#Darren R. Webb

[thebutcher-5]

Il gatto con gli stivali

Benvenuti o bentornati sul nostro blog. Nello scorso articolo abbiamo parlato di un film live-action molto interessante e particolare, un film diretto da una delle registe più interessanti degli ultimi anni che ha già fatto delle opere magnifiche, Ana Lily Amirpour. Il film in questione è Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon. Mona Lisa è una ragazza che per 12 anni è rimasta rinchiusa in un manicomio in…

[junker-town]

The NFL’s best remaining free agents

Many of the top names have already agreed to deals, but as free agency officially begins, these are the top names available.

The NFL’s official start to their new league year is here, but due to the league’s negotiating or “legal tampering” period, many of the big-name free agents are already off the market. That’s because the negotiating period allows agents and teams to enter into contract talks even though pen cannot be put to paper until the start of the new league year.

Last year was a frenzy during the negotiating period, with most of the top players gone by the time the market actually opened. A whole bunch of deals were cemented right at 4 p.m. ET when the league year started, and that’s the case this year as well. Players can continue negotiating with other teams after agreeing in principle to a new deal — nothing is final until the contract is signed and submitted to the league office. But once something is reported as a done deal, there is minimal flip-flopping.

It’s likely this trend — the biggest players agreeing to deals before free agency actually starts — will continue.

That said, there are still plenty of good to great players still out there, waiting to find a team for the 2019 season. Below, we’re going to point you to the best still available — in alphabetical order — at each offensive and defensive position.

Quarterback

Signed: Derek Anderson, Blake Bortles, Teddy Bridgewater, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Nick Foles, Blaine Gabbert, Mike Glennon, Robert Griffin III, Ryan Griffin, Taylor Heinicke, Kevin Hogan, Brett Hundley, Sean Mannion, EJ Manuel, AJ McCarron, Tom Savage, Matt Schaub, Trevor Siemian, Tyrod Taylor, Joe Webb Best Available: Colin Kaepernick

Nick Foles is getting paid a ton of money by the Jaguars, and after that the market gets a little bit stale. Obviously, the best available quarterback (Kaepernick) is probably not going to get signed, while another team will surely try and kick the tires on old standbys like McCown.

Others available: Sam Bradford, Matt Cassel, Josh Johnson, Josh McCown, Brock Osweiler, Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith

Running Back

Signed: Ameer Abdullah, C.J. Anderson, Kenjon Barner, Le’Veon Bell, Alfred Blue, Tevin Coleman, Isaiah Crowell, Mike Davis, Andre Ellington, Frank Gore, Kareem Hunt, Carlos Hyde, Mark Ingram, Ty Montgomery,Latavius Murray, Adrian Peterson, T.J. Yeldon, Zach Zenner Best Available: Jay Ajayi

There’s still a strong market for running backs, with young guys like Ajayi available. Even the players below all have shown they have something to offer.

Others available: LeGarrette Blount, Doug Martin, Alfred Morris, Bilal Powell, Stevan Ridley, Darren Sproles, Jonathan Stewart, Spencer Ware

Wide Receiver

Signed: Danny Amendola, Tavon Austin, Cole Beasley, Josh Bellamy, John Brown, Randall Cobb, Chris Conley, Jamison Crowder, Phillip Dorsett, Bruce Ellington, Larry Fitzgerald, Devin Funchess, Maurice Harris, Marvin Hall, Justin Hardy, Chris Hogan, Adam Humphries, Jordan Matthews, Donte Moncrief, J.J. Nelson, Cordarrelle Patterson, Breshad Perriman, Andre Roberts, Eli Rogers, Golden Tate, Demaryius Thomas, Kevin White, Tyrell Williams Best Available: Michael Crabtree

The biggest names to change teams at the wide receiver position were not free agents — Antonio Brown and Odell Beckham Jr. were both traded — but there are still some talented pass catchers out there. Veterans like Crabtree are always looking to prove they still got it.

Others available: Dez Bryant, Pierre Garcon, Dontrelle Inman, Jermaine Kearse, Rishard Matthews, De’Anthony Thomas, Mike Wallace, Terrance Williams

Tight End

Signed: Dwayne Allen, Nick Boyle, Charles Clay, Jared Cook, Tyler Eifert, Darren Fells, Demetrius Harris, Jeff Heuerman, Jesse James, Tyler Kroft, Matt LaCosse, Marcedes Lewis, James O’Shaughnessy, Logan Paulsen, Richard Rogers, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Luke Stocker, Geoff Swaim, Logan Thomas, C.J. Uzomah, Clive Walford, Luke Willson Best Available: Lance Kendricks, Maxx Williams

Most of what remains in the tight end market includes veterans who never quite developed as receiving threats or veterans who have a history of injuries. It’s not a great market, one of the weaker ones in recent years.

Others available: Antonio Gates, MarQueis Gray, Jermaine Gresham, Michael Hoomanawanui, Dion Sims, Levin Toilolo

Offensive Line

Signed: Oday Aboushi, Jamon Brown, Trent Brown, James Carpenter, A.J. Cann, Nick Easton, Jon Feliciano, Ereck Flowers, D.J. Fluker, Ramon Foster, Max Garcia, Mark Glowinski, Denzelle Good, Jonotthan Harrison, Bobby Hart, Seantrel Henderson, Mike Iupati, Ja’Wuan James, Matt Kalil, Josh Kline, Eric Kush, Kendall Lamm, Ted Larsen, Spencer Long, Cornelius Lucas, Bobby Massie, John Miller, Mitch Morse, Ty Nsekhe, Cedric Ogbuehi, Michael Ola, Kevin Pamphile, Matt Paradis, Mike Person, Greg Robinson, Rodger Saffold, Ty Sambrailo, Brian Schwenke, Donovan Smith, J.R. Sweezy, Billy Turner, LaAdrian Waddle, Earl Watford, Daryl Williams Best Available: Jeremy Parnell, Donald Penn, Ryan Schraeder

As usual, teams did their best to re-sign their own offensive linemen. It’s rare that a high-end tackle or guard makes it to free agency, and when they do, they are quickly snatched up, as was the case with Brown and Paradis.

Others available: Jeff Allen, Joe Barksdale, T.J. Clemmings, Chris Clark, Cameron Fleming, Garry Gilliam, Ryan Groy, Ulrick John, Andy Levitre, Jordan Mills, Marshall Newhouse, Tyler Shatley, Quinton Spain, John Sullivan, Travis Swanson, Jared Veldheer, Josh Wells, Stefen Wisniewski

Edge Rusher

Signed: Jerry Attaochu, Shaq Barrett, Anthony Chickillo, Frank Clark (franchise tag), Adrian Clayborn, Jadeveon Clowney (franchise tag), Vinny Curry, Dee Ford, Trey Flowers, Dante Fowler Jr., Markus Golden, Brandon Graham, Eli Harold, Justin Houston, Bruce Irvin, DeMarcus Lawrence, Aaron Lynch, Cassius Marsh, Clay Matthews, Benson Mayowa, Steven Means, Alex Okafor, Brooks Reed, John Simon, Preston Smith, Za’Darius Smith, Terrell Suggs, Cameron Wake Best Available: Ezekiel Ansah, Shane Ray

Just look at the signings to determine the value of the edge rusher position in the NFL — all of the top players got franchise tags except for Flowers and Fowler, who were quickly locked up.

Others available: Sam Acho, Connor Barwin, Kony Ealy, William Hayes, Michael Johnson, Dion Jordan, Matt Longacre, Pernell McPhee, Derrick Morgan, Nick Perry, Frostee Rucker, Derrick Shelby, Frank Zombo

Defensive Tackle

Signed: Tyson Alualu, Henry Anderson, Angelo Blackson, Malcom Brown, Christian Covington, Carl Davis, Mario Edwards, Johnathan Hankins, Margus Hunt, Malik Jackson, Grady Jarrett (franchise tag), Timmy Jernigan, Brandon Mebane, Mike Pennel, Jordan Phillips, Darius Philon, Sheldon Richardson, Shamar Stephen, Brent Urban Best Available: Corey Liuget, Ndamukong Suh, Muhammad Wilkerson

There weren’t many top-end defensive tackle talents available in free agency. The ones who have had recent success on the field either agreed to terms quickly, or were given the franchise tag.

Others available: Allen Bailey, Tyeler Davison, Dominique Easley, Rodney Gunter, Ziggy Hood, Ricky Jean-Francois, Zach Kerr, Earl Mitchell, Ahtyba Rubin, Danny Shelton

Linebacker

Signed: Kwon Alexander, Ray-Ray Armstrong, Anthony Barr, Mark Barron, Preston Brown, Deone Bucannon, Vontaze Burfict, Bruce Carter, Thomas Davis, , L.J. Fort, Neville Hewitt, Jordan Hicks, Mike Hull, Mychal Kendricks, Justin March-Lillard, David Mayo, Brandon Marshall, C.J. Mosley, Denzel Perryman, Jake Ryan, Craig Robertson, Adarius Taylor, Damien Wilson, Paul Worrilow, K.J. Wright Best Available: Jamie Collins, Gerald Hodges

C.J. Mosley, Kwon Alexander, and Anthony Barr got big-time deals to kick off free agency and there’s still a few quality players left on the market — especially for teams looking for run stoppers.

Others available: Stephone Anthony, Josh Bynes, Will Compton, Kyle Emanuel, Najee Goode, Cameron Lynch, Kevin Minter, Mark Nzeocha, Kevin Pierre-Louis, Vincent Rey, Kelvin Sheppard, Nathan Stupar, Manti Te’o, Ramik Wilson

Cornerback

Signed: Robert Alford, Justin Bethel, Briean Boddy-Calhoun, Bashaud Breeland,Tramaine Brock, Bryce Callahan, Justin Coleman, Ronald Darby, Darqueze Dennard, Pierre Desir, E.J. Gaines, Phillip Gaines, Antonio Hamilton, Kareem Jackson, Kevin Johnson, Nevin Lawson, Tony Lippett, Jason McCourty, Rashaan Melvin, Steven Nelson, Brian Poole, Darryl Roberts, Bradley Roby, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Eric Rowe, Buster Skrine, Jason Verrett, B.W. Webb, Blidi Wreh-Wilson Best Available: Morris Claiborne

There weren’t many big-name cornerbacks on the market this year, but there are still a few names who can help defensive units. Teams looking for a quality cornerback that isn’t a world-beater, but still effective should be able to find some value in free agency.

Others available: Brent Grimes, Davon House, Captain Munnerlyn, Orlando Scandrick, Sam Shields, Kayvon Webster, Shareece Wright

Safety

Signed: Adrian Amos, Chris Banjo, Antoine Bethea, Terrence Brooks, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Landon Collins, Clayton Geathers, Tashaun Gipson, George Iloka, Colin Jones, LaMarcus Joyner, Tyrann Mathieu, Adrian Phillips, Eric Reid, Curtis Riley, Andrew Sendejo, Earl Thomas, Kenny Vaccaro, Jaylen Watkins, Jimmie Ward, Eric Weddle Best Available: Eric Berry, Tre Boston, Morgan Burnett, Johnathan Cyprien, Glover Quin

Yet another strong year for the safety position, and this time, they didn’t wait around to get deals done. Notable guys like Landon Collins and Tyrann Mathieu made it to the open market, and quickly agreed to deals with their new teams. However, there is still some meat left on the bone at the position.

Others available: Mike Adams, Jahleel Addae, Kurt Coleman, Chris Conte, Marcus Gilchrist, Kendrick Lewis, Mike Mitchell, Reggie Nelson, Ron Parker, Darian Stewart

[tuseriesdetv]

Guía de series: Estrenos y regresos de abril 2018

Este nuevo mes llega quizás más flojo en cantidad pero quién sabe si solvente en calidad. A fin de cuentas, va a ser un año lleno de descubrimientos, qué importa si abril nos trae menos. Pero apostamos a que encontraréis algo destacable.

¡Feliz abril!

Leyenda:

Verde: series nuevas. 

Rojo: series de las que haremos reviews semanales. 

Negro: regresos de otras series. 

Naranja: miniseries o series documentales. 

Amarillo: tvmovies, documentales, especiales o pilotos. 

Morado: season finales. 

Morado claro: midseason finales. 

*

Calendario de series

1 de abril: 

Ordeal by Innocence en BBC One

Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert! en NBC

Counterpart (1T finale) en Starz

2 de abril: 

The Crossing (1T) en ABC

Kiss Me First (1T) en Channel 4

3 de abril: 

The Last O.G. (1T) en TBS

Legion (2T) en FX

Bridget & Eamon (3T) en Gold

4 de abril: 

Famous in Love (2T) en Freeform

The Magicians (3T finale) en Syfy

5 de abril: 

Imposters (2T) en Bravo

Deep State (1T) en FOX UK

6 de abril: 

The City & The City en BBC Two

6 Ballons y Amateur en Netflix

7 de abril: 

Ransom (2T) en CBS

Paterno en HBO

8 de abril: 

Killing Eve (1T) en BBC America

Our Cartoon President (1T midseason finale) en Showtime

9 de abril: Legends of Tomorrow (3T finale) en The CW

10 de abril: 

New Girl (7T y última) en FOX

In Contempt (1T) en BET

11 de abril: 

The Expanse (1T) en Syfy

Schitt's Creek (4T finale) en CBC

Hap and Leonard (3T finale) en SundanceTV

13 de abril: 

Lost in Space (1T) y Come Sunday en Netflix

Bosch (4T) en Amazon

15 de abril: 

Fear The Walking Dead (4T) en AMC

The Walking Dead (8T finale) en AMC

16 de abril: 

Supergirl (vuelve) en The CW

Scorpion (4T finale) en CBS

17 de abril: Black Lightning (1T finale) en The CW

18 de abril: 

The Originals (5T y última) en The CW

Criminal Minds (13T finale) en CBS

The Looming Tower en Hulu

19 de abril: Scandal (series finale) en ABC

20 de abril: 

Kodachrome en Netflix

Jane the Virgin (4T finale) en The CW

22 de abril: 

Westworld (2T) en HBO

Into the Badlands (3T) en AMC

23 de abril:

Scorpion (4T finale) en ABC

UnREAL (3T finale) en Lifetime

24 de abril: 

The 100 (5T) en The CW

Genius: Picasso (2T) en National Geographic

Fauda (2T) en Netflix

25 de abril: 

The Handmaid's Tale (2T) en Hulu

Brockmire (2T) en IFC

Archer (9T) en FXX

Code Black (3T) en CBS

Suits (7T finale) en USA Network

26 de abril: Quantico (3T) en ABC

27 de abril: 

3% (2T), Bobby Kennedy for President y The Week Of en Netflix

Life Sentence (cambio de día) en The CW

29 de abril: 

Good Witch (4T) en Hallmark

Homeland (7T finale) en Showtime

Ash vs. Evil Dead (3T finale) en Starz

30 de abril: Elementary (6T) en CBS

*

Estrenos de series

Ordeal by Innocence (BBC One)

En las Navidades de 1954, la adinerada filántropa Rachel Argyll (Anna Chancellor; Trust, Jupiter Moon) es asesinada en Sunny Point, su residencia familiar, y su hijo adoptivo Jack (Anthony Boyle; Come Home, Derry Girls), un joven delincuente, es acusado y arrestado pese a defender intensamente su inocencia. Dieciocho meses después, el científico Arthur Calgary (Luke Treadaway, Fortitude) llega a Sunny Point de una expedición al Ártico con una coartada para Jack, pero llega tarde, la familia no quiere remover el pasado y el viudo de Rachel, Leo (Bill Nighy; The Bookshop, Pirates of the Caribbean), se va a casar con su secretaria (Alice Eve; Black Mirror, Star Trek: Into Darkness). Adaptación de la novela de Agatha Christie (1958). Completan el reparto Morven Christie (The A Word, Grantchester), Eleanor Tomlinson (Poldark, The White Queen), Christian Cooke (The Art of More, Witches of East End), Crystal Clarke (Assassin's Creed), Ella Purnell (Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Maleficent) y Matthew Goode (The Crown, The Good Wife). Tres episodios. Estreno: 1 de abril

A favor: Dos millones de libras gastadas en volver a grabar treinta y cinco escenas para borrar a Ed Westwick. Eso será que apuestan por ella.

En contra: El efecto adaptación BBC. Depende de que te guste la nove.

The Crossing (ABC)

Huyendo de una guerra, cuarenta y siete personas buscan refugio en un pequeño pueblo pesquero de Estados Unidos. Pero estos refugiados no son extranjeros, sino que vienen del futuro y la guerra de la que escapan no ha comenzado todavía. Su llegada al pueblo alterará para siempre la vida de los habitantes. Protagonizan la serie Steve Zahn (Treme, Mad Dogs), Natalie Martinez (Under the Dome, Kingdom), Sandrine Holt (House of Cards, Homeland), Rick Gomez (Band of Brothers, Justified), Simone Kessell (Of Kings and Prophets, Wonderland), Kelley Missal (One Life to Live), Luke Camilleri (Hemlock Grove, Shut Eye), Barbara Eve Harris (Prison Break, CSI) y Grant Harvey (The Secret Life of the American Teenager). Creada por Dan Dworkin y Jay Beattie, creadores de Scream y Matador. Estreno: 2 de abril

A favor: Puede que hasta sirva para provocar debate sobre la crisis de refugiados actual.

En contra: Llevamos muchas series del estilo como para hacernos ilusiones.

Kiss Me First (Channel 4)

Leila (Tallulah Haddon; Taboo, The Living and the Dead) es una joven solitaria y adicta a un videojuego online. Allí conoce a Tess (Simona Brown; The Night Manager, The Casual Vacancy), una chica fiestera que guarda un oscuro secreto, y se hacen amigas en el mundo real. Cuando Tess desaparece, Leila decide suplantar su identidad para tener todo lo que nunca tuvo, y es arrastrada a un viaje que podría estar relacionado con la desaparición de su nueva amiga. Completan el cast Matthew Beard (The Imitation Game, Decline and Fall), George Jovanovic, Freddie Stewart (New Worlds, The Alienist), Misha Butler, Haruka Abe (Cyberbully), Samuel Bottomley (Ackley Bridge, Wolf Hall) y Matthew Aubrey. Basada en la novela de Lottie Moggach (2013) y escrita por Bryan Elsley (Skins, Dates). Seis episodios. Estreno: 2 de abril

A favor: Thriller que combina imágenes reales con CGI avanzado usado por primera vez en televisión.

En contra: ¿Pero tiene buena pinta siquiera?

The Last O.G. (TBS)

Tray (Tracy Morgan; 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live) es un estafador que sale de prisión tras quince años y descubre que su novia (Tiffany Haddish, The Carmichael Show) se ha casado con un blanco adinerado (Ryan Gaul; Superstore, Bajillion Dollar Propertie$) que le está ayudando a criar a los mellizos de cuya existencia nunca supo. Participan también Cedric the Entertainer (The Soul Man, The Steve Harvey Show), Allen Maldonado (Black-ish), Taylor Mosby (Criminal Minds) y Dante Hoagland (The New Edition Story). Creada por Morgan junto a Jordan Peele (Get Out, Key and Peele) y John Carcieri (Vice Principals). Diez episodios. Ya está renovada por una segunda temporada. Estreno: 3 de abril

A favor: TBS se está especializando en una comedia diferente. 

En contra: FX la rechazó primero. 

Deep State (FOX UK)

Creada, escrita y dirigida por Matthew Parkhill (Rogue), es un thriller sobre Max Easton (Mark Strong; Zero Dark Thirty, Kingsman: The Golden Circle), un antiguo espía que trata de escapar de su pasado cuando George White (Alistair Petrie; The Night Manager, Rogue One), el líder de una sección encubierta de la CIA y el MI6, le convence para volver a trabajar y vengar la muerte de su hijo Harry (Joe Dempsie; Game of Thrones, Skins). Al volver, Max se encuentra en el centro de una guerra de inteligencia en la que el Gobierno y las grandes corporaciones harán cualquier cosa para mantener su reputación y sus secretos mientras siembran el caos en Oriente Medio. Completan el reparto Karima McAdams (Vikings), Anastasia Griffith (Once Upon a Time, Damages), Lyne Renée (Split), Amelia Bullmore (Happy Valley), Kingsley Ben-Adir (King Arthur: Legend of The Sword), Pip Torrens (The Crown) y Fares Fares (Tyrant). Ocho episodios. Estreno: 5 de abril

A favor: Es un intento de crear una serie de acción decente con bajo presupuesto, hay que reconocer el mérito.

En contra: ¿No estamos hartos de Oriente Medio?

The City & The City (BBC Two)

Adaptación por Tony Grisoni (The Young Pope) de la novela de China Miéville (2009). En las calles de la decadente ciudad-estado europea de Besźel, encuentran el cadáver de una estudiante extranjera. El inspector Tyador Borlú (David Morrissey; The Walking Dead, The Missing) descubre pruebas de que la chica provino de UI Qoma, otra ciudad con la que comparten una relación peligrosa y volátil. Este caso, que le obligará a cruzar a una ciudad tan extraña como la frontera que las separa, pondrá en riesgo todo lo que aprecia. Completan el reparto Mandeep Dhillon (Some Girls), Danny Webb (Humans), Maria Schrader (Deutschland 83), Christian Camargo (Penny Dreadful) y Ron Cook (Mr. Selfridge). Dirigida por Tom Shankland (The Missing, House of Cards). Cuatro episodios. Estreno: 6 de abril

A favor: El reparto tan heterogéneo.

En contra: La condensación de tramas.

Killing Eve (BBC America)

Eve (Sandra Oh; Grey's Anatomy, American Crime) es una agente de seguridad del MI5 cuyo trabajo de escritorio no satisface sus deseos de ser una espía. Cuando le asignan la tarea de atrapar a la brillante y elegante asesina Villanelle (Jodie Comer; Doctor Foster, The White Princess), la obsesión que desarrollan la una por la otra convierte la historia en un divertido y épico juego de persecución. Les acompañan Fiona Shaw (Harry Potter), David Haig (Four Weddings and a Funeral), Kim Bodnia (The Bridge), Darren Boyd (Fortitude), Sean Delaney (Midsome Murders), Kirby Howell-Baptiste (Downward Dog) y Owen McDonnell (Paula). Basada en las novelas de Luke Jennings, está escrita y producida por Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag). Ocho episodios. Estreno: 8 de abril

A favor: ¿Pero hay algo en contra? Esto es la repera.

En contra: No.

In Contempt (BET)

Gwen Sullivan (Erica Ash; Survivor's Remorse, Real Husbands of Hollywood) es una tenaz y rebelde abogada cuya admirable pasión por su trabajo la convierte en la mejor defensora pública del distrito. Le acompañan Richard Lawson, Megan Hutchings (Reign, Crawford), Christian Keyes (Saints & Sinners), Mouna Traoré (Book of Negroes) y Ronnie Rowe Jr. (Stat Trek: Discovery),  Procedimental creada por Terri Kopp (Law & Order). Diez episodios. Estreno: 10 de abril

A favor: Queremos ver a una Olivia Pope transformada tras conocer a Annalise Keating.

En contra: No la vemos.

Lost in Space (Netflix)

Reboot de la serie de CBS emitida entre 1965 y 1968, y del mismo creador, sobre una familia que comienza un viaje espacial para encontrar un nuevo hogar en una nave que es saboteada y debe aterrizar en un planeta perdido. Protagonizada por Molly Parker (House of Cards, Deadwood), Toby Stephens (Black Sails), Parker Posey (Best in Show, Mascots), Mina Sundwall (Maggie's Plan), Maxwell Jenkins (Sense8, Betrayal), Ignacio Serricchio (Witches of East End, Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce) y Taylor Russell (Falling Skies) con la colaboración de Raza Jaffrey (Scandal, Code Black), Amelia Burstyn, Ajay Friese (Dirk Gently), Adam Greydon Reid (Continuum, 6Teen), Kiki Sukezane (Heroes Reborn) y Sibongile Mlambo (Teen Wolf, Siren). Trece episodios. Estreno: 13 de abril

A favor: Misma historia, más recursos.

En contra: Los recursos no hacen más interesante a la historia.

[motorizadospy]

Kobayashi, el hombre más rápido de Le Mans

Kamui Kobayashi hizo historia este jueves, al efectuar una de las vueltas más rápidas de la historia de las clasificaciones de las 24 Horas de Le Mans.

El japonés, en conjunto con Stéphane Sarrazin y Mike Conway, salió inspirado en la tanda de este jueves y, con un poco más de una hora restante de pista habilitada, registró una vuelta de 3:14.791 m., destruyendo lo que Neel Jani estableció hace dos años (3:16.887 m.). Nadie tuvo armas ni velocidad para mejorar lo del integrante del Toyota GAZOO Racing, ni siquiera Kazuki Nakajima, quien se quedó a 2.3 segundos.

Con esto, se refuerza el pronóstico del programa asiático en LMP1, cuyo prototipo TS050 vuelve a ser el favorito para obtener el triunfo, en especial ante la desazón de la edición del año pasado. El equipo aseguró la primera fila de salida de la mano de Nakajima, quien junto con Sébastien Buemi y Anthony Davidson, tienen el objetivo de cobrar revancha.

Toyota busca ser la segunda fabricante japonesa en vencer en Le Mans, el clásico del endurance, luego de que Mazda se adjudicara los honores en 1991.

Jani colocó a la fábrica alemana en tercer sitio, poco más de un décima detrás de Buemi, en tanto que Timo Bernhard se ubicó cuarto. Nicolas Lapierre completó el Top 5 dentro de los LMP1, en el Toyota que pilotará el argentino José María “Pechito” López.

DÍA DE RÉCORDS

La de Kobayashi fue la mejor vuelta producida en la historia, en términos de velocidad, además de ser la mejor en la pista de 13.629 km de longitud, la cual se utiliza desde 2007, resultado de una condición casi perfecta, al haber piso seco y temperaturas de poco más de 30° C. La ausencia de tráfico también contribuyó a que el ex Fórmula 1 promediara 251.888 km/h, velocidad que nunca se había alcanzado.

A lo largo de la historia, el Circuit de La Sarthe se ha modificado en 14 ocasiones, ya que su trazado original medía 17.262 km, pero en pro de la seguridad y las velocidades que comenzaron a alcanzarse, se agregaron múltiples curvas, para llegar a un total de 38.

Oficialmente, Sarrazin, Kobayashi y Conway ocuparon el segundo escalón del podium en la edición de 2016.

El récord de vuelta, en función del tiempo, todavía lo ostenta el mexicano Pedro Rodríguez, quien en 1971 cronometró un giro de 3:13:9 m. a un promedio de 250.069 km/h con Porsche 917LH, cuando el trazado medía 13.649 km.; en cuanto a velocidad, en 1985, Hans-Joachim Stuck logró 3:14.843 m., con el Porsche 962C, registrando un promedio de 251.815 km/h, en la versión de 13.626 km.

DOMINIO DE ORECA

La renovada división LMP2 cumplió con los pronósticos de mejorar sus tiempos en Le Mans, en una semana en la que Oreca se ha apoderado de las primeras posiciones.

El G-Drive Racing No. 26 con Alex Lynn, co ganador de las “12 Horas de Sebring”, marcó 3:25.352 m., lo cual es 11.8 segundos mejor que lo que Signatech Alpine imprimió hace un año (3:37.175 m.), tomando en cuenta que este año hay nuevas regulaciones técnicas, que incluyen un renovado chassis y un incremento de 100 hp a los motores Gibson, mismos que se reflejaron en los 238.9 km/h de promedio.

La organización rusa ganó las “6 Horas de Spa-Francorchamps”; hace un año, finalizó segunda en LMP2.

Lynn, quien une fuerzas con Roman Rusinov (quien llegó a 337 km/h en el Speed Trap) y Pierre Thiriet, se posicionó delante de Roberto González, cuya máquina No. 25 del CEFC Manor TRS Team China, tripulada por Vitaly Petrov durante la clasificación, quedó a casi dos décimas. Ha sido un difícil inicio de año para la organización en la que milita el mexicano, pero el resultado de este jueves es un aliciente para mantener el ritmo.

El Jackie Chan DC Racing No. 38 y la dupla de Vaillante Rebellion completaron los cinco mejores, en una tanda en la que Oreca se apropió de las primeras siete casillas y otro de las primeras diez. Nelson Panciatici fue el mejor de los Alpine A470, aunque se mantuvo en el rango de los 3:27 m., al igual que Mikhail Aleshin, quien con el Dallara P217 de SMP Racing finalizó décimo.

González, Simon Trummer y Vitaly Petrov marchan undécimos en el certamen de la LMP2.

La otra representación mexicana, conformada por Memo Rojas y José Gutiérrez, concluyó 14° con Rio Hirakawa al volante del DragonSpeed No. 22, después de que fallas mecánicas, desde el escape hasta el diferencial, impidieran que su Oreca pudiera seguir el paso de sus coequiperos en G-Drive.

Rubens Barrichello, debutante en Le Mans, clasificó 19° con otro de los Dallara, quedando con casi cinco segundos de desventaja.

En los LMP2 se suscitó el accidente más fuerte de la semana hasta el momento, cortesía del Ligier No. 33 de Eurasia Motorsport y Erik Maris; el mejor de los siete usuarios de esta constructora, que está asociada con Onroak Automotive, fue United Autosports, consiguiendo apenas el 14° lugar de la clase.

ROMPIENDO TENDENCIAS

La clase GTE Pro también vio récords caer, pero no fue de parte de los favoritos sentimentales, Ford y Ferrari. Darren Turner, al volante del Aston Martin Vantage, auto que finalizó en segundo sitio hace un año, marcó 3:50.837 m., suficiente para superar al Ferrari 488 GTE de James Calado y AF Corse por solo 191 milésimas.

El otro deportivo británico, conducido por los campeones Nicki Thim y Marco Sorensen, a lado de Richie Stanaway, se colocó tercero, en tanto que el mejor de los GT’s de Ford fue el No. 69, conducido por Ryan Briscoe, partirá en quinta plaza, con vuelta de 3:51.232 m. El español Antonio García clasificó sexto con el Chevrolet Corvette C7.R, seguido del nuevo Porsche 911 RSR, tripulado por Michael Christensen.

Las 12 inscripciones estuvieron en 1.2 segundos de separación, por lo que la clave para el triunfo, como ha sido en años recientes, será la efectividad en las últimas horas de recorrido.

Aston Martin Racing lideró a un muy apretado pelotón en GTE Pro.

Chevrolet fue la referencia en GTE Am, gracias al giro de Fernando Rees: 3:52.843 m. Larbre Competition ya no corre de tiempo completo en el WEC, por lo que es una de las novedades en la parrilla de salida, al no tener el mismo apoyo que General Motors y la armadora Pratt & Miller otorgan a los Corvette de la clase Pro.

El Aston Martin de Pedro Lamy, Paul Dalla Lana y Mathias Lauda se conformó con la segunda casilla, siendo escoltado por el Ferrari No. 62 de Scuderia Corsa, el Porsche No. 77 de Dempsey-Proton y el 488 GTE de Spirit of Race, conjunto que se quedó con la pole en las “24 Horas de Daytona” de enero.

El Chevrolet Corvette, propiedad del francés Jack Leconte, superó a los vehículos oficiales de Aston Martin, Porsche y Ferrari.

Hasta ahora, la máxima velocidad alcanzada en el Speed Trap, que se encuentra en, la logró Oliver Webb con el Enso CLM P1/01 NISMO de ByKolles; el británico registró 340.2 km/h en los entrenamientos.

La edición No. 85 de las 24 Horas de Le Mans iniciará este sábado a las 15:00 (Tiempo Local)

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[cthiessen95]

“No More Bleeping Christian Music”: A response

A major Christian music website recently came out with an article considering the “disturbing” trend of swearing in Christian music recently, and a lot of people had their two cents to throw in down in the comments section. However, as a former writer for said website and a follower of the trends of the music world, I felt like a thought-out, formal response was warranted.

For those that have not read the article, the message is “Swearing has ZERO place in Christian music” (bold and caps in keeping with original formatting). The arguments are that artists have been doing just fine without swearing in the past, that such words create distractions from God, that they cause some to stumble, etc.

The article then cites many songs and artists that they accuse of distracting from God, being “edgy for edgy’s sake”, and creating massive division. Among these are Hillsong United with their lyric Even when it hurts like hell/I’ll praise you. (“Even When It Hurts (Praise Song)”) The article also mentions Kings Kaleidoscope, P.O.D., The Classic Crime, Derek Webb, Sho Baraka, Andy Mineo, Kirk Franklin, and mainstream hip-hop artist Chance the Rapper.

There are many different directions I could take this response, and I’ll try to make it cohesive. I first want to address the main message of the article (the one in bold and caps) and discuss the double standard that exists with Christian music and faith-based film. For some reason, the authors of this article and many others find the “Explicit” tag next to a song (from a Christian artist or otherwise) or hear something offensive in it, and immediately write it off as an unnecessary, profane piece of entertainment that a believer should not spend time consuming.

However, these same people are far more lenient when it comes to a film. The Passion of the Christ still stands as the highest grossing R-rated film in history. How’s that for not letting a content label stand in the way? In fact, many believers watch the film every single Easter. And while not garnering the same dollar amounts as that film, Gibson’s newest epic Hacksaw Ridge received much acclaim from believers despite its R rating.

An additional point to this double standard is found in the website’s treatment of the film Noah, described as “one of the most polarizing faith-based movies ever released.” Despite loads of violence, a few obscenities, and plenty of Biblical and theological inaccuracy (director Darren Aronofsky called it “the least Biblical film ever made”), the editor-in-chief of the website felt “spiritually inspired.”

He concluded, “But as for me, I love that I have a Holy Spirit who can pluck out the nuggets of truth that I need in the midst of a Genesis remix.” That seems like a majorly different message than “We'll bring zero attention or promotion to any album that contains explicit/profane/blasphemous/sexual language defined by the general society as obscene.”

So why is there this double standard when it comes to consuming entertainment as a Christian? Is it because songs are shorter and thus content has a larger impact? Is it because we tend to repeat what’s sung rather than spoken in movies? I can’t answer that for certain. But as for me, I’d prefer to have the attitude expressed in that Noah review (a film I very much didn’t like by the way).

I believe in a Holy Spirit that “guides us in all truth.” I believe that “everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial.” And I lean on the Holy Spirit to guide me in the difference.

And these beliefs make me even more confused when I read this comment the author made about the language in “Even When It Hurts”: “I don't think any of us will argue that and we don't need to pretend like it doesn't. That's not the point. The point here is that ears have been perked up, and now we're now focused on dissecting the entire message and its delivery.”

Are we not supposed to dissect the message and make our worship truthful and personal with the help of the Holy Spirit? Or are we supposed to sing along without giving thought to what we’re singing? Because that’s what this comment is conveying here. I don’t care if it’s a worship song, a rap song, or anything else, your ears should be perked up and focused on the message!

When I look at the ministry of Jesus, he was never concerned with surface matters. He always looked deeper into the heart, into the meaning, into the reason behind the surface. He says that being angry with someone and calling him a fool is just as destructive as murder. Because it’s the intent, it’s the thought that he was concerned with. So when I listen to a song, I’m not just listening for the literal words that are said, I’m asking myself “why did they say that? Why did they choose those words? What are they conveying here?” And that applies to any words, not just “swear” words. You could just as easily use “clean words” in a worship song, but actually be conveying a very destructive, self-centered message as you could “cause division” with stronger words.

I’ll say it again. It’s not the words that matter. Our hearts, our thoughts, our essence is what matters. Language is a living system that changes all the time. And even now, it differs so much between individuals and cultures. What might be offensive to someone, could really speak life into someone else. And that’s because we put so much weight on words as opposed to meanings. But whether or not you can imagine a church where they’re singing Even when it hurts like hell/I’ll praise you, the reality is they are. A quick search on YouTube shows that.

I have a lot more I could say about specific points from this article. But I think I’ll conclude here because this is the point I want to convey. Speak WITH meaning. Listen FOR meaning. If we tried to understand the deeper parts of people instead of looking on the surface, there would be so much less bickering, hatred, and division. People act, speak, and look differently. Embrace that! It’s a gift! Many of us, especially believers, are fighting for the same thing even if it takes different forms. So please look deeper into the art and entertainment you consume. Because if you do, it will help you understand the world God has created even better, and you will learn how to love even more fully with the love Jesus has exemplified.

[junker-town]

British Open 2017 tee times for Thursday and Friday and Royal Birkdale

The Open is the most unique major in golf, and that includes how they set up their tee times.

We have our tee sheet for the first two days of The Open Championship, so start plotting out your overnight routine if you're watching from back in the United States.

As is tradition at the British Open, the entire field all plays from the first tee. If you don't follow golf closely, that seems intuitive, right? But with a field of 156 players, the U.S. Open and PGA Championship utilize a split-tee system for the first two rounds, sending threesomes off Nos. 1 and 10 each day. The PGA Tour utilizes this every week too and sometimes with fields that are much smaller than 156 players. It's just the most efficient way to get the field through 36 holes on time by Friday night with the potential for severe weather delays always looming in the States during June through August.

But The Open, at the Open, it's different. It is anathema to use the split-tee system and there was a murderous outcry from the European traditionalists in 2014 when the R&A decided to use it for the first time ever at Hoylake. The move paid off in a big way as severe storms pounded Royal Liverpool in the third round that day. They play in just about any kind of weather in links golf, and it's rare to get the kind of storms that just completely wipe out play. Royal Birkdale is not far from Royal Liverpool but it's hard to see such extreme measures put in place this week. Even with the field at a full 156, there's no contemplation of sending them in two waves off two tees. Everyone starts at No. 1, playing as three for the first two days and as twosomes for the final two rounds.

The ample daylight in Scotland and England this time of year has always afforded the R&A this luxury and ability to keep the tradition going no matter how slow the pace of play continues to creep. At venues farther north in Scotland, you can play past 10 p.m. local in the summer. It's not as extreme in England and at Birkdale, but there's still a long day to work with for the 146th Open. They will start them just after 6:30 a.m. local in one long rolling wave off No. 1 tee until the last group goes around 4:15 p.m. So they're playing golf for about 15 hours these first two rounds.

Golf Channel will be live for the very first tee shot from the very first group on what will be 1:30 a.m. ET Thursday. This is a wall-to-wall approach they put in place last year when they took over from ESPN, which used to go live around 4 a.m. ET for the first two rounds. So if you're on the west coast, you can finish dinner, head to the bar, and watch the first wave of tee times before a late crash. If you're on the east coast, well, you need to grind it out -- catch a nap earlier in the evening, then wake up around 1 a.m. and power through almost 11 hours of tee times.

Here are your groups and tee times -- ALL TIMES ET — for the first two rounds of The Open:

Thursday's Tee Sheet

1:35 a.m.: Mark O’Meara, Chris Wood, Ryan Moore

1:46 a.m.: Phachara Khongwatmai, a-Maverick McNealy, Stuart Manley

1:57 a.m.: Stewart Cink, Sandy Lyle, Jeunghun Wang

2:08 a.m.: Paul Broadhurst, Thongchai Jaidee, Roberto Castro

2:19 a.m.: Tom Lehman, Ben An, Darren Fichardt

2:30 a.m.: Soren Kjeldsen, Billy Horschel, Danny Willett

2:41 a.m.: Matthew Fitzpatrick, Steve Stricker, Emiliano Grillo

2:52 a.m.: Jason Dufner, Branden Grace, Bryson DeChambeau

3:03 a.m.: Alex Noren, Russell Knox, Ian Poulter

3:14 a.m.: David Duval, Prayad Marksaeng, K.T. Kim

3:25 a.m.: Younghan Song, David Horsey, Dylan Frittelli

3:36 a.m.: Mike Lorenzo-Vera, Charles Howell III, Shiv Kapur

3:47 a.m.: Russell Henley, Fabrizio Zanotti, Peter Uihlein

4:03 a.m.: Alexander Levy, Brendan Steele, Webb Simpson

4:14 a.m.: Wesley Bryan, Anirban Lahiri, a-Alfie Plant

4:25 a.m.: Darren Clarke, Gary Woodland, a-Harry Ellis

4:36 a.m.: Padraig Harrington, Pat Perez, Thomas Pieters

4:47 a.m.: Henrik Stenson, Si Woo Kim, Jordan Spieth

4:58 a.m.: Louis Oosthuizen, Justin Rose, Justin Thomas

5:09 a.m.: Brooks Koepka, Hideki Matsuyama, Tommy Fleetwood

5:20 a.m.: J.B. Holmes, Brandt Snedeker, Shane Lowry

5:31 a.m.: Richard Bland, Shaun Norris, a-Luca Cianchetti

5:42 a.m.: Yikeun Chang, Chan Kim, Mark Foster

5:53 a.m.: Sung-Hoon Kang, Tony Finau, Matthieu Pavon

6:04 a.m.: Alexander Bjork, Joe Dean, Robert Streb

6:15 a.m.: Robert Dinwiddie, Julian Suri, Adam Hodkinson

6:36 a.m.: Andrew Johnston, Adam Hadwin, Todd Hamilton

6:47 a.m.: John Daly, Adam Bland, a-Connor Syme

6:58 a.m.: William McGirt, Toby Tree, Jamie Lovemark

7:09 a.m.: Matthew Griffin, Austin Connelly, Matthew Southgate

7:20 a.m.: Cameron Smith, Bill Haas, Callum Shinkwin

7:31 a.m.: Michael Hendry, Brian Harman, Martin Laird

7:42 a.m.: Ernie Els, Ross Fisher, Bernd Wiesberger

7:53 a.m.: Tyrrell Hatton, Martin Kaymer, Aaron Baddeley

8:04 a.m.: Zach Johnson, Jason Day, Sergio Garcia

8:15 a.m.: Andy Sullivan, Joost Luiten, David Lipsky

8:26 a.m.: Rickie Fowler, Adam Scott, Paul Casey

8:37 a.m.: Matt Kuchar, Richie Ramsay, Ryan Fox

8:48 a.m.: Kevin Kisner, Charley Hoffman, David Drysdale

9:04 a.m.: Jimmy Walker, Hideto Tanihara, Thorbjorn Olesen

9:15 a.m.: Jhonattan Vegas, Brandon Stone, Sean O’Hair

9:26 a.m.: Daniel Berger, Pablo Larrazabal, Yuta Ikeda

9:37 a.m.: Paul Lawrie, Kevin Chappell, Yusaku Miyazato

9:48 a.m.: Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Charl Schwartzel

9:59 a.m.: Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed, Lee Westwood

10:10 a.m.: Phil Mickelson, Francesco Molinari, Marc Leishman

10:21 a.m. Scott Hend, Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Bubba Watson

10:32 a.m. Paul Waring, Kyle Stanley, Kevin Na

10:43 a.m. Giwhan Kim, Xander Schauffele, Andrew Dodt

10:54 a.m. Haotong Li, Kent Bulle, Haydn McCullen

11:05 a.m. Jbe Kruger, Nick McCarthy, Ashley Hall

11:16 a.m. Ryan McCarthy, Laurie Canter, Sebastian Munoz

Friday's Tee Sheet

1:35 a.m.: Andrew Johnston, Adam Hadwin, Todd Hamilton

1:46 a.m.: John Daly, Adam Bland, a-Connor Syme

1:57 a.m.: William McGirt, Toby Tree, Jamie Lovemark

2:08 a.m.: Matthew Griffin, Austin Connelly, Matthew Southgate

2:19 a.m.: Cameron Smith, Bill Haas, Callum Shinkwin

2:30 a.m.: Michael Hendry, Brian Harman, Martin Laird

2:41 a.m.: Ernie Els, Ross Fisher, Bernd Wiesberger

2:52 a.m.: Tyrrell Hatton, Martin Kaymer, Aaron Baddeley

3:03 a.m.: Zach Johnson, Jason Day, Sergio Garcia

3:14 a.m.: Andy Sullivan, Joost Luiten, David Lipsky

3:25 a.m.: Rickie Fowler, Adam Scott, Paul Casey

3:36 a.m.: Matt Kuchar, Richie Ramsay, Ryan Fox

3:47 a.m.: Kevin Kisner, Charley Hoffman, David Drysdale

4:03 a.m.: Jimmy Walker, Hideto Tanihara, Thorbjorn Olesen

4:14 a.m.: Jhonattan Vegas, Brandon Stone, Sean O’Hair

4:25 a.m.: Daniel Berger, Pablo Larrazabal, Yuta Ikeda

4:36 a.m.: Paul Lawrie, Kevin Chappell, Yusaku Miyazato

4:47 a.m.: Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Charl Schwartzel

4:58 a.m.: Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed, Lee Westwood

5:09 a.m.: Phil Mickelson, Francesco Molinari, Marc Leishman

5:20 a.m.: Scott Hend, Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Bubba Watson

5:31 a.m.: Paul Waring, Kyle Stanley, Kevin Na

5:42 a.m.: Giwhan Kim, Xander Schauffele, Andrew Dodt

5:53 a.m.: Haotong Li, Kent Bulle, Haydn McCullen

6:04 a.m.: Jbe Kruger, Nick McCarthy, Ashley Hall

6:15 a.m.: Ryan McCarthy, Laurie Canter, Sebastian Munoz

6:36 a.m.: Mark O’Meara, Chris Wood, Ryan Moore

6:47 a.m.: Phachara Khongwatmai, a-Maverick McNealy, Stuart Manley

6:58 a.m.: Stewart Cink, Sandy Lyle, Jeunghun Wang

7:09 a.m.: Paul Broadhurst, Thongchai Jaidee, Roberto Castro

7:20 a.m.: Tom Lehman, Ben An, Darren Fichardt

7:31 a.m.: Soren Kjeldsen, Billy Horschel, Danny Willett

7:42 a.m.: Matthew Fitzpatrick, Steve Stricker, Emiliano Grillo

7:53 a.m.: Jason Dufner, Branden Grace, Bryson DeChambeau

8:04 a.m.: Alex Noren, Russell Knox, Ian Poulter

8:15 a.m.: David Duval, Prayad Marksaeng, K.T. Kim

8:26 a.m.: Younghan Song, David Horsey, Dylan Frittelli

8:37 a.m.: Mike Lorenzo-Vera, Charles Howell III, Shiv Kapur

8:48 a.m.: Russell Henley, Fabrizio Zanotti, Peter Uihlein

9:04 a.m.: Alexander Levy, Brendan Steele, Webb Simpson

9:15 a.m.: Wesley Bryan, Anirban Lahiri, a-Alfie Plant

9:26 a.m.: Darren Clarke, Gary Woodland, a-Harry Ellis

9:37 a.m.: Padraig Harrington, Pat Perez, Thomas Pieters

9:48 a.m.: Henrik Stenson, Si Woo Kim, Jordan Spieth

9:59 a.m.: Louis Oosthuizen, Justin Rose, Justin Thomas

10:10 a.m.: Brooks Koepka, Hideki Matsuyama, Tommy Fleetwood

10:21 a.m.: J.B. Holmes, Brandt Snedeker, Shane Lowry

10:32 a.m.: Richard Bland, Shaun Norris, a-Luca Cianchetti

10:43 a.m.: Yikeun Chang, Chan Kim, Mark Foster

10:54 a.m.: Sung-Hoon Kang, Tony Finau, Matthieu Pavon

11:05 a.m.: Alexander Bjork, Joe Dean, Robert Streb

11:16 a.m.: Robert Dinwiddie, Julian Suri, Adam Hodkinson