#and winning races is nice and he 100% deserves it but i promise you all he wants is a wdc

[lleclercism]

"another charles pole and max win" me personally i know the only reason charles is fighting versus the rockship that is redbull its purely because of how well he manages the car and how much he has to fight it for it to be able to be competitive and guess what! is not enough! because the sf-23 is still a tractor and rbr have won almost every race this year! and they've dominated the past 3 seasons! and i think the amount of poles he has had just shows how good of a driver he is and the potential he has to show when he finally has a car that will fight alongside him, not against him

[mcdonaldsnumberone]

so baby come kiss, kiss, kiss !

kiss headcanons

gender neutral reader

Sae claims on everything holy that he is not a super affectionate, kissy type of boyfriend. It isn’t that he doesn’t love you—he’s clearly not the best at expressing his true emotions, and from a more tactical standpoint, the last thing he needs on his plate would be for his ego to take a dampener because he was caught snogging you somewhere. It can come off as cold at face value, but he promises that behind closed doors he’s all yours for the taking.

He’s 100% a terrible softie deep down. Sae’s the kind of boyfriend who gets all pouty and upset if you accidentally move your face away from him when he’s trying to kiss you. The first thing he does in the morning is sling an arm over you and pull you in to pepper soft kisses all over your face and chest. If you don’t give him a kiss before he leaves the house, Sae gets all moody to the point that his manager practically begs you to set a reminder to kiss him before he sets off for work. 

Sae’s kisses as a whole tend to be quick but sincere. He isn’t a super flashy or standoffish guy (as arrogant as he can be towards others), so he prefers a kind of love where he can be himself and relax around you. Butterfly kisses all over your skin while the two of you half-watch-half-makeout on the couch are his favorite, and he relives the memory whenever he’s abroad for his soccer career. Whenever the two of you video call, he gets super embarrassed when you ask him to blow a kiss, but he still does it before shutting off the call so you can’t tease him. 

That being said, Sae does enjoy kissing you more deeply when he gets the opportunity. Nothing makes his heart skip a beat more than being able to hold you in his lap, with his hands cupping either your face or the back of your head, simply losing himself in your presence and letting the world around him melt away. He won’t ever be satisfied with just one kiss, and he’ll only let you go when the two of you are breathless messes: mouths swollen, faces flushed, and minds racing.

It drives Sae wild whenever you let your hands wander over his body when the two of you are kissing. It could be something as simple as you threading your fingers into his crimson hair or letting your hands slip under the hem of his shirt, but it makes him feel nice to know that his desire for you is returned. He might tease you terribly about it later, commenting about how “thirsty” you are for him as if he wasn’t the one basically throwing a mini tantrum because you gave him one less kiss than you did yesterday. He’s a bit greedy for your attention, if you couldn’t tell, even if he can be a massive prick about it. Can you blame him? You’re the only one that makes him feel this way.

“You’re getting up already? Boring. Come back and kiss me again. That last one was pathetic. I want something substantial. Shouldn’t you know this by now?”

Oliver is disgustingly shameless when it comes to kisses. It’s not even just kisses: he loves slinging an arm over your shoulder or waist whenever you’re walking together or pinching your cheek even if his team might be surrounding him. His teammates love overreacting by making fake gagging noises or kissy sounds whenever you’re around him, but they all really do support how happy you make each other. Oliver likes to show you off too, so get ready for your healthy dose of PDA.

He’s also the kind of guy where if he wins a game (which he does very frequently), he runs straight to you to pick you up and smash his lips onto yours. He doesn’t care if he’s being filmed on national television—he loves showering you with affection whenever he can, and with how much of a supportive figure you’ve been, Oliver firmly believes that you deserve to share the high of a game with him. Whatever scandals come out of this, he promises he’ll handle it with his management later. But as for now, he just wants to soak up the moment with you in his arms.

Oliver’s kisses are without fail passionate and heartfelt. He kisses you like it’s going to be the last time he’s going to have you, and he holds you so firmly that you swear not even the entire U-20 team would be able to peel him off of you. He gets so happy whenever he’s around you, and when you pull away from him, chances are that Oliver’s going to stare at you with the most lovestruck gaze you’ve ever seen. From the puppy eyes to the dazed smile, you have this man wrapped around your little finger.

Oliver does the thing guys do when they kiss your neck sleepily while getting ready for bed, and you can feel his stubble all over your skin. It tickles a bit, and it never fails to draw a laugh from either of you whenever you bring it up. Oliver sarcastically says that he’s sorry he isn’t one of those clean-shaven Prince Charming type of guys, but you two both know that you’d pick him over anybody else in a heartbeat. He’ll simply make it up to you by kissing you even more, even if it means you get no sleep and stay up all night giggling about how much he’s tickling you. 

Something Oliver really likes is when you take control. Nothing makes him more excited than you swinging your legs over his lap while he’s sitting down and looming over him, and he knows he’s completely at your mercy. He likes it when you hold him close and kiss him all over, and all he needs to do is relax and soak up your love. Hours could pass by with you lavishing your affection onto him, and he would be none the wiser. He adores it when you show that more assertive side and take the reins. He’ll simply grin at you like the happy man he is and let you work your magic, until he feels like Heaven could take him right there and then and he’d have absolutely no regrets.

“Awwww, don’t give me that look. C’mon, let me make it up to you. I’ll sneak over here and- There! You look so pretty with a kiss on those lips of yours.”

Kaiser can be an irritating, over-the-top boyfriend when it comes to showing affection at times, and he does it only to get a rise out of you. He lives for your reactions, so he takes it as a personal challenge to see what he can do to fluster you. He does everything under the sun at this point: kissing you in public, saying something raunchy in German (assuming that you wouldn’t understand even though Bastard Munchen’s facial expressions tell you everything you need to know), even slinging his shirt off whenever the two of you are hanging out together. There’s something satisfying to him about watching you squeal and punch his arm, and he laughs it off as if he was born to embarrass you.

But at the same time, he can be a pretty considerate boyfriend as well. He totally kisses you in sweet and endearing ways, doing it to cheer you up whenever you feel down and making sure his kisses help you feel appreciated and loved. He knows it’s demanding to date someone like him and that it’s easy to feel insecure when he’s surrounded by so much attention, but each kiss he gives to you is a reminder that you’re the one he loves more than anybody else and nothing could change his feelings for you. He also does the thing where he gets on his knees and kisses the back of your hand, smirking up at you with his breathtaking blue eyes.

Kaiser’s kisses come across as a little daring but still loving. His lips practically dance across any part of exposed skin he could reach, and sometimes he lets his teeth ghost over your body, just to see what kind of reaction he can get from it. Despite how obnoxious he can be at times, his kisses are reserved for you and you only, and he hopes you know how much he prioritizes you and cherishes you. He likes the way kissing you makes his heart flutter a little bit, like he’s a fairy tale prince who’s just rescued his love interest.

Kaiser also makes a habit out of teasing you for his kisses as well. He’s the sort of guy where he’ll know that you want him to kiss you on the mouth and then proceeds to kiss you everywhere but where you want it. He loves it when you pout and beg for him to quit riling you up, and only then will he cave and pepper you with the kisses you’ve been wanting the entire time. He loves how animated you can get, and Kaiser likes to see just how far he can push you at times, all in the name of good fun. 

Kaiser likes it best when you kiss the patterns on his tattoos. Starting from his hand and making your way up to his neck, he thinks it’s the hottest thing ever. He sometimes even flaunts his tattoo in front of you in hopes that you’ll reach over and start kissing the ink criss-crossing his arm and chest to get him to shut up, and he gloats like tomorrow doesn’t exist when you actually do follow through on his quiet invitation. He might even ask you to kiss either the roses or the crown before a game to wish him luck, even if he brags that winning shouldn’t be a problem for a guy of his caliber. But hey, nothing beats having a lucky charm from you—just to make sure!

“You’re so cute when you get mad at me. Ow! Don’t hit me! Boohoo, now it hurts, so make me feel better by kissing it, okay? Ow, ow, sorry, sorry! Don’t hit me again!”

x

[leqclerc]

i literally don't know how Charles does it. Like getting pole week after week and then things going wrong but not because of him. Like that has to suck but he is still trying and trying and never saying a bad a thing about his team. I so admire his attitude and strength at this point. And like ngl I never understood how ferrari is so bad at strategy (this more monaco and not this race) like even before charles they were bad at it and you'd think that they'd somehow get better😔 anyways, ferrari better get their act together or it's on sight for me...

I agree 100%!

The heartbreaking thing is Charles was willing to accept his past DNFs, even if they hurt, even if they robbed of him of potential wins or podiums, because the team kept promising him that his time will come. They worked on this car for the better part of last year, they put pretty much all their eggs in the F1-75 basket and openly said they aim to return and fight for the title. Charles isn’t someone who overhypes himself or his chances — on the contrary, he usually is very good at managing expectations (both his own and also gently reminding fans to do the same, especially when the result is an outlier, like, say, the Baku pole last year.) So when he starts talking about winning — and winning not only individual races but the championship — that’s when you know he seriously, genuinely believes they’re in a place to do that.

So, they promised him to have their shit together by 2022, kept reiterating that he’ll have a fighting chance and though it started off well, they hit a snag around Miami or so and haven’t really recovered. After winter testing they were hailed as the team that brought one of the most reliable cars; they tested their PU and were happy with its performance and reliability. Only…that was apparently only applicable to PU1. Ever since they upgraded the engine to the PU2 spec it’s been giving them issues. Alfa has similarly been plagued by engine issues all season so far, and we saw how the Ferrari powered cars started dropping like flies in Baku. Between their strategic fumbles, bizarre public statements (B*notto especially) and now reliability issues they seemingly have no explanation for (they said they’d look over the PU thoroughly after Barcelona; they proceeded to fit some of the elements from PU2 in the car for this race and we got an engine blowout) it’s not looking good.

And it must be frustrating for Charles when he is constantly reminded of his past mistakes by media of all kinds (it was obviously the worst in Monaco but also in the run up to Baku we kept hearing about his past castle section crash and one of the F1TV presenters even joked about how the circuit has all these corners “Charles Leclerc can crash into”) and posts and Tweets are being made about his “poor pole to win conversion rate” without the necessary context. He’s done a near flawless job this year, he’s driving pretty much the best we’ve ever seen him drive. He’s doing everything necessary, and when he doesn’t, he owns up to his mistakes and does everything in his power to make sure it doesn’t happen again. So for the team to have the ball in their court and essentially throw away deserved wins for a variety of reasons… it’s bad. And they got lucky this year! Everything lined up for them! They can’t really afford to abandon the effort this year, shrug their shoulders and say “well, there’s always next year!” because next year you’re looking at Merc potentially being back in the game for real. If they can’t even go toe to toe with Red Bull, then what chance do they have against RB and one or both of the Mercs? So yeah. Disappointment and anger. 😠

Charles loves this team, and like you said, always tries to see the best in them and highlight the good. So when even he is getting frustrated with them…That’s when you know they’ve fucked up. He’s incredibly nice and kind and gracious so I’m sure they’ll discuss everything internally and he’ll come back with his head held high ready to give it his all again come Montreal. The question is, will the team be able to do the same?

[muilkyu]

Treasure's Types of Dates

🐷 Hyunsuk

"This would look so good with the new shoes I got last week." Hyunsuk gushes while picking up a pair of shades.

"Hyunsuk, that's amazing, but my feet hurt now. Can we leave now?" You whine. 

"Just one more store babe. I saw this dress the other night that would look adorable on you," he says. Then he walks away, spotting a different pair of shades that he just needs.

Thrifting dates are a must for both of you

You both drag each other to underground fashion shows when you can

If you are staying home you decide to have a runway date with both of you just playing around with different types of styles 

For lazy nights it's just face masks and a Netflix movie party

🐼 Jihoon

"Tilt your head to the left!" Jihoon yells from across the field of wildflowers he's crouched down eyes squinted holding his camera trying to get a good picture, "Extend your foot. A little more! Okay perfect!" 

The sky is a beautiful orange shade that compliments the wildflowers and your sundress. Jihoon was right about this being the perfect place for a photo. 

"Okay. You look gorgeous. Come look," He says again. You make your way over to him looking at the photo. He really does have a talent for photography. "These are my best ones yet. I don't know if it's the sun or the model I should be staring at more."

Jihoon likes to visit places where you can get a pretty picture

He finds the best cafes for dates. Even though he wants a picture before you can eat which can take forever

You often travel outside of Seoul to see even more of Korea

You got to Busan often for your dates just spending a day walking around and enjoying the city

🐯 Yoshi

"If you fall I will catch you."

"I trust you, but I also can't take the chance of that happening," You say placing a foot on the skateboard. It's staying still for right now, but any second it also could move forward, "Just hold my hands and guide me." 

Yoshi was 100% determined to teach you how to skate. Even though you told him you had no interest in skating. When he told you he wanted to teach you his face lit up so you agreed.

The type that wants to share his hobbies with you so that's usually your date idea 

Yoshi likes to make you laugh on dates 

You don't do too many dates at home unless you are playing a game or something

Sometimes you spend time helping him make art which leads to a big mess and paint staining both your cheeks and clothes

🐨 Junkyu

"We have been here before," you point out as Junkyu lays out a blanket on the grass.

"I know, but it gets even prettier every time we come back." He says laying down on the blanket.

"Don't you think we should go somewhere else next time? We have been to the Bank river on just about half of our dates."

Junkyu shakes his head patting the blanket, "Nope. Now let's lay down and watch the clouds."

Not the best at planning dates at all

You can tell he tries however so you let it slide

Dates are usually more relaxed than exciting

When you want to have full-on fun he makes you do something 'crazy' aka roller coasters

🐹 Mashiho

"Bend your elbow a bit more so you can aim properly," Mashiho says pushing your wrist back.

"I won't make it either way." 

Mashiho smiles, "Exactly why you have me as a teacher. Now bend your knees and shoot." 

You do as he says. You watch as the ball hits the back of the rim and then slowly falls into the basket. 

"You did it! I told you I was a great teacher."

Dates with Mashiho are always playful

You end up either playing a game outside or shopping for cute toys and plushies around Seoul

You pick up hobbies together that interest you both 

You rarely go out to eat or order food for dates, but when you are getting food you stop at a bakery for sweets

🦁 Jaehyuk

"We will take whatever the chef recommends," Jaehyuk tells the Waiter. He's decided to bring you to a very fancy restaurant, definitely one that you don't deserve to be at, but he insisted. 

"This is all so amazing Jae." You say looking around. You're sitting right next to the window which allows you to look out into the Seoul nightlife.

"I know right. I've always wanted to eat here and now I can with you it makes it all that more special."

Fancy dates. At nice restaurants and cafes. 

He likes to pamper you when you go out together so he doesn't hold back

All of the money he has saved up goes towards making you happy

A true romantic at heart he loves to spoil you and make you feel loved

🤖 Asahi

"Which color should I use for the flowers?" You ask digging through the pencil bag of markers. 

"Why are you adding flowers on my self-portrait?" Ashai questions. He's still sketching he's very focused on his drawing. 

"I know, but I went above and beyond and gave you a background. I should get extra points." 

He chuckles at that remark, "I'm highly doubtful you can beat me, but you should do pink."

Homeboy dates 

You end up trying to cook homemade pizza which turns out horribly so you just order in

One time he built a fort and you snuggled inside with a movie marathon and hot chocolate 

🦊 Yedam

"We should get green tea and a banana nut muffin," Yedam suggests as he looks over the menu. You're at your favorite cafe that's just down the street from your dorm. Yedam suggested you have a study date today which is exactly what you agreed on. 

"I want a muffin, but order a different drink. I'm not in the mood for tea." 

"Okay," he circles the option on the menu and sets it aside. A worker will walk past soon and pick it up. He unzips his bookbag pulling out a binder and a workbook ready to work, "What are you going to study?"

"I think I am going to start on my Language Arts report. I just need to decide on a topic." You say pulling your laptop out from your tote bag. 

Yedam smiles, "I can help you with that."

Study dates happen often because grades are important to you both

Sometimes you end up at a Karaoke bar because you would be a fool to not love his voice

You walk around in parks often just looking at the scenery and enjoying nature

🐰 Doyoung

"Are you sure you should be adding so much salt?" 

"I'm only adding a little bit. Trust me It Will taste amazing." Doyoung smiles. 

"After your strawberry jam disaster, I don't think I should trust you." You say looking down into the pot at the bright red liquid boiling. 

Shrugging off the comment Doyoung reaches for the sesame oil adding a teaspoon, "It will taste fine. Now can you please set the table?" He pushes you towards the table so you leave him to his work.

Doyoung is a wildcard for dates

At times he will bring you to a restaurant for a nice dinner

At other times he will insist on cooking something

Sometimes he finds really weird places for dates such as going to a token food market or he books a ceramics class

One time he tries to teach you a dance one can only imagine how that went

🐏 Haruto

"So what do you have planned for me today?" You ask pulling off your crossbody bag hanging it on your chair. 

"I was thinking we should watch a horror movie." He says. 

You laugh, "No seriously what are we gonna do?" 

"I am serious we should watch a foreign film together and eat popcorn." 

"Are you sure this is a good idea? The last time we watched one you wanted to be the knight in shining armor, but I had to walk you home." You point out recalling the memory from a few months ago. 

"I promise I can handle it. Let's pop some popcorn."

Spoiler Alert: You only made it 15 minutes into the movie before you had to turn it off. You ended up watching Wreck-It Ralph instead.

Haruto doesn't really plan for dates be just goes with the flow

Most nights you just enjoy the presence of each other talking for hours 

Haruto seems quiet but when he is comfortable he loves to sit and talk with the people around him

🐺 Jeongwoo

"Why did you tell me to wear pants?" You ask as you meet Jeongwoo. 

He just smiles, "With what I have planned you'll be happy you wore pants." 

-

"You're not going to win!" You shout while running after Jeongwoo. He's decided to bring you to an indoor jumping park. The floor is filled with trampolines and there are sections for different games. 

He has a head start already making it to the jumping area, "Hurry up. I want to beat you in dodgeball."

Jeongwoo has a lot of energy so most of the time he has you moving around when you meet to go out. 

Sometimes you're screaming your lungs out on a roller coaster other times you're racing him just to see who will win

When you want to just stay home your still moving around either just singing and dancing till you can't anymore or eating ice cream and watching YouTube

🐮 Junghwan

"There is a zombie behind you!" Junghwan shouts. He's right next to you, but he still feels the need to shout. 

"Kill it more me I'm still smelting the iron!" 

He shakes his head, "No you do it I have to go look for more diamond." 

"Wow, you're not gonna protect me from a zombie. I'm gonna take all the diamonds and leave you then." You say turning your character around to kill the zombie. 

"I was just kidding. I'll kill any monster that tries to hurt you."

Video Game dates at home 

You both enjoy taking each other down or working together to meet a goal in a game

When your not gaming for a date you just walk around Seoul till you find something fun

Him being from Iksan he's only really looked at bits and pieces so you just walk to you find interesting shops and stores

-

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed!

[theuniversitychallengereview]

UC 50.35 - Imperial vs Warwick

This is episode thirty five of this years University Challenge. Almost exactly one year ago, on 23rd March 2020, the UK was plunged into what we thought would be its only lockdown. Instead it was the first of going on three, four? Where does a lockdown end and a Tier 4 start? Manchester, where I live, has basically been in lockdown for most of the twelve months since then, and who knows how much longer this one is going to actually last. 

There is a peculiar magic to a revolution of the sun, with the circularity giving meaning to the meaningless marker of three hundred and sixty five days. Somehow it feels so much more momentous that a year will have passed than that a day less than a year has passed. You remember what you were doing as the lockdown was announced, where you watched Boris make his serious address from. The tingles of fear, and maybe even guilty nervous excitement made me restless. No one knew what any of it meant. So many things have changed since then, but in some ways we are exactly where we were. Stuck inside, nowhere to go, with no concept of when life will return to normal. 

There was also a University Challenge match on the 23rd March. I don’t know if I watched it on the day. Probably not. I wrote about it six days later, by which point I was working from home with a pile of books stacked underneath my laptop acting as a makeshift stand. There is something strange about being able to read exactly what I was thinking at the time everything was starting. The following paragraphs are taken directly from that blog, and it still feels like we are in the same limbo state.

What is going on? When I wrote the last blog it was pretty clear that we were in a dire situation, but the inaction of the Government left it feeling like we were in some kind of limbo state, just waiting for the disaster to hit us. But then action was taken. Lockdown.

We now know exactly what we have to do (I was going to list the ‘Stay Home’ instructions here, but if you’re getting your lockdown lowdown from a University Challenge blog then frankly there’s no hope for you anyway), but it still feels really surreal. You’ve never done a home workout in your life, but you’ve done two in the past three days. People say ‘social distancing’ as if its always been a well-known term that was commonly used in daily life. There are never any beans (screw your toilet paper shortages, its the beans that really matter).

We’re still in limbo, really, because we have no idea how long this is going to last. And we’re still waiting for the disaster to hit, because the worst of it hasn’t yet, and the lockdown won’t start properly helping for a few weeks. So what do we do? What can we do? You feel like you want to be distracted from all that is going on, but also to be clued up to the eyeballs with the latest news.

So we do what we can. We stay inside. We call our friends and family and play that stupid ‘chips and guac’ game on Houseparty. We take solace in books, or films, or TV…

As I did a year ago, I’ll try and distract you all (and myself too), with some words about a television quiz show. Let’s not bother with the rules, here’s your first starter for ten...

Imperial and Warwick have already played each other in this years tournament, with the Avonsiders coming out convincing winners, 200 to 120. They then beat another of the semi finalists, Magdalene, Cambridge, by 200 to 160. Fans of a nice round number, it seems. 

But I wouldn’t write Imperial off. They followed up their loss to Warwick with magnificent wins over King’s and Durham. Their skipper Kohn is the most in-form player left in the competition, and has averaged more than six starters a game. 

Having lost their first round match to Strathclyde, Imperial were given a reprieve via the high-scoring loser play-offs, and boy did they take advantage of it. This coincided with the gap in filming caused by Covid, and Kohn used the extra time to train intensely - think Stallone in Rocky but its just a guy furiously reading (with the same music playing, obviously).

Warwick, meanwhile, have had a relatively smooth path to the last four, winning by an average of 92.5 points. However, if you dive a bit deeper into those statistics, the margin has been decreasing each time (150, 100, 80, 40...), so if Imperial could get stuck into them early on then we’d have a real match on our hands. 

Kohn is quickest on the buzzer for the first starter, and they take three bonuses, with Kohn saying that ‘this is giving me strong Dr Faustus vibes’, before giving Dr Faustus as the correct answer for the third. His speed is his downfall on the next starter though, and he loses five points with a neg, allowing his opposite number Rout to pick up the scraps.

A very long-winded biology question falls to no one, before another Imperial neg, this time from Wong, let Braid in to take the lead for Warwick. An incredibly easy bonuse set on Shakespeare extended this for them, though they didn’t recognise ‘Night of the Living Dead’ from its description. 

Marrow, Imperial’s resident smiler, took the first picture starter to her evident delight, and a couple of bonuses tied the game at thirty fives. Braid is unlucky with his guess of ‘suffer no fools’ on the next starter - the answer is ‘suffer fools gladly’. 

A trademark rapid-buzz from Kohn took the lead back to London, before a second neg from Wong allowed Braid to level the game again. Imperial’s tactic seems to be to win the buzzer race, regardless of whether or not they know the answer. So far they have three negs to three correct starters. An inspired guess of semi-colon from Marrow stole back the initiative. Neither side could string together a run of starters yet. 

Not wanting to let Kohn have all the credit, Rout comes in super early on the next starter with Hamiltonian Operator. By now we have reached the music round, in a riveting but so-far low-scoring match. Kohn takes us to seventy apiece with the musical starter, giving Miles Davis and Dave Brubeck as his answer, even though the question had only asked for one person (to be fair to him, the question asked for ‘a bandleader and soloist’, making it seem as though they were two different people, but anyway, Paxman lets him off).

Both teams are making a dangerous habit of dropping bonuses, and six pass in succession with no correct answers. A pair of starters from Burrell, along with a few made five pointers, including some on Bulgarian football teams, gave Warwick the biggest lead of the match so far - fifty. 

Kohn isn’t content to give up so easily, and takes the second picture starter, along with a pair of bonuses. Braid stumbles on a chemical elements question, and again Kohn takes advantage. Dismissing some of the bonuses as too easy, Imperial close to within ten. 

Pollard gets his first starter of the evening with Yuri Gagarin, and a rare full set from Warwick gave them a thirty five point lead. A supremely clutch buzz from Kohn keeps Imperial in it, but Braid is quickest to identify/guess that a million seconds is two weeks (to the closest week), possibly putting the game beyond the reach of the Londoners. Paxman wastes some time by going on about how stupid it is to know that fact, and Warwick waste some more time with a lengthy conference on the bonuses. They are forty points clear, and probably heading to the final. 

But HANG ON!

Braid negs. Thirty five points. 

Kohn trips over his tongue, but gets the answer out in the end. Twenty five points. Could they do it?

No (sorry to have built up your hopes, if I did). The gong follows soon after, with Imperial still twenty five points adrift. 

Final Score: Imperial 135 - 160 Warwick

Probably a deserved win for Warwick that, but Imperial were an absolute delight and it was a pleasure to watch their evolution over the course of the tournament, especially Kohn’s performances on the buzzer. 

I’m looking forward to the second semi-final next week, which also promises to be a barnstormer. See you then.

If you’ve enjoyed this, but can’t wait until next week for another fix of University Challenge, then you can check out my Patreon, where I’ve been reviewing the 2015/16 series.

[dailynewswebsite]

NFL Power Rankings: Behind too-early MVP candidate Josh Allen (seriously), the Bills are dangerous

Josh Allen had 249 yards passing in a half, 417 yards and 4 touchdowns for the sport, and but it was a run that had everybody speaking.

Allen is a giant dude, he likes to run and he’s not enjoyable to sort out within the open area. Close to the tip of the primary half, Allen eluded the go rush, took off operating and met up with Miami Dolphins linebacker Kyle Van Noy within the open area. Van Noy is an excellent participant, and he obtained run over by Allen. Then Allen ran by means of defensive finish Emmanuel Ogbah. That was a spotlight that Payments followers shall be having fun with for a very long time.

Oh, the passing. Let’s not overlook that. Allen was 15 of 22 for 249 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions … earlier than halftime. After the Dolphins took a 20-17 lead within the fourth quarter, Allen threw two touchdowns together with a reasonably 46-yarder to John Brown to place the sport away. It was precisely the kind of efficiency the Payments needed once they drafted Allen with the seventh decide of the 2018 draft.

When you hadn’t watched the Payments play in Week 1 and simply paid consideration to social media, you won’t have identified Allen is off to an excellent begin this season. Allen regarded good final week in a win over the New York Jets, although a one badly missed go ultimately zone is what went viral. Then Allen was higher within the second sport.

Allen is the form of participant folks will at all times argue about. Since many draft consultants didn’t like Allen earlier than the draft, they’ll refuse to confess a mistake and can give attention to each missed throw he makes. And there are some dangerous performs; Allen nonetheless has some inaccurate throws. He seemingly at all times will. However he has additionally improved annually and is harnessing his bodily presents to grow to be a playmaking quarterback on an excellent Payments staff. It’s loopy to begin speaking about MVP in Week 2, however if you’re having that dialog, it’s a must to embrace Allen in it.

Allen leads the NFL with 729 passing yards. He has six touchdowns and no interceptions. He additionally has 75 yards speeding. Week 2 is manner too early to speak about MVP candidates, but it surely’s additionally honest to say that if Allen performs anyplace close to this stage all season, he’ll be within the combine. Russell Wilson is the plain two-week MVP, if there’s such factor, and Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and others will seemingly go Allen within the race earlier than the 12 months is over. However Allen doesn’t should be the most effective quarterback within the NFL for the Payments to be good. If he’s even within the high eight or so, Buffalo can compete with anybody. And Allen appears like he could possibly be a minimum of in that vary.

Buffalo goes to be in rivalry for an AFC East championship, making an attempt to interrupt the New England Patriots’ streak of 11 in a row. They’ve a one-game lead after the Patriots got here up simply brief at Seattle on Sunday evening. If what we’ve seen out of Allen the primary two video games is an indication of what he’ll be this season, Buffalo is perhaps considering larger than simply an AFC East title.

Good to know that Adam Gase is uninterested in his staff getting its “ass beat.” He would possibly wish to get used to it. Right here’s what they’ve developing: at Colts, vs. Broncos, vs. Cardinals, at Chargers, vs. Payments, at Chiefs, vs. Patriots. What’s the very best document after that stretch, 2-7?

Christian McCaffrey goes to overlook 4-6 weeks with a excessive ankle sprain and let’s be trustworthy: The Panthers are impossible to have any playoff hopes left when he’s able to return. So there won’t be a lot cause to hurry him again. That makes for a tough first season for brand spanking new coach Matt Rhule.

It’s promising that Washington gave thrilling rookie Antonio Gibson 13 of 22 operating again carries. Groups just like the Jets and Lions shouldn’t be giving carries to 30-something veterans, and a minimum of Washington appears to grasp it’s much more useful to see what Gibson has quite than giving Peyton Barber or J.D. McKissic extra taking part in time.

29. Detroit Lions (0-2, LW: 25)

Up to now 5 quarters the Lions have given up 63 factors. They allowed Aaron Jones to pile up 236 complete yards on Sunday. They get the Cardinals and Saints, a few explosive offenses, subsequent. Right here’s the place you possibly can logically marvel if Matt Patricia’s protection has to indicate some progress for him to maintain his job, however that assumes the Lions possession is paying consideration.

28. New York Giants (0-2, LW: 27)

We’ll discover out rather a lot about Daniel Jones this season. With no Saquon Barkley the remainder of the best way, it’s on Jones to ship. It hasn’t been fairly but in his second season, however he has confronted powerful defenses vs. Pittsburgh and Chicago. The state of affairs isn’t preferrred going ahead however the Giants will learn the way good their quarterback is.

27. Miami Dolphins (0-2, LW: 26)

Mike Gesicki had eight catches for 130 yards and a landing on Sunday. We’ll begin with that as a result of there’s not far more optimistic to say about Miami. If the Dolphins lose to the Jaguars on Thursday evening, and Tua Tagovailoa is wholesome sufficient to play, I’m unsure why you’d give Ryan Fitzpatrick one other begin.

26. Cincinnati Bengals (0-2, LW: 30)

Joe Burrow goes to be actually good. There have been loads of spectacular moments for the rookie, and certainly one of them was that he obtained hit laborious just a few occasions and by no means appeared rattled. It’s actually laborious to consider Burrow gained’t be a top-end quarterback based mostly on what we’ve seen.

25. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1, LW: 29)

James Robinson, an undrafted rookie who appears superb, is why groups just like the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams shouldn’t have used second-round picks on operating backs. Robinson’s 164 speeding yards ranked seventh within the NFL by means of Sunday’s video games.

24. Denver Broncos (0-2, LW: 23)

Von Miller and Courtland Sutton are carried out for the season. A.J. Bouye, Drew Lock and Phillip Lindsay are on the shelf for some time. The Broncos had such excessive hopes two weeks in the past, and now it looks like their season is completed. The NFL may be merciless.

23. Minnesota Vikings (0-2, LW: 16)

Stefon Diggs is efficacious, however he’s not that beneficial. Kirk Cousins was improbable final season, and with out Diggs this season he was completely terrible in Week 2. Cousins had 113 yards, no touchdowns, three interceptions a 15.9 passer score. The one excellent news is that Cousins began gradual final season and turned it round.

22. Houston Texans (0-2, LW: 17)

Will Fuller wasn’t focused on Sunday, as he was apparently coping with a hamstring damage. It’s pretty exceptional how fragile Fuller is. All of us figured he’d miss time with damage, however he was imagined to final a couple of full sport as Houston’s new No. 1 receiver.

21. Atlanta Falcons (0-2, LW: 18)

The Falcons’ choke was as unbelievable because it will get. ESPN’s win chance put Atlanta at a 99.9 % probability to win at one level. In accordance with ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, solely 10 different occasions up to now 20 seasons has a staff blown a sport during which it had that top of a win chance. Dan Quinn has survived earlier than when it appeared like he was going to be fired, however this actually is perhaps the start of the tip.

20. Philadelphia Eagles (0-2, LW: 14)

In some unspecified time in the future we’ve to ask how good Doug Pederson is. He was nice throughout the Tremendous Bowl season, however in hindsight, perhaps then-Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich deserved extra credit score. Since then, the Eagles have underachieved. Had they not backed right into a playoff spot every of the previous two seasons, we’d be far more crucial of Pederson.

19. Cleveland Browns (1-1, LW: 24)

No matter how we must always really feel concerning the Browns signing Kareem Hunt — no person has talked about the video of him shoving and kicking a lady in a very long time, and that lack of true accountability is why some groups don’t thoughts taking up controversial gamers — he and Nick Chubb type a 1-2 duo that no person can match. In the event that they each keep wholesome, the Browns would possibly find yourself with a pair of 1,000-yard rushers.

18. Los Angeles Chargers (1-1, LW: 22)

I’m unsure what to make of Anthony Lynn saying Tyrod Taylor continues to be his starter if he’s 100 %. Perhaps it was simply laying aside answering the query or didn’t wish to be disrespectful to Taylor after he was hospitalized on Sunday. If Lynn was being real and actually plans to begin Taylor, after first-round decide Justin Herbert performed properly vs. the Chiefs, I do not know what to say.

17. Dallas Cowboys (1-1, LW: 12)

Mike McCarthy had one bizarre sport. He has gone overboard on ditching his conservative strategy. He tried a pair of faux punts and a two-point conversion try when the Cowboys have been down 9 factors and doubtless ought to have simply kicked the additional level. Even on the finish, McCarthy’s resolution to take a seat within the ball and accept a 46-yard area objective may have turned out terribly. McCarthy could be very fortunate the Cowboys obtained a miracle win.

16. Indianapolis Colts (1-1, LW: 21)

The Colts are giving up solely 208 yards per sport. Coming into Monday’s video games, no different protection was permitting fewer than 300 yards per sport. The Jaguars and Vikings, the Colts’ two opponents, every put up 30 factors once they weren’t taking part in Indianapolis. Perhaps the Colts have a very good protection.

15. Chicago Bears (2-0, LW: 15)

David Montgomery had his finest sport as a professional, with 127 complete yards and a landing. Montgomery must hold taking part in like that as a result of there’s not a ton else to like concerning the offense. The Bears have two very shut wins, and no staff will flip down 2-0, however they’ll must play higher going ahead.

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1, LW: 19)

It’s not simple to take a 12 months off of NFL soccer and play properly instantly. The final time Rob Gronkowski performed like the longer term Corridor of Famer he’s was the 2017 season. He regarded like he misplaced one thing in 2018 (although he completed with a flourish) after which was out all final season. He got here again and has simply two catches for 11 yards, together with no catches in Week 2.

13. Las Vegas Raiders (2-0, LW: 20)

No matter comes subsequent, Monday evening’s win over the Saints within the Las Vegas dwelling opener shall be a win that has a particular place in franchise historical past. And don’t sleep on the Raiders; perhaps what comes subsequent goes to be higher than we anticipated earlier than the season. It is a enjoyable staff.

12. Arizona Cardinals (2-0, LW: 13)

Rookie first-round decide Isaiah Simmons performed simply seven snaps on protection towards Washington and his solely stat was a special-teams sort out. Simmons is a proficient participant and it’s stunning how little he’s taking part in. The Cardinals haven’t wanted him but however they’ll seemingly want some contribution from him earlier than the season is completed.

11. San Francisco 49ers (1-1, LW: 8)

A part of the Tremendous Bowl hangover is that it’s powerful to keep away from dangerous damage luck two years in a row. The 49ers had some accidents final season. They’ve all of the accidents this season. Nick Bosa isn’t coming again, however guys like Jimmy Garoppolo, Richard Sherman, George Kittle and Raheem Mostert ought to return comparatively quickly. The 49ers simply have to carry on till they get some gamers again.

10. New England Patriots (1-1, LW: 9)

Too usually, in lots of issues in life, we choose outcomes and never the method of creating the choice. The Patriots’ finest play is Cam Newton on the objective line. He’s nice in that space of the sphere. The Seahawks made an excellent play and stopped it. It occurs. The decision was simply wonderful.

9. Tennessee Titans (2-0, LW: 10)

Ryan Tannehill’s final 9 regular-season video games: 22 touchdowns, two interceptions, 127.Three passer score. He has had solely two video games with a passer score underneath 100, and the bottom was 92.2. In some unspecified time in the future we’ll have to begin giving him some credit score.

8. New Orleans Saints (1-1, LW: 3)

It’s laborious to lose a participant like Michael Thomas. Taking part in the Raiders of their first sport in Las Vegas was a tricky spot. Nonetheless, it’s regarding they have been fully outplayed after taking a 10-Zero lead. No trigger for panic but and I’m not dropping them too far but, but it surely’s potential the Saints aren’t fairly as dominant as anticipated.

7. Los Angeles Rams (2-0, LW: 11)

Sean McVay did an excellent job self-scouting within the offseason. The Rams’ offensive revival has been on account of many components, together with using quicker tempo, spreading the ball round, much less predictability in personnel groupings and likewise committing to creating late 2019 breakout Tyler Higbee a focus of the offense. There’s a cause McVay is so extremely revered.

6. Inexperienced Bay Packers (2-0, LW: 7)

Aaron Jones’ massive day will result in extra dialogue about what the Packers ought to do together with his contract. In the event that they pay him, it makes taking A.J. Dillon within the second spherical appear to be a waste. And operating again contracts not often work out. In the event that they don’t pay Jones, they’re transferring on from a extremely productive participant and will remorse it, a minimum of within the brief time period. It’s a tricky spot to be in.

5. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0, LW: 5)

The Steelers most likely ought to have put the Broncos away prior to they did, however they’re nonetheless 2-Zero and must be considerably favored in three of their subsequent 4 video games (vs. Texans, at Titans, vs. Eagles, vs. Browns) earlier than the primary of two improbable matchups towards the Ravens.

4. Seattle Seahawks (2-0, LW: 6)

If Russell Wilson wins an MVP this season, a minimum of a part of the reason being the remainder of the NFL let DK Metcalf fall to late within the second spherical of the 2019 draft. Metcalf obtained the most effective of final season’s NFL defensive participant of the 12 months Stephon Gilmore on Sunday evening. He is perhaps a top-10 receiver already.

3. Buffalo Payments (2-0, LW: 4)

Stefon Diggs put up 153 yards and a landing on Sunday. It’s cheap to suppose they overpaid within the commerce to get Diggs from the Vikings, but it surely was a daring, aggressive transfer for a staff that noticed its window to win a division title (and perhaps extra) opening up. It’s laborious to discover a difference-making receiver like Diggs they usually gained’t come low cost if they’re obtainable.

2. Kansas Metropolis Chiefs (2-0, LW: 2)

The perfect a part of the Chiefs’ comeback win on Sunday is perhaps that it didn’t take any luster off of their Week Three matchup towards …

1. Baltimore Ravens (2-0, LW: 1)

The Chiefs-Ravens sport subsequent Monday evening goes to be a magnificence. No soccer fan ought to miss it.

from Growth News https://growthnews.in/nfl-power-rankings-behind-too-early-mvp-candidate-josh-allen-seriously-the-bills-are-dangerous/ via https://growthnews.in

[go-redgirl]

Fox News Sunday With Chris Wallace 7/14/19 | Fox News Sunday With Chris ...

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INDIVIDUALS/COMMENTS/POSTS:

Mike Carothers Since when do we get the option to pick and choose the laws we follow.  Start locking them all up . PERIOD !

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REPLY

Brian Malone If you removed the question about race, and replaced it with a question about citizenship, would that be racist?_____________________________________________________________________

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AndreL Kellyanne won't let no Wallace bully her!!!! 👍😃

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REPLY Julie Tunis Every one needs to fly old glory high and proud. Show them this is America

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REPLY D Mennis Ok then, tell the Democratic Leadership its a deal felons and criminals deported!

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REPLY jerome hempe Bit by bit they chew away at the Constitution.  That is NOT what we hired them to do.

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REPLY  hempe Pelosi as house leader again?  Never happen!

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REPLY Mark Ford Deport them all!!!!

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REPLY Karen Larason They can leave and go home any time,,,,, so no pity  they were uninvited

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REPLY BuckeyeColo If I start housing 100 additional people in my home, it would be a disaster, as well.

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REPLY Daniel Garnett

Chris Wallace is a sniveling worm.

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REPLY Best Ofthebest I think its all a giant false flag. Everyday there is a new scandal.. what are they doing that we dont know about?

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REPLY Frank YOU FEED THEM CRIS WALLACE !!!!!

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REPLY Norma Atara Trump 2020 form America President

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Eddie Monger The squad voted no for giving money for the very kids they cried about!

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REPLY Patricia Love Chris Wallace is a liar and a distorter of the news the truth

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REPLY PugZ Designs Chris Wallace sucks and should be on CNN!!!

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REPLY Will Susha

Lujan, a democrat leader, immediately went to the race card when he heard Trump say these leaders should  go back to where they come from and fix their countries. I don’t see anything racist with it. These know it all‘s, do nothing politicians should try to do something where they’re from. Maybe we wouldn’t have the problems we do now with those countries.

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Lynda Mackrous What did Congress promised the illegals.Hey sweet at Trump Tower three-course meals is that why they came and invaded the country just asking what were their expectations what were they told and who told them what

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REPLY Paul Rochner We have enough criminals in Washington, Don't need more from Mexico.

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Eddie Monger Juan, Pelosi said Trump want to  make America white again...lol!

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REPLY Bobbi Holcomb Why is an illegal give birth in our country given their child automatic citizenship. The loophole fixed would take care of separation problems. Check out other countries.

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REPLY Maggie Johnson research the crime rate, tax rates, public corruption in new Mexico.  Failed education system and courts that allow criminals to run rampant in new Mexico caused me to walk away from this failed state!  He needs to focus on his own state and quit acting like he has the answers!

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REPLY Lynda Mackrous What does Taxi vision have to do with the Russian conspiracy plot

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REPLY Eddie Monger Ben Ray body language make him look so insincere!

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REPLY arsenic milkshake wallace is such a subversive jewish goober

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REPLY Brian Malone Referring to yourself as a person of color is racist. If Trump said that people of color should go back to their countries, that would be racist, but he didn't .

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REPLY Sally Sheldon People encouraging People to Lie and be Deceitful to issue of Border Crossing illegally are therefore, LAWLESS or LAWBREAKERS! Just like people speeding over 55 miles per hour it gets you a SPEEDING TICKET!  Obey the Law!

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Samantha Souza Conway shouldn't mention Comb overs with the Boss she has 🙄

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REPLY Jeffrey Peck Hello people.  It’s been very obvious that the Illegal Invaders Are Not Just Going To leave on their own.   They need help.  Like what ice is doing.   Its called Force.

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REPLY Terry Hough Why does he never ask a follow up question? They don't actually answer just give talking points and then next question next talking point,, No follow up to get the truth

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Eugene Uhls Wallace iisa complete socialist so why is he denigrating  America

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REPLY AndreL YOU break the law: YOU are the one who instilled fear in YOUR family, Mr. Lujan!!!

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REPLY Penny Krier Law is the law!!

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REPLY orange tabby Get rid of Wallace he is useless

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REPLY Bleach Bit "The Squat Squad"... they HATE America to the core! Question:  If things are so bad in Ameria, what's stopping them from moving to some other country? Answer:  ... other countries don't want these 4 bums!!

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REPLY Susanne Fiore I just have to say this about separating children from parents.... If I break the law, and I have to go to jail,,, my children don't go with me, how come the Dems constantly pound the drum about separation???? These people, no matter how nice they are,, they are coming here illegally,, trying to sneak in, the consequences you risk facing at some point, is losing your freedom and separation from your children.

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Ramon Perez How they turn things around basically he's saying go back and fix your own cities and states if you can't fix your own City and State's how you going to fix the country

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RamHyderabadi Just unbelievable how several people are brain washed to believe it is OK to break the law. It does not matter which party you belong, illegal is Illegal period. When did Illegal become good?  Sane people in this country must come together and support deportation and protect borders.

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Eddie Monger What part of overcrowding is  no one hearing!

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E B And Chris Wallace could have added , but it is your party that has voted down the bills to help provide more money to help these people. But of course he just says thank you very much will talk to you again. and of course says nothing about how they vote.

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Imur Huckleberry #GETOUT!!

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M998 ITS LIES ALL LIES...  The ETIRE demoRAT Party is one Big LIE...The AMERICAN People do NOT Deserve This BETRAYAL.

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REPLY Julia Saba

You are a liar and I'm a Spanish Wam

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Whicket Williams this whole program is an attack on America

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REPLY Lynda Mackrous Democrats will never solve the problem using the same thinking that created them they had to move over and get you thinking. Democrats will never solve the problem using the same thinking that creating them they had to move over and get you thinkingI think Trump has a new thinking to solve the immigration problem

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REPLY Lynda Mackrous It’s not a racist thing why does he call it racist I agree they should go back home and fight for their homeland obviously United States is not their homeland it is the ancestors homeland

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REPLY M998 Chris Wallace is a Communist B^TCH.. He Interrupts when he Starts Hearing the TRUTH and doesn't get the answer he wants.

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REPLY Nelson S Iam very disappointed  in the following  up with the question about family being sought out by ice people with felony don't have family that will be disrupted  an scared  an they came to the boards from a journey walking  camping an think about the conditions of that for months what are you talking about an what kind of reporter are you an do you have common sense

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REPLY Rober Coto Demon-crat,  just want  to change the law in favor of there party, to try to win ,with iligal immigrants for power money and votes the house, it's a simple Q? Are you , or are you not a citizen of the US. Vote Trump and thank you ice, this dude does not let her speak  so rude and not a gentelman,

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REPLY Andrea Neibler Blaming Trump for decisions you make based on comments he makes is as ridiculous as when your parents would say "if your friends tell you to jump off a bridge, are you going to do that too?"  You are a member of Congress.  You should be taking a serious look at the situation and making ADULT decisions based on the facts before you.  If you can't do that, you shouldn't be in Congress.  That being said, what does that tell you about our Congress??  They CAN'T make adult decisions!!

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REPLY skipjack johnson I love lamp

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REPLY Lynda Mackrous The question is why can’t Parent take their children with them what stops him who stops that Trump is in separating the families the family separated the family they did it when they came across illegally

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REPLY Teresa Alaniz If these folks have crossed the border illegally,,,, then they are criminals and should be dealt with according to law. I'm a US citizen and I have to obey the laws or go to jail. The law is for every one, rich, poor, black, white, green, yellow, Hispanic, Asian or anyone else. You Demons must be taking some stupid pills!!!

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REPLY Jay Thomas Uhhh... Chris are they getting fed every day? Uhhh Chris if we let them out would they return home from being so ill treated. Uhhh Chris did they not label it a crisis months ago? Uhhh Chris if you weren't asking stupid questions you might get an answer. 🤔🤔😒😒😒

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REPLY Julia Saba Thank you kellyana for put Chris in his place idont like him he belong in Cnn

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REPLY Karen Larason there is a all out war for this country, and flooding us with illegals is a big part of it ,,,,  bye bye miss American pie  and dems are leading the band

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REPLY Lynda Mackrous Here is my worst left the pinion.They are here illegally their children born in the country families don’t need to be separated the parents can go to their home country and bring their kids with them this way the family stays together if parents are from a foreign country in the USA their children can go to their parents home country -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[tinymixtapes]

Column: Favorite Rap Mixtapes of August 2017

With a cascade of releases spewing from the likes of DatPiff, LiveMixtapes, Bandcamp, and SoundCloud, it can be difficult to keep up with the overbearing yet increasingly vital mixtape game. In this column, we aim to immerse ourselves in this hyper-prolific world and share our favorite releases each month. The focus will primarily be on rap mixtapes — loosely defined here as free (or sometimes free-to-stream) digital releases — but we’ll keep things loose enough to branch out if/when we feel it necessary. (Check out last month’s installment here.) --- YoungBoy Never Broke Again - AI YoungBoy [stream/download] There are a couple reasons that make me surprised that YoungBoy Never Broke Again (formerly NBA Youngboy) is only 17. First, he burst onto the national scene last year with a near fully-formed sense of melody and songcraft, the vanguard of a Baton Rouge youth movement with seemingly limitless potential. The other is that his life has aged him far beyond his years. The Baton Rouge set like guns, and not just for show; a recent New York Times profile reiterated the message underlying every co-sign from YoungBoy’s more-established peers: leave BR or perish. The comeback record after a prison stint is something of a rite of passage, and yet it’s impossible not to wonder how many more lie in YoungBoy’s future. If you’re looking for “real,” this is it: a promising young star racing against pre-fame charges and a time bomb of an environment that, as all that he’s known, is understandably difficult to abandon. –Corrigan B --- Deem Spencer - We Think We Alone [stream] Deem Spencer opened the final Yule Prog. At 22 years old, he might not realize how big of a deal that is. Shit, the world probably doesn’t realize how big of a deal that is. I may be the only person who thinks that’s a very big deal. But history will absolve me too, damn it! I digress. Deem Spencer proved he could rap his ass off with last year’s Sunflower, and his latest, We Think We Alone, is already something totally different. It’s the sound of a guard down, a garden, a gargantuan heart springing hope eternal. It’s really nice. –Samuel Diamond --- Wifisfuneral - Boy Who Cried Wolf [stream/download] Aesthetically, Wifisfuneral’s second record is standard Floridian fare — it wouldn’t even be a stretch to call it a composite of ideas that have emerged from the peninsula’s SoundCloud scene as of late, scampering across bars at Ski Mask the Slump God’s jawless clip, paving his way with Cris Dinero’s plosive kicks and a menacing presence more akin to a horror flick’s titular spiritual entity than a typical trap-villain. Boy Who Cried Wolf’s a conservative follow-up to the January release of When Hell Falls, an introspective dip into wonky boom-bap production, the sort that populated Pusha T’s King Push prelude, only more dreary and droned-out. This time around, Wifi’s brought bangers by the bushel, immolating synth bells with hypnotically-present bass while nimbly stuffing these brief beats full of triplet flows and the distinctive voices of his featured friends: 458 Keez’s bratty resemblance to Lil Wayne, Danny Towers’s impossibly deep snarl, and CHXPO’s slurred near-giggle, (my personal favorite contribution). This is Wifi’s last nuanced tape to date, but it’s also his most replayable. Even when the 20-year-old emcee’s borrowing sauce, he makes it his own: not many Soundcloud rappers can boast his balance between technical proficiency, artistic merit, and (most importantly?) headbang-inducing aggression. –Jude Noel --- Eli Sostre - Sleep is For The Week [stream/download] Putting together a mixtape of Billboard-quality pop rap in the OVOXO vein is risky these days, considering how many Drake soundalikes have seen their clout evaporate shortly after entering the scene. But Eli Sostre’s lightly-melodyned vocals pose way more of a risk to the competition. His songs are self-serious but not overly self-aware, confident but not mired in cliché. Hailing from the Empire State, he channels a double-cupping club vibe more suitable farther south, but takes heavy visual cues from Basquiat, The Culture’s adopted fallen angel and street spirit of a dead-and-buried NYC. Sostre has a radio-worthy voice, strongest on “New Addy” and “Someone Like You,” that’s complemented well by Soriano’s woozy, vaporous productions. Sleep is For The Week is a great collection of songs to snuggle into. –Ross Devlin --- Lil B - Black Ken [stream/download] Black Ken is the most divisive Lil B mixtape yet, which is odd, considering that its most accessible release, swinging between G-funk and horn-/key-driven P-Funk throwback with chilled hyphy sprinkles. While the latter can be heard on the iLoveMakonnen-featuring “Global,” songs like “Free Life” showcase Lil B’s evolution into tight, spaced-out production, with a flow not unlike “The Super Bowl Shuffle” played straight. Club-banger Lil B is present on “Getting Hot” and “Turn up (Till You Can’t),” playing more like singularly twisted versions of “the hits” than bids for mainstream attention. Did I mention that Lil B produced every track on the tape? (As he puts it on “The Real Is Back,” “BasedGod on the beats/ It’s 100% me/ Put my life in this rap.”) Despite its alienating potential, Black Ken, in the end, triumphs as an amalgamation of his past and a sampling of a possible future, and it’s one that would appear to be both expansive and impressive. –Emceegreg --- Gunplay - The Fix Tape [stream] Never one to be sullied or bogged down by rap label politics, Gunplay’s quiet tear across 2017 continues with The Fix Tape. True to form, anthemic trap abounds (“All flake and no shake, shake, shake…”), but the clincher here is an ability to slide through styles — see the G-funk bounce of “Where It At” or the classicist bent of “Hot Plate” and “Patience 2.0” — without compromising on the delivery and storytelling parlance that bought ears to him in the first place. This one’s sharp, polished, and remarkably poised; if Gunplay traded in the incendiary streak that gave us the likes of Bogota Rich: The Prequel, then he got a newfound sense of evenness and quality control in return. –Soe Jherwood --- Skye Verbs - Soul Food Eye Candy [stream] A few weeks back, I visited one of my favorite haunts for a curry burger and vermouth after a rewarding but tedious week of pulling artistic potential out of a bunch of squirmy middle schoolers. I floated in, grabbed a stool, paint under my nails, draped in a floral pullover sweater. Bartender, dripping with neck tattoos, looks me down, recognizes my face, offers: “I love that top, sweetie.” It was a bizarre, yet empowering moment; I don’t often get compliments on my appearance, so when I do, it’s uniquely affirming. Soul Food Eye Candy is rapper/singer Skye Verbs’s attempt at discussing inclusive values through neo-R&B and soul. There are a lot of platitudes here about who deserves who, but what she ultimately advocates is that good people deserve it all. And after a long day, it’s nice that I can throw this on, bob my head, and remember that still frame in which my value was affirmed by a wink. Check this out, know you’re worth it, and tip your wait staff extra when they make you feel it. –Jackson Scott --- Lil Tracy - Life of a Popstar [stream/download] Lil Tracy is the son of Digable Planets’ Butterfly and SWV’s Coko, a fact that almost assuredly means nothing to the majority of his fanbase. That’s OK. Of more immediate relevance is his association with Lil Peep, one of the SoundCloud era’s two or three biggest breakouts. Together with the rest of GothBoiClique, they’re the most straightforward example of the emo/rap analogy that has dominated the discourse surrounding rap’s youngest stars. For listeners who came of age at any time but the present, some degree of initial resistance is understandable; it’s been fascinating to watch the critic class balance a play count-mandated obligation to pay attention with the inability to form a personal connection with the music itself. At present, there’s no vision of rap’s future that excludes these kids; the ever-shortening generation gap aside, refusing to engage with a bona fide movement seeks to set the genre’s current conventions in stone. It’s already far too late for that, and yet rap’s hegemony over pop forms is just getting started. –Corrigan B --- Byou - I’m Gone [stream] The stylistic outlier of Lil Yachty’s “Sailing Team” collective happens to be the crew’s most consistently exciting contributor. Atlanta’s Byou boasts an unhinged vocal delivery, a knack for hook-writing, and a sense of doggerel humor that’s often laugh-out-loud humor. Although, sonically, his previous output hasn’t strayed far from his maritime mates’ bubblegum trap production, his longest effort to date — titled I’m Gone — revels in its own versatility. “Superstar” dabbles in bossa nova, “Money” throws back to the brass-laden hedonism of OJ Da Juiceman’s peak, and standout track “JK Rowling” pairs a twangy shuffle with one of the best choruses I’ve heard all year: “Smokin’ on that Harry Potter/ JK, rollin’ up.” It’s not one of more polished projects I’ve heard lately, but I’m Gone has charm for days. It’ll win you over if you let it. –Jude Noel --- Hotel - Have You Ever Tasted Hell Fire [stream] Hotel caught a lot of attention earlier this year when Mass Appeal posted his track “Hellbound.” Complete with illegible black metal script and a broken-in black metal denim jacket, with hot blood spurting from between his fronts and a black gun (I don’t know shit about guns. This is the best I got.), his latest mixtape Have You Tasted Hell Fire continues to document Hotel’s journey through a grim world. Maybe Hotel realizes what metal kids have known all along: that Satan has all the fun, that the baddest people throw the coolest parties, that embracing darkness and nihilism can be as equal parts kitschy and liberating as Kenny G saxing it up on an airplane. The tape is very short, with scorched, lo-fi samples and high-key energy that begs to be heard live. His voice is labored like a werewolf. “Four Rings” and “Gone” are pitch-perfect Piss Christ exhibitionism. He just finished a tour of the South, so you might be able to catch him before the hellfire swallows him up. –Ross Devlin --- Purple Dialect - Campfire EP [stream/download] Purple Dialect paid for his name in burnt hairs, the moniker coming to him in a shamanic vision he experienced while being electrocuted by his SP-404. At least, that’s what I gather from all this. He has bionic limbs and shoots rainbows from his eyes and raps “I’m in a folding chair, I’m eating graham crackers/ I’m in the woods, I’m a literal backpacker” in his latest video. This could all be dismissed as cheap gimmickry if Purp D weren’t so skilled on both the mic and the pads. “Take this L chief, peace cos I don’t even battle/ I just make dope beats over which I casually babble,” he says on “Tent Light,” as if it were so simple anyone could do it, as if this were a folk tradition. And it is. And a Pennsylvanian with robot arms is carrying it onward. –Samuel Diamond http://j.mp/2vGWK1m

[ayosugababy]

Hi!~ Your blog is amazing just like you are! 😍 I hope that you’re doing well because you deserve all the love and happiness in this world. WELCOME BACK!! I would love to request a written ship with BTS, please?

I’m 5'7, an ENFJ, scorpio, have a long black hair, dark eyes, fair skin, oval face & chubby cheeks. I’m the eldest of four, making me reliable & a good leader. I’m very caring, affectionate, kind and strong both physically & mentally. I get competitive & fearless sometimes. I’m a good listener so as a good adviser. I have so much love to share with everyone, especially my family & people I care. I just love others and always wish them well. Everyone can be my friends! I do things fast, walk fast, work fast, speak fast but I always think through it before act. I’m very sensitive to the feeling of my close ones. If I love, they will have all of me and my support. I’ll treat them like they are special as they deserve and they can trust me that they’d be the only one. I’ll fill what they lack and I’ll cut down what that’s too much. If they’re ‘yes’, they’ll always be my ‘yes’. I’m good with children, they make me super happy! 😍. I can cook too. My friends say I’m persuasive, funny, very friendly and very warm. I’m good with words and always want to be there for my friends. I LIKE flowers, animals, coffee ☕️ & LOVE cuddling, skinship and watching movie (horror movies are my fav). I enjoy amusement park & advanturous things. I really like stars gazing and going for a walk at night. Listening to music is things. I love the sound of piano the most. I’m perfectionist. I don’t really like changes. I hate heat & worst with directions. I’m always there for my siblings. Smile’s always on my face & I hope everyone can smile, too. I like someone who is firm both with his actions and his words. The one who keeps his promise and doesn’t lie brcause I’d trust him and only him whole heartly. I’m indecisive and not good with change. So, it’s ok if he’s not the strongest but can give me a sense of steadiness and security. I’m ok with not seeing him everyday but if something happen, I hope he’ll stand beside me. Someone that I know he’ll always be there. I’m not the type to open my worries to others fast and likely to say it’s fine. In fact, I just need someone who will face me and tell me to be honest with him. I prefer those who have my picture in their phone/ wallet proudly over those who have a lot of money. Money can be earned. I want someone who work hard and know about saving. It’d be great if he’s family-oriented and loves his family. If I love someone, I love his family too.

Thank you so much and take your time. If you want anything shorter, just message me. I’ll work on it. Thank you again! Hwaiting ♥ I’m supporting you~ 😬 I hope you have a lovely day filled with smiles and love.❤️❤️❤️

*You are incredibly kind and this made me smile so much! Thank you so much for enjoying my blog and being here for my new one! You’re the greatest!♥♥♥♥*

I Ship You With…

… Kim Namjoon!

Hey girl! I would like to do your ship a bit differently if you don’t mind! You’ve been with me and my blog for sometime so I want to change it up a bit for a special follower~ The minute i finished reading through your submission I thought of our amazing leader Namjoon. The ideal guy you described fits him to a T in my opinion and you guys would just be a match made in heaven. You both have that initiative leader streak in you and no matter what, are always there when your loved ones need you the most. Everything Namjoon does is for the boys and when you two are together, he would but the same kind of effort into the relationship. Yeah he may be busy a lot but you’re always going to be the person he drops everything for when you need his support. Your relationship would be the ultimate example of a ‘give and receive’ interaction. You gave him the same level of support he gave you, you would be understanding of his struggles and stress because you know just how badly he wants to make things right for not only the rest of BTS but for ARMY. Those nights when he comes back home completely exhausted, you make sure everything at home is prepared so he can just relax and rest it off. He is the same way with you every time you just need a break. The conversations would be endless, the pillow talk would be dangerously sweet, and this man’s love would completely overwhelm you but you’d be okay with that because you love him back all the same. Namjoon would probably be the first to bring up kids, assuring you that if you guys did decided to have a baby, he would be 100% dedicated to you and the family no matter what. The boys would be all for it of course, excited to be uncles and you loved the idea of you, Namjoon, and the boys being one big happy family. No matter how tough things may get, you would know that everything would be okay as long as Namjoon was around. Generally, you guys would fit hand in hand with one another and trust me, the skinship would be all the time! 

*I hope you liked your ship and if you didn’t like the different way I did it, please just tell me! I hope your day is filled with love and happiness ♥ @channynipa *

How You Two Meet?:

I think you and Namjoon would meet during at night at the local state fair! You would be there with your younger siblings and he would be there with the boys. You would join your siblings on one of those water gun race games where you shoot to fill up a balloon and the winner is the one who pops their balloon first! Namjoon and the boys would also be playing that game and as you sit next to the leader, you two engage in silent, friendly competition. He would win overall and everyone would smile, laughing from the fun they had even though they weren’t the winner. As you go to follow your siblings to the next attraction, you’d feel a tap on your shoulder, Namjoon standing behind you with his dimpled smile as he held a large Ryan the bear plush. He’d hold it out to you and even though you tell him that he won it fair and square, he’d insist. With a blush, you’d accept it, thanking him. He issues a ‘you’re welcome’ but before more could be said, his boys are calling him over. You’d turn your attention back to your siblings, going on to play more games. All through the night, you and Namjoon would catch glimpses of each other but would never get the chance to talk more. As the fair comes to an end for the night, you and your siblings follow the large crowd towards the exit. You can’t help but look around to see if Namjoon is around, a frown filling your face as you catch no sight of him. Then you’d feel a tap on your shoulder like earlier, your body turning around to see him behind you. He’d formally introduce himself and ask for your number which you would happily give.

Courtship and First Date?:

Your courtship would be nice and slow which you wouldn’t mind because I don’t think you would like the idea of rushing a relationship. You guys would form a friendship at first even though there was evident attraction. He would always make sure you slept well and that you ate, of course you returning the care. Namjoon would always let you know in advance if he would be busy on a certain day but even still, he found time to message you when he was working. There would be meet ups but he was waiting for the right time to ask you out on a first date. When he finally does ask you out on a first date, it would be to the same place you guys first met.The first place you guys would hit up was obviously the water gun races for, as he called it , ‘a real race this time around’. This time you would win, laughing as you do a tiny victory dance before claiming your award. This time you would present it to Namjoon, just like he did to you the first day you guys met. He’d flash you that adorable smile and accept it, leaning over to place a kiss on your forehead. You guys would walk around, each of you pulling the other to different rides and attractions. 

Overall Relationship?:

Your overall relationship with Namjoon would be the epitome of a supportive relationship. Like I wrote before, you guys understood each other on such a spiritual level because you guys endured the same responsibilities in life. You guys are natural leaders and care takers so it feels good to have someone take care of you. You would be completely understanding of his job and that it kept him busy frequently and in return, he would try his best to always be there when you needed, even if it meant dropping everything to be there for you. 

*ah, I hope you like this!!☻♥ @channynipa *

[jackwantstoseizethedavey]

Math is Fun

So, this was born out of the desire to explore what Crutchie would enjoy from school, while still staying within cannon verse. And who better to help out than Les. This 100% self indulgent, so I hope you guys enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing this.

Crutchie/Les- Friendship

Jack/Les- Friendship

Jack/Crutchie-Friendship

Crutchie/Dave- Friendship

Jack/Davey- Pre-Slash

Bonding YAY!!!

Les and Davey come by the lodging house some (most) afternoons once school gets out, and depending on how Jack's day is going, they'll stay there for a while and then either head back to the Jacobs’s apartment or get up to something with the other boys.

While they’re there, Davey usually makes Les do at least part, if not all, of his school work, to get it out of the way.

It’s hard to do when everyone else is having fun, like they usually are, and it's almost impossible to do when Boots and Tumbler are playing marbles.

Les is trying to concentrate. He really is, but it looks like Tumbler is actually going to win this one, and it's not like usual, where Skittery will stand over the boys until Boots or whoever else is playing, catches on and throws a game or two to be nice.

Les has started to throw the first or second game everytime he plays with Tumbler, just to make sure Skittery doesn’t come over and do that thing with his face. Mother says it's good that Les does that, that it's nice to make sure Tumbler doesn’t feel left out by never winning. Which he guesses is a good enough reason.

But today he has a math assignment, that MUST be done today. On Saturday night, some of the boys are coming over to the apartment for dinner. And he got permission to invite both Tumbler and Boots and he really wants to show them how to play the family board game. And neither of them have ever had matzah ball soup, and that just cannot stand. And it's going to be soooo much fun, he can hardly stay still thinking about. But he manages when Davey glances over and give him The Look.

His parents made it absolutely clear that he can’t cause any trouble leading up to Saturday, and that means especially, that he can’t put off doing any of his homework, and if Les can't show that he finished his everything, then they’ll have to cancel. He doesn’t think he could stomach telling his friends why the plans were cancelled if it came to that.

Looking back at his math book, he wishes someone would do it for him, but he's too old now to get Davey or Sarah to do it for him, they stopped falling for it a while back.

And since Davey’s out of the question that means he wouldn't be able to talk Jack into it, where they sitting together reading something out of a book.

Trying to figure out a way to not have to do this, he attempts to think of anyone else who might believe him. Race might fall for it, but he hasn't come back yet, and while Mush is so nice, he would ask Davey first if he's supposed to help, which wouldn't work.

He thinks about asking Blink for a second, but he's sitting over with Skittery and they both look serious and he doesn't want both to have them both looking at him like that.

Once he gets towards the end of his list, he has to acknowledge that everyone else is either someone he doesn’t want to talk to, or they're not here at the moment. Which really is just plan awful.

Just when he starts to thinks hes actually is going to have to do his assignment himself, he hears his savior making his way up the stairs with his crutch clicking on every other step.

He tries not to stare Crutchie down as he makes his way across the floor, greeting everyone and stopping to chat with Jack for a minute before going to his bed to prop his leg up on a pillow.

Crutchie is perfect, he would be willing to help and he wouldn't ask Davey first, because he hates it when people try to talk to Jack first before helping him with anything. And he’s been selling papes for just as long as anyone else, so he has to know numbers.

So while everyone is distracted by Tumbler running around celebrating his spectacular victory, Les gathers his book and papers and casually strolls over to Crutchie’s bed, trying to make sure no one is paying too much attention to what he’s doing.

Crutchie looks tired, but he greets Les with a big smile like always and pats the empty part of his bed for Les to sit down.

“How's it going kid?” He says as he shifts to give Les a little more room and get more comfortable.

Les and Jack had practiced expressions for a week, until Les could look the right amount of pathetic to whoever he was trying to sell too. And Les had kept up on practicing in the mirror, even though they hardly sell anymore, because it was a useful skill, you never knew when it would be handy, like now for example.

Trying to make sure his face looks the right amount of sad, and making sure his sigh was big but not silly, he looked at his papers and said,

“….it’s fine,” fiddling with the book on his lap.

“Hey! What’s wrong kiddo?” Crutchie sounds curious and touches his arm, which Les takes to mean that he's concerned, just like he planned.

“Huh? It’s nothing really…” He can’t seem too eager or this will never work.

“Oh come on kid,” Crutchie says as he starts to poke Les in the side, “you can tell you old buddy Crutchie what’s wrong.”

Les can’t help but feel proud of himself, that is exactly what he wanted to happen. He feels smug, because apparently he isn’t just being a big ham, no matter what Sarah tried to tell him the other day.

Now to go in for the kill.

“I’m having trouble with my math homework.” The smile that he gives Les, has him concerned for a second, until he says,

“Hey, will that ain’t so bad, all math is, is just numbers right? How about I help you take a look at it, huh?”

“Really!? Thanks!” Crutchie really is the best, Les thinks to himself as he gets his stuff out.

----

He knew that Les could do the work himself, he was a bright kid, and that face he had been giving him was straight out of the “make a sucker buy a pape” handbook. But his leg had been hurting all day, and doing Les’s homework would be a good distraction, and really the kid deserved a break every once and in a while.

Davey was a great fella, but he could be kind of strict with Les. And so, while Crutchie knew the kid was trying to play him, he was going along with it anyways.

Les moved so he was sitting shoulder to shoulder with him at the top of the bed, and then carefully opened his book across both of their laps.

Looking at the assignment, Crutchie��s first thought was that he wasn’t used to dealing in so many numbers at once, but as Les explained what the point was, it ended up making a good deal of sense.

Crutchie always had a good head for numbers, was the go to guy to make sure everyone’s counts were right, and that they weren’t missing anything at the end of the day.

He was trusted, the guys knew he wouldn’t take advantage of the fact that they didn’t know a lot, and he prided himself by doing right by anyone who came to him. Crutchie was definitely the only one who knew what most of the guys had set aside to a rainy day.

Going through the question, he didn’t even realize he was stopped pretending that they were doing the work together until he was almost done, and they were interrupted by someone clearing their throat.

“What are you guys doing?”

Crutchie could feel his face flushing, he thought they would have plenty of time to finish before Jack and Davey wandered over to see what was going on.

With both of them taking in the scene, it wasn’t hard to figure out just what was going on. Les was doodling on pape that had been left lying around, and now looked lost and nervous, and it was obvious that he hadn’t been paying attention to what Crutchie was doing.

Taking the book and paper off of their laps, Davey looked over the work. Jack keeps looking between the three of them, not really sure what he’s supposed to say, but he keeps giving Crutchie a wide-eyed stare, because Davey was completely silent.

Having reviewed everything on the page, Davey almost feels like kicking himself when he sees that Crutchie got all the questions right, which really makes him feel like a heel. Trying to keep his face from flushing, because it’s not like anyone can tell what he’s thinking, he tries to get back to the main issue here. As odd as it may be, being mad has always helped him focus.

“Les, you know you shouldn’t have done this, you know better.” The frustration is his tone is clear to anyone listening.

And Les looks every bit his young age at the moment, like he’s expecting to get in trouble. Which sure, he probably ought to, but that doesn’t mean Crutchie is going to let the kid get lectured to kingdom come.

“Cut him a break Davey, he’s just a little kid, I offered to help him, so I don’t see what the problem is.”

Davey’s indignant face is pretty funny, and it takes a lot of effort not to start smiling.

“It’s his work and it's not right to make you do it.” Les was raised better than that.

Not wanting Les to be in the middle of what looks like it might turn into a full blown argument between the two hotheads. Jack interrupts before they can really get going and tells Les to go sit with the other boys. As he slinks away, Les looks over his shoulder and gives Crutchie a sad nervous look, which Crutchie returns with a reassuring smile. He’s not too worried, he had faced much more angry people than Davey.

“Yeah, that’s true, it was his work, but he’s just a kid Davey, let him have this one”.

“He’s a kid, sure. But, how is he going to learn anything if he just gets to have other people do things for him.” He had thought Les had outgrown that a couple of years ago.

“If it happens again you can get mad all you want, but come on Dave, let's just drop it this time. I promise next time i’ll make sure i just help him, not do it for him”. Crutchie looked intently at Davey and tried to remind him about just what would get messed up if Les got into trouble. Which by a stroke of luck, Boots’s voice rose above everyone else’s as he yelled at Blink to give his hat back.

He could see Davey considering with whether or not to go along with it.

Davey really wanted take the paper and make Les sit and do it again. But they’d have to be home for dinner soon and when they got there the first thing his mother was going to ask was whether or not Les’s homework was done and if he had been good that day.

And really, he didn’t want to explain this to his parents, because then they’d have to cancel having everyone over on the weekend. He was really wishing that he and Jack had sat and talked for a few more minutes before coming over here, then he wouldn’t have to deal with this.

Thinking about it, Davey was upset with Les, sure, but he knew Tumbler and Boots had been excited all week to get invited over to their home. Tumbler had been asking all the guys to tell him what it was like to be in a house, and what he would be expected to do. And Boots had been such a trooper and was giving him a run down every night about what he remember from when he was younger.

Crutchie could see Davey’s resolve was crumbling, but what sealed the deal was Jack leaning over to whisper into his ear. As soon as that happened, Davey got that wide-eyed distracted look that meant he wasn’t thinking about what they were just discussing. Pulling back Jack gave Davey a smile that made Crutchie feel like he was intruding on a moment, even though they were the ones that came over to him.

Returning the smile for a long second before glancing around and seeming to remember that they were not the only people in the room, Davey distractedly continued,

“I guess it’s fine this time, but you have to promise this was a one time thing.”

Catching the wink from Jack, he did his best to keep his face serious.

“Yeah, yeah, I promise. And honestly Dave I didn’t mind it at all, those math things were kind of fun.” And really it had been, it was nice to see numbers that weren’t only coins and papes.

“Fun?” Raising an eyebrow Davey looked over at Jack who just shrugged.

“Yean, fun.” Davey was looking at him with a weird expression, but Crutchie just chalked it up to him still being distracted by what ever Jack had been saying.

Breaking the silence, Jacked nudged Davey and asked Crutchie,

“So, it’s getting late, you going to come with us to have dinner? Mrs. Jacobs was planning on making cabbage tonight.”

“Not tonight, I’m just going to relax and call it in early,” Now that he didn’t have a distraction, he was really feeling his long day, he had had to walk and walk and walk, which usually wasn’t a problem, well not much of a problem, but with the weather cooling down, it had caused his leg to ache, almost without stop.

“Are you sure? Do you want me to bring you something to eat?”

Crutchie always appreciated that Jack never straight out asked if his leg was hurting, but tried to check on him without being overbearing.

“It’s okay, I’ll just go downstairs with the other guys. You fellas go on ahead and I’ll see you later, give my regards to everyone, okay?”

“Okay, well, see you later.” Davey still had a look of consternation on his face, as he turned to go get Les, while Jack hung back for an extra minute.

Les had been staring intently from where he was standing with the other boys, pretending to listen to what Specs was saying. Crutchie  and Jack both gave him smiles and he finally allowed himself to relax his shoulders when Davey went to tell him that they were heading home.

Before going to join the Jacobs boys, Jack ruffled Crutchie’s hair and told him,

“Good looking out for the kid. You rest up and I’ll see you tonight okay?”

“Sure Jack, and thank you making sure Dave calmed down.” He didn’t need Jack’s butting in, but it had been helpful.

“Eh, it ain’t so hard to do.” Jack had a smile on his face as he watched Davey handed the homework  and book back to Les and told him to collect all his stuff.

Crutchie liked that smile, knowing each other so well over the years, it was always nice to see someone who could pull such a genuine expression from the guy. It was nice to know that Jack was in good hands even when Crutchie couldn’t be there, it eased that tension he always got when Jack would go off without him.

And seeing Jack be a sap was always, entertaining, when Jack looked back, Crutchie widened his smile to keep himself from rolling his eyes at the big dope. Which caused Jack to scowl at him, because apparently that expression was fooling no one.

Saying their goodbyes, Jack followed the other two out of the door, and Crutchie let himself lean back into his pillow to rest for a few minutes before dinner.

---

Two weeks later.

Davey made his way over together to where Crutchie was re-lacing one of his shoes, with a new, well, new to him, piece of twine guys had found.

Looking up, Crutchie asks him, “What’s on your mind Davey?” He was shifting from side to side, like he wasn’t sure what he was doing, which Crutchie was pretty sure he hadn’t seen him do for quite a while.

“I got something for you.”

Looking back down to make sure he was pulling the twine through the right hole, he tried to figure out the best response. It wasn’t uncommon for the boys to come by with things for him, Mrs. Jacobs liked to send food fairly often. And she was such a genuinely kind person, that is never felt like pity or charity, the way it did with most other people. But typically those instances didn’t start off with an awkward Davey.

“Okay….what do you have?” It was probably best to get to the point in this case.

“Here”

The book slips out of Davey’s fingers faster than he was obviously trying to, and when it lands in Crutchie’s lap, a small cloud of dust rises from the old pages.

Davey’s face is red, and before Crutchie can tell him he doesn’t need to apologize, he starts sneezing. Taking the piece of old shirt he used as a handkerchief, Crutchie wipes at his face before looking down at the book.

“Why are you giving me math book?” He asks as he opens the book and starts to flip through the yellowing pages.

“Umm...well...you see. I-I wasthinking…” Crutchie couldn’t help but feel for the guy.

“Why don’t you sit on down and start again?”

Davey plops down next to him with a big sigh, which Crutchie pretends not to hear, and then he starts again, thankfully more slowly.

“Umm, I thought you might like to see some of the math problems that we see at school. You had, umm, you had said that helping Les out with his math had been fun. And our neighbor had this old book that they were getting rid of, and I figured that you could look at it if you want, and uh...yeah.”

“You remembered that?” That was practically a lifetime ago, had Davey really been thinking about that since then?

“Yeah, of course I did, that’s what friends do right?........But, if you, uh if you don’t want it, you don’t have to take it. You don’t need to feel obliga-”

Hey! Hey, hold on a second” He needed to explain before Davey really got going. “Of course that what friends do. I really appreciate it, i just kinda forgot about it. But really this is great Davey, are you sure you don’t need this book though?” This was a great book, it looked like it had so much stuff in it.

He wasn’t sure how he was going to learn it all, but if he got to keep the book, he was damn sure going to figure it all out. He wasn’t sure why someone would give up a perfectly good book, but who was he to point out someone else’s mistake.

“I’m sure, I already have one myself, and uh, if you have any questions about it, you can ask me.” Davey couldn’t be sure if that was the best way to offer, he didn’t want to insult Crutchie, but if the smile on Crutchie’s face was anything to go off of, the offer got across just fine.

“Sure Davey! That would be great. Do you think we could look at some now?” He didn’t have any paper, but the pencil in his pocket and the margins should be good enough.

“Yeah, of course, um, lets see, where do you want to start?”

When Jack found the two about an hour later, he had to stand back and take a moment to appreciate that his two best friends were getting along just as well as he had been hoping they would. Deciding that they could wait another little while before pulling them away to go get dinner, Jack turned back around and went to see what the other guys were up to.

[flauntpage]

Why Do We Care About Rat-Faced Colin Cowherd?

Last night the 76ers captured their 40th win of the 2017-2018 season, catapulted themselves into the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race, and years of losing melted away as the franchise seemingly positioned itself to be a serious contender for the next several years.

It’s an apex moment for a franchise that has toiled through The Process (which 100% worked) and years of mediocre shit, so why was social media abuzz last night about hobgoblin Colin Cowherd, purveyor of horrendous sports talk radio and known troll of all that is good and pure about sports?

Cowherd decided to welch on a bet he made he with a random 76ers fan at the beginning of the season when he said there was no chance this team would win 40 games. Cowherd promised he would wear a 76ers jersey on air if the team reached that mark, and after they did he immediately decided to needle the city of Philadelphia.

Looking everywhere in LA for Sixers jersey. Can’t find one. So frustrating. Really wanted to pay off the bet. Well, maybe next time.

— Colin Cowherd (@ColinCowherd) March 22, 2018

Did we really expect him to stay true to his word? Why the outrage? He’s a rat-faced goon, firmly entrenched in the Skip Bayless sports talk camp of “outrageous takes” with little to no time for facts or precious “logic.”

On a simply primal level, just look at his face. Is a guy with that face, one that is so eminently punchable, going to pay up on any bet? Of course not. He just looks like a weasel. You take one look at him and you’re filled with white-hot rage, even if you have no idea who he is. I’d wager at least three to four random strangers take a swing at him on the streets every day. He has that look about him that BEGS to be sucker punched. No judge in the world would convict you if you did it, so please swing away the next time you see him (please don’t).

He looks like the guy in every zombie movie who is too much of a coward to tell his group that he was bit, hiding his fate from the others survivors until he finally turns in the third act and wreaks havoc on those who risked their lives to protect him.

If he were your friend he’d be the one that you don’t really like anymore because he did something to turn the friendship toxic years ago, and you really can’t stand the sight of him, and you shudder every time he asks to hang out, but you’d keep the friendship alive despite every fiber of your being telling you to cast him off and be done with him. You keep up the charade for years despite your best judgement, until one day you find out that he’s been talking shit about you to the other friends in your group and was the one who ran over and killed your dog on the Fourth of July last year.

Cowherd is that piece of trash. And he probably smells (I have no proof, but we can safely assume that’s true).

So did we all just brush him off as the loser he is? Frankly, I’d rather not even see a 76ers jersey within miles of him, lest he get the stink of his dirty, black soul all over it.  So did we just write it off as a win for the city and put Cowherd back in the garbage where he belongs?

Of course not. We went APE SHIT on social media. Even beloved Joel Embiid had to take a swing and delightfully put Cowherd in his place on Twitter…

COLIN COWARD…. Coach deserves a lot of credit #40wins #TheProcess pic.twitter.com/HDFUdh3mKE

— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) March 22, 2018

…and again on Instagram.

It was the same picture, the same message, but the location he tagged in the photo was “Coward’s Farm,” (a real farm somewhere in Massachusetts). Nice touch, Mr. Embiid.

Others had less clever messages:

Colin Cowherd might as well be a meteorologist since he’s so wrong all the time.

— Nicki SUPER BOWL MVP Foles (@TJHOshie) March 22, 2018

Hey @ColinCowherd how about them Sixers haha pic.twitter.com/zRbipS5Kzk

— Rocco (@BPORTPA) March 22, 2018

Just a reminder @ColinCowherd

pic.twitter.com/zF030hJtYn

— mike (@michaelfazel) March 22, 2018

Well, Well, Well look who WON 40…@ColinCowherd #HereTheyCome pic.twitter.com/SmcdHTnQSv

— Dustin Brownawell (@DBrownawell) March 22, 2018

@ColinCowherd you better put that jersey on today or you’ll be a bigger fraud than Manti T’eo’s girlfriend

— Dom Cerruti (@DomCerruti) March 22, 2018

Your track record of predictions pic.twitter.com/trXbm8DI6D

— Joseph Alexandrino (@jchurbock) March 22, 2018

I’d love to see @ColinCowherd eat his words about the @Sixers on @TheHerd, but I can’t stand the look of him nor do I want to give his ratings a boost

— Chris O'Grady (@CdotOG) March 22, 2018

Sorry @ColinCowherd, we already had one made up for you. It captures your true essence. Where should we send it? pic.twitter.com/GNRQEDpel3

— CogginToboggan (@CogginToboggan) March 22, 2018

Even I fell into the trap of giving this no-talent muckraker the attention he so clearly desires.  We all fell for it. IT’S WHAT THE BRIDGE TROLL WANTS, PEOPLE.

He’ll continue to do his awful radio show, he’ll continue to make outrageous claims, he’ll continue to poke the drunken bear that is the Philadelphia sports community, because it’s the only way he knows how to get attention (and we give it to him).

He’s like the uninteresting, dull kid in high school who wore shorts and a t-shirt to school every day in the winter despite it being 10 degrees outside. It’s not a great gimmick, it’s pretty stupid when you think about it, but it got people talking about him. That’s Cowherd in a nutshell. He has no talent, but he is the loser that wears shorts in a snowstorm.

Just bray loud enough into a microphone, wear shorts in the winter, and people will begrudgingly listen to you. They’ll hate your guts, but they’ll listen.

So fuck him. Enough with Cowherd and his dumb show. Let’s kick him to the curb, Philadelphia, and never look back. We’ll be so much happier if he just disappears into the ether.

Or someone can run him down with one of the Eagles Super Bowl floats if he ever steps foot in the city again. Whatever works best.

  Why Do We Care About Rat-Faced Colin Cowherd? published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 3rd March 2019

This is a surprisingly chill week for after the BRIT Awards (which I commented on in real time on Twitter @cactusinthebank if you want to check that out), but there is some movement related to the ceremony so let’s just get through this.

Top 10

We have a new #1 this week, that’s right, for its first week ever, some lame Lewis Capaldi song I heard once called “Someone You Loved” is up two spots to the top spot on the UK Top 40... you can tell the charts are pretty dry right now but honestly I can’t complain that much, it’s less work for me every week. This is obviously Capaldi’s first #1, as he’s a new artist.

“Giant” by Calvin Harris and Rag ‘n’ Bone Man is also up two spots to number-two, thanks to a BRITs performance with Sam Smith and Dua Lipa.

This means that Ariana Grande had a few fallers this week, “break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored” being first, down a spot to number-three.

I’m surprised “7 rings”, also by Ariana Grande, is only down three spots to number-four.

“Don’t Call Me Up” by Mabel is still steady at number-five.

Sam Smith and Normani’s “Dancing with a Stranger” is also staying still at number-six.

“Options” by NSG featuring Tion Wayne is up two positions to number-seven. That’s cool, it’s a good song, I guess.

“Walk Me Home” by P!nk is our sole new arrival in the top 10, debuting at number-eight this week after its live premiere at the BRITs with Dan from Bastille (Because, sure, why not?) and becoming P!nk’s 43rd Top 40 hit and 21st Top 10 hit. Those numbers are crazy, and she definitely deserves to have won the Outstanding Contribution to British Music Award as well as a place on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, even if for personality alone. We’ll talk more about the song later.

Oh, and “bury a friend” by Billie Eilish down a space to number-nine.

Finally, thanks to the album and BRITs win, “Just You and I” by Tom Walker is up nine spaces to #10. Blech.

Climbers

Thanks to the massive hype behind Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper due to the Oscars performance, the current US #1 has also increased greatly, up 10 spaces to #11 this week and potentially gaining more next week and re-entering the Top 10. Otherwise, “Talk” by Khalid with Disclosure is up seven spaces to #13, “Thotiana” by Blueface rides the meme and remix wave up eight spots to #15 (His first top 20), “i’m so tired...” by LAUV and Troye Sivan has a five-space increase to #17, entering the top 20, becoming LAUV’s first and Troye Sivan’s second top 20 hit in the UK. Thanks to the video, as I predicted, “MIDDLE CHILD” by J. Cole rebounds seven spaces up to #21, with “Grace” by Lewis Capaldi also up six spots to #24.

Fallers

Thanks to streaming cuts (In the UK, after a certain amount of weeks in the top 20 or so its streaming becomes less important to its chart placement), well, it’s safe to assume it’s due to streaming cuts because these were massive, long-running songs, Post Malone’s “Wow.” is down seven to #14, “Play” by Jax Jones and Years & Years is down seven to #22, as is “Lost Without You” by Freya Ridings to #25. “Nothing Breaks Like a Heart” by Mark Ronson and Miley Cyrus also suffers from streaming cuts, down 10 to #27, taking that bloody “Baby Shark” song with it down nine to #34. Otherwise, we have “Please Me” by Cardi B and Bruno Mars down eight to #20 despite a video being released very recently, and “Hello My Love” by Westlife is down eight to #32, yet still not quickly enough.

Dropouts

Since the album hype died down, “needy” by Ariana Grande is out from #11, “Swan Song” by Dua Lipa is out from #32 (Didn’t expect it to last that long anyway) and “Gun Lean” by Russ is out from #33 due to streaming cuts (Hip-hop thrives on streaming). Also, “Psych Out!” by AJ Tracey is out from #34, “Happier” by Marshmello and Bastille is out from #34, “365” by Zedd and Katy Perry is out from #37 (Oof), “Without Me” by Halsey is finally out from #37 and “a lot” by 21 Savage featuring uncredited vocals from J. Cole is out from #40 thanks to 21 Savage actually being freed, I guess?

Returning Entries

We have more than usual this week. Let’s start with the BRITs returns. First, due to a Calvin Harris mash-up performance featuring Dua Lipa and Rag ‘n’ Bone Man, “Promises” with Sam Smith is back at #37. I’d say “One Kiss” can’t enter because three Calvin songs are on the chart, but that’s untrue, so I guess that it just didn’t enter the top 40 – it is outside of it but I’m surprised it’s not up here, especially since it won an award. Also thanks to a performance featuring a guest verse from H.E.R., “Thursday” by Jess Glynne is back at #35. Otherwise, thanks to “needy” leaving, Ariana Grande’s “thank u, next” returns to its rightful place on the chart, at #30, where it should have been last week really, but dumb UK chart rules and all that. “High Hopes” by Panic! at the Disco is back at #39, because, I mean, sure, and “Nights Like This” by Kehlani and Ty Dolla $ign is back at #33. I wonder if he gets any of the royalties while he’s serving 15 years in prison for cocaine possession.

FEATURED SINGLE

“Faucet Failure” – Ski Mask the Slump God

Produced by ChaseTheMoney & Cubeatz - Currently charting at #100 on the Hot 100

Before we get to the new arrivals, let’s talk about a fun, goofy trap song from one of my favourite rappers currently in the game, Ski Mask the Slump God, energetic borderline comedy-rapper from Florida who brags with pop culture references constantly littered throughout. You probably know him since he’s gotten pretty big thanks to the release of his album STOKELEY, with this song in particular recently getting a music video directed by Cole Bennett of Lyrical Lemonade fame, hence it counts for this segment. Now, the trap beat is simple and bassy but the synth is almost hypnotising and I like how producer ChaseTheMoney adds what sounds like bongos and tribal percussion at random yet perfect intervals. Ski Mask often changes his flow, with a charismatic performance reflected by both his verses and ad-libs. In the first verse, he talks about how his girl wants to see his “Purple pickle up in the wind” – no comment, with some clever Thanos-related wordplay before that catchy and hilarious chorus, where he not only mentions Ash from the Pokémon anime but how he’s flyer than an ostrich, and he stands by that, I guess. The second verse is just about him buying fast food, but that fast food he’s ordering throughout builds up to a punchline where he asks where his weed his, because he was supposed to be buying “pies” (Drug lingo) instead of actual McDonalds pies. It’s pretty wacky, pretty cool, although it’s a bit short, check it out, and check out some of STOKELEY, especially “Foot Fungus”, “Nuketown” featuring Juice WRLD and “Reborn to Rebel”.

Remember days, me and X hittin’ licks!

God, I can’t seem to be able to escape this dude even in death, huh?

NEW ARRIVALS

#40 – “Black” – Dave

Produced by Fraser T. Smith

This barely charted but I’m so glad it did. This is the lead single from his upcoming album Psychodrama, and in stark contrast to “Funky Friday” with Fredo, this song focuses more on societal issues black people have had to face as the name implies. This is his seventh UK Top 40 hit, and probably his best yet. It starts with a crispy piano melody with even some nice static added to make the beat feel vintage and interesting (Yeah, it isn’t an overpolished trap beat this time). As Dave starts spitting, the drums kick in and slowly some violins creep in and make this beat really cinematic and beautiful. In the verses, Dave describes what being black is, which is being mistreated, and is having to go through struggles and going the extra mile for not the same results as white people would celebrate.

It’s workin’ twice as hard as the people you know you’re better than / ‘Cause you need to do double what they do so you can level them

Dave delves into some fantastic storytelling during the first verse, using walking a (Most likely white) elderly woman across the road without any thanks as an example of the belief in the lyric above, which also briefly references being told during his life, especially early life as a child due to the white-washed media and his living conditions in comparison to how he perceived the white children at the time in fancier, wealthier statuses, that he is more disposable than white people and cannot reach the same heights due to his race, to the point where he just accepts it, and that despite everything he’s forced to do to prove himself as a minority, he’s proud of its race and his ancestry. In the second verse, he speaks of accepting defeat and how he constantly feels the need to shout out all his friends unfairly imprisoned in jail in songs because he would feel guilty otherwise. He also discusses cultural appropriation and how he believes everyone wants to have the culture but not the colour as this means they would be considered cool, but not targeted with any of the discrimination. He ends the first verse with saying that being black is a sour flavour, but excellently switches it to sweet at the end of the second because he knows that white people will want the “flavour” but not the reality. The production furthers the intensity of his delivery and overall, this is way too good to be charting, but deserves all your love. Dave is one of the best in UK rap right now and this proves it, his album is coming out next week, check it out.

#31 – “Murder on My Mind” – YNW Melly

Produced by SMKEXCLSV - Currently charting at #14 on the Hot 100

Oh, speaking of people stuck in jail, introducing YNW Melly. Melly, or Melvin as I think his personality he decided to have on this song is, is a rapper who blew up thanks to a relatively okay collaboration with Kanye West, but since that song dropped out of the charts, people care more about this one mostly due to its confessional nature because of how he seemingly admitted on Instagram that he killed two of his very close friends (No reason provided), also from the YNW collective, and has turned himself in, although he just plead not guilty. It’s not about that, it’s about someone else he killed, I’m pretty sure, and honestly the descriptive, storytelling nature of the song is really cool, and it goes into some (Suspiciously) grim details that I appreciate because most rappers don’t care about that and just drift off topic while this is constantly focused, although his delivery could be less grating, and the beat is just really a cheap FL Studio piano melody under an overpowered bass, although the effort at making a pretty interesting bridge with the pitched-up female vocal samples are appreciated. You can tell it’s amateur, mostly because of how the final verse sounds like it just had some Audacity reverb effects added to it and the record label never changed it to make it sound more professional before having it on Spotify. For what it is, it’s okay, but I can’t really get into this. I think I like “Mixed Personalities” better, to be honest.

#8 – “Walk Me Home” – P!nk

Produced by Peter Thomas and Kyle Moorman - Currently charting at #54 on the Hot 100

Okay, now we have the big one, and I don’t care. Listen, Alecia Moore is a fantastic vocalist and one of the best singers in pop now, potentially pop history as I know it, and is one of the most successful women in the industry, with a clear personality and rebellious sense of humour that was unique. As she’s matured, she’s kept the singing and songwriting talent, but she’s just turned too bland for me to be interested anymore. This song is okay, but it doesn’t have any of the charm she used to have, and I know that’s bound to happen with age but that still doesn’t excuse this mediocre effort for me. It’s a guitar-lead track with pointless pitched-down vocal samples, way too percussion-heavy mixing and rhyming “good” with “good”. It’s a really upbeat, inspiring, motivational cheer-up track that will be a powerful “Wake up in the morning and get everything done” anthem for middle-aged mothers across the nation, but for me, I can only respect the underwhelming songwriting, in which she uses “Mm-hmms” as filler for an empty backing track, which is something I never thought P!nk would HAVE to do, just something she’d WANT to do, but she has no other option here, this instrumental is so wishy-washy and boring. It sure is listenable, guys. Let’s conclude.

Conclusion

I’d feel bad giving P!nk the Worst of the Week because it’s not a bad song, and I can see talent in YNW Melly as well, so screw it, it’s not going to the industry legend OR the nobody who became famous and immediately got charged for double murder afterwards. It’s not going to anyone. Best of the Week goes to Dave for “Black”, obviously, and see you next week.

[365footballorg-blog]

Could Ibrahimovic beat Martinez to MLS MVP? LA Galaxy make a case

Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

October 4, 20183:03PM EDT

CARSON, Calif. – Josef Martinez seemed to wrap up Major League Soccer’s MVP race by setting a new goalscoring standard. But if the LA Galaxy can navigate a path into the postseason, he might have some real competition for the award.

The Galaxy looked dead a couple of weeks ago. Yet successive 3-0 romps over the Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps have them just two points back of sixth-place Real Salt Lake with three games to go.

The key figure – in nearly every facet, for one of MLS’s flagship clubs – is Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

If LA make it, is the Swedish superstar the league’s true most valuable player? Maybe so.

He’s scored 20 goals with nine assists in 24 games, is averaging nearly a goal every 90 minutes. Only Martinez, who has netted 30 goals in 31 matches, averages more. And Ibrahimovic has done so most spectacularly, scoring unfathomable goals, laying off breathtaking balls for teammates to finish and generally living up to his claim that he is a true god of the sport.

He contributes to a goal, either by hitting the net himself or feeding someone who does, at a greater rate than does Martinez – 1.39 every 90 minutes to the Atlanta United star’s 1.20 – has seven game-winners in the nine victories he’s played in, and he doesn’t get too many of his goals from the penalty spot, just three to Martinez’s seven.

“If he can bring us to the playoffs, in this situation we’re in – we’ve been in five or six games that are must-win – and if we do that, and he continues to score, I think that’s a big one for the MVP,” Ibrahimovic’s strike partner Ola Kamara told MLSsoccer.com following the Galaxy’s training session Wednesday at StubHub Center.

“Martinez has been incredible, too. But I think, especially in the position that we are, and if he continues scoring and we get to the playoffs, he should be there.”

Even without the captain’s armband, Ibra is the Galaxy’s unquestioned leader, carrying a side that has struggled most of the season with injuries, chemistry issues and horrid defensive play to the verge of a playoff spot that appeared out of reach until, well, now.

“[Ibrahimovic] should be part of the conversation, 100 percent,” Galaxy interim head coach Dominic Kinnear said.“He’s a great player for us. He’s a game-winner.

“He’s important for the league, as well,” Kinnear added, noting how much attendance and attention he draws to LA’s away games. “I think his influence across the league is pretty incredible.”

Ibrahimovic, who turned 37 Wednesday, has been as entertaining off the field as on it. His media sessions are often hilarious, and he usually lives up to his prodigious boasts. But it’s the drive he displays and a team-first ethos that’s most impressed his teammates.

“He’s a winner, and he demands a lot,” Kamara said. “Especially in the games where it’s must-win in the clinch, I think it triggers a lot in us. The whole team is feeling it’s important now, but he’s pushing us to the next level, I think.”

Ibrahimovic has certainly got the numbers, but it’s the quality of his play all over the field, and his impact in training and within the locker room, that argues most strongly for his candidacy.

He introduced himself to MLS by spearheading a stunning comeback from three goals down to topple crosstown rivals LAFC, 4-3, in March. He’s scored several beauties, perhaps none as nice as his 500th career goal, a spinning volley in defeat a few weeks ago at Toronto FC.

If he can do something similar on Saturday at Sporting Kansas City (8:30 pm ET | TV and streaming info), next weekend at Minnesota United and in the regular-season finale at StubHub against Houston, he might have what it takes to trump Martinez.

“I came here to play, I came here to win, and I want to win,” Zlatan said Wednesday. “That is my mentality. That is my DNA. And that is what I want. That is what I work very hard for.

“Today I was supposed to do half-training. I didn’t want. I did the full training, because that’s me. I want to work and I don’t need to [proclaim] myself in these matters. You just have to ask the coach and teammates who I am, what I do, to arrive where I want to arrive. For me, I have to leave a stamp where I come, and that’s what I did [at the clubs I’ve played for]. And my plan is to leave it here, also.”

Whether that’s deserving of the MVP award is up to voters among the clubs and in the media. Ibrahimovic calls it “just an extra bonus,” one he doesn’t really covet.

“It’s not my main focus. I don’t want it if we don’t win the whole thing,” he said. “I prefer my team to come in the playoffs, win the big trophy, and whatever after that is just a bonus.”

A nice bonus, though, right?

“My bonus,” he replied, “is if I bring my team to playoffs, because I promised them to win the first day we came here in the training [back in March]. I said we will win. So making [the] playoffs and make them win, and I see that happen, I see that [joy] in their faces, that is my satisfaction, not me [as] MVP.

“It’s not about me. It’s about everybody.”

Stay connected: The all-new, completely redesigned, FREE official MLS app is your best mobile source for scores, news, analysis and highlights. Download:  App Store  |  Google Play

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Could Ibrahimovic beat Martinez to MLS MVP? LA Galaxy make a case was originally published on 365 Football

[placetobenation]

Hey-hey! It’s finally time to post up another PTB Power Rankings for the 2018 MLB Season. So, dust off those cleats, pull your bats out of storage, and find a glove that still fits because we are BACK and ready to, uh, well, rank 30 teams in opinionated order of performance.

Shit, well, it’s good to get back to it anyway.

Yes, Miggy, the first PTB MLB Power Rankings of the year are FINALLY out!

Editor’s note: Truly sorry about my lack of sports/baseball stuff, Nation. Grad school, unemployment, re-employment, and a lot of busy-ness at work have a way of sidetracking things. And once out of a habit, well, you know…

All records and stats are current as of Saturday, June 9, 2018.

1. New York Yankees (42-18) — The Bronx Bombers have won nine of their last 10, they’re playing .700 ball, and are the only team in MLB that has yet to lose 20 games. Ridiculous.

2. Boston Red Sox (44-21) — Personally, I find it quite boring when these two superpowers lead MLB. However, with the BoSox ripping up the league with 5.22 runs scored per game (second to the Yanks at 5.54), 600 team hits, 144 doubles, and 95 home runs, the offense is in *ahem* full swing. Solid support for Chris Sale (2.83 ERA), Rick Porcello (3.59), and David Price (4.00) and what has been a pretty good bullpen.

3. Houston Astros (41-25) — The defending champs are allowing the fewest runs in MLB (3.02 per game) while offensive core stalwarts Jose Altuve (142 OPS+), Carlos Correa (130 OPS+), Alex Bregman (136 OPS+), and George Springer 145 OPS+). Oh, and Justin Verlander (262 ERA+) and Gerrit Cole (176 OPS+) are posting best-ever seasons.

4. Seattle Mariners (40-24) — Listen, there are only four teams with 40+ wins to this point in the season (Milwaukee, see below, is at 39 as of this writing). The AL has all four them. The Mariners are probably the least likely to maintain, but, hey, those 40 are in the bank.

5. Milwaukee Brewers (39-25) — Raise your hand if you figured the Brewers posting the NL’s best record this far into the season. The offense has been alright (4.39 runs a game) as has the pitching overall (3.72 runs allowed), but that bullpen has been great (2.54 ERA). Josh Hader, in particular, is out-of-this-world. Getting ace Jimmy Nelson back soon could put the Brew Crew over the top.

6. Chicago Cubs (37-24) — Just half a game behind the Brewers, with six everyday batters posting OPS+ numbers over 100 (average). The bullpen features a whole bunch of sub-3 ERAs and Jon Lester (7-2, 2.22) has been great atop the rotation. While all those arms could regress, the solid showing at the plate from the Cubbies should keep them in the midst of October talk.

7. Washington Nationals (36-26) — The injuries have mounted for the Nats, but Max Scherzer has been healthy and continues his march towards Cooperstown. Teen phenom Juan Soto has been awesome in his 19-game introduction (.328/.435/.552) with a very promising 11-10 BB-to-K ratio.

8. Atlanta Braves (37-27) — The Bravos seem to have arrived a year ahead of schedule, but this team looks real good for a dynastic run, with Freddie Freeman (28), Ozzie Albies (21), Dansby Swanson (24), Ronald Acuna (20), and top hurlers Mike Foltynewicz (26) and Sean Newcomb (25) all well ahead of the curve.

9. Los Angeles Angels (37-28) — Mike Trout. We need to appreciate him more. Here’s his current line: .306/.439/.646, 1.085 OPS, 198 OPS+, 52 runs, 70 hits, 15 doubles, 19 homers, 13 steals (no caught stealings), 53-53 K-BB rate. And the dude is still only 26. Insane. Now, how the Halos hang around with Shohei Ohtani’s elbow woes remains in doubt, but the dominance of the Millville Meteor is of no question.

10. St. Louis Cardinals (35-27) — Only Jose Martinez (145 OPS+) and Tommy Pham (118) are really raking for the Redbirds, but strong starts from Miles Mikolas (2.27 ERA), Michael Wacha (2.47), and Carlos Martinez (1.83) are keeping the Cards alive in the Central and in the thick of things for a postseason spot.

This guy is really, really, really, amazingly good at baseball.

11. Philadelphia Phillies (32-30) — A week or so ago, these guys would rate much better, but the Phils have got 1-7 in June. The talent is there, but the next big test for rookie manager Gabe Kapler will be righting the ship.

12. Arizona Diamondbacks (34-29) — Remember back in April when Arizona was the toast of baseball with a 28-8 record? Yeah, well, going 14-21 since has certainly put that in the distant past. Of note, though, Paul Goldschmidt seems to waking up (13-for-20 with four homers over his last four games). It’s a thoroughly mediocre division to this point, so the winner of the NL West may well wind up being the team that takes best advantage of when its best players produce.

13. Cleveland Indians (33-29) — The lowest-rated division leaders here, the Tribe has played well at home (20-11) but been the pits away (13-18). While they’re still pretty odds-on to win the Central, that vaunted bullpen (worst in MLB with a 5.82 ERA) has a chance to torpedo anything beyond that. Of note, Cleveland could be the first team since 1920 to lead MLB in bullpen ERA one year (2.89 in 2017) and then finish dead-last the next.

14, 15, 16 (tie). Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants (32-32) — The Rockies’ regression was expected from last year, while the Dodgers have been hit by more injuries than a clown car at a demolition derby, and the Giants have managed to hang around via a great home record (19-11). With a little luck and health, any of these three could challenge for the division crown, or a wildcard berth.

17. Detroit Tigers (31-35) — They are not a good team, but also not as bad as once thought. While they should still look to trade guys like Shane Greene, Michael Fulmer, and a few others, this is a very fun team to watch when they are playing well. Ron Gardenhire deserves a lot of credit here. He won’t get many (any?) votes, but this is what a Manager of the Year looks like, folks.

18. Oakland Athletics (33-32) — Trevor Cahill. Blake Treinen. Matt Chapman. Matt Olson. Mark Canha. Raise your hand if you knew these were five members of the 2018 Oakland A’s and not the roster of some non-descript mid-90s boy band. Personally, I prefer Matty C. over Matt O. And that Trevor. He’s so good to his mother.

19. Minnesota Twins (27-34) — Injuries, starting with Ervin Santana in February, have not stopped dogging this team. It’d be a real shame if we don’t get to appreciate Byron Buxton fully because of his health. However, Eddie Rosario (.318/.355/.566) with 14 home runs has been a real breakout star for these erstwhile preseason darlings.

20. Pittsburgh Pirates (31-33) — The Pirates have a talent core of players. They have a gorgeous ballpark. They have a devoted fanbase. But they also have a shitty ownership group that refuses to give said fans what they want — a winner. The hard part should be developing your supporting cast, not paying for the top-tier talent.

21. Toronto Blue Jays (29-35) — Oh, well. That window sure closed in a hurry. A selloff could bring some much-needed youth ot the Jays, as well as adding intrigue to the wild-card races around the league.

22. San Diego Padres (30-36) — I can’t believe I’ve got them this high, either. Clearly, Eric Hosmer’s will-to-win-veteran-presence even affects mid-season rankings. In truth, the Friars have a great bullpen, which, if they wish to sell off, could bring in some depth to an already-well-liked farm system.

Hey Eddie! Yeah, you. Sorry about your team. But hey, great season so far, mate!

23. Tampa Bay Rays (29-34) — The “opener” trend seems like grasping at straws to be innovative, like Kevin Cash wants Michael Lewis to write a book about him or something. That said, despite a horrid start to the year, and a veritable Who’s That? roster, these guys are not all that bad. They are not good either. They are the bologna and cheese on white bread of the American League. Mustard optional.

24. New York Mets (27-34) — Well, they did the right thing by dumping C— Harvey, but this team is still just Mets-ing all over the place. Losers of eight straight, with whispers they might deal deGrom or Thor. I’m sure if those trades happen, this organization will find a way to Mets those up too.

25. Texas Rangers (27-40) — It’s nice to see National Treasure Bartolo Colon pitching well. He’s old and fat, so we should adore him. I guess. I’m actually a bit lost on his precise appeal.

26. Cincinnati Reds (22-43) — The mere fact that C— Harvey shares a team with Joey “The Last Angry Canadian” Votto, and Tucker “What A Great Last Name” Barnhart, boils my blood and causes me night sweats. Also, the pitching stinks.

27. Chicago White Sox (21-41) — Lucas Giolito lead the Pale Hose with four wins, but has a 7.08 ERA. Meanwhile, Jose Abreu (139 OPS+, team-high 24 doubles) is an island unto himself.

28. Kansas City Royals (22-43) — The Royals are giving up 5.52 runs per game. The Yankees have scored 5.54 runs per game. That’s right, folks! When the Royals are in town, it’s just like watching the Yankees!

29. Baltimore Orioles (19-44) — It’s pretty clear Buck Showalter doesn’t care anymore, does it? While we all know Manny Machado is great at baseball (166 OPS+) and will be traded, just gander at the awfulness of Chris Davis’s season (.152/.232/.232, four home runs, a 30 OPS+). It’s soooooooo gross!

30. Miami Marlins (23-41)  — No, the Marlins are not last because of my spite over how they have been a joke forever, constantly screw over fans, and make a mockery of competition. No, it’s not because their current and former owners are emblematic of the excessive awfulness of capitalism . No, it’s not because they plead “process” over “results” whenever someone rightly gives them a second look. It’s because they suck. Last in runs scored per game (3.48) and tied for fifth-worst in runs allowed (5.14) should do.

And with that, we are back in the pink with our Power Rankings. I hope to bring you guys more MLB goodness throughout the rest of the year when time allows. Until then, it’s batter up and play ball!

[junker-town]

The 2017 NHL award underdogs you should be rooting for

In a landscape dominated by favorites, here are the best dark horses to watch.

The door has officially closed on the 2016-17 NHL regular season. It’s been a long road to get here to the edge of the playoffs, but we did it.

With the regular season complete, we’re ever so closer to the NHL awards and even closer still to arguments on whether Sidney Crosby or Connor McDavid deserves the Hart Trophy. What if we told you, however, that there were other choices for your consideration? Sure, Crosby or McDavid and many of the NHL’s stars will win awards this year, but there are other players that have had seasons worthy of your consideration.

We floated this idea last season that for every favorite to win one of the NHL’s many awards, there’s an underdog that might just be as deserving. It can be boring to root for the expected winners, so why not spice up your life with some originality?

Sure, it’s highly unlikely these underdogs will topple the favorites at the top, but Drew Doughty won the Norris Trophy last year so really, anything can happen.

Hart Trophy

Who will (probably) win: Connor McDavid

The Hart often goes to the player — rightly or wrongly — with the most points at the end of the season. Last year it was Patrick Kane. This year, it will be Connor McDavid. Something McDavid has over other past winners, however, is that he’s absolutely the player most valuable to his team. The Oilers wouldn’t have been sniffing the playoffs if it wasn’t for McDavid’s 100 points in 82 games. Even I can’t argue with this pick, sorry Crosby fans.

Who you should root for: Brad Marchand

It’s hard to call Crosby an underdog in anything, so unfortunately he won’t get his due here. Instead, we’ll give this to Marchand, who leads the Bruins in points with 85 in 80 games played. There’s a handful of other forwards that could have, and still can, be called underdogs here, but Marchand put himself into the conversation with an incredible last month of play.

We gave Marchand the underdog nod over Nikita Kucherov because Boston’s playoff berth is thanks in part to his contributions. But, if you’re not feeling Marchand because of his spearing antics, Kucherov is a solid choice. Though the Lightning were unable to make the playoffs, Kucherov is second only to Crosby in goals with 40 and has had some real beauties this year.

Final points per 60 mins of ice-time this #NHL season: Malkin (#PIT): 3.74 Crosby (#PIT): 3.58 Kucherov (#TBL): 3.54 McDavid (#EDM): 3.46

— Randip Janda (@RandipJanda) April 10, 2017

Why Marchand/Kucherov won't win

McDavid has triple digits in points. No one else does. Case closed.

Vezina Trophy

Who will (probably) win: Sergei Bobrovsky

Halfway through the year, this award was Devan Dubnyk’s award to lose. And he did just that after putting up a .908 save percentage in 36 games played since the start of January.

Dubnyk's 10-gm rolling danger zone sv%. That high danger chart is...not inspiring confidence http://pic.twitter.com/s62kczyF2I

— Hashtag Hockey (@HTHpod) April 11, 2017

Now, there’s really only one choice for the Vezina and his name is Sergei Bobrovsky.

The Blue Jackets goaltender leads the NHL with a .931 save percentage. In 63 games, he has seven shutouts and has only gotten better while Dubnyk got worse. Arguably, he’s a big reason why Columbus is in the playoffs in the first place, as Bobrovsky has bounced back considerably from his horrific start last season.

Who you should root for: Cam Talbot

Talbot has played an incredible 73 games this year for the Oilers and is the second reason not named Connor McDavid as to why Edmonton is in the postseason. He’s got 4,294 minutes played this season, the most in the NHL, and he’s tied with Braden Holtby with 42 wins at the top of the league.

His .919 save percentage isn’t too shabby either as his workhorse of a season should at least be recognized with a nomination.

Why Talbot won’t win

Bobrovsky is the best goaltender in the league this season. Even Talbot’s incredible showing this year can’t take away from what Bobrovsky has done in net.

Norris Trophy

Who will (probably) win: Brent Burns

Burns has 76 points in 82 games and has made enough of a noise that at one point this season, he was a Hart Trophy candidate. Though he’s slid down those standings, his defensive contributions this season will likely net him the Norris. The 2016-17 season was a career high for Burns by just one point, but he’s stood out this year in a lacking defensive field.

Who you should root for: Erik Karlsson

It’s almost unthinkable that Karlsson is actually an underdog for this award. Though he may or may not have been robbed last year after putting up a point-per-game over 82 contests, he followed up his career year with 71 points.

And before Tampa Bay screams at me, yes Victor Hedman should also get some love here. The Lightning defenseman had 72 points in 79 games, though his points-per-game statistic is just lower than Karlsson’s. My heart goes out to Karlsson here, though, because he’s the heart and soul of the Senators and is the reason they even were able to limp into the playoffs to begin with.

Why Karlsson/Hedman won’t win

Neither Karlsson nor Hedman can match Burns’ offensive numbers. His 29 goals on the year lead the NHL’s defensive crop by double digits.

Calder Trophy

Who will (probably) win: Auston Matthews

To the surprise of absolutely no one, Auston Matthews gets the bid here. The Maple Leafs rookie has eclipsed 40 goals, is at an incredibly nice 69 points on the year, and has broken countless records in his first NHL season.

#Leafs Auston Matthews finishes in a tie for 2nd in the NHL with 40 goals. No rookie has finished higher since Teemu Selanne in 1992-93.

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) April 10, 2017

Some of Matthews’ teammates like Mitch Marner deserve credit for Toronto’s surprise run, but the 2016 No. 1 overall pick has more going for him. Matthews has the team’s fourth best Corsi at 51.43 percent, according to Corsica, while playing in Toronto’s top-six all year. His two-way play puts him head and shoulders above the rest of the rookie crop for this season.

Who you should root for: Patrik Laine

It’s hard not to feel for Laine a bit here. He’ll always be seen in the shadow of Matthews as the No. 2 pick from 2016. Plus, an injury derailed a Calder race that likely would have been his had he not missed nine games.

Laine also has some incredible offensive numbers. He’s got 64 points in 73 games and the best points-per-game percentage of the lot with .88 for the season. While Matthews and the kids have fun in the playoffs, the Jets and Laine sit at home after putting together a seven-game win streak to end the season.

Why Laine won’t win:

Matthews has the better numbers, plain and simple. Laine might eventually outscore Matthews through their respective careers, but that injury has dashed us of the Calder race we were promised.

Jack Adams Trophy

Who will (probably) win: John Tortorella

No one expected the Blue Jackets to be this good. Certainly not after their season last year, and most definitely not with the head coach of Team USA from the World Cup who lead the Americans to a disasterous showing.

And yet, here Tortorella stands with the Blue Jackets at 50 wins and 108 points, a franchise record in each category. Columbus went from the NHL’s basement to a third place finish in the Metropolitan Division. It’s a story the Jack Adams always rewards, and I don’t see it changing here.

Who you should root for: Mike Babcock

Babcock gets the nod here over Joel Quenneville because the latter has names like Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Corey Crawford on their roster. Sure the Blackhawks weren’t expected to grab the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference due to injuries and icing a lineup of rookies, but it’s more of a marvel that the Maple Leafs have gone from the NHL’s worst team to a playoff spot in a year.

Incredibly, Babcock has never won a Jack Adams in his 14-year NHL coaching career and his season with the Maple Leafs might really turn heads. Toronto has 40 wins and 95 points a year removed from winning just 29.

Why Babcock won’t win

The Blue Jackets have broken franchise records without changing the core of their team from last year. Their 16-game win streak back in December practically cemented this decision months ago.