the 2nd quarter and a three-point deficit in the final minutes of the game. In every cases, the NFC West leaders answered. This game will contain been remembered for a fourth-quarter Jimmy Garoppolo interception that build the Cardinals in substantial put of living for the upset, but instead, coordinator Robert Saleh's defense compelled a short three-and-out, and Garoppolo redeemed himself with a scoring march capped by a blitz-beating landing ride to Jeff Wilson Jr. to exercise the lead for fair appropriate. Garoppolo wasn't ideal, but he tied a occupation high with four TDs and again looked tackle a quarterback who also can no longer blink in the big moment. That trait must be severely priceless map January. Subsequent week's Sunday evening showdown with the Packers has Game of the Year doable.

Old disagreeable: No. 2

The Ravens in their high tools usually is a panoramic gaze. Although if you're a crew with the distress of getting Baltimore in your time table these earlier few weeks, the gaze is nearer to a dismay film in which you're the doomed teenager trapped throughout the shuttered amusement park. Correct inquire of the Texans, a completely fair appropriate -- and intermittently very fair appropriate -- crew that had completely no probability on Sunday. Lamar Jackson did his "I am clearly the MVP, guys" ingredient, whereas Baltimore's defense -- an Achilles' heel earlier this season -- battered Deshaun Watson into submission. The Ravens accomplished with seven sacks and came within one Carlos Hyde garbage-time burst of a shutout. The Ravens proceed to tear the Pats for the No. 1 seed in the AFC, but it indubitably's Baltimore with the title of Team You Don't Need To Play. All all over again, staunch inquire of the Texans ... at any time when they map out of their catatonic shock.

Old disagreeable: No. 3

Credit rating the defense for powering the Patriots to another capture. Steve Belichick's unit held a tedious Eagles assault to 255 yards, giving quilt to a New England offense that struggled to string together quality drives. On a windy slack afternoon in Philadelphia, Tom Brady became once held to 4.6 yards per try. The Pats' running game became once unable to capture up the slack, managing staunch 74 yards on 22 carries. The Patriots' simplest throw of the game? That would be the 15-yard landing strike from Julian Edelman to Phillip Dorsett on a trick play to position New England forward for fair appropriate in the third quarter. The Pats proceed to capture because all non-Lamar Jackson-essentially based opponents has no answers for New England's blitz-heavy assault and smartly-known individual-encumbered secondary. Will that proceed because the stage of opponents rises? The Pats safe the Cowboys, Texans and Chiefs over the following three weeks.

Old disagreeable: No. 4

With Seattle having staunch spent Week 11 on a bye, let's exercise a more in-depth gaze at Russell Wilson's MVP prospects. The Seahawks quarterback has been a monster this season, coming into Week 12 because the NFL's leader in passing touchdowns (23) and passer rating (114.9). Throw in three dashing scores, and he's accountable for a league-simplest 26 TDs this season, one better than Lamar Jackson. Wilson is on dart to set occupation highs in passing yards per game (273.7), completion share (68.5) and passer rating. Ingredient in Seattle's endured standing as an NFC superpower -- a put of living reinforced by Week 10's Monday evening capture over the previously undefeated Niners -- and the undeniable truth that Wilson does his injury and not using a celeb accompaniment ( Tyler Lockett is his No. 1 receiver), and "DangeRuss" has made his simplest case ever for the game's most coveted individual award.

Old disagreeable: No. 6

As you might per chance express from his 23 touches and 122 scrimmage yards in Sunday's capture over the Buccaneers, Alvin Kamara is lend a hand to being a highlight. That is essential for the Saints, who contain plenty of stars on offense but need their dynamic running lend a hand at plump energy to achieve their plump doable. Kamara had extra touches by the midway point of the 2nd quarter than he had throughout the entirety of Week 10's loss to Atlanta, and whereas his production would no longer jump off the page, he became once nice looking tackle he did sooner than a high ankle sprain brought his season to a cease final month. Kamara became once staunch one shining space in a pleasing safe-lawful game for the Saints, who washed out the scandalous fashion of that Falcons loss by making lifestyles depressing for Jameis Winston. While Winston piled up interceptions, Drew Brees moved the offense with his customary effectivity in a routine capture. Yes, lifestyles is lend a hand to traditional in New Orleans.

Old disagreeable: No. 5

What a incompatibility a twelve months makes for the Packers, who exit their Week 11 bye atop the NFC North at 8-2. This time final twelve months, in the final, demise gasps of the Mike McCarthy generation, Green Bay became once in a fog at 4-5-1. A healthy Aaron Rodgers has been a large segment of the rebound. New coach Matt LaFleur's arrival has indubitably performed a segment. Nonetheless produce no longer miss out on the upward thrust of running lend a hand Aaron Jones as a force. Final season, Jones struggled to safe on the self-discipline at instances and became once dogged by reviews of subpar conditioning. A twelve months later, Jones is a weekly contributor who's shed the belly, as Rodgers referred to as it. Jones' 14 touchdowns from scrimmage are tied with Christian McCaffrey for the most in football. He's producing tackle a smartly-known individual.

Old disagreeable: No. 7

Kirk Cousins is having a pleasing small stretch for himself. He confirmed doubters he might per chance per chance roam on the facet road and beat a quality opponent in top time in the Vikings' Week 10 capture over the Cowboys. And on Sunday, the quarterback proved he can led a crew lend a hand from the abyss -- in this case, a 20-0 halftime deficit in opposition to the Broncos. Cousins became once immaculate in the 2nd half, piling up 261 passing yards and three TDs over four consecutive landing drives. The quarterback didn't perform it himself, but he proved he can step to the front of the pack and lead this Minnesota crew when it would no longer contain the lush of leaning on Dalvin Cook and the running game. One final takeaway: The Vikings are so laborious to beat in their building; in the occasion that they'll exercise the NFC North and host a game or two in January ... gaze out.

Old disagreeable: No. 8

Preserve in mind manner lend a hand in September, when Dak Prescott became once the in fashion MVP capture? That focus on died off fleet as Lamar Jackson and Russell Wilson raced up the board, but Sunday became once a pleasing reminder of what a entire smartly-known individual Dak has change into below center. The Cowboys quarterback became once in entire retain watch over in opposition to the Lions, throwing for 444 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-27 capture. He did his injury with the abet of awesome work from the Dallas offensive line, but without the customary contributions from Amari Cooper and Ezekiel Elliott (despite the undeniable truth that the latter did contain a pleasing landing reception). As an replace, it became once Michael Gallup (an rising playmaker) and Randall Cobb who did the bulk of the injury, staunch another reminder of how deep and harmful this Dallas assault in actuality is. Ingredient in another Eagles loss, and the Cowboys are the present to repeat as NFC East champions. Do your Jason Garrett melodrama for an additional week.

Old disagreeable: No. 9

Yep, it became once your traditional Bury The Ball Game in Baltimore, the put the Texans were humbled and embarrassed and liquified into paste by the Ravens in a 41-7 rout. This became once supposed to be a shootout that comprises two of the substantial young quarterbacks in the game, but whereas Lamar Jackson endured his season-lengthy stoop, Deshaun Watson came across himself repeatedly below siege and with small replace to trudge his recognize signature tag of magic. The offensive line, so improved in the season's first 10 games, allowed seven sacks in a miserable efficiency. The defense, which dominated the Jags earlier than the bye, looked tackle a vulnerable unit that can per chance regress to common without J.J. Watt, lost for the twelve months in Week 8, wreaking havoc in the trenches. The Texans are indubitably anxious by how poorly things went on Sunday, but there isn't any longer any time to sulk. The AFC South will most likely be on the line in opposition to the Colts on Thursday Night time Soccer.

Old disagreeable: No. 13

The Rams bought a capture they wanted Sunday evening. Aaron Donald accomplished with two sacks, and the Los Angeles defense held the Bears to below 300 yards of offense in a 17-7 victory on the Coliseum. Essentially the most promising moment for the offense came midway during the fourth quarter, after a 51-yard landing ride from Jared Goff to Jeff Reynolds became once wiped away by an unlawful-formation penalty on Andrew Whitworth. In put of living of going into a shell, the Rams marched 56 yards over the following six performs for the game-clinching uncover. There became once also optimism to be came across in the running game, the put Todd Gurley matched a season high with 97 yards and a uncover on 25 carries. The offense is a lot from the juggernaut it became once this time a twelve months in the past, but the Rams will exercise positives the put they'll accumulate them. At 6-4, Los Angeles remains very mighty in the NFC hunt.

Old disagreeable: No. 14

One other capture and another enormous efficiency from the Runt one Raiders. Maxx Crosby, a fourth-spherical capture who performed a key role in Week 10's capture over the Chargers, had four sacks in Sunday's 17-10 capture over the Bengals. Crosby, who we bought to know on the inspiration as a first payment-natured kid struggling with through a meddlesome hand anguish this summer season on Laborious Knocks, becomes staunch the 2nd NFL rookie since 1988 to contain four sacks in a game. One play after Crosby took down Ryan Finley for the final time, 2nd-spherical cornerback Trayvon Mullen effectively ended the game with an interception, the major of his occupation. This feels tackle an appropriate home to impress that first-spherical running lend a hand Josh Jacobs went over 100 yards dashing for the fourth time this season. Mike Mayock's debut draft class might per chance per chance change into the stuff of story in Raiders lore. At 6-4, a direction to the playoffs is in look for.

Old disagreeable: No. 16

That became once a game the Payments wanted. Crawl on the facet road, in opposition to an AFC East foe, and rip them up. Buffalo rolled up season highs in total yards (424) and system in a 37-20 capture over the Dolphins. Josh Allen led the Payments to system in six of their first eight possessions, fleet taking the drama out of the court cases -- a welcome switch of dart for a crew that has too usually been asking the defense to shut out tight games slack in the fourth quarter. It's a first payment gaze for Payments head coach Sean McDermott, who let or no longer it is known in the week leading as a lot as the game that he became once hunting for extra from the Payments' offense, which entered Week 11 ranked 23rd in the league. The search data from now becomes whether or no longer the Payments can preserve this offensive enhance. Their playoff hopes might per chance bound on it.

Old disagreeable: No. 17

The Colts contain been hooked on playing games which might per chance per chance be made up our minds on the final possession this season. They ditched the drama on Sunday with a blowout capture over the Jaguars that pumps masses of optimism lend a hand into Indy. Jacoby Brissett returned from a knee anguish but principally took a lend a hand seat to a dashing assault and defense that blended to throttle Jacksonville. Jonathan Williams and Marlon Mack (who exited in the third quarter with a hand anguish) every went over 100 yards, segment of a 264-yard ground day that became once the Colts' simplest single-game output since 2004. The defense held Reduce Foles and the Jaguars to staunch 308 total yards with two sacks and an interception. Even the struggling Adam Vinatieri became once at his simplest, ending 5-of-5 on kicks -- four extra system and a self-discipline neutral. The upcoming Thursday Night time Soccer matchup in opposition to the Texans has substantial ramifications in the AFC South.

Old disagreeable: No. 12

It's a evening that can live in infamy for Steelers followers ... and that became once sooner than Myles Garrett lost his rattling mind. The Steelers went to Cleveland as even handed one of the most freshest teams in the AFC, and they also left with a sobering reminder of how miniature their offense appears to be. Mason Rudolph looked fully lost, making a host of alarm throws in a four-interception evening that puts Devlin Hodges squarely on the radar as an option for Mike Tomlin. In Rudolph's defense, the 2nd-twelve months pro became once compelled to play plenty of the game without James Conner (shoulder), JuJu Smith-Schuster (concussion) and Diontae Johnson (concussion), Pittsburgh's high three playmakers. Exiting the lineup this week will most likely be center Maurkice Pouncey, who became once hit with a three-game suspension (which he's titillating) for his role in the fourth-quarter brawl that can lend a hand because the most productive lasting reminiscence of this game. Perchance that is no longer this kind of scandalous ingredient for the Steelers.

Old disagreeable: No. 15

The Panthers might per chance are looking out to remark twice in the occasion that they in actuality thought on nice looking on from Cam Newton in the offseason. Kyle Allen struggled mightily on Sunday in opposition to the Falcons, throwing four interceptions and taking 5 sacks in an gruesome 29-3 loss in Charlotte. Head coach Ron Rivera current after the game that Allen "moved us down to the purple zone three instances" and stated the quarterback tried to preserve up out too mighty at instances. With increased reps, it is shining to surprise if Allen is fair a miniature passer. The defeat drops Carolina to 5-5 and the total manner down to ninth put of living in the NFC standings. The Panthers are indubitably in effort, but the time table gives them a gamble to accumulate their manner lend a hand into the mix, with three games in opposition to NFC South opponents. They need a winning roam, starting Sunday in New Orleans.

Old disagreeable: No. 19

When is Derrick Henry going to initiate up getting identified as even handed one of the most essential productive running backs in the NFL? The 25-twelve months-aged Titans smartly-known individual flies below the radar in Nashville, but his production has been easy over the past calendar twelve months. Since final December, Henry leads the NFL in dashing yards (1,417) and dashing scores (15). Even though quarterback uncertainty has served because the dominant space line surrounding the Titans for but another season, Henry continues to invent in reliable and continuously spectacular fashion. His 68-yard landing lunge in Week 10's substantial capture over the Chiefs became once a reminder of what a assorted ability he's: a 6-foot-4, 247-pound rhino who can escape tackle a gazelle. Here's a contract twelve months for Henry, and the Titans would perform themselves an improbable disservice to let the big man perform his injury in other locations in 2020.

Old disagreeable: No. 18

Philip Rivers has enjoyed many improbable games in his Hall of Standing-grand occupation. Monday evening became once no longer even handed one of them. The broken-down quarterback threw four interceptions, including the game-deciding quit zone capture in the final minute of a 24-17 loss to Chiefs that every individual but extinguishes the Bolts' playoff hopes a week sooner than Thanksgiving. At 4-7 with all seven losses by seven system or fewer, Los Angeles' simplest practical direction to postseason football involves winning out and getting masses of abet. In other phrases, prospects are bleak. Mighty will most likely be made of Rivers' meltdown; his seven interceptions in the past two weeks and 14 total this season, a total that trails simplest Jameis Winston for the NFL "lead." Is the 37-twelve months-aged no longer without prolong showing his age? Are we staring on the final games of Rivers' Chargers occupation? Unsure instances for the Bolts.

Old disagreeable: No. 20

So mighty for Reduce Foles' return environment up a spark. Foles threw a landing ride to D.J. Chark on the Jaguars' first pressure of the game, but the offense dried up after that in a 33-13 loss to the Colts. Foles wasn't substantial, but build this loss on Jacksonville's escape defense. The Colts had their simplest dashing day in 15 years, going off for 264 yards on 7.3 yards per carry with three touchdowns. This meltdown comes six weeks after the Panthers piled up 285 ground yards in opposition to Doug Marrone's crew. In Leonard Fournette, the Jags contain a player who can counter on the bottom, but the league's sixth-leading rusher coming into Sunday acquired staunch 5 carries in the major half. When The Colts began to pull away, Jacksonville needed to desert its running assault -- the most fundamental to the offense -- nearly fully. The Jags will most likely be playing for their season this Sunday in Nashville.

Old disagreeable: No. 23

We now contain heard the time duration "crushing loss" aged to describe advanced setbacks, but the Browns managed to pull off the ultra-rare "crushing capture" on Thursday Night time Soccer in opposition to the Steelers. Such became once the fallout of Myles Garrett's occupation-altering decision to bash Pittsburgh quarterback Mason Rudolph on the head with Rudolph's recognize helmet in the game's final seconds, a ridiculous act that prompted instantaneous action from the league in the produce of an indefinite suspension for the defensive quit. Garrett's foolishness effectively wiped away what must restful contain been a substantial evening for the Browns, who bullied Rudolph in a miles extra acceptable manner for the major 59 minutes of a 21-7 capture. At 4-6, Cleveland is lend a hand in the wild-card hunt, but you surprise if the actions of Garrett -- who, it must be current, will most likely be the Browns' simplest player -- will roam this crew off the cliff. What a fiasco.

Old disagreeable: No. 25

Who are these guys? Over the major two months of the season, the Falcons had arguably the worst defense in football. Nonetheless since Week 10, Atlanta has allowed staunch four self-discipline objectives and zero touchdowns in lend a hand-to-lend a hand wins in opposition to the Saints and Panthers. The D sacked Kyle Allen 5 instances and compelled him into four interceptions, whereas Matt Ryan led the offense with his customary ability, throwing for 311 yards and a uncover. Even the special teams chipped in: Kenjon Barner build the Panthers on the ropes early with a 78-yard punt return for a uncover. The shapely turnaround has created the risk that Dan Quinn might per chance per chance live to teach the tale this season with his job. Whether you focus on that to be no longer without prolong a first payment ingredient for the Falcons is a dialogue for all over again.

Old disagreeable: No. 21

Mitchell Trubisky exited Sunday evening's loss to the Rams with a hip anguish, but you might per chance per chance per chance also forgive most other folks for wondering if Bears coach Matt Nagy became once buying for how out. Trubisky has been a huge disappointment in his third season, and with the Bears all but eliminated from the NFC playoff image, the big legend in Chicago will center on when the crew begins the reputedly inevitable separation course of from the No. 2 total capture of the 2017 NFL Draft. Spin Daniel is rarely any enhance, so it is shimmering that Trubisky would be allowed to provide off the season because the starter. Nonetheless is there the rest he can perform that can per chance per chance motive the Bears to follow him in 2020? One would keep in mind Trubisky would desire a hell of a produce in the final six weeks for that to happen. What contain we considered since Week 1 to indicate a rebirth is in the offing?

Old disagreeable: No. 22

On the equal day a document surfaced detailing discord in the lend a hand of the scenes, the Broncos went to Minneapolis and blew a 20-point halftime lead in a 27-23 loss to the Vikings. Ouch. The offense mustered staunch three system in the 2nd half and might per chance per chance no longer crack the tip zone on three ride makes an try from shut fluctuate in the final seconds, but this loss has to be hung on Vic Fangio's defense. In Denver's improbable first half, the Vikings were miniature to staunch a single completion of better than 10 yards, but then Kirk Cousins picked the Broncos apart with four consecutive landing drives in the game's final 30 minutes. Denver became once severely bedeviled by the play-action ride, aged to expert quit on Cousins' final two landing passes. Here's the put we remind you that Mr. Play-Action, Gary Kubiak, is now on Mike Zimmer's workers in Minnesota. The Broncos knew it became once coming ... and they also were powerless to cease it.

Old disagreeable: No. 24

Same aged legend for the Lions, who can uncover system (with or without Matthew Stafford) but contain a defense that is a total criminal responsibility. The unit became once unable to safe any stress on Dak Prescott, who roasted the Lions for 444 yards and three touchdowns in Dallas' 35-27 capture over Detroit. The Lions' points are manifold: They'll no longer escape the quarterback, they'll't quilt in the secondary and they also produce no longer force turnovers. They're on dart for their worst defensive season, from a total yardage allowed standpoint, worse even than the winless 2008 crew. It's a shame, too, because Jeff Driskel confirmed us once extra that he has some ability. The backup quarterback -- starting in put of living of the injured Stafford for the 2nd straight week -- made performs with his arm and legs, and he even had Detroit on Dallas' facet of the self-discipline in the final minutes with a gamble to tie. The kid gives them a shot ... the defense would no longer.

Old disagreeable: No. 27

The Cardinals were aggressive. We'll give them that. Leading San Francisco 26-23 with 37 seconds to play, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph referred to as for an all-out blitz to capture the game. Unfortunately for Arizona, 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo identified the stress and noticed running lend a hand Jeff Wilson Jr., who shook free from Chandler Jones, caught Garoppolo's ride and coasted to the tip zone for the game-deciding uncover. A tricky manner to lose, indubitably, compounded by the truth the Playing cards had a 16-0 revenue in the 2nd quarter over the NFC West leaders. This might contain been a huge building-block victory for Kliff Kingsbury. As an replace, it is another slender defeat. "I am aged to winning," a dejected Kyler Murray stated after the game. "I've consistently obtained, and to be in instances if you roam up 16 or are in put of living to capture and also it is necessary to restful capture, it is disappointing." Better days will map, young buck.

Old disagreeable: No. 29

That is lend a hand-to-lend a hand wins for the Jets, who confirmed there could be a significant gap between them and the worst teams in football, a crew that very mighty comprises the Redskins. Sam Darnold threw for 293 yards and a occupation-high four touchdowns in his 2nd consecutive solid initiate up, and Jamal Adams endured his post-alternate-nick-off date stoop with three sacks. The timing of Sunday's rout is terribly welcome for Jets owner Christopher Johnson, who drew criticism from the fan sinful this week after he launched Adam Gase will return as head coach for a 2nd season in 2020. Gase will most likely be measured less on wins and losses this season and extra on whether he can build Darnold on the path to changing into a shining franchise quarterback. We didn't watch mighty progress from the 2nd-twelve months signal-caller in the season's first half, but the final two weeks contain been promising. If Darnold closes out 2019 solid, the franchise outlook will in actuality feel mighty assorted map January.

Old disagreeable: No. 26

We're coming up on a stressful century milestone for Jameis Winston. With four interceptions in Sunday's loss to the Saints, Winston now has 98 turnovers in fewer than 5 seasons. Winston is as a lot as 18 picks this twelve months, which puts him in a tie with Jay Cutler (2009) for 2nd-most by any player through 10 crew games in the final 25 seasons, in accordance to ESPN. The immense takeaway is obvious ample: Ball security has been a depressing sore space for Winston, and this also can potentially bring his escape in Tampa Bay to a untimely shut. Bruce Arians is 67 years aged. Is he going to dedicate the 2020 season, a season that might be his final on the sidelines, to taking another crack at "fixing" Winston? We contain our doubts, and the glut of broken-down QBs about to hit the market ability the Bucs will contain plenty of alternate choices.

Old disagreeable: No. 28

After lend a hand-to-lend a hand wins that made them a phenomenal in actuality feel-fair appropriate legend in the NFL, the Dolphins came lend a hand to Earth with a thud in an gruesome efficiency in opposition to the Payments at home. The defense became once severely miserable on Sunday, allowing Josh Allen to throw for 256 yards and three touchdowns, escape for 56 yards and another uncover, and produce with a occupation-simplest 117.7 quarterback rating. The Payments' assault hadn't even managed 300 yards of total offense in two of its earlier three games. In other locations, the Dolphins' running game is still caught in the mud. Kalen Ballage accomplished with 9 yards on 9 carries and hasn't performed mighty to endear himself since Kenyan Drake became once traded and Designate Walton became once hit with a suspension (and then released on Tuesday). All americans in Miami is on a tryout, and Ballage's is rarely always in actuality going very properly lawful now.

Old disagreeable: No. 30

Saquon Barkley is rarely always in actuality lawful. Gaze no additional than the Giants' most most up-to-date game, in which the dynamic running lend a hand became once held to 1 pitiful yard on 13 carries and struggled mightily in ride protection in a humbling loss to the Jets. The adaptation between pre-anguish Barkley and post-anguish Barkley has been stark: Barkley averaged 6.4 yards per carry in the season's first three games earlier than struggling a high ankle sprain, and he's averaged 2.6 yards per carry since returning to the lineup in Week 7. The bye week became once filled with columns and talking-head segments questioning whether Barkley must be shut down for the rest of the season, with the Giants out of opponents in the NFC. Both Barkley and Giants coach Pat Shurmur brushed apart that risk, but we are going to watch if player and/or crew undergoes a switch of heart if the struggles proceed into the season's punishing final weeks.

Old disagreeable: No. 31

Let's initiate up with the obvious. The Redskins scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter in opposition to the Jets, ending a roam of 16 quarters without reaching the tip zone. That is fair appropriate! Unfortunately, Washington became once trailing 34-3 sooner than those touchdowns, your traditional lipstick-on-a-pig topic. That is scandalous! It became once another day of rising wretchedness for rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins, who usually looked perplexed by what broken-down Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams became once throwing his manner. Haskins became once sacked six instances, three of them by Jets substantial security Jamal Adams, and he didn't contain mighty abet from a ground game that averaged staunch 2.7 yards per carry. Invoice Callahan has been extraordinarily committed to the escape since taking on as period in-between head coach, but the Redskins' assault is struggling to accumulate a balance that retains the opponent off-kilter. Haskins gets another crack at his first occupation capture this week in opposition to the Lions.

Old disagreeable: No. 32

The Bengals will need a capture to flee the bottom of the Energy Rankings. After Sunday's 17-10 loss to the Raiders, Cincinnati has staunch six probabilities left to manual particular of becoming the third crew in NFL history to head 0-16. The setback in Oakland is terribly frustrating since the defense -- ranked useless final in the NFL coming into Week 11 -- delivered its simplest efficiency of the twelve months. The 17 system were the fewest scored by a Bengals opponent this season, but it indubitably became once restful too high a bunch for an offense that has no longer improved a lick since Ryan Finley replaced Andy Dalton two weeks in the past. The endured absence of A.J. Green (it already feels tackle we contain now considered the final of Green in a Bengals uniform, as he's in the final twelve months of his most up-to-date contract) is a significant detriment, but the total unit needs an overhaul in the offseason. The Bengals' to-perform checklist will most likely be mighty map Jan. 1.

Note Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.

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sporkfosterfan · 7 years

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Unicorns

Another story I wrote while doing laundry. Josh Adler and Robert Long have a deep, meaningful discussion about unicorns. Again, I own all the characters. Any resemblance to real life people is coincidental.

********************

Josh and Robert were lying on the L shaped couch, their feet inches apart. Robert was on his phone, and Josh attempted to solve a Rubik’s cube. Occasionally, one of them would make a comment, but for the most part, it was quiet.

After a while, Josh set the completed Rubik’s cube on the coffee table with a thud. “Finished.”

“Wow,” Robert said, temporarily looking up from his phone. “That was fast. One could almost say you’re a real ‘speed demon’.”

“Shut up,” replied Josh, trying and failing to conceal his amusement.

Robert laughed and said, “Hey, it’s true.” A disappointed beep sounded from his phone, and he cursed when he looked back at the screen.

“What’re you playing?” Josh asked, flipping to his side.

“Just this Robot Unicorn game,” Robert replied, eyes fixated on his phone. “Trying to beat my high score.”

Josh nodded in response, and a pause followed. He appeared to have thought of something, and asked, “That reminds me. Remember that speech you gave to me about friendship and not leaving me?”

“You make it sound sappier than it really was,” Robert replied. “And I’d hardly call a few sentences a speech.”

“Whatever. My point is that you remember the first thing you said, right?”

“Of course I do.”

Josh’s smile turned devious. “Then you remember how you mentioned unicorns?”

Robert’s finger froze, and another disappointed beep sounded. Neither of them paid attention. “Maaaaybe,” he said cautiously.

This time, it was Josh who laughed. “Really? Out of all the species you could have named, you chose the unicorn?”

Robert huffed. “It was the first mythological species that came to mind. Besides, I was more focused on the fact that you were about to enter a death match with three other demons.” Then, before he could stop himself, he muttered under his breath, “Don’t be hating on unicorns.”

He had hoped that Josh hadn’t heard, but that wasn’t the case. “Oh, really?” Josh asked, one eyebrow raised. “Are you some sort of unicorn fan?”

Robert gaped for a second, seeking out an answer. Eventually, he settled with, “Don’t give me that tone, Adler. Unicorns are cool.”

“Are they?” Josh retorted, sitting up. “Do explain.”

The challenging tone in Josh’s voice prompted Robert to ditch his phone and sit up. “I shall. Unicorns are magical creatures. It is said they can fly through the air and fart rainbows.”

Instead of appearing impressed, Josh burst out laughing. “Well, that sounds fine and dandy,” he said mockingly between breaths. “It’s making me wish I were a unicorn.”

“I bet you do,” Robert said, pointing a finger out. “I bet you’re just jealous that you’re not a unicorn.”

“Now, why would I be jealous?” Josh crossed his legs and propped his head on one fist. “What do unicorns have that I don’t?”

“First of all,” Robert said, counting off on his fingers, “They have a long, pointy horn that springs from their forehead.”

“I have two horns. They curl outward from my temples.” Josh pointed two fingers to the sides of his head, about an inch above his ears. “Well, not while in this form. You’ve seen them.”

Robert grudgingly nodded, admitting defeat on that point. “Well, they usually have rainbow hair.”

“Sadly, I do not,” Josh said sarcastically, running a hand through his hair. “I just have boring black hair. Sorry to disappoint.”

Robert smiled smugly. “Score one for me.” He thought for a moment. “They can fly.”

“Who needs to fly when you can teleport?”

The smile turned into a frown. “It’s not the same.”

“Oh? And why not?”

“Teleportation is so boring.” Robert flapped his arms as if he had wings. “With flying, you can soar through the sky with the wind in your hair. It’s exciting.”

“Exciting?” A knowing grin crept onto Josh’s face. “Robert Long, last time we went to the amusement part, you refused to even watch the people riding the Space Shot. No way would you find a unicorn flight anything but terrifying.”

“Shut up,” Robert sulked. “Alright, you win that one as well.”

“I thought so.” Josh shifted so he was lying on his stomach, his feet pointing in the opposite direction from prior. “Have I made my point?"

“Not yet,” Robert said, holding up a finger. “There’s more.”

“You sound like one of those infomercial guys.”

Robert rolled his eyes. “Anyways, unicorns can create rainbows and sparkles.”

Josh brought his hand up, and a ball of rainbow fire ignited in his palm. “I can set things on fire and change the color of the flame.” He closed his fist, extinguishing the flame, and crossed his arms again. “As for the sparkles part, you could just go to the store and buy a tub of glitter.”

“That’s not the same,” Robert protested. “It’s not magical.”

He realized what he’d said too late and huffed in annoyance as Josh cracked up. Once Josh’s laughter died down, he continued, “Yeah, well that’s not the only magical power they have. They can also inspire love, friendship, and joy in humans.”

“I’ve been told that my aura inspires feelings of dread, despair, and hatred.”

Robert scoffed, “Sure, close enough.” Curiosity soon took over, and he asked, “Really?”

“Yeah,” Josh replied sincerely.

Robert squinted. “Oh, yeah? Prove it.”

“Alright, since you asked so nicely.” Josh scooted forward a few inches and gestured for Robert to come closer.

Robert hesitated for a second, but then changed his position so he was also lying on his stomach. He turned slightly so his face was a few inches from Josh’s. “So how does this work?”

“Hold on,” Josh replied. “I haven’t done this in a while, and it takes focus.”

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, they were pure black. Robert had been expecting that to happen and only felt his heart stop for a second. Then, he tried to feel for any differences in the air.

He became aware of a slight temperature drop and was about to comment when a tingling sensation entered his stomach. It steadily increased until he swore an invisible hand was squeezing his insides. His leg muscles locked up, and it felt as though his heart had crawled into his throat.

“Alright, enough,” Robert said, shooting up and scooting away. “You proved your point. You can stop now.”

With a satisfied smile, Josh turned his eye back to normal. He sat up as well and said, “Told you.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Robert said, trying to calm his jumbled nerves. Once he no longer felt like his heart was going to leap out of his chest, he commented, “Man, that is freaky.”

“Thanks.” The smile on Josh’s face widened ever so slightly. “Glad to see I haven’t lost my edge, and to think I wasn’t even using all of my power.”

In response, Robert stuck his tongue out. “Show off.” He paused for a moment to think and asked, “So would that be a point for you or me?”

“I think I should get that point.” Josh pointed at him. “Try scaring off your enemies with friendship and love powers. See how well that works out.”

“But that’s not what unicorns - never mind. We’ll say that no one gets that.” Robert tallied up the points in his head and realized he had lost. A frown formed on his face. “Alright, you win,” he said grudgingly. He crossed his arms. “I still think you’re just jealous.”

“Oh, yeah?” Josh crossed his arms as well. “How do we know you’re not the jealous one?”

Robert gasped dramatically and put a hand to his chest. “I am not jealous of unicorns, and the fact that you would suggest I am is crazy.”

“Sure thing, Mr. Unicorns are cool.”

Robert threw a couch pillow at him. “Hey, I can point out the good qualities of something without being jealous.” He huffed at Josh’s barely repressed snickering. “Laugh it up, but I can name a unicorn skill I also happen to have.”

“Do you, now?” Josh asked, mock enthusiasm in his voice. “What is it? Can you secretly fart rainbows, or do you have brightly colored hair that you hide with a wig?”

“Neither.” A smile tugged at Robert’s lips and he moved to sit next to Josh, who was watching him warily. “Can you guess what it is?”

Josh’s gaze flitted across Robert. “Unless there’s something you’re not telling me about your anatomy, I have no clue.”

Instead of replying right away, he put a hand on Josh’s shoulder. “I may not have a magic aura that makes people feel all warm and fuzzy, but I can inspire friendship and joy in those I care about.”

To his surprise, Josh also put a hand on his shoulder. “By that logic, I would also get a point for that.” He paused and added, “Wait, but you also mentioned love. Did you forget that?”

Robert smirked before pulling Josh in for a hug. “Way ahead of you.” He felt Josh hug back and whispered into his ear, “Joshie Woshie.”

He laughed as Josh lightly hit him on the shoulder. “Never call me Joshie Woshie again.” The humor in his tone undermined his serious words.

They separated, and Robert grabbed his phone to check what time it was. “I should leave now,” he said. “It’s almost dinnertime.” He stood up and slid his phone into his pocket. “See you later.”

“Yeah, see you later,” Josh replied.

Robert exited the house and headed back to his car. As he drove home, he reflected on the bizarreness that was his life. Five years ago, he did not believe that paranormal entities were real. He certainly did not expect to be best friends with a demon. Somehow, the thought did not bother him. As he said to Josh himself, he did not care if he was a human, demon, or unicorn, they were still friends, and species would not change that fact.

#my writing

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flauntpage · 6 years

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Sixers Season Preview, Over/Unders, and Pragmatic Predictions

Basketball is back.

We’re kicking off the NBA season with Sixers vs. Celtics on PRIME TIME NATIONAL TELEVISION, and no matter what happens tonight, you know the takes are going to be hot.

Everyone is going to have an opinion on Markelle Fultz and Brett Brown and Ben Simmons. Some of the takes will be good, more will be horrendous, and others will be neutral and pragmatic, which is what I’m going for. I’d even suggest that pragmatism IS a hot take in 2018, but that’s another column for another time.

More importantly, we’re going to have game footage to break down and analyze, and real quotes from real games. As much as I love preseason basketball, it’s time to get on with it and see what the Sixers actually have this year, as they kick it off against the Eastern Conference preseason favorite Boston Celtics, the team that knocked them out of the playoffs about five months ago.

I did the podcast with Russ last night and likened last season to a “gap year” one takes before or after college. You’re hitchhiking across America or backpacking in Kyrgyzstan, trying to find yourself and figure out what you want to do with your life. In that regard, 2017-2018 was a bridge connecting the end of the Process era to the beginning of something new and exciting. 52 wins was not what anybody expected, and at the end of the day I think most Sixers fans were more than happy with a second round playoff appearance, even if they were initially disappointed with the Celtics’ series loss.

It’s different this year. A second-round exit isn’t going to get it done. Anything short of the conference finals is a disappointment. Anything short of a top-three finish is a disappointment. Markelle Fultz coming out and failing to seek his shot would be a disappointment.

I know a portion of fans felt let down by the offseason because LeBron James, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard all went to other teams. Turns out LeBron and PG were never coming here in the first place and the asking price for Kawhi was too high, so the Sixers stood pat, improved the bench, and decided to run it back with a 52-win team. Even if one of those three players had come to Philly, you STILL needed to see internal growth and development from Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Markelle Fultz. Adding a high-priced free agent was not an automatic solution to the problems that lost you the Boston series, but a complementary move that would theoretically put you over the hump and into the NBA finals.

What the Sixers have right now is good enough, and here’s what I need to see from every player and the head coach if this squad is going to reach the NBA finals:

Joel Embiid:

It’s Joel vs. himself this year. Joel Embiid is the only person in the Eastern Conference who can stop Joel Embiid. If he stays healthy, locked in, and focused, 30 points and 10 rebounds per game is not out of the question. I’m okay with him stretching the floor and shooting a couple of three pointers here and there, but I need to see less pump faking at the top of the arc and more incisive low post and face-up work from the big man, who is coming off his first full and healthy preseason ever.

Ben Simmons:

We all thought the jump shot would be the improvement to his game in 2018, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Instead, the Sixers found ways in the preseason to get him low and high post mismatches, which resulted in him drawing fouls and putting stress on defenses in an off-ball manner. If Simmons continues to evolve his post game while showing he can facilitate from various positions on the floor, then he’s not going to have to shoot three pointers or 18 footers this season. Eventually that part of his game will start to sprout, but if Fultz turns out to be okay this year, Simmons doesn’t necessarily need to become Reggie Miller overnight.

Here’s a clip from May, when the Sixers were down 3-0 to the Celtics and installed T.J. McConnell at point guard. Simmons found a bit of success going into the post instead of running into a wall at the foul line:

Expect to see more of that this season.

Markelle Fultz:

Be assertive. Seek your shot. Don’t hide from the game.

That’s basically it. I think we all know what kind of talent Markelle has, and the ability to drive to the rim and do things off the dribble should add a dynamic element to the Sixers, one that was missing last year. I don’t think this has anything to do with physical tools or his basketball skill set, it’s all mental going into his sophomore season.

Dario Saric:

Keep grinding for rebounds under the basket and keep stretching the floor as the prototypical stretch four in Brett Brown’s offense.

Dario’s three point percentage improved by a whopping 8.2% last season and he was incredibly consistent and steady on most nights. If he ditches the rocker step and keeps the ball off the floor, where his handle is loose, he can be even better offensively this year. Defensively, he’ll be the weakest link on a top three team, but if his footwork improves he’ll hopefully be able to keep up with smaller players off the switch.

Robert Covington:

Needs more consistency shooting the three pointer and finishing at the rim, but his defensive toolbox is critical for the Sixers’ switching game. Cov is not Bruce Bowen out there, which is to say that he’s not a lock down 1v1 defender, but his versatility is the glue that holds the first unit together. If he can continue to disrupt passing lanes and steal the ball and slide up and down guarding twos and fours, he’ll again help this team finish top five in defensive rating.

JJ Redick:

Assume a new bench role playing staggered minutes that will eventually match you up with the first unit as the game progresses. Continue to develop that highly-positive 2/5 brush cut and dribble hand-off game with Joel Embiid and give the Sixers a threat in after timeout and called play situations.

I was a big fan of the Redick and Embiid two-way game last season, and the Sixers found a lot of success using these types of designs, especially in the latter stages of the year and into the playoffs:

Amir Johnson:

Hustle, grind, grab a few rebounds, lay off the hook shot, and provide 10-14 tough minutes off the bench every night backing up Joel Embiid.

Mike Muscala:

Emulate what Ersan Ilyasova was able to do last year, which is provide a backup stretch four option and a small ball complement to Dario Saric if the Sixers go with that look again. It’s critical that he shoots the three at a decent clip if he’s going to play power forward this season.

Wilson Chandler:

Give the Sixers two-way bite off the bench, or in a starting role if necessary. One of the key reasons the Sixers lost the Boston series is because the wing defense and depth was shallow last season, and Chandler is a veteran who should really help out in this area when healthy.

Zhaire Smith:

Watch Chandler and Covington and learn from them. You can never have enough two-way wings on your roster, and his growth will be key to battling the Celtics for the next several years. Trading Mikal Bridges was a gamble in my mind, because I felt like Bridges had a higher floor in year number one, while Smith has a bit more room to grow.

T.J. McConnell:

Keep doing what you always do. Mash underneath the rim, find the open teammate, harry and harass on defense, and continue to hit that short pull-up in the paint. It’s an interesting year for McConnell, who is on the last year of his contract but is probably the most known quantity off the bench this season.

Landry Shamet:

Make the most out of your minutes, continue with that smooth off the ball movement and seek that shot. I was impressed with Shamet in the preseason and hope he gets a chance this year.

Furkan Korkmaz:

Continue to look for that shot. Improve defensively. Furkan had a good summer with the Sixers and also playing for his national team, and he can be a legit shooting threat off the bench with Redick and Shamet this season.

Jerryd Bayless:

Make the most of your minutes if your name is called. We saw some solid moments from Bayless last year, namely the Denver game, and you can do worse than a ten-year veteran providing some stability off the bench if the younger pieces don’t step it up early in the season.

Jonah Bolden:

Absorb everything you can. Learn from Embiid, Saric, Johnson, and Muscala in practice. Settle in as a four or a five and be ready to step in if somebody goes down injured.

Brett Brown:

Stagger the power forward minutes and continue to show that small ball shooting look when necessary. Continue to get Redick involve in DHO and brush cut sets, evolve the successful horns set to show some different wrinkles, and identify high-percentage calls in late game situations. Yeah, the Sixers play a high-tempo transition game with a basic motion offense in the half court, but there are going to be times when you just have to slow it down a bit, especially when the score is close in the fourth quarter. Experiment with Markelle in the pick and roll if needed. Most importantly, look for counters to Boston’s intense perimeter pressure and find a way to crack them open this year.

Over/under and other bets

SugarHouse Sportsbook has the Sixers’ over/under listed at 54.5 wins.

FanDuel Sportsbook set the number at 53.5.

Those are pretty tight lines.

The 76ers finished 52-30 last season and won 16 straight to end the campaign, while only four teams total eclipsed the 54 win mark: the Raptors, Celtics, Rockets, and Warriors.

The schedule is tougher this year, with 7 of 10 on the road to end the season and the absence of myriad tanking cupcakes on the back end. One big positive, however, is the lack of heavy back-to-back dates, which became an issue last year due to the London trip sort of “smushing” the winter and spring schedule together on a smaller time frame.

That said, I don’t see much competition beyond Toronto and Boston in the Eastern Conference. Indiana is a solid team and Milwaukee will be improved with Mike Budenholzer taking over. Miami is just a team, Washington always finds a way to disappoint, and the Cavs are no longer the Cavs without LeBron James in town. I don’t see much at all beyond the top four or five in the east, while the west is the much tougher conference.

People will say that this team didn’t start ripping off wins until Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova came to town, and that’s true, but it’s less about what Marco and Ersan did and more about the fact that the Sixers had no bench whatsoever before that pair arrived. It’s not to take anything away from what they provided here, it’s just that the Sixers went from nothing to something in the depth department, so the bar was incredibly low to begin with. This year, you’re looking at Redick, Shamet, Korkmaz, Chandler, Muscala, and Smith off the bench in the early part of the year. That is a HEAVY upgrade over Bayless, Justin Anderson, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, and Trevor Booker.

I’ll hammer the over, but not really hammer it, I’ll tap the nail instead. I will go with 54 wins and a second-place finish in the Eastern Conference, which will play out like this:

Celtics

Sixers

Raptors

Pacers

Bucks

Wizards

Heat

Pistons

FanDuel is also offering the following futures that involve Sixers players:

6th man of the year: JJ Redick +1600

assist leader: Ben Simmons + 600

All Star selection: Joel Embiid -550, Ben Simmons -370

MVP: Joel Embiid +2200

Here’s how the Crossing Broad staff sees the season playing out, based on the O/U total of 53.5 from FanDuel:

Chris: I think the Sixers slightly improve from last year. Thanks to a weaker Eastern conference, the Sixers should benefit from it. I’m not too hot on the team reaching the East finals however. Sixers finish 54-28 (slightly over 53.5) and get the 3 seed again.

Tim: Sixers finish 55-27. I would take the over on the wins.

Phil: 48-34. They have lost useful veteran pieces from the back end of last season, Fultz’s introduction to the lineup is going to be bumpy, and the first round pick is hurt. Yeah, the East is terrible, but this is not a 50-win team.

Coggin: 57-25. HAMMER THE OVER.

Russ: The over/under of 53.5 is too high even for a team that finished on a 16 game win streak to close out the season. The Sixers are in my estimation the third best team in the East. Both Boston and Toronto have deeper rosters overall from 1-12, though admittedly the Sixers’ combo of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid is the only one to boast two of the top 5 players in the conference. The Sixers are going to have to take advantage of five games against a confusing Chicago Bulls team and a joke of a roster in Atlanta in those four matchups. We’ll find out a lot about this team and how valuable Markelle Fultz and his 6’9″ wingspan can be in defending Boston’s wings. I foresee some struggles as Dario, Ben, and Joel explore similar spaces on the floor while Fultz is manning the point. It’ll be a successful season, but this is by no means a 58 game winner. I have them in the 49-51 win range and that’s okay with me.

Kyle: Over. People are all down after a disappointing series against the Celtics, but we forget that heading into the playoffs the Sixers were nearly unbeatable. They were then partially derailed by Joel Embiid’s injury and inconsistent return. Regardless, they won 52 games with two young stars, and even though they had a very disappotining offseason, there’s no reason to think they shouldn’t improve by more than one game. I think we’re discounting how good both Embiid and Simmons could be, throw in a healthy Markelle Fultz, who almost by definition has nowhere to go but up, and it’s the Sixers and Celtics all day. 54 wins is the goal, but 56 wouldn’t surprise me. 60 wouldn’t shock me.

Jeff: I’ll take the under in light of the Fultz “experiment”, but not by much. 53-29.

Mike: Losing Belinelli and Ilyasova is going to hurt. No way Sixers would have won 16 straight games at end of season without them. No way Sixers would have let them walk if they didn’t think they were going to land a “Staaah”. Take the under. 50-32

…..

SugarHouse is also giving the Sixers +300 odds to win the win the conference, second only to Boston at -106.

Let’s play ball.

The post Sixers Season Preview, Over/Unders, and Pragmatic Predictions appeared first on Crossing Broad.

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shervonfakhimi · 6 years

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The Nerdtastic Blog Boy Unscientific NBA Mock Draft 1.0.

The NBA Draft takes place a little more than a week from now, where craziness and madness will surely ensue. Trades and draft picks will be made in hopes to catch the Golden State Warriors. No one knows what will happen and no one knows who is going to be great or who will bust. It is the ultimate guessing game, and I’m going to do my best at guessing it all.

1. PHX - DeAndre Ayton C Arizona: Chill, Devin Booker. It’s going to be a while before you become the next Shaq and Kobe, but you alongside DeAndre Ayton will be a killer duo that will finally bring Phoenix alive from the dead. Ayton is a 7 footer who runs like a gazelle and can score potently from anywhere on the floor. Protecting the rim could be a potential issue, as he dumbfoundedly spent the majority of his season in Arizona not playing his primary position as center (we call this the Sean Miller special), but showed some skill guarding on the perimeter. The hometown kid should be a homerun for Phoenix.

2. SAC - Luka Doncic PG/SF Real Madrid/Slovenia: It would be very Kings-y to pass on who I believe to be the best player in the draft, but there are reports he can possibly slip and that Sacramento is willing to trade back. Nevertheless, I’m willing to give Sacramento and Vlade Divac the benefit of the doubt of not messing this up, even though they’ve lost almost all credibility for me to do so. Luka is averaging over 20 points per 36 minutes in the 2nd best professional league in the world along with over 6 assists and 7 rebounds, per basketball reference. He is capable of creating a shot from anywhere on the floor for himself or others and can guard multiple perimeter positions with his size. He’s a steal even at 2, let alone anywhere below this spot. Don’t mess it up Sacramento!

3. ATL - Mo Bamba C Texas - Take care people. This man is over 7 feet tall with a 7’10” (an NBA record!) wingspan, is faster than Russell Westbrook and is equipped with a now smooth 3 point shot. Granted, everyone looks like Steph in an open gym, but not many are rim protecting extraterrestrials like this man is. If his appearance on ESPN’s ‘The Jump’ is any indication, Mo Bamba’s an extremely bright, hard-working, interesting person who seems more likely to improve than bust at the next level. He needs to get stronger, and I wish he played with a little more nasty at Texas, but if he keeps improving, Rudy Gobert with a legit 3 point shot seems nowhere near out the question with Mo Bamba.

4. MEM - Marvin Bagley III C Duke - Ahh Mike Krzyzewski. You had many to believe Jayson Tatum was not a good defender and made all us look silly. This year, you raised the stakes and forced Duke to run a zone all season long after getting shredded repeatedly defensively. Bagley is a streaky shooter (39% but in the 60s% from the free throw line) who should theoretically be able to guard about anybody in the now-positionless NBA, but did not showcase that as often. He is a menace finishing around the rim and would make a perfect fit alongside Marc Gasol in hi-low sets being set up for easy dunks.

5. DAL - Jaren Jackson Jr. PF Michigan State - Defense is not the question with Jackson, who showed potential of being able to guard everybody on the floor defensively and stretch the floor offensively from 3 (39.6% on 2.3 attempts per game, 79.7% from the Free Throw Line). Jackson struggled making the correct reads on the move and finishing in the lane, but should benefit from boosted spacing in the NBA instead of inexplicably playing with one or even two centers at Michigan State (this, we call, the Tom Izzo special), where he might be the nominal center on the floor. Jaren Jackson is exactly the personification of the positionless game the NBA has trended towards and should be able to fit in any situation from the jump. Keep in mind he’s one of the youngest players in the draft as well (born 9-15-1999). Maybe that’s why teams are trying to trade up to be able to draft him.

6. ORL - Trae Young PG Oklahoma - Trae Young was every NBA2K player’s dream, controlling the ball at all times and continuously jacking Curry-esque 3s from anywhere on the floor. Orlando is desperate for excitement and Young should bring that. Certainly his defense will need work and Orlando must create a scheme to fully maximize his skill set, but Orlando is in dire need of a point guard capable of creating offense from anywhere on the floor, and Young can certainly do that.

7. CHI - Wendell Carter Jr. C Duke - Contrary to popular belief, Wendell Carter Jr. is actually younger than fellow Devil teammate Marvin Bagley III, who reclassified to become eligible for this upcoming draft. Carter’s game is more complete than Bagley’s, perhaps without as high an upside. Like Bagley, Duke’s zone, limited spacing and, for some reason, excess in centers didn’t let Carter unleash his full repertoire, which he should do in the NBA. He and Lauri Markkanen would make a lethal big man duo.

8. CLE - Collin Sexton PG Alabama - Ok, who the hell knows what is going to happen here. Cleveland could trade for help now, maybe they could trade back to get more picks since LeBron excised almost all of them. Collin Sexton is the happy medium. The Young Bull can help right away with rugged defense (if Cleveland’s red carpet defense in the Finals was any indication, they need help there) and another ball handler who can create and give LeBron some rest.

9. NYK - Michael Porter Jr. SF Missouri - Michael Porter Jr. was supposed to be a lock inside the Top 5, but then injured his back and played all but two minutes in the regular season. He returned in the SEC and NCAA Tournaments, but looked more like a fullback rumbling into the end zone than the fluid scoring machine he is. Perhaps it is risky to draft another player with injury concerns after Kristaps Porzingis tore his ACL while baptizing Giannis Antetokounmpo, but this type of talent normally doesn’t come around with the 9th overall pick. Maybe redshirt him too?

10. PHI (via LAL) - Mikal Bridges SG Villanova - Mikal Bridges is probably my favorite player in this draft. He’s smart, plays hard, defends the best playmaker on the opposing team and can really stroke it from deep. He’s the perfect player for today’s NBA and would fit seamlessly as a guy who doesn’t need the ball on a team trying to win now.

11. CHA - Kevin Knox II SF UK - Get this: another player was hurt by the lack of spacing in the college. Surprising, I know. This hurt as Knox struggled a bit in traffic, but he has a smooth shot and game overall, as he became a maven running off screens and hitting spot up shots at Kentucky. Knox should be able to kill bigger defenders as a shot making stretch 4, though will have to add muscle to defend some of them.

12. LAC (via DET) - Lonnie Walker IV PG/SG Miami (FL) - This might end up being the steal of the draft. Lonnie Walker’s fit in Miami wasn’t the cleanest with a like-minded player in Bruce Brown running the show with him, but was still able to showcase an ability to hit spot up shots on the perimeter, get after it defensively and play make out of pick and rolls. Pair him next to a pass first point guard, and Lonnie could be this year’s Donovan Mitchell. Which leads to the next pick...

13. LAC - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander PG Kentucky - Shai came on in Kentucky’s postseason run, controlling the tempo of games the opposite way you’d imagine freshman point guards would. He’s a skinny Kyle Anderson with a better ability to make shots. He could easily end up being the best point guard in this draft, and the Laker fan in me hates the idea of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lonnie Walker IV running together in the same backcourt.

14. DEN - Miles Bridges SF Michigan State - If you were taking drinks for each time it was mentioned a player was used improperly, well get ready for another one. Tom Izzo stuck Bridges as a small forward and go to optio in the half-court offensively when that isn’t his strong suit. Picture him as an Aaron Gordon-Julius Randle hybrid running down the floor slamming outlet passes from Nikola Jokic. Pretty lethal if you ask me.

15. WSH - Robert Williams C Texas A&M - Get ready for another drink! Robert Williams is a Capela-esque rim running lob threat who amazingly was used in 16 pick and rolls all season! Only 9 (yes, 9!) of those possessions did Williams roll to the rim, per Mike Schmitz of ESPN. John Wall is one of the better pick and roll facilitators in the NBA, meaning Williams could feast on more of these in the NBA with spacing surrounding him.

16. PHX (via MIA) - Aaron Holiday PG UCLA - This dude is a baller. Similar to his brother Jrue, Aaron is a hound defensively who can also play both on or off the ball offensively. He’d make for a perfect fit alongside DeAndre Ayton, Devin Booker and Josh Jackson.

17. MIL - Zhaire Smith SF Texas Tech - With reports Jabari Parker may not get re-signed, it would be prudent for Milwaukee to draft his replacement. He only shot 1 3 a game, making 45% of those, but can switch seamlessly across the floor. He’s a great complement alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo.

18. SA - Kevin Huerter SG Maryland - Doesn’t he just seem like the ultimate Spur? Huerter showed at the combine some sneaky athleticism and playmaking along with his lethal jumper. He just had thumb surgery, but should not drop Huerter’s stock much, if at all.

19. ATL (via MIN) - Troy Brown SF Oregon - Troy Brown is one of the youngest players in the draft as well, turning 19 in over a month from now. He’s a little raw as a creator with the ball, but fits the bill of a wing in today’s NBA. There’s a lot to work with him for Atlanta.

20. MIN (via OKC) - Jacob Evans III SF Cincinnati - Evans is a tough, quintessential ‘3-&-D’ wing the NBA is starved for. I just hope Tom Thibodeau doesn’t run his knees to the ground so Jacob Evans sustains a long, fruitful career.

21. Utah - Keita Bates-Diop SF Ohio State - Bates-Diop is a mismatch nightmare as a long 6’7” wing who can score from either forward position and switch across the floor. Utah is a team that needs scoring from anywhere they can find it to help ease the load off Donovan Mitchell, and Keita should fit like a glove and contribute on both ends immediately.

22. CHI (via NOLA) - Chandler Hutchison SF Boise State - Chicago has reportedly promised Hutchison they’d take him at 22. Yes, I somehow took the time to watch Boise State basketball (no, the court isn’t blue too) and he resembled Tobias Harris; Hutchison showed he can score in isolation situations and play off the ball as well. Him rounding out a Dunn-LaVine-Hutchison-Lauri-Carter lineup could go a long way in Chicago.

23. IND - Bruce Brown PG/SG Miami (FL) - In the playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers this last April, Indiana was held back by a lack of competent offensive creators outside of Victor Oladipo and Darren Collison. Enter Bruce Brown, who didn’t mesh alongside Lonnie Walker due to the similar games those two possess. Brown can slash and hit spot-up shots and gets after it defensively. He can play now and help Indiana immediately.

24. POR - Jerome Robinson PG/SF Boston College - Portland is desperate for wings who can playmake and stretch the floor to give Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum room to operate. They could’ve gotten one last year (Kyle Kuzma) but took Caleb Swanigan instead after previously taking another big man in Zach Collins (thanks Portland!) Robinson could be exactly what Portland hoped to get out of Evan Turner and can play now to help get the Blazers into the Western Conference Finals.

25. LAL (via CLE) - Mitchell Robinson C Western Kentucky - The Lakers don’t have the 10th pick in this draft because of the botched Steve Nash trade, but got Cleveland’s pick back for Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson’s suit shorts (thanks Cleveland!). The Lakers lone centers on their rosters are Ivica Zubac and Thomas Bryant, and that doesn’t even include the fact that Julius Randle might end up becoming a roster casualty in their pursuit for 2 max free agents. Mitchell Robinson did not play college basketball in a rather befuddling saga involving him, but is a prototypical rim-running, rim-protecting center the NBA values from their centers these days. He’d fit perfectly along the Lakers’ young, roast heavy core.

26. PHI - Khyri Thomas PG Creighton - You want Patrick Beverley? You got it. Khyri is a hound defensively and would instantly bring a defensive skill set they lack at the guard position. He can play alongside both Markelle Fultz (if his shot is revived this summer) and Ben Simmons. Both Thomas and Mikal Bridges would do all the dirty work for Philly.

27. BOS - De’Anthony Melton PG USC - Marcus Smart might become too pricey for Boston to keep this summer. Should that be the case, why not prepare for that scenario and draft his replacement, a near carbon copy with a better shot? That’s what De’Anthony Melton needs, though he needs more seasoning after being ineligible for the FBI investigation that loomed over NCAA Basketball.

28. GS - Donte DiVincenzo SG Villanova - On April 2, 2018, the basketball world was introduced to a hot, rising star: Donte DiVincenzo’s twitter acc- uh, oh shit, no, I meant Donte DiVincenzo! Yes, the Villanova guard torched Michigan in the NCAA Championship game, securing me a win in our bracket pool. (*someone yells from the crowd: ‘No one gives a damn!’*) Ok fine, I’ll get to Donte DiVincenzo. He is very similar to fellow champion Mikal Bridges; he competes extremely hard, is very smart defensively, can hit tough shots from 3 and even create with the ball in his hands. As Golden State looks to trim the 6 million centers off their roster, they should search for more two-dimensional wings, which is what DiVincenzo is. He can play now and look for a repeat of championships of his own.

29. BKN (via TOR) - Josh Okogie SF Georgia Tech - Okogie took off at the NBA Combine. He’s big and feisty as a wing, able to guard anyone in his path. He’s raw with the ball in his hands, but still just 19 and could learn the ropes from DeMarre Carroll, who Brooklyn took on to extort this pick from Toronto. This would be a great pick for the Nets.

30. ATL (via HOU) - Anfernee Simons PG IMG - To close out the first round, we go to someone who was not even in college last season. Simons is sort of like a baby Markelle Fultz with less seasoning. His feel is not quite Fultz’, but possesses similar scoring ability from all levels of the court. Should Simons have gone to college, he likely would’ve gone higher next year. But nothing wrong with getting your money now. Atlanta is the perfect type of situation for him to enter to go through the growing pains of the NBA on a team right in the middle of their rebuild.

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buddyrabrahams · 6 years

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Most important match-ups in the Sweet 16

The Sweet Sixteen is so perfectly timed in the college basketball world. We spent last weekend ingesting unhealthy amounts of hoops at all hours of the day, cutting back on sleep, healthy habits, and appropriate levels of emotion. We all need the three day break to catch our breath, let the dust clear, and figure out where we go from here.

The Sweet Sixteen is not the sixteen best college basketball teams in America. Many of the best teams were bounced by buzzer-beaters or crazy comebacks. The Sweet Sixteen is simply a list of survivors. Some have title aspirations, while others are playing with house money. The important thing now though, is that every team can keep their momentum going. No team is doomed, out of it, or incapable of making the Final Four.

To do so, however, every team needs to exploit the match-ups and advantages in their favor. Here are the nine biggest match-ups that will determine winners on Thursday and Friday.

1. Texas Tech’s Keenan Evans vs. Purdue’s Carsen Edwards

As far as one-on-one match-ups in the Sweet Sixteen, this match-up of two of the best scoring guards in college basketball has to be considered one of the best. Evans and Edwards both give their teams an aggressive scorer, able to create with a ball screen or some free space on the wing. Both are capable shooters and passers, requiring tons of attention from opposing defenses.

If they actually guard each other, we could see both eager to test their opponent defensively. We could see them battle back and forth, with each fully able to get hot and take over the game. With the way both Edwards and Evans attack, foul trouble could be crucial. If either of these guards pick up early fouls trying to slow down their counterpart, the game could be drastically changed.

2. Villanova’s young players vs. West Virginia’s press

Beating West Virginia can be boiled down to breaking the Mountaineers’ pressure. If you can avoid turnovers and continue to get good shots on offense, West Virginia will struggle to match your scoring. That task is excessively easier said than done.

Villanova’s veterans have played in multiple NCAA Tournaments, with their older players having helped the Wildcats win a national championship in 2016. They have seen defenses as intense as West Virginia and played in bigger moments.

For some of the younger Wildcats, this game will be a real test. Donte DiVincenzo feels like he’s been at Villanova for years, but is only a sophomore, playing in the second weekend of the tournament for the first time in his career. Omari Spellman is just a redshirt freshman, about to face the nation’s best shot blocker in Sagaba Konate. Collin Gillespie has been impressive in his minutes as a freshman, but has never faced anything like West Virginia. Similarly, Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree has been a good energy guy, yet can’t be trusted with the ball against the Mountaineer press.

If those players can respond to the moment, Villanova will crack West Virginia’s defense and advance.

3. West Virginia’s Jevon Carter vs. Villanova’s Jalen Brunson

Elsewhere in that game, we’ll see a match-up of two of America’s best guards. Jalen Brunson is an elite floor general who has an incredible low-post game for a point guard, not to mention a silky outside jumper. Jevon Carter is, quite simply, the best perimeter defender in college basketball. Carter’s footwork and hand speed are unmatched.

Carter will find himself on Brunson for much of the game, with a chance to slow down Villanova’s best offensive creator. So much of Brunson’s success comes from head fakes, shot fakes, up fakes, and ball fakes that open lanes for him to score. Carter will need to be disciplined enough to ignore those fakes and force Brunson to go by him, over him, or through him to the basket.

How often Carter guards Brunson is also key. In the Mountaineers’ press, they look to double or trap. If Carter leaves Brunson, Villanova could find a more favorable match-up, like the tiny Beatle Bolden on Brunson, ripe for an attack on the block.

4. Duke’s zone vs Syracuse’s zone

College basketball is a volatile game, with 3-point shooting able to save or bury any team at any time. Just ask Arizona and Virginia.

Playing against an active zone defense can turn any team jump shot dependent. In the Midwest Region, two teams who now play zone will each try to force bad shots from outside.

Syracuse has been playing zone for years under Jim Boeheim. The Orange attack has grown legendary, especially in recent years as the zone has led mediocre Syracuse teams on deep runs in March. Michigan State was befuddled last weekend, settling for lackluster scoring opportunities. Against a Duke team with only two shooters, Gary Trent and Grayson Allen, the Orange will pack into the lane and dare the Devils to beat them over the top.

Meanwhile, Duke’s team defense was sloppy early in the year. Guarding the complicated schemes and actions seen in college basketball proved too difficult for Duke’s freshmen. Instead, Coach K moved to a zone and the Devils have played far better. The last time these two teams met, Duke played zone the whole game and held Syracuse to just 44 total points and only .69 points per possession.

5. Michigan’s Moritz Wagner vs A&M’s Tyler Davis and Robert Williams

Texas A&M derives so many of its advantages from having a large frontcourt. Davis and Williams are two of the tougher covers for any big man in college hoops. Davis is built like a truck, using his wide shoulders and hips to push for position on the block and on the glass. Williams is a springy athlete with quick feet for his size.

Michigan will ask Moritz Wagner to cover Davis or Williams for most of their match-up. He’ll need to hold his own in the rebounding battle and keep the Aggie big men away from easy baskets. Most importantly, he’ll need to do all of that while staying out of foul trouble.

Wagner is Michigan’s most versatile scorer and he will be able to make the Aggie frontcourt respond to his ability to hit outside shots.

6. Kansas State’s Dean Wade vs Kentucky’s defense

Kansas State has made a run into the Sweet Sixteen without the services of its leading scorer. Dean Wade has missed three consecutive games with a foot injury, yet the Wildcats have been able to win in his absence. This week, when asked if he’d play against Kentucky, Wade gave himself a “98 percent” chance of doing so.

Wade’s 16.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game make him a potential game-changer. Kentucky will need to focus their defensive game plan around Wade, without any recent tape off of which to base that game plan.

John Calipari might have superior athletes, but Bruce Weber can use Wade in a game of cat-and-mouse to test the young Kentucky defenders.

7. Loyola Chicago’s Clayton Custer vs Nevada’s bigger defenders

Loyola Chicago has advanced on two late game-winning buckets and the prayers of Sister Jean, but will need to take their game to another level to reach the Elite Eight. The Ramblers will face a Nevada team that needed just as much magic to make it this far, winning in overtime and a wild comeback in the first weekend.

For Loyola to succeed, Missouri Valley Player of the Year Clayton Custer will need to be aggressive and efficient with the ball in his hands. Custer is the straw that stirs the drink of the Rambler offense, in transition or patiently in the halfcourt.

Against Nevada, Custer will be challenged by longer, taller defenders. Nevada plays just one player under 6-foot-7 — guard Hallice Cooke, who is 6-foot-3. Custer is only 6-foot-1. His size held him back at Iowa State before he transferred down to the mid-major level. Custer may see more difficult match-ups than Cooke, with each of the Martin twins standing 6-foot-7, with long wingspans that would challenge Custer’s court vision and shooting release.

8. Kansas vs itself

Clemson is a good basketball team, as evidenced by its recent drubbing of Auburn in the round of 32. The Tigers will test Kansas in many ways and can win this game.

If Kansas plays at a high level though, Clemson is in trouble. When the Jayhawks are firing on all cylinders, almost no one in this tournament has a prayer of slowing Kansas down (even Sister Jean). With four shooters all fully capable of catching fire, Kansas can shoot its way to a blowout lead in any game. If all of those shooters are getting shots in the rhythm of the offense and making them, the Jayhawks are impossible to stop.

When they start to force shots or miss the looks they are getting, the Jayhawks plummet back to Earth. It sounds dismissive of Kansas’ opponents to say that the Jayhawks are really battling themselves, but if Kansas plays the perfect version of its own game, they can’t be touched.

9. Gonzaga’s Rui Hachimura vs the Florida State frontline

Gonzaga survived a first-round scare from UNC-Greensboro before topping Ohio State in an impressive second round win. Sophomore forward Rui Hachimura played vastly different in the two contests and was a large part of why the first round proved so difficult for the Zags.

Hachimura scored just 4 points on 1 of 6 shooting from the field against UNCG. He came out against Ohio State looking noticeably more comfortable and more energetic. Hachimura scored 25 points against the Buckeyes, on 9-11 shooting, and reached the free throw line 12 times. He also posted four blocks against Ohio State, after failing to turn away a single shot against UNCG. Clearly, his improved play had a major effect on the Zags.

Florida State has a more athletic and longer frontline than either of the teams Gonzaga has already faced in this tournament. Hachimura is the Zags’ best option for scoring and activity on their interior against a lineup like the Seminoles. If Mark Few and his staff can put Hachimura in a position to succeed, the Zags likely return to the Elite Eight this weekend.

Shane McNichol covers college basketball and the NBA for Larry Brown Sports. He also blogs about basketball at Palestra Back and has contributed to Rush The Court, ESPN.com, and USA Today Sports Weekly. Follow him on Twitter @OnTheShaneTrain.

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celticnoise · 6 years

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BRENDAN RODGERS didn’t speak to the media yesterday ahead of tonight’s Glasgow derby at Celtic Park against Patrick Thistle. Instead his Assistant Chris Davies spoke about the game against the Jags and about the significance of the run that Celtic were on that ended so emphatically at Tynecastle on Sunday afternoon.

Brendan was in London on transfer business and Chief Executive Peter Lawwell was alongside him with the target a Chelsea star that the manager has wanted to bring to Celtic for a while.

On my flight back to Glasgow from London! Signing talks went well! Big John K’s out and I’m in as coach carter!!! #suicides #fitness http://pic.twitter.com/Dk0irfrObx

— Shaun Dillon (@ShaunDillon3) December 19, 2017

Chris Davies, certainly feels that we will never see the like again as The Invincibles achievement was totally unique, a once in a lifetime event. Davies believes that the 69 game unbeaten run had more to it than simply the outcome of the action on the field in all of those matches.

“It’s about putting that in perspective. We did something extremely unique and you have to think, ‘what was different about us?’.

“In the last 100 years, there have been a lot of good players and teams – and they’ve never managed to achieve what we did,” he said.

“It couldn’t just be our quality as players, to score goals, save shots or pass the ball. There had to be something more to it.

“I think about our team values, spirit and unity. When people ask us later in our lifetimes about what the difference was, because it can’t just be football, that togetherness and spirit is ultimately what the difference is.”

And while Davies is happy to admit that he’ll never see such a run again from ANY team in his lifetime, he is all set to have a go at proving himself wrong, starting tonight to make it one down and 69 to go. Could a repeat run be on?

“Only in the sense that it was never our focus.

“So it’s really about the now, it’s about us doing our work, trying to win the next game and being at our best every day and what happened was soon we were beating the Lisbon Lions unbeaten record.

“Then before you knew it we were coming close to the British record.

“It was just a consequence of not thinking about it and doing our best. So there’s no reason why we can’t go on another run.”

Davies doesn’t buy the argument that many supporters have expressed that the run was holding back the side’s form, in their desperation to avoid defeat the offensive shackles were on and the team wasn’t playing as freely as you would expect from the league leaders and clearly the best side in the country.

If that theory is correct then sides like Thistle, Aberdeen, Dundee and Sevco Rangers had good reason to worry ahead of the winter break.

But Davies isn’t so sure.

“In the time I’ve been here there has been an expectancy and pressure in every single game.

“That is one of the conditions of playing for a massive club. You are under pressure every game.

“We are used to playing under that pressure. You think about all arenas where we have had to win, cup finals and the like.

“We embrace it. And now we can start a new run.”

Tynecastle was memorable from a Celtic point of view, the abject performance from the defence in particular, the post match huddle and the wonderful acknowledgement for the side from Celtic’s amazing away support who stood with the team in defeat as they had done mostly in victory and one or two draws on the way into the record books.

For Davies though the immediate concern was to look again at what had happened in Sunday’s defeat and learn from it.

“We always analyse games, either collectively or in units. The players will sit and watch and discuss it. That’s a really healthy process.

“There is a lot of disappointment that we lost the game. Away from the unbeaten run, there was a frustration that we lost a match.

“It is about moving on and being positive. There are a lot of positives to focus on and we have a lot to look forward to in the next couple of weeks. And a lot to look forward to in 2018.

“We analyse things we could have done better as part of a normal process. Then we look forward to the Partick game.”

Rodgers of course is set to complete a move for Marvin Compper, a much needed experienced central defender today and if the whispers are correct his absence from the press conference yesterday are correct then we could also be seeing the arrival of Charly Musonda from Chelsea on an 18 month loan deal similar to the initial arrangement Celtic reached with Manchester City for Paddy Roberts.

Charly has been on Rodgers’ radar for quite some time and it seems that he may have at last got his bhoy.

Davies stressed that a strong defence was as important to Rodgers as the attacking options, just as the Irishman is set to improve on both aspects of the squad.

“I’ve worked with the manager for a long time and his philosophy always starts with the defence. It’s the foundation of how we play.

“The first thing we spoke about when we came to Celtic was defending and to get that base right and then build the attacking play.

“In order to attack successfully, you need that base in order. That has been our focus.

“Defenders have had to deal with isolated actions and these are the things that are highlighted.”

So it’s onto the Thistle game where the Jags will face a Celtic side determined to start beating their own historical records.

Remember though, if you want to show your appreciation for the Invincibles, STAND UP FOR THE CHAMPIONS on the 69th minute tonight!

*There’s still time to get a signed copy of Jim Craig’s new Lisbon Lion Diary, Right Back to 67, in time for Christmas. And we will also give you a free copy of That Season in Paradise, signed by fellow Lisbon Lion Willie Wallace. Just order Right Back to 67 today at http://ift.tt/1Mr7wbF

Get a SIGNED copy of Jim Craig – Right Back to 67 & you will also receive a copy of That Season in Paradise signed by fellow Lisbon Lion Willie Wallace. Both for just £18.88 inc FIRST CLASS post TODAY! Last chance for this offer, we have only 8 left. https://t.co/1Dn24pdMeA http://pic.twitter.com/k24yEnU3kb

— CQN Magazine (@CQNMagazine) December 20, 2017

http://ift.tt/2CJRv3M

#CelticNoise #Celtic #CelticFC #CelticQuickNews

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auburnfamilynews · 7 years

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Fans outside the stadium, the official Jordan-Hare time is...

With things really shaping up practice-wise, we’re nearing the two week mark of the Countdown to Kickoff. Fifteen days away. Odd number, and there are only a couple games in history in which Auburn has won while scoring that many points.

1988 - Auburn 15, Alabama 10

Auburn finished up a frustrating 1988 regular season with a win over the hated rivals in the final game in the continuous streak of Iron Bowls held at Legion Field.

From 1948-1988 the game would be held in Birmingham, but this was the last time in that string, since the game would move to Auburn the next season.

The Tigers came in ranked 7th, and ended up grabbing one big play thanks to Lawyer Tillman when they really needed it.

Tillman’s big catch set up Auburn’s only touchdown of the day, a Vincent Harris burst into the end zone that gave the Tigers a 15-3 late in the third quarter. Bama scored a touchdown of their own with just a few minutes left, but Auburn recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock. Ron Stallworth recorded four sacks in the win, as well as thirteen total tackles as the Tigers won their third straight Iron Bowl.

1957 - Auburn 15, Mississippi State 7

Auburn’s defense wilted as much as they had all season as the Tigers beat the Bulldogs, who were one of the better squads Auburn would face in their championship season of 1957.

The defense allowed a touchdown for just the third time that year, as they’d given up scores UT-Chattanooga and Houston in blowout wins earlier in the season. This was the first time the defense allowed any points in what would turn out to be a close game. Other than this win, the Tigers had shut out Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia Tech, and Florida to reach a 6-0 record by the time Mississippi State came in.

Auburn would of course finish the year 10-0, allowing just one more touchdown on the year (against Florida State in a 29-7 win), and thrashing Alabama 40-0 to win the national championship.

15 Years Ago - 2002

After falling apart down the stretch of the 2001 season, losing three straight to end the year, Auburn began 2002 with new blood on the coaching staff. They’d grabbed an offensive coordinator from the pro ranks (Jacksonville’s Bobby Petrino), and a defensive coordinator from the college levels (UCF’s Gene Chizik).

They’d also begin the year unranked but with an opportunity to test themselves with a young, but talented offense out in Los Angeles. Auburn opened the year at USC in the first part of a home and home agreement, wherein the Trojans would visit the Plains in 2003.

Starting Daniel Cobb once again, the Tigers also rolled out an improved Cadillac at the Coliseum. Carnell Williams rushed through the USC defense with ease... for a half. Then he cramped up and Auburn’s offense went in the dumps. In the end, Carson Palmer led a game-winning drive to take a 24-17 lead in the final two minutes, and Auburn wouldn’t be able to respond. The Tigers dropped the opener to fall to 0-1.

Things got easier in the next few weeks, though, as Auburn romped past Western Carolina, Vanderbilt, and Mississippi State for easy wins before the Syracuse Orange came to town.

For one, this was a fantastic game. It spawned the name of SB Nation’s Syracuse site when they quarterback Troy Nunes scrambled around and the ESPN announcer exclaimed “Troy Nunes is an absolute magician!” And it impressed the hell out of one Syracuse writer in particular.

Believe me on this. Please. I have descended into college football’s Grand Canyon. I have stood in its Alps. I have gazed at its ocean sunset. I have attended a game at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. And I’ve been changed forever.

That’s an excerpt from Bud Poliquin, in his piece written after attending the game. Certainly, that sentiment was helped out by the fact that it was a double-overtime thriller win for the Tigers, where Cadillac rushed for 200 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including the overtime winner. Still, it’s a feeling we can all agree on.

Sitting at 4-1, Auburn felt pretty good. Then came the DREADED 11 AM home game against Arkansas. I have no idea how these seemed to happen year after year, but the Tigers had trouble all the time with the Pigs, and in 2002 it birthed the legend of some little scatback named Fred Talley. He just ran by my window, by the way.

Auburn hit the skids hard, allowing 241 yards to Talley, 426 total to the Hogs, and fell 38-17. The Tigers actually led 17-14 with two minutes to play in the first half, but Fred Talley went 80 yards just before the horn and that was all she wrote. 4-2.

The next week, Auburn had to regroup and go down to Gainesville to meet Florida. Steve Spurrier was gone, headed to the NFL to try his hand with the Washington Redskins, and in his place was longtime Gator assistant Ron Zook. Rex Grossman was back for his junior season, and the Gators were alright, although not nearly as powerful as they had been a year earlier when Auburn tripped them up on the Plains.

Trailing 14-0, Auburn ran Cadillac up the middle, and the Tigers’ star tailback would not get up. Broken leg. Broken DREAMS. Things seemed dire for Auburn, but in stepped a guy who’d become an even more highly-regarded draft pick than Cadillac. Let’s head to fourth and one with a big deficit.

Side note: Ron Zook made the best facial expressions — check him out right after Ronnie Brown scores.

If you watch that video, you can see the moment where the Riverboat Gambler moniker probably took a fatal blow for Tuberville. He was this edgy guy, calling weird things on fourth downs, and it typically worked out for him. Until Damon Duval entered the picture.

Conspiracy theorists will point to this game and tell you that Duval and Tuberville hated each other and this was Duval’s way of getting back at the coach. It’s hard to disagree after watching him run right into a tackler, instead of cutting outside to grab a few yards and a key fourth down conversion.

It’s also hard to disagree when later he kicks the game-winning field goal into the rear end of the offensive lineman in front of him.

Auburn lost in overtime 30-23, and sat at 4-3. Cool. Still, we did have the emergence of Ronnie Brown, and that was nice. He ran for 163 yards in relief of Cadillac that night and cemented himself as the starter heading into the next game.

Another thing to note from the loss in Gainesville is that is was a complete reversal of the season before. Jason Campbell came in to spell Daniel Cobb, nearly completed the comeback, and made himself the starter. The much-maligned sophomore would get his next starting chance against LSU at home.

On a rainy day on the Plains, Nick Saban brought in his second Bayou Bengal squad for what turned out to be a double-revenge game. After the Cigars in 1999, LSU beat Auburn in Death Valley in 2001, but now Tubs needed revenge on Saban.

It happened.

Auburn picked off four Marcus Randall passes and found another tailback named Tre Smith (more on him later), as they routed LSU 31-7. Things were suddenly right back on track.

At 5-3, the next stop for Auburn came in Oxford against a potent Ole Miss team led by Eli Manning. Auburn had beaten the Rebels twice in a row, and gave them a heavy dose of Ronnie Brown at Vaught-Hemingway. Brown rumbled for 224 yards and three touchdowns as Auburn intercepted three Manning passes in winning 31-24.

With an easy win over Louisiana-Monroe the next week, Auburn sat pretty at 7-3 with a huge game against the all-of-a-suddenly good Georgia Bulldogs coming to town for the start of Amen Corner.

Georgia had started 8-0 in Mark Richt’s second season, but lost to Florida because that’s what Georgia did back in the day. Still, sitting at 9-1, they were in line for a trip to the BCS Championship Game if certain things fell their way. But on this day, Auburn would open up hot and play with one of the best teams in the country.

Ronnie Brown got the scoring started with a 53-yard scamper in the first quarter, then Jason Campbell hit Brandon Johnson on a short touchdown pass to give the Tigers a 14-3 lead at halftime. In the second half, however, Georgia started to come back. David Greene’s quarterback sneak got the Bulldogs their first touchdown, then they cut the Auburn led to 21-17 late in the third quarter.

The fourth was mostly scoreless until the final two minutes, when Georgia began to drive. Auburn looked as if it had a desirable situation, pitting Georgia into a 4th-and-15 at the Tiger 19-yard line. David Greene dropped back, lofted the ball right into the corner of the end zone in front of the students, and Michael Johnson pulled it down for the go-ahead score. 24-21, Georgia won.

To make matters worse, Ronnie Brown had sprained an ankle during the second half, and Brandon Johnson suffered an injury as well. As high as Auburn had been at the break, it was now all gone. A big comeback win for Georgia had broken our hearts and now we’d get to go watch our boys get beaten by Alabama without our workhorse in the backfield.

About that...

Nobody gave the Tigers a chance heading into Tuscaloosa. Everyone thought Bama would get its first win at its actual home stadium against Auburn. The Tide, although on probation for excessive and rampant cheating, were a top ten team and boasted one of the best rushing attacks in the country. Auburn was doomed.

Until they showed that they weren’t afraid from the very first drive.

Auburn wouldn’t score there, but it set the tone. With Ronnie Brown out of the game, Auburn turned to Tre Smith at the tailback spot. He performed alright.

Smith ran for 126 yards on the day, and Jason Campbell threw two touchdowns to Robert Johnson. Auburn opened up a 17-0 lead and only allowed a touchdown when the game seemed to be well in hand. 17-7 final, Auburn had won in Tuscaloosa again.

Things got worse for the Tide after this, as Dennis Franchione left to take the Texas A&M job (what a time to be alive), and Alabama ran through embarrassment after embarrassment in trying to find a suitable head coach after that. It took them a few years.

Auburn earned a bid to the Capital One Bowl (the old Citrus Bowl), and went to play Penn State. Now, I had watched the Nittany Lions beat Auburn in the Outback Bowl back on New Year’s Day 1996, and I cried in my little Auburn uniform I’d received for Christmas. There would be no crying on this day. Ronnie Brown outdueled Heisman finalist Larry Johnson 184 yards to 72 yards, and Auburn won the game 13-9 to finsih 9-4 on the year.

With the way the Tigers had finished -- winning five of six, beating three top ten teams, and nearly knocking off Georgia -- everyone was sure we were in for something special in 2003. Oh. We were.

Coming Up: Great Expectations

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junker-town · 7 years

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The Porter brothers make Missouri college basketball's most fascinating team

Missouri basketball has its big chance with 5-star brothers Michael and Jontay Porter.

One of the joys of college basketball is just how quickly the national landscape can change in the course of a single year. It seems like every season gives us a team that becomes fascinating overnight by pairing the right freshmen with the right coach at the right time.

UCLA was the best example of this last season, winning 16 more games than the year before thanks in large part to the brilliance of Lonzo Ball. The season before that gave us a team that felt just as intriguing but never reached its potential: the 2015-16 Cal Bears.

This was when Cuonzo Martin pulled one of the great recruiting coups of the decade by pulling a pair of consensus top-10 freshmen in Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb. Martin even got Brown to pay his own way to check out campus because he had already used up his five official visits. With Brown and Rabb joining a strong veteran cast led by Tyrone Wallace, Jordan Mathews and Jabari Bird, Cal instantly became one of the country’s most intriguing teams.

For many reasons, it didn’t work out. Wallace was limited by injuries, Brown was inefficient as a go-to scorer and the team didn’t get much from its centers. The Bears were still a No. 5 seed heading into the NCAA tournament when disaster struck: Wallace and Bird each suffered injuries after the bracket was announced and Cal was promptly upset by Hawaii in the opening round.

That Cal team feels like the best touchstone for the overnight sensation of the upcoming season: the Missouri Tigers. Martin is again the coach. Michael Porter Jr. is the star freshman and the potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. There’s another blue chip recruit at center in Jeremiah Tilmon. And now we officially know the Tigers have added third elite freshman in the front court in Michael’s younger brother Jontay Porter.

Mizzou has missed the NCAA tournament the last four years. Last season, the team finished just 8-24. There’s no denying the talent that’s now in place in Columbia. The question is, can they win?

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Will Martin go big or small?

The biggest question for Mizzou heading into the season is how Martin will arrange his lineups. His experience with a similar Cal team two years ago could guide him.

You can make an easy argument that Cal failed to reach its ceiling in part because Martin rarely played small. Instead of putting Rabb at the five and Brown at the four, Martin played with traditional centers Kameron Rooks and Sam Singer on the court for the majority of the season. His choice won’t be any easier this year with the makeup of his roster at Mizzou.

With Jontay Porter in the fold, Martin could go with a three-freshman front line of Tilmon, Porter and Porter. It makes sense on paper: Tilmon was one of the top center recruits in the class, Jontay has the size (6’10, 240 pounds) and shooting ability to act as a stretch four and Michael has the skill set of a wing. It’s just fair to wonder if this is Martin’s best way to maximize his roster.

It all comes back to Michael Porter Jr., who might be the single most talented player in the country. Martin should do everything he can to put him in the best position to succeed. That’s likely at power forward and not on the wing where his athleticism will be able to shine against slower opponents.

Porter probably thinks of himself as a wing, but there’s no question he’ll be slid up the lineup as his career goes on. He looks even taller than the 6’10 he’s listed at. Just look at him next to Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns:

Posted with my bro @karltowns

A post shared by Michael Porter Jr. (@mpj) on Jul 22, 2017 at 3:12pm PDT

Michael Porter would be great on the wing, but he can be even better at the four. Offensively, at least.

Can a Porter-Porter front line hold up defensively?

With Jontay’s shooting and Michael’s combination of skill and athleticism, the Tigers should have a great offense. Jontay feels like a perfect front court partner for Michael because he can really stretch the floor. He made 43 percent of his threes this season on Nike’s EYBL circuit. All the question marks come on the defensive end.

Asking two freshman to anchor the interior of a defense is a heavy burden no matter how talented they are. Jontay will have make sure his conditioning is where it needs to be and try to improve his lateral quickness. Michael will have to answer questions about his toughness by becoming a dependable rebounder and adding some supplemental shot blocking. The good news for the Tigers is that Martin always finds a way to get his teams to defend.

The Bears finished in the top 20 in defensive efficiency each of the last two seasons. Putting all that size on the floor has its benefits. The only problem is that Cal couldn’t even muster a top-50 offense with Brown and Rabb in 2015-16. Part of that is because Martin’s teams typically play a slow pace. Part of it is because find balanced lineups that can compete on both of the floor is the toughest job for any coach.

How good can the role players be?

Mizzou took its lumps with young teams under Kim Anderson the last few years. The upside of that is now the team has some veterans to surround their star freshmen.

Former Texas transfer Jordan Barnett led Mizzou in scoring last season at 12.2 points per game. Now a senior, Barnett will be counted on to add some supplemental scoring alongside the Porters. He can be a major weapon if he can improve his three point shot after hitting just 30 percent of his triples last year.

Kevin Puryear is another productive veteran. He put up 11.8 points and six rebounds per game last season as an undersized big man. Martin will have to figure out a way to fit him into the lineup with Tilmon and the Porters. There’s also returning guard Terrence Phillips, who averaged after 10 points per game last year and shot 35 percent from three.

There are some other intriguing newcomers, as well. Kassius Robertson is a 23-year-old transfer from Canisius who hit 41 percent of his threes on seven attempts per game last year. Blake Harris and CJ Roberts are freshmen point guard who ranked No. 122 and No. 174 in the class of 2017, respectively.

This is Mizzou’s big chance

If Martin stays at Mizzou, it’s a safe assumption the Tigers will continue recruiting well. It’s also fair to say that it’s never getting better than the roster they has this season.

Michael Porter Jr. could be a generational talent and he’ll only be at the college level for one year. Jontay Porter is a legit five-star in his own right and a great fit next to his brother. Martin has to regret how things ended with Brown and Rabb two seasons ago at Cal. This is his golden opportunity to make up for it.

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itdisneymatter · 7 years

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Day 09 - Seaworld & Universal

TLDR: Seaworld this morning. Lunch pretty much inside a Shark aquarium. Amazing experience! Hit a few Roller Coasters including Manta which we've done before and Kraken which we haven't. Met some penguins and seen Killer Whales and Dolphins do all sorts of clever stuff. Finished up in Seaworld. Started Universal Studios. Done some Simpsons stuff, Robert won a ball, I won MIB (again) and we rounded things off with Escape from Gringott’s and buying wands in Diagon Alley. Absolutely packed day but it was excellent!

It seems like as time goes on, it's a little more difficult to wake up each day, especially sleepy-head Grace who proclaimed she was awake during the night and only got ONE minute of sleep! :P What I will say is even with the 17hr days, the weather and the rest does make a difference and makes you feel a whole lot better in general - I've been suffering from intermittent headaches of late, but haven't really had any since I left.

We're just on our own today for Seaworld so no pickups required (which means no coffee unfortunately :( ) , and as Seaworld is not far down the road, we were in the park within about 30 minutes of leaving the room. We picked up a big litre cup with unlimited refills for around 20 bucks when we got in the park. Not only does it do free refills but it does free Icee refills (which is kinda like Iceblasts) so for this alone I would pay double. The cup had lots of facts and figures on it too like Mako, the longest and fastest roller coaster in Orlando, to reach speeds of 73mph and heights or around 200ft... :| Yeah I'll maybe pass on that one thanks.

We were a littler later to the park that intended so we headed for the Sharks Encounter, the restaurant we had booked for lunch. This place had a huge aquarium on the far wall filled with loads of sharks! And Ann got us a table right at the side of the tank - awesome! We got carried away watching the sharks and other fish and taking loads of photos that we forgot at times we were in there to have lunch. And what do the serve at a restaurant which has sharks literally swimming around it? Seafood! When we finally did order, I went for the Lobster Bisque which was a pretty damn good soup (and the best thing I had in there), and some tempura prawns with sticky rice. Ann went for the mussels and then Seafood pasta. Food was pretty good in general - though the kids didn’t seem to have an appetite (well except Patrick I don’t think there is any time he doesn’t have an appetite). The kids still loved it though, due to the amazing views.

Coasters, Cuties & More Coasters

So we had Manta next, which after a huge (HUGE!) lunch, was probably not the best thing to be doing. Patrick & wee GG weren’t in for it so Ann had to take Roller Coaster Robert first, while I waited with the kids then did Child Swap when they returned. It meant Robert go to go twice which he loved (though Patrick was getting bored and may have regretted his decision NOT to ride Manta). I've been on this one before and its brilliant but just as were due to board we were hit with technical difficulties and they had to stop the ride, which when you have a full stomach of seafood, doesn’t fill you with the greatest of confidence. Last row when we finally did board which Robert said was the fastest, and it certainly did go fast, but it was still awesome!

In stark contrast we then visited the wee baby Penguin Puck over at Empire of the Penguin. Easy going ride even if we chose the wild side, and is one of Gracie's favourite rides - she even brought her own wee Penguin cutie (our name for TY Beanies) along for the ride. Nice ride but the highlight is when you finish and you get to meet real life penguins in their own environmental conditions (which is freakin' freezing!).

Now here’s another comparison photo from today...

And fours years ago (on the exact same day as it happens)...

Ain’t she just the cutest??? :D Anyway, The Kraken next, the one I was waiting for - a 3D VR experience on a huge roller coaster (or under the sea in the VR world). Me and Ro on this one and Ann was feeling too well and the other weren’t interested. Essentially all you see and hear is what's on the VR headset you are wearing while at the same time riding an actual coaster through big drops, banks, turns and loops (running at a top speed of 65mph according to my cup). We have a less than used PS VR at home and I love it, so this was going to be fantastic! Or at least I thought. Unfortunately my visuals reset their orientation so I was going one way but being shown another, very disorientating and not a very pleasant experience at all. A little disappointed but Robert had a good time on the ride which is all that matters really.

Its Showtime!

After that we had to run to the other end of the park to reach the Orca show - this one being Ann's pick of the day. A number of Killer Whales doing all sorts of things and really good to see a big push on education about care and conservation of these mammals within the Seaworld programme. Gracie loved this and she was shouting and screaming whenever the Orca and I think she couldn’t have stayed in the same spot for the next few shows.

And once that was done we then crossed to the other end of the park (AGAIN) to catch the the last Dolphin show of the day. Show times really screw with your park flow at times! Slightly different from before as there wasn’t really any birds or high wire stuff to speak of - they just really concentrated on the Dolphins and there were quite a few of them. This time, the family wanted to sit in the Splash zone, which they did, though I opted for a higher vantage, not to avoid the water, well just to avoid the water getting on to my camera. It turned out they didn’t really get soaked which Gracie wasn’t too happy about and she wanted to do it again so she could get bigger splashes!

Homer & Harry

It was late afternoon at that point and we did all of the things we wanted to do, so decided to call it a day. We missed a few animal encounters and one or two of the later shows but as we have free parking ticket we could pop down for a quick visit one evening if we wanted to. We though at that point it would be a good idea to head to Universal Studios (to catch up on a few of the rides we missed the other day), for the last few hours instead of turning in early. It was exceptionally hot today though (over 100 degrees) and no rain for the first time in a while, so we popped back to the hotel room, which was on the way, for a quick shower and change. It was just after 6pm so no parking fee - result, we might just need to do this more often! We got into the park relatively quickly, though there were still loads of folk going in, and went the opposite direction to the way we normally go to hit The Simpsons first. We stopped by Doc Browns train for a quick pic before getting to our destination.

When we go to The Simpsons ride it started raining!!! That's like the third time in a row (including the last visit two eyars ago), when it started raining when we get to this point in the park - its bizarre! The Simpsons sheltered us from most of it which was good as we were only packing my camera and left the rainjackets at the hotel room to save carrying an extra bag. The Simpsons though even though it replaced my most favouritest ever ride - Back To The Future - you cant fault it, hysterical family fun.

With the rain not really coming to anything, though we still had to occasional claps of thunder, we stopped to grab the boys a bite to eat in the form of a Krusty Burger, while I took Grace on Kang & Kudos, a wee fairground type ride going round and round and up and down in spaceships. We were travelling in a spaceship called Citizen Kang (they all had punny names), and Grace was the primary pilot on this one. I also took a nice wee video and a few photos on my phone but got reprimanded while I was on the ride so had to switch it off :(

Before we left The Simpsons land, Robert wanted to have a shot on the Basketball stall. He LOVES basketball and is pretty good at it, even having inherited both his parents shortish genes. Shooting 1-3 hoops got you a specific prize, and he wanted a new Basketball, which was two hoops. BAM! First one went in right off the rim. That's a winner right there! Next one he missed. It was all down to the final ball to get him his preferred prize. We told him to take it calm and line up the shot (like my advice on Basketball is any good, but I need to try). It went up.... and IN! Woot! Well done Roro, he got the ball he wanted and was all happy with himself and so he should be!

Next one was one of my faves, Men In Black! A shooting game were you score points by shooting aliens and win enternal glory among your family. After Toy Story the other day I had this one in the bag though Ann seemed to think she was going to give me a challenge. Well let the scoreboard do the talking shall we? :P

GG: 209,875 (ka-POW! :P)

PG: 20,750

Roro: 19,725

Ann: 11,525

Wee GG: 7425

Our final area was Diagon Alley and we didn’t have a lot of time left before the park closed so managed to get on to Escape from Gringotts which had a low wait time due to the time it was. We were waiting to go in and at that moment the Dragon on top of Gringotts sent out a fireball and Gracie literally jumped out her skin. It was really funny but she didnt think so (Im pretty sure shell laugh at it later ; ) This ride is great and the journey to getting on the ride is equally as great, through the bank, passing goblins and moving painting along the way, getting to see Bill Weasley give a wee intro and then down a huge elevator before putting on the required 3D glasses and boarding the minecart. Special effects match that of Forbidden Journey with a few extra characters inc luding Bellatrix and Voldemort thrown in. A definite ride we will be returning to when we visit the park again in the next few days.

Expelliarmus!

We had been planning to pick up some Harry Potter wands and we had a few minutes before heading home to pop into Ollivander’s which was pretty quiet (its usually not). The kids picked interactive wands this time, and allow they didn’t get an opportunity to use them this evening, well bring them back and do a full afternoon of Harry Potter goodness. We have a few wands already so Gracie opted for Ginny's, Robert her brother Ron & Patrick picked Snape's (without missing a beat). They all got they own wee wands bags and they skipped out of the shop and down Diagon Alley to head for home.

In preparation for a late night blog update (its been a long day), I picked up a Starbucks Toasted Coconut Cold Brew (which tasted real good), as the others popped into Transformars for the last five minutes in the park (I think they were the last ones on for the day).

Still not satisfied with getting to the exit without doing anything else we popped in a wee cult classics shoppy to look at the comics and memorabilia. I opted for Harley Rebirth Vol.1 and Patrick, The Killing Joke Noir - a really really nice book and Patrick go into a Joker lore conversation with the attendant who was even geekier than me. Exhausted we finally reached the exit and through Citywalk and as we passed the Cinema, Robert asked if we could go see the new Despicable Me movie as we missed it the other night. 10:30 at night and he wants to go to the pictures! LOL!

Tomorrow well have our first real water park (finally, say the kids) before heading off to Magic Kingdom in the eve for some Fireworks fun. And Patrick don’t impart any of his wisdom on us today so Ill make sure he gives us double for tomorrow's update! :) See ya.

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