#Conference realignment

[blogtaculous]

College football is dying.

As batshit realignments continue and the existing conferences start to conspire, I hope everyone realizes that we had a good thing. In the end, TV money was its undoing.

FSU, a football powerhouse, is losing millions of dollars while Vanderbilt and Rutgers, who are always terrible, are raking it in.

There are reasonable ways to handle this. Unfortunately, the best case scenario is long gone, and we will be left with whatever four or five extremely wealthy men think is best.

TV money could have been spread equitably and the conferences could have remained regional and reasonable. However, now USC will play half its games east of the Mississippi.

The wrong people are in charge of everything. NIL is going to get blamed for this (it shouldn’t) while university administration will escape the blame and wrath of fans (the real tragedy).

It was good while it lasted. I don’t have a lot of hope for the next decade of college sports.

[garyconkling]

College Football Goes Pro

Big-time college football is rushing to become pro football on Saturday. Only a few premier teams will make the cut. It may be regrettable, but it will be absolutely watchable.

Conference realignment, the transfer portal and compensation for athletes have rushed college football closer to professional football on Saturday. Reaching that dubious end zone may only be a quarterback sneak away. Defections from the Big 12 and Pacific Coast Conference have turned the Big 10 and SEC into super-conferences. The Big 12 scrambled to replace its name-plate former members by…

[collegefootballcountdown]

Pac 12 no more

[vika-listunova]

Rip Stanford

[sucka99]

[justinssportscorner]

With the news that Missouri State University is leaving the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC or The Valley) to join the Conference USA (C-USA) in 2025, who will take their place in The Valley, if they decide to replace Missouri State?

With the Bears departing The Valley, the MVC will have no Missouri-based teams despite having its league HQ there.

[...]

I have a couple of plausible candidates: Southeastern Missouri State (SEMO) and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE).

SEMO

Advantages:

Football program that is somewhat respectable, but not in the best shape.

Instant rivalries with SIUC and Murray State.

Keeps a foothold in Missouri for the MVC.

Disadvantages:

A 3rd team in the Cape Girardeau/Paducah/Carbondale DMA (SIUC and Murray State are also in the DMA).

No men’s soccer team.

SIUE

Advantages:

Former associate membership in Soccer, since their main conference (Ohio Valley Conference/OVC) didn’t sponsor it until recently.

A potential budding rivalry between SIUE and SIUC in Carbondale for the Battle of SIU Rivalry.

They could also have potential rivalries with Bradley and Illinois State University (ISU).

An actual presence in the St. Louis DMA, as it would be near their league HQ in St. Louis.

Disadvantages:

Football program is nonexistent.

Basketball program is low-mid-major.

My recommendation would be SEMO, since it is a Missouri school that has a football program. I’d love for SIUE to be in it, but since they don’t have a football program, they would be at a disadvantage.

Read the full Substack post.

[m-robinavitch]

Thot of the day

You ocestrated everything, so that you would end up in the "ooh noooo there is only one bed" with Jack. But, much to your dismay, he didnt even let you offer to share it, he just camped out on thr floor like it was nothing. So you need to join him, to "realign you back" . He finally gets the memo and does get you into bed. In all the meanings of the words^^

An attending and resident were always needed for a medical conference. They didn’t want two attendings being taken away. They couldn’t trust two residents alone. And Robby was more than happy to let Jack be the one to go this time. The hotel had been booked. Flight booked. Bags packed. So maybe you gave Gloria’s assistant a $50 to switch the two single bed rooms to just one single bed room. Accidents happen. The hotel was all booked up for the conference and you were both busy from the traveling and first day events that you didn’t get to the room until that night after dinner with some other attendees. You almost forgot. Almost. Because when you got your keys to the hotel room there was suddenly no other room for you available and Jack had said it’s no problem that you stay with him.

He was almost being chivalrous about it. Almost. But part of him didn’t want you bunking up with that one anesthesiologist that you went to med school with. Who was getting too friendly and reacquainted with you. Who had you throwing your head back laughing and- no absolutely fucking not. You’re staying with him. You’re giddy and wearing the smallest shorts possible to bed after coming out of the bathroom from a long shower and pep talk and- he’s throwing pillows on the floor for himself.

“What are you doing?” You sound- offended? Well you were fucking offended. He had some nerve- what he was too good to share the bed with you?

“Getting ready to sleep. You can take the bed. Spent years sleeping in dirt- this is nothing.” He’s stretched out on the floor next to the bed- shirt riding up his taut stomach when he reaches up to put his phone on the nightstand. He wasn’t lying- the hotel floor was much more comfortable than some of the sleeping situations he found himself in during the army. But- he couldn’t risk sleeping next to you and waking you up with his dick hard and pressed up against your back. He’s spent nights dreaming about you in that exact position and situation that he can’t forget himself. But you turn out the light and throw a pillow next to him and-

“Sounds good- my back has been killing me anyway. That soft hotel bed will just make it worst.” You lay flat on the floor, hands behind your head because you can feel the heat radiating off of him once you get settled and press your leg against his.

“What’re you doing kid?” He tries to sound authoritative. Tries to warn you that this was a bad idea. Because it was. It’s not the first time you’ve tried to get him alone. It’s not the first time he’s let himself touch you but pulled away at the last moment. Because not even a week ago you found yourselves alone in the supply room- Jack reaching around you to grab a fresh box of gloves and stopped to corner you against the shelves. Centimeters of distance between you- only enough for molecules to pass while he stared at your lips and fought himself to push away from you.

“Getting comfortable,” you shrugged. Sighing into the darkness and letting one hand rest between you both, right against the hem of his tshirt. You caught it between your fingers, fiddling with the fabric and letting your fingers brush against the waistband of his sweat pants. Fuck it. He tells himself whatever fucking happens away from the hospital is fair game.

“You’re so fucking infuriating-” he catches your wrist and pulls you into him, body flush against yours and hands grabbing at this tiny shorts that clearly were made to drive him insane. Fucking finally.

“No- the bed” you whine into his lips. Pulling his shirt over his head and-

“Oh now you want the fucking bed.”

[velmalav]

The Giver - Frank Langdon pt. II

masterlist

day one

night one - f.l.

synopsis: being the selfless person you are, you agree to travel to a 3-day conference with your biggest competition - dr. langdon. part 2 of I don't know how many yet :-)

warnings: cursing, oops there's only one bed, enemies to lovers

Unfortunately, tonight, I’ve learned something about Langdon. He takes the longest showers known to man. And no, it’s not that he just spends forever in the bathroom doing a multi-step nighttime routine – which, actually, would also piss me off just as much – it’s that he’s spent that much time only in the shower.

When the door finally opens, he emerges only in a towel, ruffling another in his hair. Since he’s been in there, I’ve checked my email, watched a 20-minute cooking video on YouTube, and divided the bed with extra pillows I found in the small storage closet by the front door.

“You’re not even dressed?” I mutter, mostly under my breath. Langdon’s eyes flicker to me, eyebrows furrowing, as if remembering I’m in here.

“Normal people don’t dress in the bathroom right after a shower,” he approaches the bed, tossing his suitcase on it with one hand, his other gripping the towel. I decide I’m too exhausted to unpack that and ignore him. I try to scroll on my phone but find myself glancing up through my eyelashes as he chooses which pajamas he wants to wear.

Usually just the sight of him instantly angers me, but like it’s an instinct can’t help but take him in. I mean, this is the least amount of clothes I’ve ever seen on him. I’m only human. And I find for the first time since our first handshake, I’m… fascinated by him. I can see the slick of his collarbones, the subtle ident of his stomach, the lines jutting just above the towel across his waist. The sinking pit in my stomach and the inability to blink leaves me completely unaware of the same TikTok video repeating over and over. Just as Langdon glances up, I dart my focus back to my phone.

“How many times are you gonna watch that video?” he rasps. I glare up at him, continuing to let the video play.

“As many times as I want,” I bite back. As much as I can’t help but to annoy him, it’s starting to even irritate me. But – and I know I’m being a child – I don’t back down.

Langdon breaths and deep sigh and puts his hand on his hips, tongue sliding across his lips. I try not to let my thoughts roam with that one. I can’t tell you how long we stay like this, just boring holes into each other, allowing the distaste we have for each other hang thickly in the air. And then he lunges, hands outstretched, grasping for my phone.

A noise jumps from my throat involuntarily, and I roll away. He lands where I previously was, but is quick to continue grabbing across my chest, grunting insults that I can’t make out.

“This is ridiculous,” he growls, pushing himself into my side to give himself more lean. I’m persistent, turning up the volume on the phone. I stretch my arm off the bed as far as I can, palm grasping the phone like it’s life or death.

“Shut up,” I hiss. His hands are slowly getting closer and right as his fingers graze the phone, I attempt a second roll and end up face first on the ground. “Fuck,” I groan. I push onto my back and pause the video.

Langdon’s face hovering off the edge of the bed is all I can see in my daze. And, goddammit, he’s fucking laughing. Fully belly laughs until he’s leaning over the bed, bare chest appearing…and then the towel falls.

And then I’m laughing. Langdon’s eyes shoot downwards and the smile he was just wearing drops. Then he’s shuffling to realign the towel, hops off the bed with clothes in tow, and slams the bathroom door shut.

.

Like the abnormal person I am, I also change in the bathroom after my shower. It’s difficult to stop random bursts of laughter at the thought of what just happened, and what’s better is I know he can hear me on the other side. I take my time putting on my moisturizer and combing my hair, savoring a few moments to myself before I have to share the rest of my night with Langdon.

I don’t even have to look at him to know he’s still embarrassed when I come back out. He’s reading a book way too close to his face to avoid me. He’s also propped up the pillows I used to divide the bed even more to create a bolder line. I plug my phone charger in and then slip under the covers, careful not to infiltrate on his side. I spend maybe ten minutes scrolling aimlessly on Twitter when Langdon speaks.

“How’s the face plant treating you?” he asks innocently, words laced with spite.

“I don’t know,” I hum. “Haven’t even thought about it since you flashed me.”

His chest rumbles at that, and he sticks his tongue in his cheek. “Good to know you’re thinking about me naked right now.”

I can feel my face heating up, “Not much to think about,” a lame response; he’s caught me off my game.

“Still thinking about it, though,” now it’s his turn to hum. I shoot a glare his way only to be met with a wink. I roll my eyes, turning my attention back to my phone. But he’s not done, “Oh, c’mon, no witty comeback? I’m all ears.”

I keep ignoring him.

He says something else, but I’m trying to drown him out. I’ve got nothing. The well is dry. Sometimes being a spiteful bitch is exhausting.

I’m almost proud at how well I hold my ground with how much my pride is wounded until I feel hot breath across the side of my face. Langdon’s moved closer; shoulder pressed against mine. He’s even shoved the pillow barrier over. It seems he’s been wearing me down the entire first half and has now come back in the second in full force.

“Is it because you secretly wanted to see me naked?” he murmurs. I scroll viciously through my timeline. I pinch my lips together. It’s like I’m in war and the enemies are drawing closer. “Honestly, I’d be impressed if your face wasn’t so red.”

I shut my eyes. My body has failed me. I reopen them and in a last-ditch effort, face him directly.

“You think just because you’re a slightly above average looking man that I want to see you naked? Some people – like me – need a good personality to match for any of that to matter.”

We’re so close that his nose is almost grazing my cupid’s bow, eyes locked so intensely any outside person would be confused if this was the beginning of a brawl or heated foreplay. From the initial look in his eyes, I almost think I’ve won, but it doesn’t take long for his lopsided grin to return. Neck craned slightly, twinge of dark hair swaying in front of one eye. Not only am I about to lose a battle of wits, but I’m also about to lose my goddamn mind. Because he’s hot and I’m realizing how easy it could be to just fucking kiss him.

And I want to. I really, really want to.

His lips part ever-so-slightly, eyelashes slowly blinking, “No, you don’t,” he muses, annunciating each word. His voice is soft now, inviting.

I don’t even care that he watches me draw a deep, uneven breath. Or how red my face is. Because what he doesn’t realize is that the tips of his ears are just as red. And that tiny observation, knowing that he wants me to cave, that his thoughts are no different than my own, gives me back the power I’d been pining for since he first spoke.

“Yeah, Frank, actually I do,” I smile, pat him gently on the cheek, and turn away to shut off my beside lamp. “Goodnight.”

I just fucking wish I could’ve seen his face.

day two

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Hi Steph!!! 💜💜💜 I was hoping you could help me find some fics with John as an active medical doctor or E.R. nurse?? Ideally when (or how) he meets Sherlock? *eyebrow wiggle*

Not sure where the urge comes from, but just have a hankering for some hospital shenanigans, haha.

Ty babes!!! 🫶 - Liri

JOHN IS CURRENTLY A DOCTOR

Hey Liri!!!!

Oooo good question!! First off, of course I will rec these probably-John-related-medical-themed fics:

John at the Surgery

Doctor / Caretaker John

Doctor / Caretaker John Pt. 2

Doctor / Caretaker John Pt. 3

Doctor / Caretaker John Pt. 4

Doctor / Caretaker John Pt. 5

Quarantine / Lockdown / Pandemic (MFL’s)

Coronavirus / CoVID-19 (MFLs)

Then, I have a few where he meets Sherlock as a doctor, though I haven't read them I don't believe... from a tag search and quickly skimming the descriptions. I know I've probably missed a tonne or effed up somewhere, but I'd love to make another list, so if anyone has more for Liri, let me know <3

BOOKMARKS

Non-Toxic by NinjaNina2 (M, 1,713 w., 1 Ch. || Post S4, Parentlock with Rosie, Established Relationship, Oneshot, Stubborn Sherlock, Worried John, Doctor John, Fluff and Humour, Misunderstandings)  – Based on previous experiences, John has every right to be worried when gone for a medical conference, but what is the extent of damage This time…?!?

Q 1 HR by stillwaters01 (G, 1,795 w., 1 Ch. || New Year's Eve, Hurt/Comfort, BAMF John, Friendship, Doctor John) – On New Year’s Eve, Sherlock discovers that sometimes it’s the seemingly innocuous, rather than life-threatening, conditions that can keep John from The Work. And John is reminded just how deeply their friendship runs.

Excerpts from Purgatory by reapersun, what_alchemy (E, 5,829 w., 1 Ch. || Post-TRF, Doctor John, Reunion Fic, Rough Sex, Angry Sex, Bottomlock, Fic with Pics)  – John serves community service in homeless shelters for chinning the superintendent. Unbeknownst to him, the Homeless Network has his back.

And A Doctor by stillwaters01 (T, 24,962 w., 6 Ch. || Five and One, BAMF John, Hurt/Comfort, Doctor John, Friendship, Character Study) – It was only when people actually saw John working as a physician that they began to understand: that it wasn’t just about bullets and IEDs and trauma care under fire. That “doctor” actually covered a pretty wide field. And that John was bloody good at covering ground. 5 times Dr. Watson treated others and 1 time he treated himself.

Turn Left at the Park by Glenmore (NR (E), 37,409 w., 28 Ch. || Alternate First Meeting / ASiP Divergence, Case Fic, Depression, Suicidal Ideation, Loneliness, No Mary, Possessive Sherlock, Fluff & Angst, Nightmares/PTSD, Sherlock Saves John, Sherlock Whump-ish, Doctor John) – So what would have happened if John hadn't walked through the park and met Stamford? What if, instead, he walked around the park and just went home?

Points by lifeonmars (E, 53,791 w., 42 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || HLV Rewrite / Canon Divergence, Married Life, Pregnancy / Baby Watson, Drinking to Cope, Boxing / Fisticuffs, Clueless John, Angst, Minor Medical Drama, Tattoos, Christmas, First Kiss/Time, Eventual Happy Ending, Love Confessions, Doctor John, Sexuality Crisis, Slow Burn, Case Fic, Drugging, Blow/Hand Job, Emotional Love Making, Parenthood, Passage of Time) – What if His Last Vow never happened? This fic picks up a few months after John and Mary's wedding, in an alternate universe where Magnussen doesn't exist, but Mary is still pregnant. Life continues -- just in a different direction. And slowly, Sherlock and John find their way to each other.

Realigning Gravity Series by Raina_at (E, 69,159+ w. across 2 works || Series WiP || Sci-Fi / 24th Century Future AU || Post TRF, Cybernetic John, Estrangement, Reconciliation, Developing Relationship, Anniversary, Case Fic, Happy Endings, Doctor John) – Two years ago, Sherlock Holmes jumped off the roof of New London Hospital. Two months ago, he walked into John's clinic as if no time had passed at all. John hasn't seen him since. But then Sherlock knocks on John's door with a case he can't say no to, and while figuring out why the biggest manufacturer or synthetic limbs in the System is going after veterans, they also need to find out whether there's a way to fix what's broken between them.

A Further Sea by i_ship_an_armada & ShinySherlock (E, 125,492 w., 23 Ch. || Historical Pirates AU || Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Doctor John / Pirate Captain Sherlock, Sailing, UST / RST, Masturbation, Action / Adventure, Mild Angst & Peril, Romance, Shaving, Molly/Janine, Bottomlock, Hand / Blow Jobs, Past Drug Use, Slow Burn, Mild Violence, Facial Shaving, Happy Ending) – Here be a tale of adventure for both body and soul, but beware if ye be not of stout heart, for this be piratelock, ya savvy? Luckless ship's surgeon John Watson takes a chance, and finds himself eye to eye with The Ghost, the scourge of the seven seas and a definite thorn in the side of the blaggard, James Moriarty. But when John finds there's more to this most cunning pirate than be meetin' the eye, he has to choose... is it a pirate's life for him?

Proving A Point by elldotsee & J_Baillier (E, 186,270 w., 28 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Me Before You Fusion || Medical Realism, Insecure John, Depression, Romance, Angst, POV John, Sherlock Whump, Serious Illness, Doctor John, Injury Recovery, Assisted Suicide, Sherlock’s Violin, Awkward Sexual Situations, Alcoholism, Drugs, Idiots in Love, Slow Burn, Body Image, Friends to Lovers, Hurt / Comfort, Pain, Big Brother Mycroft, Intimacy, Anxiety, PTSD, Family Issues, Psychological Trauma, John Whump, Case Fics, Loneliness, Pain) – Invalided home from Afghanistan, running out of funds and convinced that his surgical career is over, John Watson accepts a mysterious job offer to provide care and companionship for a disabled person. Little does he know how much hangs in the balance of his performance as he settles into his new life at Musgrave Court. Part 1 of the Care And Companionship series

MARKED FOR LATER

Take me to Baker Street by MorganeUK (G, 2,087 w., 1 Ch. || Adult Ballet AU || Ballet Dancer Sherlock, Doctor John, Song Fic, Pre-Slash) – I always loved Sergei Polunin interpretation of Take me to the church so I decided to write a version where Sherlock is a ballet dancer in serious need of a doctor…

A Doctor's Touch by my_dear_man (E, 3,275 w., 1 Ch. || ACD Canon || First Time, Taking Care, Sick Sherlock, Hand Jobs, Fluff and Angst, Blow Jobs, Love Confessions, Hallucinations, Guilt, Emotional Hurt / Comfort, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Angst with a Happy Ending) – "I will be there, you may be sure. "I was ill at that time but not on the brink of my death bed, a nasty flu was the case, and yet, he came by to our old rooms, like the good doctor that he is and ever will be.

Fugue (n.) by reyiosa (NR [G], 3,281 w., 1 Ch. || Alternate Universe || Post-TRF, Hospital, Hallucinations, Coma, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, It Was All A Dream) – A Sherlock AU were it turns out Sherlock has made up his whole life with John as a consulting detective while stuck in a coma caused by an overdose. The real John is just a kind doctor at the hospital that sits by Sherlock’s bed and reads him detective stories.

John Hamish Watson Lestrade by MidnightMonster (G, 4,731 w., 1 Ch. || John is Lestrade's Son || ASiP, Alternate First Meeting, Older Sherlock, Younger John, POV Sherlock, Protective John) – John is Lestrade's son and is 23 years old training to be a doctor and planning to be an army-doctor. Greg's concern about John being a soldier however is pushed into the background when a new problem presents itself. Sherlock Holmes. He is worried that Sherlock will hurt John or get hurt because of him in some way. But despite his concerns and efforts of keeping them apart it seems that they can't be kept away from each other.

Wretched and Divine by meet_me_in_samarra (M, 5,130 w., 1 Ch. || Punk AU || Pining John, Seductive Sherlock, Slow Burn, Sherlock is a Doctor, Implied / Referenced Drug Use) – Dr. John Watson is on call at the A&E when he attempts to treat a very special patient. Instead he finds himself a very special treat. Part 1 of the Wretched and Divine series

Practically Perfect by vitruvianwatson (E, 6,303 w., 1 Ch. || Sugar Daddy AU || Age Difference, Younger Sherlock, Older John, Finger Fucking, Anal Sex, Hand Jobs, Office Sex, Emotionally Insecure Sherlock, Barista Sherlock, Doctor John, PWP) – There was a knock on the door, and then it opened. John shook the thoughts out of his head and looked up with his fake “I’m your kindly doctor” smile plastered on his face, but a second later his jaw dropped because his “patient” wasn’t a patient at all. It was none other than Sherlock bloody Holmes. Not only that, but he was dressed in one of his more indecent outfits—skin tight jeans that looked like they’d been bloody painted on, and a purple button-down that was straining, to say the least, to remain buttoned. John wondered if he’d worked at the coffee shop in that outfit today. He shut the door and leaned back against it with a wicked smile, and John heard the click of the lock.

The Curious Incident of the Detective, the Doctor and the Dogs in the Night by mydogwatson (T, 7,652 w., 1 Ch. || Alternate First Meeting AU || Dogs, First Kiss, Honeymoon) – A meet-cute. Dogs and cases and romance. [TRANSLATION: Русский]

Not Your Doctor, Not Your Captain by weneedtotalkaboutsherlock (E, 8,645 w., 1 Ch. || AU || Daddy John, Barista Sherlock, Legal Age Difference, First Kiss/Time, Blow Jobs, Texting/Phone Sex, Anal, Rimming, Felching, Praise Kink, Hurt/Comfort, Pet Names, Doctor John) – "Coffee for John Watson," a voice calls, a low, deep rumble that sends a shiver down John's spine. The thought is pushed aside, his shoulders sagging at the sight of his long-awaited coffee. "Thank God." His eyes lock with long, elegant fingers around the rim of the cup, dimpling the carton in a way that John can only describe as sensual. It shouldn't be. It's seven-thirty in the bloody morning. "I'm afraid that God had not much to do in making your coffee this morning," the barista replies. "I, on the other hand…"

The Full Package by Kalimyre (E, 9,675 w., 3 Ch. || Omegaverse || First Time, Sex Toys, Virginity, Doctor John) – Kinkmeme fill. The clinic where John works caters specifically to Omegas experiencing their first heat. They provide top of the line service, and do anything necessary to ease their patients' discomfort. Omega!Sherlock is his latest patient.

Quid Pro Quo by J_Baillier (T, 10,035 w., 3 Ch. || Alternate Professions ||  Doctor John, Medical Conditions, Developing Relationship, Bisexual John, Sherlock’s Violin, Minor Injuries) – John Watson is a sports surgeon who thought he was at peace with his career choices but this morning, he's meeting a new patient who might just break the brittle life balance John has constructed.

Iris by Leloi (E, 11,302 w., 1 Ch. || Omegaverse || Time Travel, Mpreg, Infertility, Virgin Sherlock, Friends to Lovers, Established Relationship, Omega Sherlock, Jealous Sherlock) –John Watson was quickly learning to hate the Victorian Era. It wasn’t just the lack of proper medical care… Although that was a rather large component. It was the filth. It was the misery and the lack of regard for human life. Ok… So maybe the lack of proper medical care was a major component. It was difficult being a 21st century medical doctor stuck with 19th century technology. There was some sort of time travel involved. The really strange part is that there was a past version of himself living with a past version of Sherlock Holmes. Ok… So maybe that wasn’t the strangest part either. He seemed to be stuck in an alternate universe.

Assistance Required by Soft_Light (E, 12,162 w., 4 Ch. || PWP, Viagra, Sleepy Sherlock, Sleepy Cuddle, Doctor John, Hurt Sherlock, Developing Relationship, Bisexual John, Demisexual Sherlock, Virgin Sherlock, Hair Playing, What Boundaries, It’s an Experiment) – Sherlock takes Viagra for an experiment. You can probably guess a lot of what happens next.

Transference by Jean Elizabeth (E, 16,846 w., 6 Ch. || Mental Hospital AU || Schizophrenic Sherlock, Psychologist John, Paranoia, Affairs, Friendship, Sexual Tension, Forbidden Love, Pining John, Sherlock’s Feelings, Sick Sherlock, Blow Jobs, Anal Sex, Angst and Humour, Sherlock/Victor, Dev. Rel. Johnlock) – Sherlock Holmes has been admitted to a mental institution for paranoid schizophrenia. He is assigned to psychologist Doctor John Watson who he inevitably begins a love affair with. John must wrestle with his guilt in putting not only his job, but Sherlock's mental well-being, in danger. Sherlock struggles with his mental disorder while living in a confining and controlling environment. So much angst and pain that can only be dulled one night a week.

keywords: Gay, Loving, Boyfriends by lookupkate (E, 17,771 w., 17 Ch. || Doctor John AU || Alternate First Meeting, Hospitals, John Writes Smut, Sherlock Reads Smut Fanfiction) – John starts writing gay romance while holed up in hospital. Sherlock reads the first fic on accident, and it sticks with him for days. He can't help but read more from the unknown writer. Little does he know, the writer isn't exactly unknown to him. The writer happens to be the A&E Doctor he's feuding with. Christ, can you imagine what he'll think once he finds out? 

Hello, Hamish by Norma_de_Plume (M, 23,833 w., 18 Ch. || John/OMC and Johnlock || Pre-TRF, Fluff, Idiots in Love, Confused John, Mild Knife Violence, First Kiss/Time, Friends to Lovers, Jealous Sherlock, Doctor John, Mutual Pining, Scheming Sherlock, Possessive Sherlock, BAMF John, Hurt / Comfort) – John and Sherlock never imagined that their relationship could ever be more than flatmates and best friends. Hoped, perhaps...but... *ahem* Could one person change that? What if someone else had their eye on Dr. Watson? What if it wasn't a woman?

The Scientist's Method by spacemutineer (T, 26,607 w., 7 Ch. || ACD / Granada Holmes Canon || Angst with Happy Ending, Hurt / Comfort, Time Loop, Blood / Injury, Doctor John, Developing Relationship, BAMF John, Temporary Character Death, Guilt, Drug Use / Addiction, Grief / Mourning, Friendship / Love) – Sherlock Holmes has always known the world through the straightforward lenses of evidence, logic, and reasoning. But when Watson is caught in a tragic preventable disaster, his trusted clear lines of reality start to shift and blur, and the scientist detective begins to piece together a grand discovery far beyond even his exceptional imagination. Detection is a way of learning and science is a way of knowing, but as Sherlock Holmes is about to realise, love is a way of understanding.

When We Were Young by Calais_Reno (T, 27,230 w., 10 Ch. || Alternate First Meeting AU || First Love, Nostalgia, Pre and Post TRF, Doctor John, Angst with Happy Ending) – John and Sherlock met at school, and were a bit more than friends. But they didn't stay in touch afterwards. Life goes on, and when John returns from Afghanistan, he takes a position at Barts as a trauma specialist, working in the Emergency Department. As he reports for work one day, a man jumps off the roof of the hospital. John's world tilts on its axis.

We'll Meet Again by isitandwonder (E, 29,306 w., 7 Ch. || 1940′s WWII AU || Semi-Public Sex, Blow / Hand Jobs, Anal Sex, Period-Typical Homophobia, Love Letters, Prolonged Separation, Implied/Referenced Rape, Epistolary, War Crimes, Infidelity, Reunion Sex, Magical Realism, Ghosts, Suicide, Sad with Happy Ending) – London during WW II: Doctor John Watson has a hot, anonymous brief encounter with a beautiful stranger during blackout. But they get interrupted. Will they ever meet again? Bittersweet Johnlock WWII AU with a twist to the present day in the end.

No Power of Mind by ab_initio (M, 29,436 w., 12 Ch. || Mental Hospital AU || Sherlock Sees Dead People, Mystrade) – On Monday, it's the Woman. Tuesday brings Henry Knight. Wednesday is Magnussen. Greg is Thursday followed by Moriarty on Friday. Sherlock see dead people in his palace of white. When Mycroft hires Doctor John Watson to take care of Sherlock, Sherlock wonders how long this doctor will last. As time passes, the doctor-patient relationship drifts away and Sherlock's visions begin to take control. As his sanity slips away, John tries to hold on and bring Sherlock back from the depths of his mind.

A Doctor in the House by KittenKin (T, 32,394 w., 24 Ch. || TEH Fix It, Hurt/Comfort, Doctor John, Love Confessions, Slow Burn, First Kiss) – A replacement for Series 3 Episode 1 of BBC's "Sherlock", because my John would never. Part 1 of the A Doctor in the House series

To Help Another by DrFish (E, 38,898 w., 20 Ch. || Omegaverse || Rape/Non-Con, Omega Sherlock, Alpha John, BAMF John, Hurt/Comfort, Medical Procedures, Mating Cycles, Bonding, Non-Con Drugs, Violence, Knotting, Oral Sex, Past Sexual Abuse, Illness, Doctor John, Case Fic, Come Inflation, Porn With Plot, Vulnerable Sherlock, Pillows and Blanket Forts, Nightmares, Kidnapping, Grief/Mourning, First Time, Virgin Sherlock, Dirty Talk, Discipline) – Dr. John Watson has been invalided out of the Army and he is struggling to come to terms with what's left of his life. When he agrees to help out with a difficult case at the hospital where he works as an emergency room physician, he not only saves this particular abused omega and others like him, but he discovers a new and better life for himself in the process.

The Montague Street Doctor by The_Circus (T, 61,488 w., 13 Ch. || Post-TRF, ACD Canon-Feeling Relationship, Gen/No Slash, Montague Street, Doctor John, Care in the Community, Reunion) – Just because Sherlock stopped, doesn't mean the Work has to. London is John's city now and he will keep it together with stitching, string, his healing, the food off his table, and sometimes the clothes off his back. John Watson keeps going. He's good at that.

A Telling Touch by MiyakoToudaiji (E, 91,656 w., 28 Ch. || Post-TRF Divergence, Reunion, Hurt/Comfort, Drama, Soldier John, Friends to Lovers, BAMF John, Doctor John, War, Syria, Violence, Blood, Injury, Fighting, Soulmates, True Love, First Kiss / Time, Slow Build, Romance, Christmas, Family, Holmes Manor, Childhood Memories, Sherlock’s Violin, Case Fic) – After Sherlock’s death, John manages to get himself re-enlisted and is sent back to war. But when two series of gruesome murders link home and outland together, John is suddenly faced with more battles than he could have imagined.  

You Go To My Head Series by 7PercentSolution and J_Baillier (E, 987,192 w. across 23 Works || Surgeon AU || Medical Realism, Autism Spectrum, Anaesthetist John / Neurosurgeon Sherlock, Friends to Lovers, Pining, Addiction, Angst, Slow Burn, PTSD, Pining, Insecurity, Additional Tags Under Link) – This series is an alternate universe one, featuring the exciting medical and romantic adventures of doctors Watson and Holmes.

WORKS IN PROGRESS

How They Move In Silence by Breath4Soul (M, 5,186 w., 4/? Ch. || WiP || Doctor John, Doctor/Patient, Voiceless Sherlock, Sick Sherlock, Texting) – Sherlock loses his voice and has to communicate through texts which leads to love confessions.

we are more than the footnotes my love by poechild (T, 17,874+ w., 1 of 2 Ch. || Alternate First Meeting, Unilock, Drug Addict Sherlock, Caring / Doctor John, Protective John, Hurt/Comfort, Pre-ASiP, Pining John, Massage, Shaving, Hurt Sherlock, Concussions, Drug Withdrawal) – A druggie kisses John on the street then steals his wallet. John, of course, takes him home.

20,000 leagues under the sea: A Victorian Sherlock AU by MorganeUK (G, 30,544+ w., 15/? Ch || Victorian Steampunk AU || WiP || Scientist Sherlock, Submarines) – The Holmes Brothers are living under the sea, protected from the world violence and general stupidity… Alone, with only a small crew, they explore the world inside their submersible. Perfectly satisfied and unaware of their loneliness, until they meet Captain Lestrade and Doctor Watson from the Royal Navy.

Only Yesterday by Berty (T, 47,530+ w., 18/20 Ch. || WiP || Alternate Timelines / 'Yesterday' AU || Post-TRF, POV John, Grief, Mental Instability, Angst, Unrequited Love, Suspense, Scotland, Hurt John, Developing Relationship, Doctor John, John is a Mess) – Sherlock has been gone for two years and John Watson is doing okay. He goes to work. He sleeps (sometimes). He eats. He has colleagues, some of whom are even friends. He has purpose. If it's not a life as others might view it, it's a fair approximation. It's fine. He's fine. One night the lights go out and when they come back on everything is the same except for one important thing. For John it's the most important thing. And suddenly John is not fine at all.

Vampires In London Series by Madam_Fandom (E, 148,590+ w. across 4 works || Series WiP || Vampire AU || Vampire Sherlock, Psychic/Empath John, Mutual Pining, Blood Drinking, Feeding, Jealousy, Angst, Implied / Referenced Rape/Non Con, Graphic Violence, Past Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Physical /Emotional / Psychological Abuse, Vampire Sex, First Time, Doctor John, Bisexual John) – John is a doctor and nothing ever happens to him, and then it does. He meets two fascinating men at a fundraiser...he soon finds out vampires are real and they are in London.

Care And Companionship Series by elldotsee and J_Baillier (E, 209,820+ w. across 5 works || Series WiP || Me Before You Fusion || Angst, Romance, Depression, Medical Ethics, Insecure Sherlock, Serious Illness, Permanent Injury, Sherlock Whump, BAMF John, Doctor John, Injury Recovery, Physical Rehabilitation, Medical Realism, Assisted Suicide, Awkward Sex, Friends to Lovers, Alcoholism, John Whump, PTSD, Anxiety, Family Drama, Caretaker John, Alternating POVs) – Invalided home from Afghanistan, running out of funds and convinced that his surgical career is over, John Watson accepts a mysterious job offer to provide care and companionship for a disabled person. Little does he know how much hangs in the balance of his performance as he settles into his new life at Musgrave Court.

UNEXPECTED OCCURENCE by Victoria557 (M, 295,878+ w., 124/? Ch. || WiP || Post-TRF Divergence, Unexpected Parenthood, PTSD, Trauma, Child Abandonment, Slow Burn, Heavy Angst with Happy Ending, Blood and Gore, Self-Harm, Intrusive Thoughts, Doctor John, Self-Esteem Issues, Anxiety Disorder, Misunderstandings, No Mary) – Barely five months after Sherlock's death, John was slowly yet so ever damn surely falling apart. Every day since then, he had just been surviving not living. When Lestrade phone him, with nervousness and uncertainty in his voice, asking for some help with a case since Anderson who usually did the forensic stuff, and another worker who examined the body had been unfortunately unavailable and with the downfall of Lestrade's record recently, he couldn't afford to risk another scolding from his supervisor, John agreed, despite the forming of the painful twist in his stomach at the thought of being at a crime scene without a certain arrogant high-functioning sociopath. Never did he expect to encounter such a surreal event and never did he expect to find out Sherlock having a secret - well secret would be unfitting as the man himself didn't realize this.

[dedalvs]

NBA Realignment Proposal

This is Tumblr—a place where you can be who and what you wish to be. Today I take advantage of that to bring to you an idea that I think will solve a couple of dire problems the National Basketball Association (an American professional sporting association for basketball) has been struggling with in recent years. The problems are two-fold:

(1) Division championships are meaningless. In the old days if you won your division, you earned a top seed. When there were two division, the division winner with the best record got the 1 seed, and the other division winner the 2. It didn't matter if there was a second (or even third) place team that had a better record: winning your division meant you earned a top seed. A good example is the 1991-92 season, where the Chicago Bulls (67-15) earned the top seed, but the 51-31 Boston Celtics earned the second seed as winners of the Atlantic Division, despite the fact that the Cleveland Cavaliers had a much better record at 57-25. Winning the division was incredibly important. Now teams are seeded by record throughout the conference. Division titles mean nothing.

(2) Super teams. Since divisions are meaningless but winning chamiponships is still the most important thing in the NBA, successful players go to teams that can pay the most money. The ones that have the most money are the teams that are most successful. With only two conferences, this usually results in two teams—one in the east, one in the west—being stacked. Players can either join that team or try to form another super team to rival them. And the ones that can rival them are other historically successful teams. All in all, it's a lack of parity, and the same teams winning every single time.

Now, it is assumed, amongst fans and sportswriters, that the league will eventually expand to Seattle, regaining their former Supersonics, and Las Vegas—the latter perhaps when LeBron James retires (he's expressed interest in being an owner for a team in Las Vegas in future). If that comes to pass (and no other teams change locations), I propose a radical realignment of the divisions, and concomitant playoff changes. These changes were inspired by the changes the NHL made in recent years. They had six divisions, like the NBA has now, but then when they expanded, went backward, to four divisions, and the results have been impressive.

If you need to refresh yourselves of the current alignment, you can do so here. Now here's the realignment I propose:

These are the four divisions the NBA had before expanding to six. Most of the membership is the same, but I'll note the discrepancies. First, the most easterly western conference team, the Memphis Grizzlies, has been moved to the east (I always found it absurd that a team in a state one state away from the Atlantic Ocean was in the western conference). The Toronto Raptors and Charlotte Hornets have been swapped, which makes geographic sense, and the Atlanta Hawks have been returned to the Central.

This gives us four divisions with eight teams each. Currently, ten teams from each conference go to the playoffs—kind of. Four teams in each conference are forced into a mini-tournament called the play-in. For this play-in, the 7th place team hosts the 8th place team and the 9th place team hosts the 10th place team in a one game playoff. The winner of the first game becomes the real 7th seed. The loser of the first game plays the winner of the second. The winner of that game becomes the real 8th seed. Then the playoffs proceed as they always have. Very strange.

I propose something radically different. Same number of playoff teams—even the same number of play-in teams—but it's all done inside the division:

Each division has its own playoff. The 4th and 5th place teams play each other for the right to take on the top place team in the division in the first round of the divisional series. Then the 2nd place team hosts the 3rd place team in the division. The winners of each series face off, the winner being crowned the ultimate division champion. Then the western and eastern conference division champions face off, resulting in conference champions, who face off in the finals. The bracket looks like this:

This means that one team from every division will always make it to the semifinals. Division championships are suddenly very important, and there's incentive for good players to try their luck on teams in different divisions if they can't make it in the division they're in. It takes two very large pools (the conferences) and separates them into four smaller pools. It will also ensure you get some nice, exciting playoff matchups in the early going, because every matchup is all but guaranteed to be a rivalry, as the matchups are always interdivision matchups.

For the curious, if this had happened for last season, it would've looked like this (less the two expansion teams):

Same exact playoff teams! And the first matchups would've looked like this:

Some of the matchups are the same, but we get some good ones earlier. Mavs-Pelicans would've been a lot spicier than Thunder-Pelicans. In general, we've got a lot better shot at getting better matchups earlier on, and good matchups at each stage. This is the NBA I want to see!

Thank you for coming to the Dothraki guy's Tumblr account.

[historia-vitae-magistras]

in a reverse question, what does Arthur think of his kids' relationships? to me he is the type that seems to not care at all but is actually aware of *everything* thanks to the gossip web that is Europe and just silently judges

He keeps an eye on things lol yes. Britain provided a lot of the global intelligence structure. Man's over here using five eyes to make sure his children aren't too deep in the shit. He keeps a light eye on what Alfred's doing to make sure no massive political realignments are about to emerge and keeps the longer term partners in the fold and generally just tries to not hear too much detail. Plus he's been known to do a little matchmaking.

Matt completely missed the Potsdam Conference and coming back to quarters with a back scraped to shit from fucking in rubble and hickeys all over the place and smelling like vodka? Well that won't do. Can't be fucking the Soviet Union's sister. Besides, the lads been making googly eyes at that tall green eyed cash grab since he was small enough to do so from behind Alasdair's greatkilt. Best to make that liberation lasting. Even better, Jan's fresh from his Pacific Rim divorce!

Jack's suddenly putting garlic and tomatoes in everything? That's rather odd. What's all this fuss about the old man losing his marbles. oh those marbles? That won't do! Best send the lad to Rome to get some culture and get his gelato vigorously stirred. He's always been a wine lover anyway and Romano is well in the fold. Arthur's not entirely sure how Jack jumped into bed with Feliks but he's not complaining either.

Zee is concerning. Just what is she doing in Vietnam? Iceland? Oh the thing with Iceland was just about volcanoes. How odd! Arthur has no idea what she's doing and she's the least likely to do anything weird and secretive but he also knows the least about her movements.

[bballlvr8]

The mystic game interview was funny, because why are they asking Azzi about conference realignment?

Paige was wrong for making Azzi go first. Lol.

exactly 😂😂

and she gave the most generic answer

[collegefootballcountdown]

PAC 12 no more

[sucka99]

[justinssportscorner]

Alex Kirshner at Slate:

The Pac-12 Conference, which started in 1915 as the Pacific Coast Conference and donned a bunch of names over a successful century of Western teams playing games with each other, is dead. After USC and UCLA exited for the Big Ten last summer, and after Colorado headed for the Big 12 last month, the conference took on additional water on Friday: Oregon and Washington, the Pac-12’s biggest remaining fish, joined their Los Angeles counterparts in the Big Ten. The Big 12 Conference is now also adding Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah, news that broke just minutes after the Pacific Northwest schools decided to join the Midwest. The future is deeply murky for the biggest schools left in the Pac-12 now, Stanford and Cal in the Bay Area. And it looks only grim for two of the quirkiest and most fun programs in college football: Oregon State and Washington State, who are losing their blood rivals (Oregon and Washington) to another league but aren’t getting the call to decamp themselves. The specifics will fall into place in the days ahead. The big picture is already a bleak one. The degradation of the Pac-12, and now its imminent outright death as anything like what it has always been, is a college sports tragedy. In some part, this moment is a natural destination for a train that left its station decades ago and will run over more of college sports’ nice old things in the years to come. But what has happened to the Pac-12 wasn’t inevitable and certainly didn’t need to unfold as quickly as it did. What college sports fans know as the Conference of Champions is at death’s door because of cold, hard capitalism, yes, but also because the people in charge of stewarding the Pac-12 were the wrong mix of arrogant and incompetent.

College sports has been transmogrifying into a made-for-TV product since the mid-1980s, when the Supreme Court stripped the NCAA of its top-down control of football television rights and left teams and conferences to make their own agreements. As one cycle of gigantic TV deals has given way to the next, the Pac-12 has slid into a more pronounced disadvantage against its peers in the South and Midwest. College football is a religion in the Southeastern Conference’s footprint and in much of the Big Ten’s, though the latter now covers both the parts of the country obsessed with football and the parts that are not. The Big Ten and SEC have lucrative TV networks of their own that they run in partnership with ESPN and Fox, and the leagues sell the rights to broadcast their games—their inventory, in industry parlance—for hundreds of millions of dollars. The financial edge of the big two leagues cost the Pac-12 both UCLA and USC in a realignment move to the Big Ten last summer, and the same edge has now cost them Oregon and Washington to render the Pac-12 unrecognizable. When those schools left, three others fled in response to the Big 12, and suddenly, it was all over. The Northwestern Big Ten entrants might only get half the money of a normal Big Ten member, but that will be more than they were likely to get if they had stayed in the outgunned Pac-12. Someone might look at the TV cash disparity and conclude the Pac-12 never had a chance to survive. But the Pac-12’s predicament is worse than simply not being able to compete financially with the Big Ten and SEC. The world was big enough for the league to survive in a reasonably strong form anyway, as a secondary but still powerful conference with a distinct Western identity. The reason the Pac-12 is instead finished is that its leaders messed up repeatedly and gruesomely until they couldn’t blow it anymore.

[...] All of this adds up to something a little less severe than the death of Western college football, because the teams involved will keep playing games. Fans will keep tailgating, their lives mostly unaffected by how much TV money their alma maters are raking in. But the reduction or demise of the Pac-12 will have serious costs. It could end either the Washington–Washington State rivalry known as the Apple Cup or the Oregon–Oregon State game that they used to call the Civil War. (The departing schools say they’ll prioritize maintaining those games, and we can only hope that stays true forever.) It will weaken the geographic distinction in a sport that used to see provincialism as a feature, not a bug. And it will pit schools against teams they share no history or animus with, in an 18-team Big Ten (at least) where some teams will go years without playing each other. They’ll all be richer. There is no guarantee that they, or anyone, will be happier.

The demise of the Pac-12 was entirely avoidable. USC and UCLA's defections to the Big Ten (B1G) were the warning shot of P12's demise; however, the conference still could have been in a manageable shape.

But when Colorado hightailed it back to the Big 12, the dominoes began to really unravel for the Pac-12's survival. Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah joined Colorado to the Big 12, and Washington and Oregon went to the B1G, leaving behind Washington State, Oregon State, Cal, and Stanford in a rudderless P12.

In truth, the Pac-12's disaster began with the Pac 12 Networks, and will end with messes.