#and current andrew still has a lot of healing ahead of him

[xnightlynyxx]

I know Dan is planning to become the Foxes next coach, but I think Andrew will be her successor or at least an assistant coach

Think about it: he came to South Carolina and immediately started looking out for Aaron and Nicky, and as soon as Kevin and Neil showed up he made promises to protect them too. Andrew already adopts and protects troubled youth. You know who else adopts and protects troubled youth? Wymack. In this essay I will-

[heroofpenamstan]

—OC PROFILES: JOANNE & MICHAEL

tagged by the lovelies: @shallow-gravy​, @shellibisshe​, @belorage​, @honeysides​, @strafethesesinners​, @faithchel​, @blissfulalchemist​! thank you, dears! x since i’m tragically late to the party as per usual, not going to be tagging anyone since i assume most of my mutuals have done it, but if you want to go right ahead and tag me too so i can see! :”)) also, fair warning: 80% of the questions i answered at ungodly hours overmedicated on paracetamol and it shows because re-reading this in the morning was a Yikes

GENERAL

name: joanne burton alias(es): jo, annie ( mike exclusive ), burton, dep, jr. deputy, rook, traitor, sinner, wrath/pain in the ass ( john exclusive ), rabbit ( jacob exclusive ), heinous fucking bitch—( also john exclusive ), black widow ( new dawn au ) gender: cis. female age: 29 birth: 30th october, 1988 place of birth: meridian, idaho spoken languages: english; may or may not recite some hebrew lines over the holidays sexual preference: bisexual occupation(s): junior deputy of hope county, montana/menace to all cultists everywhere ( in a certain radius of said hope county, montana, anyway )

APPEARANCE

eye colour: brown hair colour: black height: 157cm ( 5′2 ), or approximately 7′11 when balancing on michael’s shoulders to peer inside john’s windows scars: split right eyebrow ( thanks, jake ), minor cuts and incorrectly healed bruises and gashes, scarred bullet wound on left hip ( you’re welcome, jake )

FAVOURITE

colour: orange or yellow or cyan, or whatever is more stupidly eye-catching and not at all fit for her current environment song: i’ve been thinking by handsome boy modeling school food: various stir-fries, fruits and protein ( or anything that she claims to be “healthy” when, truly, bitch is one step away from living off of instant noodles and canned pineapple and cigarette buds from dutch’s stash ) drink: beerherbal teas and infusions

HAVE THEY

passed university: no, but passing the police academy was already a pleasant enough surprise for her had sex: today? no. two weeks ago? probably had sex in public: probably said two weeks ago gotten pregnant/ someone else pregnant: yes, but we don’t talk about it kissed a boy: yes ( derogatory ) kissed a girl: yes ( affectionate ) gotten tattoos: yes, loads: most were practice scribbles for her ex-girlfriend, and the only true meaningful one she possesses is lydia, scrawled into her pinky in remembrance. otherwise, john seed do not even engage with that rusty ass tattoo gun— gotten piercings: yes, loads multiplied; if there’s a place for a piercing in her ears, she has them. also, an old septum piercing she hasn’t worn in a hot second been in love: yes, loads squared ( girl rents out her heart on the weekdays and cries about the scratches she notices on saturday, but still repeats it all over again come monday; falling in love for her is easy, but actually loving someone and getting over her self-loathing to do so is a whole different ball game ) stayed up for more than 24 hours: she’s probably on hour 31 as we speak ( someone knock her out pls )

ARE THEY

a virgin: whitehorse has heard enough horror stories in the break room between her and joey to last him a lifetime a cuddler: closeted cuddler, yes a kisser: most definitely; woman has to play up her natural assets scared easily: her response time is too lagged for that jealous easily: depends; she’s more jealous of what she should have/could have/would have had in a general sense than being jealous of a particular person or a thing trustworthy: in her own way, yes dominant: disgustingly so submissive: not in this lifetime in love: very much so single: very much so part 2

RANDOM QUESTIONS (tw for self harm/suicide mention)

have they harmed themselves: yes, but it’s more by means of unintentional yet severe substance abuse thought of suicide: not as often as one would assume; joanne has a very strong sense of self-preservation, but tends to run from her bleak reality by means of one harmful way or the other attempted suicide: once or twice during her lowest points in life wanted to kill someone: on the daily have/had a job: girl had juggled three part-time jobs; there is nothing she fears anymore have any fears: ( see above ) to fall back into old bad habits, loss of control, death, failure, a bad future, poverty, being abandoned and forgotten, long stays at a hospital, the judges, the bliss, the power of john’s hair gel

FAMILY

sibling(s): micah burton ( older brother ) parent(s): abigail burton née belman ( mother ); jim burton ( father ) children: asher seed ( daughter in new dawn au ) significant other: jacob seed ( circumstantial lover/”could do without” mentor/#prisonwife #prisonhusband #imkidding #kinda ) pets: boomer for the cuddles, cheesecake for the throttles ( bitch naturally attracts the judges but will forget her dog 101 and run away like what does she think will happen then?? )

GENERAL

name: michael scott-hughes alias(es): mike, mikey, mickey ( mary may exlusive ), mike the bike/fall’s end’s bicycle, resistance’s poster boy, manwhore, cassanova, the archangel ( joseph exclusive ), the antichrist ( also joseph exclusive ), war dog, hughes boy ( fairgrave exclusive ) gender: cis. male age: 30 birth: 6th july, 1988 place of birth: fall’s end, montana spoken languages: english, russian, basic chinese mandarin and turkish sexual preference: pansexual occupation(s): residential shady, shady man ( international arm’s dealer, most recently demoted to local resistance leader and occasional general goods store co-owner )

APPEARANCE

eye colour: green hair colour: brown height: 181cm ( 5′11 ), and 6ft on tinder jkjk man’s confident enough to not grasp for that extra inch, unlike someone ( john ) scars: heavily burnt left hand ( from trying to fish out his ex girlfriend’s boiling corpse r.i.p. to that steaming puss— ), gash on his right temple, nicely healed gun wound on left shoulder, not so nicely healed amputated right hand ( man’s not having the best time in my canon, is he ), various incorrectly healed cuts and bruises

FAVOURITE

colour: green and rustics song: wild world by yusuf/cat stevens food: unlike the faker above, michael actually likes to cook and eat healthy meals, so anything from salads to veggies to oatmeal to soups will do ( and meat; man’s been a vegetarian for a grand total of 4 days in his entire life ( or 14, if you count the time he got abducted to john’s bunker womp )) drink: sugary drinkswhiskey, fresh juices, “water can be so, so sexy, annie—”

HAVE THEY

passed university: no, though michael really busted his ass to self-educate on subjects that will be beneficial to his line of work had sex: we stopped keeping tabs and numbers nearly ten years ago had sex in public: we stopped blinking at these types of shenanigans nearly ten years ago too gotten pregnant/ someone else pregnant: yes? no? maybe? ( mike’s too afraid to even think about it, but hopes he hasn’t fathered any babies any time soon ) kissed a boy: yes ( affectionate ) kissed a girl: yes ( affectionate² ) gotten tattoos: yes: the sword of damocles on his left inner forearm, intertwined snakes running across his right ribs, a tiny smiley face on his ass lord save him gotten piercings: yes, and everyone hated his attempt to revive the 90s with his lil earring like c’mon you already have a reputation of being a sleaze— been in love: yes, but surprisingly not as many times as one may think ( truthfully, three times: mary may, lana, joanne mary may again ) stayed up for more than 24 hours: sometimes it just cannot be helped

ARE THEY

a virgin: maybe in a past life as an amoeba a cuddler: yes ( try to escape his hold during a summer night i’ll give you 5 bucks if you can break the deadlock ) a kisser: he just exists to smooch at this point scared easily: truthfully, he’s quite desensitized as is, so it’s really hard to truly rock him jealous easily: no; though he might get a bit petty and bitter if someone mentions merle and mary may becuase, like, c’mon, mary—merle briggs? trustworthy: one of his better traits, but past events have shown that boy tends to lose some of his morals for love dominant: yes submissive: yes part 2 man will accommodate and switch it up in love: often single: loosely, often

RANDOM QUESTIONS (tw for self harm/suicide mention)

have they harmed themselves: michael has bad mental health trips stemming from having a lot of insecurities as a child; these may evolve into bad habits and pure recklessness on his part to prove his worth thought of suicide: these thoughts don’t come often, but when they do, it’s harder for him than most to shake them off and recover attempted suicide: once, during the boiling pit incident wanted to kill someone: yes, but it comes more from need than want usually have/had a job: yes, though no retail until he was 30 and stuck providing hope county with slugs and bullets have any fears: loneliness, rejection, abandonment, repercussions and consequences, not being good enough, powerlessness, loss, the angel pit, the process of dying

FAMILY

sibling(s): none, but: jackson hughes ( uncle ) parent(s): jessica hughes née scott ( mother ), david hughes ( father ) girl i have his whole family tree drawn up like you wouldn’t believe children: andrew hughes ( son in new dawn au and maybe canon ) significant other: mary may fairgrave ( childhood sweetheart/awkward ex/once in a rare cosmic event fuck buddy/volatile lovers ) pets: peaches loves him she doesn’t; she just wants to chew on his hair

[dustedmagazine]

Dust Volume 6, Number 6

Whatever happens, Bobby Conn will always be fabulous

Greetings from the never-ending sameness! It must be Friday since we’re doing a Dust, but we are not exactly sure which Friday and, indeed, which day of the week comes after that. We have not had a haircut in a while, and we’re wearing the most comfortable, least fashionable things we own, but we have not quite given up, because, you see, we’re still listening to music. Here are short missives from our respective quarantines, covering experimental psych, fey orchestral pop, slow rolling sine waves, disco-glittering satire, solitary black metal and assorted other musical manifestations. Contributors included Bill Meyer, Andrew Forell, Jennifer Kelly, Jonathan Shaw and Michael Rosenstein.

Eric Arn & Jasmine Pender — Hydromancy (Feeding Tube)

hydromancy by eric arn & jasmine pender

Hydromancy is the ancient practice of divining the gods’ intentions by staring for long periods into a pool of water. Eric Arn, an American guitarist who has been based in Austria for the last decade and a half, seems to have picked up at least one message from the cosmos, and he is acting upon it. Feeding Tube Records is his home. Hydromancy is his third release on the label, and like its two predecessors, it carves out a unique zone within a large and ever-spreading field of inquiry. Arn’s spent time playing psychedelic rock, free improvisation and solo acoustic explorations, and worked with players from Texas, New England and Vienna. This time he’s partnered with an English cellist, Jasmine Pender, on two side-long ponderances of resonance. The title is apt; the musicians seem to be regarding the surface of their sound, first letting ripples and reflections guide them, but ultimately peering beneath the surface into darker, persistent currents.

Bill Meyer

ARTHUR — Hair of the Dog (Honeymoon)

On his sophomore album, Philadelphia songwriter ARTHUR disguises ruminations on addiction, anxiety, pain and paranoia in summery cloaks of experimental pop. The combination of whimsy and woe is nothing new, but it’s a fine balance. In Hair of the Dog, complex arrangements surround naïve-sounding melodies, hinting at inner turmoil.  

The album incorporates whispers of disco in “No Tengo,” a low key Caleb Giles rap interlude on “Something Sweet,” swinging 1960s horns on “William Penn Island” and a choir of children on “You Are Mine.” The magpie eclecticism holds together beneath a voice that can err on the side of mannered. It is most effective when direct and unadorned as on “Simple Song” where a woozy waltz and detuned guitar bridge underline the poignancy of the lyrics: “In a couple of years/You lose a couple of friends/You lose yourself and you start over again/I don’t have patience/All that I know is addiction.” There is a lot to like here even if at times ARTHUR treads too hard on the path of whimsy.

Andrew Forell

Gaudenz Badrutt — Ganglions (Aussenraum)

Ganglions by Gaudenz Badrutt

“Connect” is the not the first words that 2020 is going to wear out, but it’s in the running. Veteran Swiss electronic musician Gudenz Badrutt could not have foreseen the present situation when he was making this LP, but it speaks to at least one aspect of it. Perhaps the barrages of commercials dropping the word “connect” by corporations interested in currying your subconscious good will has you pondering the networks by which that state is accomplished and sustained. Badrutt’s music is assembled from sine waves and feedback systems, which he layers and interrupts to make sound that flickers and surges like an audio rendering of your nervous system in various states of load-carrying and overload. Listen closely, and you can ponder your place within the system. But if you’re sick of thinking, feeling, and awareness, turn this shit up and it will blot out whatever offends you.

Bill Meyer

  Nat Baldwin — Autonomia I: Body Without Organs (Shinkoyo)

AUTONOMIA I: Body Without Organs by Nat Baldwin

Nat Baldwin is a published novelist as well as a singer and double bassist with several solo records and a long-time stint is a member of the Dirty Projectors on his cv. His versatility does not come at the expense of focus; indeed, Autonomia I (so named because there’s a second, cassette-only volume) show that he knows how to get a lot out of a particular idea. This LP was inspired by a broken bow, which he employs (sometimes in concert with an intact one) on five of the LP’s seven tracks. When one of your tools is unreliable, you have to be ready to scramble, and there are moments when it sounds like he’s trying to recover from or get ahead of his implement’s waywardness. But those also sound like moments of opportunity; whether he’s exploring rattle of a loose part against his bass’s body or using that bow to obtain non-prescribed tensions from his strings, he organizes his instrument’s unusual sounds into quick-moving, provocatively shaped constellations of sound.

Bill Meyer

Bonifrate—Mundo Encoberto (Self-released)

Mundo Encoberto by Bonifrate

Pedro Bonifrate is one-half of the Brazilian psych outfit Guaxe, this solo album (according to Google translate “overcast world”) springs from the same trippy, laid-back but multi-instrumented roots. Lush like the rainforest that surrounds him, playful and full of bright colors, this eight-part composition unfolds in the manner of a particularly vivid dream. “Parte 1” mutates freely over its 11 minute duration, stirring to life in a rush of strings, slipping into beach-y mildly hallucinogenic balladry, trying on a bit of Syd Barret-ish whimsy, crescendoing in clangorous guitar overload. Hard to say if Bonifrate played all the instruments, but the album has an idiosyncratic euphoria, as if it were lifted in one piece from the vivid contours of one person’s mushroom trip.

Jennifer Kelly

 Bobby Conn — Recovery (Tapete)

“It’s a disaster, the one we’ve been waiting for for years, and now we get to see how this thing ends,” croons the one-and-only Bobby Conn in his glam-shuddering, disco-sleek tenor, and sure, 2020 in a nutshell, got it in one, congrats! Who’d have thought that Conn’s arch, satiric performance art could be a form of comfort here at the end of the world? Who’s have supposed his stylized excesses would seem not an iota too much? Conn, as ever, is sharp and topical, pondering all the oppressed sub-groups left out of the “Good Old Days,” (against a swaggering Phil Spector beat), mourning the xxx-rated theaters put out of business by Pornhub in “Bijou,” skewering big data’s intrusions in the synth-operatic glories of “Disposable Future.” But what’s always separated Conn from mere satirists is the elaborate, over-the-top quality of the music he makes. “Recovery” with its scatted bassline, its frenetic syncopation, its funk precision—it all works as music way before you start to chuckle at the lyrics. Conn is as much a character in the long-running graphic novel that plays in his head as a bandleader, but don’t underestimate the bandleader. There’s art underneath all that eyeliner.

Jennifer Kelly

Curanderos — Raven’s Head (Null Zøne)

Raven's Head by Curanderos

If you’re looking for something to cure what ails you in these uncertain times, Raven’s Head might be your balm. You won’t need a prescription, since the tradition of shamanistic healing precedes the AMA, and the particular configuration of healers here — John and Michael Gibbons of Bardo Pond + Scott Verrastro of Kohoutek — models a cooperative approach that more conventional leadership would do well to emulate. The combination of personalities also tips you off to what to expect. Verrastro is a colorist, using the metal parts of his drum kit to keep the listener aware of the dimensions surrounding the listening space, but he also provides just enough forward momentum to keep the music moving at a fogbank-rolling pace. The Gibbons match liquid lead and coarse riff with practiced ease; they’ve spent a lot of time in such cloudy spaces, and they breathe deeply of the inspirational atmosphere.

Bill Meyer

Discovery Zone — Remote Control (Mansions and Millions)

Remote Control by Discovery Zone

“Sophia Again” is a sci-fi mini-story, presenting the conversation between an AI creature and her creator, talking about the self, the meaning of life and the joy of connection, as bubbling arcs of synthesizer sounds jet off into the ether. It is, perhaps, the most literally futuristic of the cuts on this gleaming, synth-centric album, though the whole thing is polished to an other worldly, not quite natural glow. JJ Weihl, the artist behind Discovery Zone, also works in Fenster, a Berlin-based psychedelic pop band of a similarly polished, dance-referring (but not dance) aesthetic. Here, she works solo in luminous abstractions of crystal clear sound. The pleasure comes in the purity and beauty of voices, synths, drum beats, which sound like Sophia might have made them while learning to be human; they are a little too perfect to be wholly man-made.

Jennifer Kelly

 Esoctrilihum — Eternity of Shaog (I, Voidhanger)

Eternity Of Shaog by ESOCTRILIHUM

An epic of esoteric demonology from Ashtâghul’s one-man black metal project Esoctrilihum, Eternity of Shaog presents as ten songs, most of which bear titles like “Exh-Enî Söph (First Passage: Exiled from Sanity)” and “Amenthlys (5th Passage: Through the Yth-Whtu Seal).” One gets the sense that there is a cosmology being built—but even Google has a tough time tracking the references to the many, many Eastern mythic systems in the repertoire. The provisionally good news is that Eternity of Shaog is a bit less musically spastic than its predecessor, The Telluric Ashes of the Ö Vrth Immemorial Gods, an even longer record released just last year. Say what you will, Ashtâghul is prolific. On this new record, you get his signature combination of black metal speed and snarl and an ambitiously (that’s the kind word) proggy compositional sense. The transitions this time around are less violent, the riffs are pretty good and plentiful synths build out to lush soundscapes. The musical textures are rich, but the bad vibes dominate. It’s hard to say what malign presences you’ll be summoning into your home if you play this stuff as loud as seems intended. Maybe keep some holy water handy.

Jonathan Shaw

Fire-Toolz — Rainbow Bridge (Hausu Mountain)

Rainbow Bridge by Fire-Toolz

As Fire-Toolz composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist, Angel Marcloid conjures mosaics from such disparate elements that one wonders how the music hangs together. Yet what at first seems like a chaotic, fractured farrago coalesces into a cohesive picture of her world that simultaneously bewilders and awes. Catholic in source and meticulous in construction Rainbow Bridge is an uncompromising and often stunning dash through Marcloid’s mind. Treated vocals that evoke death metal or JG Thirwell at his most outré, passages of twinkling synth and arena guitar, elements of 1980s Japanese ambient music, fusion jazz and Chiptune slot together like Jenga blocks that wobble but never quite collapse.

Marcloid’s project of musical excavation, reclamation and transformation perhaps mirrors her experience as a non-binary transgender person and the atomization of many tracks on Rainbow Bridge read as a meditation on the contingency of identity and the struggle for place within/outside social constructs that define acceptability and “taste”. On the other hand, sit back, push play and prepare to drift along with the ambient flow then be jolted from reverie by glitch and noise. Much like the world really.

Andrew Forell       

 Jacaszek — Music for Film (Ghostly)

Music for Film by Jacaszek

Music for Film collects the Polish composer Jacaszek’s scores for three movies — the 2019 documentary He Dreams of Giants, the 2008 project Golgota wrocławska and the 2017 film November. Haunted, evocative, disquieting and gorgeous, these ten soundscapes infuse the sounds of electronics, strings and samples with dread. “The Iron Bridge” turns sampled voices and slow throbs of cello into dance with death and memory, while “Liina” picks up eerie vibrations just out of focus, like a camera accidentally recording a ghost. “Dance” hurls electric bolts of tremulous sound—they sizzle with aftertones—then picks out a morose melody in plucked strings. All is dark, subdued, ominous but velvety, sensually smooth. Not having seen the films, I can’t guess the subject matter, but let’s assume there’s no laugh track.

Jennifer Kelly  

 Kontrabassduo Studer-Frey — Zeit (Leo)

Double bassists Peter K Frey and Daniel Studer has spent the better part of the 21st century performing as a duo, but they don’t seem to have felt pressured to rush out a recording documenting their music. This CD includes selections from 2004, 2007, and 2018 that were made at home, in concert, and in the studio. But despite the variety of sources and occasions, this album feels quite cohesive, which is a testament to integrity of their partnership. They rarely play similarly at any given moment, but their contrasting techniques and frequency ranges evince a balance makes even the tracks with contributions by clarinetist Jürg Frey and cellist Alfred Zimmerlin feel like the work of one massive, multi-bodied bass.

Bill Meyer

 Marlin’s Dreaming — Quotidian (Self-Released)

Quotidian by Marlin's Dreaming

The trick of putting soft, flickery voices in front of raging guitars is not a new one, but it’s still worth trying, especially as well as Marlin’s Dreaming does on “Outward Crying.” This sweeping, soaring, but fundamentally introspective tune blasts and blares in a sensitive way, the guitar noise parting like drapes for the singer’s disconsolate confession that he’s leaving this town. The town in question is Auckland, New Zealand, and you can certainly make connections to antipodal fuzz icons, especially the Verlaines. Yet there’s a bit of romantic swoon here in cuts like “Sink or Swim,” which links Marlin’s Dreaming’s diffident lo-fi pop with the baroque gestures of Roxy Music. This is the band’s second album and rather poised given their short history. Marlin’s Dreaming out loud in soft colors and blistering fuzz, and it’s a good one.

Jennifer Kelly

 Christian Rønn & Aram Shelton—Multiring (Astral Spirits)

Multiring by Christian Rønn & Aram Shelton

Some musicians stake their claim within a particular locale, and others tour the world. Alto saxophonist Aram Shelton’s done a bit of both. You could say he’s a serial resident; over the past couple decades he’s been based in Chicago, Oakland, Copenhagen, and now, Budapest. But his recording history lags behind him. His latest release is a cassette recorded in April 2018, and it stands apart from anything he’s done to date. Credit for that lies partly with his choice of partner, Danish keyboardist Christian Rønn. Rønn’s instrument here is a Wurlitzer electric piano, augmented with effects that play up its reverberant qualities, but played without much reference to the way people used to play the thing when it was omnipresent in the 1960s and 1970s. Instead of nailing down a groove, Rønn posts reverberant signposts that Shelton can snake through or lays out undulating surfaces that the saxophonist can sail over. Either way, Shelton plays with a darker and softer tone than has been his wont in the past, casting a pall of eerie foreboding over this gradually evolving music.

Bill Meyer

Snekkestad / Guy / Fernandez — The Swiftest Traveller (Trost)

The Swiftest Traveler by Snekkestad / Guy / Fernandez

Englishman double bassist Barry Guy (b. 1947) has been shuttling between free and composed musical zones for over half a century, longer than the similarly versatile Scandinavian reeds and brass multi-threat Torben Snekkestad (b. 1973) has been alive. Catalan pianist Agusti Fernández (b. 1954) traverses similar terrain. And all three shift fluidly between conventional virtuosity and astutely applied extended techniques. The trio’s rapport is so strong that one supposes that however the album got its title, it wasn’t the result of some musical contest. They’re builders, not destroyers. Still, the rapidity with which these three musicians move from event to event is undeniable. Sparse stasis morphs into quick runs up and down the keyboard; a dense, high-velocity onslaught transforms into intricate, three-part counterpoint. The quickness with which the music changes and the completeness that it expresses from moment to moment make this a very satisfying performance.

Bill Meyer  

 Various Artists — Quilted Flowers: 1940s Albanian & Epirot Recordings from the Balkan Label (Canary Recordings)

Quilted Flowers: 1940s Albanian & Epirot Recordings from the Balkan Label by Canary Records

The word “Balkanized” has the dubious distinction of having acquired extra-regional meaning, to the point where it now signifies a whole divided into smaller, mutually hostile regions. But some of the Balkan musicians who moved to New York City pulled together to play on each other’s gigs and recordings. The Albanian multi-instrumentalist, Ajdan Asllan, who ran the Balkan record label, partnered with musicians from Greece and Bulgaria on both a musical and business level, and kept the company running into the LP age. This collection pulls 11 sides of instrumental and vocal music that originated on his home turf, but if your ears have previously pricked up in response to rural music from Greece or Anatolia, you will want to hear this stuff. A pair of clarinets or a violin usually carry the melodies, sometimes chased by sharp-pitched vocals that spread out in ragged but lusty unison, and always carried by unevenly accented rhythms articulated by vigorously strummed stringed instruments.

Bill Meyer

 Otomo Yoshihide & Chris Pitsiokos — Live in Florence (Astral Spirits)

Live in Florence by Otomo Yoshihide & Chris Pitsiokos

Live in Florence documents a meeting between Otomo Yoshihide on guitar and turntables and Chris Pitsiokos on alto sax and electronics at the Tempo Reale Festival in Florence, Italy. This was the final date of a six-day European tour by the duo, and they’re primed from the first crackled sputters and blasts. The two thrive on these sorts of boundary-crushing forays and their seven short improvisations careen along with frenetic, brawny energy. The two deploy jump-cut pacing and shredded attacks from piercing overtones and feedback to frayed overblown sax and turntable crackle to manically angular reed lines and searing electronic bursts to chafed sax amplifications and thundering rumbles. Even on pieces where they start things out a bit more subdued, the two quickly ratchet up the intensity with torrid, barely-controlled vigor. There’s a slight respite on the sixth piece, with Otomo’s chiming guitar harmonics laying a resonant field for Pitsiokos’s breathy chirps and bent tones but even here, they arc to waves of feedback and skirling reed fusillades by the end. The final piece starts with shattered electronics and spitting reeds and mounts into bellowing din, exploding to the finish of the exhilarating 37-minute set.

Michael Rosenstein

[androgyne-acolyte]

The Radical Queer Gospel

(My first try at a sermon, for Pride Sunday 2019. You can also listen on Soundcloud.)

Why do we need a Pride Sunday? Especially in June? [Note: our local Pride festival is held in July.]

Because there is still a great lie that queer people — LGBTQ+ people — and Christians can’t get along.

I’ve had people on the internet tell me that my decision to go into ministry as a genderqueer person is worthless, because “the belief system of some two-thousand-year-old desert tribe didn’t care about being nice to gay people”. We routinely get messages telling us our church sign is wrong.

Anyone can spout talking points about this; but wisdom is vindicated by her deeds. [cf. Matthew 11:19]

I’m going to tell you about Jesus today; how he lived, and what he taught. For me, there is something powerfully relatable about the shape of Jesus’ life; not just as a person of faith, but as a queer person. I want to talk about how Jesus’ story resembles, in many ways, nothing so much as a queer life — with all the upheaval, scandal, and confounding of expectations that implies.

I’m certainly not saying that Jesus was gay, or trans, or intersex. Queer is a more expansive term than that, and is a much more immediately transgressive term; it’s a term, quite honestly, that is still very much connected to its origins as a term of abuse. While it can refer to anyone who experiences homophobia or transphobia, it carries with it a connotation of a way of being that goes against the grain; a state of being not quite one thing and not quite another.

But, fair warning: its use is sometimes quite contentious, even discouraged, within the wider LGBTQ+ community, especially when used by people who would not consider themselves “queer”. I’m using it today, however, because I’m speaking from my own point of view.

Jesus is born as an ordinary peasant, the son of a teenage mother and a carpenter — you know the story. He lives under military occupation by the Roman Empire, which has annexed all the best land; demands punitive taxes to build palaces in fortified seaport towns; has taken over the Jerusalem Temple, hiring and firing high priests at will, and doesn’t hesitate to violently crush any sign of dissent.

But as Jesus grows up, he starts to realize that he is called to be something different, something that will disturb the very fabric of the society that he lives in. He finds community through John the Baptist, a strange, wild figure who has quite a following, mostly among the more downtrodden parts of society — and through John he gets initiated into a new kind of life, a new way of being.

Then, Jesus begins to get noticed. Imagine the young Jesus, certainly no older than I am now, speaking in the synagogues all across the countryside of Galilee. And when he gets to his hometown of Nazareth, he stands in front of all his family and friends and begins to read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives … to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” … The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:18-21)

This reads, to me, like a coming-out narrative. Because Jesus immediately follows up this seemingly empowering message with a bunch of uncomfortable truths that they don’t want to hear — namely, by citing the story of the prophet Elijah to make the point that God works from the margins of society, and plants the seeds of prophecy and change from the bottom up. “No prophet is accepted in their own country,” declares Jesus — and the congregation who had just minutes before said “Wow! This kid is going places! Joseph, isn’t this your son?” turn around and try to run him out of town.

There is something else here that the gospels aren’t quite obvious about. Jesus is giving up his place in the family structure that bound Judean culture together; striking out on his own, all the way to the raggedy edge — to share his message of healing and justice and resilience in the face of Roman occupation with those whom his people would have considered foreigners and outcasts.

It’s almost certain that Joseph assumed that Jesus would come of age and take on his father’s trade, inheriting his tools and going to work as a day labourer in Roman construction projects. All of a sudden, that’s not going to happen — because Jesus has fallen in with a very strange crowd; he’s been influenced by these people, and has come back home full of uncanny zeal and radical ideas.

I can imagine all too well the sight of Mary grieving for the image of the son she loved, who she assumed would grow up, settle down, and have children of his own — but all of a sudden he’s someone different; someone or something that can’t quite be contained. I can imagine this all too well because my own mother, my own father, have both gone through this.

But as it turns out, Jesus had discovered — he had understood, had even begun to embody — a kind of love that had never been thought possible; a kind of love that was so radical and so powerful that a lot of folks outright rejected it. The people in power certainly weren’t into it.

This is a kind of story that should absolutely resonate with queer folks like me, because we have a very similar experience — with and through each other. The dawning realization that we are meant for a different kind of life; something which not everyone can understand, but which we suddenly realize is beautiful. That moment when you see someone else, in person or in the media, who embodies an indescribable feeling that you have kept tucked away inside of you for your entire life.

Isn’t it possible that those ordinary semi-literate fishermen, Peter and Andrew and James and John, had a similar experience — seeing something in Jesus that was so powerful, so compelling, that they couldn’t help but respond when he said “follow me”?

We queer people know a kind of love that wrenches us out of the closet and into the sunlight; a kind of love that makes us feel beautiful and strong and valued in a way that no other love has before; a love that opens our hearts to weep at the injustices done to our queer siblings, our trans siblings, our Two-Spirit siblings throughout history;

A love that can make us fearless, so that no catcalling, no misgendering, no homophobic preaching, no gay-bashing, no parental rejection can dissuade us from living out the kind of love to which we are called; the ways of being that upset cultural assumptions and power structures that most of us take as fact.

The love that took root in Jesus’ movement was one that breached walls and broke down borders; that reached across ancient religious schisms — such as the one between the Judeans and the Samaritans, who wouldn’t even speak to each other; that uplifted and empowered women; that extended all the way to the Ethiopian eunuch in the book of Acts — who would have been considered not only foreign, but ritually unacceptable as a person! — to heal and unify and plant the seeds of distributive justice through small, beautiful, subversive actions. And it didn’t stop there.

Near the end of the Gospel of Matthew, some of the Roman-backed chief priests and elders come up to Jesus and start questioning him. But he takes the wind out of their sails by telling them a parable:

“What do you think? A man had two sons [keep in mind that in a lot of Bible stories, the second son is the underdog who comes out on top]; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the [sex workers] are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.” (Matthew 21:28-31)

(Look at it this way; at least no one can accuse me of not being Bible-based.)

That passage is a proverbial smoking gun; of all the sayings in the Gospels, it’s the one that is still immediately subversive to us today. But it’s true, Jesus explains, because there’s one thing that the most stigmatized, most down-and-out people in society have that the respectable folks who actually obey the traffic laws and run the Temple don’t — and that is, a thirst for hope and meaning and healing, and a reason to imagine that another world is possible.

So, I’ll say it right now: I am not going into ministry to uphold the stability of the mainline church in its current form. I am going into ministry in the hope that I can help make the church into a refuge, where everyone has the opportunity and the tools to heal and thrive and care for one another; where this transformative divine love is as present and as accessible as the air we breathe.

I believe that I am called, among other things, to be a minister to and for my queer and trans siblings, for my radical siblings; to be an instrument of disorientation and reorientation and renewal and healing for the wounds that the church at large has inflicted by confusing white heteronormative Western social conventions with the actual, radical teachings of christianity.

Because how many queer and transgender children have been turned away, just like Jesus was run out of his hometown, by parents and communities and churches who don’t understand them?

I think what Jesus says to his own people later on in the Gospel of Matthew is something he might say to my radical queer siblings, and to the church that has historically rejected them, today:

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children [— your queer and trans and non-binary children —] together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you, desolate.” (Matthew 23:37-38)

Because the great tragedy here is that that vital, transcendent love should have been the church’s stock in trade all along. We, the church, have the capacity and the knowledge to reach back to our radical, counter-cultural roots and throw people a lifeline of meaning and hope and healing in a tempest-tossed world — but in the eyes of far too many, we are still at best a bastion of the status quo.

I’ve connected with some wonderful radical theological people through the internet; one particular person, by the name of Jane Nichols — a remarkable lesbian trans woman who just completed her master’s degree in theology — says it better than I ever could:

[O]ur stance towards exclusionary theology should not be ‘well, actually, if we look in the Bible, we can see that it never actually forbids being gay,’ but instead, ‘how dare [we] presume to limit God’s love? What blasphemous arrogance could have possibly led [us] to where [we ended up]? When did [we] start worshipping [our] own image in place of the Divine?’ (Jane Nichols, Tumblr post, May 2019)

Wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.

Where I have found the Holy Spirit alive and well and pushing the envelope is on the margins of almost every sphere. Most immediately, I encounter it in the deep insight and vulnerability of the women clergy members in my life — and most recently, I have seen it spring to life in the passion and brilliance and vision of the lesbian and queer women clergy with whom I was privileged to commune on the sidelines of the former Maritime Conference.

By the way — Jesus’ story is hardly the only one that’s relatable to queer and trans people like us. The Bible is replete with stories of transformation, of coming into new identity and purpose, even gender-ambiguity, if you know where — and how — to look.

Yes, queer people — LGBTQ+ people — and Christians, followers of Jesus, can and should get along. Yes, queer people can be Christian, and Christians can be queer; and yes, we can and should learn from one another!

Because we have a remarkable common ground — a remarkable birthright:

We are called to go against the grain; to challenge the basic patterns in which our societies operate, and to embrace a new and powerful kind of love;

a love that reshapes the way we think about ourselves, a love that beckons us to healing and renewal, a love that calls us to take action and cry out for justice, a love that is itself a radical way of being; a love that is potentially more beautiful and more life-giving than the power structures of this world are ready to understand.

Amen.

June 2, 2019 — St. Andrew’s United Church, Halifax

[andrewdrobins]

The Bledsoe Show w/ Mind Pump: 100 Years in The Fitness Industry Examine Modern Lifestyle #78



Mind Pump is an online radio show/podcast that has been described as Howard Stern meets fitness. It is sometimes raw, sometimes shocking and is always entertaining and informative.

The hosts, Sal Di Stefano, Adam Schafer and Justin Andrews have over 40 years of combined fitness experience as personal trainers, club managers, IFBB fitness competitors and fitness thought leaders.

In this episode, we dive into a lot of topics including: The current state and the potential future of fitness industry, training for the rights reasons, why movement is so important for longevity, benefits of prolonged fasting, how to use technology in a healthy, beneficial way, and much more.

Enjoy!

-Mike

A post shared by MindPump (@mindpumpmedia) on Jun 15, 2018 at 6:19pm PDT

Navigating the modern world

The fitness industry is filled with meaningless businesses, and finding fulfillment in life is harder than ever. Most people want to get strong and jacked, and a lot of people sale them meaningless training and nutrition programs. Beyond the saturation of crap on the market, even when people do get strong and jacked, the voices inside their heads of “I’m not good“, “not strong enough”, “not jacked enough” are still there.

Navigating modern lifestyle to be healthy, strong, and fit is an art. It’s up to us to take responsibility, get informed, learn from history, experiment, make smart decisions,  and apply technology to help us get better.

A post shared by MindPump (@mindpumpmedia) on Jul 27, 2017 at 10:08am PDT

Key Takeaways

Work out because you love your body not because you hate your body — Take care of yourself as if you’re taking care for someone else important in your life.

Treat workouts like practice, not like working something out — Your body knows what it needs. It’s good to start working out with programs, but when you learn how to feel your body well, you can design your own workouts based on feel, and those will benefit you the most. Mike trained with Max Shank (episode #69) doing a workout using 2 x 4 sticks only!

Learning skills is key for physical health — When you perform movement with skill, the rest of the body responds in the way you want it to. That means you don’t have to focus on getting jacked, else hitting the movement right. That’s why you see some 150 lb. guys, who can move more weight than 260 lb. guys. Sure, there is benefit to getting your sweat on and going into the pain cave, but intensity shouldn’t be the focus of working out.

RESTORE by Zach Bush — It’s important to take care of your gut, because when your gut is off, you start to develop thing like arthritis, a.k.a. systemic issues. Both Sal and Mike love their results from taking RESTORE, a soil-derived, scientifically-backed mineral supplement that has been shown in lab studies to strengthen tight junctions in the gut wall, our firewall against toxins entering the body. RESTORE helps create a biological environment for good gut bacteria to grow and flourish, to support improvement of overall health.

Prolonged fasting can get you bigger and stronger — For the past 5–6 months, Sal started every month by not eating for 48–72 hours. The results have been amazing, not only he has a more clear mind and more energy, he also gained 8 lb. of lean body mass! Sal discovered prolonged fasting to be most beneficial for him, more than daily intermittent fasting. Fasting gives your digestive system a break, so it can heal. Old cells die when you fast, and new cells are created when you refeed yourself. For more infor on fasting, check out Mind Pump’s Intermittent Fasting Survival Guide.

Paul Chek is the Godfather of wellness  — Paul Chek (Barbell Shrugged episode #301) is  descriibed as one of the smartest, raddest people on earth by both the Shrugged and Mind Pump crews. “He’s the Godfather of wellness.” Mike and Paul were recently on the same mastermind panel at Paleo f(x)  called “Solid Relationships, Great Sex, and YOU”. Check out Paul’s famous book: How to Eat Move and Be Healthy!

We have more room for creativity today than ever  —  Mike is a fan of a book called The Last Safe Investment, which drives the point on why this is the era of creativity. Investing in 401(k), IRAs, and a home, used to be great ways to secure a few decades of peaceful time, but not anymore. Today, if you want to get ahead and enjoy a life of prosperity, you must invest in the last safe investment, which is yourself, your own skills, value to others, relationships, and overall happiness. Physical skills and technical skills are being fulfilled for us by computers and robots, which means we can and should focus on interpersonal skills and creativity. Podcasting is a great example of why this is the era of creativity, as there has been an insane amount of ideas exchanged in the past few years.

Kambo  —  Kambo is a substance that comes from frog secretion, and for many indigenous cultures in the Amazon, this purgative, immunity-boosting medicine is very important. Known in Portuguese as the “vaccine of the forest,” it has also gained renown outside of the Amazon as a powerful treatment for chronic pain and drug dependence. For more info, check out the last episode: The Bledsoe Show w/ Simon Scott: Burnt & Poisoned #77, and Kambo Cleanse.

Get 15% OFF Qualia with promo code: Bledsoe15

Connect with Mind Pump

Connect on social: Mind Pump Instagram, Mind Pump Facebook | Adam Schafer Instagram, Adam Schafer Facebook | Sal Di Stefano Instagram, Sal Di Stefano Facebook

Resources: Mind Pump Media

NEW SEMINAR!

The Strong Coach

The post The Bledsoe Show w/ Mind Pump: 100 Years in The Fitness Industry Examine Modern Lifestyle #78 appeared first on Shrugged Collective.

[rickhorrow]

15 to watch tech 5 and power 5 week of 11617

with Jamie Swimmer,  Tanner Simkins

As Congress prepares to debate the Republican tax bill this week, the NFL is pushing back against a provision that would get rid of tax breaks for communities and states that borrow money to fund stadiums. According to the Wall Street Journal, the league’s opposition is the latest in a "series of political clashes this football season." NFL Executive VP/Communications Joe Lockhart said, "We believe that the construction of new stadiums and renovations of stadiums are economic drivers in local communities. If the idea is to promote economic growth, this would be a step backwards." Public funding of sports stadiums, and municipal bond tax exemptions that often underwrite such deals, have recently “come under fire from members of both parties." According to a Brookings report, subsidies for NFL stadiums cost $1.1 billion, and that study "didn’t include" Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which was in part financed by about $200 million in municipal bonds. If the provision remains in place, several high-profile planned sports facilities could be impacted, including the Raiders’ Las Vegas stadium and extensive renovations to Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena.

As the NBA season intensifies, E-Poll Market Research has unveiled its annual list of the NBA’s most marketable players. Topping the E-Score list is the Warriors’ Stephen Curry, who slightly edged out LeBron James. Though LeBron has a higher Awareness than Curry, research shows Curry as the more appealing of the two former MVPs, with an Appeal of 57% versus LeBron’s 41%. Interestingly, three of the top five most marketable players – James, Dirk Nowitzki, and Kevin Durant – are signed with Nike. And two players on the top 10 list are not signed with any of the major sports brands. Dwyane Wade is with Li-Ning, and Klay Thompson has a deal with Anta. Among the NBA’s most marketable up-and-comers are Giannis Antetokounmpo, a.k.a. the Greek Freak, and Lonzo Ball, who has made headlines with his decision not to sign with a major sponsor and instead push his own Big Baller Brand. E-Poll notes Ball has the lowest Appeal at 29%, possibly due to the hype around his “overexposed” father, Lavar.

The Houston Astros are official World Series champions. After one of the most dramatic and entertaining Series in sports history, the Astros topped the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 in Game 7 to claim the title. The excitement of the Series caused secondary market ticket prices to soar for the final game, as StubHub’s average sales price for Game 7 was $1,791, more than $600 above the average price for Game 1. Low-end tickets for the ultimate matchup drew prices north of $1,300, well “above the full-park average price for Games 1 and 2 at Dodger Stadium.” According to data from SeatGeek, the average resale price for a Game 7 ticket was $1,740, which is comparably low in relation to last year’s Game 7 price of $2,420 for the Indians-Cubs series. Former Ticketmaster CEO Nathan Hubbard last night tweeted that “triangulating pricing and inventory tonight, it looks like sellers will make >$40 million on Game 7.” Next, look for the Dodgers and Astros to raise across the board ticket prices in 2018 – and for other MLB clubs to follow suit.

This year’s World Series is sure to go down in history as one of the “most memorable” Fall Classics ever staged. According to the Wall Street Journal, a record 25 home runs were hit between the Astros and Dodgers, while two games were decided by one run, three games were decided by two runs, and another was “tied in the ninth before a late scoring flurry.” World Series MVP George Springer led the way with five home runs of his own. “What this Series has done with the sport is hopefully have people around the country that just appreciated the emotion that’s in our game, the youthfulness that’s in our game, the drama that’s come with this series,” said Astros manager A.J. Hinch. Heading into the offseason, the Dodgers are the early favorites to win the 2018 World Series at 5-1 odds. The Astros are tied for second with the Cleveland Indians, at 6-1. Thanks to an electric postseason, MLB is anticipating more fans are already counting down to Spring Training than baseball has seen in decades. And the best evidence of a baseball resurgence will be seen if Little League sign-ups are up come spring.

Injuries to some of the league’s best and brightest players continue to plague the NFL this season – with business implications. According to SI.com, with Houston Texans rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson’s ACL tear, eight “’face of the franchise’ players have been lost to season-ending injuries this year.” Joining Watson is Andrew Luck (Colts), Odell Beckham Jr. (Giants), Aaron Rodgers (Packers), Joe Thomas (Browns), Eric Berry (Chiefs), J.J. Watt (Texans), and David Johnson (Cardinals). As of November 1, 295 players had been placed on injured reserve this season – up from 277 at the same time last year. Watson had been one of the league’s breakout players this season, as he was “one of the most genuinely exciting, thrilling things that has happened to the NFL this year or in recent memory.” The news of Watson’s ACL tear comes at a bad time for the NFL, which is already fighting to keep its ratings up. Losing marquee, fan-favorite players will only ensure the league loses more viewers in the short term.

Sports marketing is a lot tougher nowadays due to the industry’s position at the crossroads of politics and culture. According to SportsBusiness Journal, leading marketers noted at the 2017 Sports Marketing Symposium that reaching fans has become a more difficult task than in the past. “We have to be more like real brands,” said New York Giants VP & CMO Mike Stevens. “We have to be storytellers. We have to get our message out because the truth is, negative stories get a lot of coverage.” Philadelphia 76ers CMO Katie O’Reilly spoke about how difficult it is to maintain a solid brand identity and integrity in the modern era of sports. Social media and a digital presence have given teams, leagues, and organizations more platforms to market their products to fans, while simultaneously giving them more channels to monitor and regulate. “You have to make sure you’re aware of social issues and how your fan base feels about that,” noted NASCAR Senior VP & CMO Jill Gregory. In this era of heightened sensitivity, it’s virtually impossible to develop a marketing plan that won’t offend someone, somewhere – even when your basic stage is a ballpark or court.

Rwanda’s new Gahanga cricket stadium is more than just a venue for the national team, it is a reminder of how far the country has come since the 1994 genocide. According to The Independent, Rwanda national team captain Eric Dusingizimana described the stadium as “a dream come true.” Longstanding President Paul Kagame was present for the opening ceremony, a day that has been six years in the making. The new stadium’s name is “the Lord’s of East Africa” and was constructed using 66,000 handmade tiles without using concrete – “the same way as Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia although with the added bonus of actually being finished.” The pavilion will also serve as an HIV testing center and restaurant going forward, giving it a true place in the community apart from just cricket. Previously, Rwanda's only other cricket stadium was at École Technique Officielle, the site of a “notorious” 1994 massacre and the location of the film “Shooting Dogs.” A poignant example of the healing power of sport – even in a country still rebuilding from a tragedy that unfolded over two decades ago.

In wake of the controversial comments made by Houston Texans Owner Bob McNair, head coach Bill O’Brien is being praised by his players for his response. According to the Houston Chronicle, Texans players have since described their coach as “a rock – a voice of reason whose leadership helped avoid a near mutiny” ahead of their game against the Seahawks. McNair seemingly compared NFL players to inmates in prison during an owners meeting, which did not go over well with his team. Texans players wanted to show that they were angry with McNair’s comments, leading them to consider skipping a game. O’Brien won his players’ trust “throughout the ordeal” by showing his unconditional support for them, while simultaneously convincing them that taking the field was the right thing to do. Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones was in the room with McNair and is “adamant that McNair was not talking about NFL players.” This is a situation in which words speak louder than actions – and in today’s highly-charged political climate, it is imperative for McNair and others in leadership positions to think long and hard before they speak.

With Ezekiel Elliott’s suspension being mulled over by the NFL, Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones is claiming that his star running back is a “victim of an over-correction” by the league and Commissioner Roger Goodell. According to SportsBusiness Journal, Jones thinks that Goodell is overcompensating for his mishandling of the Ray Rice domestic violence issue, and that Elliott is being penalized for Rice. “Two years ago this wouldn’t be an issue, before Ray Rice this wouldn’t have been an issue because the Commissioner shows where he really wants to come down when he did with Ray Rice,” said Jones. Rice initially was handed a two-game suspension after a video was released of him punching and dragging his then-girlfriend out of an elevator, while Elliott was handed a six-game suspension without video evidence. Jones noted the discrepancy here is “unbelievable,” especially considering the debate that Elliott might be innocent. The incident is only the latest battle of wills between Goodell and NFL owners, and may well impact Goodell’s contract extension.

The NFL currently hosts four games in London annually, but that number might soon be rising. According to PA Sport, Commissioner Roger Goodell “hinted at increasing the number of U.K. games” before the Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings took the field at Twickenham Stadium in London last week. The league currently has a 10-year deal in place with EPL club Tottenham to play games at new White Hart Lane. The club’s soon-to-be-completed stadium in North London will be able to hold 61,500 spectators, and could even feature a retractable turf field specifically for NFL games. While Goodell hinted at the possibility of adding more games, NFL U.K. Managing Director Alistair Kirkwood currently feels that four games is “the right number of games for London to host at the moment and is not ruling out a return to Twickenham Stadium in the future.” Within the next few seasons, four games will likely become six, especially if White Hart Lane is a white hot hit.

The Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, are now less than 100 days away. According to Reuters, less than one-third of total tickets have been sold, though organizers still remain optimistic about selling the lot before the Opening Ceremony. The Olympic torch relay started at the beginning of November, which should help spur more domestic interest in the Games. In an attempt to sell tickets within South Korea, organizers are targeting “schools, government organizations and public companies” with block ticket deals for low-demand events. Almost all Olympic venues are being finished currently or have already been completed, while restaurants for fans are being built in empty fields around the Olympic Stadium. The bobsled track and ski-jump mountain are being lauded as the Games’ most stunning images, “nestled in the hills near the stadium.” Efforts will only ramp up as the event draws closer in the coming weeks. President Trump’s South Korean visit in the days ahead will also doubtless draw global attention to the region, and to the Games.

The Milwaukee Bucks are still in the hunt to find a naming rights partner for their new downtown arena. According to SportsBusiness Journal, the team is not willing to compromise its standards just to sign a sponsor immediately, but rather will wait for the right fit in order to enhance its brand equity. “We think there’s a tremendous value,” said Bucks President Peter Feigin. “The Giannis (Antetokounmpo) effect is a big deal. It's kind of exploded for us on an international basis, so all of a sudden, the prospects of who to work with have changed over the last six months.” Feigin noted that “in a perfect world” the team would sign a blue chip international brand, but at this point the team is open to smaller, regional concerns. Antetokounmpo, from Greece, has really helped push the Milwaukee brand across the globe, so the team is trying to capitalize on that movement.

U.S. Soccer Vice President Carlos Cordeiro has entered the running to become the next U.S. Soccer President. According to ESPNFC.com, Cordeiro is currently Sunil Gulati’s right-hand man, so many assumed that he would support his “longtime friend and colleague” if Gulati chose to run for reelection. Instead, the former Goldman Sachs partner penned a letter to potential voters outlining a platform that calls for significant structural changes within the U.S.S.F., a bold financial growth strategy, and plans to bid to host the men’s and women’s FIFA World Cups in 2026 and 2027, respectively. “U.S. Soccer has achieved a lot over the last 25 to 30 years, but I think we’ve hit a plateau,” said Cordeiro. “This is not about Sunil. I’ve decided to take the plunge here because I think it’s about the federation and how I fit into that.” The election will take place in February, and more candidates are sure to enter to field before then. Stay tuned.

Detroit is pulling a major audible with their hopeful MLS expansion bid. According to the Detroit News, officials working to bring an MLS franchise to the city have scrapped the idea of building a soccer-specific stadium and now plan on using Ford Field as their preferred site. Architects working on the bid found that the NFL Lions’ home field can be made into a state-of-the-art soccer stadium. Up to this point, a soccer stadium was being planned on the site of Wayne County’s unfinished jail in Greektown, though that is no longer being considered. “We concluded that the downtown location of an MLS stadium is paramount to an MLS team’s success,” said Palace Sports & Entertainment Vice Chair Arn Tellem. “And no MLS stadium sits in a better downtown location than Ford Field.” It remains to be seen whether MLS approves of this move away from a soccer-specific stadium, as the league has been trending towards building facilities specific to its sport for many years now.

Questions are circulating as to whether MLS misled San Antonio officials in regard to landing an expansion team. According to the San Antonio Express-News, Bexar County (Texas) Judge Nelson Wolff recently asked a local district attorney to investigate the matter. In 2015, MLS encouraged local San Antonio officials to purchase Toyota Field for $9 million and submit a bid for an expansion franchise. That purchase came “two years after Crew Chair Anthony Precourt had obtained the legal right to relocate the Crew to Austin.” Wolff notes that he was told by MLS Deputy Commissioner Mark Abbott in 2015 that the league “would not add both San Antonio and Austin as expansion cities,” which is problematic now that the Columbus Crew seem likely to move to Austin. Precourt denies claims that the team reached an agreement to use University of Texas facilities starting in 2019. Since the two cities are so close together, it may be possible for a compromise to be reached so that soccer fans from both markets can enjoy “their” regional team.

Five Top Tech

1. We could soon be watching Esports competitions in the Winter Olympics. Last week in Switzerland, representatives of the Olympic movement met to discuss where Esports could fit into the Olympic picture. The move could become a landmark development for Esports as they continue to gain momentum on the global stage. Ubisoft Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Geoffroy Sardin said about the potential addition: “We’re proud to be part of the Esports exhibition leading into the Winter Olympics that will provide fans with more ways to engage with the sports they love. We have been developing ‘Steep Road to the Olympics’ in close relation with the IOC and we are now looking forward to this competition.” If the Olympic committee approves the addition of Esports into the most prestigious athletic competition in the world, the public outcry could be intense. Regardless of which side of the court you are on in terms of Esports being a sport or not, the worldwide increase in interest is changing the spectrum.

2. Facebook continues to look into making more investments into broadcasting sports on their platform. Facebook has been live streaming IPL soccer games, and could expand to other sports in the future. The potential broader entrance of Facebook into the sports streaming arena could be a cause of concern for both Amazon and YouTube, who agreed to large partnerships to stream live sports this year.  Misha Sher, Vice President of Sports and Entertainment at MediaCom told SportTechie, “Facebook will almost certainly bid on major sports rights so it’s a question of when rather than if. I believe it will happen in the next 12-18 months and it will disrupt the way these rights have traditionally been sold. I think the recent bid for the IPL rights is a clear indication of their ambition. Facebook will want to lead in disrupting this space and the upcoming Premier League rights will likely be their first bet.” If Facebook expands its sports streaming realm, consumers will have a bevy of options to watch their favorite teams play every week. Whether it’s the NFL, MLB, NBA, or other sports, Facebook could create a new problem for cable networks now struggling to not be left in the dust.

3. Game Four of the World Series brought Augmented Reality and traditional marketing into the fold at the same time. Before that game, Mastercard and MLB collaborated on a message that was read by Astros star shortstop Carlos Correa. The message encouraged fans in the park to donate to Stand Up To Cancer, another MLB partner. Mastercard’s Executive Vice President of North American Marketing and Communication said of the gesture, “We’re proud to come together with MLB, our cardholders and partners for the seventh consecutive year and advance SU2C’s mission. It’s truly special to thank baseball fans at the World Series through AR for their commitment towards the fight against cancer.” Fans could see the message if they had the MLB Ballpark app, which encourages fans to use it to buy food, tickets in order to better help MLB teams build personalized database profiles. Teams are now able to collect more personal data than ever before thanks to features like the BallPark app, to be used in traditional partner marketing as well as their philanthropic ventures.

4. If you attended an MLB World Series game in Houston last week, you were treated to some of the greatest World Series action we have seen in a long time. Thanks to newly-installed 360 degree cameras, you could also see exactly where you were during each game. SportTechie describes the technology as the cameras take “multiple images thousands of times during a game, then pieces them together to create a giant 360-degree photo that shows in detail every person there. Fans can go online to find themselves and tag the photo on social media.” With the new technology in place, the fan experience has been improved. And with a better fan experience, an organization builds trust. MLB knows that attending a World Series game can be a bucket list event, especially if your favorite team has advanced to the Fall Classic. While it doesn’t seem like much more than just a picture of a person at a game, that 360-degree photo cements a lifelong memory for that fan.

5. For NBA Teams, every small advantage can go a long way over the course of an 82-game season. Accordingly, the Chicago Bulls are implementing a new way of tracking and analyzing their players’ sleep patterns, and how they can affect play on the court. One change the team made after analyzing early data was moving their shootaround back one hour, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., in order to give players a few extra crucial minutes of rest. Chip Schaefer, Chicago Bulls Director of Sports Performance, said in a statement, “We felt there was enough data to collect at home. What we are looking at is particularly back to backs and late-night returns, what their sleep patterns were — not to be intrusive on them but rather to advise us and our coaching staff on the scheduling of practices and shootarounds and things like that. I think it’d be very helpful not only to the NBA but to the world of professional, elite sports in general.” The Bulls could change the way the NBA evaluates player rest. This season in Chicago may not be great in terms of wins and losses, but the team is taking necessary steps to change the way their future players will be trained. Time will tell if the new-look Bulls will also be the well-rested Bulls.

Power of Sports 5

1. ESPN Opens Community Sports Facility in Bangalore. This week, as part of its global “safe spaces” initiative, ESPN representatives gathered with community leaders and local residents in Bangalore to celebrate the opening of a new multifunctional sports facility dedicated to the local community. The facility is the first of its kind to be built in Asia. The court was refurbished by members of the local community alongside ESPN and Disney employees. The facility will host several development programs focused on teaching the local youth valuable life-skills and empowering them to reach their full potential.

2. Los Angeles Chargers Helping Feed the Homeless. The Los Angeles Chargers are underwriting a new initiative to help serve 30,000 meals to people in need throughout the most underserved areas of Los Angeles. The initiative will be presented at Summit LA17, a local flagship ideas festival in downtown LA. Chargers owner and chairman Dean Spanos will be present at the event, along with Chargers offensive tackle Russell Okung, to help serve meals and to inspire others to take action.

The movement is being operated in conjunction with Robert Egger and the L.A. Kitchen, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to reclaim local, healthy food that would otherwise be discarded and use it to provide healthy meals to local citizens in need. The groups participating in the movement hope that their efforts will inspire others across the country to follow in their footsteps and help feed those in need in their own city.

3. Anthony Rizzo Announced as Recipient of 2017 Roberto Clemente Award. Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo was announced as this year’s Roberto Clemente Award recipient before Game 3 of the World Series last week. The award is given out annually to the player who best represents Major League Baseball through a combination of extraordinary character, philanthropy, and community involvement.

The Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation assists pediatric cancer patients and their families. Over the last five years, the foundation has contributed more than $4 million to programs that provide financial assistance to children and their parents. Earlier this year, the foundation also made a $3.5 million donation to the Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago. Rizzo makes frequent trips to many of the hospitals across the city to visit with the children currently undergoing treatment. Rizzo was a five-time nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award before winning this season.

4. Former Raven Hosting Celebrity Cornhole Tournament Fundraiser. Former Baltimore Raven Matt Stover is hosting a Celebrity Cornhole Tournament at the Baltimore Museum of Industry to raise money for his Players Philanthropy Fund. Plenty of Baltimore’s biggest celebrities are expected to attend the event on Monday night, including current Baltimore Ravens Justin Tucker, Brandon Carr, and Brandon Williams. Other athletes confirmed to be attending the event are Baltimore Oriole Mike Wright and lacrosse star Paul Rabil, among others. Tickets for the event are being sold for $75 and include tickets for dinner and a drink.

The Players Philanthropy Fund is a public charity that helps athletes, entertainers, and other philanthropists maximize their charitable giving while protecting their finances and reputation. Stover co-founded the organization alongside philanthropy expert Seth McDonnell after retiring from the NFL in 2011.

5. Saudi Arabia to Allow Women into Sports Stadiums. Beginning next year, Saudi Arabian women will be allowed to attend sporting events in stadiums in three of the country’s major cities, according to a statement issued this week by the General Sport Authority.  According to the report, families will soon be able to enter the stadiums in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. Saudi Arabia’s governing body for sports has said that the preparations would begin immediately to get the three venues ready for the accommodation of families by early 2018. The selected stadiums are the homes of six teams in the Saudi Professional League. This decision is the latest in a series of changes aiming to give Saudi Arabian women more freedom. Last month, the country made a public decree announcing that women will be allowed to drive for the first time in history, beginning next June.

[ryttu3k]

Music player kicked in with Archie’s battle theme. Time to do more Nuzlocke!

Here’s the current team!

Daisy the Pikachu | level 20 | female | Lightning Rod | Hasty, mischievous | Quick Attack, Electro Ball, Thunder Wave, Draining Kiss | found Slateport City

Chickweed the Combusken | level 19 | male | Blaze | Serious, takes plenty of siestas | Ember, Peck, Double Kick, Cut | starter

Agapanthus the Wingull | level 18 | male | Keen Eye | Modest, a little quick-tempered | Water Pulse, Wing Attack, Steel Wing, Supersonic | found route 104

Snowdrop the Mightyena | level 18 | female | Intimidate | Lonely, loves to eat | Ice Fang, Bite, Odor Sleuth, Snarl | found route 101

Milkweed the Beautifly | level 16 | female | Swarm | Lax, somewhat stubborn | Gust, Absorb, Stun Spore, Tackle | found route 102

Sequoia the Magikarp | level 12 | female | Swift Swim | Bashful, nods off a lot | Splash | found route 106

Daisy the newest and strongest. This is about to change, going to find my route 110 friend! ELECTRIKE. NICE. ...Or not because that was a OHKO. Okay I guess Daisy is staying XD;; Oh well, back to battling on route 109!

Tuber Lola has a level 14 Azurill. God they’re cute. Daisy OHKOs it. Sorry XD;;

Hey a Soft Sand! Thanks! “We’re going to get all the sand from the beach and make a ginormous castle! And then we’re going to be the king and queen. You can be a servent.” I changed my mind fuck you.

Sailor Edmond leads with Wingull, level 12. Mine’s better. Daisy destroys it. Next is Machop, level 14. Aggie takes it! YES CHICKWEED YOU CAN LEARN FLAME CHARGE.

Tuber Ricky has a Zigzagoon, level 14. Chickweed can take this one! ...It knows Surf. It’s okay only took off a tiny bit XD;; Still, jfc.

Nip into town to heal up, then we’re off to the Seashore House!

Alrighty, let’s do this. First is Beauty Johanna and her level 15 Goldeen. Daisy the Destroyer takes it out.

Sailor Dwayne leads with Jellicent, level 13. Yup, Daisy. Next is Machop, level 13. Aggie takes it!

Tuber Simon has Azurill, level 14. Daisy.. you get the drill XD

Street Thug Blair leads with Poochyena, level 12. Chickweed can take this one! lmfao that Bite took out a whole 3 HP. Chickie then OHKOed it. Next is Carvanha, level 14. This one is all Daisy’s!

Last up, Delinquent Destinee! Oooh, Sableye. Level 15. Guess who has a Fairy move? YUP. IT’S DAISY.

Ayyy and my prize is lots of Soda Pop!

And now we can move on up to route 110! Onwards to Mauville!

Ooh, Aqua encounter! Heading up to Mt Chimney, huh? Via Mauville, at least!

Poke Fan Isabel sends out Plusle, level 15. Hmm... Snowdrop, I think. ...It threw her its Oran Berry XD THANKS PLUSLE. Next is Minun, also level 15, Snowdrop stays in. Yes Encore very useful given the last one was Bite. Chomp chomp. Oof, paralysis - she gets through it anyway :)

Oh hey, path back to route 103! Aroma Lady Daisy. I have a Pikachu named that :’) She sends out Roselia, level 17. Chickweed takes a Poison Sting but OHKOs it with Flame Charge nonetheless. Pecha time!

Twins Amy and Liv have Plusle and Minun. Let’s go with Snowdrop and Chickweed. So much tasty exp!

Poke Fan Miguel has Skitty, level 17. This one is Chickweed’s!

Sequoia’s on level 17 I can’t wait for her to evolve and destroy everyone.

Finally, Fisherman Andrew leads with Magikarp, level 14. I am so sorry for what my level 22 Pikachu is about to do. Another Magikarp! This one level 16, so at least it’ll have Tackle. Still, no opportunity to use it XD

Nice little training diversion, haha. Back to 110. Will pass on Trick House for now! Ooh, I remember this path, I believe I have a battle with Brendan ahead!

But first, Youngster Timmy. He leads with Poochyena, level 12. Daisy Draining Kisses it. Next is Aron, level 13. Slight risk putting out Chickweed - nvm he kicked it into next week. Last is Elektrike, level 14. I really need a Ground type, haha. Chickie gives it a kick, although its Static does paralyse him. Nothing a berry can’t fix!

NOW time for Brendan! First out is Shroomish, level 18, man I should have led with Chickie XD He destroys it, but gets put to sleep in response. Oops XD Next is level 20 Marshtomp, that’s tricky, I have no Grass-types and Milkweed’s Absorb probably won’t do enough. Let’s try... Snowdrop, Bite hits pretty hard and no weaknesses to Water or Ground. Bite does a bit under half, it uses Foresight, another Bite, Mud-Slap doesn’t too much, it gets in another and then Bite finishes it off! Last up, Slugma, level 18. Aggie’s Water Pulse is an easy OHKO!

Thank you for the heal and the Dowsing Machine~!

Collector Edwin is terrifying. Leads with level 15 Lombre, Daisy destroys it. Next is Nuzleaf, level 15. Chickie was MADE for destroying these XD

Psychic Edward has an Abra, level 17. This is all Snowdrop’s! YOW whatever that Hidden Power was, it was SE XD Whatever, Bite was more ;D

And we are in Mauville - Wally!! Wow, he’s ambitious XD Yeah, okay, let’s do this battle first before we get exploring! ...oh gosh he still only has Ralts. It’s only level 17. Daisy OHKOs it. I’m so sorry.

Sweet baby ;_; Ooh hey Rock Smash.

Into the Poke Mart. Sky Drop TM! Mauville is neat. Gonna go for a Mach bike, then set out to the other routes, uh, in the vain hope that I find something good against Electric XD

Route 118 has Aroma Lady Rose, leading with a level 16 Oddish. All Chickweed’s! RIP. Next is Roselia, level 16. Staying in, another OHKO! Oof, Poison Point. Rude.

You know what, there’s no grass here. I’m gonna head north to 111. First, that’s where Mount Chimney is and thus more plot, second, DESERT. GROUND TYPES.

Also, the Winstrates and a lot of exp.

Victor, level 17 Taillow. Daisy destroys. Next is Zigzagoon, level 19. All Chickie’s!

Next is Victoria with a level 20 Roselia. Chickie again! Yeah try and Leech Seed your way out of a Flame Charge lmfao.

Third is Vivi! Ooh, three Pokemon. She leads with Goldeen, level 16. Daisy... yeah. Next is Numel, level 16, Aggie can take this one! One Water Pulse and it’s all over. Last is Shroomish, level 16, back to Chickweed! Oh, check your attitude, kid.

Last but not least: Vicky has a Meditite, level 22. This one is Aggie’s! Not actually a OHKO amazing. Oof, Aggie gets paralysed - fuck into the red! Oh thank fuck it’s down. That was too close XD

Oh goddamn. You need Rock Smash to get into the desert to get a Ground type to beat the Electric gym XD;; And you need to beat the Electric gym to use Rock Smash...

I am gonna have to think this over lmfao.

[othersportsnews-blog]

Golfing - Quick 9 - Open up triumph heals Jordan Spieth's Masters wounds

New Post has been published on https://othersportsnews.com/golfing-quick-9-open-up-triumph-heals-jordan-spieths-masters-wounds/

Golfing - Quick 9 - Open up triumph heals Jordan Spieth's Masters wounds

one. Taking on his demons

Jordan Spieth figured his Masters disaster in 2016 was at the rear of him when he won at Colonial a couple weeks afterwards. But earning consecutive bogeys ahead of a quadruple-bogey 7 at Augusta National’s 12th hole not only noticed him squander a five-shot back again-9 edge as Danny Willett won the environmentally friendly jacket it still left an psychological scar that he acknowledged Sunday would not go entirely away until eventually he won another main championship.

When Spieth allow go of a 3-shot last-spherical edge to Matt Kuchar on Sunday following just 4 holes at Royal Birkdale, the excellent vibes that three days of strong golf experienced made at The Open up were being long gone. Now Spieth realized he was in for a fight, and another psychological hurdle if he were being not in a position to rebound and pull it off.

Things only got worse as Spieth ongoing to hit so lots of wayward photographs. He hit just 24 of 56 fairways for the match to rank one hundredth for the 7 days and only five of 14 on Sunday.

Jordan Spieth was all smiles following winning The Open up, but he admits that he was emotion the stress all through the last spherical. Ian Rutherford/Usa Today Sporting activities

And, of course, then arrived his nadir, the par-4 13th hole the place Spieth hit his tee shot some 70 yards off line, conked a spectator, experienced to look for for his ball, identified it was unplayable and then ended up getting a fall on the driving array. That he someway produced just a bogey-five saved the match, as he then went on to engage in the upcoming 4 holes in an astonishing five below par.

And he admitted afterward what was going on in his head.

“Right before the spherical I thought I have a reputation as currently being in a position to shut but was hesitant in declaring ‘majors’ to myself. I put a good deal of stress on myself sad to say, not on purpose, ahead of the spherical currently, just considering this is the finest possibility that I’ve experienced because the ’16 Masters. And if it weren’t to go my way currently, then all I am going to be questioned about and thought about and murmured about is in comparison to that, and that provides a good deal of stress to me.

“And a good deal a lot more awareness, a good deal a lot more, compared to just currently being in a position to form of go about your personal matter. And I under no circumstances realized how underrated that was. I required to be in this position, but listed here and there it gets tougher when it does not go your way. And you’re tougher on you since you assume so a lot.”

2. The 13th-hole time predicament

There has been appreciable response to the amount of money of time it took for Spieth to engage in the 13th hole, specially in relation to participating in the next shot, which took close to 21 minutes and experienced lots of questioning why there was not a penalty and what result it experienced on Kuchar.

Very first, the only likelihood for a time penalty was in hunting for the ball, which was found within just the five-minute allotment. From there, it became a problem of what to do about getting an unplayable lie.

Spieth hit a shot from the driving array following getting a fall although participating in the 13th hole. Andy Rain/EPA

Spieth immediately and well realized that he could go back again as much as he required as lengthy as he saved the ball in line with the hole. It was not his fault that tools vans were being alongside that line, and he well selected to fall there, being aware of that he would get line-of-sight-reduction, on the Birkdale driving array. The array was so much out of engage in it was under no circumstances deemed to be marked as out of bounds, and Spieth took edge — even even though he experienced some 240 yards to the hole, and a blind shot at that.

At this stage, he appeared to engage in his third shot (following the unplayable lie penalty) a bit unexpectedly, not placing the ball strong but obtaining a crack when the ball failed to roll into a greenside bunker. Spieth got it up and down for an not likely five and apologized to Kuchar for how lengthy the entire matter took.

As Jack Nicklaus reported on Twitter: “And although it did get him a lengthy time in between the tee shot and the upcoming shot, Jordan figured out what to do. I don’t know if I would have figure out to go in excess of to the driving array. That was an unbelievable final decision and unbelievable five. That putt was so huge.”

Heaps of debate about the time taken by Spieth on ruling. Unconventional circumstance took time to form. Kuch was collateral hurt sad to say.

— Graeme McDowell (@Graeme_McDowell) July 23, 2017

3. The response

And there was lots of it to Spieth’s victory. Just a sampling:

When I was 24 if I was not missing cuts on tour, I was grinding it out for 800 bucks on the mini tour. Unreal! Congrats @JordanSpieth

— Mark Calcavecchia (@MarkCalc) July 23, 2017

Congrats to Jordan! Maybe one particular of the finest combat backs in the record of the match! #TheOpen @TheOpen

— Billy Horschel (@BillyHo_Golfing) July 23, 2017

I am out of issues to tweet at this stage truthfully

— Justin Thomas (@JustinThomas34) July 23, 2017

4. The rundown

Michael Greller, Spieth’s caddie, with the shot-by-shot rundown of the last spherical at Royal Birkdale. And with the asterisk for the yardage on the 13th hole.

six-iron from 198 yards to 4′, one putt 3-wood from 256 yards to 55′, one putt 8-iron from 153 yards to 25′, one putt fifty three yards to 8′, one putt pic.twitter.com/4nfsNFKgp9

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July twenty five, 2017

five. Airport celebration

Spieth still left England on Sunday night through a private plane with several other gamers and was greeted by good friends and spouse and children in the wee hours of Monday morning in Dallas, as his mother, Christine Spieth, mentioned.

six. More from mother

Proud mother!! ❤️ https://t.co/6bX3TISVk7

— Christine Spieth (@jsekiddos) July 23, 2017

7. Why Rory feels determined

Every single of the upcoming three main championships will give the possibility for a participant to finish the occupation Grand Slam: Spieth at the PGA, Rory McIlroy at the Masters and Phil Mickelson at the U.S. Open up. Mickelson, forty seven, is managing out of odds, but both Spieth and McIlroy will have various prospects to get that fourth main.

And McIlroy is hoping he beats Spieth to the honor by very first denying him a possibility at the PGA upcoming month at Quail Hollow, the place the Northern Irishman has won two PGA Tour gatherings.

“I desperately want to prevent him from executing that,” McIlroy instructed the Everyday Mail at an function in London on Monday. “Obviously I want to get another main below my belt and go to Augusta trying to do it. Currently being one particular leg away from that Grand Slam brings its personal stress and I’ve skilled that in excess of the last couple of decades.

“Jordan’s driving on the crest of a wave at the minute and he’ll go into Quail Hollow with a good deal of self-assurance. But I’ve performed nicely around there and experienced some excellent success in the PGA Championship so I’d appreciate to make him wait an added year.”

Because the PGA in 2014, McIlroy has three top-10s at the Masters but has not been a major Sunday contender.

8. Birkdale praise

It was tricky to find everyone who experienced a undesirable word to say about Royal Birkdale, prompting lots of to speculate why The Open up is not played at the Southport, England, location a lot more typically. This was the 10th Open up at Birkdale, which was initially slated to host the championship for the very first time in 1940 when Globe War II intervened.

From 1954 to 1983, Birkdale (it was given Royal position in 1951) experienced The Open up 6 instances, under no circumstances going a lot more than 7 decades in between visits. But because then there have been just 4 Opens at Birkdale, with ten- and 9-year waits for the last two. The club also hosted the Ryder Cup in 1965 and 1969.

Among the the factors for for a longer period waits: Turnberry joined the rota in 1977, although Carnoustie (out from 1975 to 1999) and Royal Liverpool (out from 1967 to 2006) returned following prolonged absences. In 2019, The Open up will return to Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland for just its next go to and very first because 1951.

But Royal Birkdale set attendance data this year, drawing a lot more persons than any other Open up staged in England and surpassed only by two Opens at St. Andrews. And it delivers top-notch winners. Nine gamers have won the ten Opens there (Peter Thomson two times), and they’ve combined to win 37 majors.

9. Zach’s thoughts

Zach Johnson‘s neighbor is Kuchar, and he has grow to be excellent good friends with Spieth. Johnson and Spieth rode house jointly on the very same plane in 2015 following Johnson won The Open up and did so all over again Sunday night following Spieth won. And below the circumstances, we are going to give Zach a move on his spelling of Claret Jug.

Thoughts now: one. Truly gutted for my boy Kuch. He failed to eliminate it. 2. Truly pleased for J Spieth. He bowed up & won it! #ClarretJugClub

— Zach Johnson (@ZachJohnsonPGA) July 23, 2017

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