#because if you were a ut fan in 2016 like i was then you definitely have some sort of trauma from all the au shit. i really found the fic

[yusiyomogi]

Obviously deltarune is it’s own story but parts of it definitely feel like Toby saying "okay you missed the point in undertale so I’m hammering it in". The emphasis on kris being their own person, more explicitly they/theming kris, the way they’re depicted as a harmless if rather weird person etc

yeah, i agree. the thing is, toby definitely didn't think that undertale would get as popular as it did. larger part of his fanbase before the game release were homestuck fans (or ex-homestuck fans), so he was also pretty confident that players would get every obscure message this game tried to convey, because hs fans were already pretty familiar with this sort of meta-narrative and subtle/confusing storytelling. and i mean, character's agency and complicated nature of black-gray morality were deeply explored in hs as well.

but the game became so unexpectedly big, toby couldn't control fandom at all. he even tried to do so at first, and he quickly realized it's not only impossible, but also ill-advised.

so every little thing that wasn't clear in the narrative, every little plot hole, every confusing message he didn't want to elaborate on became apparent when fans latched onto it, when extreme headcanons started to emerge. like, seriously, i played this game first time in 2016 completely blind, read all about "no mercy" route a bit later and never had an impression that chara was "evil" (honestly, this is kinda a lame word even, how can adults seriously use it?) and how can i believe that a child, who clearly suffered from mental illness, was somehow inherently "evil"?

but just like in every other aspect of life, opinions can differ. and the more obscure the message of the story is, the more people would have weird or flat-out wrong conclusions about it. especially people who have zero context of what kind of background this story emerged from.

so i'm not surprised toby has learned from his mistakes and now is trying to be a lot more clear about what he wants to say. he has a lot more experience now, he knows how big fandoms work, so he can mantain the balance of storytelling a lot better. and who can blame him, that in the process of writing deltarune, he's trying to fix some of the previous mistakes too. it's the only chance for toby to fix it too, before ut becomes completely irrelevant. and toby obviously is not gonna just explain everything on twitter, because he knows exactly how that bs is gonna end.

[abybweisse]

I've seen a thread on ig about how Undertaker was probably never Claudia's lover, and I know you kinda ship them or at least are a believer of the UT=Cedric theory, I kinda am too and I tried not to be bias while reading that post but I feel like their points were rlly weak. Here are some points that tried to debunk UTxClaudia: 1. Cedric canonly has a birth and a death date which means he is human (lol).

2.Because UT was already a shinigami when he met Clau, we need to ask ourselves some questions: Why should a shinigami be able to have children? Since the shinigami duty is a punishment for those who commited suicide. Being able to live a nice life, have kids and interfere with human affairs and lives does not respect those facts.

3. Isn't it weird for him to fall in love with someone that was born 24 yrs after he came to the human world?

4. UT expressed strong feelings toward all the other mourning lockets and Vincent especially. Why would Claudia be more important than the rest of them?

Idk but when I read this I went ??? a bit cause I dont think it rlly debunks anything :/.. or maybe I cant see it that way cause I'm a fan of the theory/ship. However I wanted to see the side of a theorist/ an analytical pov, so what do u think?

Thanks for thinking of me! 😊

Only two things boggle my mind, here:

How that person thought their arguments debunked anything in the world, and

How you managed to send such a long ask in one message....

Anyway, I’ve received asks like this before, but it’s usually from people who think more like that thread on ig. You can try searching my blog with some of the tags on this post, like #cedric k. ros—, etc. But let me see if I can pull up something that gets to the heart of this ask....

....Um, it’s really spread out over way too many posts for me to grab that many links. Anyway, a search for “cedric k ros” brought up a ton of posts generally on this topic.

Also, my beliefs have changed somewhat over the years. I wonder how old that ig thread is, since we’ve learned a lot more canon information on Undertaker and the Phantomhive family since I first joined the discussion of Undertaker’s true identity. So, I’ll address each part of your ask here and now.

Cedric has a canon birthdate and death date, so he must be human. Well, it means he must have once been human, but it doesn’t mean he’s a mere human now. Besides, the years of his birth and death are rather conveniently covered up by a speech bubble. The rest of his last name, too. Go check out all my #cedric of rotherwood posts. Cedric might have lived and died centuries ago, might have become a reaper long ago, too.

Shinigami having kids breaks the rules. Reapers being able to have children could actually be part of their punishment... if my theory is correct that reapers are reborn as a form of karmic reincarnation. That would mean reapers are born to biologically female reapers, who definitely do exist; there just don’t appear to be as many of them, which fits suicide statistics. A reaper having children with a human goes against reaper rules, since they are not supposed to meddle in human affairs... just collect souls. Technically, they don’t even judge the souls, they just follow a protocol to verify it’s that person’s time to die. This doesn’t mean it’s impossible; it just does, in fact, mean Undertaker is breaking reaper rules. But he’s obviously doing that anyway. Why not break all of them? 🤨 Edit: There’s a good reason for him to want to have children with human females (not even necessarily just one), for the very reason that it skirts around this punishment of making more reapers with reaper females. Reapers like Undertaker, who might be mating with humans, can cause the reaper organization to become even more understaffed over time. That’s something else I have mentioned before in my theory about them being reborn. There could even be a backlog of souls from suicide victims that are waiting around for new reaper bodies to be placed into. And the way Ronald flirts with females both in the reaper realm and the human realm suggests that Undertaker isn’t the only one who might be spreading around his reaper genes... changing the very nature of humanity over the generations.

It’s weird that Undertaker would fall in love with a human within however many years of deserting his post. Not weird at all, plus we don’t know whether love is the only thing that might have brought them together. Also, 24 years is merely a guess... and not a very good one. 136649 tried to destroy reaper HQ ~70years before 1889, so around 1819. The year these three things historically happened: 1. Queen Victoria was born, 2. Prince Albert was born, and 3. (Sir) Walter Scott introduced the world to Cedric of Rotherwood in Ivanhoe. He even invented that name, Cedric. Undertaker says he hadn’t been called a reaper in about 50years. That suggests two things: 1. He not only failed to destroy the HQ, but he also might have been captured, punished, and returned to his work as a reaper until he finally deserted about 20years later, and 2. If he didn’t actually manage to escape until around 1839 or thereabouts, then Cloudia/Claudia was just a kid at the time. Undertaker might have become involved in the Phantomhive family’s “work” before she became watchdog; he might have been an informant to her father, for example.

Why should he care more about Cloudia/Claudia than the other people on the lockets or Vincent? If he loved her, and if she bore his children, then it would explain this quite easily. Who wouldn’t cry over the death of their child? These other six people represented by the other lockets must also have been particularly dear to him, for various possible reasons. But he seems to focus the most on her locket. It’s also placed directly in the center of the chain; they are not in order of death dates. (In fact, their last initials create a pretty cool set of notes, with Phantomhive becoming an F or an F# [F sharp]. Please see #lockets’ melody and #leitmotif posts that date as far back as 2016). And more recently, her locket (and her locket alone) has become a symbol of Undertaker in series merchandise. Them having been lovers would explain it pretty well, I should think! And, if I’m right that “136649” means he became the 49th registered reaper of 1366, then Cloudia/Claudia died (was killed) not just on a Friday the 13th... but also 500 years after Undertaker was registered as a reaper.

Thanks for this ask, and please check out the tags below for more information.

[thecollegefootballguy]

Bizarro Football: An Alternate History of College Football in 2018

Welcome one and all to the FINAL installment of Bizarro Football! It’s the alternate reality imagining what would have happened if the 2010 realignment cycle had never happened.

Check out the previous seasons first if you’d like to catch up: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017

This post is an amalgamation of the various other conference posts I’ve made throughout this (and part of last) off season. Check those out here:

ACC: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 Big East: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 Big Ten: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 Big 12: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 PAC-10: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 SEC: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018

I’ve made some adjustments for games that were never played as well as incorporating the G5 and Notre Dame, but otherwise things haven’t changed from these earlier posts.

Clearly certain things would have changed each year if each conference’s membership was altered. However, most of the Playoff era has remained remarkably consistent, with only 2014 drastically changing. Let’s see if that holds true for 2018.

-

ACC

Atlantic Division

Clemson 13-0 (8-0) NC State 10-2 (6-2) Boston College 7-5 (5-3) Maryland 6-6 (3-5) Wake Forest 7-5 (3-5) Florida State 5-7 (2-6)

Coastal Division

Georgia Tech 7-6 (5-3) Virginia Tech 7-4 (5-3) Miami FL 7-5 (4-4) Virginia 7-5 (4-4) Duke 7-5 (3-5) North Carolina 1-10 (0-8)

ACC Championship Game: Clemson over Georgia Tech

Clemson towers over the ACC. The Tigers are so far ahead of the rest of the conference that there essentially was no race. NC State, technically the second best squad in the league, was a fringe top 30 program. Without Pittsburgh winning the Coastal, Georgia Tech pulls one last trick out of the bag in Paul Johnson’s final season. The Yellow Jackets earn another pummeling at the hands of Clemson as the Tigers skip on into the Playoff for the fourth straight year.

-

Big East

West Virginia 11-0 (7-0) Cincinnati 11-1 (6-1) Syracuse 9-3 (5-2) Pittsburgh 7-5 (4-3) South Florida 6-6 (2-5) Louisville 4-8 (2-5) Rutgers 3-9 (2-5) Connecticut 1-11 (0-7)

West Virginia pulls off an undefeated season, securing a spot in the Playoff so long as the Committee sees fit to put the Mountaineers into the top 4. I wonder if Dana Holgorsen leaves if he had this much success in Morgantown. Cincinnati and Syracuse were both pretty good, but the rest of the league was varying shades of awful. Conference stalwart Louisville cratered in a bad way after losing Lamar Jackson and Connecticut had one of the worst defenses ever seen in FBS football.

-

Big Ten

Michigan 10-2 (7-1) Northwestern 8-4 (7-1) Ohio State 10-2 (6-2) Iowa 9-3 (5-3) Michigan State 8-4 (5-3) Penn State 8-4 (4-4) Minnesota 6-6 (3-5) Wisconsin 6-6 (3-5) Purdue 4-8 (3-5) Indiana 5-7 (1-7) Illinois 3-9 (1-7)

Michigan again almost made the Playoff, but were again thwarted by Ohio State in The Game. The Buckeyes were again the best team in the conference, and again they blew a few games they should have won to fall out of the Playoff race. Northwestern managed to tie for the league championship by missing both UM and OSU, so that’s nice for them. Iowa was actually really good but they’re relegated to being an afterthought for losing too many games. Penn State and Wisconsin suffered some serious bad luck in this universe.

-

Big 12

North

Iowa State 8-5 (5-3) Missouri 9-3 (5-3) Colorado 6-6 (3-5) Kansas State 6-6 (3-5) Nebraska 4-8 (2-6) Kansas 5-7 (2-6)

South

Texas 12-1 (8-0) Oklahoma 10-2 (6-2) Oklahoma State 9-3 (5-3) Texas A&M 8-4 (5-3) Baylor 6-6 (3-5) Texas Tech 4-8 (1-7)

Big 12 Championship Game: Texas over Iowa State

Texas is unironically back in Bizarro Football. The Longhorns manage to somehow lose to Maryland and still make a strong case for the College Football Playoff. I didn’t think that was possible. Oklahoma, the best team in the conference in actuality, loses in Red River and to Oklahoma State in Stillwater. The Big 12 schedule played right into Texas’ hands, getting to host the Cowboys as well as A&M. I’m not sure I trust them to win this many big games, but hey, stranger things have happened.

-

PAC-10

Washington 9-3 (7-2) Washington State 10-2 (7-2) Stanford 9-3 (7-2) Arizona State 8-4 (6-3) Oregon 7-5 (4-5) UCLA 4-8 (4-5) California 7-5 (4-5) USC 4-8 (3-6) Arizona 4-8 (3-6) Oregon State 1-11 (0-9)

The PAC-10 once again didn’t even get close to the College Football Playoff. Washington was once again the league’s strongest team, but the Huskies just could not act like it for more than a few games in a row before losing some kind of upset. Washington State once again reached for the stars, but a loss in the Apple Cup keeps the Cougars on the outside once again. A three-way tie between UW, WSU, and Stanford mucks up the top of the league, but Washington holds tiebreaking wins over both teams to earn their trip to Pasadena.

-

SEC

East

Georgia 11-2 (7-1) Florida 10-2 (6-2) Kentucky 9-3 (5-3) South Carolina 7-5 (4-4) Tennessee 5-7 (2-6) Vanderbilt 4-8 (1-7)

West

Alabama 12-1 (7-1) LSU 10-2 (6-2) Mississippi State 9-3 (5-3) Auburn 7-5 (3-5) Ole Miss 6-6 (2-6) Arkansas 2-10 (0-8)

SEC Championship Game: Alabama over Georgia

The SEC more or less looks the same as it did in real life. Alabama and Georgia were two of best teams in the conference and in the country. The Crimson Tide lost in Athens in the regular season but paid the Bulldogs back in Atlanta with a win in the SEC Championship Game. The SEC East showed life for the first time in a long while thanks to a rebound from Florida and a feel-good season coming from Kentucky. LSU and Mississippi State also turned in very good campaigns out in the West. Poor Auburn was overshadowed by a brutal schedule.

-

Notable non-BCS Conference Teams

UCF 12-0 (8-0)* Utah 12-0 (8-0)* Boise State 11-1 (8-0)* Army 10-2 Notre Dame 11-1

*conference champions

UCF and Utah both go undefeated in the C-USA and Mountain West respectively. Boise State also turned in a great season but the Broncos are gonna have to sit the NY6 out with better options on the table. Notre Dame does not run the table in Bizarro Football, the Irish lose early on in East Lansing to blemish their otherwise perfect resume. That’ll make the Playoff section much more interesting.

-

Projected CFP Rankings

#1. Clemson 13-0 (8-0) #2. Alabama 12-1 (7-1) #3. Texas 12-1 (8-0) #4. Notre Dame 11-1 #5. Georgia 11-2 (7-1) #6. West Virginia 11-0 (7-0) #7. LSU 10-2 (6-2) #8. Ohio State 10-2 (6-2) #9. Florida 10-2 (6-2) #10. Michigan 10-2 (7-1) #11. Oklahoma 10-2 (6-2) #12. Utah 12-0 (8-0) #13. Washington State 10-2 (7-2) #14. Cincinnati 11-1 (6-1) #15. UCF 12-0 (8-0)

I’m gonna go out on a limb here and assume that the Committee treats the Big East like the glorified G5 that they are. West Virginia just should not be anywhere near the Playoff despite the undefeated record and it would have been the right thing to do to keep the Mountaineers out of the top four. I’m not positive it would have played out this way, but I think Alabama and Texas have slam dunk cases, and Notre Dame probably make it over WVU, so I’m running with it.

With the Rose and Sugar not hosting semifinals, there are not very many at-large bids this year.

-

Projected NY6 Games

Peach Bowl: #6 West Virginia vs #7 LSU

LSU pulls one of the two at-large bids and gives West Virginia the real top fifteen opponent they were missing in the Big East. Both of these teams were probably overrated, so I’m not gonna go ahead and declare the Tigers the winner outright. If the Mountaineers manage to win this one, the Committee is gonna take some flak for their decision to stonewall unbeaten WVU.

Fiesta Bowl: #8 Ohio State vs #12 Utah

I'm actually not sure Utah would get ranked ahead of UCF if the Knights had a two year win streak, but that C-USA bias is hard to wash off compared to a Mountain West that still has BYU and TCU. The Utes were about as good as Central Florida in 2018 anyway, so either one can show up to take a beating from Ohio State. The Buckeyes have missed the last few Playoffs despite being the best team in the Big Ten each year, so I assume they’re gonna smack around whichever upstart they can and send Urban Meyer off right.

Rose Bowl: #10 Michigan vs #16 Washington

I’ll say this: the game might be unwatchable, but I’m sure the stadium is packed because Michigan and Washington fans would show up to this even if both teams were 8-4. I’d favor the Wolverines, but not with too much confidence.

Sugar Bowl: #5 Georgia vs #11 Oklahoma 

The best game in the non-Playoff slate. Maybe. I mean, did you see what Texas did to Georgia in real life? Then sub in Oklahoma, the real best team in the Big 12, for the Longhorns. This is an even matchup on paper, maybe even favoring the Bulldogs, but they really must have been gutted by losing to Alabama again cause they laid down a stinker.

Cotton Bowl (semifinal): #2 Alabama vs #3 Texas

Aren’t you a little curious what would have happened if this game gets played? An overachieving Texas team probably gets slammed to the mat by a far better Alabama. I’m not sure it’d be a 30-0 type deal, but I’m not seeing any kind of Longhorn win here. The computers put UT somewhere between 10th and 20th in most projections. I know they beat Georgia, but come on, only one team in the Playoff can beat Bama here.

Orange Bowl (semifinal): #1 Clemson vs #4 Notre Dame

Notre Dame gets exposed, again. At least they weren’t undefeated going into the game, so it probably doesn’t sting as much as 2012.

So uhhhh, Clemson wins the national championship! I was at the real life National Championship Game so I’m definitely not gonna entertain any kind of scenario that doesn’t give Dabo Swinney’s Tigers a second ring.

-

So that’s it for Bizzarro Football, it actually wasn’t that different most years. I’m not sure what that says about the system or conference realignment, but we’re doing a decent job crowning champions. Clearly it’s not perfect, but a good football team will win in any conference.

[platinum-happy]

Willow Official Blog 170224

If there’s a Willow, there’s a way- it’s Willow!! and with my first blog of the new year!! Late as usual with my blogs, but I’m probably gonna make this a long one to catch up ;D

  As for how I’ve been since my last blog… I got my hair died pink!! It didn’t end up lasting a long time, but I love itttt. I’ve been working on trying to make it last longer or finding other shades to try. I’ve been on such a hair care binge, and part of it is because I found a promotion where if I spent a certain amount, I got $100+ worth free!

I haven’t used much yet, but my hair’s been in great condition ever since. I can’t wait to try out more, especially the Disney Princess hair glitter-

But like I promised last blog, I’m overdue to talk about my trip to Japan last year and Tokyo Idol Festival!!

So it’s now a tradition that every time I go to Japan I need to go and buy myself a flower crown from Harajuku’s Takeshita dori. I don’t make the rules.

Last year, like the year before, I went to Japan for 2 weeks so I could go to both Tokyo Idol Festival and the Hello! Project Summer concert. I tend to fill up my trips with as many idol events as I can, and even I will admit I went a little overboard this time LOL.

The first day I arrived in Japan, was the day of Kobushi Factory’s release event! So not even 24 hours in and I’d already been to a mini-live on no sleep after landing at 5am. I have great priorities haha. The day after that was a Passpo/Fudanjuku 2man live, where I got to make friends with other foreign fans (2 of which knew of Purappi! I won’t name drop, but they’re both awesome <3). After that I was off to the H!P Summer con in Sapporo, the members went through the crowd and I was lucky to get eye contact with a few members ;-;!! I’m also pretty sure I was sitting a metre away from Captain and maybe some other staff?? I had a really great seat on an edge of a row near the mixing console.

The day after, I went to see Juice=Juice in Otaru, which was about an hour train ride away from Sapporo. Otaru is a great little town, and I was super lucky as it turned out the concert was the same day as the Otaru Matsuri! I had just enough time after the back to back Juice=Juice concerts to have a look around, eat some yakisoba, and watch the fireworks before I had to make my way back to my hotel in Sapporo.

The next day it was off to Kyoto and Osaka, I tried to see the AKB show at Universal Studios but tickets had sold out before I arrived. But I still had a great time there anyway, I finally got to go into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!! It just so happened one of the types of wands they have available is willow… so I had to…

Next up was C-ute in Otodama! Which was the best??? Women only sections are the amazing and let me get up pretty close to the stage, and it helped that I was taller than most of the other women there. I had such a great view. The humidity was horrible though, but the best part was when C-ute came out during the encore with water guns and started spraying everyone. The only down side was Chisato was still recovering at the time, so she couldn’t sing in all the songs, but it did mean my Maimi got more lines, so I wasn’t complaining LOL Being able to see your favourite group in a smaller venue where you can make eye contact is so, so worth it. I’m really looking forward to the next time I can see them perform again, even if it is the last.

  And finally, the last event I went to while in Japan, Tokyo Idol Festival!! TIF16 was full on, 3 days full of idols and oh boy was I exhausted at the end of each day and I loved every minute of it. It’s hard to list all the groups I saw, but my highlights were definitely Fudanjuku, The Hoopers, Bitter&Sweet, Magical Punchline… and those friends I mentioned making at the Passpo/Fudanjuku live? I spent most of TIF hanging out with them and it was amazing.

Also, I got a photo with notall! (yes I was sunburnt again, Sky Stage is hell)

Out of the handshakes I did, the MagiPun and Fudanjuku stood out to me the most. MagiPun are such a good group?? I went into the handshakes as a Yuna oshi, and came out loving Rena and oshihenning to Anna. Whoops. All of the girls were very warm and friendly, but Rena straight up hugged me, which was a surprise, and Anna was so endearing. She can speak a little English, and having her blank on words in front of me in English, just as I did to her in Japanese was the most relatable and adorable thing. Meanwhile with Fudanjuku, they mostly went well minus blanking a couple of times, until I got to my oshi, Kojiro… who greeted me with “OH MY PRETTY BABY” in English. I’m not sure how I didn’t die right there, haha. Kojiro’s graduating before I’ll be able to go back to Japan, but even if this handshake is the last time we meet, I’m glad this will be the memory I get to keep.

And so, that was my Japan trip 2016! In good news, I recently paid for flights to go back to Japan in June! I’m both excited and sad, it’s C-ute’s final concert, but if all goes well, I’m going to meet Calla!! I have my fingers crossed every thing will work out well <3

and with that, until the next blog!

~ Willow

[duongthanhdt]

Meet BTS's ARMY: Best Mom in Fort Worth

New Post has been published on http://www.btsvfan.com/meet-btss-army-best-mom-in-fort-worth/

Meet BTS's ARMY: Best Mom in Fort Worth

Meet BTS’s ARMY: Best Mom in Fort Worth; A patient survives with brain damage and a student.

Earlier this week, the 39-year-old mother led his eldest son, Donal, to their favorite band: BTS.

But on Donal’s birthday Wednesday, Alexy made a surprise for him, which was to donate a light stick with the signature that the fans brought to the concert, BTS Army Bomb.

The 7-member Korean pop group, called Bangtan Boys, will have two nights at the Fort Worth Convention Center this weekend. Most of the fans do not understand why they chose this place as one of the stops on the world tour this year, but everyone was happy anyway.

“I do not think there will be a fanatic fan base here, but you can not buy tickets,” Alexy said. “For those in Fort Worth, this is going to be a really great show.”

Maria Espinosa, a 15-year-old fan from Fort Worth, said she remembered shouting at school for her excitement over BTS announcing her North American tour.

She must buy a ticket and share the status of the purchase on an opening day: “I use my phone, my mother’s tablet, my laptop, my sister’s and my mother’s, just to access the site.” “I was very nervous. I continue to reload the page and reload the page. About 15 minutes passed and tickets were sold out. I still have not got a ticket and I have reloaded the last time and [tickets are sold again]. ”

K-Pop is a $ 5 billion industry that has become a global phenomenon, partly due to the success of BTS and the enthusiasm of its fans.

The group topped the Billboard Social 50 for 90 weeks, the weekly chart of attendance, participation, and coverage on social media networks by artists.

Although the group has millions of fans and followers on every piece of social media, instead, BTS connects fans together through music and group performances. They mostly sing and rap in Korean but even people who can not speak this language, like Alexy and Espinosa, find meaning in BTS lyrics.

“They seem humble, even though they do a lot of choreography, but they are very happy and happy,” Alexy said. “It’s nice to see how quickly this changed. They seem very happy to compose and release new songs as well as pursue their dreams. “Espinosa was particularly touched by BTS’s actions and willingness to write lyrics related to difficult issues, ranging from mental health to Korean social criticism.

“I love other K-Pop groups but many of them just sing about love, suffering, and school, but BTS really brings awareness of depression, anxiety, and mental illness,” Espinosa to speak.

Lauren Pinto, a 23-year-old student at UT Arlington, said that BTS’s commitment to a fair society has made the group more prominent than any other boy band in the United States or the United Kingdom. Shortly after BTS released their “Love Yourself” album in 2017, the group teamed up with UNICEF to launch the “Love Myself” campaign to end violence against children and adolescents.

For Pinto, attending the BTS concert this weekend will be a celebration of maturity and overcome difficulties. In 2016, Pinto suffered a brain injury and dropped out of Austin to return to Fort Worth. “After that, I was disappointed with myself although it was not my fault. I feel like I do not belong anywhere in this life, “Pinto said. That was the time when BTS released “Wings” and “You Never Walk Alone”. The songs on this album motivate me to fix my problems and return to school. ”

BTS not only helped Pinto recover but also brought love to her. She will go to the concert with her boyfriend. They all have the same passion K-pop.

“We met on OkCupid. I’m not serious about this but I have posted about wanting to meet other K-pop fans in the same area, “Pinto said. “Actually, I did not reply to the message but when a guy came and started talking about BTS, I could not get over this.”

Girls who do not speak Korean know that K-Pop fans have opened up to them a new culture and potential.

Alexy said that at home, she learned Korean and watched Korean dramas. And they suggested that Donal choose the Korean language. He is now an outstanding student at Arlington Heights High School.

“My kids will definitely experience a wider world through my endless passion for K-pop and Korean culture,” Alexy said. “Now I cook a lot of traditional Korean food and they are all very good for health. We are definitely more active because my children understand that there are many great new things out there. ”

[hsews]

OMAHA, Neb. — In this first College World Series since the death of Augie Garrido, his presence continues to loom as large as ever.

Garrido won five national championships here, tied for the second most all time, and made 15 visits — seven with Cal State Fullerton and eight with Texas. He was the first coach to win championships with two programs and the only to win multiple titles at more than one school.

Yes, college baseball lost an icon on March 15. Garrido, 79, died in Newport Beach, California, of complications following a stroke. Born 44 years to the day after Babe Ruth, Garrido, too, was a giant in the game.

Fullerton had no locker room at its home field in his early years. The school trucked in bleachers used in the Rose Parade, but Garrido’s team in its initial year of Division I play won at five-time reigning national champion USC en route to Omaha in 1975.

The coach provided blazers, shirts and pants for his players during that first CWS visit 43 years ago; he wanted the Titans to look like a Division I team.

And oh, did they ever — but not only for how they dressed.

ESPN Illustration

From there, anything was possible. Garrido won 1,975 games, the most of any college coach at the time of his 2016 retirement from Texas after 20 seasons. His Longhorns from 2002 to 2005 reached the pinnacle of the sport.

A friend to actor Kevin Costner and former President George W. Bush, Garrido connected with people everywhere he traveled — from humble beginnings in Vallejo, California, as the son of a shipyard worker, to college at Fresno State, summer-league coaching in Anchorage, Alaska, the bevy of resources in Austin, Texas, and five-star beach venues of Southern California.

Really, Garrido’s legacy is about people. He was labeled as an expert motivator, a Zen master with the perfect mix of passion and tranquility. But in 50 years of coaching, he made his most indelible mark through the relationships forged.

Players, coaches, administrators, fans and media alike hung on his every word.

“The world treats winners a lot different than it treats losers,” read his quote that hung in the Texas dugout during this College World Series.

Texas coach David Pierce, in his second season as Garrido’s replacement, wore this year in Omaha the No. 16 jersey of the former coach, an image that serves as a guiding light for all at this venue that he so often dominated.

“Since his passing,” Pierce said, “we basically have come to the conclusion that he’s a huge piece of our program. He’s a huge piece of this team.”

Allow the words of those whose lives he touched to relay Garrido’s impact on the sport he loved.

Texas infielder Kody Clemens says Augie Garrido “didn’t teach the game, he taught those little lessons about life.” Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos/Getty Images

Oregon coach George Horton, who played on the 1975 Fullerton team, coached under Garrido with the Titans from 1990 to ’96 and succeeded him when Garrido left for Texas: “He’s definitely one of a kind. And not just because of the wins, but for the manner with which he went about his work, what he was able to do at Fullerton with basically nothing but a good location. He broke the Power 5 barrier, and he did it with an unparalleled passion and style.”

Kody Clemens, Texas All-America infielder and the second of Roger Clemens’ sons to play for UT: “He was an unbelievable man. He knew so much about the game. He didn’t teach the game, he taught those little lessons about life. He taught everybody on our team how to be a man. That’s what everybody’s going to know him for. Every time I go out on the field, I just feel him. He’s there. He’s watching over us.”

Steve DiTolla, Fullerton’s associate AD who rehired Garrido at the school in 1990 after the coach spent three seasons at Illinois: “He set the stage for coaches to make a lot of money. Back in the day, coaches were coaches. Some of them still taught classes. There were a lot of them who had been coaching at a place for a long time and really didn’t have a reason to leave. It was [former Fullerton AD] Neale Stoner who brought Augie out to Illinois. Neale was truly a visionary. He was right. Look at it now. There are a lot of people who are spending a lot of money to compete for that baseball championship.”

LSU coach Paul Mainieri, whose team won two of three games against Garrido and Texas in the 2009 finals: “It was a great series, but Augie, he really took that loss hard. That team of his was so good and had really built up a head of steam at the end of the season. As a head coach, you know that those opportunities don’t come along very often, even when you’ve had a career like he’d had… So that loss really stung. Well, five days later, I get my mail in Baton Rouge and what do I have? The most gracious, handwritten note of congratulations from Augie Garrido. I was so blown away. I was so touched. I called him and thanked him profusely. That note is framed and hangs in my office.”

Doubt motivated college baseball’s all-time wins leader his entire life. After his death, those who know him will remember how he overcame doubt and taught them to overcome it as well.

Texas Longhorns coach David Pierce will wear Augie Garrido’s No. 16 throughout the College World Series.

1 Related

Cal State Fullerton coach Rick Vanderhook, who played for Garrido on the 1984 title team and served as a longtime Titans assistant: “Every team was different. He recognized that and treated them like that. He always could identify what every team needed. It’s that ‘It’ factor, and there’s very few people who have had it.”

Roger Clemens, seven-time Cy Young Award winner and ex-Texas star under Garrido’s predecessor, Cliff Gustafson: “I knew Coach Garrido before I actually met him. I just knew him as a coach. [But] I didn’t know the depths that he went as far as his teaching ability. And then when he had my boys [Kacy and Kody], I got to meet him one day here. I walked in on a fall [practice], and he brought me right over like any other alumni. Sat me behind the screen during a fall game, and we went right into talking baseball and different things.”

Dennis Poppe, longtime top NCAA administrator of the CWS who retired in 2014 as vice president of championships and alliances: “He had such a charisma or Southern California swagger, but he was always approachable and enjoyed people. He certainly had an air of self confidence that translated to his players. And he always had something insightful or a little bit different to say. Sometimes, it would catch you off guard. It was like, ‘What’s he saying? What’s he really trying to say?’ He coached the game differently than most others did, and that allowed him to relate to his players. A lot of people called Augie not only a baseball coach but a life coach. I think that’s one of the highest compliments you can get from those you’ve coached.”

Horton: “Nobody could see the big picture or compare athletics to life like Augie could, in my opinion. He had that gift to make you feel invincible and powerful. He was a tremendous motivator. His passion was contagious. What brought Augie and Kevin [Costner] together was not just the sport of baseball. Kevin’s a mentality guy. He doesn’t just like baseball; he likes the mentality and teamwork and challenges of baseball — and comparing it to life.”

Poppe: “During my career, I didn’t just do baseball. I worked with football and a number of sports. I had an opportunity to meet outstanding coaches — from Lou Saban to Urban Meyer to Bill Marolt (who won seven NCAA ski titles as a coach at Colorado) to Dan Gable. All these coaches had a unique characteristic about them. They kind of marched to the beat of their own drum. “

Florida State coach Mike Martin, who broke Garrido’s all-time wins record in April: “The last time I saw him was really the perfect setting. Last June, we were out to dinner in Omaha, at a steakhouse of course, and I ran into him. We sat down and talked for 30 minutes. We both knew that if I was fortunate enough to have a good season in 2018 that I would break his all-time wins record, but that’s not what we talked about. Not directly. What we talked about wasn’t the record. It was about all the guys we’d been able to coach over the years. I think we both agreed that the wins are great, but we’d both trade them in right now if you told us we couldn’t keep the friendships and the gift of having some sort of impact on so many lives.”

Horton: “When he came back to Fullerton from Illinois, he was in a little bit of turmoil in his life. He was going through a divorce. He didn’t have a house. He didn’t have a car. But he was living in Newport Beach at the Balboa Bay Club, which was about as high class as you could get. He was driving a Mercedes-Benz. He was eating at the nicest restaurants. We called it elegantly homeless. Augie really had a taste for the finer things in life, whether he could afford it or not. He was always going to stay at the nicest hotels. He had a charm about him that was magnetic. Whether it was a baseball environment or a social environment, you knew you were going to have a lot of fun with Augie.”

Richard Linklater, filmmaker and friend to Garrido: “After they won the College World Series in ’05 we were out at dinner or something and he just starts into this really emotional lecture on how it is impossible to repeat as champions. The psychology of kids and egos and catching that perfect chemistry with a roster that only happens every now and then. I was really taken aback by that. Here’s a guy who had won, what, five national championships, and had just won two at Texas in a short period of time and yet, he’s just almost panicked about what it is going to take to win another one. OK, not panicked, not really, but desperate. That’s what makes him Augie, that desperation to be the best all the time and figure out what it takes to be the best.”

Former South Carolina coach Ray Tanner: “I was intrigued by what made Augie so successful. I wanted to know the secret. Yeah, he had good players, but there’s always another denominator to it. [Ex-Fullerton star Mark] Kotsay just talked to me about the way he ran his team, how he was a teacher, the confidence that he had in his players, the way he delivered things. Players believed in him. More than a baseball coach, he was a very dynamic person.”

Oregon (and former Fullerton) coach George Horton says “nobody could see the big picture or compare athletics to life like Augie could.” AP Photo

Part of Augie’s secret? He did it his way, no matter what you thought.

DiTolla: “I think he ran up a billion dollars worth of parking tickets on this campus. And the campus was relentless about trying to collect from him. But he didn’t care. He would just drive up and park wherever.”

Baylor coach Steve Rodriguez, as a player, led Pepperdine to the 1992 national title. The Waves defeated Fullerton 3-2 in the championship game, denying Garrido the third title that he would win in 1995. Years later, Garrido re-introduced himself to Rodriguez at a coaching convention, reminding the younger coach of Fullerton’s heartbreak at his expense.

“He gave me so much credit for it,” Rodriguez said. “That’s the kind of person he was.”

There were many sides to Augie, though.

Vanderhook: “Just super intimidating — for about three or four years, even the first couple of years that I worked for him. Now I do a lot of the things that Augie did, but it took years to figure that out. And even then, I didn’t realize it until [DiTolla] told me that I had a lot of similarities to Augie when I talk to the team. I said, ‘No way, man, no way. Nobody can talk like that.'”

DiTolla: “There are certain guys who, when they walk in the room, you know they’re somebody. That was Augie. He was somebody very special. He was such a tremendous leader. There were times when he would just come out of the tunnel to talk to the team. Everybody would be chatting. And then … silence. The team would be riveted. They couldn’t wait to hear what he had to say. He was our guy. He was the leader. He was the one who everyone looked to.”

Stanford coach David Esquer, who played for the Cardinal against Garrido, then coached as an assistant at Pepperdine and was hired 17 years ago in his first head-coaching job at Cal: “I found myself at 2001, going to play at Texas, and there was a moment of taking out that lineup card and thinking, ‘I’m shaking hands with Augie Garrido.’ That kind of hit me. I was struck by the level of respect he addressed me with. I didn’t even know if I deserved the amount of respect as a rookie coach that he was giving to me.”

Rodriguez: “My first year at Baylor [in 2016] was his last year. When we played at Texas in the regular season, he took me into his office. He showed me around and was telling me what I need to know, what I need to do. It was like he pretty much said, ‘Here’s everything that is going to make you successful in the Big 12.’ It was a little bizarre. I was like, ‘Is this really happening?’ But just because of my interactions with him before, I knew how genuine he was. You could see as he was talking to me that it brought him great joy to be able to do that — to be able to give of himself and his ideas.”

Pierce, the Texas coach who arrived from Tulane to take over for Garrido after the 2016 season: “I don’t know how he handled [the coaching transition] personally or behind closed doors, but I couldn’t have asked for anything more. He was gracious in his approach with me. We met for lunches. We spent a lot of time together. He gave me insight about how it is to coach at the University of Texas. Because it’s different; it’s a monster.”

“Since his passing, we basically have come to the conclusion that he’s a huge piece of our program. He’s a huge piece of this team,” says Texas coach David Pierce. Eric Gay/AP Photo

Stories that featured Garrido’s competitiveness and his personality emerged throughout his coaching career.

Tanner coached South Carolina to a spot in the CWS championship series in 2002. Waiting was Texas, which beat the Gamecocks 12-6 for Garrido’s fourth title. “After the game, I said, ‘Congratulations Augie, we were no match for you.’ He said, ‘Your day will come.’ When he said that, I believed it. Some coaches just make comments and you go, ‘OK, thank you a lot.’ But when Augie said that, I never forgot it — that your day will come.”

South Carolina returned to Omaha in 2002, 2003 and 2004, then won championships in 2009 and 2010.

Vanderhook: “In 1994, we were at Oklahoma State in the regional. It was the championship game. We had a guy on third base and our dugout was going crazy. I’m coaching third and trying to get somebody’s attention in the dugout. So I’m waving my arms and nobody sees me. Then finally, a little while later, Augie sees me, and he goes, ‘What do you want?’ By then, I was pissed, because it took so long. This is the winning run to go to Omaha. So I waved both hands, like ‘forget it.’ And he screams out at me, ‘You can be replaced!’ We ended up winning that game, thank God.”

Garrido, as in 2009 against LSU and 1992 against Pepperdine, took hard the loss to Horton and Cal State Fullerton in the 2004 finals. After the two-game sweep, Garrido left the field without shaking hands with his former team.

Horton: “I didn’t take it personal, because I knew Augie. In retrospect, the thing that bothered me the most was that he really created a David and Goliath mentality at Cal State Fullerton. We were David, and Texas and SC and Miami and Florida State, they were Goliath. He really created this monster that came back to haunt him. With all the frustration of not winning, recognizing that he had everything to do with us beating him, he would tell you today that he missed the mark on that. And Augie didn’t miss the mark very often.”

More often, Garrido directed others to hit the mark. Like in 1992, on the Friday before the championship game, when storms pushed Miami and Cal State Fullerton late into night.

Poppe: “We finally got the game in, but I was exasperated and worn out. I escaped into Fullerton’s dugout to get out of the rain at one point. Most of the players had gone back into the clubhouse, but Augie was just sitting down at the end, legs crossed, relaxed. He looked over, gave me a big smile and said, ‘Are you having any fun yet?’ We talked for a while. He just let me know that when I said it was time to play, they’d be ready. In almost every situation I was with him, he had that kind of calm demeanor, enjoying life. And he taught me a lesson that it was best to just do my job and everything would be OK.”

His words from that rain delay, more than a quarter-century ago, feel appropriate to serve as Garrido’s enduring message to the players and coaches at this CWS — and all others moving ahead, a little bit less colorful without him.

Senior writer Ryan McGee and staff writer Sam Khan Jr. contributed to this story.

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[rockrevoltmagazine]

MGT INTERVIEW WITH MARK THWAITE AND ASHTON NYTE

  A gothic rock lover’s dream- the impressive project MGT has an upcoming release that will make even the darkest of hearts swoon at the beautiful singing of Ashton Nyte and brilliant melodies from the mind of Mark Thwaite. “Gemini Nyte” is a collaborative effort between two musicians that need no introduction, merging their musical experiences together to create this new album. Having played significant roles in other projects such as The Mission, Tricky, Peter Murphy, The Awakening, and so much more- it is clear to hear how years of fostering talent with skill has paid off. Senior Journalist Anabel DFlux had the wondrous opportunity to pick the brains of Mark and Ashton on “Gemini Nyte”.

  RockRevolt: Hello! Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today. How are you?

  Mark: Feeling dandy!

Ashton: Suitably splendid, thank you.

  RR: Let’s jump right into it and chat about your upcoming release “Gemini Nyte”. How was this album conceptualized? What was the music and lyricism writing progression like?

  Mark: It was a fairly organic process, as we had already collaborated on a few songs on the last MGT ‘Volumes’ album in 2015, we just kept on writing and before we knew it we had a whole albums worth of material… songs like ‘The Reaping’ and ‘Jesamine’ on the last album set the template sound for ‘Gemini Nyte’, and I decided to keep the whole album in that broad spectrum of the gothic hard rock genre, of course we branched out a bit here and there..

  Ashton: Yes, our initial collaboration on Volumes was a great foundation to build from. We actually wrote so well and so quickly together that the bulk of this album was written and demoed before Volumes was even released.

  RR: What about the recording and production process?

  Mark: Most of it starts in my home studio in Los Angeles California, I’ll record some guitar riffs and chord progressions and lay down some basic drum programming and bass guitar, maybe some synths and then send a sketch arrangement to Ashton, who then applies his lyrics and vocal melodies, sometimes suggesting arrangement tweaks etc… once I hear the vocal I then flesh out the instrumentation and guitars with more defined parts and sometimes add some lead lines..

  RR: Do you each have a song that has the most sentimental value on the upcoming album?

  Mark: I used to play along to ‘Say Hello Wave Goodbye’ back in the early to mid-80s, making up my own guitar riffs to the song, which ultimately lead me to recording this bombastic rock version on the new album, so I guess it certainly has sentimental value to myself, taking me back to my youth and to finally see my vision for the song realised over 30 years later..

  Ashton: As huge fan of Scott Weiland and STP, I was very moved by his passing. I reached out to Mark to do a version of my favourite STP song, “Atlanta”. Singing that song remains a very special moment for me on the album. Mark’s arrangement allowed us to stay true to the original, whilst bringing our collective spirit to the song. It is an album highlight for me.

  RR: Tell me about “Every Little Dream”. Why did you choose to release this song as a single?

  Ashton: “Every Little Dream” was actually a song I had written and demoed before meeting Mark. When we were assembling the album, I sent him a few demos and that one stood out for him. Mark re-recorded the guitars and added a new solo, among other things, which made it sit very well on the Gemini Nyte album. I think it ended being a single because both Mark and the label liked the song and it seemed to go down rather well at the shows we did last year.

  RR: Can you tell me about the official video? I love the overlaid live footage! Do you feel that your impressive previous musical experiences influenced aspects of this project?

  Mark: We played some festivals in Europe last summer, including Wave Gotik Treffen in Germany and Camden Rocks Festival in London, and we hired some camera guys to capture some live footage, I was thinking this would be handy for selling MGT as a live act to promoters and booking agents, but we also found it a source of imagery for the ‘Every Little Dream’ video… we passed all of the footage (including iphone footage) to our dear friend Mont Sherar who did a fantastic job of editing the Reaping video back in 2016, and he once again did an amazing job..

  Ashton: Yes, Mont worked miracles on the video, as always. I think the 80’s flavour reflects the 80’s undercurrent of the song itself. What can I say, I’m a child of the 80’s.

  RR: What is your fondest musical memory?

  Mark: Listening to Pink Floyd on vinyl for the first time at a friend’s house party when I was around 14 or 15.. I recall it was the Animals album, the vinyl would jump at the same point of the same song and to this day I can’t hear that song without hearing the ‘scratch’ or jump in my memory… music is a wonderful thing. If we are talking about performing music… probably the farewell shows by my old band The Mission back in 2008, they were fantastic and magical shows.

  Ashton: Hearing “Rock ’n Roll Suicide: by David Bowie for the first time. I knew then that I had my work cut out for me.

  RR: What image do you feel that your music conveys?

  Ashton: Lyrically I’m coming from a relatively introspective place. I like music to challenge the listener, whilst not being negative or oppressive. I think our songs are ultimately uplifting in the face of adversity and the other awful things life tends to throw at us.

  RR: What drew you into the gothic rock genre that you play?

  Mark: Funnily enough with my massive goth rock track record, what with playing guitar for everybody from The Mission to Peter Murphy of Bauhaus, Spear of Destiny, Theatre of Hate and working with members of Sex Gang Children and Killing Joke, my earliest influences were actually more punk rock and metal of the late 70s, such as The Skids, Generation X, The Pistols, Motorhead, AC/DC etc. But I started branching out into bands such as Bauhaus, Siouxsie in the early 80s and then The Cult and Killing Joke and enjoyed the atmosphere and drama to the music. I definitely find myself leaning more towards melancholic minor key chord sequences.

  Ashton: For me it evolved out of my love for Bowie and the more theatrical side of art. My natural voice is rather deep and a tad dramatic and my lyrics tend to meander through the realms of melancholy introspection – not always the best fit for pop music.

  RR: I hear you have an upcoming tour in the States with Jyrki69! Can you tell me about it?

  Mark: Both Jyrki and MGT are labelmates on Cleopatra, so we were aware of each other of course… also Ville Juurikkakala -the video director I used for my ABBA cover of ‘Knowing Me Knowing You’ with Ville Valo -had also shot videos for Jyrki’s band The 69 Eyes, so it was fate that Cleopatra brought us together for this tour to promote our new albums.. The 69 Eyes are a great band, and Jyrki’s new solo album is fab.

  Ashton: Yeah, and Jyrki is a lovely person, which is supremely important when hitting the road with someone for a few weeks.

  RR: How would you describe your show visually? What can fans expect?

  Mark: Lots of smoke and mirrors…

  Ashton: I keep asking Mark to leave those mirrors at home, they do make me self-conscious.

  RR: Any music video plans we can be privy to knowing about?

  Mark: Not really, that’s up to our label Cleopatra to suggest we shoot a new one! We are releasing another single just before the album comes out in February, it’s a alternate version we recorded of ‘The Assembly Line’ and features original and classic Cure members Lol Tolhurst on keyboards and Pearl (aka Porl) Thompson on guitar… sounds fantastic and I’d love to see a video for it!

  RR: How would you define the word “success”? 

  Mark: Waking up each morning with all my limbs and food in the fridge, and to be with my loved ones around me.

  Ashton: Finding joy in everyday life and sharing it with those you love and who love you.

  RR: Any words for your fans before we conclude this interview?

  Mark: we look forward to everyone hearing the new album and coming to see us on tour! We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

  Ashton: Thank you for caring about what we do, it is certainly a blessing.

  RR: Thank you!

  CONNECT WITH MGT HERE

OFFICIAL WEBSITE FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM TWITTER

  Be sure to catch MGT on tour in the United States at the below dates:

  Mar 9 – Mesa, AZ – Club Red

Mar 10 – Fullerton, CA – Slide Bar

Mar 11 – San Francisco, CA – DNA Lounge

Mar 13 – Portland, OR – Analog Lounge

Mar 15 – Seattle, WA – Studio Seven

Mar 17 – Salt Lake City, UT – Liquid Joe’s

Mar 18 – Las Vegas, NV – Beauty Bar

Mar 21 – West Hollywood, CA – Whisky A Go Go

MGT INTERVIEW WITH MARK THWAITE AND ASHTON NYTE was originally published on RockRevolt Mag

[thecollegefootballguy]

Top 12 PAC-12 Games in 2017

Only two Power conferences left to preview. Once again, this is a countdown of the best regular season games in each league. I won’t be counting the PAC-12 Championship or any Bowl/Playoff games because we don’t know the contestants. The PAC-12 is an interesting league, and the only Power 5 conference in which the supposed top two teams won’t meet in the regular season. We’re left with an interesting mix of division and cross division games that will lead into the all-important Championship match.

12. Oregon at Stanford Saturday, October 14

It’s so weird to see this game so low on the list. Indeed, you could argue that it doesn’t even need to make the top 12, but I’m going to play it safe. From 2009 to 2015, the winner of this game won the PAC-12. For a couple of those years there weren’t any other teams that even came close to competing. Quite a streak, but the spell was broken last season when Washington vanquished Oregon and Stanford by a combined 114 to 27. Nobody is sure how the Ducks are going to fare in Willie Taggart’s first season at the helm, but we’ll get an idea where he stands when he goes against brother-in-arms David Shaw. The two were both part of Jim Harbaugh’s staff at Stanford before Taggart left to coach Western Kentucky.

11. Utah at USC Saturday, October 14

The same day that Stanford and Oregon meet in Palo Alto, USC will host the Utah Utes, who might be their biggest competition in the South. Nobody seriously thinks that the Utes are on the same level as the Trojans going into 2017, but with the rest of the South looking so unstable Utah is as good of a choice as any. Kyle Wittingham’s squad is the only school to have not won the PAC-12 South yet, but the Utes are probably the most consistent winners in that division. Utah is the last team that beat SC. 

10. Colorado at Utah Saturday, November 25

Colorado’s breakthrough in 2016 was one of the stories of the season. The perennial doormat finally made good on their rebuild and won over fans across the country. When these kind of miracle seasons happen, the next year  is usually a let down, especially when a lot of the talent responsible leaves. The South may have already been decided by this point in the season, but with the PAC-12′s nine game conference schedule, the expected team rarely wins the division. Maybe the Rumble in the Rockies will play a larger role than expected.

9. Stanford at Washington State Saturday, November 4

A trip to Pullman is always a scary proposition. The den of Leach threatens even the best defenses. Stanford’s last visit probably should have ended in defeat, and last season the Cardinal were embarrassed at home by Washington State. Both schools are trying to catch Washington in the North race and this game will probably tell us who the #2 team in the division is.

8. Texas at USC Saturday, September 16

Two of the biggest brands in college football take the field at the LA Coliseum. USC will get a chance to make a big statement in what will surely be a game viewed by millions across the nation. The Longhorns won’t be a pushover if Tom Herman has his way, but this is expected to be a coming out party for the Trojans; and what better way to do it against the team that beat them in the greatest BCS Championship Game ever?

7. USC at Washington State Friday, September 29

Washington State plays host to another PAC-12 contender when USC takes the long trip from Los Angeles to Pullman. With Sonny Dykes gone from Cal, the Cougars are the only team in the conference with a true Air Raid offense. If everything is clicking they can score with the best of them. It’ll be a challenge with the Trojan defense starting to resemble what it looked like in the old days.

6. USC at Notre Dame Saturday, October 21

The greatest intersectional rivalry in college football will be played for the 88th time. There’s absolutely no way that Notre Dame goes 4-8 again, and USC hasn’t won in South Bend in their last two tries. The Trojans can be favored all they want but this will be a tough game.

5. Washington at Colorado Saturday, September 23

The rematch of last year’s PAC-12 Championship Game will be a lot of fun. Washington is projected by many to repeat as North Division champs. Colorado is expected to slide back into the middle of the pack, but the home game serving as the first conference matchup for both teams will throw a few potential curve balls for both squads.

4. USC at Colorado Saturday, November 11

The South is a hard division to predict, but this year it seems easier than most. The Arizona schools are mired in a funk, UCLA is a huge question mark despite a ton of talent. Utah is consistent but lost a lot of key producers. Colorado won last season despite being the second best team in the division behind USC. Now, their game with the Trojans will be played towards the end of the season and very well could decide who goes to Santa Clara.

3. Washington State at Washington Saturday, November 25

Every time the Apple Cup has national relevance there’s reason to celebrate. Washington State gets all of their big opponents at home (Montana State, Boise State, USC, Colorado, Stanford) except for their biggest rival and continual antagonist. I’m not sure if Wazzu fans care how many games they win as long as they can beat the Huskies, whom they’ve lost to four games in a row to and seven of eight. If Stanford doesn’t live up to expectations, this will decide the North.

2. Stanford at USC Saturday, September 9

These two teams have got to stop playing so early in the season. This has been the PAC-12′s best rivalry game in the last ten years but it’s been each school’s conference opener for the past four seasons. It has definitely been the biggest cross-division matchup in the PAC-12 since the league split into two divisions. USC is the South favorite and is already hyped up to Rose Bowl and even Playoff expectations. Stanford is assumed to be the second best North team after Washington, but they will still be a talented and deep squad. Let’s remember, last time the Cardinal went to the Coliseum they toppled the #6 Trojans as an unassuming and unranked spoiler.

1. Washington at Stanford Friday, November 10

This has trap written all over it. Since Washington and USC aren’t playing in the regular season this will be the Huskies’ biggest chance to slip up. If they’re walking the undefeated tightrope, they’ll be 9-0 and coming off their rivalry game with Oregon. The PAC-12 has a bad history at allowing teams to pass through the nine game schedule unscathed. Only one team has done it, 2010 Oregon, who were probably the best team the conference has fielded since Pete Carroll’s SC dynasty. It’ll be a huge road block in repeating as champions.

-

Tell me what you think of the list and if I left off any games. I felt bad for not including UCLA-USC, but the Bruins are hard to figure out. Thanks for reading!

[cryptoinsider-blog]

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And exactly since the the courtroom is definitely the final specialist for any Eurozone, its conclusion is binding for the total terrain in the Western european. Reported by this selection, the moment some international locations of the european countries need to modify their legal guidelines. And curiously, Poland, Estonia and Germany have already set the regulating procedures in procedures with cryptocurrency. Approach towards the Western Judge differs, while within the medium as being the financiers also it specialists agree with the fact how the precedent of legalisation cryptocurrency in the European Union provides hope that Bitcoin will continue its progressive progression and distribution on this planet. Bitcoin is much less new and favorable crypto-foreign currency, electric money, to paraphrase. Company, you can purchase issues and buy expert services working with Bitcoins. Bitcoin, every other money, does have its fee and is changed for an additional foreign currency. So, it is obvious for everyone. Nevertheless, what on earth is Bitcoin, what signifies crypto-money, and ways to understand? Make’ s try to distinct this up. Think about an Surpass stand with plenty of solar cells. Each cell phone has some good info designed in it. It could be some report, or sport, or situation. This family table is definitely the full Web with every bit of facts it holds. The details are consumer, therefore it doesn’ t value something. Each and every new little bit of information which no one knows, could have any price, which one or more Reader will be ready to pay. Give it time to be 1 dollar, for example. A lot more users will find out about info not a soul is familiar with and are the owners of, the larger price tag they are going to suggest to acquire it. So the cost of the undiscovered information and facts will develop. Like this the retail will work: folks are interested the object, and victories the one that implies the greatest expense. Essentially, Bitcoin are these claims special information and facts, still not pre-existing by nature and so mysterious to everybody. There is a confined volume of Bitcoins that could be “ excavated”. So, let’ utes sketch a realization. Bitcoin may be the exceptional information, which is accessible in reduced quantity and that amounted to some expense that men and women can suggest for doing it. As mentioned higher than, Bitcoin is mined. What makes it resemble? Exploration may be the handling of some numbers issues through your personal computer. One example is, returning to our Stand out dining room table, the issue sounds something similar to: why this unique info is within that cellular? Why the exact same information and facts are contained in the cellular for the eventually left uncooked? And and so forth. Handling these logical complications, your laptop delivers new, exceptional info, which includes some value. This is whats called exploration. Initially every last new prevent expertise had 50 Bitcoins, now the total is less, and this will be minimizing right up until all Bitcoins are found. And then we came with a different realization. Mining is definitely the solving of some problems by the computer system and discovering some exceptional info featuring a selected charge. Now, if you have a sense of Bitcoin, you can consider to get started on building some smaller parts of it, known as Satoshi. How might you do this? Play a personal game and crank out some Satoshi. You can test this - BoxBit. For example. Bitcoin is rather difficult and unusual issue, and various people today understand it in different ways. For crypto-" experts " Bitcoin is definitely the generally new technique and genuine cryptographic option. For individuals you should-upers, Bitcoin is an revolutionary engineering with enormous possibilities, like the World wide web two decades back. Players begin to see the new method to generate extra income – should you be happy, you may get up to date while in the minute and create 1000Per-cent. Wear’ testosterone consult me how, I’ michael not just a player. Software engineers find the Bitcoin system like a trendy thing that aids you to do other cool items that were extremely hard in advance of. Lenders and bureaucrats notice it as a thing incomprehensible, which has some impact on dollars, but there’ vertisements no idea the way you use it and approaches to give to back heel. Crypto-maniacs and anarchists see the way to battle the existing economic climate. Substance fans employ a chance to invest in medication anonymously and without threats online (nicely, it has been previously fixed by FBI, put on’ big t be naï ve). Standard people… Well, they see absolutely nothing in Bitcoin. Will still be talking about their head. If we gained’ testosterone levels leap into specialized nuances, Bitcoins is often imagined only a small amount golden coins with teleports and open purchases monitoring. Why Make the most of these metaphor? Very well, the volume of Bitcoins, for instance gold gold and silver coins, has limitations, it could be found, preparations to get the not fast. Silver coins with teleports – as you can move Bitcoin to any area, the place that the World-wide-web is, and also your purchase can not be baulked. As to checking, all of the with regards to the Bitcoin budget user, all orders and operations is saved for the all world wide web nodes and it's accessible to public. Incidentally, the whole technique is constructed on the rules of cryptography, which happens to be thought to be super-risk-free. So, responding to the issue – should you bother – yep, the thing is that intriguing, notable and quite encouraging. Seek to study it and utilize it for yourself. Have you ever been presented revenue without the circumstances and constraints? Probably, no. So you earned’ to be, if you are looking at the more common values. Not a soul will come and say – go take a little cost-free us dollars, dollar, or yuan. But you can certainly see or find out a phrase “ free Bitcoins”, just type it online. What is the secret? This is because Bitcoin is crypto-foreign exchange, generation the best. Crypto-currency exchange is electronic digital money using ab muscles excessive safety next to scams, robbery along with other filthy tips. Their originality is tested by every last circle person by using blockchain technological innovation. All info about all Bitcoin transactions are residing in the distributed circle, for surgical procedures with crypto-currency exchange no focuses or intermediaries are utilized. To do a exchange, you have to know precisely the Bitcoin pockets deal with. The secret of electronic digital dollars is based on the fact it can be put into minuscule sections. For instance, money (and all of other traditional values), is split to the hundredth component, for the industry of automated dealings it is especially minor. And Bitcoin carries a whole-presented one hundred dollars millionth piece, which is called honoring the inventor with the initially crypto-currency Satoshi Nakamoto – Satoshi. That’ ohydrates why web pages which provide free Bitcoins (these are identified as faucets), phone to acquire a reward, which equals to dozens or countless Satoshi. It is chickenfeed, one hundred dollars millionth section of Bitcoin, you can say. And you're right. On the other hand, 1 Bitcoin will probably be worth all-around Money420 as well as its price tag will only grow. And Satoshi “ fall” from shoes often with various periodicity, and so on assets are wide ranging with the multilevel. So getting together again something in their traveling to, you'll make quite a lot. Today sinks are the only way to acquire free Bitcoins. Prior, there was clearly when no person had heard of crypto-stock markets (there seemed to be even no a real expression), then one could my verizon prepaid phone electronic money on my pc, employing a unique application. Mining may be the satisfaction of mathematic estimations for ensuring the credibility of Bitcoin dealings, is actually buyers be given compensate in Bitcoins. The particular problem of the information was nominal then, for the reason that coins weren't many. Now, the problem can be so massive, it's out of the question to acquire Bitcoin in your house.

[junker-town]

If you were Sam Ehlinger, you’d point out your value, too

Texas’ QB is living a dream. That doesn’t mean he’s not being exploited, or that he’s wrong for pointing it out.

Sam Ehlinger’s not the first and won’t be the last college athlete to point out the inherent unfairness in his sport’s economic system.

He’ll get more attention than most, though, because he’s the quarterback at Texas, which exemplifies college football’s reality a huge-money sport more than probably any other school. That’s part of why I have written the blog post you’re reading now.

Here’s what Ehlinger just said about the subject, to the extreme anger of a particular subset of sports fan on the internet.

He tweeted this analogy ...

Within this internship, you risk your short-term and long-term health on a daily basis. You endure this internship with less than a 2% chance to advance in your industry and obtain a full-time paid job.

— Sam Ehlinger (@sehlinger3) March 7, 2019

... and backed a congressional bill that, if passed and upheld, would require the NCAA to drop rules barring players from getting paid off their own names:

Don’t get me wrong, I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to get an incredible degree and play the sport I love at such a prestigious University. I am extremely blessed.

— Sam Ehlinger (@sehlinger3) March 8, 2019

There are fair debates to have about the logistics of paying college athletes.

Some examples of things that seem fair to ask, in my opinion: Who should do the paying? Do players in every sport get paid? Does every player on the team get paid the same amount? What competitive balance restrictions get put into place? How do you make sure player pay policies conform to Title IX and any other relevant laws?

But please do not say that the quarterback at the University of Texas is compensated fairly by a scholarship, room, board, and good coaching.

Here’s how one weirdly aggrieved person responded to Ehlinger’s tweets. I’m using this example because it tracks with the same arguments mad people make any time a player (or someone else) dares to advocate for a fairer system:

Education? Food? Lodging? Opportunity to promote yourself nationally?

The nerve of those bastards!

Scroll around the replies to Ehlinger’s tweets, and you’ll see lots of that theme. You’ll see the same any time someone with a big enough platform says something similar.

Being a college athlete, especially a Power 5 QB at a legacy program like Ehlinger is, obviously carries many great things. So do lots of other jobs. But that’s not the point, just like it’s not the point when some regular person likes their job but still feels exploited at it. Maybe you’ve felt like that before. I definitely have.

Anyway, here’s what Ehlinger and his teammates help generate for Texas every year:

Around $37 million from the Big 12, which gets that money from broadcast partners. Some of that comes from basketball, and a smidgen from other sports, but the bulk of any big conference’s media deal — especially the Big 12’s — is derived from football.

About another $15 million from ESPN for the right to run the Longhorn Network, a TV channel devoted just to Texas. Again, that’s not all football. Only one or two football games per year actually go on the channel. But the football program has driven Texas’ brand to the heights where it could get a cash cow like LHN in the first place.

Many millions more in ticket sales, direct expenditures to watch athletes play.

Bowl payouts in the seven figures, coming via the Big 12 (but Texas’ players add to that pot whenever they make a bowl, such as the Sugar after the 2018 season).

More in merchandise sales, concession sales at games, and miscellany.

In 2016-17, Texas reported more athletic revenue than any school in the country, more than $214 million. It will eternally stay near the top, and football will stay the biggest driver.

There’s a lot nobody can know for sure about Ehlinger’s place in that system.

Starting here: What’s Ehlinger’s real value to Texas?

It’s impossible to be precise. These deals were put in place before his time, and he has lots of teammates. But he’s the star of a highly expensive TV show 13 or 14 times a year, so let’s just say: a lot.

I don’t know what the true value of a Texas scholarship, room, and board is.

According to UT’s math, the cost is about $28,000 per year for an in-state student like Ehlinger, not counting summer, when athletes are often on campus anyway.

Of course, it doesn’t really cost a school that much to host a student. Ehlinger’s scholarship doesn’t really cost UT even the $11,000 or so it would cost him to pay for tuition for a year if he weren’t on scholarship. That’s unless the school’s literally out of space to host a paying student in his place, and there’s no evidence that’s the case.

I also don’t know what the true value of being coached by Tom Herman and his staff, given nice accommodations, and provided great trainers is.

It varies by player. There are some who develop a ton in college and then cash out big in the NFL. That’s not most of them, and Ehlinger’s a former four-star recruit who could’ve gotten relatively similar coaching at a lot of places.

And I don’t know how, exactly, that weighs against the medical risk football players face, or the likelihood they’ll never see NFL dollars.

Ehlinger alludes to both. Again, they vary by player.

But I don’t need to know any of these things to know if I were the one of the most important figures at the center of a multimillion-dollar entertainment business, and I did not get paid actual money for it, I’d be miffed too.

My guess is the people leaving Ehlinger confrontational replies would also be mad. But if anyone out there has ever been a central figure in a business that generates something like $50 million per year just in TV money and also not been paid for it, please email me or comment below. It would be wonderful to hear your story.